Ten undergrads had been prepping for months for the Philadelphia Flower Show (PFS).

This was their big moment. The exhibit was part of a design and build course they were taking at Tyler School of Art and Architecture (TSAA) at Temple University Ambler.

First, a load of materials had been dropped off at the Convention Center a week before the show would open to the public March 1.

Then the clock would start on Monday. The students would have four days, and only four days, to assemble their exhibit and install the plants, more than 1,200 of them.

Judging would begin at 7am on Friday and no exhibitors would be allowed on the floor. From that point forward, their exhibit would be on display to PHS members, the press and, most importantly, the public.

From Sat., March 1, to Sun., March 9, about 250,000 people would see their display.

What could go wrong?

“They can face botanical and structural challenges. Sometimes there can be yelling at the last minute, but it works out. The plants, however, can be another story,” said Michael LoFurno, adjunct associate professor, Landscape Architecture, who has guided students on the builds since 2007.

Despite their best efforts, and carefully maintained logs by the horticulture staff, not all of the plants were ready for showtime. The hydrangeas, serviceberry and a few other plants declined to bloom in time for the show.

The cherry trees were also particularly ornery this year. One leafed out while the other four did not.

“It is springtime,” said Justin Border, a third-year student who worked on the exhibit. “That is what you are going to see.”

The mood remains collegial, LoFurno noted. People from different exhibits share tools, sandpaper, etc.

The Temple team consists of third-year undergraduates from TSAA. A required class, they must design and build an exhibit for the flower show. Less than a handful of accredited programs offer such an experience.

Students consider the Architecture Design-Build Studio the highlight of their four years at the school, said LoFurno. The Flower Show provides students with an extraordinary, hands-on experience that the public can see, he added.

“A lot of students tell me… there is only so much you can learn in a lecture or on a computer screen. Many have never done this before. They may not have held a hammer.

After spending his first two years at Temple’s main campus, Border is completing his degree at Temple’s Ambler campus. “It is a home away from. It is a totally different experience than the main campus,” he noted.

It has been insane working on the exhibit, he added. While some areas of the design were easier to complete, others were challenging, like the meadow.

Each student brought different skills to the build process. “We all have different skills,” Border noted.

“I have a landscaper background… a background grading soil, and experience with power tools and hand tools. I grew up with my grandfather who was a woodsman. So, I taught other students. Within a day, they took off with it,” he added.

“The flower show was their favorite part of their entire academic experience. Getting the students’ work showcased before a 1/4 million people is quite an experience,” LoFurno added.

This year, the students spent months working on their exhibit under the guidance of LoFurno and Kate Benisek, associate professor, Instruction, and program head, Landscape Architecture and Horticulture.

Temple developed their exhibit in response to the PFS theme “Flowers of Tomorrow.” Discussions about their theme began last summer and lead to “Reflections on Regeneration: An Artful Response to Our Changing Environment.”  

“The overarching theme of the show and of the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society in general is to support individuals and communities through horticulture. With our exhibit, we’re trying to reflect upon where we want to be in five years, in 10 years, in terms of that dynamic,” said LoFurno.

“Our display tries to engage people. We don’t try to tell them but ask questions, the Socratic method. No one has all the answers,” he added.

Once the theme was chosen, students began to design and build it.

The exhibit includes three gardens surrounding a central walkway. It explores reflective vernal pools, aquatic plants, wild hedgerows, a woodland refuge, community gardens and reflective orbs and glass blocks. The vast majority of the plants are native.

Horticultural staff and students worked with Benjamin Snyder, manager of the TSAA Greenhouse Education and Research Complex to prepare plants for the show. The exhibit features more than 1,200 plants representing 65 taxa. Temple is one of the few exhibitors that forces its own plants.

Horticulture students and Snyder use various techniques to “trick” the plants into blooming in time for the show, according to an Ambler News article Spring Arrives Early as Temple Students and Faculty Get Ready for the 2025 Philadelphia Flower Show.

Four elements are required to force a plant to bloom out of season said Snyder: length of cold treatment, heat, light, and humidity.

“We need to trick plants into thinking that winter is over and spring is here. To do that, they need to have an early winter,” said Snyder, a Tyler horticulture program alumnus. “We accomplish this through vernalization.

“When it comes to preparing plants for the Flower Show, a big factor is temperature. We have to do a lot of moving between the freezer outside, the greenhouse, and the hoop house—it takes a great deal of careful attention to the needs of the plants,” he said.

The student team for the 2025 exhibit includes Landscape Architecture students Morgan Barnes, Justin Border, Cameron Coless, Devin Dawson, Sophia Downs, Julianna Dubowski, Talya Karmen-Chan, Esther Landis, Kimberly Leptuck, and Tarek Riad.

Horticulture students Jane Lally and Luke Natale; Landscape Architecture senior Owen Lambert; and Horticultural Therapy Certificate Program student Briana Bee worked with Snyder.

Temple and its predecessor, the Pennsylvania School of Horticulture for Women, and the Ambler Arboretum has been involved with the flower show since 1916. Their exhibits have received numerous awards.

This year, Temple received three awards for its exhibit: The Alfred M. Campbell Memorial Trophy, The Bulkeley Medal of the Garden Club of America; and The PHS Gold Medal for Education.

The PHS Philadelphia Flower Show is the nation’s largest and the world’s longest-running horticultural event featuring displays by floral and landscape designers. Started in 1829 by the PHS, the show introduces plant varieties and garden and design concepts. It also hosts competitions, gardening presentations and demonstrations.

PHS, a nonprofit organization founded in 1827, uses horticulture to advance the health and well-being of the Greater Philadelphia region.

The Philadelphia Flower Show runs through Sunday, March 9. Visit  PHSonline.org/the-flower-show for additional information. Tickets may be purchased online at tickets.PHSonline.org. 

Photos by Dave O’Callaghan