Hartley Magazine

All the latest news, hints, tips and advice from our experts

Hawaiian theme will ‘appeal to everyone’

The diverse nature of the state of Hawaii is one of the main reasons that it has been chosen as the theme of next month’s Philadelphia International Flower Show, according to one expert.

Hawaii is the newest of the 50 US states and is the only one that is made up entirely of islands, which gives it multiple different climates and thus makes it the perfect theme for the show.

Public relations manager from The Pennsylvania Horticultural Society Alan Jaffe said the show, which runs from March 4th to 11th, will appeal to every kind of gardener because of the diverse exhibitions set to be displayed.

Green-fingered individuals among you will be able to learn from such a wide variety of different types of greenspace that you could be the talk of the town by the time spring comes around with the new knowledge acquired at the show.

“We choose our themes on what we think would be most appealing to a broad range of audiences, but also topics and gardens that will inspire our exhibitors to present a very exciting, informative and entertaining presentation,” Mr Jaffe continued.

With 14 different climates in the state there are sure to be all sorts of different ideas for people to take away with them. Mr Jaffe said there is set to be a fantastic array of plants, flowers and trees.

Among the notable plants due to be on show throughout the event will be the white orchid, known as the Orchidaceae. It is one of the two largest families of flowering plants with between 21,950 and 26,049 accepted species.

Orchidaceae are found in almost every habitat apart from the glaciers. The world’s richest concentration of orchid varieties is found in the Himalayan region of Nepal, while there are also large amounts in Asia, South and Central America.

The green-fingered souls that make the trip to the show are sure not to be disappointed as there will be a number of interactive displays for people to take part in.

“We are going to have a designer’s studio where we are actually going to do live competitions in front of members of the audience. It will be an interactive exhibit, like the [programme] Iron Chef, but with flowers,” Mr Jaffe added.

All proceeds from the Philadelphia International Flower Show will be put towards supporting The Pennsylvania Horticultural Society and a number of its urban greening programs.