Saturday Night Live had a little bit of fun with the Philadelphia Flower Show this weekend, including the Flower Show in a spoof of Ricky Gervais hosting a number of additional award shows after the Golden Globes.

Check out the clip above. The Flower Show makes its appearance at about 1:20. “That Daffodil Claims it’s naturally orange. Really? Then why can I see its roots.”

Cool to see. Meanwhile, stay tuned for a lot more Flower Show coverage on Uwishunu in the weeks to come.

Saturday Night Live [Hulu]

The next Philadelphia International Flower Show is set for March 4-11, 2012 packed with more than 10 acres of floral displays and tons of interactive programming. (Photo by R. Kennedy for GPTMC)

The 2012 Philadelphia International Flower Show will be a trip to a tropical heaven.

The Pennsylvania Horticultural Society has announced that the theme of the 2012 Flower Show will be “Islands of Aloha,” bringing the balmy winds of tranquil paradise to Philadelphia from March 4-11, 2012.

To give you a taste of what to expect come this spring, we have a few highlights to share. When you enter the show, you’ll be welcomed to the Hawaiian Islands, a.k.a the Pennsylvania Convention Center, through a giant wave of orchids arching over the entrance.

Tropical plants will rise around cascades of towering waterfalls. All six Big Islands will be represented in showcase gardens that highlight each unique culture through flowers, plants, stories entertainment and vibrant art.

The show will be rife with interactive elements, as the goal for the show is to completely immerse you. A Hawaiian Village and Marketplace will entice visitors to watch artists and craftspeople working on-site. Guests will also be invited to a traditional Hawaiian luau, featuring hula dancing, music and more.

The Philadelphia International Flower Show raises significant funds to support PHS’s community greening programs and other civic initiatives in Philadelphia.

Click here to purchase tickets, available now!

2012 Philadelphia International Flower Show
When: March 4-11, 2012
Where: Pennsylvania Convention Center, 12th and Arch Streets
Cost: Tickets start at $15
More info: www.theflowershow.com

The Brewer's Plate event this Sunday at the Penn Museum brings together more than 50 local restaurants and breweries.
(Photo by R. Kennedy for GPTMC)

There are many vantage points from which to enjoy the Philadelphia Flower Snow, now in its final weekend, be it fashion, food and wine or simply the 10+ acres of gorgeous floral displays.

Pollen overload? Head outside and get some fresh air at the St. Patrick’s Day Parade, a Philadelphia tradition for 241 years. Once you’ve worked up an appetite from all the merrymaking, fill your stomach with more than 50 restaurants, breweries and distilleries’ fare at the Brewer’s Plate, an all-you-can-eat-and-drink event at the Penn Museum.

The rest of our top picks for the weekend, below:

Friday

Exile Among Expats: James Joyce in Paris at the Rosenbach Museum & Library

Gilbert Gottfried at Helium Comedy Club

Teen Open Mic at Art Sanctuary

Friday Night Flights at Ristorante Panorama

3rd Annual Mütter Ball

Art After 5: Adam Cruz at the Philadelphia Museum of Art

Superior Donuts at the Arden Theatre

Saturday

Paris Through The Window: Marc Chagall And His Circle at the Philadelphia Museum of Art

Spies, Traitors & Saboteurs: Fear and Freedom in America at the National Constitution Center

“St. Practice Day” Outdoor Street Festival

“Conversations & Coffee” at Chapter House Cafe

Craft Beer Express

Dragapalooza: Broadway Divas

Bizarre Beasts: Past And Present at The Academy Of Natural Sciences

Anatomy/Academy at The Pennsylvania Academy Of The Fine Arts

Pennsylvania Ballet’s Swan Lake — Closing Day!

Sunday

Philadelphia St. Patrick’s Day Parade

Brewer’s Plate

Secrets of The Silk Road at the Penn Museum

Leonardo da Vinci’s Workshop at the Franklin Institute

Ars Nova Workshop Presents Jazz Trio Fieldwork

Ali and Elvis: American Icons at the Michener Museum

Theatre Exile’s The Lieutenant of Inishmore at Plays and Players Theater — Closing Day!

2011 Philadelphia International Flower Show — Closing Day!

The plan calls for 300,000 new trees to be planted in Philly by 2015. (Photo courtesy Greenworks Philadelphia)

The Pennsylvania Horticultural Society (PHS) announced an exciting new environmental initiative yesterday at the Philadelphia International Flower Show called “Plant One Million.”

