Snow Services in Boston: Reliable Winter Care by Rouvalis Flowers & Gardens

Winter in Boston brings beautiful snowfalls—but also the need for dependable snow and ice management. At Rouvalis Flowers & Gardens, we offer professional snow services designed to keep your property safe, accessible, and well cared for throughout the winter season.

Our experienced crews provide timely, efficient snow and ice management for residential and commercial properties across Boston and the surrounding areas.

❄️ Snow Plowing

We offer reliable snow plowing services to clear driveways, parking areas, and access points after snowfall events. Our team monitors weather conditions closely to ensure prompt service and minimize disruption to your daily routine.

🧹 Snow Shoveling

For walkways, stairs, entryways, and tight urban spaces, our snow shoveling services ensure safe pedestrian access. This service is ideal for Boston townhomes, brownstones, multi-unit buildings, and commercial storefronts where detail and care matter.

🧂 Salting & De-Icing

Ice management is essential for winter safety. We provide salting and de-icing services to reduce slip hazards on sidewalks, driveways, and entrances. Materials are applied thoughtfully to balance effectiveness with the protection of surrounding hardscapes and plantings.

🏙️ Tailored for Boston Properties

From narrow sidewalks and historic brownstones to residential driveways and commercial properties, we understand the challenges of Boston winters. Our snow services are customized to each site, ensuring efficient service that respects the property and its surroundings.

✔️ Dependable Winter Support

Whether you need full-season snow management or storm-based services, Rouvalis Flowers & Gardens delivers consistent, professional care you can rely on all winter long.

Now booking snow services for the winter season.
Contact us today to schedule service or to learn more about our snow plowing, shoveling, salting, and de-icing offerings in Boston.

How Does Underfloor Heating Affect Houseplants?

Worried about your plants this winter near the heater? Enjoy this quick read from Thursd. about how best to keep your plants with the heat on!

Underfloor heating can help or harm houseplants depending on moisture, roots, and placement-here’s how to get it right.

Underfloor heating is one of those upgrades that makes winter at home feel quietly luxurious. Warm tiles, no noisy vents, no radiators stealing wall space, just gentle heat rising from the floor. But if you live with a lot of indoor plants (and let’s be honest, many of us are only a few pots away from a full jungle), you may wonder: Does underfloor heating hurt or help houseplants?

The short answer: with a little awareness and a few simple adjustments, most houseplants do perfectly well, and many even thrive, in homes with radiant floors. High-quality systems, like those supplied by ProLux Materials, create stable, even warmth rather than harsh blasts of hot air. For plants, that stability is a big plus. The key is understanding how warm floors change soil moisture, root temperature, and humidity, and then adapting your plant care accordingly.

How Underfloor Heating Works (From a Plant’s Perspective)

Unlike traditional radiators or forced-air systems, underfloor heating is a radiant system. Warm water pipes or electric cables run beneath the floor, gently heating the surface. That warmth slowly radiates upwards, creating an even temperature from floor to ceiling, with no drafts and fewer sudden temperature swings.

For plants, that means:

• Less hot, dry air blowing directly over foliage.

• More stable room temperatures, especially in winter.

• Warmer floor surfaces that can influence root zones and soil moisture.

So while the air often feels softer and less turbulent, a win for most foliage, the soil environment around your plants can change in subtle but important ways.

Key Ways Underfloor Heating Affects Houseplants

1. Faster Soil Drying

Because the warmth originates beneath your pots, moisture in the soil tends to evaporate more quickly, especially if your plants are sitting directly on the floor. Terracotta pots amplify this effect since they are porous and wick water away from the root zone.

What you’ll notice: Soil that used to stay moist for 5–7 days may now dry out in 3–4, particularly in smaller pots and shallow containers.

How to adapt:

• Check soil moisture more frequently in winter, don’t rely on your summer watering rhythm.

• Consider using ceramic or plastic pots for moisture-loving species.

• Add a thin top dressing of sphagnum moss or fine bark to slow evaporation.

2. Warmer Root Zones

Most tropical houseplants, think Monsteras, Philodendrons, Alocasias, love slightly warm roots. It reminds them of the forest floors they evolved in. For these plants, a gently warmed floor can actually encourage growth and reduce winter sulking.

However, some plants prefer cooler, more stable root temperatures, including certain succulents, some aroids, and species adapted to temperate climates. For them, sitting directly on very warm tiles for months can be a bit stressful.

