Exotic Flowers in Boston

Each yuletide season, trends continue to change from everything to lighting, tree decorating and even celebratory cuisine.  As we prepare to take on the 2020 holiday whirlwinds, it’s fun to invest a little time in learning what’s hot on the menu for designers.  There’s no reason why we can’t take a peek to find out how to copy their taste on an affordable budget.  There’s no rule saying hosts must break the bank to recreate looks seen in magazines and lucky for us, this year’s theme relies heavily on the recycling of already owned items.

Experts say that acclaimed designers are heavily relying on the idea that “Old” is the “New” when mapping out their selections for décor this Christmas and Hanukkah.  Instead of purchasing contemporary lines of modernized props, they are hunting yard sales and online auctions for previously owned memorabilia which dates back to more than a few decades ago.  Trunks, basements and attics are also busy places where professional decorators are scavenging to find old boxes, milk containers and other reminders of years past.  Remember that ancient train set you stashed in the closet years ago?  Or maybe you just couldn’t let go of a teddy bear from your childhood?  Well, now’s the time to pull them out of retirement because these are the exact props designers are looking for!  Think small trucks, wooden toys, antique dolls and wool hats for possible accessories to place amongst poinsettia plants, Christmas trees (used as ornaments) and outdoor urns where they will turn a plain arrangement into a real conversational piece!  Don’t worry if they have chipped paint or missing parts since this will only add to their authentic appeal.  We’re going for a “traditional” appearance this year so make sure to select pieces that you have warm memories associated with.  

Once you’ve collected your things, now what do you do with them?  That’s a very good question…  Creating your own displays can be as easy as investing in some seasonal roping and strategically placing the trinkets within the beautiful the pine.  Hang on banisters and lay across the hearth to make a merry presentation for family and friends or attach to wreaths on the outside of your door.  If you are interested in applying this technique to your floral arrangements, you can use the same application process as long as the items are small enough not to distract from the blooms in the vase.  A little goes a long way with this style so don’t cramp containers which will make them look junky and less professionally done.

Home for the holidays! An instant Christmas classic, this lush arrangement of red roses and fresh winter greens accompanies a festive Thomas Kinkade collectible with light-up windows (starter batteries included) and hand-painted details.

Hand-glazed with a shimmering finish and jolly holly details, this keepsake ornament jar is a festive vase for a lush Christmas bouquet, then becomes a beloved home for holiday treats!Teleflora's Deck the Holly Ornament

This festive bouquet includes red roses, red miniature carnations, variegated holly, noble fir, and white pine. Delivered in Teleflora's Deck the Holly Ornament.

This ornament jar with lid, can be filled with holiday treats throughout the season and for years to come.

This holiday, we reflect and honor everyday heroes with a vintage, rustic twist - making this iconic Christmas scene an instant classic.

An instant holiday classic! Capture the vintage charm of small-town Christmas with this this festive Thomas Kinkade fire station sculpture. Set atop an arrangement of red roses and fresh winter greens, the hand-painted keepsake lights up for years of fun!

This charming gift features red roses, white carnations, red and white miniature carnations, oregonia, noble fir, and white pine. Delivered with a Thomas Kinkade's Festive Fire Station Keepsake.

In addition to the whimsy and charm of this truly heroic scene, this fire station lights up to make holiday spirits even brighter.

This season it's all about keeping cozy, enjoying hot cocoa, and bringing frosty snowmen in from the cold to add delight and charm to your holiday decor.

Welcome home winter with a cozy bundled-up ceramic snowman mug, fill it with cocoa and keep those warm holiday feelings all season long. This mug is FDA-approved to safely serve and store food.

This festive friend features red roses, miniature red carnations, miniature white carnations, white sinuata statice, douglas fir, white pine, oregonia, and birch. Delivered in a Send a Hug® Snowman Mug.

This charming mug also makes for a great teacher or coworker gift, either filled with flowers or without.

Supply is limited.

This season, what's old is new again. Rustic reds, burlap and copper accents, vintage trucks and lots of evergreen pine create a very merry vintage motif.

This season, we are reminded of what endures. This is our 89th Christmas as a family owned florist. We have endured. We are thankful for our traditions and thankful for you, our clients.

In partnership with Teleflora, we are proud to offer this Quaint Christmas Bouquet. This vintage container celebrates and honors all those who have purchased Christmas Trees from us.

Capture the quaint charm of a country Christmas with this vintage-inspired metal cube, arranged with lush holiday roses, fresh winter greens and festive decorations!

