The 2026 Philadelphia Flower Show opened its doors on February 28 with all the anticipated vibrancy of past shows, and it is evident that this year’s show does not disappoint. This year’s theme, “Rooted: Origins of American Gardening,” is based on honoring horticulture handed down through traditions and practices like a grandparent’s garden or a family recipe passed down through generations. The Philadelphia Flower Show, created and produced by the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society, has entered its 197th year and is the nation’s longest running horticultural event and attracts around 250,000 people annually. Ranked as one of the top three international flower shows alongside London and Singapore, the show’s visitors come from around the world to view, shop and compete. 

The Flower Show offers over 300 competitive classes for solo artists, educational institutions including high schools and colleges, organizations and businesses to participate in. LM’s Flower Show Club is one of many high school clubs in the region who enter into one of the competitions yearly. Since its founding in 1994, the club has earned many top prizes for its annual entries. This year, the club competed in the window and lamp post class whose theme was “Illuminating the Past,” earning third place for its window box and planter adorned with delphinium and trillium flowers. Their entry prominently featured mesic woodland plants that have been overharvested and endangered in Pennsylvania. The club is under the capable leadership of English teacher Laura Steibitz who, before she became a teacher, interned at Longwood Gardens and Scott Arboretum. As she takes the club into the future, she hopes to “develop educational aspects of the club,” by contacting “guest speakers to teach students the basics of landscape design and horticulture,” as well as to “get involved with local garden clubs to help plant and maintain gardens.” She calls the club a fun merging of her two worlds and has loved leading the club since 2023. 

Upon entering the main hall, attendees are immersed in “The Forest Floor,” an exhibit inspired by Japanese zen gardens, Scottish mist, and American design. It features a 23-foot-tall floral-covered root structure representing these diverse cultural influences. Other notable exhibits include “Rooted in Love,” a theatrical garden inspired by Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet, and “Before 250,” created by W.B. Saul High School students. This exhibit honors the Lenape and Pennsylvania’s Indigenous roots by featuring a wigwam—a traditional hut with a domed or conical roof covered by birch bark or mats—along with a flowing stream, and forested hillside.  In addition to taking in all the horticultural exhibits in the main hall, the show offers many more attractions for guests of all ages. The main hall, also known as Hamilton Hourticourt, is where the horticultural exhibits and contests will be found along with food stands and the PHS store. A short stroll away is Artisan Row which features hands-on activities where one can paint vases, create garlands and bouquets of dried flowers, or create a personal succulent terrarium. These hands-on experiences encourage visitors of all ages to participate in the many activities the flower show has to offer. Younger visitors can engage in creative crafts while adults can experience the horticultural displays, marketplace offerings, and competitions. The show offers lectures from master gardeners and other gardening experts, a live butterfly room and special events including Fido Friday where guests can bring their dogs to tour the exhibits. In addition, the Flower Show Marketplace features 185 vendors selling everything from plants to artisan crafts and locally made honey.

From the moment one rides up the escalators to the main hall, they are immersed in an explosion of color from flowers and plants suspended from high in the air, billowing up from the ground and displayed prominently in the myriad exhibits scattered throughout the densely packed main hall. One doesn’t have to be a gardener or even an anthophile (flower lover) to appreciate all that the Flower Show has to offer. From the vibrant and creative exhibits to the hand-crafted wares of the marketplace, there truly is something for everyone. Nearly two centuries after its founding, the Philadelphia Flower Show continues to bring people together to celebrate the beauty, creativity and inspiring traditions of American gardening.