History of the Flower Show at Peter Becker Community

The flower show at Peter Becker Community started in 1984 as a small display of resident flowers.

As announced in the March 1984 Chit Chat … “Thursday March 8, Philadelphia will have their flower show next week, but we’ll have our own PBC Flower and Plant Show in the auditorium today. Residents, staff and friends are invited to display a plant. Please bring your plants from 9:00 to 12:00 that morning. The show will be open from 1:00 to 4:00. An award will be given for the best of show voted on by the people attending. This is a first-time-ever event for us, please watch the bulletin boards for more details!”

It has certainly grown over the years to its current spectacular display of art as much as it is a display of flowers and plants. It has become a major fundraising event for the Peter Becker Community Auxiliary and a major friend-raising event for Peter Becker Community. The flower show is still held annually during the week following the Philadelphia Flower Show. This time is chosen because we can usually get donated plants from a local firm that supplies plants and flowers to the Philadelphia show. Their leftovers are usually wonderful for us. Residents still bring plants to be judged during the show. And even now the attendees of the show vote for the winner of best in show!

The auxiliary is involved in the show planning and has a number of areas of the show for which it is solely responsible. However, the Peter Becker Community flower show is truly a team effort from staff in every department at Peter Becker Community. And the show could not be pulled off without the dedication of the many residents who volunteer to help put the show together – we call them “The Flower Show Gang”. Their number has grown from 8 to 80 over the last several years. For them it is a chance to be creative, to learn new skills, to put existing skills to work and to make new friends. The residents often feel a “let down” when the show is over, but the fact that it gives them such a fun activity to work on in the dead of winter is a wonderful lift to their spirits.

The flower show is also a good for Peter Becker Community. It is a great demonstration of the vitality of the community. Many members of the community come to Peter Becker Community to view the flower show and find out that this is a great place to live either for themselves or for their loved ones. Tours are offered during the show and appointments are made for follow up after the show.

List of Previous Flower Show Themes

2011 Gulliver’s Travels 28^th year

2010 Flowers, Fairy Tales & Fantasies 27^th year

2009 Oceans of Blooms 26^th year

2008 Back the Old Country Road 25^th year

2007 Around the World in Flowers 24^th year

2006 See You in the Movies 23^rd year

2005 The Enchanted Garden 22^nd year

2004 An Artist’s Garden 21^st year

2003 An English Cottage Garden 20^th year

2002 Golden Age of Train Travel 19^th year

2001 Postcards from Paris 18^th year

2000 Charlotte’s Web 17^th year

1999 Main Street 16^th year

1998 The Wizard of Oz 15^th year

1997 Country Fair 14^th year

1996 Summer Day Dreams 13^th year

1995 I Remember My Garden 12^th year

1994 The Secret Garden 11^th year

1993 A Walk Through the Rainforest 10^th year

1992 My Granddaughter’s Wedding 9^th year

1991 Endless Spring 8^th year

1990 Gardening for the Senses 7^th year

1989 Unknown 6^th year

1988 Unknown 5^th year

1987 No theme – extended to two days 4^th year

1986 The Four Seasons (also one day event) 3^rd year

1985 International Gardens (also one day event) 2^nd year

1984 No theme – was held one day from 1 – 4 pm 1^st year