Art and nature inspire visitors at Philadelphia Flower Show [photos]

Who doesn’t like flowers? After a long, snowy winter, it’s time for the annual “world’s largest and oldest” indoor flower show. Close to a quarter of a million people yearning for spring will pass through the doors of the Pennsylvania Convention Center before this week is over.

The Pennsylvania Horticultural Society produces the Philadelphia Flower Show with a different theme each year. This year’s theme is “ARTiculture,” where art meets horticulture, and exhibitors on the showroom floor have caught the art bug.  Many of the designers use well known works of art as inspiration such as “Sunflowers” by Vincent Van Gogh and abstract swirls and compositions by Wassily Kandinsky — and who can ignore the life-size sculpture of pop culture icon Marilyn Monroe.

Bristol Rush, from Montgomery County, said he goes to the show each year to spark ideas for his garden. Rush says he likes things that are pretty, but this Sunday he came to the Flower Show with one specific goal in mind. This winter five trees died in his yard, and he hopes to find options for replacing the loss.

Thousands of visitors enjoyed the hand-in-hand connection of art and nature on Sunday, often with a phone or camera in hand to snap a selfie or artsy close-up. If you have plans to take pictures at the Flower Show, share them on social media using the hash tag #FlowerShow. We’d love to see where art intersects with horticulture for you.

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Doors are open Monday, March 3, through Friday, March 7, from 10 a.m. until 9 p.m.; Saturday, March 8, from 8 a.m. until 9 p.m.; and Sunday, March 9, from 8 a.m. until 6 p.m.