Exotic Flowers in Boston

Outings for Dad on father’s day

It’s Father’s Day so why not treat the big guy to a special outing just for him and the family to enjoy?  You know he’ll want the traditional barbecue dining experience but really, there’s a lot more you can do for dear ole dad than just feed him!  Boston’s neighboring locations has great deals, offers and promotions that are devised especially for him.  Whether he likes to visit the city’s restaurants, take in a sporting event, shop for his interests or stroll though a lovely museum, chances are we’ll be able to find the perfect activity that will let him know how much you appreciate everything he does.  Take a second to check out these exciting exhibits and events created for Father’s Day on Sunday, June 21^st!

South Shore Arts Festival

119 Ripley Road

Cohasset, MA 02025

Monday – Saturday: 10 – 4 Sunday: 12 – 4

If your dad is one crafty guy, you might want to think about taking him to this fabulous exhibition featuring booths filled with homemade art and bric-a-brac.  Celebrating its 60^th year of fun filled activities including live music and children’s entertainment, this show is entertaining for the whole family!

Zombie Escape 

628 Somerville Ave.

Somerville, MA 02143

http://roomescapeadventures.com/boston/

Okay, this trip is just so cool and while it’s not meant for all dads, it might be perfect for yours!  Enter a room for one hour with eleven other people and solve clues and puzzles to escape a chained zombie that will be released if you can’t find the answers that will lead you to the key that unlocks the door.  This isn’t for the faint of heart but if you think your dad has what it takes, this fear factor challenge will be remembered for years to come.

Father’s Day Sail                   

Head Office: PO Box 51091  

Boston, MA 02205  

Phone: 857-366-4635

Ahoy Mates! 

If the ocean is where he’s the happiest, than why not take him to this special event where you can help hoist the sails and take a trip on the Tall Ship located in the Boston Harbor.  Explore sailing techniques taught by experts, learn all about the majestic history surrounding this beautiful boat or just lay back and enjoy the warm breezes off the waves.

Boston You're My Home Promotion

Expecting a new baby?  Anticipating a loved one’s soon to be bundle of joy?

Traditionally, children’s books have always been the number one choice for baby gifts, specifically ones that are written about the geographic region where the child has been born.  For example, “Make Way For Ducklings” and “Goodnight Boston” are two favorites that hospital gift shops almost always have on hand.  While these are definitely classics to all of us, young listeners and readers now have another option available to them.  If your new addition will soon be calling Bean Town their home, you now have another option available to add to their library collection.

At Exotic Flowers, we have the perfect promotion that celebrates this spring’s special deliveries!  For every $75.00 spent on a gift basket or arrangement for a baby boy or girl, Exotic Flowers will send along a free copy of “Boston You’re My Home” children’s book along with the delivery.  Whether it is sent to the home or to one of our city’s great hospitals including the Brigham and Women’s, Mass General Hospital, Newton Wellesley, Tufts or any other one of our medical center treasures, Exotic Flowers will include a special signed copy by the author with your order.

Why is “Boston You’re My Home” the right storybook for your little Bostonian? 

Written by local author, Suzie Canale and illustrated by Roberto  (also from Boston), “Boston You’re My Home” is a bedtime tale revealing all of the amazing features that makes living here so wonderful.  Mentioning sites and attractions such as the Isabella Stewart Museum, The Arnold Arboretum and The Union Oyster House, the story gives a glimpse into all of the special music, food, sports arenas and historical venues that they will soon be experiencing!  Not only does the book list specific locations that have made Boston infamous around the globe, but it also gives a look into the extraordinary people which we are lucky to have living and working here too!  Our firefighters, police force and emergency response teams are celebrated within the story as well as the concept of Bostonians being a beautiful and eclectic mix earning our proud namesake, “The Melting Pot”.   Written in poetic rhyme, the illustrations exude strong color and definition and successfully impress with visual renditions of landmarks including the Swan Boats, the Emerald Necklace and Old Iron Sides. 

If you are expecting a baby Bostonian this spring and are planning to send flowers or gift basket, choose Exotic Flowers’ fresh approach to celebrating their city with early literacy incentives.    

If you’re like me, you’re starting to spend lots and lots of time in the garden preparing beds, tilling the soil and planting the flowers and vegetables.  Although garden centers carry most of the traditionally “high in demand” products, using seeds instead of pre-grown crops can be extremely beneficial in several ways.  For one thing, there’s a lot less space being taken up in manufactured green houses saving time and energy driven from heating and packaging needs.  Breakage of roots, stems and leaves also decreases when you use seeds because you are eliminating the step of having to replant the specimen a second time in your beds.  But if you really want to be convinced, check out the money you’ll save when buying packages from Burpee, Park or Territorial seed companies and compare the prices.  Customers who invest in this method of growing save anywhere from fifty to seventy five percent allowing them to add an extensive amount of cultivated vegetation instead of the standard six pack. 

