illow trees atop lush green hills just a skip away from colorful blooms is what some may see when they close their eyes and think of of the Irish countryside.

For a few days in March, people can forget daydreaming and get a glimpse of the Emerald Isle just a few hours away in Philadelphia.

From March 4-11, the Pennsylvania Convention Center will be transformed into more than 10 acres of gardens, flowers and entertainment encompassing the Legends of Ireland theme for The Pennsylvania Horticultural Society’s Philadelphia Flower Show. Sam Lemheney, director of show design, has been working with Christopher Woods, guest designer, and set designer M.R. Daniels to bring a sense of Irish lore to the convention center.

‘‘I really think the more creative minds you have, the better the exhibits can be,’’ Lemheney said. ‘‘We were inspired by the legends of Ireland. (People) in Ireland are just the nicest people and always have a story.’’

Tir-na-nog is one such legend. The story is similar to traditional myths about the fountain of youth — trees never lose leaves, flowers are always in bloom and the grass is always green. Translating the legend into exhibits at the flower show includes massive displays such as The Emerald Castle.

Lushly painted walls and a colorful perennial garden will envelop the castle grounds and lead visitors to the castle stage for a series of daily performances, including “Ragus: The Irish Dance Show,” a fast-moving experience of toe-tapping music, singing and dancing. Entertainment listings will be posted daily at www.theflowershow.com.

As spectators enter the flower show, they’ll be welcomed by a weaving of vines, plants and flowers. Giant ‘‘trees’’ will create a canopy throughout The Ealain Wood, a home for fairies. Its forest floor will glow with Irish-bred daffodils as dappled sunlight covers rhododendrons, azaleas, ferns, linden and smoke trees, Lemheney said. Emerging from the forest, guests will enter a courtyard featuring The Knot Garden. The garden is a sparkling display with cut glass and colorful annuals, each section separated by a stream of water cascading down from the strings of a massive overhead harp.

Top landscape and floral designers from around the world interpret the show’s theme in their own way, including the use of a lush golf course, a ‘‘Riverdance”-inspired party scene, an Irish ‘‘wishing tree,’’ medieval ruins, country cottages and the Celtic alphabet.

Elaborate exhibits aside, many people walking through the convention center will be looking for ideas to take back home to their own gardens. One of them will be Mary Cramer of Duncansville, who said this year’s show will mark the 35th consecutive year she has attended.

Cramer, a member and former president of the Blair Garden Club and a life member of both the Garden Club Federation of Pennsylvania and National Garden Club Inc., will be boarding one of two buses organized by the Cove Area Garden Club at 6:30 a.m. March 6 in Roaring Spring. The bus passengers will arrive at the flower show around noon, explore the show until 5:30 p.m., stop for dinner on the way home and return around 10:30 p.m.

‘‘I look forward to it every year,’’ Cramer, 69, said. ‘‘It gets me revved up for gardening in the spring. I just love seeing the new things and getting some ideas for my own garden.’’

Cramer’s been to Ireland a couple times and said she’s anxious to see how organizers translate the Irish theme in the displays. She’s not worried, though.

‘‘The only one that compares to it (the flower show) is the Chelsea Garden Show in England,’’ she said. ‘‘I’ve been over to that twice. For anyone interested in any kind of gardening, it’s (Philadelphia show) just breathtaking.’’

Even those creating informational exhibits are using their creativity. Penn State Cooperative Extension Berks County in Leesport is taking spectators to the movies, sort of. ‘‘Common Landscape Mistakes’’ will feature an artistic display of a curtained movie theater lobby with a candy counter and several movie posters, including ‘‘In Too Deep,’’ a story of harmful mulching, and ‘‘Anatomy of a Murder,’’ the story of badly topped trees.

An array of informational brochures will also be available.

‘‘We’re hoping that by seeing (topics) in horror movie posters, they might take a look,’’ said Nancy Bosold, multi-county turf management educator.

The flower show is also a major fundraiser. Show revenues, including contributions from PNC Bank, support PHS programs such as its Philadelphia Green program.

Philadelphia Green works in partnership with agencies corporations and community groups to transform derelict vacant land, streets and parks into vibrant, stabilized and well-managed open space.

‘‘What we’re doing is greening, but it’s greening beyond horticulture,’’ Philadelphia Green Senior Director Mike Green said. ‘‘It’s meeting with people and trying to meet the different types of needs (in open spaces). We have a pretty diverse menu of what we do.”

Mirror Staff Writer Jennifer Babulsky is at 946-7460.

If you go

What: Philadelphia Flower Show, produced by The Pennsylvania Horticultural Society

When: 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. March 4 and 11, 10 a.m. to 9:30 p.m. March 5-9 and 8 a.m. to 9:30 p.m. March 10; box office closes one hour before closing time on all days

Where: Pennsylvania Convention Center, 12th and Arch streets, Philadelphia

Tickets: Cost varies by point of purchase and day of admission. Tickets purchased at the box office are $28 for March 4; $26 for March 10 and 11; $24 for March 5-9; and $13 any day for children ages 2-12. A Family Fun Pack at the box office is $55, which includes admission for two adults and two children under the age of 12, as well as adult membership to PHS.

Tickets purchased in advance are $22 for adults, good any day, and $12 for children ages 2-12. Tickets can be purchased in advance at a variety of locations, including participating PNC branches and online at www.theflowershow.com.

Find out more

For more information on the Cove Area Garden Club bus trip to the flower show, which costs $60, call 239-8127.

Additional information on the flower show can be obtained at www.theflowershow.com.