Exotic Flowers in Boston

Halloween is here and for some little ghost and goblins, trick or treating for the first time can be frightening.  Lucky for book lovers, there are tons of stories perfect for teaching young children all about the spooky holiday while taking a little of the fright away from their worries.  By using furry creatures, clever pumpkins and beloved characters that your kids may already be familiar with, parents have a huge selection to choose from to help get their witches and warlocks ready!  Halloween is more than eerie things creeping behind dark corners- it’s a lot of fun, too!  Here are a few of my favorites that I read to my boys, which have stayed favorites on our bookshelves during the month of October!

The Little Old Lady Who Was Not Afraid of Anything

August 20, 2002

by Linda D. Williams

CLOMP, CLOMP, CLOMP… This great tale surrounds a little old woman who says she’s not afraid of anything but is she really?  Follow the scarecrow whose clothing makes noises and chases her through the woods to find out if what she claims is true!

Pete the Cat: Five Little Pumpkins

July 21, 2015

by James Dean          Who doesn’t love Pete the Cat or                   the classic story about The Five                 Little Pumpkins?  Now readers will          enjoy a double dose of the tale as               this cool character and his                buddies retell the                   Halloween favorite!

Mouse’s First Halloween

By Lauren Thompson

“EEK” mouse squeaked!”

Poor little mouse is so scared of everything that visits on Halloween night but one by one he finds that all of the things associated with the holiday “are not so scary after all!”

Goodnight Goon: A Petrifying Parody

By Michael Rex

A ghoulishly fun spin on Margaret Wise Brown’s, “Goodnight Moon” told from

the perspective of visiting Martians!  The kids will love the silly comparatives

and parents will adore the unique details the author creates!

It is finally October-the time of year when we dress up in costumes, tell ghost stories and most importantly, profess our love for the pumpkin!  Everything from our desserts to our lattes seem to become thematic with this icon of the month, leaving us New Englanders with a wide array of tasty treats and festive décor.  Lucky for us, there’s no shortage of beautiful orange pumpkins in these parts, making it all the more pleasurable to dive right into the fun!  Whether you love baking seeds or carving jack o lanterns, surrounding patches in the Boston area will surely help you find what you are looking for!  Here is a list of some of the best patches, which will provide you beautiful pumpkins and other seasonal activities perfect for the whole family!

Smolak Farm

315 South Bradford Street

North Andover, MA

(978) 682-6332

Smolak Farms is one of my favorites because they hold some of the biggest festivals such as the scarecrow and pumpkin head event!  They also facilitate an ice cream stand, hayrides, corn maze, tractor tire playground, pony rides and face painting that will keep the kids entertained for the entire day!

Boston Hill Farm

Route 114, North Andover, MA

(978) 681-8556

This farm has everything you’re looking for this October including several different pick-your-own patches plus their very own petting zoo!  They also throw an enormous party that runs every weekend until the end of the month luring patrons in with live music and lots of food including barbecue, roasted corn and specialty chicken prepared over the fire.

Belkin Family Lookout Farm

89 Pleasant St., South Natick, MA

(508) 651-1539

Not only is this one of the oldest working farms in the state, but this beautiful orchard boasts acres upon acres of fruit for your picking enjoyment!  Once you’ve picked out your pumpkin, don’t forget to take a ride on their train that circles the property.  Choo Choo!

New England is famous for their beautiful seasonal changes, which offers us a plethora of different scenery and climates to enjoy.  Undoubtedly the most celebrated out of the four are typically the autumn months of September, October and November.  It isn’t hard to guess why since we are constantly reminded of the reason every time we step outside our front doors.  The incredible rainbow of color that touches almost all elements of Boston’s environment provide us with a natural beauty that stays long with us after the snow begins to drift.  In order to capture the magnificence that the fall offers us we press leaves, take photographs and create decorative pieces to display within our yards and homes.  That’s why Bean Town’s florists are already prepping their inventories to use this theme throughout their autumn arrangements.  How do they intend to use this style without making vase work look shoddy or messy?  Take a look at these samples from designers that are wowing the city’s flower lovers with their exquisite use of seasonal color and texture!

Photo credit: Flower Factor / aboutflowers.com

Green and orange roses pop when Even wedding bouquets can utilize

with purple kale and green/red leaves. the autumn theme by tucking red

   maple leaves into the cascade.

Photo credit: flower factor / aboutflowers.com

It’s not hard to bring the outdoors Make your own fall wreath by weaving

into your home by plucking a few several multi-colored branches together.

branches and placing them in a clear

vase with pebbles on the bottom and

a small amount of water.

The children of Boston are busy coming up with ideas for this year’s best Halloween costumes such as zombies, pumpkins, witches and other scary figures.  But is dressing up for the holiday just for kids?

I think not!  

Bean Town’s florists are also using their noggins to try and make the festivities a part of their establishments and why not?  There are several benefits to having your staff prepare a costume for October 31st including marketing tactics, demographic increase and most importantly, to have fun!  People want to know that the places they due business with can join in the spirit, which will make your shop a more enjoyable experience for customers.   Statistics show that businesses which incorporate creative tactics such as costumes see a substantial hike in revenue so why not give it a go this Halloween?

Ghosts, goblins, Dracula’s, they’re all appropriate choices but if you really want to wow your patrons, try implementing a theme congruent to the flower industry!  There are a ton of characters associated with blooms and plants that will match perfectly to your store’s product line and genre.  Here are some ideas to get you and your staff ready to celebrate the spooky holiday of Halloween in flower style!

The Lorax

Dr. Seuss’s adorable critter that taught us the importance of protecting our trees and plants makes a great “green” costume for the concerned environmentalist.  

                    The Giving Tree

Shel Silverstien’s poetry within The Giving Tree told the story about the beautiful relationship between man and nature.

                  Little Shop of Horrors

Become one of the characters from this hit movie about a plant taking matters into his own hands after being the star attraction in a little city flower shop.

                 Plant Book Encyclopedia

Dress up as your favorite flower and plant reference book to get a giggle you’re your brainiest patrons!