Move the Flower Show from March to April?
By Virginia A. Smith, The Philadelphia Inquirer | |
McClatchy-Tribune Information Services |
At least, they do at the
Now, PHS president
"The weather would certainly be better, and we could just take that out of the equation," says Becher, who has asked his staff for a recommendation on the issue this summer, well after the 2014 show -- themed ARTiculture, "where art meets horticulture" -- has been put to bed. It runs from
Any changes would have to be approved by the PHS board and wouldn't take effect until 2017 at the earliest, says Becher, who sees both pros and cons to a proposal that sounds simple but isn't.
On the one hand, a later date would be that much closer to spring, and PHS could make plant sales a big component of the show.
On the other hand, in late March/early April, show exhibitors traditionally start outside cleanups, maintenance, and planting for their paying clients.
"If I have to lose a real job to do the Flower Show . . . there is no way. It won't happen. You can't be doing that in April," says
PHS subsidizes its by-invitation-only exhibitors, whose elaborate displays are designed not just to win trophies, but also to entice new clients eager for some Flower Show cachet in the backyard. Many vendors say they rarely land jobs during the show anymore, which helps explain their reluctance to consider a later date.
"We certainly love the Flower Show -- we've built our business around it -- but I think April would definitely conflict with our spring schedule," says Blandy, a landscape architect and son of the company's founder, Jack.
Even relative newcomers like
"A later show," says operations manager
There are other variables, too: the dates of Easter,
"It's too hard to get even an old idea reminded into people's consciousness, let alone a new idea," says
While an interesting idea, she says, "a flower show in late March or early April would have to be treated as a launch of a new event almost, because in any month of the year, your potential audience is different than it is for every other month."
Snow is always a risk in early March; the 1993 Flower Show ended early because of a blizzard. More typically, March gets 2.9 inches, April half that. "And it's more likely to be rain than snow in April," says meteorologist
The show, which dates to 1829, had traditionally been held in March to promote flower sales for Easter, which made sense. The
Flowers and floral design remain a part of the modern show, but there are no longer scores of professional growers competing. And Easter/
Becher, though, cites another reason for the show's March dates' being retained in more recent decades.
From 1966 to 1996, the show was held at the old
"It was all about parking," he says.
That is no longer an issue, and although the
"This is one of the signature shows we are fortunate to host," says McClintock, who, as a city employee, ran the
But showgoer
There's no "right answer," for sure.
Meanwhile, Becher has no plans to launch a preemptive strike on local forecasters before the 2014 show starts. "Weather is their business," he says. "Onward and upward."
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