Boston Flora

Category: Wreath of the Day

  • Wreath of the Day – Gratitude to The Lenox Hotel

    For years our Club has been active with The Friends of Copley Square, and one of our premier decorators, Rita Christensen, has worked on that Board of Directors with Dan Donahue, General Manager of The Lenox Hotel. She and Luz Anthony have created lovely wreaths for Dan personally, as well as contributing mightily to the decoration of the Square. The Lenox has been a stalwart supporter of The Garden Club of the Back Bay for many years, and while this wasn’t the first time they have sent treats to our volunteers during Wreath Week, all agreed this was the most elaborate set up ever. Of course the prosecco didn’t flow until the end of the work day. We wanted to be sure the wreath bows went on straight! Thank you Dan, thank you Lenox for your fiscal and tangible contributions, and happy holidays to all. Below is one of his wreaths along with a shot of volunteers enjoying the spread.

  • Wreath of the Day – Gleaning the Glitz

    One category of materials which store quite well are sparkly, artificial items – leaves, balls, glittery picks – which are essential for customers who request “glamorous glitz” as their preferred style. While we have long been known for our natural looks, enhanced when allowed with touches of gold or silver, some of our creations would be right at home in Hollywood. There was a lot of redundant material in boxes, taking up lots of space, and not everyone is adept with using such eye catching items. Past President Sherley Smith, with cohorts, took on the thankless task of sorting and culling, and pushing back when decorators said “oh no, you can’t throw that away (after five years of ignoring the item)”. Now we have a manageable number of plastic bins: one silver (examples below), one gold, one copper, one green, one red, and one box of black/purple/pink/anything uncategorized colors. Thank you Sherley – you held the decorations and saved what brought you joy.

  • Wreath of the Day – Downton Abbey

    Co-President and this year, Captain of Deliveries Maureen O’Hara, shared a hilarious analysis of our Wreath Week activities. “We are a little like Downton Abbey at Wreath Week. We have standards and traditions, Upstairs and Downstairs. Past President and Wreath Co-Chair Catherine Bordon was a combination of Mr. Carson and Mary Crawley with her forward thinking (she threw out the printed delivery maps now that GPS is ubiquitous), reflecting changing times. She combines institutional knowledge with her computer skills and steel trap mind. There were a few Mrs. Hughes downstairs, putting out fires and guiding the “estate” in the right direction.” Maureen herself was amazing, acting as Tom Branson, the Downton chauffeur, driving a wreath to Brookline (out of our delivery radius) when the recipient was hesitant to drive into the City.

  • Wreath of the Day – Camaraderie and The Big Reunion

    A few members, when asked about this year’s Wreath Week, commented that the event is really a big reunion. Many participants are long-term GCBB members and friends. We get together to work on a very big project that lasts for days, and have time to reminisce, share news, laugh, and meet new members. In the words of Past President Jolinda Taylor “It is a fund raiser to be sure, but it is also a rare opportunity to mix with such smart, hard-working, fun, and capable women. A wonderful GCBB tradition.” Decorators came from Wellesley, Cape Cod, Connecticut, New Hampshire, and Florida. Next year we hope to add California to that out of state list.

  • Wreath of the Day – Workshops

    Over the years we have intermittently scheduled training mornings, or conducted bow making workshops before Wreath Week, or assigned new decorators to work with experienced decorators, but there was no real program to rely on. This year two of our best decorators, Past President Jackie Blombach and https://backbaytrees.org/ designer and webmaster Laurie Thomas did two workshops, training eight recruits in the fine art of decorating in our particular style. The topics included preparing the base wreath by fluffing, trimming, and attaching hangers, deciphering the order properly so the finished wreath reflects the client’s preference, choosing the bow, gathering the extra greens and materials, how to attach everything so nothing falls off in transit, what items to use only on indoor wreaths or only on outdoor wreaths, and so much more. One new member called the event a “fellowship of friends”, which is a good description. Below is a wreath created created by Laurie which shows great attention to detail, symmetry, and beauty.

