News » 21.10.2026 - Philadelphia Flower Show 2027 theme annouced: Iconic
Icons shape culture. They influence how we live and what we create, leaving an imprint across time. Few forces have had that kind of reach through eras and culture quite like the garden. For thousands of years, our relationship with plants has influenced how we live, make, design, eat, and express ourselves. As PHS celebrates its 200th anniversary, the 2027 Philadelphia Flower Show presents ICONIC, a bold celebration of the garden as muse and the extraordinary mark it has left on our creative culture.
ICONIC explores the power of gardening as a source of beauty, sustenance, and inspiration. Its cultural influence can be traced across centuries and creative disciplines, from Claude Monet's "Water Lilies" and the botanical patterns of William Morris to floral motifs in fashion and textiles and the garden-inspired worlds in literature and film. Beyond art and design, the garden has long inspired how we experience flavor and fragrance, from the herbs, fruits, and vegetables we cultivate to the botanical ingredients at the heart of perfumery.
Today, the garden continues to inspire art, design, fashion, food, film, architecture, and beyond. ICONIC brings that far-reaching influence into focus, exploring why we return to the garden again and again for inspiration.
At the 2027 Flower Show, ICONIC will take many forms. Over 30 major exhibitors will bring this theme to life through gardens, floral artistry, and horticultural displays ranging from unexpected and whimsical to provocative and awe-inspiring, each offering a distinct creative interpretation of the theme. No two exhibits will tell the same story, giving guests the opportunity to encounter ICONIC through a wide range of distinct creative visions.
For the first time, PHS is bringing together five of Pennsylvania's most iconic public gardens and hosting them at the Flower Show. Each will create a garden that reflects its distinctive horticultural vision. The Pennsylvania Public Gardens Showcase will feature Chanticleer Garden, Longwood Gardens, Phipps Conservatory and Botanical Gardens, Pittsburgh Botanic Garden, and The Arboretum at Penn State. Together, these institutions will give visitors a rare opportunity to experience the artistry, expertise, and horticultural excellence of leading public gardens from across the Commonwealth. The Showcase also reflects the Philadelphia region's unique position as home to one of the country's greatest concentrations of public gardens, arboretums, and horticultural institutions, earning it the distinction of "America's Garden Capital."
"Iconic is a word we hear everywhere today, so we started by asking what it actually means for something to be iconic," said Seth Pearsoll, Vice President and Creative Director of the PHS Philadelphia Flower Show. "We kept coming back to gardening's remarkable ability to evolve while remaining relevant. It has been reimagined countless times, shaped by different cultures, artistic movements, and creative voices, yet continues to inspire us in new ways. ICONIC gives our exhibitors the freedom to explore that rich history while imagining what gardening can become next."
Now in its 198th year, the award-winning PHS Philadelphia Flower Show is a world-renowned gardening event and PHS's main fundraiser for its acclaimed greening work throughout the Philadelphia region that aims to advance health and well-being for all.
"As PHS celebrates its 200th anniversary in 2027, ICONIC reflects our longstanding belief in the extraordinary power of gardening to shape lives and strengthen communities. For 200 years, PHS has harnessed that power to create healthier, more beautiful, and more connected places where people can thrive. The Philadelphia Flower Show has always been where we bring the possibilities of gardening to life on the grandest scale, and there is no better place to celebrate this milestone. We invite everyone to join us at ICONIC to celebrate 200 years of PHS and experience the creativity, joy, and transformative power of gardening that will carry us into our next century," said PHS President Matt Rader.
Source: www.floraldaily.com
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