Photos courtesy of the Philadelphia Flower Show. The Chile Pepper is a favorite. Its curvaceous form encourages your imagination to see more than a hot pepper. This new interpretation of the classic “reclining nude” loves to lounge by the pool, or loll about in a garden setting.

Published on: Wednesday, March 03, 2010

www.tripsandgetaways.com

Jan Kirsh, acclaimed landscape designer and sculptor, brings her collection of Fruit and Vegetable Sculpture to The Marketplace for the final weekend of the Philadelphia International Flower Show.

 Kirsh’s sensual, innovative sculpture is available in a world of sizes, from mere inches tall to delightfully outsize. The work embraces a variety of media (bronze, resin, stone, fiberglass and polished concrete), and can be sited indoors or outdoors.

An oversized Avocado Half Bird Bath will be a popular draw at the show where over 250,000 garden and art enthusiasts are expected to visit during the weeklong event.

The Philadelphia Flower Show, the country’s oldest and largest Flower Show, is a perfect venue for Kirsh’s dual talents. A landscape designer for over 25 years on Maryland’s Eastern Shore, she works collaboratively with clients creating low maintenance gardens.

Kirsh’s homage to corn grown to perfection in the Garden State, this interpretation of New Jersey sweet corn complements the texture of curly parsley in an entry garden. Displayed individually or as an even dozen, this piece makes itself equally at home on a dining table, or in a flower garden.

Her work combines a palette of natives and more exotic site-appropriate choices to create gardens with four distinct seasons of interest. Kirsh has a knack for blending the inside and outside in comfortable, utilitarian outdoor rooms.

Kirsh’s evolving arts career now introduces her sculpture directly into her landscape designs. The art and gardens are designed concurrently, combining a love of horticulture with 3-D forms inspired by the natural world. The sculptures introduce appealing vegetal forms, making this art a comfortable and welcome addition in any setting.

Kirsh began sculpting fruits and vegetables in 2004 and will introduce three new pieces at the flower show including an elegant two-part fig, a luscious peach and a lyrical Oriental eggplant.

The sculpture will be on display at The Philadelphia International Flower Show in the Philadelphia Convention Center through March 7.

The Avocado Half Bird Bath is a magnet for song birds. A perfect foil for more complex garden textures, this surprisingly light weight, polished concrete avocado half bird bath fits here into a niche below a Northern Bayberry on a bed of classic English Ivy groundcover.

The show will be held at the Pennsylvania Convention Center, 12th and Arch Streets in Philadelphia. Hours are Monday through Friday from 10 a.m. to 9:30 p.m., and Sunday from 8 a.m. to 9:30 p.m. The best viewing is after 4 p.m.

Tickets are $23 for adults and $13 for children ages 2-16. Student tickets are $18.

For information, visit www.theflowershow.com.