Now that I’ve got your attention, you may be asking what type of seeds should I buy that will spring up quickly once planted?

Cucumbers

Protruding from the earth within weeks of planting, cucumbers are a lot of fun because they root quickly and can be started indoors while its still cool outside. Once the shoot rises from the soil, you will notice it begins as two flat leaves extending from a single stem.

The veggies grow on a vine that is dark green and forms yellow flowers signaling a fruit is ready to be produced.

Beans

Green beans, yellow beans-both are quite impressive with their ability to mature at a rapid pace.  Plats climb to extraordinary heights if a bean trellis is implemented near their base.  Their tendrils will naturally climb the posts, extending themselves to be able to reap maximum amount of beans. These are really neat to watch grow because they are elaborate in their structure resembling small tress.

Peas

Another intriguing seed to plant are peas, which are perfect for kids because they’re a fast breeder and beautiful to watch open with curled leaves and spiraled tendrils.  This is another great vegetable to utilize trellises with and you can even create some pretty cool structures like teepees and extended walls.

 The seeds packets themselves are keepsakes that gardeners collect like baseball cards. Each one has character and distinct identity.

We all know how important it is to teach our children to love the outdoors but what about gardening?  When I was only seven years old, my parents bestowed my own plot of earth that I could grow my own crop just like they did.  Sure, it wasn’t as organized as the adult plots, having mostly grown lima beans, squash, marigolds and a tomato plant that produced one single fruit the entire season but I was proud of it!  I remember the excitement I felt when I saw sprigs beginning to protrude from the soil and the amazement I felt being able to combine a seed with soil, water and sun to make a delicious edible or beautiful living thing.   I had wonderful role models to learn from since they both had that inner desire to cultivate and yes they were also florists but there was a lot more which contributed to my fondness for gardening.  One essential element that certainly helped was having a bookshelf full of stories themed after this hobby.

There is no topic that is uncovered when we’re talking about children’s literature and that includes fabulous titles dedicated to teaching little farmers how to start growing fruits, veggies and flowers on their own.  Between the fiction, picture books, easy readers and non-fiction available, we can locate just about any subcategory of agriculture that we want.  If your child is interested in composting, starter seeds, vegetables, perennials, wildflowers or simply the colors associated with gardening, you can locate these subjects by visiting your local library.  Here are a few children’s stories that particularly caught my attention.

The Secret Garden

By Frances Hodgson Burnett

This has got to be the most famous book in history on the “green thumb” matter.  Young readers fall in love with the magical changes of a once devastated garden into a stunning Eden of flowers with the help of a little girl and her companions.  While the characters lead you through a fascinating transformation of roses and other blossoming varieties, they also undergo a transformation of their own within their relationships with one another. 

Planting A Rainbow

By Lois Elhert

This is a beautiful book that educates children on how to plant seeds and bulbs to make a rainbow of color in the garden. Illustrated with bright images that capture the attention of little ones as young as two, “Planting A Rainbow” has inspired millions of readers using soothing descriptions and clever illustrations of bold poppies, lilies and sunflowers.

Suzie Canale

Westwood, MA 

Suzie also works in the children's department at the Westwood Public Library

The snow has thawed and the grass is green,

Winter shovels have been put away,

New England is finally ready for spring,

It’s gardening season, hurray!

We’ll need compound and soil to patch up the yard,

And the trowels and pots from the sheds,

Gas the lawnmower up and get ready to mow,

Don’t forget to pull weeds from the beds.

Once the chores from the clean up are finally finished,

Then the prep work is properly done,

Now its time to head straight to your favorite greenhouse,

Where we’ll really begin to have fun!

Browse the vegetable section and next buy the herbs,

Fertilizer, organic plant food,

Pick out annuals with color and sensational scent,

You’ll see the smell enhances your mood!

You’ll want to put everything in the ground quick,

But be sure to plan out your design,

Then plant them in soil and water them good,

Soon you’ll grow a garden that’s divine!

