Swan's impressions of a Bermuda exhibit at the Philadelphia Flower Show. The artist was, in fact, Mr. Edwin Smith. Mr. Swan commissioned the illustrations.

With a quarter of a million anticipated visitors, and millions more tuning in to coverage on CBS This Morning, Bermuda is set to receive maximum publicity when the Philadelphia Flower Show opens next month.

The Island is one of three `Islands in the Sun' featured as the theme of this year's show, the largest of its kind in the world. It is also the oldest, the first show having been staged back in 1829.

"This is wonderful exposure for us, and for the whole of Bermuda,'' enthuses Mrs. Janet Owner, chairman of the Garden Club of Bermuda's 1994 Philadelphia Flower Show Committee. "This is just the sort of publicity that Bermuda needs right now, especially with the emphasis on cultural tourism and special interest vacations.'' Garden Club president, Mrs. Mowbray says she believes that interest generated by Bermuda's participation in the American show, which features 55 major exhibits on an `island' theme, is already paying off, in terms of tourism.

"We've already had a lot of enquiries and groups of gardeners coming down here. We have the National Trust to thank for arranging much of this, and we think it may develop into something even bigger as a result of this show.'' Besides extensive TV coverage, the show's publicity officer, Ms Lisa Stephano, says that USA Today, The Washington Post, Newsweek and US News and World Report are all planning major stories on the event.

"The Philadelphia show will be featured in most of the national dailies and TV stations throughout the States. We're also expecting coverage by ABC and NBC.'' Carpenters have built a life-sized, traditional Bermuda cottage, complete with green push-out shutters, `welcoming arms' steps and buttery, and cedar gate, which will be set alongside a pink sand beach. There will even be massive blue pools to create the effect of tropical-hued seas. The flowers, trees and shrubs of Bermuda which will complete this `Bermuda' scene, have been obtained from special tropical plants companies in the US.

The Garden Club of Bermuda is especially pleased that the Bermuda section will be the first display to greet each visitor entering the Show. "You come down the main escalator -- and right below you, is Bermuda! We have the prime spot,'' says Mrs. Owner. The other islands featured are Barbados and Puerto Rico.

Although the Department of Tourism is not planning a promotional push to coincide with the Philadelphia Show, they are sponsoring a special informational brochure entitled Bermuda: Island in the Sun. They plan to distribute 50,000 of these to visitors during the show, which runs for one week, from March 6-13.

Mrs. Owner says that the Garden Club was approached over two years ago to see if it would be interested in participating in this ambitious Show which is organised annually by the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society. It will be held at the massive Philadelphia Civic Centre, and occupy an area of six acres indoors.

"This is a very big undertaking for the Club,'' says president Mrs. Betsey Mowbray. "About 30 members, including spouses, will be going up there. Some will go in advance, to help set it all up, and some of us will be there while the show is on. We'll be handing out brochures and telling everyone about Bermuda, answering questions and generally being a presence there.'' The Bermuda Rose Society will also be involved in the Philadelphia show. Mrs.

Lorna Mercer, a former president of both the Garden Club and the Rose Society, will be giving a lecture and slide show on the Old Garden Roses of Bermuda.

Garden Club members are also planning a major flower arranging demonstration, using Bermudian foliage which they will take with them to Philadelphia.

Noting that this is the first time that The Garden Club of Bermuda has enjoyed this kind of international exposure, Mrs. Mowbray points out that Bermuda has hosted two "very successful'' international flower shows here.

"Our flower arrangers have also gone all over the place, and done very well, so that is also very good publicity for Bermuda and for the wonderful flowers and plants that we have here.'' VISIT BERMUDA IN PHILADELPHIA -- Artist Michael Swan's impressions of the Bermuda exhibit which forms one of the main displays in this year's Philadelphia Flower Show. The traditional Bermuda cottage was designed by architect Stephen West, with landscaping by Anne Smith.