Philadelphia Flower Show

Philadelphia Flower Show
http://www.theflowershow.com/home/index.html

The Philadelphia Flower Show is an annual extravaganza of the showiest flora in these parts.  Part showcase, part keen competition and part smorgasboard of plants, seeds, flowers, etc., it's a huge draw for this time of the year (early March, about the time everybody's heartily sick of winter). 

This show is venued at the Philadelphia Convention Center, and this is a pretty big place.  If you want to check it our, definitely have comfy shoes and be ready to brave the crowds.  Weekdays are the better times to go, when there are less people.

And bring cash too... it seems to make the transactions (especially at the marketplace) smoother!

Hall A of the Convention Center has the big exhibits.  This year's theme was "Passport to the World"

Bamboo forest.  This was designed by a landscaping company, I think.

Live music and sexxy dancers!

This giraffe is made of knotted pieces of willow and has orchids in vases suspended all over.  Very pretty!

Hall B is the main draw, and has the prizewinning exhibitions.

Urn design.   What's nice about these collections is that the plants are labeled.  The competitions are the best place to scope out the upcoming trends and new plant varieties.  Last time we went (I think two years ago), the big-leaf begonias were all the rage and were selling at a premium.  Nowadays, you can pick some of them up in your local Home Depot!

Window box entry.  This one has a lot of tropical flair.

Front porch entry.  It even has a little front lawn!

These next few pictures are of pressed flowers and plant material.  There is also a separate category for jewelry design, with the main elements comprising only of plant material (seeds, flowers, etc).   

This grabbed the blue ribbon for its class... the judges critiqued that the sky was "too busy" and detracted from the overall picture.  I think it's perfect, though.

These next few pics are entries in the miniature setting category.  The one above is an interpretation of "Eloise at the Plaza."

I liked this one a lot; it really looks like it's an overgrown ramshackle spot in the woods. 

This one was really funny.  I like how the stated intent begins,"For sale 1967 Chevy..."

Here are pictures of some of the entries that we really liked:

This one looked as dead as it did in real life.  Or like a stealthy underwater creature. Very spooky.

This looks like something that would belong in Dr. Seuss' world.

Doesn't this one look eerie too... it looks like a naked person curled up and crying.  

This one is just so symmetrical and so beautiful!

Male (left) and female (right) forms...

The two pictures are teeny-weeny plants that were just simply perfect.

Of course orchids are well-represented. 

DJKung liked this one; it reminded him of little flies hovering about.

And if nothing else, Hall C is their awesome marketplace, where you can get lots of fresh flowers, bulbs, seeds, indoor and outdoor plants, and loads of garden and home accessories.  I must say that this is really the highlight for me, because there is just so much on sale and the prices are fantastic. 

That said, depending on your fortitude, the last day of the show is either the best day for bargains, or the worst.  Best, because everybody's trying to unload their merch (less to bring home, because the vendors here are really from all over the country).  Worst, because everyone is out to get deals and it can get a bit hairy.  I was witness to a meltdown this one lady had when told that the three-dozen-roses-for-ten-dollars sale did not appear exactly at 3:00 pm, as promised.  This lady was almost threatening bodily harm to the staff (for grocery store-type roses, mind you...). 

Xe Lua (Philadelphia)

Xe Lua
907 Race Street
Philadelphia, PA 19107
(215) 627-8883


We were in Philadelphia one fine Sunday morning for the Philadelphia Flower Show.  Philly is a manageable hour-and-a-half ride from our New Jersey burb, but it is a world away. . . it's got its own hometown vibe and flavor, with lots of soul. 

Of course, Philadelphia is one of the major historical cities of the country (Liberty Bell, Constitutional Law Center, Ben Franklin's stompin' grounds) and there is plenty of that to see.  There are plenty of different neighborhoods, each with their own personality. 

Philadelphia is known as the city of murals.  Here's one I took a shot of while we were sitting in traffic.

The Phila Flower Show is held at the Philadelphia Convention Center, right smack downtown.   Chinatown is super close by, and there are many places for noshin.'  We like going to Xe Lua for their cheap and tasty pho.

Goi cuon (shrimp rolls) with peanut sauce.  Always a great refreshing starter.

Hu Tieu Do Bien (serafood noodle soup).   This was a large bowl with a very hefty serving of assorted seafood, much more than you'd expect from most pho places.  The broth was light yet flavorful.

Pho Xe Lua Dac Biet (special Xe Lua beef rice noodle soup).  DJKung loves the pho broth here because of their well-balanced seasoning.  Also, it's not as greasy as in other places.

Muc Rang Muoi (salt baked squid). I could have sworn that this was fried, not baked.  Anyway, the squid was superfresh and perfectly fried and crispy. 

Of course, DJKung had to have his Cafe Sua (French coffee with condensed milk).  It's strong espresso-like coffee which the french press drips down into a cup with sweet and creamy condensed milk.  So it's like the concentrated coffee and concentrated milk, together. 

There are a lot more items in the menu, but we never seem to stray from the basics: pho, fried squid and some spring rolls.  They're just dang good!