Exotic Flowers in Boston

Our favorite blogger Suzie Canale takes us for a walk through her garden in Westwood. While being outside in the garden is great exercise and makes you feel better, the harvest from your vegetable garden makes it all worthwhile.

Get an uo close look at healthy and energizing broccoli and cauliflower plants in the garden.

Wedding season is upon us and Boston brides are lining up to walk down the aisles!  There is shear excitement in the air even though the bridal season can be a bit stressful which can sometimes ruin an otherwise blissful occasion.  With all of the tasks that need to be done to make the event successful, there’s no wonder why couples can feel overwhelmed with stress right before their happy day.  Wardrobe fittings, catering menus, location options, invitation details and music arrangements can snowball into catastrophic messes so we can certainly see why the idea of elopement is becoming more attractive…

The truth is, there are several blogs and articles out there to help relieve some of the pressure, including tips on how to pre-plan disasters before they even occur.  Wouldn’t that be something if we could correct bridle hiccups (that we know most weddings experience) before they happen?  Honestly, I don’t believe that you can predict every blunderbuss situation but when it comes to flowers, there are definitely a few tips that are useful if you’re willing to be a bit flexible.  Take a look at some suggested advice given by our city’stop floral designersthat will keep you smiling all the way to your honeymoon!  You’ll feel confident that your special day will have an attractive display of blossoms, as well as the confidence to focus on what truly matters- reciting the vows of “I do”.

Helpful Bridal Flower Tips

Flexibility Saves the Day

Hey, if you’re willing to agree on some changes to the photo you saw in your favorite wedding magazine, things will go a lot smoother once it’s time to get down to the business of ordering the flowers.  Floral professionals understand issues such as availability, cost and presentation that may negatively affect your vision as well as your wallet.  Do some homework on the arrangements that you prefer and afterwards, ask the florist their opinion on whether the flowers are the right choice for the job.  Listening to what they have to say could not only end up saving you the trouble of dealing with nightmarish logistical issues, but they could also save you a ton of money.  Even the smallest adaptations can make a huge difference to the outcome of your wedding work so keep things flexible.  Should you show them the ad in “Brides” with the gorgeous cascading phalaenopsis and palm trees scattered throughout the room?  Absolutely!  By doing so they’ll have a better idea of what your tastes are and perhaps can come up with a similar look that’s just as stunning at a lower price.

Fussiness with Exact Color Will Only Lead to Doom

I was a wholesale florist for twenty years and it never failed to amaze me when a florist promised a particular shade of a particular shade of a particular shade of…blush?  It’s a flower, which means that an exact tint is impossible to foretell.  Particularly when a pink tone such as “salmon” can be seen differently depending on the person you ask.  What looks like salmon to me, might not look like salmon to you so don’t get too precise with variety names.  If you’re a savvy bride, you’ll choose a basic color that can be easily identified like lavender or soft pink.  These are terms that everyone is familiar with and you’ll know that your florist will be able to appease your wishes.

Our favorite blogger, Suzie Canale is an avid gardener. At her home in Westwood, Massachusetts Suzie has many raised beds featuring perennials, annuals, herbs and vegetables. She even has her own greenhouse. Suzie's blog posts often feature garden tips appropriate for experts and beginners.

Take a walk with her in this garden video.

I LOVE fruit!  I love it for so many reasons, which is why my fridge is constantly stocked to the brim with assorted varieties so that my whole family can pull out a delicious treat whenever the urge arises.  Assortments such as grapes, oranges, apples, mangos, bananas and pears are incredibly good for the body but as a former florist, I can see a whole other world of possibilities that make this food group a desirable topic for designers.  One of the best qualities besides the health benefits of fruit is the color, texture and shape that the juicy flesh grows inside of.  This is an interesting factor for florists to acknowledge because it allows us to get really creative when incorporating blossoms with eye appealing produce.  After all, why should we have to solely depend on a flower’s properties of shading, size and appearance when the work can be shared with a prop having similarly positive attributes of attractiveness?   