This vintage-inspired bouquet features red roses, white spray roses, red miniature carnations, white waxflower, flat cedar, noble fir, and oregonia. Delivered in a Merry Vintage Christmas Cube. Celebrate the timeless magic of Christmas with this vintage-inspired metal cube, bursting with charming holiday blooms!

There are many people out there who have been given the birthdate placed in the very special month of December.  For some, they relish in the notion of being surrounded by seasonal festivities of lights, trees and wreaths and believe this only accentuates the happiness of celebrating a birthday.  For others, there’s quite a different story…  For those who lie on the latter side of the fence, you may feel cheated by the idea of having to share a day which was supposed to be dedicated to you and only you with heavy hitters such as Christmas or Hanukkah getting in the way.  Have you ever perceived your birthday as being seemingly less important and perhaps experienced with less enthusiasm due to the busyness of the season?  What about the terrible gift labeled, “For Your Birthday AND Christmas” that’s supposed to be perfectly acceptable as a combined present for both?  Face it- you’ve probably felt robbed at one point or another and can sympathize with new babies born on December 28th.  

In my family, we actually have a triple header in this department with three birthdays all falling just before and after Christmas.  My husband, who observes the earliest of the trio on December 4th, constantly grudges about his youthful disappointments of having his day meshed with other yuletide fetes and reminds us annually of the importance of throwing a proper ceremony dedicated solely to a birthdate.  The second to place is my youngest falling on December 11th who relishes knowing the holiday tradition of putting up the tree will always happen on his birthday.  Last but not least is my oldest son who even though had the due date of December 25th, didn’t officially arrive until two days later on the 27th.  He doesn’t seem to mind in the slightest bit of his post-holiday remembrance and instead chooses to use the celebration of the season to his advantage.  After all, it is the happiest time of the year and who wouldn’t look forward to and encore of presents?

I suppose we’re all different (what do I know?  I was born on April 5th) but wouldn’t it be nice to be given a few pointers on what these December babies feel is appropriate birthday etiquette?  For starters, presents should never be wrapped in Christmas paper because they feel that the wasted effort is an insult to their occasion.  Secondly (as I mentioned before) don’t even try to sneak past a gift (no matter how large or expensive) that is said to be meant for both a birthday and a holiday.  In their world, this is absolutely sacrilegious.   A third tip is to never bake them a Santa or menorah cake accept in the situation where the request has been made.  Although there typically tends to be tons of sweets and treats around this time of year that you could quickly pass off, most December partygoers really wants a typical cake.  The last piece of advice you should be wary of in case you are planning to gift flowers is nixing poinsettia plants or red/white arrangements for floral birthday gestures.  Stick to bright colors that are reflective of the celebration and wait to give these “Christmasy” displays of blooms until after their special day.  Everyone wants to feel special on their birthday so make sure to put in the effort by sticking to this guide if you have a loved one celebrating a birthday this December.

If you’re one for cuddling and canoodling around the fire, you’ll absolutely adore the new “Bear Themed Floral Extravaganza” many Boston florists are defining their holiday line with. Teddy bears are EVERYWHERE this Christmas, from stuffed animals being propped within centerpieces to bear designed containers showcase seasonal blooms.  These cute creatures are popping up in every inch of creative space that has designers quick on their feet to come up with new and interesting ideas to further market this trend.  Both children and adults can revel in the sweet popularity of teddy bears this December and if you’re looking for thoughts on how to create your own this season, here are some fun arts and crafts using flowers that will keep the whole family busy through Christmas.

This is an expert level project but if you have the tenacity to try it- Go for it!  You’ll need a wedge of oasis that’s been carved into the shape of a bear and a bunch of small button pom-pom daisies.  Once the material has been formed, cut the flowers about 1 ½ inches long and stick the stem into the pre-soaked oasis.  Be careful not to put too many in one spot or leave holes in the back. Once the bear is complete, you can either put him in the middle of an arrangement or place him inside of a cup or bowl depending on the size.  Tie a red ribbon around his neck and you have a beautiful gift for someone special!

If the oasis teddy bear seems a bit too challenging, then here’s a great option that is easy-peasy to make.  Browse the shelves of discount stores such as Job Lot or Christmas Tree Shops since they almost always have a collection of teddy bear coffee mugs available for sale.  Once you’ve found the one that you prefer, take it home and fill it with seasonal blooms such as pine, red berries and red/white roses.  These make excellent presents for children and teachers which can be made quickly at a minimum cost.  Plus-they’ll have the perfect cup to enjoy hot cocoa when the weather turns cold!

