Highlights from the 2026 Philadelphia Flower Show

By Jill Brooke

Now in its 197th year, the award-winning PHS Philadelphia Flower Show is the nation’s largest and the world’s longest-running horticultural event.

In celebration of America’s upcoming 250th anniversary, Rooted: Origins of American Gardening honored  the people, places, and traditions that have shaped gardening in the United States, inviting visitors to explore how personal stories, culture, and creativity are deeply connected through plants.

It really is a story through flowers as Bill Schaffer’s team explored in this installation.

In fact, Jennifer Reed was inspired by a story written by her daughter Olive and turned it into an award-winning exhibition that Society of American Florists gave first prize.

As far as the winners, here they are:

The PHS Philadelphia Flower Show Cup for Best in Show – Floral was awarded to Arrange, LLC for their exhibit, “My Atomic Number.” This unique floral exhibit reflects the founder’s personal gardening origin story, shaped by his curiosity, discovery, and an enduring connection to the natural world. Drawing on memories of exploration and wonder, the exhibit channels energy, pressure, and transformation into a bold floral expression. Through layered textures and dynamic form, the arrangement captures a journey of growth where fascination with nature evolves into a powerful creative force seeking a new shape. 

The PHS Philadelphia Flower Show Cup for Best in Show – Landscape was awarded to Mark Cook Landscape & Contracting, LLC for their exhibit, “The Unseen Palette”. This exhibit captures the instinctive nature of artistic creation, where unspoken ideas take form through bold color, layered plantings, and expressive design. Rooted in the rich history of horticulture, the exhibit envisions an infinite palette in which flowers and textures emerge in a dynamic, purposeful composition. 

Recognizing outstanding emerging talent in the Educational Exhibits category, which features high school and university participants, The PHS Philadelphia Flower Show Cup for Best in Show – Educational Exhibits for the highest-scoring exhibit demonstrating exceptional educational merit was awarded to Mercer County Community College for their exhibit, “Peter Henderson to Present: The Horticulturists of the Garden State”. This garden traces New Jersey’s horticultural legacy from pioneering 19th-century grower Peter Henderson to modern innovators who shaped plant production across the state. The exhibit recreates a working farm environment that illustrates how research, industry, and education continue to influence gardening and agriculture today. 

Robertson’s also won a prize for this installation. Home and garden are so intertwined.

All the exhibits were incredible and worth visiting. Creativity on steroids and so many interactive programs for visitors of all generations.