An ambitious effort to add one million trees in the 13 counties covering southeastern Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and Delaware, Plant One Million will mobilize volunteers throughout the tri-state region to “plant, count and tend” trees. PHS will lead the campaign, in partnership with local governments, corporate sponsors, organizations, schools, civic groups and residents in order to reach the 1,000,000 tree goal.

The goal of Plant One Million is to restore the region’s “tree canopy cover” — the area of land shaded by trees — to 30%. (The City of Philadelphia’s tree coverage is currently only at 16%. For a more detailed look at the city’s tree cover, see the infographic below.)

The Plant One Million campaign is working with the Mayor’s Office of Sustainability’s Greenworks Philadelphia program, which targets adding 300,000 new trees to Philadelphia by 2015. The other 700,000 will be added to the surrounding counties.

From the start of his administration, Philadelphia’s Mayor Michael Nutter declared his strong support for increasing the city’s tree canopy and it has a central place in his shared vision of Philadelphia becoming America’s greenest city. The City’s Greenworks target is 300,000 new trees by 2015, in order to help increase the city’s tree cover to 30 percent by 2025. PHS will support the city’s goal by collaborating with private and institutional land owners through direct action and incentive programs.

The Immense Benefits of Trees

Besides beautifying streets and neighborhoods, increasing trees in an urban setting has serious advantages. Added benefits of an enhanced tree population include: significantly improving the quality of air that we breathe — the US Forest Service estimates that 100 trees remove 1.2 tons of CO2 per year and 130 pounds of other pollutants; reducing home air-conditioning costs by as much as 30%; adding an additional 10% to property value per large tree on your lawn; improving people’s physical health and preventing flooding by capturing rainwater and filtering out impurities.

Interested in participating? PHS’s Tree Tenders® program, $25, offers nine hours of hands-on tree care training, covering tree biology, identification, planting, proper care and working within your community. Plus, click here to see upcoming PHS events to join in tree-tending or -planting in communities around the region.

Starting April 1, click here for the PHS tree counter, which will be continuously update the progress towards the 1,000,000 goal.

Below, check out a infographic of the current level of tree cover in the different sections of Philadelphia. For example, while Chestnut Hill has a tree cover of 38%, Center City has a tree cover of only 2%.

A map of the tree cover in different sections of the city, ranging from 38% in Chestnut Hill, to 2% in Center City.
(Image courtesy Greeenworks Philadelphia)

Plant One Million [Pennsylvania Horticultural Society]

Previously: Mayor Nutter Launches “Green 2015,” An Ambitious New Action Plan To Transform 500 Acres Of Underused Land Into Public Green Space

The Philadelphia Flower Show kicked off this past Sunday, March 6, but it’s not too late to pick up a “Blooming Fun Pass,” available for FREE online, at SEPTA stations, the Philadelphia International Airport, area malls and the Information Center at the show.

Take advantage of discounts to restaurants, attractions and retail stores during the week of the convention, which ends this Sunday, March 13.

Restaurants offering a 10% discount are: Bistro La Minette, Bistro Romano, Bistro St. Tropez, Buca di Beppo, Di Bruno Bros., DiNardo’s, Dante & Luigi and Moshulu. Additional offers include $2 off full price adult tickets to the Penn Museum’s Secrets of the Silk Road exhibition and $2 off adult general admission to the Philadelphia Museum of Art (the perfect opportunity to see the similarly Parisian-themed Marc Chagall exhibit).

Remember the pass is FREE! Plus, many of the discounts are valid through the end of 2011. The full list of participating attractions is available online.

Bonus: click here to listen to Hear Philly’s spotlight on McGillin’s Olde Ale House, which is featuring special French food and drinks in honor of the flower show’s Parisian theme. Double bonus: many hotels in the area are offering Flower Show-themed packages, like the Morris House’s Flower Show Food Tour package including luxury accommodations, two food tour vouchers, Continental Breakfast and more. All the packages are listed here.

2011 Philadelphia International Flower Show
Where: Pennsylvania Convention Center, 12th and Arch Streets
When: Now through March 13
Cost: Adults $25, Students $20, Children $15
More info: www.theflowershow.com

16 student dresses are featured at the Flower Show alongside companion floral designs. (Photo courtesy Philadelphia University)

The Philadelphia Flower Show, which officially kicked off yesterday, fulfills its theme of Springtime in Paris in part by celebrating chic French fashion.

