Exotic Flowers in Boston

What do you get a girl who’s a huge baseball fan and not just any old baseball fan, a Red Sox baseball fan!  Sure you could go crazy buying hats, caps and other Fenway paraphernalia but why not use your noggin and think outside of the batting box for a change?  Get creative with your gift giving and send her something with a little class, and little grandeur!  How about giving her a floral arrangement inspired by the Boston Red Sox where the design reflects her inherent passion for the team? Not fall for the misconception that the bouquet will be confined to merely blue and red toned blossoms - there are hundreds of gorgeous combinations that are sure to knock her off her feet.  So as you begin planning to impress your die-hard Red Sox fan girlfriend/wife, check out these awesome creations whipped up by Bean Town’s most famous florists!

photo credit: lakenurseries.com.au

“Red Sox” Calla Lilies

Yes, really!  These calla lilies are actually named “Red Sox” and are the exact deep shade of red that is associated with the team’s uniform and emblem!  This variety is exquisite alone in a vase or can be easily paired with other softer hues of red to make a jewel tone presentation.  Another interesting fact about this species is that they are known for their longevity just as long as they’re stored somewhere cool and away from extensive heat.

photo credit: theplantexpert.com

“Festiva Maxima” Peonies

Here’s another great option for baseball lovers, which is called the “Festiva Maxima” peony that ironically looks a whole lot like a baseball!  The fine red flicks that mark the petals can be compared to the red stitching of a ball and the shear white color of the blooms themselves are spectacularly round and full.  You don’t need much more added to this stunner but if you must, only combine small stems, which will appropriately accent this peonies’ sophisticated appeal.  

Clear Vase Filled with Baseballs

Sometimes all you need is a little edge.  A tall, clear cylinder vase filled with traditional baseballs can make quite a hit for the person who loves this sport.  Fill with dried flowers of place a bubble bowl on top of the opening and arrange with whatever flowers you like the best.  Perhaps you’ve saved mementos from baseball games you’ve enjoyed together previously?  Here’s a terrific way to display them!  Not only is it a conversational piece, but she’ll be able to keep the contents for years to come!

I used to listen to Abbot & Costello's Who's on First every Opening Day. Now my ride to work on Opening Day is Michaela Murphy's story. Hope you enjoy it as much as I do. Happy Opening Day !

Spring is finally here and that means opening day at Fenway Park is just around the corner!  Popcorn, cracker jacks, hot dogs, peanuts, foam fingers and baseball caps will be sold by the millions inside the park but Bostonians are also gearing up to make their own plans… Team spirit runs rampant during this time of year in Bean Town, where fans are throwing parties thematic after our love for the Boston Red Sox.  Everything from the color scheme to the menu can be manipulated to include clever accessories and entertaining display décor.  All you have to do is use a little imagination and think “Baseball”!  Monday, April 11th is the official date when Fenway will be reopened to play a little ball against the Baltimore Orioles so why not have a few friends over to enjoy the game?  Here are a few party planning ideas fabulous for opening day soiree!

Menu

You’ve got to have a lot of finger foods if you’re having a fete mirrored after the cuisine served inside Fenway and the good news is that most of these dishes are really inexpensive to make.  Think pigs in a blanket, popcorn, sliders, chips, dips and pizza.  You can also have a little fun with veggie and fruit platters if you arrange the food to look like a baseball diamond or even an outfield.  Don’t forget the dessert either, because a quick batch of cupcakes decorated with the letter “R” in blue and red frosting are the perfect sweet treats to compliment game day!

photo credit: ChalkandPatina via etsy.com

Decorations

This is really simple because right about now, every grocery store in Massachusetts is stocking up with paper and plastic Red Sox dishware and cups.  If you don’t want to pay the extra to have their logo printed across your plates, just pick up plain white, red and blue Dixie brand ware, which works just as well.  Another great idea is to gather some old mason jars and paint them completely white and then add the small detail of red lining, much like an actual baseball would have.  Place candles or lollipops inside and watch how easy dressing up your Red Sox part really is!

Party Games

If watching the game isn’t entertainment enough, then you’ll want to have some party games to fall back on if things get a little dull.  “Cups” is one that comes to mind for adults, but for younger audiences, playing ”Pin the Tail on the Opposing Team” is also a lot of fun (particularly if the Red Sox fall behind).  If you have your own baseball bat, “Balance the Bat” relay races are also a good idea to get people moving as well as an egg toss game to see who has the best catching hands!

At Exotic Flowers in Boston, we are huge baseball fans. We sponsor little league teams in Boston and Westwood. We even sponsored the Red Sox from 2007-2009. The Official Florist of the Boston Red Sox was cool and we still maintain a lot of contacts at Fenway Park. We remain strong supporters of the arts and literature, we enjoy sharing classic poems with our friends.

Below is the poem

"The Base Stealer" by Robert Francis 

Poised between going on and back, pulled

Both ways taut like a tightrope-walker,

Fingertips pointing the opposites,

Now bouncing tiptoe like a dropped ball

Or a kid skipping rope, come on, come on,

Running a scattering of steps sidewise,

How he teeters, skitters, tingles, teases,

Taunts them, hovers like an ecstatic bird,

He's only flirting, crowd him, crowd him,

Delicate, delicate, delicate, delicate - now!

This poem is offered in almost every high school English class. I first read this poem at The Roxbury Latin School. It has stuck with me all these years and I am happy to share it with you.

My favorite base stealer was Rickey Henderson. Who was yours ? Henderson signed this card me as teenager. He was always great with the fans. If you ever want to know how cool a guy Henderson was, read this article by social media giant Gary V.

