Exotic Flowers in Boston

For years we have been displaying ghosts, vampires and ghouls for a Halloween display. Over the years, we have found that less clients were purchasing pumpkins. In 2018, we did not sell pumpkins and did not decorate for Halloween. We had been losing hundreds of dollars selling these items.

Halloween 2019 - Pumpkins, goblins and scarecrows are back. Why are selling items that we know we are losing money on? 

Last weekend, my family and I bought our pumpkins at a farm in Peabody. My fourteen year old son asked why Exotic Flowers no longer sold pumpkins? I explained that we lose money on them. His response, 'Dad, if you decorate for Halloween and celebrate fall- it shows the community you care about them.'

Talk about a proud parent moment. I must be doing something right. Sometimes, it's not about the money. It can't be. We appreciate our place on the highway and will no longer lose sight of that.

It is finally October-the time of year when we dress up in costumes, tell ghost stories and most importantly, profess our love for the pumpkin!  Everything from our desserts to our lattes seem to become thematic with this icon of the month, leaving us New Englanders with a wide array of tasty treats and festive décor.  Lucky for us, there’s no shortage of beautiful orange pumpkins in these parts, making it all the more pleasurable to dive right into the fun!  Whether you love baking seeds or carving jack o lanterns, surrounding patches in the Boston area will surely help you find what you are looking for!  Here is a list of some of the best patches, which will provide you beautiful pumpkins and other seasonal activities perfect for the whole family!

Smolak Farm

315 South Bradford Street

North Andover, MA

(978) 682-6332

Smolak Farms is one of my favorites because they hold some of the biggest festivals such as the scarecrow and pumpkin head event!  They also facilitate an ice cream stand, hayrides, corn maze, tractor tire playground, pony rides and face painting that will keep the kids entertained for the entire day!

Boston Hill Farm

Route 114, North Andover, MA

(978) 681-8556

This farm has everything you’re looking for this October including several different pick-your-own patches plus their very own petting zoo!  They also throw an enormous party that runs every weekend until the end of the month luring patrons in with live music and lots of food including barbecue, roasted corn and specialty chicken prepared over the fire.

Belkin Family Lookout Farm

89 Pleasant St., South Natick, MA

(508) 651-1539

Not only is this one of the oldest working farms in the state, but this beautiful orchard boasts acres upon acres of fruit for your picking enjoyment!  Once you’ve picked out your pumpkin, don’t forget to take a ride on their train that circles the property.  Choo Choo!

New England is one of the most spectacular places in the world to celebrate Halloween because our natural environment reaps amazing treats for us to enjoy-specifically pumpkin patches!  Bursting with healthy vines and rotund spheres of orange, pumpkin picking is a popular activity that thousands of Bostonians enjoy during the month of October.  Maybe it’s the simplistic beauty or the wisp of magic that surrounds these mystifying harvest fields, but one thing’s for sure, we have the biggest and best patches surrounding our city giving visitors a multitude of festive locations to celebrate their seasonal activities.  So if you haven’t carved your jack-o-lantern yet, here are a few places in Massachusetts that are sure not to disappoint.

Connors Farm in Danvers, MA is an impressive operation to behold featuring not only a pumpkin picking area of shear perfection but also mazes, which reveres families from all over the state.  Their maze-technology is so sophisticated that they offer options of a gigantic haunted corn maze, regular corn maze or a hale bale maze for the younger guests.  Hayrides are also available as well as a bouncy pillow for children to jump through, petting zoo and zombie paintball.  Parking is free and if you get hungry during your stay fear not.  Connors Farm hosts a picnic area where you can sample from concessions or goodies sold inside their farm stand.  Costs for activities vary with discounted rates available for groups and seniors.

Marini Farm, situated in Ipswich, MA, is a lot of fun to visit because not only do they have a glorious and fruitful pumpkin patch, this location also provides several entertaining booths such as live music, games for kids and a massive corn maze sure to fool even the savviest puzzle manipulator.    What I enjoyed most about my visit to Marini Farm was their simple and authentic style emanating a down home country appeal that provides guests with a real autumn farm experience. 

Carver Hill Orchard in Stow, MA is another hot spot that I would recommend because of their enormous array of fruit and vegetable picking choices including pumpkins, tomatoes, pears, strawberries, peppers, corn, and yes, even flowers!   This orchard also includes a picnic area where kitchen ready foods such as hot dogs and ice cream are available for purchase.  For those who truly love the freshness of pick- your- own styled farms, Carver also features a cut -your -own Christmas tree event where saws are provided starting in the month of December!

And if you're stuck and did not have time to pick your pumpkin from the patch, Exotic Flowers at 609 American Legion Hwy in Boston has pumpkins in all sizes.

 Suzie Canale is local Boston author who has published four children's books, is the director of the Women's Lockerroom Foundation, an avid chef, gardener and mother of two. She also finds time to work at the public library in Westwood, MA.

New England is famous for many attributes including beautiful coastlines, historic landmarks and a spectrum of seasonal changes.  For many, autumn is many Bostonians' favorite portion of the year where sprigs of red, orange, yellow and gold flowers brew all around them.  There is little doubt as to why since all of our Boston’s natural aspects morph into a spectacular spectrum of color right before our eyes once the month of September arrives.  From the trees to the fields, every inch of our landscape seems infused with brilliant rich and warm hues, inspiring an entire theme for design and décor.  Local crafters are savvy to incorporate this gift bestowed upon us by Mother Nature, essentially adding a fresh and exciting approach to their creations.  Boston florists are also taking advantage of this simple, beautiful and economically beneficial trend of designing with fall fabulous products.  Try a couple of these tips to inculcate your floral propaganda!

Pumpkins are not only a delicious additive to just about any dish or baked good this time of year, but also a clever way to display arrangements.  Festive and fun, simply hollow out the inside of a 6 to 8 inch globe and place a bubble bowl within it.  Fill the vase with local seasonal favorites such as mums, coleus, sunflowers, zinnias and lanterns to create the perfect October centerpiece.  Keep in mind to never full the inner holder with too much water since overflow will hasten the aging process of the pumpkin.  Another way you can incorporate pumpkins are to select miniatures to place at the base of large, clear glass cylinders (apples work too and keep in theme with the season).  Smaller pumpkins age slower, minimizing a cloudy water effect over a short period of time.  Suggested flowers for this type of arrangement include branches of willow, grape vine or forsythia. 

A second option for inserting a few of New England’s favorite fall fauna are to select multi-colored tree branches and use them as your foliage instead of the traditional ruscus and leather leaf.  Illuminating a delicate but stunning effect, this rustic style is perfect for hotel accounts where out of town visitors can gaze upon the true joy of living in Boston during autumn.  Be careful not to over-busy the bouquet with uncomplimentary floral varieties or jam the vase with too many stems.  It doesn’t need it.  Keep it uncomplicated, delicate and most of all delightful, by showcasing the naturally infused colors that Bostonians are so lucky to enjoy!

Suzie Canale - 

 Suzie has published four children's books, is the Director of the non-profit Women's Locker Room Foundation, mother of 2 boys, an avid gardener, chef and also works at the Westwood Public Library.