We had a couple of requests this year for wreaths in a teal and coral colorway, a bit unusual for Christmas but we aim to please. The teal proved to be no problem – we had some peacock ribbon that fit the bill. The coral was tougher, and we settled for copper, and hoped that would suffice. The wreath below was picked up, and the customer was very happy.
Each year our Club donates gift certificates to all the member and affiliate Clubs of The Boston Committee of the GCA. Our Club is an affiliate member and the proceeds support The Blossom Fund, an annual grant given to enhance a public project in the Greater Boston area. You can read all about current and past projects at http://www.bostoncommitteegca.org/ One of this years winners explained her design theme this year was to be candy canes, and our decorator found the perfect ribbon and even some real candy canes to bedazzle the design. The winner kindly forwarded a photo of the decorated house entrance, which we so appreciate since we love to see our wreaths in situ.
Toxicity is an issue with many holiday decorations if you live with a cat or a dog, and the wreath is hung inside. As materials dry they fall to the ground and can easily be accidentally ingested. No one looks forward to Christmas Eve at Angell Memorial. Below is a wreath created with pets in mind – nothing here will do harm unless it falls off a nail from a great height and hits the poor kitty on the head. And, of course, it’s beautiful.
Everyone loves a challenge. An order came in this year for a woman who loves horses and rides at Myopia. The designer chose a black and red ribbon reminiscent of hunting jackets and black velvet helmets, and actually searched eBay for child’s stirrups which she painted with glitter. The jewels symbolize the prizes and pick up the red in the ribbon. Very successful and the client was thrilled.
This year we were especially fortunate to have members who had either never decorated with us before, or had done some limited number of wreaths or assisted in the past, step up and create some absolutely beautiful items. A few new people said they felt intimidated at first to jump in and decorate, but we have a method. Not only do we have a page of instructions on our process, including how to attach things, what materials go inside and outside, where to place the bow, etc., but we have new people work with or next to one of the experienced decorators, so they can ask questions. Often the new people come with fresh ideas and outstrip the old-timers! There is a lot of talent in our Club, and we hope even more people will participate in the decorating next year.
There is a lot of laughter during Wreath Week. This year one of our newer volunteers came out of the ladies room and commented “No judgment, but you know someone left cream cheese by the sink.” We then realized it was our bar of Crisco, which we use for removing pine tar from our hands prior to washing with soap or dishwashing liquid. Nothing works better. The trick came to us during a Garden Club decorating workshop years and years ago, from a floral designer who had struggled for years with black marks all over her hands during the holidays. Try it at home – butter would work, too, but vegetable shortening is cheaper. Below is an all natural wreath with burgundy bow which had its share of pine tar in the materials.
Our volunteers had a lively discussion this season over the term “natural.” Customers are given three basic choices when ordering fully decorated wreaths: all natural, designer’s choice, or glamorous glitz. The glamorous glitz designation is obvious, and the all natural designation has meant, in the past, absolutely no paint, glitter, or artificial elements of any kind. Often we despair when people choose all natural because a tiny bit of gold or a small painted white tipped pine cone can enliven the design and make it show up better, rather than being a sea of brown. However, this year more designers used elements which were manufactured to look natural but actually were not, and we hesitated to send them out to an “all natural” customer. Take the gorgeous wreath below as an example. Nothing shiny here. Yet the poinsettia nestled in the bow is clearly not real, and the red berried branches are man made. Does this qualify as “all natural?” We would send this order out if the order form said designer’s choice, but just where is the line? Opinions always welcome at info@bostonflora.com, or respond on Facebook.
Every day we feed our troops, for strength, energy, and to make sure they don’t leave too early! This year our friend Dan Donahue, General Manager of The Lenox Hotel, Beacon Hill Hotel and Bistro, and the Saunders Hotel Group, sent over lunch during the Monday rain/ice/snow event, which was greatly appreciated. He is also a customer. Below is one of a trio of wreaths made for his home in the suburbs, and our only complaint is we can’t see it walking around the neighborhood. Thank you again, and be sure to have holiday lunch at the Beacon Hill Hotel and Bistro if you are shopping in Beacon Hill this December and tell them the Garden Club of the Back Bay sent you.
We sell two sizes of wreaths – standard and large. Standard wreaths are built on a 12″ round wire base, and large wreaths are built on a 16″ base. We also special order other sizes with advance notice from customers. This year, for some unknown reason, our standard wreaths came in two forms, a very thick and tightly woven wreath which we quickly dubbed the cupcake, and a looser and lighter version which were equivalent to the wreaths we have sold for years. Both types were built on a 12″ base, and technically both were standard wreaths. The smaller versions actually worked quite well for matched pairs on double doors, since the swinging or active door would be less likely to hit the matching wreath every time the door opened. We did have one complaint, from a customer who assumed she had somehow been sent the wrong size, but we assured her she received the correct wreath. We will definitely speak with our supplier, however, since we don’t want people disappointed with their orders. What do you think? Email info@bostonflora.com if you have a strong preference.
Politics rarely interferes with The Garden Club of the Back Bay’s wreath week. Our members span the political spectrum and we wouldn’t want it any other way. Politics did play a part in our 2019 pricing, however, and how the trend may continue next season has yet to be determined. We sometimes forget how many materials we use are made in China – wires for hanging hooks, picks for attaching both real and artificial materials, glass balls, tinsel and ornaments, and most importantly, ribbon. We usually do a fair bit of shopping at post-Christmas sales, and store the materials at our off-site storage unit in Brighton. During the fall run up prior to wreath week, we take stock of special needs and orders and do a bit of targeted shopping as well. This year we definitely experienced sticker shock. Some materials costs were almost 50% higher than in previous years. Luckily we had a stash of saved decorations so the full impact was not felt, and although we had raised the price of our fully decorated standard wreaths by $15, we kept the undecorated wreath prices constant. If the tariffs go away, we hope our costs will return to their 2018 levels. So in tribute to our Chinese manufacturers, today we feature a bright red outdoor wreath (red is considered a lucky color in China).
