Exotic Flowers in Boston

" Gratitude can transform common days into thanksgivings, turn routine jobs into joy, and change opportunities into blessings." - William A. Ward
Dear friends,
Thanksgiving day is the unsung hero who lives in the shadow of black Friday and the subsequent holiday season. Wouldn't it be great if Thanksgiving reclaimed its crown as the most important holiday ? If you go anywhere these days, 'thank you' are magic words. So few people say it and the ones that do just say it because it is rehearsed.
This Thanksgiving, invite someone over who tends to stay alone. If they cannot leave the house, bring them a plate and spend twenty minutes with them. Your time is the greatest gift you can give someone.

Some of you will be hosting Thanksgiving Day dinners this November and are already busy planning the menu, decorations and seating arrangements hoping this will be one holiday not to forget!  The theme is “Giving Thanks”, where gatherings are representative how much you all mean to one another so it might be nice to send your guests home with a small token to remind them of this!  One example of a gift that is sure to be appreciated is a bud vase filled with seasonal flowers that you can either buy from a florist or make yourself.  There’s no need to spend an exorbitant amount of money or give up hours of time preparing these lively baubles because realistically, we’re all too busy with other holiday chores to add more.  You’ll be happy to know that these specimens displayed below can all be created as fast as 1-2-3 and won’t take up more than an hour of your time to design.  Choose the one you like most and surprise your friends and family with a take-home Thanksgiving treat.

photo credit via aboutflowers.com

Roses are a fantastic choice when deciding what varieties will work will within small arrangements because they stand alone perfectly by themselves, are available in a multitude of sizes and contain a sweet fragrance that will intoxicate the room.  Roses are also imported and grown within a thousand shades of color so you’ll have no trouble finding hues reflective of the New England autumn we’re known for. Think oranges, yellows and greens to mix together or order this presentation of a two-toned head such as the one featured in this picture.  Adding a bit of brown fabric to create a rustic feel is another great accessory and can be found by shredding scraps of burlap or similar material.  Make sure the container is simple like this glass jar so that there is no distraction from the blossoms and watch your guests melt with appreciation.

This is another great idea to brighten the moods of the people who will be sitting around your table this Thanksgiving!  Simple and seasonally authentic, ranunculus, rose hips and rosemary are stunning when arranged together and will definitely appeal to those who love herbs and garden growing.  Two out of three of these flowers can be dried as well leaving this memento the chance to remind others of happy times spent together long after the holiday is over. Remember to stick with a plain but elegant vase to showcase the design and leave at each table setting as a personal centerpiece for everyone who attends.  This design is also interchangeable with other flowers of the same tones so don’t be afraid to replace the rosemary with lavender, sage or other greenery if you have something special in mind.

The holiday season is upon us and first up is our favorite turkey time of the year- Thanksgiving Day!  As we get reading to shove the birds into the oven, iron our table linens and pick up that special case of wine we’ve been dying to try, we mustn’t forget the beautiful floral centerpieces we look forward to each year. This is the season where Boston florists can really show you what they’re made of so don’t wait too long to put in your request for a spectacularly designed vase stuffed with November’s top pick varieties.  Luscious, rich and decadently hued, you’re going to love these beauties which are sure to awe and stun your guests this Thanksgiving!

photo credit via Flower Factor

Green, Gray and Cream…  It’s In.

That’s right!  The shades green, gray and cream are the highlights to this season’s floral splendor and surprisingly so, there are a ton of different blooms which will do the spectrum justice. Succulents are one plant that is a must-have that blends beautifully with softer shades and can create interesting texture in bouquets.  Traditionally we see a lot of red, orange and brown combinations so it’s refreshing when a twist occurs in the floral trend that brings an attractive look.  Gray might seem like a funny color to hope for in a vase but honestly, the shade works wonders when using lamb’s ear or spring pussy willow in combination with lighter tints of pink, white, peach or in this case- cream.  Roses are the obvious choice for the latter segment but you can also use hybrid delphinium, gerbera daisies, stock or hydrangea as supplements.  

Red, Gold and Peach…  Perfect!

This is another design that’s certainly eye catching for dinner parties and adds a bit of mystery and depth to an evening’s presentation.  Red mango callas mixed with peach roses and seeded eucalyptus are too die for when placed together in a clear glass vase and will last long after the holiday meal has ended, giving hosts an extra bonus for all of their culinary efforts.  

Flip the Red for a Shade of Pink!

If you’re a little sick and tired of the dark orange and red contrast within Thanksgiving arrangements than you will be happy to know that a few minor tweaks can change the whole presentation.  Swap out the deeper shades and replace them with blush pinks and peaches which will soften the ambiance of your gathering while still keeping in theme with the season.  Strategically place gourds around the base and you’ll have one heck of a conversational piece to talk about at dinner!

"The one constant through all the years, Ray, has been baseball. America has rolled by like an army of steamrollers. It has been erased like a blackboard, rebuilt and erased again. But baseball has marked the time."