Here’s what I mean…

By mixing flowers with fruit or utilizing the fruit as the fixture (vase) for the arrangement, we can create a fantastic conversational piece as well as a display that promotes contemporary style and clever technical skill. This type of designer theme also strongly reverberates the essence of “health” which can be useful for events appropriate for children or even fundraisers sponsored by hospitals, hotels or other service motivated organizations.  They’re also great for wedding buffets and cocktail/dinner centerpieces if the bride and groom wish to focus on a tropical or seasonal appeal (apples are popular with fall ceremonies).  The possibilities are endless so try playing around with these fruit infused floral bouquets for a fun and flirty look for your next occasion!

Fruit for Inside the Vase

Using fruit inside the vase to contrast the blooms you have chosen for the arrangement can spark up a drab composition and increase dynamic and color.  Strawberry stems alone can be put in bud vases or you can drip clumps of red or green grapes throughout a traditional floral structure.  Other great varieties that work well are apples, oranges and raspberry/blackberry branches.

Fruit Used as the Vase

Pineapples are not only yummy but the core of the fruit also makes an excellent vase along with cantaloupes and watermelons.  If you choose to use a clear glass vase, you can fill the inside with whole or halved lemons, limes or other varieties with a rind-like texture.  The color will beam from both the top and bottom of the composition making it an extra stunning arrangement or display.

Sometimes a garden can look pretty bleak when we begin to prepare for the summer season.  There is no color, the soil looks as if its evaporated into thin air and the idea of ever seeing beautiful plants once again flourish seems like an impossibility.  We all go through this in one way or another because if you’re a true New England gardener, you know that the winter is brutal on our beloved flower and vegetable beds.  It will take a little time to get things back into tip top shape but I assure you, the task doesn’t have to be as taxing as we make it out to be.  There are many ways that we can get the job done without having to spend months of our time breaking our backs or emptying our wallets.  This is a list of several tips that will get your green thumb growing in no time so you can spend your summer days doing exactly what you want to do, playing in your gardens!

Tips to Shape Up Summer Gardens Fast

1. You don’t always have to replace emptied raised beds with a ton of extra soil.  Sometimes the earth just needs a good toss and till to infuse the dirt with life after the colder months have past by.  Often freezing occurs which tricks the landscape into lying lower than it really is so pick up a shovel and do a little digging before you haul heavy bags of soil all over your lawn.

1. Buy your seeds in advance from places like local hardware stores, Home Depot and Job Lot who often cut the prices once the summer has ended.  You’ll be able to stock up early as well as save a pretty penny on all the deals that you’ll find.  

1. Save old sheets and other fabric material that can be reused for purposes such as weed coverage or netting.  Many varieties of plants need extra protection from unwanted animals and bugs and these items are extremely helpful.  Labeled netting is often expensive and the supplies you may already have at home work just as well if not better so rummage through closets before you decide to buy anything.

1. Save yourself the frustration of having to decipher what plant remnants are annuals and which are perennials by yanking out annuals as soon as the time has come to shut down your garden.  It can be wasteful when you discard plants that are able to bloom again if only given the time to rejuvenate.  If you really want to be economical, replant the annuals inside and see if you can weather them until the next summer!   This is how many of the pros do it and how many plant heirlooms are passed down through generations of family.  

Part of loving summer is being able to decorate the outdoor landscape with beautiful plants and flowers.  For many of us, this means long warm days spent weeding our gardens and filling up window boxes but for others who are looking for another way to enjoy seasonal flowers, you might want to consider hanging baskets.  Hanging baskets are a wonderful investment although many people shy away from this type of floral design because of the intimidation of care.  For some reason, flowering, cascading plants can look as though their maintenance might be overwhelming but in reality, they’re really quite simple as gardening tasks go.  You don’t have to have a green thumb to enjoy these stunning presentations!  All you need to learn is this hanging plant care guide to get you on your way to displaying a decadent and bold array of color on the outside of your home.

Care Guide Instructions

1. One of the best reasons to grab a few hanging baskets is that they will last all summer long as apposed to perennials which make their entrance in spring and then slowly exit before the end of summer.  You can color coordinate with the paint on your house or even choose an eclectic palette that showcases many different colors.  Tell yourflorist or garden center the climate of your living space as well (Do you live by the beach?  Do you live in the city?), because these differences may affect the variety of species in your basket.  Some varieties do better in the salt air as other types do better inside steamier humid conditions.  

