SCHEDULED HIGHLIGHTS  
  GREATER PHILADELPHIA DAHLIA SOCIETY and LONGWOOD GARDENS  
  Are Proud To Host:  
 

THE 42ND AMERICAN DAHLIA SOCIETY EXHIBITION
and
GREATER PHILADELPHIA DAHLIA SOCIETY SHOW

September 18 Through 22, 2008

  
 

 

 
 

Welcome to Longwood Gardens, one of the world’s great horticultural gardens. Located just 35 miles from Philadelphia, it features formal and special gardens, both inside the conservatories and outside, as well as woodlands, meadows and fountains, all contained in 1050 acres. Located in the heart of historic Chester County near the mushroom capitol of the world – Kennett Square. In addition, there are many attractions in surrounding Southeastern Pennsylvania and nearby Delaware, New Jersey and Maryland.

Show activities will center on Longwood’s conservatories which include the newly renovated East Conservatory, Fern Floor, Music Room and Ballroom.

The show hotel is the Hilton Garden Inn located about 2 miles from Longwood. The hotel has committed 75% of their rooms to folks attending the show. A backup hotel, the new Hampton Inn [about 8 miles away] has committed another 100 rooms so there will be plenty of room for dahlia lovers.

HOTEL RESERVATION – Hotel reservations can be made using the following web page

Attendees who have submitted the registration forms for exhibition and events, and have received your confirmation envelope, will note there is a final step to accomplish Registration.

Go to the Business Entrance to Longwood Gardens (see map in your envelope) and you will be directed by the gate attendant to the Green Room in the trailer where Registration is located. A list of those sending completed registration forms will be at the Business Entrance to permit Registrants passage to the involved areas of the Gardens. GPDS members will be on hand to help direct you to the Registration Office. Subsequent re-entry(s) will be facilitated by using your name tag, which will be given to you at the trailer's Green Room.

  
 

 
 
Thursday:  

  • Bloom dropoff into cool room storage at Longwood - 1 to 5:30 pm.
  • Evening reception 6-9 pm.

     
Friday:  

  • Bloom dropoff in cool room storage at Longwood – 9am to 5pm.
  • 8:30am to 5pm -Guided Overview bus tour of Philadelphia historic areas and gardens.
  • Unguided tours of Longwood Gardens 9am to 5pm. Longwood with 1050 acres open to public has many areas that we will have an opportunity to visit. Examples are the Conservatories, the idea garden where folks can learn backyard garden skills, the formal gardens, the fountain displays, the Peirce House [the original owner’s residence where Longwood history is outlined], the woodland trails natural areas. You may also wish to visit the Visitor Center Gift Shop featuring all sorts of unique items including a wide selection of horticultural books.
  • Staging from 4 to 11 pm.
     
Saturday:  

  • Staging from 4 to 9 am
  • Judging – 9:30 to 12 am.
  • Judges, Clerks & other registrants – Luncheon in the Fern Floor Area 12 to 2pm.
  • Show opens to public at 1pm.
  • Education sessions – “Making Baskets of Blooms for show”
    1-3pm – Eleanor Shantz
  • “Growing Healthy Dahlias” 3-4:30pm by Dr.Tim Elkner – Penn State County Agent for Lancaster County and a member of GPDS. Tim will concentrate on mites, powdery mildew, and fertilization.
  • Cocktails in the East Conservatory 6-7pm
  • Banquet 7pm – 10:30 pm in the Fern Floor featuring comments by Longwood’s new director – Paul Redman.
     
Sunday:  

  • 8-9 am Classification meeting at Hilton Garden Inn with Continental Breakfast.
  • 9-11 am Board of Directors Meeting at the Hilton.
  • 1-4 pm Guided tours of “Behind the Scenes areas [Production Greenhouses, Fountain Pump house, and perhaps other special tours].
  • 3-4:30pm – Judging Seminar in the Fern Floor.
  • Show closes 6 pm with tear-down.

     
Monday:  

  • 8:30am to 5pm – Guided Bus Tour of arts and history in & around the Brandywine Valley

 
 

 
 

GPDS and Longwood Gardens await our opportunity to be your host at the 42ND National Dahlia Show of American Dahlia Society.

Plan to come and allow some extra time for more in-depth experiences.
There are so many attractions all within 100 miles, that it would be hard to select the best for you.

 
 

For additional information call:

Brent Grant at (610)388-6317 or Jim Thomas at (610)644-7614