Hi GPODers!
Last week I shared the first in a series of posts about the 2025 Philadelphia Flower Show that I attended this year with Fine Gardening. If you missed that, be sure to check it out to get more information on this incredible annual gathering of flower and garden enthusiasts: Philadelphia Flower Show Entry Display. As I mentioned in that post, there is no way I can cover every exhibit and display I saw during my visit but I couldn’t help sharing some of my highlights. One of those highlights was undeniably the incredible (and award-winning!) display created by Jennifer Reed and her team at Jennifer Designs, a floral design company based in Mullica Hill, New Jersey.
Before I had arrived in the “City of Brotherly Love,” I had already heard buzz about their exhibit titled: Welcoming Wildlife Home. Even my non-gardening friends who live in the area and attended the show told me it was a “must-see.” So when I did arrive, I was not surprised to find that this exhibit had won several awards in the ‘Floral’ category, including but not limited to: the Society of American Florists Flower Show Award, Gardening for the Greater Good Award, a Pennsylvania Horticultural Society Gold Metal, and Best in Show. This whimsical and fantastical display was a wonder to behold and absolutely captured the attention of everyone who caught a glimpse, but managed to do all of this while presenting and representing a very important and meaningful cause. Here is the description that accompanied the exhibit:
“Welcoming Wildlife Home showcases the essential role of wildlife in maintaining a healthy, thriving ecosystem grounded in biodiversity. A welcoming home symbolizes human interaction with nature, while beyond the windows, the garden comes to life with a rich tapestry of plants. This immersive display highlights how thoughtful plant choices and habitat creation support the intricate balance of wildlife.”
Alice in Wonderland gets a sustainability rebrand! There is no Mad Hatter or March Hare at this tea party, but a bee, butterfly, turtle, frog, squirrel, and robin all carefully crafted with an intricate melding of plant material, blooms, and plumes sit around a table with a floral centerpiece that would put the most elaborate wedding centerpieces to shame.
One of my personal favorite features of the exhibit was the massive cool-toned arrangement that hung above the chandelier. The many soft, fluffy textures of the plants chosen for this detail really leant to the whimsical but naturalistic feeling in the design. It also contrasted nicely with many of the brighter, bolder colors and forms that were found in the table arrangement and some of the fantastic wildlife sculptures.
The best shot I could get of one of the amazing floral sculptures, an unbelievably detailed monarch butterfly.
The other half of the pollinator representation at the table was this adorable bumblebee made of an assortment of gorgeous yellow blooms and ethereal twig “wings.” There was so much to take in on this exhibit that it wasn’t until I looked back at this picture that I noticed the army of ants marching in to join the festivities!
Another feature of the design that I really loved was the use of ornamental grass plumes to create an accurately fluffy squirrel tail. It might seem like an obvious choice, but it takes an artist to bring that idea to life and execute in such a lovely way.
Just “outside” that wonderful tablescape are garden beds full of colorful flowers that are densely planted to serve as habitats for wildlife. As many gardens featured on Garden Photo of the Day have proven, there is no need to sacrifice beauty and interest when building beds that benefit of our ecosystem.
Aside from the cool pollinator houses—that are very stylish in their own right—the average garden guest would have no idea that this plantings was designed with wildlife in mind. A mix of colors, textures, and plant types are woven together in a charming and classically beautiful way, yet each plant choice was also made with consideration to its beneficial impact.
Lastly, the faux house facade that anchored the two different aspects of this design, and, I think, represented the thin veil between our homes and the greater ecosystem. While so often considered the separate worlds of “indoors” and “outdoors,” the reality is our home is one we share with the wildlife and nature that we sometimes work hard to control or keep out. Rather than working to build bigger barriers, we can actually create more beauty by interacting with nature and supporting the wildlife our gardens attract. But if we just want to talk practicality, the eruptions of gorgeous flowers out of the open window frames are inspired designs worthy of their own fanfare!
To see more pictures of this incredible work of art as well as other amazing creations from Jennifer Designs, be sure to check them out on Instagram: @jenniferdesignsevents. You can also check out the section of their website that highlights all of the exhibits they have built for the Philly Flower Show over the years: jenniferdesignsevents.com/philadelphia-flower-show
Did you attend a Flower Show this year? What was your favorite exhibit or display? Let us know in the comments below, or consider sharing the photos you took with the blog! We’re running low on submissions, so anything you’re willing to contribute is greatly appreciated 🙂
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