Fashion elements include floral displays inspired by designers like Coco Chanel, plus a special signature jewelry piece created specially for the show by award-winning Philadelphia designer Steven Lagos: a hand-carved floral pendant inspired by a silver jewelry box Steven saw in the “Les Puces” flea market in Paris. The piece is available at the official Flower Show Shoppe plus LAGOS The Store in Rittenhouse. (Proceeds from the sales will benefit the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society (PHS), sponsor of the Flower Show.)

In addition, PHS recently forged a new partnership with Philadelphia University to bring haute couture to the Flower Show. Sixteen student dress designs are being featured and used as inspiration for companion floral designs. The dresses and accompanying displays will be rotated every two days and featured in the Artistic Divisions of the Flower Show.

There’s tons to see, try and taste at the Flower Show: click here for our previous coverage.

2011 Philadelphia International Flower Show
Where: Pennsylvania Convention Center, 12th and Arch Streets
When: Now through March 13
Cost: Adults $25, Students $20, Children $15
More info: www.theflowershow.com

The Philadelphia Flower Show kicks off this Sunday, packed with more than 10 acres of floral displays and tons of interactive programming. (Photo by R. Kennedy for GPTMC)

Spring fever is once again upon us, with the opening of the Subaru Cherry Blossom Festival of Greater Philadelphia tonight, and the Springtime in Paris-themed Philadelphia International Flower Show Sunday.

You have plenty of opportunity to participate in both this weekend, from cooking demonstrations and wine tastings at the Flower Show to live Japanese music and a woodblock print exhibition at the Cherry Blossom Festival.

Not feeling the festival spirit? Check out some of the theater scene’s latest, or, on account of Women’s History Month, make a reservation at one of Philadelphia’s all-star female chefs’ restaurants or commemorate strong women past and present at the National Constitution Center.

The rest of our top picks for the weekend, below:

Friday

First Friday in Old City, Doylestown and Chestnut Hill

Sixers Book Drive

Cupcakes & Cocktails at Three Sirens Boutique

Art After 5: Japanese Night at the Philadelphia Museum of Art

Argentinian La Serre Wine Dinner at Lacroix

Guapos Tacos, Jose Garces’ New Food Truck, Debuts

Of Heaven and Earth: The Artworks of Ilana Shafir at Philadelphia’s Magic Gardens

Peter Nero and the Philly Pops’ 50s Dance Party

Subaru Cherry Blossom Festival of Greater Philadelphia — Opening Day!

Saturday

Leonardo da Vinci’s Workshop at the Franklin Institute

Kimmel Center’s Jazz Up Close Series: Randy Weston Quintet tribute to Thelonious Monk

Karneval at Brauhaus Schmitz

Art of the American Soldier at the National Constitution Center

Philadelphia Orchestra: Vivaldi’s Flute Concerto in D minor

Paris Through The Window: Marc Chagall And His Circle at the Philadelphia Museum of Art

Secrets of the Silk Road at the Penn Museum

Foyer Entertainment: Movie Lobby Cards from the 1930s-1960s at the Free Library Central Branch

Sunday

3-Course Guinness Beer Dinner at Fadó Irish Pub and Restaurant

Fishtown Chili Cook-Off

Theatre Exile’s The Lieutenant of Inishmore at Plays and Players Theater

Amadeus at the Walnut Street Theatre — Closing Day!

2011 Philadelphia International Flower Show — Opening Day!

Acclaimed chefs, like Noel McMeel formerly of Chez Panisse in San Francisco, will demonstrative live every day. (Photo courtesy Flower Show)

At this year’s “Springtime in Paris” themed Philadelphia International Flower Show, it won’t just be a gorgeous array of flowers transfixing attendees. Tying into this year’s theme, the Flower Show will also be featuring an international array of food and wine.

Free live cooking demonstrations will be given daily by the best chefs of the region, including:

• Pastry Chef Cedric Barbaret of Le Bec Fin
• Chef Daniel Stern of R2L
• Chef Peter Woolsey of Bistrot La Minette
• Chef Jason Goodman of PARC Brasserie
• Chef Guillermo Tellez of Square 1682
• Jean-Marie Lacroix himself of Lacroix

A demo will be held three times a day in Room 204C of the Pennsylvania Convention Center.

Click here for a complete schedule.

Plus: a trip to Paris just isn’t complete without a glass of wine. With this in mind, the PA Wine & Spirits Store will once again be hosting free wine tastings daily, highlighting a variety of wines from the world’s finest makers, including (appropriately) the vineyards of the Bordeaux region of France. The wine tastings will take place in the Grand Hall, located down the Concourse from the cooking demonstrations, on Sundays 1-4 p.m. and Monday through Saturday, 2-7 p.m.

