The title is a fair question to ask considering this week started with a tornado watch and ends with the Spring Equinox — with a healthy dose of freezing winter weather right in the middle. But if the first few weeks of March indicate what’s ahead: Bring on the seasonal allergies and the sunshine!

This month always starts on a celebratory note, as my husband’s birthday is March 1, and this year was no exception. Though it typically snows, we were fortunate to experience Philadelphia’s “false” spring this year. And on theme with the season, we said absolutely “Yes!” when my sister-in-law invited us to attend the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society’s 2026 Flower Show to celebrate. This is the world’s largest indoor flower show, and its proceeds fund year-round gardening projects within the community, helping to give access to fresh food and positive activities.

It was my husband’s first time attending and my first at its indoor installation. His sister accompanied us, along with our little niece. This year, Pennsylvania Convention Center hosted the show, and it was enormous — the center was filled with activity and beauty. Such a nice sight after all of this winter gray and cold! Walking onto the floor of the show was breathtaking. Giant arches, shaped like twisting tree branches, soared over your head and dripped flowers like they were plucked right from the jungle and dropped in the Philadelphia winter. Every display was so intricate, it was hard not to take all day just absorbing the detailing. Robertson’s Flowers, a well-known florist from Chestnut Hill, recreated the entire facade of its Germantown Avenue storefront with window displays reflecting different decades of its history. There was also another that captured a rustic performance of Shakespeare, with an almost Wizard of Oz feeling to it.

Robertson’s Flower Store Front at the PHS Flower Show

What charmed all of us the most, however, had to be the Butterfly Garden. Stocked with different varieties and species, you enter wielding a Q-Tip dipped in sugar water and coax these magic beauties to you. One little girl with a very tall father (who was able to reach the netting on the ceiling and had easiest access to the butterflies) had so many on her, at one point she looked like a butterfly Christmas tree. Our little niece had one land on her head, and it just hung out with her the whole time we were inside their enclosure. Although the butterflies were an add-on ticket, it was well worth the additional money.

Beauty in the Butterfly Garden

It was hard to tear ourselves away from the fun and beauty, but after a few hours our niece was ready for a nap and my husband and I were ready for his birthday dinner at Borromini in Rittenhouse Square. A newer restaurant to the Rittenhouse scene, we’ve been excited to give it a try, and it did not disappoint. The ambience is spot-on for a romantic or celebratory dinner, and with two floors of dining, it’s not terribly hard to snag a space. We were lucky enough to be seated on the second floor with a window overlooking the square. And while the view was great, the food was even better. For an appetizer, my husband and I decided to split the arancini, made with saffron rice, mozzarella, fontina and green peas — delicious! Then, for mains, I opted for the Black Spaghetti and he chose the Oxtail Mafaldine. The handmade pasta in each dish was the star of the night — the noodles crafted with care and cooked to a perfect al dente, but, boy, was the oxtail cooked perfectly in his dish. The Calabrian sausage in mine was the perfect complement of spice to the shrimp and green chiles.

While the food was phenomenal, the service stood out most. I indicated it was his birthday when making the reservation. Since I knew we had cake waiting at home, we opted out of dessert at the restaurant; however, our server brought my husband a mini gelato cone on a bed of rainbow sprinkles and a candle with the check so it would feel like a birthday dinner — one of those little things that make a difference.

All the magic the flower show offered, the belly laughter and overall amazing vibes in the city served as a reminder spring isn’t just about the warm temperatures and sunshine to me. It’s that feeling that my body is waking up and new memories are about to be made.

I am expecting at least one more surprise from winter, but it’s safe to say I am ready for the longer days, new experiences and pockets of joy the season offers.

— Yasser Gallagher-Ogando, executive media director