2010 Philadelphia International Flower Show
People received messages from distant relatives, learned about the newest inventions and traded their goods on docks in harbor towns. For these reasons, as well as for access to fresh drinking water, the majority of our earliest cities were built in close proximity to rivers.
PWD is proud to be a part of the 2010 Philadelphia International Flower Show. The theme of our exhibit, co-sponsored by the Partnership for the Delaware Estuary, is "Healthy Streams, Healthy City, Healthy World." Our exhibit shows the transformation of an urban stream from eroded, trash-filled eyesore to a stabilized natural green corridor that provides wildlife habitat and is an asset to the community. The exhibit features native plants that you can incorporate into your own urban oasis.
We hope you can stop by the flower show to see the exhibit. This page has links for the flower show brochure and species list as well as the educational signs on display at the show.
Flower Show Information
"Journey around the globe with breathtaking stops in India, Brazil, the Netherlands, South Africa, New Zealand and Singapore. See thousands of plant and floral design entries of local enthusiasts in hundreds of categories. Don’t miss out on the free gardening presentations, 150 held throughout the week, as well as dozens of educational displays that explore the newest gardening trends."
2010 Philadelphia International Flower Show, an event of the Pennsylvania Horticultural SocietyHealthy Stream, Healthy City, Healthy World
The theme for PWD's exhibit is "Healthy Stream, Healthy City, Healthy World," designed to show the adverse effects of urbanization on stream systems and how they can be restored and protected.
Comparison of healthy and unhealthy streams
Urban Stream Restoration
In the urban context, stream restoration is usually an effort borne out of the necessity to protect infrastructure or property that lies within a floodplain; conversely, infrastructure such as culverts, bridges and channelized reaches of stream can actually accelerate stream degradation. In recent years, the science of stream restoration has transcended into the era of "Natural Stream Channel Design." In this context, stream restoration seeks to return function to degraded channels as opposed to merely protecting infrastructure or stream banks with engineered structures such as rock gabions. As such, "Natural Stream Channel Design" seeks to balance the physical processes associated with sediment regimes and channel morphology - with ecological factors such as riparian and floodplain vegetation such that the overlapping needs of aquatic habitat, recreation, aesthetic beauty, ecological function and infrastructure protection are in harmony.
Learn more about PWD's Stream Restoration Initiatives on the Waterways Restoration page.
Stream restoration diagram
2010 PWD Flower Show Display Educational Signage
2010 PWD 2010 Flower show signs. Click a sign to enlarge
PWD Exhibit at 2010 Philadelphia Flower Show
Documents
Species List of plants used in the PWD display. Many of these plants are native and will make a great addition to your landscaping projects.
Brochure Download the "Healthy Streams, Healthy Cities, Healthy World" brochure (1 MB PDF).
Project Contributors
Landscaping design and installation by Joe Vetrone
Backdrop designed and painted by Vanessa Fenton
Brochure and signage designed by Frank McShane
Project management by Arthur Holst, Philadelphia Water Department