Every March, I don’t miss the chance to awaken my senses to see and smell spring blooms at the annual Philadelphia Flower Show. This year’s theme was Holland: Flowering the World. My BFF Cynthia and I got the chance to tip-toe through the tulips inside the Philadelphia Convention Center, located on Arch Street between Broad and 11th Streets.

2017 Philly Flower Show
Location: The 2017 Philadelphia Flower Show.

 I walked in the park during last year’s Flower Show, exploring America by celebrating the 100-year-old National Parks theme. In 2015, my BFF and I were also fortunate enough to attend the black-tie preview party for Celebrate the Movies courtesy of the that employs us.

At the 2015 Philadelphia Flower Show with BFF, Cynthia

While there wasn’t a black-tie preview party or hors d’oeuvres this year, Cynthia and I could tip-toe through the tulips.

Tip-Toe Through the Tulips. Holland: Flowering the World. The 2017 Philly Flower Show.
Tip-Toe Through the Tulips. GMD Design LLC of the 2017 entrance garden to the Philly Flower Show: Holland: Flowering the World.
2017 Philadelphia Flower Show. Tip-Toe Through the Tulips. Holland: Flowering the World.
2017 Philadelphia Flower Show Holland: Flowering the World. Associated Press photo of entrance garden.

Tip-Toe Through the Tulips. 2017 Philadelphia Flower Show. Holland: Flowering the World.

2017 Philadelphia Flower Show. Tip-Toe Through the Tulips. Holland: Flowering the World.
2017 Philadelphia Flower Show. Holland: Flowering the World, entry garden photo.

The Philadelphia Flower Show is the world’s biggest and longest-running indoor flower show, covering 10 acres of the convention center floor. Since 1829, the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society (PHS), a non-profit organization, has promoted horticulture-related events and community activities in the city of Philadelphia. Attending costs $31 in advance for adults and $35 at the door.

Every year, the goal is to figure out how to maneuver around the massive number of people who attend the 11-day annual show. After taking the 1:10 p.m. Paoli local train into Center City Philadelphia, Cynthia and I decided to have lunch at the Hard Rock Cafe. There was only a 25-minute wait, and seated at the table next to us were besties who were also attending the annual flower exhibit.

Here are my highlights of the 2017 Philadelphia Flower Show:

2017 Philly Flower Show
2017 Philadelphia Flower Show. Holland: Flowering the World.  Sign in flagship garden.

1.  6,00 hanging cut and fresh flowers

2017 Philadelphia Flower Show. Holland: Flowering the World. Tip-Toe Through the Tulips.
2017 Philadelphia Flower Show. Holland: Flowering the World. 6,000 handing fresh and cut flowers.

2.  New Tulip

2017 Philadelphia Flower Show. Tip-Toe Through the Tulips. Holland: Flowering the World.
2017 Philadelphia Flower Show. A new tulip, the Philly Belle, is named after Philadelphia. It’s a gift from the Netherlands, showing appreciation for highlighting tulips.

3.  Blue Tulip

2017 Philly Flower Show. Tip-Toe Through the Tulips. Holland: Flowering the World.
2017 Philadelphia Flower Show. Holland: Flowering the World. The blue tulips inside the Ecodome. The blue tulips are white tulips that were cut and placed in a container of blue-dyed water. The stems make up the coloring and turn the white flower petals blue.

The Holland theme is represented by over 30,000 tulips at the entrance. One can’t pay homage to Dutch history without mentioning tulips, windmills, and bikes.

4.  Windmill

2017 Philly Flower Show. Tip-Toe Through the Tulips. Holland: Flowering the World.
2017 Philadelphia Flower Show. Holland: Flowering the World, the Dutch-themed show included mills.

5.  The Dutch Eco-dome

2017 Philly Flower Show. Tip-Toe Through the Tulips. Holland: Flowering the World.
2017 Philadelphia Show. Holland: Flowering the World. The Eco-dome. The Dutch built it, especially for the Flower Show.  It’s a house-sized, canvas-metal dome that sustains itself with an air-purifying moss roof, solar energy, recycled water, and LED lighting that grows food plants inside.

6. Orchids

2017 Philly Flower Show
2017 Philadelphia Flower Show. Holland: Flowering the World. Hanging Orchids by Waldor Orchid’s hanging orchid pails.
Tip-Toe Through the Tulips. 2017 Philly Flower Show. Holland: Flowering the World.
Tip-Toe Through the Tulips. 2017 Philadelphia Flower Show. Holland: Flowering the World. Orchids.

7.  Bikes
Bicycles are the primary mode of transportation in Holland, and here are a few of my favorites:

2017 Philly Flower Show
2017 Philadelphia Flower Show. Holland: Flowering the World. Hanging bikes and orchid pails.  Waldor Orchids display.

 

2017 Philly Flower Show
. 2017 Philadelphia Flower Show. Holland: Flowering the World. A Bike Fountain by Hunter Hayes Landscape Design.

 

2017 Philadelphia Flower Show. Holland: Flowering the World. Bike-Wheel Sculpture by J. Downend Landscaping.

8.  And more tulips
For a few years, tulip bulbs were traded as valuable commodities at ever-upward prices until, as applies to all economic bubbles, the market crashed.  Holland became known as the world’s producer of tulips and other bulbs.

2017 Philly Flower Show
2017 Philadelphia Flower Show. Holland: Flowering the World. More tulips

 

Tip-Toe Through the Tulips.
2017 Philadelphia Flower Show. Holland: Flowering the World.
Holland: Flowering the World
2017 Philadelphia Flower Show.

9.  Wow factor

2017 Philadelphia Flower Show
Flowering the World. My “wow factor” at the 2017 Philadelphia Flower Show was the 6,000 cut-handling flowers.

I seek the “wow factor” every year. I say the mission has been accomplished with the Delft-tile-adorned Dutch-inspired bridge, which has a floral canopy of 6,000 fresh and cut flowers hanging from colored strings overhead of the flagship garden at the main entrance.

Tip-Toe Through the Tulips 2017 Philadelphia Flower Show Holland: Flowering the World
Flowering the World. Jo Malone purchases from Nordstrom, King of Prussia.

Cynthia and I finished the day sipping caramel lattes, people-watching, and ending up at my favorite store, Nordstrom, for a few much-needed Jo Malone goodies.

2017 Philly Flower Show
2017 Philadelphia Flower Show. How about those orange tulips?

The 2017 Philadelphia Flower Show ended on Sunday, March 19.  If you enjoyed the virtual flower show experience, perhaps you’d like to entertain the thought of attending next year’s show with your bestie.  “Wonder of Water” is the 2018 Philadelphia Flower Show theme.  The show will take place from March 3rd to the 11th. How do you celebrate spring?

Have a stylish, healthy, and fierce week.