San Clemente Flower Firm Exhibits at Philly Flower Show

The annual Philadelphia Flower Show is a family affair for Robert and Roxanne DePalma, owners of the San Clemente-based Horticultural Institute of Southern California (HISC).

The Show has been a springtime tradition in the city of brotherly love since 1829, having evolved from a gathering of professional growers showcasing their prized plants to the largest and oldest indoor flower show in the nation.  

More than 150 vendors from across the United States and as far away as the country of Wales travel to Philadelphia to sell plants, flowers, orchids, artwork, and unique food and garden-related crafts and supplies.

Roxanne DePalma said the show is not only a great way to gain national exposure for the business; it also allows her and her husband to connect with their family.

“We’re Italian,” she said. “The whole family gets involved.  We have two nieces and nephews who travel from Chicago and Virginia Beach to meet us here and help us work the booths.”

Although the HSIC doesn’t travel to Philly to compete in the show’s artistic and horticultural classes, she notes, they have still been awarded seven ribbons to date for best-in-class booth displays.

“My husband and I have been participating as vendors for the past 15 years,” DePalma said as she meticulously arranged an edible display consisting of parsley, strawberry and pineapple. “We always seem to be a favorite of the attendees.”

This year the DePalmas focused on three of HSIC’s product offerings; a broom made entirely out of coconut palms; a 5-pattern garden hose which is guaranteed not to leak, never to break, and can gently mist plants in addition to power-washing storm gutters; and the floral-seven and floral-eighteen glass arranging vases.

DePalma’s niece, Gina, quickly pointed out that the vases were crowd favorites. The height and angle of each vase, she said, allows for even a novice arranger to create expert bouquets and arrangements.

The floral seven consists of seven fused, blown-glass vases whereas the 18 consisted of 18.

“The only thing a person needs to remember is to make sure that all the stems are cut to the same length," she said. "It can be used for flowers; it can be used with silk flowers that you buy at an arts-and-crafts store and it can be used to create edible fruit arrangements. And what’s great about the edible arrangement displays is that the herbs don’t dry out because they’re rooted in water.”

The floral-seven and floral-eighteen are both manufactured in San Clemente, DePalma said and are a signature selling item of HISC.