1. Before you go out and buy a hanging planter, find an area that you’ll be able to install a sturdy piece of hardware to hold it intact (some hangers are very heavy) and a place where there is a lot of sunlight.  Most people like to display them right outside their front doors but if there isn’t a lot of sunlight, you might want to rethink your decision.  Flowers need light to thrive and survive so the position of the planter is going to make a huge difference on how the flowers perform throughout the summer.

1. WATER!!!!!!!  Yes, watering is the single most important thing to do when you hang a planter because they are constantly seeking moisture since there is no saucer to contain it.  Take a pitcher of water and dump it directly into the soil and if the dirt feels extra dry?  Water it again!  The single most cause for the death amongst flowering hangers is dehydration so make sure it is done daily.

1. A little nip and tuck of the dead blooms ensures that the flowers keep blooming throughout the entire season.  Don’t worry if you’ve trimmed back the plant slightly too much because I assure you, they love “haircuts” that keep its system healthy and continuously producing blossoms.  

June has long been recognized as the month when most weddings take place in New England and now that the time is upon us, Boston brides are just days away from blissfully walking down the aisle.  But there’s another casted bridal character that also plans on making her special promenade, accept her job will be to fulfill the role of flower girl.  This is a very exciting and important job for these little ladies and they can’t wait to have their moment to shine!  Often this sweet and precious part of the ceremony becomes one of the guest’s favorite moments to watch so it’s important to prepare your flower girl with the perfect petals to drop along the pathway.  This year, favorable options extend from traditional symbolism to contemporary floral varieties, which have made it even more fun to plan and match to your particular style and taste.  Whether you’re going for a whimsical or classic appeal, you’ll want to select the appropriate blooms for her to make a beautiful pathway down the aisle.  Here are the most popular flower girl trends for wedding season 2016.

Blue’s In

It’s not a secret that we’re seeing more and more dyed flowers hit the market so its no surprise that florists are starting to use this technique to fill flower girl baskets as well.  Blue dendrobiums are both efficient and effective with producing this look since they are small and absorb color with ease.  Roses are another option which hold the blue dye ink well through their petals and will hide any bruising that a white variety may be accustomed to.

Rainbow Appeal

Rainbows are making a big come back down the wedding aisles because they are an attractive presentation that’s fun and festive.  This spectrum of color can easily be achieved with a wide variety of different flowers, which also makes it easy for you and your florist to acquire.  One possible list of potential rainbow flowered petals are red, orange, yellow, green, blue, purple and pink roses.  They’re readily available and wont cost you a boat load of extra wedding budget cash.  

Soft and Simple Pink and White

Pink and white flower petals are a classic in the wedding biz because not only are they beautiful but the tones don’t distract from differently designed centerpieces and bouquets.  Blush pink is certainly more requested than hotter, brighter pinks but a nice compromise would be to combine the two for a soft pop of color.  White basket fillers could be chosen for their size and shape such as white peonies for a larger petal as opposed to white daisies, which are smaller.  If you want to accent a pure blanche tint just add a couple of petals of yellow sunflowers or orange nasturtiums to brighten things up a bit.   

here are so many reasons why we nurture a garden and one of those reasons is because we love to watch beautiful things grow. Like many green thumbs of New England, we enjoy to watch our efforts from start to beginning, as each bloom unfolds with brilliant color and alluring scent.  In terms of visual and aromatherapy benefits, nothing beats a perennial garden in full maturity during the pleasant summer season.  I look forward to mine every summer…

Last year, a friend of mine told me how much they liked my garden and how they wished they could grow one similar.  I thanked her for the compliment and asked rather dumbly, “Why don’t you?”  She soon explained that it wasn’t the time it took to complete the project but the cost to supply the plants.  It was just too expensive.  Immediately, I began thinking about ways to solve this dilemma remembering all of the hefty nursery bills I myself had gathered over the years in order to accumulate the dozens of varieties nestled in my backyard.  I came to the conclusion that yes, the price to grow my masterpiece had in fact added up to be considerable.