Dear friends,
I am fortunate to share your special moments with you. Sending flowers for births and anniversaries is something I cherish and gives my job meaning. I like to share my special moments with you too. This Columbus Day weekend, my family went to Niagara Falls and Cooperstown.

While family time remains my favorite pasttime, baseball is my second favorite. The Baseball Hall of Fame's mission statement includes a focus on connecting generations through by baseball by tellings its stories and using its artifacts to bring generations together.
Isn't that what the holidays and Thanksgiving are all about ? We connect generations through our traditions and our stories. Our artifacts are the flowers on the table. We're grateful for your place at the table.

Rick Canale

So this might sound a little strange but there’s a new trend sweeping across New England this Thanksgiving and it’s all about dressing the bird in flowers!  That’s right!  People are actually asking caterers and florists to create small flower displays either around or on top of their turkeys in order to reap a particular benefit!  Sound crazy?  Well, the reason lies in the belief that doing so will bring about some…umm- interesting side effects.  We’re not quite sure where this phenomenon started but we do know that Bostonians are actively placing their orders for the upcoming holiday sending designers into turkey hysteria!  Want to learn more about how and why this fad is circulating?  Read on to learn the secret to this turkey taboo…

photo credit via http://blovelyevents.com/

According to ancient scripture, the turkey was once thought to be of regal stature in certain cultures and was often given a bed of petals to sleep on during customary celebrations.  Depending on the color of the feathers the bird adorned, people would actually attempt to match the shading to the blossoms presented.  If the turkey had more red feathers, he was thought to be a bringer of love and romance while a turkey having blue feathers was believed to induce sorrow or death.  Nowadays, the Thanksgiving turkey is being wrapped in flowers of a chosen color in the hopes to encourage the desired omen.  (For those who would like to try this, select green flowers to entice a windfall of money, purple for courage and yellow for happiness.)

A second theory for why people are covering their birds with flowers is due to the aroma-therapeutic benefits that can be infused into the skin.  While many of these dressings include herbs such as rosemary, parsley and sage, there are blossoms such as dandelions and nasturtium now being thrown into the mix.  Creative chefs are infusing their meat with an incredible seasoning of sweet to spicy tastes just by covering the top of the turkey’s back and legs with freshly cut florets.  Be careful not to use species like roses that will embellish a musty aftertaste and try choosing varieties that have an earthy consistency such as heather, alliums, chicory, geraniums and borage.

New England is the absolute best place in the world to be when celebrating Thanksgiving!  Not only do we have the historical background such as Plymouth Plantation and Plymouth Rock, but we also have fabulous crisp and cool weather that is the perfect compliment for Turkey Day.  Bostonians have loads of decorative options available to dress up their homes and dining tables including a vast assortment of flowers that might well have been the same that the pilgrims placed on their tables!  

May Flower ?

photo credit: history.com

So what do you think?  Did the pilgrims really have the creative touch to arrange a few bouquets for their first November feast in America?

Gooseberries ?

photo credit: wikipedia

I would have to agree they did!

Bittersweet Vine ?

photo credit: marbleheadconservancy,org

With so many natural flora and fauna growing wildly around them, why is it so far fetched that they too, might have chosen a centerpiece to accessorize their festive gathering?

Wheat ? Beach Roses ?

After some careful research, these are a few of the possibilities that the Massachusetts settlers could have used on Thanksgiving.  If any of you are history buffs and want to make your holiday as authentic as possible, try digging up one of these for your floral displays!

I love movies.  I love movies so much that I have a collection for each special holiday and occasion.  Doesn’t matter if it’s a rainy day, the first day of school or Halloween, I’ve got something for everything.  That’s why this Thanksgiving is going to be filled with hours upon hours of watching my favorite flicks associated with the infamous turkey day!  I bet you didn’t know that Thanksgiving is only second runner up to the top cinematic holiday blockbuster, Christmas!  It’s because of the increasing popularity that we have dozens and dozens of films to choose from, offering both options for adults and kids!  (Check the ratings carefully because some of them are inappropriate for younger audiences.) I mean who hasn’t seen the Great Pumpkin Charlie Brown?  It’s a classic!  Here are a few more of my top Thanksgiving Day flicks that I’ll be enjoying this season.

