Suddely It's Spring at the 2010 Philadelphia Flower Show - A Photo Album

At the end of winter, when the earth that shows through dirty old snow is mud; when rain gutters hang off houses from the last blizzard; when photographs taken out doors could be mistaken for black and white pictures; when the Olympics have ended and you've just had it with winter - visit the Philadelphia Flower Show where suddenly, it's spring!

The Philadelphia Flower Show is located at the Pennsylvania Convention Center on 12th and Arch Streets in Philadelphia, PA from Sunday, February 28 until Sunday, March 7, 2010. Hours are from Monday to Friday 10:00 AM til 9:30 PM and on Saturday, March 6, from 8:00 AM until 9:30 PM.

I went to the flower show on the first day. The convention center is filled with trees, shrubs, and flowers all in bloom. Walk in from the gray, gritty streets through wide open doors into spring with all the color, brilliance, and joy that comes with spring, but all at once!

Florists, landscapers, gardening clubs, and horticultural organization gather for one week to display the best of what spring has to offer : birch trees in their first leaf, azaleas and rhododendrons all in bloom; hyacinths; roses; tulips; and orchids galore.

I visited the flower show on Sunday and if these pictures don't induce you to attend, at least share in the beauty of uplifting, joyous springtime, with a bit of summer thrown in.

The theme of this year's annual event is Passport to the World. Displays feature horticultural and floral displays that depict the cultural and botanical feel of every continent but Antarctica. Be a guest at an Indian wedding. Stroll past an Indonesian garden. Listen to Brazilian music and view an Chinese emperors palace.

You can check out art created of dried botanical - amazing creations of landscapes that look like oil paintings. See the latest and most creative uses of flowers in floral designs. You can see tropical plants, learn how to bonsai, attend workshops in gardening and floral arranging. Learn how to use environmentally friendly techniques in your own garden, or take a look at incredibly beautiful window boxes.

The Philadelphia Flower Show will inspire you to create a fabulous garden at home with displays of actual sized small yards.

Everybody is friendly there. If you have a question, just turn around and ask anyone. Someone is sure to have an answer. And if they don't, just chat with folks from all over about gardening practices, favorite flowers, and how much they love the show.

Afterward, wander over to the vendors area where you can purchase orchids, flowers by the bunch, willow and pussy willow twigs, vases, bonsai, containers, garden ornaments and more.

It's a long day so wear comfortable shoes!

(Click each picture for a full sized version)

The rounded 'shrubs' in the foreground are actually made completely of massed flowers.

This display is part of a larger displays that features a stack of shipping containers where gorgeous floral arrangements are depicted in very unusual settings.