Where flowers bloom so does hope.
Lady Bird Johnson
The Philadelphia Flower Show Brings Legends of Ireland to the States
Kitch Loftus-Mussari & Tony Mussari
Producers
Windsor Park Stories
Sometimes the shortest distance to Ireland is through Philadelphia.
We know, because we traveled that road on a bus in temperatures that would make Alaskans shiver.
Outside the wind chill was in the single digits when we boarded Martz M453 for the Philadelphia Flower Show and its Legends of Ireland exhibits. Inside the 60-passenger bus, a warm feeling of anticipation took the edge off the bitter cold morning that had everyone in northeastern Pennsylvania complaining about the weather.
The Philadelphia Flower Show is the oldest one of its kind in America 
and many believe it’s the best.
No debate here on that point.
In less than three hours we were bumper to bumper at the doorway to the City of Brotherly Love. Then, in what seemed like minutes, we were inside the Philadelphia Convention Center making a call to Steve Maurer, press officer for The Pennsylvania Horticultural Society. He volunteered to meet us when we arrived.
Steve is excellent at what he does, and what he does is talk abut the Philadelphia Flower show in brilliant ways. In less than 10 minutes, just inside the doors to Hall B, Steve drew a portrait of the history, tradition and appeal of the Philadelphia Flower Show that set the tone for our visit.
Two of Steve’s statistics reverberated in our minds during our six hour visit. When the Philadelphia Flower Show began, John Quincy Adams was president; 37 presidents later an expected 250,000 visitors will walk under the arch just inside Hall A.
That says it all.
For eight days, the Philadelphia Convention Center becomes a land of wee
people, wood sprites, step dancers and troubadours, castle ruins, thatched cottages, decorative burial sites, intricate knot gardens, twisting vine pergolas, ancient Celtic stones, and deep ponds full of koi fish.
When visitors pass through the grand, flower bedecked arch they are greeted by sweet fragrances of spring from the thousands of flowers in the exhibits. It is a cornucopia of blossoms and the scents meld together to turn a bitter cold March day into an enchanting 
taste of the season to come.
The enormity of the show is evident no matter where you look. The displays are unique in conceptualization and design and each one tells a different story about the legends of Ireland. It is not only a gardener’s delight but also a look at history from the unique 
perspective of flowers, trees, shrubs, ground covers, water, stone, wood and grass.
Visitors are on a horticultural high as they pass through the many areas decorated with what they would see in the old country but it’s all within walking distance.
To our surprise many young people attend the flower show. It was our 
good fortune to meet an extraordinary group of students from Delaware. They were on a field trip with their teacher, and we literally bumped into each other.
For us, it was a very special moment. The students were engaged and alive with questions and comments.
They wanted to be there and it showed.
They wanted to learn and it was obvious.
They willingly participated in interviews with us and it was a special moment for them and their teacher.
It was an example of education at its very best.
The behavior of this class spoke volumes about the quality of their Polytech High School in Delaware.
In case there is any doubt about the Irish theme, the sounds of gay, Gaelic music and the pounding of the step dancers shoes will seal the deal.
The most popular sounds of the flower show are straight out of Inis Mor in Galway Bay.
On a stage set in a stone castle there is entertainment by a troupe of dancers from Ireland who effortlessly dance to the toe-tapping, foot-stomping, hand-clapping music of the instruments played by three lads and two lasses behind them.
The crowd roars its approval and never tires of the performance. The visitors surge toward the stage for each show and love to chat with the dancers during their breaks.
The group is called Ragus Live and is managed by Ronan Brennan. He is a youthful looking Irishman whose face looks like a map of his homeland.
Brennan’s pleasant manner and ever-present smile is simply enchanting. Watching him engage a crowd of adoring fans is a beautiful sight.
He is not your typical celebrity. He is the boy next door who obviously loves what he does.
He takes time to inform, explain and entertain, and when asked to make connections with other members of the troupe, he does so willingly.
He was especially nice to Kathleen Hemingway.If truth be told, his kindness made her day
In the afternoon, an earthy singer by the name of Oliver gets everyone singing the refrains from the old ballads and pub tunes. From the crowd come impassioned requests for their favorite songs.
Oliver obliges.
As he sings me makes eye contact with a cameraman who is determined to include him in his production. When the song ends, Oliver looks down and asks for a reaction.
The cameraman responds, “Excellent.”
A momentary pause as he removes the camera from his shoulder, then he repeats these words with emphasis, “Just excellent.”
Oliver’s face turns red as he smiles his approval. 
The cameraman disappears into the crowd.
Oliver resumes his act.
The displays take up a good deal of the floor space of the flower show, but there is also a huge market for those who want to buy something for their home and garden.
There are vendors selling birdhouses, flowerpots, watering cans, plants, flowers, seeds and bulbs. All the vendors are experts in their fields and they enjoy talking to patrons.
As you look around the hall, you can spot the shoppers as they clutch their bouquets of pussy willows, roses, twisted vines and watering cans…all with a marvelous look of joy on their faces.
Sometimes there is an unexpected surprise. It happened to us at mid afternoon in the shadow of our favorite display.
For a moment Kitch and I were separated as I turned around and called her name, a woman responded: “Oh, my God, that can only be Kitch Loftus.”
Then it happened. Two youngsters from Dunmore, PA, who graduated from eighth grade in 1963 were suddenly and unexpectedly reunited.
There they were, Mary Alice Hennigan and Kitch Loftus, hugging each other in the middle of The Philadelphia Flower Show. 
A Kodak Moment to be sure. Unfortunately, it was only captured on video.
The reunion lasted for about 15 minutes, and then it was back to work with a promise to stay in touch.
One wonders how many times a magical moment like that happens amidst all the flowers.
There’s no shortage of food and refreshments at the flower show. The variety is endless.
We stopped at the Overbrook Café for lunch. The food is delicious and reasonably priced. The restaurant is immaculately kept and the service is excellent.
The tables are round and sit eight, so you make new friends when you sit down to eat your food. The talk centers on the great displays, where everyone is from, what they liked best, what they bought and always, how tired they are by this time of the day.
There we met Irene Goforth from Bartonsville, PA. She is a delightful
person who loves gardening. She would like to visit Windsor Park.
On the other side of the table sat Gerry Callaghan and Maryann Donnan both from Delaware. Gerry 
was born in Ireland, and she willingly gave us her recipes for brown bread and Irish soda bread.
Before rushing off to catch their buses, we all agreed to stay in touch.
When The Philadelphia Horticultural Society started the flower show, all those years ago, the members dedicated themselves to motivate people to improve the quality of life and create a sense of community.
As we left the convention center at the end of a very long day that is what we felt. That is what we experienced. That is what we were determined to bring home to our garden in Windsor Park.
Sometimes the most memorable road to Ireland is through Philadelphia.
Kitch Loftus-Mussari & Tony Mussari
kitch152@aol.com, tmussari@aol.com