Memorial Day is a time to honor those who have lost their lives while fighting for our country.  It seeks to reiterate the importance of respecting these soldiers who left their families behind to travel to foreign places in search of defending all American life and both secure and preserve the gift of freedom and independence.  For many Bostonians, May 25^th will be spent visiting the gravesites of loved ones and remembering the tremendous courage they possessed during their service.  Customarily, Memorial Day is a holiday where we gift those who passed with a bouquet of flowers, plants or flags placed on their tombstones.  While some are patriotically representative of a red, white and blue color palette, there has recently been a movement to change this traditional style.  I appreciate this combination but I can’t help but wonder what other designs might be possible for thanking our beloved troops?  What if there’s a way to perk up the Memorial Day sentiment with a twist of color and dynamic texture?  These are some of the new looks that are starting to pop up in floral shops across the city.

A spectrum of green has embellished several of the more popular Memorial Day arrangements, particularly for those who were members of the US Army.  While still holding onto the basic red, white and blue sheen, designers are finding that a few stems of lady’s mantle, octoberweed, and green berries help to materialize another level of depth within typically styled pieces.  This added shade not only blends the other three colors for a greater eye appeal but will also display a larger presence while incorporating a special sentimental theme. 

Since Memorial Day pieces are usually shades of the American flag, why not separate the pieces into beautiful bouquets of single color?  Have your florists make three separate arrangements of red roses, white hydrangea and blue delphinium to create a sophisticated presentation.  You can also request several smaller nosegays and allow each family member to place one each at the gravesite. 

Although there is a wide range of colors that can represent the topic of “honor”, there is considerable evidence that blue is the strongest tint to reflect this emotion.  Several people believe that while blue is certainly a beautiful color, there aren’t enough floral varieties to choose from.  The truth is, agriculturalists are breeding more and more hybrids because of the growing demand.  Delphinium is definitely one of the easiest to come by but asking for scabiosa, jasmine and bachelor buttons.  For those looking for a plant, several florists now carry philanopsis plants that have conveniently been dyed blue as well. 

Memorial Day Backyard Menus for Bostonians

Memorial Day is early this year, which will be celebrated on Monday, May 25^th and many of us are beginning to plan our menus for a festive and delicious backyard meal!  Officially reserved to respect those who have lost their lives serving our country, this holiday is also associated with marking the first day of summer with a barbecue hosted for family and friends.  Boston grillers will be making quite a spark with their meat selections of beef, pork and chicken but many including myself get stumped on deciding the extras.  Most of the time, you’ll see long picnic tables filled with chips, dip, potato salad and coleslaw but what’s a girl to do when she wants to add a little something special to this year’s buffet?

Now we don’t have to go crazy with overwhelming hot sauces or exorbitantly priced marinades, I assure you.  We can put a little extra sizzle in our food without making unnecessary prep work or incurring ridiculous grocery bills.  The idea behind your meal should reflect simplicity and freshness since now is the time where local fruits and vegetables are becoming available.  Here’s what I’ve found for a yummy barbecue side dish that’s fun and easy to whip up in a jiff.   Don’t be afraid to improvise your own culinary preferences when trying it out on your own!

Tri Colored Pasta Salad

I love this dish and look forward to cooking a batch as soon as the weather warms up for summer.  The ingredients are easy to find, affordable and even healthy to boot! 

You’ll Need:

1 Box of Barilla Tri-Colored Rotini                         1 Large Yellow Onion

2 Large Ripe Red Tomatoes                                                3 TBSP of Olive Oil

1 Large Green Bell Pepper                                      ½ Cup Ken’s Italian Dressing

Salt/Pepper To Taste                                               1 TBSP Rosemary

In a pan with olive oil, sauté both the green pepper and yellow onion adding seasoning of salt and white pepper until softened.  Set the pan aside until cooled.  Cook the box of pasta according to the package and strain well with cold water until the noodles are cool.  Dice the two tomatoes and add to a bowl.  Add the room temperature contents of the sauté pan as well as the chilled pasta and mix well.  Next, spice it up with salt, pepper and rosemary along with the ½ cup of salad dressing.  Place in refrigerator for three hours before serving and enjoy a scrumptious and colorful dish perfect for celebrating Memorial Day!

It’s finally springtime in New England and if you’re anything like me, you’ve been spending whatever extra time you have cleaning up the backyard, raking forgotten leaves from the fall and re-soiling the raised beds for summer plantings.  Sweeping up the decks and fixating patio furniture is also on the to-do list along with pulling out the pots and urns that will need to be filled.  One important warm weather task that you won’t want to forget is the designing of this year’s window boxes!  These spiffy little gardening accessories are perfect for any home including apartments and condominiums so you’ll want to stock up at your local garden center or hardware store.  Although window boxes are constructed with a wide variety of materials including vinyl, plastic and ceramic, in my experience the best are usually made with wood such as pine or cedar.  You’ll find that they compliment most outdoor paint, brick and tile as well as protect your plants better than other compounds.  Most containers can be securely fastened to window ledges or just placed on railings that have a wide width.  If you are not using screws to connect directly to the outside wall, be sure to place the boxes on the ground when wind or storms are present to prevent breakage. 

