Philadelphia Flower Show

February 2017

Despite living in the Philadelphia area my entire life, I've never gone to the annual Philadelphia Flower Show. I'm not necessarily a flower enthusiast, but I'm a photographer and have spent plenty of time photographing flowers at places like Longwood Gardens, the Macy's Flower Show in Chicago and others. This year's theme was Holland and tulips are my favorite flowers to photograph so how could I resist? Despite it being a damp rainy day, we hopped on the train to Center City and spent the day indoors enjoying the sights and sounds (Dutch techno light show, anyone? See the video below.). It's truly amazing to see what the Philadelphia Horticultural Society builds inside the convention center. Besides flowers, the amount of stuff they load in there, trees, landscaping, tons of dirt and mulch, art exhibits, etc. is beyond impressive. It made for a fun (and colorful) day.

001 Entrance Bridge
As you enter the convention hall, you’re greeted by a flower adorned bridge.
003 Tulips
Tulips, tulips and more tulips!
004 Floating Flower Fields
The floating flower fields consist of many thousands of bunches of dried flowers
005 Windmills
Nothing says Dutch like windmills
009 Windmill
Nothing says Dutch like windmills
011 Entrance Bridge & Canal
A canal flows through the entrance bridge
012 White Bikes Display
The white bikes display is a nod to Amsterdam’s white bicycle plan of the 1960’s
015 Gin Still
They’re not really distilling gin in this still, but it recognizes Holland’s gin production
016 Floral Hats
The floral hats are not exactly stylish or functional, but are definitely weird.
017 Entrance Area
The entrance overwhelms you with color
022 Termini Brothers
Taking a break from the flower show for a cannoli from Termini Brothers, conveniently located right on the show floor.
023 Delft China
Delft china is uniquely Dutch
025 Blue Bike
ET’s flying bike was not nearly as ornately adorned as this one.
027 Dutch Techno Light Show
A few times per hour, the lights dimmed and a Dutch techno light show/dance party ensued.
030 Subaru Cottage
Subaru’s advertising consisted of a cute little cottage.
033 Edible Flower Presentation
This guy was demonstrating various edible flowers, but what caught my eye was his fancy jacket
034 Blue Tulips
Blue tulips!
035 Orange Tulips
When I think of Dutch tulips, orange is the color that comes to mind
038 Bike Bridge
A bridge of bicycles
039 Bike Wheel Window
Through the bike wheel
041 Yard with Purple Door
Just hanging out in a backyard
045 Metal Garden Fish
These metal garden fish were for sale. They were not cheap!
046 Modern Yard
A modern backyard
047 Chain Link Fence Yard
Some areas of the show are a little more industrial
050 Fabio Tulips
Fabio tulips are unique but you probably won’t find them on the covers of trashy romance novels
053 Tulips
So many tulips!
054 Entrance Bridge
Looking over the entrance bridge
057 Floating Flower Fields
The floating flower fields consist of many thousands of bunches of dried flowers
061 Yellow Tulips
There are tulips everywhere you look
066 Cows
I believe these critters are supposed to be cows
068 Wooden Shoes
It’s not Holland without some wooden shoes.
069 Tulips & Bike
Tulips and bikes, that pretty much sums up the Holland vibe going on here
071 Garden Shed
A garden shed among the flowers
072 White & Yellow Daffodils
Some daffodils snuck in among the tulips.
073 Garden Shed
My shed is never this neatly organized
075 Tunnel of Orchids
Passing through the tunnel of orchids
077 White Orchids
Orchids along the tunnel of orchids
081 Pink Orchids
Orchids along the tunnel of orchids
082 Tunnel of Orchids
Looking up in the tunnel of orchids
084 Glass & Cinder Block Display
Flowers can even make cinder blocks look good.
086 Pink & Grape Hyacinths
Neon pink hyacynths
088 Purple Hyacinths
Purple hyacinths always remind me of my grandmother.
089 Human-Size Bird's Nest
This human-size bird’s nest looks comfy.
091 OCD Chef Cutting Board
A cutting board for the OCD chef
096 Orange Japanese Puff
Just a giant orange puff ball
098 Pink Flowers
Pink daisies? I think?
099 Blue Porch
One of a few porches on display
100 Anna van der Breggen Porch
I’m not sure why Dutch Olympian Anna van der Breggen is peeking out the front door, but she is.
103 Tulips & Hyacinths in Delft Pottery
Tulips & hyacinths in Delft pottery
108 Bike Wheel Windowsill Display
Flowers and bike wheels on the windowsill
112 Bonsai Tree
Bonsai trees are very cool and the lighting on this one was perfect
113 Japanese Elm Bonsai Tree
This bonsai tree is nearly as old as I am.
114 Train Platform
Model trains, Dutch style
117 Train Platform
Who knew Amtrak goes to Holland
118 Train Platform House
Holland recreated on a model train platform
120 Tulip Fence
I bet they don’t actually have fences like this in Holland, but that cabin sure does look cozy.

Every so often the 2017 Philadelphia Flower Show, whose theme was Holland this year, was briefly transformed into a Dutch dance party and light show.