When in doubt, lifting pots slightly on plant stands, risers, or decorative trays gives roots a gentler microclimate while still benefiting from overall room warmth.

3. Lower Humidity in Heated Rooms

Winter already tends to dry out indoor air, and warm flooring can contribute modestly by encouraging evaporation from soil and surfaces. Many beloved tropicals prefer 50–60% humidity, while heated homes can easily drop below 30%.

That doesn’t mean your indoor jungle is doomed, it just means you may need to support humidity more intentionally:

• Run a small humidifier near plant groupings during the coldest months.

• Cluster plants together to create mini humidity pockets.

• Use pebble trays filled with water under pots (without letting pots sit in the water).

For inspiration on designing lush but balanced spaces, this guide on bringing nature indoors is a great resource for combining greenery, comfort, and style.

4. Pot Materials Behave Differently Over Warm Floors

The type of pot you use becomes more important with underfloor heating:

• Terracotta: Beautiful, breathable, but dries out root zones fastest.

• Glazed ceramic: Good compromise, stable moisture with moderate evaporation.

• Plastic: Retains moisture longest, often ideal for thirsty tropicals.

• Metal: Can heat up quickly and isn’t ideal directly on warm floors.

You don’t have to change everything, but being aware of how pot choice influences watering gives you more control.

Where to Place Plants in Rooms With Underfloor Heating

Placement has always mattered in plant care (light first, always), but underfloor heating adds one more subtle layer to think about. The goal is simple: provide plants with consistent warmth without exposing them to extreme temperature differences between the floor, window, and exterior walls.

Good placement options:

• On shelves, plant stands, or side tables rather than directly on the bare floor.

• Near bright windows, but not pressed against cold glass in winter.

• Grouped in “plant corners” where humidity and temperature are fairly stable.

In smaller spaces like bedrooms, a few elevated plants with radiant warmth below can feel incredibly cozy. For clever small-space ideas, take a look at bedroom jungle plant ideas.

In bathrooms with underfloor heating, many humidity-loving plants genuinely thrive, as long as you’re mindful not to let them sit in bone-dry soil. The feature on the best bathroom plants is a useful guide if you want to turn a warm, tiled room into a mini spa garden.

Which Houseplants Do Best With Underfloor Heating?

Plants that originate from warm, humid climates tend to do particularly well in rooms with radiant floors, provided you balance warmth with moisture and light. Think big leaves, jungle vibes, and growth that doesn’t stop just because it’s January.

Some good candidates include:

• Monstera deliciosa and other big-leaf Philodendrons

• Bird of Paradise (Strelitzia)

• Ficus species like Fiddle Leaf Fig (with good light)

• Alocasia, Anthurium, and other tropical aroids

• Humidity-loving ferns in bathrooms or grouped with friends

If you prefer dramatic foliage or sculptural plants, you’ll find plenty of inspiration in Thursd’s features, like tall houseplants for a bold statement and other indoor plant collections.

Meanwhile, shade-tolerant plants such as ZZ plants, some palms, and Aglaonema can still do well in warmer rooms, they just need light levels suited to their needs. For darker corners in heated spaces, check out the best plants for shade or darker rooms to choose species that won’t sulk when the sun is low.

Practical Care Tips for Plant Parents With Radiant Floors

If your home has an underfloor heating system, here’s a simple checklist to keep your plants happy:

1. Adjust Your Watering Rhythm

Expect the soil to dry a little faster. Instead of watering on a fixed schedule (“every Saturday”), switch to checking the top few centimetres of soil with your finger. Only water when it feels dry to the touch for most plants, and keep a closer eye on smaller pots.

1. Use Risers, Trays, and Stands

Lift pots slightly off the floor using plant stands, decorative blocks, or saucers with feet. This reduces direct heat exposure to roots while still letting them enjoy the overall ambient warmth.

1. Support Humidity Where Needed

Group tropical plants, add a humidifier nearby, or use pebble trays. Focus efforts on “high-need” plants first (Calathea, ferns, Alocasia), and you won’t have to humidify the entire house.

1. Match Plants to Microclimates

Use warmer, brighter spots for tropical lovers and slightly cooler, more elevated spots for succulents and desert species. Think of each room as having micro-zones: floor level, mid-level (tables and stands), and high shelves.

So… Is Underfloor Heating Good or Bad for Houseplants?

