Local designers prepare for Philadelphia Flower Show

Posted 2/27/19

Robertson’s Flowers designer Emanuella Williamson at the wheel of a vehicle she built for the Chestnut Hill florist’s display at this year’s Philadelphia Flower Show, which opens on March …

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Local designers prepare for Philadelphia Flower Show

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Robertson’s Flowers designer Emanuella Williamson at the wheel of a vehicle she built for the Chestnut Hill florist’s display at this year’s Philadelphia Flower Show, which opens on March 2.[/caption]

by Diane M. Fiske

Replicas of a 100-year-old barn and an old station wagon painted in psychedelic colors will be featured in Robertson’s Flowers exhibit at the Philadelphia Flower Show dedicated to “flower power” from March 2 to March 10.

The large exhibit by Robertson’s, based in Chestnut Hill, will greet visitors next to the grand entrance at the Flower Show in the Pennsylvania Convention Center.

“This is the 50th anniversary of Woodstock, and the whole Flower Show will be trying to recreate the feeling of that three-day concert,” explained Robertson’s designer Emanuella Williamson.

As Williamson spoke in the Robertson’s Design headquarters, workers were painting the boards of the “barn” that will be part the Flower Show exhibit. The boards were being painted with a combination of shellac and clear vinegar, which Williamson said would produce the look of an old, worn barn.

The original barn was located on the 200-acre farm in Woodstock, New York, where the original music festival began in August 1969 and initiated the era of flower power and pop music promoting peace, love and other symbols of the time.

About 400,000 people came to the event 50 years ago, trekking through the muddy area near the Catskill Mountains.

“We are even reproducing the look of the mud in our exhibit,” Williamson said, pointing to the bags of clay powder that will become a mud-like substance to add authenticity to the Robertson’s exhibit.

According to Williamson, the exhibit she is designing will feature a “hippy wedding” set in the farm next to a car full of flowers and with a ”just married” sign on the back.

Flip Ferry, president and owner of Robertson’s, said the replica of an old station wagon, not associated with any brand, will be painted with pictures of daisies and other flowers. The trunk is open and the cargo area is filled with flowers. A tent connected to the rear of the car offers visitors a place to sleep.

“We were going to have an old Volkswagen bus, which was typical of the time, but we were told we could not because Subaru is sponsoring the show,” Ferry said.

The original Woodstock show festival, which featured folk music, rock and roll and blues, lasted from 4 p.m. Friday to early Monday morning. After the crowds surged in the area, the New York freeway was closed. An estimated 400,000 people came to the event, causing organizers to give up charging the $7 admission price.

Local landscape designers Burke Brothers will also be present at the Flower Show, and are devoting their exhibit to the fight against pediatric cancer.

The Burke garden, designed by Chris DiVito, sets out “to capture the spirit of positivity and compassionate support for others in a physical space with new and exciting views at every corner.”

The show is designed by the Sara Smiles Foundation, which was started by the Burke family after their daughter died of cancer in 2008.

“This garden expresses the hope for what will be next and the blossom of smiles that comes from simple acts of loving kindness,” a statement from the foundation said.

The Burke exhibit includes flowers that are both annual and perennial, such as tulips, daffodils, petunias and different types of roses.

Sam Lemheney, Pennsylvania Horticultural Society Chief of Shows & Events, said that 8,000 flowers of more than 85 varieties will surround the pods and sculptures in the Entrance Garden at the Flower Show.

“The show is based on the essence of flowers and their power on our lives,” he said. “It fit in that this is the 50th anniversary of the Woodstock festival and the emphasis on flower power.”

At the same time, the Flourists’ Transworld Delivery World Cup 2019 will bring flower designers from 23 countries to the Flower Show, where the winner will be named “Interflora World Cup Champion.”

The international FTD competition is held every four to six years in a different country, and returns to the United States this year for the first time since 1985.

In the first three days of the show, international designers will produce floral creations from both predetermined themes and spontaneous assignments.

Diane Fiske writes about planning and architecture for the Inquirer and is a regular contributor to the Local with her Streetscape column.

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