New aquatic-themed flower show opens in Pittsburgh this weekend

PITTSBURGH, Pa. (KDKA) — A lot is going on in Pittsburgh this weekend, from the Pirates starting a home stand at PNC Park to runners hitting the streets for the Pittsburgh Marathon. 

There is also a new flower show opening at Phipps Conservatory. The “Summer Flower Show: Under the Sea” officially opens on Saturday to the public. And while you won’t need a swimsuit or snorkel for this show, you will catch a wave of ocean vibes if you decide to stop by.

Mike Bechtel, the indoor display manager at Phipps, said that there is a lot to love about this new show.

“I love being immersed at the like the bottom of the ocean,” said Bechtel. “That’s kind of what you are going to see when you walk through the show. You are going to be seeing things in the air that are normally swimming in the ocean. So, it’s really like you’re crawling along the bottom of the sea.”

This aquatic-themed show has been a massive undertaking for Phipps. Planning for the show started at this time last year, and the team at the conservator has been building out this show for the last three weeks.

“You are going to see a lot of topiaries, which are planted frames,” said Bechtel. “So, we put little plug plants in each topiary. And as they grow out, it just gives a different texture. You are also going to see some animatronic stuff involved in the plants, but the highlight I love is the plant pallet. It’s so neat. Everything’s just weird and oddly shaped. It’s all very tropical. So nothing you are going to find in your own backyard.”

Now, if you want to make the summer flower show part of your world, the show runs through the first week of September.