The cornucopia has long been a significant symbol of the Thanksgiving Day holiday tradition.   Many of us recognize the decorative marker as a large basket that holds several different seasonal foods and flowers.  The most popular produce that New Englanders use to stuff the cornucopia are oranges, grapes, apples, bananas, gourds, small pumpkins, pears and artichokes while flowers usually consist of sunflowers, mums, hay, gerberas, calla lilies and mimosa.  Over hundreds of thousands of years, families select this centerpiece to be displayed during their celebratory feasts, enticing guests to pull out their preferred treats to enjoy during their visit.  Not only is this presentation both visually and tastily appealing, the cornucopia holds great historical importance when tracing back its origins.  Take a look where this customary relic came from and enjoy this tale, which will hopefully stimulate an interesting conversation between your guests.  

photo credit: Flower Factor

The cornucopia (or otherwise known as the “Horn of Plenty” ) has several different story variations explaining its beginning but because I love mythology, this is my favorite one I’ve found so far…

Allegorical depiction of the Roman goddess Abundantia with a cornucopia, by Rubens (ca. 1630)

Before Zeus was a mighty and powerful God, he was held in the woods to be protected from his father, Cronus.  His caregiver was a goat named Amalthea, who swore to keep the boy safe from any harm and raise him herself.  The goat nurtured him with milk, food and shelter until the day he was full grown and had received the strength to return to Crete.

One day, as the child was playing and laughing with his protector, Zeus accidentally handled Amalthea’s horn to roughly and broke it off leaving her with only one left.  Zeus felt so terrible about what he had done, he blessed the goat’s broken limb to always be filled with an abundance of whatever she might need for the rest of her life.  

Today, we celebrate the cornucopia as the plentiful horn shaped basket that is consistently filled with nurturing and bountiful gifts.  For some Bostonians, the basket has been passed down as a family heirloom and for others, the centerpiece is ordered annually from local florists.  If you are looking for some ideas on how to fill your cornucopia this Thanksgiving, here are some of the top requested styles for November 2015.  

Ordering Thanksgiving flowers are one of the most overlooked tasks for those hosting holiday celebrations.  With all of the cooking, cleaning and preparing to think about, it’s no real shocker that it happens a lot.   Often the chore is left to the last minute giving the illusion that other issues such as selecting your menus, linens and guest lists are more important.  

Well they’re not.

If you’ve ever been in this situation, you know how disappointing the outcome is when you’re left with no other choice but to browse through the leftover section at Stop & Shop.   There’s just nothing more depressing than a dead bunch of mums and dried up roses, especially when they’re supposed to be decorations for Thanksgiving Day table.  So if you want to ensure a beautiful centerpiece for the festivities, here’s 3 tips that will help you get exactly what you wish for!

photo credit: Flower Factor

1.  Order in Advance and by that I mean at least two weeks ahead of time.

You might think that phoning your florist this early is silly but actually, it gives them the opportunity to spend more time getting a better understanding of your likes and dislikes.  If there is something unusual or rare in your bouquet that you are requesting, buyers will need that extra time to inform their wholesaler if it needs to be special ordered from somewhere else.  Remember, the earlier you call, the higher the likelihood of obtaining what you really want for your floral presentation.

Photo credit: Society of American Florists

2.  Let the florists do their work and you do yours.

Let’s face it-preparing a Thanksgiving Day feast is hard work!  You’re pretty much hands on throughout the entire holiday so let the designers handle the heavy lifting when it comes to your floral creations.   By nailing this issue as job#1, you’ll be able to breath a sigh of relief knowing someone else is doing the work and not you!

3.  Coordination is the key.

Sometimes hosts are initially blocked when it comes to selecting their color palette of napkins, tablecloths and other dining accessories.  By ordering your flowers first, you can set the theme early, allowing you to match everything else to the varieties and texture the florist plans on using.  If you want to get a little “Martha Stewart”, you can even coordinate some of your menu to the blooms!  After all, pumpkin pie goes great with orange lilies, mango callas and peach amaryllis!  

Thanksgiving is a wonderful holiday, which is decorated elaborately in several different ways.  Turkey, cranberry sauce, mashed potatoes certainly do a magnificent job dressing our tables along with specially chosen linens and candlelight.  For New Englanders, we are blessed with the natural beauty of color that autumn brings us, a gift that is utilized not only within our cuisine and fabrics but also in our Thanksgiving Day flower arrangements!  Red, gold, orange and green varieties are specially chosen by clever designers looking to please their customers with seasonal centerpieces perfect for their holiday feasts.  

photo credit: Flower Factor

Typically, clients can be a bit anxious when placing an order during this time of year, fearful that a request for a festive creation will translate into a vase of mums and carnations.  It’s true, at one time this was the popular method for completely this November’s vase work but things have changed quite a bit.  Most top-notch Boston flower businesses now implement contemporary proficiency while planning their holiday product purchases from wholesalers to include modernized combinations of shade and texture.  This is a great thing because clientele has become more and more sophisticated within their taste and now demand a larger variety of Thanksgiving flowers for their celebrations.  The question is, what options will be the most popular for 2015?  

According to industry reports, Bean Town’s florists are going to need a whole lot of roses, gerberas, kale, calla lilies, thistle, Asiatic lilies, berries and fall foliage to get the job done right!  Because of the previous holiday’s trend of white, green and brown color palettes, customers are finding themselves reverting back to bright ad bold instead of soft and pastel.  Here are a few of the protocols that are predicted to be the top sellers this Thanksgiving!