Each year, the Philadelphia Flower Show transforms the Pennsylvania Convention Center into one of the most inspiring horticultural experiences in the world. Produced by the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society, the event is the largest and longest-running horticultural show globally, attracting designers, growers, landscape professionals, and garden enthusiasts from across the country.
For Maffei Landscape Design, the show is more than a place to admire beautiful gardens. It’s a place to stay at the forefront of landscape design innovation. This year marked Danilo Maffei’s seventh year serving as a judge, contributing his expertise to evaluate some of the most thoughtful and creative exhibits in the industry.
The 2026 Theme: “Rooted”
The theme of this year’s show, “Rooted: Origins of American Gardening,” invited designers and exhibitors to explore the traditions, stories, and cultural influences that have shaped gardening in the United States.
Across the exhibition hall, visitors experienced breathtaking landscapes, imaginative floral installations, and educational displays that traced the evolution of horticulture while imagining where it may go next. The show highlighted how gardening continues to evolve, blending tradition, sustainability, artistry, and innovation.
For professionals like Danilo, the Flower Show offers an opportunity to see emerging ideas and design philosophies up close, many of which ultimately influence how outdoor spaces are conceived and built for clients.
Judging the Educational Exhibits
The Philadelphia Flower Show features three primary exhibit categories: Landscape, Floral, and Educational.
Danilo serves as the lead judge in the Educational Exhibits category, which highlights displays created by universities, high schools, horticultural programs, and research institutions. These exhibits focus on teaching visitors about horticulture, sustainability, design principles, and the history of gardening.
Educational exhibits are judged not only on aesthetics but also on:
- horticultural excellence
- plant selection and health
- construction and craftsmanship
- design concept and storytelling
- the exhibit’s ability to educate and inspire the public
Many of these exhibits showcase the next generation of landscape designers and horticultural leaders, making this category particularly exciting to evaluate.
The winning exhibit in this category this year came from Mercer County Community College, whose display traced New Jersey’s horticultural history from 19th-century grower Peter Henderson to modern innovators in plant production.
Highlights from the Educational Exhibits
Throughout the show, several exhibits stood out for their creativity, storytelling, and technical execution. Below are a few of the standout displays Danilo encountered while judging this year’s Educational category.
Lakeside School Greenhouse
Lakeside School Greenhouse impressed judges with an exhibit inspired by Frank Lloyd Wright’s iconic Taliesin West. Created by high school students, the display captured the spirit of Wright’s architecture with remarkable accuracy, from the landscape composition and desert-inspired plantings to the textures, color palette, and architectural proportions. Even the intricate detailing along the roofline was thoughtfully recreated. The result was a sophisticated and visually striking exhibit that demonstrated both strong design understanding and exceptional craftsmanship, earning the team a PHS Silver Medal in the Educational Category and the Massachusetts Horticultural Society Gold Medal Award.
W.B. Saul High School
W.B. Saul High School delivered a beautifully executed exhibit that stood out for its thoughtful craftsmanship and attention to detail. One of the most impressive elements was the way the design transitioned seamlessly into the surrounding floor space, using natural materials like timber, logs, and stone to create a grounded, organic feel. The corners were punctuated with sculptural tree trunks, while carefully arranged sphagnum moss and grapevine added texture and depth.
Lankenau Environmental Science Magnet High School
Lankenau Environmental Science Magnet High School presented an inventive exhibit that showcased both creativity and horticultural knowledge. A standout feature was the use of simple concrete masonry blocks filled with soil and planted with a diverse range of plants, transforming an everyday material into a functional and visually compelling garden element. Decorative mosaics added artistry to the structure, while a spiral garden concept demonstrated how found materials can be used to create raised planting areas within community spaces. By incorporating plants with cultural, medicinal, and culinary significance, the students created a thoughtful display that highlighted resourcefulness and the meaningful role gardens can play in local communities. Their innovative use of materials and plant variety earned them a PHS Gold Medal in the Educational category as well as The Alfred M. Campbell Memorial Trophy.
Why the Flower Show Matters for Landscape Design
While the Philadelphia Flower Show is an extraordinary experience for visitors, it is also an important moment for landscape professionals.
The exhibits offer compelling garden and societal narratives, reveal emerging horticultural practices, and evolving design trends that influence how outdoor spaces are imagined. From innovative garden structures to fresh approaches to planting design, the show serves as a preview of ideas that may shape residential and commercial landscapes in the years ahead.
For the team at Maffei Landscape Design, participating in the show as a judge is both an honor and an opportunity to stay connected to the broader design community.
Looking Ahead
As the 2026 Flower Show wraps up, Danilo returns with new inspiration, ideas, and perspectives drawn from hundreds of talented designers and horticulturists.
Events like the Philadelphia Flower Show remind us that landscape design is not just about creating beautiful spaces. It’s about crafting environments that connect people with nature, history, and each other.
We look forward to seeing how the creativity showcased this year continues to influence gardens and landscapes throughout the region.