                                                photo credit:Flower Factor via Flickr

Once you have everything set up the way you like, it’s time to start thinking about what you want to plant.  Depending on your taste for color and texture, you’ll be pleased to learn that there are lots and lots of beautiful flowers to choose from that thrive in this type of growing environment.  If you’re looking for an early blossom that can withstand colder temperatures common to April and the beginning of May, the pansy is just what you’re looking for.  These cheery early bloomers come in almost every shade including red, yellow, purple and orange.  Installments can either be one tint or interchanged with one another forming a sensational rainbow spectrum.  If you want to wait it out a bit for the thermometer to raise a smidge, your options increase greatly.  Nurseries typically try to wait out the impulse buyers and will temporarily hold off filling their racks with product that they know can’t live outdoors through the night.  So in the case, patience is a virtue.  Right around mid to late May, greenhouses are ready to show you their goodies that are properly habitable for the New England summer season.  Be on the lookout for geraniums in red, white and pink, which make fabulous window box treatments.  Easy to maintain and a plant that thrives on the heat, they create quite a commotion with their extra large heads and intoxicating smell.  Another breed that is sure to impress are fragrant herbs such as rosemary and lavender.  They are virtually impossible to kill, are often priced reasonably for the frugal customer and compliment outdoor dining events with their delicious scents. 

                                                photo credit: Flower Factor via Flickr

Enjoy the rest of the spring clean up session and get ready for the stunning gardens you’ll be able to plant within your window boxes!

New Englanders aren’t the only ones preparing their raised beds for a successful season of gardening, heck no!  Hollywood starlets are also rolling up their sleeves and getting down in the mud with their own preferences of vegetable and flower harvesting.  Contrary to popular belief, some of the most famous actresses and actors forgo the service of professional landscape artists and rely solely on their own creative capabilities when designing pots, window boxes and garden plots.  Some of which, are so beautiful that we all could take a lesson or two from their impressive green thumbs.  Did you know that several big named thespians try to match their persona with varieties of plants and shrubbery?  Did you know that some even request months and months beforehand certain breeds of poppies and sunflowers from nurseries around the world?  We all could learn a few tips that have been discovered from these silver screen talents and hopefully incorporate some of their ideas with ours!  Here are a few of my favorites that I will surely be intertwining throughout my gardening efforts this summer. 

                         photo credit: torispelling.com

Tori Spelling is known for her naturalistic adoration for the outdoors.  Recently she acquired a piece of property that hosted its own farm complete with chickens, goats and rabbits.  Along with these adorable animal inhabitants, the actress also has a fondness of agriculture, reaping crops of vegetables such as heirloom tomatoes, cucumbers and carrots.  Although the successful entrepreneur and heiress has no shortage of local greenhouse expertise, Spelling has managed to develop her own techniques of fertilizing soil with seaweed and coffee grounds.  Having a strong belief that people should grow their own organic fruits and veggies for optimum health, she has also been believed to grow outstanding fields of gigantic pumpkins for Halloween.  What a lucky bunch of kids she has to have such a fantastic farming mom! 

Sarah Jessica Parker may live most of the time in her posh Manhattan flat but little do most know that she has built her own victory garden on the rooftop!  Containing a stunning eclectic assortment of multicolored ceramic pots holding green beans, spinach and eggplant, the Sex in the City icon has managed to grow sunflowers in the shades of yellow, orange and red in iron urns, which line the edges of the garden.  Word has it that she prefers colors that reflect the New York skyline at sunset, so she cleverly incorporates varieties of gerbera daisies, cabbage roses and nasturtiums to match the preferred palette of glowing spectrum.   

Sandra Bullock is another impressive gardener who has been speculated to adore native southern growth typical to her hometown of Virginia.  Wistful spikes of soft wildflowers are often photographed throughout her ranch as well as massive plantings of blue hydrangea and weeping willow trees.  Bullock also contends to leave on the property naturally growing dandelions so that her son, Louie can enjoy blowing the petals off once the plant has fully matured.  Sandra’s taste has been paired to being “free spirited” and unfettered by the popularity of contemporary design.