  • Wreath of the Day – Wreath Sourcing

    Our supplier, Pat Riccardi, has been a stalwart supporter of our annual Holiday Wreath Project, and this year was no exception. At the planning stage, we were not sure how many wreaths we should order. We were limiting sales of fully decorated wreaths, but we didn’t know if our customer base from 2019 would return, whether people had found alternatives and moved on to new suppliers (one actually did email to say he had ordered from LL Bean thinking we weren’t back in business but promised to return next year), or if inflation might create a general cutting back of non essential purchases. As it turned out, we did have quite a few leftover wreaths, and on Thursday were able to return those bundles we hadn’t untied. Pat reported he had sold all the wreaths we returned by Thursday afternoon! There were such supply and quality issues this year that there hadn’t been a 12″ base wreath in the flower market for three weeks. He had hidden ours in a truck at the Flower Market protecting them from marauders until our delivery date.

    The wreaths are made in small shops around Canada, and he purchases them from an aggregator for different suppliers, which accounts for the differences in sizes of some, and how tight, full, or loose some are as compared to others. Up until this year we assumed the wreaths all came from one source. Pat’s attention to detail and protectiveness underlines the advantage of dealing with one person for over twenty years. We thank you, Pat.

  • Wreath of the Day – Christmas Angel

    A member shared the following story with us after she asked us to incorporate a family decoration into her wreath:


    “My college roommate, a talented and devoted gardener with a flair for design, gave me the metal angel [seen below] in 2001, suggesting I incorporate it into future wreaths. Sadly, the following May she suffered a stroke at the age of 42, and we ultimately lost her. I miss her daily. It was such a gift to find the angel in my Christmas decorations in December, 2002. That year and each year since I have put the angel on my wreath. When I joined the Garden Club of the Back Bay [in 2018] I bought a beautifully decorated wreath to support wreath week, but really missed the angel. This year I requested that the angel be used in the design of my wreath. The angel was welcomed by Gudi and Stephanie [our dynamite mother/daughter decorating team] who thoughtfully and lovingly included her in their design. The result is spectacular and heartwarming to all who knew my friend, and is a reminder of her at our front door.”

    The client chose the ribbon color because the wallpaper in her hallway is busy and she didn’t want a pattern to compete. To “backlight” the angel, glittery branches were moved around the angel to draw the eye to the centerpiece. Below is a picture of the finished wreath hung on the client’s door.

  • Wreath of the Day – Using Our Ribbon

    We have sometimes been accused of overbuying. In fact, we are often accused of overbuying, especially when it comes to ribbon. Every decorator is entranced with new designs, new color combinations, new textures, and as a result, over the past years we have been boxing and keeping more ribbon than was practical in our storage facility. This year a concerted effort was made to use what we had before buying more. At the end of this year’s project, we took a complete inventory and now know what we have and what we need to replenish next year. We will return next year with a streamlined collection of ribbon styles. The burgundy and gold ribbon below is perfectly echoed in the berries and “touch of gold” decorations.

  • Wreath of the Day – The 2022 Collection

    The Garden Club of the Back Bay has wrapped up its 2022 winter fund raiser, the Holiday Wreath Sale. We returned to The First Lutheran Church of Boston for the first time since 2019, with reduced numbers in the space, masks, more organization with volunteer scheduling, and yet, for all that, the project was as fun filled as it always has been. On a personal note, I, as the person responsible in years past for writing up the Wreath of the Day stories, was sequestered in Los Angeles and was unable to be there in person. The stories which will come to you in the coming days, now through January 1, are mostly second hand, and I apologize for any lack of personality you may find in them. The fault is mine. The beauty of the wreaths speak for themselves. – Francine Crawford

  • Monday, December 5 – Thursday, December 8 – Where We Are This Week

    Looking for a Garden Club of the Back Bay member? Need to discuss wreath delivery options? You will find us at The First Lutheran Church, Boston, 299 Berkeley Street, where, for the first time since 2019, we will be decorating holiday wreaths! If you need immediate assistance, call our new phone number 617-872-2697 (617-USA-BOWS) or email info@bostonflora.com. Follow us on Instagram for up to the minute sneak peeks – @gardenclubbackbay.