ReynoldsFlowers.com FLOWER BLOG

The Dahlia Farm, Middleboro

2009-06-23T14:04:00.004-04:00

Middleboro Gazette columnist and blogger Michael Maddigan, visits Middleboro's floral history this week in his "Recollecting Nemasket." Specifically featured: DAHLIAS!

One of the flower farms featured in his article is that of present-day Reynolds Flowers.

Continually cultivated since the first building of record in 1839, this site has produced sweet corn, potatoes, gladioli, seeds, herbs, blueberries, holiday crops such as Easter lilies & poinsettias, hardy mums, dent corn, and perrenial cutflowers. But it was EASTVALE FARMS (1920's-1950's) which made this site historic, when at their zenith they became the largest dahlia farm in New England.

Flower farming continues here today including even, yes, dahlias!

Be sure to read Mr. Maddigan's column (which can be linked to from this blog). His series has been one that is not only historically fascinating, but painstakingly researched and archivally unique in its focus.

Flower Couture hits runway at LA's Fashion Week

2009-05-19T11:32:00.009-04:00

This March, BoxEigth Studios - the company behind some of the hottest shows during LA Fashion Week - blossomed with a new hit: Flower Couture.

Yes, the power of flowers has bloomed and the high-style ensemble of orchids and flesh was ripe for the paparazzi and onlookers at fashionable Broadway and Sixth.

Pictured here are several featured designs, but don't wait for these to show up at bargain basements, these sytles are just too fresh!

MOTHERS DAY IS MAY 10, 2009

2009-04-30T10:37:00.004-04:00

Mothers Day (and motherhood worship) dates back to the ancient Greeks with the festival of Cybele (a mother of gods), and the celebration of Rhea (wife of the mythological Cronos). Modern American Mothers Day was reportedly conceived by Julia Ward Howe in the post-Civil War era as an homage to "the inherent pacifism of mothers." The holiday is now celebrated around the world on varying dates, but owes is basis to mostly to these initiatives. Throughout Africa, Mothers Day follows the British model and much of East Asia has now adopted the United States' version.

If you need to send flowers for this Mothers Day please visit us at: http://www.reynoldsflowers.com/. We personally deliver to Bridgewater, Carver, EastTaunton, Halifax, Lakeville, Middleboro, & Plympton, and can arrange delivery to Florida, Maine or anywhere else in the free world.

Locally grown food finds niche in Brockton area - Brockton, MA - The Enterprise

2009-03-28T22:34:00.001-04:00

Locally grown food finds niche in Brockton area - Brockton, MA - The Enterprise: "Locally grown food finds niche in Brockton area
Demand for local produce is sprouting

Tim Correira/The Enterprise
Jim Reynolds feeds his chickens at The Dahlia Farm in Middleboro on Thursday. Reynolds, who runs a successful florist shop, is expanding and will sell eggs and produce from his 6-acre farm.

Related Links We need a diet of “real food,” Michael Pollan tells Bridgewater State audience (03/27/09)
By Kyle Alspach
ENTERPRISE STAFF WRITER
Posted Mar 27, 2009 @ 11:28 PM

MIDDLEBORO — A new organic farm in Middleboro and a farmers market in Bridgewater are set to debut this year, two signs that locally grown food is a growing commodity in the region.The Dahlia Farm on Plymouth Street in Middleboro will offer organic vegetables and herbs, eggs from free-range chickens and cut flowers, said farmer Jim Reynolds.People will be able to buy “shares” of the vegetable crop this summer, entitling them to an assortment of veggies each week starting in June...

Nearly 500 people who crowded into a Bridgewater State College hall on Wednesday to hear a talk from Michael Pollan, local food advocate and author of best-sellers “The Omnivore’s Dilemma” and “In Defense of Food.”Pollan’s emphasis on eating “real food” — with little or no processing — is something that resonates with farmers such as Jim Reynolds.“People are becoming more and more aware of what exactly is in the food they’ve been eating — that just because something has an FDA approval, it doesn’t necessarily mean it’s good for you,” he said.The Dahlia Farm is located on the property of Reynolds Flowers, a business run by Reynolds’ family since the 1950s.Reynolds, 46, and his wife, Michele, will be farming the land together this year. One acre is being devoted this year to vegetables, he said.Another two acres are allotted for the farm’s 50 chickens, which are currently producing organic eggs for the Rockin K Cafe in Bridgewater.Reynolds joins several dozen other farmers in southeastern Massachusetts growing food mainly for local consumption.“There’s very much a movement of people becoming educated in what we’re eating,” he said...

