The University of Delaware became involved in the Philadelphia Flower Show in 2011 and has been creating educational exhibitors displays since then. It is the world’s oldest and largest indoor flower show, attracting more than 260,000 people annually over a 10-day period. Jules Bruck (Associate Professor of Plant & Soil Sciences), Tony Middlebrooks (Associate Professor of Public Policy and Administration), and Jon Cox (Assistant Professor of Art) developed the Design Process Practicum course to engage students from multiple disciplines in the ideation, design, and implementation of an exhibit for the Flower Show.
Previous Themes Include:
2011 – The Art of Sustainable Gardening educated the public about rain harvesting
2013 – You’re Brilliant educated the public about how to make a garden that suits your lifestyle
2014 – Save the Shad educated the public about the importance of a fish called shad in the Brandywine River
The 2015 Exhibit, Forest To Pharmacy: Using Nature’s Cures, educated the public about medicinal plants from the Amazon Rainforest and how to make your own Forest To Pharmacy garden at home. The course partnered with ACEER (Amazon Center For Environmental Education and Research) to spread awareness about saving our rainforests from destruction, especially because they contain great resources for our health. The exhibit was 23×33 ft and received 4 awards including a PHS Silver Medal in the Educational Exhibitors Category.
Design Process Practicum includes a wider variety of majors each year. The Fall 2014 – Spring 2015 course consisted of students from Organizational and Community Leadership, Plant & Soil Sciences, Landscape Design, Food Science, Engineering, Business, and Art. Paige Gugerty, Teaching Assistant for the course and 2015 graduate from Organizational and Community Leadership states, “it is really interesting to work with this many different types of students to see how they approach problem solving and to see how they bring their skills to the table.” This year, Design Process Practicum is partnering with Delaware Nature Society. The show theme is National Parks and the class is excited to be exhibiting the Pacific Crest Trail.
