Boston Flora

Tag: Francine Crawford

  • Twelve Thousand Posts and Counting

    Boston Flora achieved a milestone in September. The number of highlighted events of horticultural and environmental interest written since its debut as the blog for The Garden Club of the Back Bay now exceeds 12,000. The exact number is a bit fuzzy since some recurring annual events such as major fundraisers are edited, not rewritten, so the post numbers remain the same. A couple of years ago The Garden Club of the Back Bay launched a different site, https://bostonflora.com, focusing on Club activities, while Boston Flora remains committed to broadening public awareness of educational opportunities nationwide. When COVID lockdowns expanded online lecture opportunities, I jumped on the challenge, and now Boston Flora has followers across the country. Still, New England is my spiritual home, and local organizations are prioritized. If you are not already registered, please sign up for the daily email through the website – thousands of households already do. There are no advertisements – the site is maintained on a volunteer basis as a labor of love. Feel free to let me know about events you think may be of interest, and I will do my best to include them. Boston Flora has a Facebook page and an Instagram account @bostonflorablog. On Instagram, you won’t see the daily posts, since the platform prioritizes the visual. To see what is going on, you really need to check out the website. Thank you all for following Boston Flora and me, Francine Crawford!

  • Wreath of the Day, From the Archives – Luxury Ribbon

    When we started our Holiday Wreath Project, we used a stiff artificial ribbon for our bows, wired (mostly) but made with a flocked faux velvet side backed by a shiny paper side. It was inexpensive, but wide enough to be showy from a distance. Creating lovely loops was a bit taxing when the paper was so uncooperative, but we had a variety of colors from which to choose which met our needs. At one point, a few better quality ribbons were acquired, on sale, from Jacobson’s, big box stores, and craft centers. These were so much more fun to work with, but in order to maximize our profits, we began to charge an extra $5 for “luxury ribbon.” Some customers were quick to add the cost on to their orders, but the problem was this – our decorators rebelled! They only wanted to design around the far more attractive bows, and were using them on orders which did not qualify for the upgrade. That was clearly unfair to those who paid extra, so the following year, we simply made an executive decision to use better ribbon on every order. We do try to find things on sale, and members who spot bargain materials during the course of the year grab them up, but the project became a lot more interesting once we opted for the silks and brocades, velvets and taffetas. Here is a pretty example from 2010.

    Today’s Wreath of the Day Sponsor is Francine Crawford, one of the project co-chairs, who really likes nice ribbon.

  • Monday, December 4 – Thursday, December 7 – Garden Club of the Back Bay Holiday Wreath Making

    Monday, December 4 – Thursday, December 7 – Garden Club of the Back Bay Holiday Wreath Making

    Pastor Ingo R. Dutzmann and his parish will again host our Club for wreath making on the lower level of The First Lutheran Church of Boston, 299 Berkeley Street (on the corner of Berkeley and Marlborough Streets). We are very, very grateful. Please note that a core group will set up the space on Sunday, December 3  (anyone who can lend a hand is welcome – email info@bostonflora.com for set up times) and we will be ready to work first thing Monday morning – Monday participation by as many of you as possible is critical to our success. The hours are as follows:

    Monday, Dec. 4 – 8:00 a.m. – 7:30 p.m. (decorating)
    Tuesday, Dec. 5 – 8:00 a.m. – 7:30 p.m. (decorating and delivery)
    Wednesday, Dec. 6- 8:00 a.m. – 7:30 p.m. (decorating, delivery)
    Thursday, Dec. 7- 8:00 a.m. – 7:30 p.m. (decorating, delivery, clean up)

    Please come to the side door on Berkeley Street. We’ll post a sign. Coffee and baked goods will be available each morning, and catered lunches will be delivered all four days. Dried materials and fresh greens can be delivered to the Church no earlier than Monday, December 4. Please have all decorations “cleaned down” – branches cut down, dead leaves removed – so we can contain the mess we inevitably make. Delicate materials can be laid flat in sweater boxes or gently stacked in cardboard containers. We are going to need as many dried items as we can collect, and we especially want interesting fresh evergreen boughs and holly.

    Bring clippers and scissors if you have them, labeled with masking tape for ease of identification. Aprons are also a good idea. Dress comfortably! We need everyone’s help, whether you decorate, deliver, organize, make telephone calls confirming delivery, or sweep. Contact Francine Crawford at 617-859-8865 (info@bostonflora.com) or Margaret Pokorny at 617-536-2920 (MPok384@gmail.com) if you have specific questions, and contact Catherine Bordon at 617-480-8792 (catherinebordon@comcast.net) if you can take a two hour delivery shift. Otherwise, we’ll see you on Monday. If you still plan to order wreaths, send the order forms along as soon as you can, or order online at www.gardenclubbackbay.org. Please try to come for as many hours as possible, on as many days as you can spare – we need you, and you’ll have a great time. Thank you.

     

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  • Wreath of the Day 2011 – A Thank You to All Our Volunteers

    Wreath of the Day 2011 – A Thank You to All Our Volunteers

    The Garden Club of the Back Bay’s annual Wreath Week has wrapped up, and Co-Presidents Jackie Blombach and Jolinda Taylor, along with Wreath Project Co-Chairs Margaret Pokorny, Francine Crawford, Catherine Bordon, and Elisabeth Lay thank all the volunteers who made this project such a success.  From now through January 1, we will post a picture of the Wreath of the Day, along with a brief description of the wreath and the process, from initial ordering to the last sweeping of the floor.  Since Hanukkah is beginning, we’ll start off with a wreath specially designed to celebrate the season, designed by a first time decorator and new club member.  The sophistication of the wreath proves that a multi-year design apprenticeship is not necessarily a prerequisite.

     

     

     

     

  • Wreath of the Day

    Our 2010 Holiday Wreath Sale is now over.  Club members spent four and a half days setting up, decorating, delivering, and cleaning up, creating over 400 wreaths (246 of them fully decorated) and raising money for our beloved street trees. Know that every last dime of proceeds will go to betterment projects in our neighborhood, in our City, and even a bit beyond.  Wreath Chairs Francine Crawford, Margaret Pokorny, and Elisabeth Lay, and Co-Presidents Jackie Blombach and Jolinda Taylor wish to thank all the Garden Club of the Back Bay volunteers, neighborhood guest volunteers, and most of all our loyal customers, for everything they have done this week.

    Last year we featured a “Wreath of the Day” each day in December following the end of Wreath Week through New Year’s Day, and the postings were a big success.  Every wreath has a story, and we think these stories should be shared.  Hanukkah is now over, but our first showcased wreath pays tribute to the eight day holiday commemorating the re-dedication of the Temple of Jerusalem in 165 BC.