written by Janet Harrold After 30+ years of making beautiful wedding designs for excited brides, I must say that things have changed dramatically and so have our brides. Today’s brides are much more educated and detail orieinted. Years ago the most you would see is a bride who came in with a swatch of fabric that was given to her by the bridal shop , or a clipping from a magazine. Today’s brides come into an appointment well prepared with ipads, wedding planners and ideas that they pinned on their pinterest boards. Now don’t get me wrong, I’m not complaining, it sometimes makes our job a bit easier when the bride can share her vision and sometimes it makes it a bit more difficult, but often times it means getting married today is both a lot of work and a lot of fun. I admit at times it can be stressful to be able to pull off such a big day with the incredible elegance that you see when you arrive at the venue as an invited guest.

The final result is a generally a team effort of many professionals that the bride and groom has carefully orchestrated over a fairly long period of time. The decisions they have to make can be a bit overwhelming.

That is why we do our very best to take the pressure off of our brides. Flowers are a key component not only to the overall look of day, but for years after as you reflect back on your photos and videos. That is why we typically establish a relationship over the course of a year or so. Sometimes a little less, other times a little longer. We talk about your vision for the day, the colors that make you happy and the overall feel of the atmosphere. We make site visits to the venue when needed, we consider the season and advise you on which flowers look their best at different times of year. We make samples for you to approve a few weeks before your day so that there aren’t any surprises the day of the wedding.

Richard during a wedding consult with flower samples.

If you or someone you know is getting married, let us guide you in the direction of  beautiful flowers, that is the least that we can do.

written by Janet Harrold It is finally time to plant tomatoes! Tomatoes are one of the most rewarding plants to grow in your garden. You can also plant them in containers on your patio or porch, we also have them in earth friendly peat moss containers that can be planted directly in the ground. Most of our tomatoes are locally grown here in Massachusetts so it’s a sure bet that with full sun you will have no worries growing yours.

A couple of simple tips will seal the deal and provide your family with delicious juicy tomatoes all summer long. They also add nourishment to your dinner, sandwiches and salads. The kids will be amazed as they watch them grow.

Tomatoes need lots and lots of sun, so be sure to select an area that they will thrive in.

Tomatoes like regular even water. A common mistake that people make is letting them get too dry and then heavily watering. This kind of watering is what typically leads to cracking.

Trim suckers…suckers tend to develop between the two stems, this is sometimes recommended because the leafy growth of the new stem is competing and taking away the nutrients of the original plant.

We recommend planting a variety of tomatoes in your garden, here are just a few favorites that we currently have in the garden center:

• Better Boy
• Sun Gold
• Early Girl
• Husky Cherry Red
• Super Steak
• Super Sweet 100