Middleboro Youth Advocates - Prom Fair 2009

2009-03-19T10:08:00.007-04:00

See us Sunday, March 22, at Middleboro Youth Advocates 2009 "Prom Fair."

This community outreach group has been active in Middleboro for some time and we are always happy to support their worthy cause. You can visit their site directly for more information at: http://middleboroyouthadvocates.org/Prom_Fair_2009.html

Newport Wedding Gallery

2009-03-17T16:31:00.006-04:00

We have been pick-up by The Newport Wedding Gallery blog at: http://newportweddings.blogspot.com/2009/03/avq-nautical-floral-monogram-for-you.html

Thank you, Nancy!

Easter 2009

2009-03-16T22:21:00.003-04:00

Easter Sunday celebrations for 2009 fall on April 12 in the western calendar (Catholic and Protestant Churches). The Eastern Orthodox Church has set the date for Easter 2009 to be 19th April.
Easter is a "floating" holiday whose main constant is that it falls 40 days after Ash Wednesday, which is the day after "Fat Tuesday" or in French, "Mardi Gras." The 40 days between Mardi Gras & Easter is called Lent - a period of fasting, sacrifice and prayer in symbolic remembrance of the Christ's sacrifice.
The float has been occurring since the Council of Nicaea in the year 325AD, when Roman Emperor Constantine I ordered the Christian leaders to set doctrine and dates of principal Christian events.
Easter (literally, to the east) is not only the Christian Resurrection, but that of older paganism as well, calling the re-birth of the Earth and spring from the depths and deaths of winter and the solstice. Not coincidentally, Easter's "float" moves around the vernal equinox.

SPRING FLOWER SHOW

2009-02-20T10:37:00.004-05:00

Surprizing (and disappointing) as it may be the BOSTON FLOWER SHOW (a/k/a the NEW ENGLAND FLOWER SHOW) has been cancelled! Funding appears to be the main issue and if you would like to help the Mass Horticultural Society out for 2010, you can visit their site at http://www.masshort.org/New-England-Spring-Flower-Show.

The good news to all this is that The 16th Annual Rhode Island Spring Flower & Garden Show will take place THIS WEEKEND, February 19-22, 2009 at the Rhode Island Convention Center. For all information follow this link. http://www.flowershow.com/. These shows are always welcomed by winter-weary New Englanders and are well worth your support.

JORDANS FURNITURE

2009-02-09T14:52:00.007-05:00

A big 'Thank You' is in order for Jordans Furniture, for their inclusion of some of our floral work in their 2008 catalog. As always, this company stands above the pack in their support of community (and of course, exemplary taste!). Again, thank you folks!

WHAT'S SO FUNNY ABOUT PEACE, LOVE & CARTHAMUS TINCTORIUS?

2009-02-02T21:23:00.005-05:00

Carthamus tinctorius - or safflower - is one the oldest cultivated plants of record. Seeds have been found in pharaohs' tombs dating back at least to 2000 B.C. and safflower has been cultivated by the ancient Chinese as an oil crop and for medicinal use. In more recent centuries the flowers have been used for yellow, orange and red dyes as well as 'saffron-like' food additives. In the U.S. in the first half of the last century saffron oil was used as a high-quality paint medium. Today the oil is a readily-available cosmetic & food additive, including its use as a cooking and salad oil.

But it was not until the recent 1970's that the cut-flower industry began developing safflower as a marketable product. Through the 80', 90's and early 2000's demand has steadily increased for this hardly known, peculiar little flower. Be sure to ask for availability the next time you're looking for something a little different.

10 Farmers Make 12 tons of Nitrogen Fertilizer Disappear.

2009-01-14T20:10:00.003-05:00

Last year, ten Pennsylvania farmers took on AMERICAN FARMLAND TRUST's "Best Management Program Challenge" to grow their field crops using less nitrogen fertilizer than the recommended levels nitrogen fertilizer. The results of their year long experiment are good news for the environment and the wallet! In 2008, these farmers reduced a total of 24,658 pounds of nitrogen that otherwise would have been applied to their fields. Not only did these farmers remove thousands of pounds of nitrogen that could have ended up clouding the Chesapeake, they did it at a fraction of the cost of other nitrogen removal strategies—at only $2.74 per pound versus the up to $8-9 per pound it is estimated it could cost tax payers to remove the nutrient through other means. It isn’t just farmers that can make a difference; you can do your part too! Whether you live in the Mid-Atlantic or in the plains of North Dakota, water always makes its way downhill. Find out what you can do: check-out the Chesapeake Bay Foundation’s nitrogen calculator and take a challenge of your own!

GETTING INTO HOT WATER...with roses!

