Exotic Flowers in Boston

So you’re heading back to college (YAHOOO!) and planning on the décor, which will make your dorm bedroom not only comfortable but also welcoming for friends who will soon be dropping by.  If you’ve already hit Target, there’s probably a trendy comforter with throw pillows and a string of white, holiday lights packed away along with other cool accessories you know will look great up on your walls.  It’s a fact that teens across the country compete to create the “chicest” living area, hoping to become the official hangout on the floor.  Looking back at my college days, I remember how hard we all tried to add our own flair of unique personality to our personal areas, which transformed an ordinary room into something especially made for us.  For artists, there were paintings, for musicians there were guitars-everyone had their story to tell and we did it through the objects we chose to display.   

photo credit via aboutflowers.com

For me, you’ve probably guessed that I had to have lots of things growing around me, whether they were plants or arrangements-it was a necessity I craved.  Since I worked on the weekends for my parents who owned a wholesale flower company in the city, it wasn’t hard to make this happen.  Not only did I drive back to school with a little extra cash to pad my wallet, I also brought back bunches of my favorite varieties that I would arrange in large vases and place around my room.  As you can imagine, my dorm room definitely stood out from the rest and quickly became the site for Sunday movie watching and Saturday night pre-gaming.  Through flowers, I had made a special placethat friends felt welcomed and soothed through the use of color, texture and aromas.

I get it… I get it…  Not everyone has a flower shop available to grab a few freebies and due to the fact that the majority of college kids out there are broke-you’ll need to think outside of the box.  Never fear, there are some really cool and inexpensive ways to infuse flowers into your dorm life and you don’t have to be a designer to pull it off.  Try these DIY tips to make your college living space a special retreat!

1. Place a cactus inside a mason jar.  You don’t need to water it often and they cost around $10 bucks to buy.
2. Succulents are only about $5 and are also low maintenance for that busy student to maintain.  
3. Peace lilies are cheap and give a room a pretty plant “feel” as well as bamboo that infiltrate a “trendy” appeal.

People who buy flowers are after a multitude of different things…  One possible is that they love bright colors and another may be the aromatherapy they seek from the scent.  Customers buy flowers to add décor to their homes, to impress clientele when they enter an office and some will even order a bouquet to attract a suitor.  There are a zillion different scenarios to match this question, which is why Boston florists continue to brainstorm new ways to attract shoppers by implementing creative marketing techniques.

photo credit via aboutflowers.com

If you can believe it, numerous studies have taken place to match personality traits to floral taste, basing the equation on factors such as educational background, age, hobbies, financial brackets, geographical locations and even the propensity one has to use either the left or right side of the brain.  This last factor might make you stop and think about things for a moment but yes-it is true a person can have a floral preference that directly connects to their individual cranial activity.  Sounds a little crazy, doesn’t it?

In fact, those who use their left side more frequently are apt to be attracted to presentations, which satisfy a mathematical sequence or in floral terms, an architecturally driven piece.  What does this mean?  It means that this segment of the population relies on stimulation that is motivated by factors such as height, balance and symmetry.  Examples of this can be found in centerpieces created with orchids, branches and simple foliage.  Bamboo is a huge seller within this niche as well as pussy willow, oncidium and birds of paradise.  The goal for this type of design is “less is more” as well as a hidden underlying meaning, which is created by the artist.  If this style is right up your alley, take look at these arrangements that can be readily made available by your local city florist.

Libraries are amazing places and serve their communities far beyond the task of lending books.  Most local libraries also provide informative classes and workshops for both children and adults to enhance their knowledge and education throughout many different topics.  There are science programs, writing workshops and impressive guest lecturers including top authors from the area who offer stimulating presentations throughout the year.  While all are open to the public, these sessions are provided for the sole purpose of connecting members of the community and growing comparable interests that will foster both new ideas and relationships.  Plus- almost everything offered is free of charge, allowing anyone with a library card to join in.

That’s pretty cool, right?

On Tuesday, March 22nd I was fortunate to assist my husband with an impressive floral demonstration to the patrons of the Westwood Public Library.  During the two-hour program, guests were given their own vases, supplies and flowers to learn the easy and fun way to arrange their own centerpieces.  Along with teaching proper technique and form, Rick Canale led an interesting talk about the do’s and don’ts of handling the blooms as well as giving a brief background of the flowers he was using.  Varieties included stunning garden roses, spray roses, alstroemeria, anemones and lemon leaf for the finishing foliage.  The vases were rectangular, heavy glass, which provided a sturdy base for the product and a cardboard box for easy carry home was also available.  In the end, the room couldn’t have smelled better with the luscious spring color bursting from every table.

We had a great time during this adult flower arranging class and hope to return with a fresh new look designing in the future!