So after this realization, an idea came to me that would both increase the number of plant varieties in my garden without having to buy every one of them myself.  I called it a “Clippings Party” where the idea was to invite all of your friends over with one sample they had collected from their own gardens to be traded with other the other attending guests.  The preparation would be simple enough by readying a specimen by cutting the stems from a preferred plant and re-growing its roots by placing it in a cup of water.  Most plants will re-root in about a week or so although others take longer so it would be important to send invitations at least three weeks in advance.  Depending on the flower or greenery, you can also pull apart a small portion of a plant with roots already attached if the base is strong enough.  Have all of your guests replant the starter sprout in a Dixie cup full of soil and allow them to swap with others!  

This practice isn’t only financial effective in staving off high prices at the garden center but it’s also a lot of fun too!  After doing a little research, I learned that this type of entertainment is quickly growing, particularly in the New England area.  You can host a fast and casual trading session or make a night out of by throwing a clippings bash!  Party games appropriate for this soiree can also be used to create a festive environment such as using the “Yankee Swap” tradition or playing trivia rounds where the clippings become the player’s prizes.  Doesn’t that sound like so much fun?

So the next time you become frustrated with paying loads of money to watch your garden grow, think about throwing a “Clippings Party” to help all of your fellow green thumb’s foster a triumphant garden this season!

Math and statistical data formulas are useful tools if you are into flowers because these applications can tell you a lot about the probability of success rates when plantings varieties, how many seeds you’ll need to plant and many other useful situations.  For example, what is you wanted to know the probability of how many bulbs you would need to plant to ensure you had 5 healthy plants bloom in the spring?  Or what if you’re planning your wedding and need to know how many stems of a variety you can afford to stay safely within your budget?  Florists utilize their numerical skills everyday when they make decisions about ordering flowers and providing just the right inventory for their shops.  Careful research needs to be done with forecasting sales so that they not only please their clients but also maintain a healthy bottom line in the accounting books. Trust me… it’s not easy!  If you hold an interest for flowers and data driven facts, you might find these figures fascinating that pertain to the industry of growing, exporting and shipping.  

Do you see any fact or figure that surprises you?

• 80% of all flowers in the United States are imported from other countries around the world.
• The estimated amount of roses bought by suppliers for Valentine’s Day is roughly 300 million stems.
• The flower industry made approximately over 31 billion dollars in 2015, a 5 billion dollar increase from sales in 2011.
• With over 784 growers nationwide, the Gerbera Daisy is one of the most popular flowers in the United States.
• 144, 000, 000 stems of tulips are circulated annually from wholesalers, Holland being the largest market trader.
• Close to 2 billion dollars are spent on flowers each Mother’s Day making it one of the busiest holidays for florists followed by Valentine’s Day.
• Working farms growing flowers only account for about 1% of the US population.
• 30% of the gross income for farming comes primarily from their export business.
• Garden Plants are still the most popular in the US for purchase followed by cut flowers and houseplants.  

While father's day could never hold a candle to mother's day, the holiday is still a great chance to show the dads out there how much they are appreciated. While my sons' love remains my greatest gift, the gifts below are great symbols to share love and appreciation.

Red Meat: we tend to get in touch with our inner caveman as we spark up the grill and indulge in burgers, dogs, chops, sausages, ribs and steaks. I have yet to find a better butcher than Butcher Boy Market in North Andover, MA. My recent favorite is their two pound bone-in sirloin. 

 Red Wine - I drink red wine. I drink red wine a lot and have found some great bottles for under $20, but when I splurge the best wine I have ever had is from Drew Bledsoe. Yes, #11 Pats QB. HisDoubleback Cabernet is hands down the best red wine I have ever had.

Baseball Cards - specifically, the 2016 Topps Archives Series. These cards include past and current stars, along with throwback designs and special autographed inserts. 

 Books - sticking with my favorite sport and one of my favorite pursuits. Buy him a book.Not sure which one, Veeck as in Wreck by baseball hall of famer Bill Veeck is one of the greatest books on baseball and marketing I have ever read. I am now reading it for the fourth time.

Gardening - of course, I would be remiss if I did not suggest the spectaclar hibiscus that we have at Exotic Flowers.