2008-12-31T17:30:00.004-05:00

As we quickly approach Valentine's Day (our pre-book roses were actually ordered 2 weeks ago), our thoughts turn to roses.

The old saw is to put roses into cold water. While there are benefits to water - and air temperature - being cool, it is important not to shock your cut-flowers, whether they be roses or any other type of flower. The ideal temperature for refridgerated cut-flowers is around 42 degrees, and that's where commercial operations (farms, shippers, wholesalers & florists) target. Maintaining that temp through the channels of distribution are essential to longevity.

In reality it is the continuity of temp as much as the temp itself. Like food items and beer, cut flowers tend to fail rapidly in "temperature-cycling." The shock is too much.

Back to the point at hand. Cool water -rather than cold - is best for your newly arrived roses. Ideally, being winter, if you have the choice of a warm room versus a cooler one, you will get significantly longer vase-life in the latter. Caveat here is to make sure the room is well above freezing at all times.

Cut your roses at an acute angle before putting them into water, and perform this step every 2-4 days for longer vase-life. Always use the preservative packaged with your fowers, and besure to use clean water and containers. If you have an old vase, wash it first. Bacteria is the #1 enemy of cut-flowers.

Lastly, on occasion, rose stems will "wilt." They will actually bend over and face their drink like so many people I know 2 hours after the ball drops on New Year's Eve. The exception to the above is in this case. Cut back the woody stem hard, and place the stems into HOT tap water. Say a "Hail Mary." Your roses are pretty well gone by this point, but if you pray and follow this step, you might well "resurect" them. .

It happens...

A BRIEF HISTORY OF THE POINSETTIA

2008-11-19T10:58:00.002-05:00

Indigenous to Mexico, the "Flor de Noch Buena," was first brought to the United States in 1928 by then incumbent US Ambassador Dr. Joel Roberts-Poinsett. Known to grow taller than 15 feet, the colorful Christmas flower actually gets its appearance from its "bracts," vibrantly pigmented leaf-sections that surround the true-but-uneventful blossom.

Taste of Greater Middleborough

2008-10-16T16:42:00.006-04:00

Be sure to see us at the fifth annual Taste of Greater Middleborough, to be held on Thursday, Oct. 16 at the National Guard Armory. Tickets are already sold out for this popular event, but if you're a lucky holder you are in for a treat. Procedes benefit the Veteran's Memorial Park.

FLOWER POWER -- NOT JUST FOR HIPPIES

2008-10-16T12:45:00.005-04:00

"Flower Power," the hippie mantra, was not just a passing fad but a theme with staying power, as it turns.

Recent university studies, including those at Texas A&M, Rutgers University & Harvard suggest that flowers - specifically, being around flowers - not only boost mood and productivity, but also creativity.

'Prevention,' 'Health,' 'Woman's World,' and many other news sources now feature articles and stories relating the new data on flower & live plants benefits.

Research suggests that mood-boosting flowers and potted plants raise levels of dopamine, the hormone which controls infomation-flow through the brain. By altering brain chemistry, flowers relieve anxiety, reduce stress, enhance mood, and indirectly improve sleep, relationships and human bonds, and create a general state of well-being.

Of course, most of us already knew that anyway!

Autumn Oak Point Presentation 2008

2008-10-05T17:13:00.003-04:00

October 7, 2008 -- OAK POINT BALLROOM
Tuesday, October 7, 2008 James Reynolds will be returning to speak at the OAK POINT GARDEN CLUB. Mr. Reynolds has appeared a number of times at Oak Point and his presentations on floral design and the industry have always filled the room. Be sure not to miss this autumn's presentation. See Ann Farrell or the Oak Point Social Activities director for more information.

FLOWER SCULTURES

2008-03-19T14:57:00.007-04:00

Flower sculptures, or "shapes," are a specialty at REYNOLDS FLOWERS. Although complex and time-consuming, the process can actually be broken down to manageable steps, the first of which is to establish a small scale drawing. This "thumbnail" determines the proper proportions and angle the object will be sketched from. Sometimes three-dimensional, sometimes flat on, the smaller sketch is the determining factor in what the finished product will look like. From this work, I scale-up using the "grid method," transferring the sketch directly to dry styro board, then cut out the form. The remaining steps are entirely floral. I prefer to work with flowers in their natural state but when an item is just unavailable, I use specially formulated floral paints. There is not a color I can't make - even if there is no such flower. Each stem here on will be individually "picked" and the "sculpture" will be shaped as gradually as an elaborate cake or clay form. Generally speaking, any floral painting will be done before the blossoms are arranged. The background may be foliage or fluted ribbon. Final details such as line or minute objects are worked in to suggest scale and alignment, individually, on a piece-by-piece basis.

