Exotic Flowers in Boston

If you’re a decent florist, you know how to use a multitude of different materials to keep things fresh looking on a daily basis.  Arrangements need a “change over” just like any other product line in order to maintain a steady sales track for a continuous customer flow.  No one likes to see the same thing over and over again and if pieces consistently only showcase blooms such as carnations, lilies and carnations, you’re risking the threat of boring clientele.  As the flower industry is well known as one which is incredibly difficult to flourish- let alone survive within, this is an issue professionals should take seriously.

The question is…  How do we design arrangements that are dependable for a good four to seven days after purchase while still becoming a presentation that is impressive for display?  

One way florists are implementing a summertime makeover is by using a variety of plants that reflect both of these requirements.  Any guesses as to what they might be?

HERBS!  Yes, herbs are becoming more and more useful in floral design due to their interesting texture and beautiful color.  Depending on what variety is available, we are able to manifest exciting visual presentations while still satisfying a reasonable life expectancy for the finished product being sent out.  One type of herb that is really make head waves is rosemary, which just happens to be one of New England’s favorite seasonal plants to view both in the garden and inside homes.

When we look at the reasons why rosemary might be the answer to our prayers in terms of reviving our bouquet production, these characteristics might put things into perspective:

1. The strength of stem is sturdy in both bouquets and centerpieces.
2. 1. This herb has an impressive longevity as a cut flower.
   2. 1. As long as the water is changed, the aroma is another alluring feature rosemary offers.
      2. The dark green needles mix well with a multitude of different colors especially sunflowers, delphinium and nasturtiums.  

Picking Rosemary

Blue flowered in the warm sun of winter

pungent fragrance wafts splendorous

smallish leaves, grow deeply green

with a sun-ward slant they lean

hum and sing with bees

reaching ever upward

wild, their fingers untamed…

By CA Guilfoyle

photo credit via everythingessential.com

Out of all the herbs grown in my summer garden, rosemary is my favorite.  It may not look like much to most people but this bushy plant with bristled foliage is an asset to perfumeries, decorators and chefs everywhere!  The plant’s fragrance is its claim to fame since the needles are used to infuse scents found in shampoos, lotions, soaps and several aromatic healing elixirs.  The Queen of Hungry once believed that a drop of a tonic saturated in rosemary had been responsible for curing the pain of gout in her left foot.  The majority of practicing herbalists also state that it can be helpful with ailments associated with backaches, memory loss and also especially stress.  

Cooking with rosemary is also a treat since you can completely change the taste of a dish just by giving it a little seasoning of the pungent leaves.  Foods that react particularly well are lamb and mutton, making the meat flavorful with a delicious earthy essence.  Another way rosemary is used in the kitchen is by actually implementing the stem as a shish kabob for pork, chicken or whatever else you plan to throw on the grill.  By piercing the food through the pointed tip of the stick, flesh naturally becomes saturated by the marinade, hence morphing the barbecue into something indescribably out of this world.  

Although you may not have noticed, rosemary does grow a small purple or white flower towards the end of wintertime and because of this, the herb has become associated with its own symbolic floral meaning.  Love, lust, memory and mourning can all be argued as strong themes attached to the plant and are generally dependent upon the country or religion being talked about.  Also referred to as “dew from the seas” (because it was first discovered growing along hillsides close to the ocean), one explanation can be traced back to England where the plant was a sign for remembering the Virgin Mary.  In other cultures, blanches are used to cover aisles in churches to wish a newlywed luck during their ceremony.  In Spain, rosemary is dropped along the cathedral’s floor during Holy Week and in other parts of Europe; they are planted near tombs to honor the dead.  In Asia, rosemary is used as a medium for contacting the dead, so I guess it all depends on where you are to decipher the proper meaning of the herb.