2011 Philadelphia International Flower Show
Where: Pennsylvania Convention Center, 12th and Arch Streets
When: March 6-13
Cost: Adults $25, Students $20, Children $15
More info: www.theflowershow.com

Pub & Kitchen's floral design is one of almost 100 Flower Show window displays around the city. (Photo courtesy Pub & Kitchen)

The 2011 Philadelphia International Flower Show, arriving March 6-13, is running a “Phlower Power” Window Decorating Contest, in which restaurants, hotels and shops throughout the city compete for the most exuberant Flower Show-themed window display.

A panel of judges will select winners chosen based on creativity, beauty and designs that adhere to this year’s theme: “Springtime in Paris.”

Notable examples include Big Green Earth Store’s giant replica of the Eiffel Tower made from Klean Kanteens; Just Dogs! Gourmet’s beret-bearing dog painting Parisian pictures; and Pub & Kitchen’s MODA Botanica-crafted gorgeous floral display.

If you can’t make it around the city to see each display in person, check out a photo gallery here.

You can vote for “Crowd Favorite” online, through the conclusion of the show.

2011 Philadelphia International Flower Show
Where: Pennsylvania Convention Center, 12th and Arch Streets
When: March 6-13
Cost: Adults $25, Students $20, Children $15
More info: www.theflowershow.com

The Parisian theme includes a giant Eiffel Tower erected on the convention floor.
(Photo by R. Kennedy for GPTMC)

The 2011 Philadelphia International Flower Show takes over the Pennsylvania Convention Center March 6-13, featuring 10+ acres of floral displays; a giant marketplace packed with more than 130 vendors for tools, books, jewelry, home decor, plants and other garden gifts; live culinary demos and wine tastings; live dance and music on the Carousel Stage; and tons more.

The Philadelphia Flower Show is the largest indoor flower show in the world. It’s only fitting, then, that the convention is garnering national attention.

CNN Travel included the flower show on its national list of “12 places to see beautiful spring blooms.”

Plus, ABC’s Good Morning America weather anchor Sam Champion will be broadcasting live from the Flower Show tomorrow, Thursday, March 3. He’ll provide a special preview of the show; tune in for a behind-the-scenes look! The episode begins at 7 a.m.

12 Places to See Beautiful Spring Blooms [CNN Travel]
Good Morning America: Full Episodes [Official Site]

City Food Tour co-owner Eric Matzke leading a tour (courtesy of City Food Tours)

Inspired by the upcoming Philadelphia International Flower Show (Springtime in Paris), City Food Tours will be offering both locals and visitors a chance to explore some delicious treats that have both French cred and relationship to some of the blossoms featured at this year’s show. What’s more, the entire tour happens to take place within a few blocks of the Pennsylvania Convention Center.

The tour will include teas blended with jasmine, violets and chrysanthemums, lavender-dusted goat cheese, blue cheese with wildflower honey and flower infused chocolates. It runs March 7 through March 12 and starts each day at 3 p.m. Advanced registration is necessary.

Flower Show Food Tour
When: March 7 – 12, 3 p.m.
Where: Pennsylvania Convention Center neighborhood
Cost: $35
More info: www.cityfoodtours.com or 1-800-979-3370

The Philadelphia International Flower Show, in town March 6-13, is partnering with Philadelphia Style Magazine and Rue Philadelphia to offer a special night out at the Flower Show just for the ladies, on Thursday, March 10.

Flower Show attendees have the opportunity to purchase a premier Girls Night Out ticket, which grants access to the Flower Show and a special VIP Girls Night Out area replete with exclusive tastings, shopping, health and beauty offerings, makeovers and massages. Plus, the first 250 guests will receive bonus-packed goodie bags.

Book your ticket online.

Below, check out a sneak peak at Girls Night Out’s vendors.

Vendors offering free goodies for Girls Night Out:

• Rescue Rittenhouse Spa
• Pileggi Boutique
• Nicole Miller
• Sampan — providing an exclusive culinary sampling!
• The 611 Lifestyle
• Giovanni & Pileggi
• Brown Betty Dessert Boutique
• Catalyst Cleanse
• City Food Tours
• Touch of Blush
• 5-Hour Energy
• Skinny Water
• The Sporting Club at The Bellevue
• RetroPhilly.com

Girls Night Out at the Philadelphia International Flower Show
When: Thursday, March 10, 5:30-8:30 p.m.
Where: Pennsylvania Convention Center, 12th and Market Streets
Cost: $40
More info: www.theflowershow.com