I know. I am sad to say that not many of you are baseball fans. But watch a game with me sometime and you might become one. See I like baseball. No, I love baseball. Over-paid, self-indulgent babies on the field you say? I say, watch the 6-4-3 double play while sitting on the first base side and I will show you a visual masterpiece.

I not only watch the game, I am absorbed in its history. I am a lifelong Red Sox fan, but I am a fan of Major League Baseball even more. Fred Lynn, Dale Muphy, Ron Kittle; just names to some, but to me these guys were a pleasure to emulate in my childhood. While learning the game, I also learned a lot about its Hall of Famers. Bill Veeck (1914-1986) never played Major League Baseball, but he certainly left his mark on the game and my approach to the floral industry. 

Some know Veeck as a Hall of Famer. Some recall that Veeck was responsible for planting the first ivy on the walls of Wrigley Field in Chicago. Some know that Veeck owned the Cleveland Indians (1946-49), the St. Louis Browns(1951-53) and the Chicago White Sox(1959-61 & 1975-81). He even was the President of Suffolk Downs horse racing track in East Boston, (1968-71). Many sports business students know Veeck from his books. His most famous, Veeck as in Wreck, I have read four times. I have a copy at my desk at work and in my library at home. I have owned first editions and signed copies too. But, I always want to share the book's wisdom, so these valuable copies rarely stay in my possession. 

Last night, I found another passage in the book and had to share its relevance with my floral, hospitality and business colleagues. What Veeck wrote more than fifty years ago about selling tickets applies to any restaurant, florist or retail store

. 

Chaper 7 - Every Day was Mardi Gras...

The best way to tell you what we did to draw these crowds is to tell you what we did not do. We did not open the ticket windows and expect the citizenry to come rushing up with their money in their fists. We have never operated on the theory that a city owes anything to the owner of a baseball franchise...

Exactly, Veeck hammers a valuable lesson for every florist. Our clients owe us nothing, we do not sell insulin and they do not need our flowers. We, however, need them to buy flowers from us at the price we have deemed valuable.

...There is nothing owed to you. A baseball team is a commercial venture, operating for a profit. The idea that you don't have to package your product attractively as General Motors packages its product, and hustle your product the way General Motors hustles its product, is baseball's most pernicious enemy.

Appearance, attitude, humility, gratitude and accountability are the traits he espouses. Like baseball, people want flowers in their life. They do not need them. Take Bill's lessons to your storefront. Note, the importance of also operating at a a profit.

I connect with Bill's wisdom. Bill was even an avid gardener. Decades ago, Bill suggested a store where you can buy plants, flowers and books in the same place. They did not have that then, but places like Terrain in Westport, CT offer that now. He was not only a Renaissance man, but a visionary.

You might like to know, the apple does not fall far from the tree. Veeck's son Mike is also an author and owner of multiple minor leage baseball teams.His philosophy of Fun is Good, has infected many lives with happiness. Mike's son Night Train (Bill's grandson) is also a chip off the block. Night Train works for the White Sox and has even guest blogged for us.I suggest making his acquaintance on Twitter. He is a great guy.

 If you are not familiar with the term, Going Viral: becoming very popular by circulating quickly from person to person, especially through the Internet:

Last Friday at Fenway Park, Athletics 3B Brett Lawrie broke his bat. The piece flew into the stands and put fan and mother, Tonya Carpenter in the hospital with a fractured skull. More importantly than anything, Tonya is recovering and doing much better.

On Saturday, my contact at the Red Sox reached out to me on behalf of Lawrie to send her flowers and a card. At the time Carpenter was in serious condition and unable to receive flowers. By Tuesday, her condition had improved and we were able to deliver the flowers along with Lawrie's card message " Sending my thoughts and prayers, Brett Lawrie "

By Tuesday evening, Carpenter's family had sent a message of thanks to Lawrie along with pictures of flowers and the card, where we were prominently showcased on WCVB News, WBZ News and FoxNewsBoston.

This act of kindness then caught fire and was picked by the Boston Globe,  Boston Herald, CNN, ESPN, Sports Illustrated, The Sporting News, NECN, NESN, US World News, and ABC News. It was posted and liked on Facebook, Twitter and Google+ by tens of thousands which in turn created millions of consumer impressions.

By the time Wednesday morning came, our friends, clients and colleagues were all talking about it and sending us messages and mentioning in the flower market and SAF also picked up the story for their weekly newsletter.

This act of kindness is great for the entire floral industry. But most importantly she is recovering. Our thoughts and prayers go out to Tonya as well. 

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. His Doubleback Caberbnet is hands down the best red wine I have ever had.

Baseball Cards - specifically, the 2015 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.

Drones - for the gadget minded, know what everyone is talking about and fly your very own drown. I am personally waiting for the Millennium Falcon version.

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

Below is a copy of a letter that I sent out to baseball fans that I share cards with every year. Please let let me know if I can put you on the list.

Happy Opening Day,

If you are getting this letter, you know how much I love baseball and especially Opening Day. I did sign the petition to make it a national holiday. Alas, we celebrate things like Columbus Day instead.

My Opening Day tradition of ripping open a pack of baseball cards remains. I love sharing that tradition with you. No gum in these cards, sorry they took that out years ago. They should still infuse the cards with the scent though. That smell sparks nostalgia.

This year, our friend Kenton Jacobs opens a barbecue stand on Yawkey Way at Fenway Park. He makes the best barbecue. Make sure you tell Jake, that Rick at the flower shop told you to stop by !

See you at the ballpark !

Rick