On balance, underfloor heating is more friend than foe. It creates the kind of stable indoor climate that many plants quietly appreciate. There’s no dry, hot air blowing directly over leaves, fewer drastic temperature swings, and a general sense of consistent warmth, all things most foliage responds well to.

The main adjustments are surprisingly manageable:

• Pay attention to soil moisture and water a bit more mindfully.

• Lift sensitive plants slightly above the warmest part of the floor.

• Support humidity for your tropicals during winter.

Do that, and your Monstera, Philodendron, or carefully curated rare collection can thrive happily above a radiant floor, while you enjoy warm feet and a quieter, more efficient home-heating setup. It’s a win for plant parents and people alike.

If you’re planning a renovation or building a plant-forward home from the ground up, pairing a well-designed underfloor system from ProLux Materials with thoughtful plant placement and care is one of the most comfortable combinations you can create indoors.

Warm floors, thriving foliage, and no cold corners? That’s indoor living upgraded.

Post Christmas Refresh!

With the hustle and bustle of the holiday week behind us, it’s the perfect time to refresh your home! From gorgeous fresh blooms to luscious green house plants, we have everything you need! Shop online, over the phone or in store with us to pick the perfect new item for your home or office or to give as a host gift this New Year!

Holiday Hours:

New Years Eve: 10am-3pm

Closed New Years Day

Holiday Hours Holiday Hours & A Heartfelt Thank You 🎄✨

As the year comes to a close and the holiday season fills our homes with warmth, we want to take a moment to say thank you. Thank you for shopping local, for trusting us with your holiday flowers and décor, and for making Rouvalis Flowers & Gardens part of your celebrations this season. It truly means the world to our team.

To allow our staff time to rest, recharge, and celebrate with their loved ones, we’ll be adjusting our hours slightly over the holidays. If you’re planning a last-minute pickup or thinking ahead to New Year’s blooms, here’s what to know:

Holiday Hours

• Tuesday, 12/24 (Christmas Eve): Open 10:00 AM – 3:00 PM

• Wednesday, 12/25 – Saturday, 12/28: Closed

• Tuesday, 12/31 (New Year’s Eve): Open 10:00 AM – 3:00 PM

• Wednesday, 1/1 (New Year’s Day): Closed

We encourage you to stop by on Christmas Eve or New Year’s Eve for something beautiful—whether it’s a festive arrangement, a thoughtful gift, or flowers to welcome the new year.

From all of us at Rouvalis Flowers & Gardens, we wish you a joyful holiday season and a bright, beautiful New Year. We look forward to creating more moments with you in the year ahead 🌿💐

Don't Forget to Gift Your Hosts!

As you head out the door in your favorite festive outfit and best cheer, don’t forget to pop by the shop for a host gift. It’s the little gesture that says thank you for the food, the drinks, and all the effort it takes to bring everyone together. From beautiful ornaments to stunning floral arrangements and planters, we have anything you need for the holiday!

Open Christmas Eve from 10am-3pm

Closed 12/25-12/28

Christmas Is Almost Here — Visit Us In-Store Before the Big Day

Christmas is right around the corner, and there’s no better time to stop in and experience the magic of the season at Rouvalis Flowers and Gardens. Whether you’re finishing up your holiday shopping or looking for that perfect last-minute gift, we invite you to shop in store at both of our locations.

Our Beacon Hill, Boston and Winchester, Massachusetts boutiques are fully stocked with fresh floral arrangements, festive plants, wreaths, garlands, seasonal décor, ornaments, candles, and thoughtful gifts that make the holidays feel extra special. From classic Christmas elegance to natural winter charm, our shops are filled with inspiration for hosting, gifting, and decorating.

🌲 Two Locations, One Beautiful Holiday Experience

Shopping in-store allows you to see the quality, craftsmanship, and detail that goes into everything we create. Our team is on hand to help you choose:

• Holiday floral arrangements

• Poinsettias and seasonal plants

• Wreaths, garlands, and tabletop décor

• Unique gifts and festive accents

⏰ Christmas Eve Hours

We know how busy the final days before Christmas can be, so we’re happy to offer Christmas Eve shopping at both locations:

🎁 Christmas Eve Hours:
10:00 AM – 3:00 PM

Stop by to pick up a fresh arrangement, a hostess gift, or something beautiful for your own home before the celebrations begin.

