It’s just around the corner, so what are you doing for your sweetheart? Of course, every woman expects flowers on  this particular holiday, and how nice when they  are delivered to the office…don’t just send them….WOW them!  Roses are a great choice and typically the first thing that comes to mind when you are thinking about  flowers for your Valentine, but keep in mind they are not the only choice…often times a bouquet of one type of flower can make a great impact and can be a refreshing and welcoming change.

for example a beautiful bouquet of fragrant  Hiacinth’s can really make a statement

After all love is in the air right? Yea right, the only thing that I see in the air lately is snow.This winter sure has had plenty of it, these cold blustery days  make me long for warm weather. Since we live in New England, that isn’t going to happen for a few more months.  The best we can do is to think warm thoughts, and send warm sentiments to your Valentine.  A beautifully designed spring flower arrangement of  tulips,  hiacinths or roses is enough to make her heart melt. (If only it worked for the snow).

Ranunculus

Phillips Chocolates….after you have successfully warmed her up you may need to sweeten her a bit…we also carry Phillips chocolates here in the shop. An 11oz box of assorted  chocolates is the perfect size to accompany that blooming bouquet, but  1 pound box is enough to offer her co-workers a tasty treat. Either of  these can be added and delivered locally with your flower delivery. Call the shop today 617-825-8582 and beat the mad rush.

written by: Janet Harrold

I’ve recently learned about a movement called “Lonely Bouquet Day” It was started by a woman named Emily who lives in Belgium. It was her way of spreading joy through the gift of flowers. As soon as I finished reading about this I couldn’t wait to get involved. I thought…what an easy random act of kindness to participate in. My only problem/dilemma was that I did not want to wait until June 29th (That is the actual date for The Lonely Bouquet Day).  So instead, I chose to spread the good will immediately and regularly. Today, I will put a sweet bouquet together -add a little note with it and drop it somewhere special, in hopes that someone who really needs it will find it. The note will read something like this… “Adopt me please! Here I sit all alone, waiting for someone to just take me home. I’m fresh from the garden and made with care, enjoy me yourself or possibly share”.   Because it is the first time doing this, it may be a  good idea to leave a clue on our facebook page…so, be on the lookout for a clue as to where this lonely bouquet will be left. I will  also be accepting suggestions of places to set our blooming treasure around town. If you know of a particular place, office, restaurant, hospital, nursing home or any random location, please leave it in the comment section provided. Of course we may not be able to leave these lovelies everywhere that may be suggested, we will do our best to entertain as many as we can.

My ideal stocking is something that is filled to the brim with both practical gifts and fun little treasures…make Christmas morning memorable… here are a few fun ideas.

“Lucky Feathers”  have charms in just about any symbol that you can think of…

Keep your mind sharp with these mini books and knowledge cards, great for kids and adults!

a little fig and ginger jam is quite delicious…

who doesn’t need a good joke this time of year…

Blithe-and Bonnie soap products…

do you sleep with dogs???

Pawsome baseball caps

the dog lover….

For the dog lover in your life…

oohh la la….why not add a bit of this to my hot chocolate…

we have a large variety of Barr-Co soap products…

jigsaw puzzle anyone… yes, this will fit in a stocking…
if you are looking for something a little more on the intricate side we have great selection of pottery from Judy Jackson stoneware…start your collection now and yes, they will fit in your stocking!

These are just a few of our options, the shop is  full of  great ideas and a wide selection of uncommon and unique gifts. What are some of the things you would like to see in your stocking this year?

written by Janet Harrold

Your tree should be a reflection of your love of art, let your personality shine through! Whether you like a traditionally decorated tree full of classic color tones and years of memories that your children have created, or you want to glam it up a bit with a trendy dramatic color palette of shiny copper and teal over sized ornaments, sprayed metallic  leaves and a tree topper of fancy feathers. These few tricks of the trade will help to give you a more polished and professional look.

The Lights   The more lights the better! Colored lights vs white lights….again, decorating your tree is a personal preference and the color of lights that you choose is not as important as the way you hang your lights. When installing your them. Don’t forget to start from within, close to the trunk and work your way out to the tips giving your tree more depth and dimension.

The Ornaments   Many of us have a variety of shapes and sizes so when hanging your ornaments don’t just hang them anywhere. Dangle them in empty spaces…i’m not a fan of having ornaments sit on the branch below it, when this happens the tree  tends to look rather “clunky.”   Just as you did with your lights, dangle some of the heavier, larger ornaments in deep and towards the middle or lower portion of the tree to distribute the weight more evenly and  balance them off with smaller shapes and sizes on the outside branches and towards the top region of the tree.

The Tree Skirt ahh, so many options for your tree skirt.  This is an area where you want to open up your mind and think outside of the box. Don’t limit yourself to using just any ole  “tree skirt” under your tree, utilize other fabric options such as a gold or red curtain or an under used Christmas table cloth.  A gray and white  chevron  pattern for a more modern look, and if yours is a  traditional tree, a ruffled  burlap cloth  is very handsome. For the young at heart instead of a tree skirt how about an electric locomotive train set.