Sometimes we think about ways to use a prop in the most complicating ways when a simple answer is standing right in front of our noses!  Those stunning Christmas trees you just purchased are going to need lots of trimming with decorations so why not use teddy bears as this year’s theme?  Again, shop local discount outlets for low cost teddies and stick them here and there throughout the branches or string them to make ornaments.  The kids will love the cuddly presentation and the effort you made to bring joy to them this holiday!

The holiday season can bring a lot of anxiety and stress to shoppers who are constantly in search for the perfect gifts.  Finding that special something for someone you love can be tricky when sledging through the endless racks and bins of department stores of meaningless nick nacks.  Then of course, there’s the strict budget we put in place that every year becomes more and more expanded due to inflated cost increases and seasonal demand.  It’s enough to make a person CRAZY went they find themselves a drift in this typical December situation so it’s high time we started thinking of better options that will make wonderful sentimental gestures but won’t empty our wallets in the process.  Luckily, it just so happens that Boston florists have the precise suggestion to end this yuletide disaster and per usual- they’re answering with flowers.

While there are loads of flora and fauna that make wonderful gifts, experts are heavily pushing the idea of bulbs that are incredibly affordable and fun to watch growing.  Weeks after the Christmas tree comes down, those who have received a stunning bulb will get to enjoy the memento and keep the holiday mood with them as they watch the bud open.  There are many ways to share these interesting blossoms such as wrapping them up in cellophane or starting the bulb on your own by placing the bottom in a vase filled with an inch of water.  Depending on how savvy the person you’re thinking of is in the garden, you can decide which way will work best in order to evade premature rotting.  If this idea sounds like one that may just solve this year’s conundrum of problems, check out these different species that are all swell examples of flowers to give this Christmas.

Amaryllis

Amaryllis still remains the #1 flower to gift during the holiday season and the reason lies within noticing the plant’s beautiful shades of red, white, pink, peach or stripe that coats each petal.

Hyacinth

Hyacinth are fabulous varieties to give to someone special because of their cheerful structure, pleasant aroma and symbolic representation of the spring season ahead.

Paper Whites

If you enjoy a strong, sweet scent, these pretty little blooms make amazing presents that will fill fresh scent in every room of any home.   

Allium

Alliums are fun to watch sprout because they lay on the exotic side and promise to be different for that person who seems to have everything.  

When we think of Christmas, often shades traditionally associated with the season come to mind.  Red, green and white are the go-to palette for most florists and interior decorators who are given the job to transform homes into a festive place to have warm gatherings with friends and families.  While it’s safe to say that these three shades have no plans of ever going anywhere, I was pleasantly surprised to find that metal tints are making their way to center stage to close out 2017 and WOW do they bring a wonderful sense of style!  Gold, silver and bronze may have always been applied in small doses throughout holiday decorating but this year, they become more than just your basic accessory...  

Refreshingly, one color that top designers are convinced will be a hit during December celebrations is champagne.  Most people might wonder what this exactly means since there is sometimes a controversy over what the exact tint champagne actually is.  According to the dictionary, the metallic sheen is referred to as, “a name given for various very pale tints of yellowish-orange that are close to beige. The color's name is derived from the typical color of the beverage Champagne.” If you’re still confused, one way to navigate these tricky waters is to rely heavily on blossoms of peach, blush pink and cream.  Excellent species that will work to your favor are soft garden roses (which grow in both of these colors), as well as stock, ranunculus and even certain types of Asiatic lilies.  You can mix any combination of these together or use one specific variety to feature in your arrangements.    

Another idea to keep in mind is to create the effect by using props such as holiday baubles, jewelry, ornaments, lights and other trinkets luminescent of the champagne color.  By using props, you can add to the theme by placing white or cream blossoms in the center or incorporate pretty tea lights to set off the right glow.  In this picture, we can see that the designers relied heavily on this notion by arranging faux stems of spray painted gold poinsettias and silver/pink balls to the side of the container.  This makes a gorgeous centerpiece and will live long past New Year’s if you’re planning a second holiday party.  If you think you can pull it off, combine these two theories by mixing together stems of blush and cream roses with glittered ornaments surrounded by a bed of pine.  This piece won’t only impress people with the champagne effect but will also show how much effort you’ve put in to following the latest yuletide seasonal trends.