We look forward to welcoming you in and helping you finish the season beautifully. From all of us at Rouvalis Flowers and Gardens, thank you for supporting a local Boston florist this holiday season.

Christmas is Next Week!

Ring in the Holidays with Fresh Florals
Welcome the season and your guests with fresh floral gifts, centerpieces, event arrangements, decorate your home with flowering seasonal plants and elevate your gift giving with bespoke pieces. Rouvalis has an array of beauty this season to check off everyone on your list!

For a limited time, Free Delivery on Holiday orders with
code 'Holly25' at checkout

Monday- Saturday
10am-6pm
Beacon Hill open Sundays until Christmas 11-3

Shop Holiday Floral, Plants and Gifts!

The holiday season is a time of celebration and togetherness. Whether you’re attending a big holiday party or a small get together with close friends, we have the perfect host gifts for anyone! From gorgeous floral arrangements, easy care house plants and home decor, there’s something to find for anyone on your list!

Monday- Saturday 10am-6pm

Beacon Hill open Sundays 11am-3pm now through Christmas

The Most Loved Christmas Plants and Flowers for the Holiday Season

Enjoy this read from Thursd.! and come shop with us for all holiday plants!

Explore seasonal plants that brighten December spaces and learn how to choose and care for indoor and outdoor varieties during the winter months.

Around Christmas, many people exchange flowers, shrubs, trees, and indoor plants as gifts. Their sizes and care needs vary widely. Some fit comfortably on a windowsill while others require garden space. These fifteen Christmas plants and flowers bring a natural, festive presence during the holiday season and winter months.

Here are fifteen Christmas plants and flowers to help you make the most of the holidays. Each one contributes its own unique seasonal character, whether indoors or outdoors.

How to Choose Christmas Plants and Flowers for Your Home

Selecting Christmas plants and flowers depends on how much space you have, how much light enters your home, and how long you want the plant to last after the holidays. Indoor spaces benefit from compact plants such as Poinsettia or Princettia, Cyclamen, Paperwhites, Christmas Cactus, and white Phalaenopsis. These options adapt well to room temperatures and controlled light.

Wider choices such as Noble Fir, Holly, Juniper, and Helleborus work best in entryways, balconies, or outdoor corners where they can stay cool and receive natural light. When gifting, choose plants that match the recipient’s lifestyle. Low-maintenance plants like Anthuriums, Amaryllis, and Cymbidium orchids are ideal for people who enjoy long-lasting houseplants with minimal effort.

1. Poinsettia (Euphorbia Pulcherrima) and Princettia

If you celebrate the holidays, you have likely seen the classic Poinsettia. This plant signals that Christmas is near. Known for its strong association with the season, the Poinsettia originates from Mexico and is tied to the story of the Star of Bethlehem. Because it is prone to root issues, avoid overwatering and place it in a pot with good drainage.

Bright filtered light helps keep it compact and healthy. It remains the most recognized Christmas plant in the world and appears in nearly every shop during December.

Princettia is a newer addition within the same family and has become a favored choice among Christmas plants and flowers. With a compact structure and dense branching, it is easy for anyone to grow. These pink or white varieties can be placed indoors or outdoors before the first frost and have become a modern seasonal favorite.

2. Holly (Ilex Opaca)

Holly keeps its structure even through cold winters. During Christmas, its branches bear red berries, widely used for wreaths and seasonal arrangements. Historically, holly symbolized good fortune because it remained green through winter.

Holly prefers well-draining soil with an acidic pH to maintain deep green leaves. It remains a core part of Christmas plants and flowers, and plays a strong decorative role in the season.

3. Mistletoe (Phoradendron Leucarpum)

Mistletoe is known for the Christmas tradition of sharing a kiss underneath it. The plant forms naturally on mature trees and produces white berries on female plants. It requires minimal attention once established on a strong host tree.

Mistletoe is linked to themes of connection, vitality, and romance. It remains one of the most symbolic Christmas plants and flowers and is often used in wreaths or hanging pieces.

This is one of the 15 most popular Christmas plants, with a special meaning. Ever heard someone say 'Under the Mistletoe' during Christmas? This plant historically represents romance, fertility, and vitality. Here's all you need to know about mistletoe, its Christmas nuances, and why it is known as the famous kissing plant.

4. White Roses

White roses are widely used in Christmas arrangements – their clean look pairs well with green, red, gold, or neutral seasonal tones. White is associated with calmness and winter landscapes, making the rose a fitting option for the season.

