Movie theme gives Philadelphia Flower Show box office boost

 Orchids surround a lagoon in Waldor Orchid's Peter Pan inspired exhibit. (Kimberly Paynter/WHYY)

Orchids surround a lagoon in Waldor Orchid's Peter Pan inspired exhibit. (Kimberly Paynter/WHYY)

A movie theme led to some box office magic at the Philadelphia Flower Show. The Pennsylvania Horticultural Society says attendance for this year’s event jumped 10 percent over last year to about 250,000.

The Philadelphia Inquirer reports the nine-day event saw double the amount of children and students as in 2014.

It’s the organization’s biggest fundraiser, taking in about $2 million to help fund local programs.

Floral and garden designers paid homage to Disney and Pixar films with the theme “Celebrate the Movies.”

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Organizers planned the family-friendly theme in an effort to boost attendance and get a new crop of gardening enthusiasts interested in the annual extravaganza.

Meticulously landscaped exhibits were inspired by more than a dozen feature films, from “Frozen” and “Finding Nemo” to “Cars” and “Cinderella.”

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