The 2021 Philadelphia Flower Show will be June 5 through 13, 2021. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, it’s set to take place outdoors in FDR Park, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, taking advantage of the park’s inspiring natural beauty and expansive outdoors location.

The Philadelphia Flower Show, sponsored by the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society (PHS), has been re-imagined to allow for a new, safe experience in a historic Philadelphia park, moving outdoors for the first time in its 193-year history.

FDR Park – a registered historical district – was designed by Frederick Law Olmsted, who also was one of the designers of New York City’s famed Central Park. The park was the host location for the 1926 Sesquicentennial Expo of the United States, and is easily accessible by public transportation and car.

In its new location, the Show will span 15 acres of the Park’s footprint, expanding in size to nearly 450,000 square feet of exhibits, activities, and open space, a 45% increase from previous Flower Shows held inside the Philadelphia Convention Center. Each year, the Show contributes a beautiful kickoff to the spring growing season and provides an important economic impact on the region of more than $62 million.

The increased footprint in 2021 is intentional, as the Flower Show seeks to offer new experiences for its audience, while also adhering to best practices regarding social distancing. Public safety is a critical component for the upcoming Show, focused on guests and staff alike. This year’s Show will feature reserved tickets for morning or afternoon sessions, with other health and safety requirements such as maximum occupancy limits; required masks; social distancing, and strict adherence to recommendations from the CDC and City/State health officials to keep all Flower Show attendees safe.

The departure from the Show’s typical late winter timing will allow for a spectacular presentation of the nation’s most looked-to gardening and floral attraction. The early June dates are at the height of the gardening season, allowing for new possibilities for guests to experience seasonal flora. The early summer timing, the outdoor location, the Show’s new District layout, more shopping opportunities, and outdoor-centric add-on activities allow a safe, exciting experience for all ages. The Flower Show will also offer exceptional beauty and an increased diversity of flowers and plants, with the most designers ever showcased.

A special display by one of the show sponsors, the Four Seasons Hotel Philadelphia, kicks off the event during its inaugural weekend. Jeff Leatham’s “Habitat” will recreate the explosive energy and movement of overgrown vines in vibrant hues of orange and yellow June 4, 2021, during the PHS Member’s preview and by the general public June 5 and 6, 2021.

“The inspiration for this piece comes from our collective experience of being quarantined this past year,” said Leatham. “When I close my eyes, I see pent-up and overgrown nature wanting to be free. The colors are inspired by the burning desire to bring back the fire of life.”

Creating an otherworldly artistic expression, the installation features a combination of Plumosa Ferns and Baby’s Breath sculpted around the traditional columns of the Olmsted Pavilion in FDR Park.

“It has long been a dream of ours to be a part of this iconic Philadelphia event,” said Ben Shank, General Manager, Four Seasons Hotel Philadelphia. “Jeff Leatham’s vision of large scale, organic lines juxtaposed with the existing architectural structures of the Olmsted Pavilion at FDR Park will create a never-before-seen moment for the Flower Show and Philadelphia. We are excited to bring his creative genius to Philadelphia once again.”

This will be Jeff Leatham’s third public floral installation in Philadelphia. In 2018, Leatham created living frames in the Pop-Down series, the Hotel’s grand opening event in 2019, and now this unique installation will be a part of this historic 2021 PHS Flower Show. Leatham is the Artistic Director for the Four Seasons Hotel Philadelphia where he has a permanent living installation on the hotel’s 60th floor.

Each visitor who purchases a ticket, attends a Flower Show special event, or becomes a PHS member allows PHS to further its work planting trees, supporting neighborhood greening, establishing community gardens, providing job training, managing public gardens, and connecting people with horticulture and one another.

(Photos courtesy of Philadelphia Flower Show)