Exotic Flowers in Boston

If you like to garden, you already know there are several different types to grow, which are made to match our individual style and taste.  Based on your needs, preferences and land availability, there are a variety of selections to fill a space with vegetables/flowers, perennials, annuals, succulents, cacti or possibly a Zen garden.  If you’re a fan of putting fresh flowers in your home, you may even consider planting a “cutting garden” to suit your hobby!  I have been building this type of blooming patch for years and can tell you first hand there’s nothing like growing your own flowers for personal centerpiece arrangements.

So what exactly is a “cutting garden”?  A “cutting garden” is a flowerbed that contains specific species that transfer well from soil to water.  They can be left to grow in the earth or cut to provide the owner with their beauty inside the home. Another property that allows a bloom to become a strong candidate for this type of garden is if the flower grows quickly since you’ll want to plant varieties that can replenish themselves instead of dying out.  A cutting garden isn’t very pretty when it becomes a graveyard of sliced foliage and stems so we need to make sure the plant has a decent rejuvenation system.  

What kinds of flowers do the best in cutting gardens?  The good news is, you have a ton of options available so if you only want pink and blue flowers or wildflowers or blooms with large heads, it’s safe to say you’ll find them.  You can map out your plot anyway you’d like to but there are proven winners you should keep in mind if you’re new to this whole idea.  Fantastic examples suitable for the summer include sunflowers, october weed, delphinium, zinnias, gladiolas, ageratum, sweet pea, alliums, peonies, bachelor buttons, butterfly bush, hollyhocks, lupine, salvia, liatris, black-eyed susans and nasturtiums.  For an earlier spring garden, my advice would be to plant tulips, lily of the valley, hyacinth and fritillaries.  

Happy Gardening!

Summer 2015 was certainly a beautiful couple of months in New England and although it went by way too fast, we still have one last opportunity to celebrate!  Labor Day weekend is September 4th through the 7th and Boston is booming with parties and barbecues to close out the season.  If you’re hosting your own event, you’re going to want to head over to your local flower shop for some beautiful décor to go along with the grilled steak tips and potato salad.  Of course, we all know that different occasions call for different styles including the flowers you display on tables and decks.  Adding the right vase or centerpiece to your party can add the perfect touch in making this a summer we’ll never forget!  These are a few of this year’s favorites that have been organized according to the particular type of event.  

Brunch

I love Labor Day brunches because the cuisine is delicious plus the decoration is light and airy.  Most of the time, light is used as the design base and often uses blossoms that are white or soft peach and pink.  The trick is to make the displays as easy breezy as possible keeping them low and dainty.  Think simple and delicate like short jars of one variety like dahlias, sunflowers, cosmos, lavender or garden roses.  You can mix and match if you like but make sure that there are no color combinations that fight each other instead of blending nicely.  Don’t be afraid to use clippings from your herb garden too like rosemary, thyme or sage.  Many of the dishes associated with brunch use these as ingredients, which make it the perfect detail to add to your floral presentation.  

Barbecue

photo credit: Lisa Greene via FlowerFactor

Okay, so you might think that flowers are the last thing guests are going to care about when scanning the buffet filled with barbecue delights but displaying a vase or two of blooms can actually enhance their mood and appetites!  Unlike the brunch, which uses a calmer mean of creativity, backyard-grilling parties can manipulate a bigger impact with texture and tone as well as taller heights and sizes.  Gerbera daisies make excellent choices along with yellow sunflowers, blue delphinium, hydrangea and anthurium.  You can have a huge urn of multicolored stems or showcase a single variety.  Colors that induce hunger are typically red, yellow and orange so if you’re looking to really put out a feast this Labor Day, try to keep these three options in mind.  Also, stay away from fragrant blooms like lilies