Mercer County College Takes Home Gold At Philadelphia Flower Show

Mercer County Community College took home a Gold Medal for its Mediterranean-themed display at the Philadelphia Flower Show this weekend, college officials announced.

“Verdant Veranda,” is the college’s sixth top-three medal award at the show in the last seven years, according to officials. It was created by Horticulture, Graphic Design and Visual Arts students at the college.

The display was inspired by “the importance of the floriculture industry,” according to Professor and program coordinator Amy Ricco. It was decorated with cut florals and containers that accentuated the “small space gardening,” in line with the show’s “Riviera Holiday” theme. The display was emblematic of a Mediterranean veranda setting.

The motif was a noted shift from 2019s theme of “Flower Power.” Last year, Mercer’s faculty and students designed an exhibit around the Trenton skyline, highlighting the possibilities for floral design in urban landscapes. The college’s faculty and students started planning for this year’s project over the summer.

“We started by doing research on the French Riviera, and decided to use agriculture as our inspiration,” Ricco said. “This led to us incorporating farm-to-table and floriculture production in our display.”

Ricco said that college’s participation in the show is an enormous group undertaking. In addition to coordinating with Horticulture adjunct professors David DeFrange and Deborah Moyer, she enlisted the help of volunteers.

“David worked with students in Ornamental Horticulture 292 on the forcing of plant material, while Deborah worked with both credit and non-credit floral design students on the displays,” Ricco said.

Ricco noted that she had about 20 student volunteers to assist with set up, the show, and take down.

“We have to transport our entire display down to Philadelphia in four days,” Ricco said.

The college’s faculty outside the Horticulture program were also key in producing Mercer’s appearance at the show, college officials said. Advertising and Graphic Design Professor Tina LaPlaca, Ceramics and Sculpture Professor Michael Welliver, Digital Media Arts Professor Mauro Zamora, and Visual Arts Teaching Assistant Kerri O’Neill all had a hand in creating Mercer’s veranda.

“Horticulture student Ben Burns worked on the design and build process under the guidance of myself and David,” Ricco said. “The graphic design club devised our posters and seed packets. The art club painted our building. It takes a lot of teamwork.”

The Philadelphia Flower Show is organized by the Pennsylvania Horticulture Society. Beginning in 1892, the event, held in the Philadelphia Convention Center, showcases decorative, “diverse and sustainable plant and garden concepts.”

The 2020 show runs Feb. 29 through March 8. Tickets are available online and at the box office outside the Convention Center.