The Tree Topper For many, the most important part of the tree. This can be the single feature that ties your entire tree together. It can be creative, sentimental or elaborate. A few suggestions can be as simple as a large bow, a finial,  a lighted star or an angel that your kindergartner made out of a paper plate and glued glitter on the wings.  The choice is yours and the possibilities endless.

written by: Janet Harrold

Andy Williams sang it best and we  couldn’t agree more-“It’s the most wonderful time of the year”

Chilly sweater weather, rich hot chocolate, fresh fallen  snow, hosting Holiday parties  and having a custom wreath designed for your front door by Cedar Grove Gardens, these are just a few things that I think of once December arrives. The countdown is on and we are decking the halls. We are  ready and able  to assist in making  your Holidays as magical as they can possibly be. We are also super excited for the  launch our new website!

We have been diligently working on our new site and are very excited for you to see it. I’m so proud to have the opportunity to chronicle some of the day-to-day operations that “Team Cedar Grove Gardens” has to offer.  What  can you expect from our new site?  You can expect to read regular blog postings, keeping you informed about upcoming Holidays, wedding trends and tips, plant care, sales, and day to day  happenings. You can expect to see new product, better visuals and explanations of who we are and what we have to offer you, our loyal customers. A description and calendar of the events we offer here in the shop, and so much more.  As you already know we are a full service florist, we specialize in wedding designs, corporate work, funeral arrangements and we provide  flowers for all occasions, we can enhance and beautify any space, but did you know that we have a luscious garden center  that changes with every season? One of the services that we provide through the  garden center is the customization of  container gardens! Our garden center is ever changing with the seasons and currently boasting my favorite color…December!   Our garden center  is filled to the brim with all of our  winter trimmings and seasonal offerings. Another service that we  offer is home and business decorating services. Our highly skilled decorators and designers love to decorate for the holidays in a unique way that will leave a lasting impression.

Our extensive gift shop  is like no other, one of Dorchester’s hidden gems for sure. In the past, only our local customers were able to shop our selection of unique gifts, but not anymore, our new website will give you a sampling of gifts that we offer and can be ordered and shipped anywhere in the U.S. just in time for the upcoming Holiday Season! At least twice a year we shop the world to bring you unusual treasures. These are just a few things that you can expect to find on our new site. So please take a minute to view it,  we sure hope that you enjoy our new site and check back often as we promise to keep it fresh and as always keep you engaged and inspired.

Stay tuned for our upcoming blog posts as we discuss….

Tips on caring for your poinsettia, trimming your tree and holiday and gift giving ideas

written by Janet Harrold

From tall stalks to heart shaped foliage amaryllis, poinsettia and cyclamen are a few holiday favs. Great for gift giving or decorating here are a few tips to keep your blooms flowering all winter long.

Probably the most common plant is the infamous poinsettia. Often times when you think of a poinsettia, you think of the color red, but these amazing plants come in a variety of colors. In part thanks to hybridization as well as breeding. We have the good fortune of seeing poinsettias in many shades of red ranging from burgandy to oranges, but pink is also a demanding color choice- a solid soft pink, or a hot pink they also come in white, salmon apricot, yellow and they even come in blue believe it or not! A few unusual speckled and marbled varieties have names to suit their unique look such as ‘Jingle Bells” and ” Candy Cane”

Whether you decide to decorate with your humble poinsettia or bring it to a Christmas party as a hostess gift, remember just a few quick tips. Avoid hot or cold drafts, poinsettias are highly sensitive to cold temperatures-be sure it does not get bit by the wind , not even for 1 minute or you will surely loose them. Keep the soil moist (not soggy) and place in a room with bright light and is 60-70 degrees.

Often times people ask about keeping their holiday beauty from one year to the next, as this is definitely something that can be done, it is often times more work than it is worth, with proper care your plant will probably last longer than your desire to keep it.  With that in mind, I opt o buy a new one each year and the hunt to find new varieties is always a welcomed challenge.

if poinsettias are not your thing…

don’t despair, they are certainly not the only choice in the greenhouse. As a matter of fact, your hostess just may embrace an alternative to the other 4 red poinsettias brought in by their other generous guests.

Cyclamen is definitely one of my favorites, they come in a variety of colors as well. Pinks, reds, whites etc. but to me the most attract part of this hardy plant is it’s eye catching heart shaped foliage often times they have a lacy silvery pattern appropriate for holiday gift giving.

If it’s a huge satisfying bloom you’re looking for why not choose amaryllis? With it’s tall stalk of colorful blooms, it’s another favorite holiday plant. You can choose amaryllis in a variety of ways,  as a plant, a cut flower or in a kit providing a fun project for kids and adults to chart the growth and see the undeniable reward as it performs. Amaryllis come in so many colors and varieties, guaranteed to be a showstopper and deliver a sensational winter display.    

written by Janet Harrold There is no denying it, it is that wreath making, back breaking, picture taking time of year! People come from miles around because they know that the best way to make a great first impression is by hanging one of our custom and creative one of a kind personal  wreaths to their front door. It is one of  our biggest draws this time of year. A unique service that we provide our customers and one that can’t be beat. Wreaths are traditionally hung on the front door to provide a festive welcome. We enjoy embellishing our wreath’s with added fragrance and textures  that we get from pine, incense cedar and a variety of mixed greens.  Each season we offer new and exciting ideas and our ribbon is always the best quality.

If your entryway needs more than just a wreath on the door, we also stock pine and balsam  roping to wrap banisters, railings or to lay on top of a mantel.  If you prefer that we decorate for you, just call us.An easy way to spruce up your winter landscape is by adding one of our custom made container gardens.  Our container garden designs overflow with fragrance, filled with white pine boughs, balsam fir tips and finished with winter berries red twig dogwood or birch  branches for a  bursts of the unexpected. ..