The 2025 Philadelphia Flower Show, presented by the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society (PHS), recently concluded its exhibition, showcasing a vibrant shift towards sustainable gardening practices. This year’s show, the 196th edition of the nation’s largest and longest-running horticultural event, spotlighted innovative approaches to water conservation, pollinator support, and urban food security.
“Gardens of Tomorrow,” the theme for the 2025 show, offered an optimistic view of a future where ecological awareness and human innovation combine to enhance the natural world. The displays highlighted how gardens can adapt to offer both environmental and aesthetic value.
Key Trends from the 2025 Show:
Water-Wise Gardening: Designers emphasized dynamic water usage, featuring reflective pools, moving water features, and drought-tolerant plant selections. Susan Cohan Gardens presented a design where a central pond collected rainwater for garden use, repurposing industrial elements into a communal green space. W.B. Saul High School showcased a rainwater collection barrel beneath a downspout, demonstrating a simple method for home gardeners.
Pollinator-Friendly Designs: Exhibits underscored the crucial role of pollinators in maintaining healthy ecosystems. Jennifer Designs Events created an immersive display highlighting the importance of wildlife and biodiversity, featuring pollinator plants like allium, coneflowers, and black-eyed Susans. The exhibit encouraged visitors to view their gardens as vital refuges for wildlife.
Aquaponics: Lankenau Environmental Magnet High School presented aquaponics as a sustainable farming method, combining aquaculture and hydroponics to grow fish and plants simultaneously. This system reuses waste water from aquaculture as fertilizer for hydroponic plants, continuously circulating water and minimizing the need for water changes.
Urban Gardening: The Mercer County Community Collection, a past gold medal winner, created a multi-sensory experience focused on urban agriculture, mini meadows, and bioswales. The exhibit addressed food insecurity, highlighting the potential of urban agriculture initiatives to increase local food availability.
Meadow Gardens: Arrange, LLC displayed a meadow garden inspired by a story of community connection through flowers. The arrangement featured coneflowers, dahlias, craspedia, and baby’s breath, showcasing the texture and color achievable in low-maintenance meadow gardens.
Additional Highlights:
“Futura Florentia”: The entrance to the Flower Show captured the theme of flowers as a symbol of the future, evoking growth, beauty, and vitality.
“Future Flowers” Design Challenge: This challenge featured immersive displays from international floral artists Lily Beelen, Mike Boerma, Berit Laursen, and Ahti Lyra.
Artisans Row: Guests could design personalized items like bouquets and terrariums with talented creatives for an additional fee.
Blossom & Breathe: This event blended flowers with wellness activities, including yoga sessions and a Wellness Bazaar.
Butterflies LIVE!: Attendees experienced native and exotic butterflies up close.
PHS: Cultivating a Greener Future
The Philadelphia Flower Show demonstrates the growing importance of eco-conscious gardening practices. PHS continues to lead the way in horticultural innovation, providing resources and inspiration for gardeners of all levels.
About the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society
The Pennsylvania Horticultural Society (PHS), founded in 1827, is a world-renowned leader in horticulture,Recognized as the producer of the Philadelphia Flower Show, PHS utilizes horticulture to advance the health and well-being of the region.