Attention OAK POINT residents

2008-02-26T12:01:00.000-05:00

Oak Point residents,

Did you know you were eligible for a 15% discount on flowers, gifts, plants & gourmet fruit baskets at REYNOLDS FLOWERS, INC.? Simply present your Oak Point membership card to receive 15% off your in-store, 'cash & carry' purchases (credit card & wire-service sales prohibited).

We are right around the corner and look forward to seeing you soon.

Buyer Beware: Frozen Roses

2008-02-22T15:19:00.000-05:00

Flowers from around the world (& their care)

2008-02-22T10:24:00.000-05:00

I am often asked where this or that flower comes from, is it true this is an international business, and don't I think its amazing...

Well, in fact I do, it is, and as for the where, I usually point around the room from bucket to bucket and say these flowers are South American, those are Californian, that's eastern seaboard foliage, those tropicals are from Jamaica, Hawaii & Costa Rica, and those orchids came from Thailand (which is the world's largest commercial producer, as well as it is of silk flowers).

Yes, our flowers really do come from a number of top quality growers within our syndicate and are cut & shipped on a daily basis. The rose, for instance, we delivered to you was most likely grown in either Colombia or Ecuador, shipped out of Quito, Bogota, or Medellin, flown to Miami and then to New England - all expedited transportation in a temperature controlled environment, using a state of the art real-time inventory control system.

What really matters when it comes to the quality and freshness of flowers is the post-harvest system of that farm, of us the professional florist, and of you. These are the conditions under which the flowers are kept (grading, temperature, hydration, packing & handling) between the time of shipment from the farm and delivery to your table. All contribute marginally to what is often very significant differences in quality. In our syndicate speed, cooling & hydration are predominant factors, but also proper care, regarding biocides & water clarifiers are important. Often in competitors' channels of distributon, flowers are held too long in too many places between a mulitude of various growers, shippers, brokers, exporters, importer and regional wholesalers with substantial inventories that take (waste) days before flowers are sold. Alternatively, other channels of distribution (in efforts to speed the process) employ FedEx or other carriers to transit a product (fresh flowers) they are not set-up to specialize in, and thereby fail to properly hydrate & refrigerate, thus diminishing the quality of the product. Our syndicate quite simply moves a superior product, fast & efficiently, taking proper care all the way. Flowers that arrive at REYNOLDS FLOWERS are the best available. Once here we then properly treat them depending upon their nature (gerberas require very different care than do orchids (hepaphytes) than do tulips, roses or hydrangea). Once "stabilized" to room environment, our fresh flowers are ready to be arranged and sent to their final destination: YOU.

Every package we deliver will have attached to it proper care & handling instructions and an appropriate package of "preservative." Please follow the directions attached for the longest possible "vase life" for your flowers. In addition to the additive there are some constants you should be aware of:

1. Fresh cut flowers like to be cool (but not cold). If you have a choice between a warm room & a cooler one, pick the cooler one;

2. Flowers love water - never let them run out;

3. Due to having been cut, certain physiological changes may occur more noticeably in one species or another, particularly hydrangea, roses and other "woody-stemmed" blossoms. These particularly have a nature of 'wilting' - but all is not necessarily lost. Remove the stems from their foam or water, re-cut them at an acute angle, and place into fresh water. Spritzing their blossoms and pealing off older foliage will also be helpful.

Tulips

2008-02-21T15:16:00.000-05:00

Although generally associated with Holland & France, tulips originated in Persia and the Middle-east. The first tulips were brought to Europe from Turkey in the mid-1500s & for many years were grown only in university botanical gardens. In the early seventeenth century, bulbs were stolen from the University of Leiden and thus began "TULIPMANIA." In the late 1800s, when the Dutch industry began to officially classify tulips, a peculiarly attractive but virus-infected variety was categorized as the "Rembrandt" strain. Later a genetically stable hybrid was developed, bearing the same moniker. Today in the US, tulips are usually referred to as either "Dutch tulips," (the standard) or more recently in florist circles as "French tulips," (the premium or 'jumbo.')

ST. VALENTINES DAY - A Little History

2008-02-01T12:14:00.000-05:00

Legend places SAINT VALENTINE as a 3rd century Roman priest. Under the rule of Claudius II, marriage was outlawed (because a stronger military was comprised of single men rather than family men). Fr. Valentine secretly married couples until he was found out, and put to death. Who says love is painless...?

CUPID appears in Roman mythology as the son of Venus, goddess of love (in Greek, he is Eros, god of love). The mischievous boy wounds gods & mortals alike with his arrows, causing them to fall in love and marry outside their social circles.