Every home or event can incorporate white roses into winter styling. They work well as a central flower or alongside other holiday greens.

5. Noble Fir (Nobilis)

Noble Fir is a leading choice for wreaths, garlands, table pieces, and outdoor containers during Advent. The branches of tall fir trees are widely recognized for their strong structure. Noble Fir is one of the most used Christmas plants and flowers in the world and is central to holiday décor.

Its scent and texture make it ideal for arrangements that stay fresh through the season.

6. Amaryllis (Hippeastrum)

Amaryllis is a favorite winter houseplant. Many people grow it indoors so it can flower around Christmas. The bulbs typically take six weeks from planting to reach complete form. Amaryllis comes in several seasonal colors, including red, pink, and white.

The plant works well in centerpieces and stands out when paired with pine or holly. It brings immediate seasonal character to homes and shops and is a consistent part of Christmas plants and flowers worldwide.

7. Paperwhites (Narcissus papyraceus)

Paperwhites are commonly grown indoors in water with gravel. They develop tall green stems topped with clusters of small white flowers that carry a gentle scent. They are also recognized as one of the December birth month flowers.

Once the roots appear, place the container near a sunny window. Paperwhites make excellent table pieces throughout the holiday season.

8. Juniper (Juniperus)

Juniper has broad needles and a strong seasonal scent. It appears in many forms, including low groundcovers, shrubs, and small trees. Some even use juniper as an alternative Christmas tree.

Young juniper plants may need support until they establish. Mature plants require minimal care and thrive in moist but not waterlogged soil. Juniper branches are used widely for wreaths and holiday styling.

9. Red Roses

Red roses for Christmas - it seems like such a natural fit. Whether you want to add the most festive touch to your home with the traditional symbolism of red for the holidays or send flowers to a friend or loved one this holiday season, red roses will do the trick. Red is a classic Christmas color, from Santa's robe to Rudolph's nose, but it's also the color of love and warmth.

They are one of the most liked choices for Christmas festivities, along with the most popular flower of all time - the beautiful red poinsettia. Read the article 'These Are Some of the Most Beautiful Red Roses for Christmas' to find out all about the red favorites for the season.

10. Cyclamen (Cyclamen Persicum)

Cyclamen appears during the holiday period with red, white, and pink tones. The plant performs best at cooler indoor temperatures and maintains fresh leaves with a soft silver pattern.

Cyclamen can remain in flower for several months if placed in a cool location. It becomes dormant during the summer and returns yearly as a reliable seasonal plant.

11. Helleborus Niger

Commonly known as the 'Christmas Rose', the Helleborus niger bears large, round, white, flat-faced flowers above low-growing mounds of leathery, deep green foliage. As the weather warms, it produces large masses of bright white flowers on short stems. As with many landscaping plants, all parts of the Helleborus plant are toxic to both humans and pets, but that doesn't take away the fact that it's a stunning, popular Christmas choice.

Learn from the floral coach Amy Balsters why the care and handling of your hellebores is so essential.

12. Cymbidium

Cymbidium orchids are highly decorative and are often seen in homes during the Christmas season. The plant has beautiful flower spikes and is relatively easy to look after. These orchids are also known as 'boat orchids' and are the oldest cultivated orchid, with evidence that they were grown in China 2,500 years ago. Make sure to get your hands on these splendid orchids to know what one of the most popular Christmas plants will look like in your home.

13. Christmas Cactus (Schlumbergera x Buckleyi)

Schlumbergera x buckleyi, commonly called Christmas cactus, is a hybrid, flat-stemmed, frost-intolerant, winter-flowering, epiphytic perennial cactus that is typically grown indoors as a container plant for the enjoyment of its colorful flowers, which bloom during and after the Christmas season.

14. Red Anthuriums

A relative newcomer to the Christmas scene, Anthuriums are among the more unique plants to gift this holiday season. With its open and welcoming heart shape, the plant has come to symbolize hospitality and is a popular host gift. Although red is the most sought-after color for the season, white anthuriums will also look divine for the holidays. Anthurium flowers are the gift that keeps giving, as the colorful spathe can last for months and re-blooms throughout the year.

15. White Phalaenopsis

The eyes that see them are treated to an absolute feast and delight, especially for the uniqueness of the Christmas season. White orchids are associated with elegance and grace, making them the ideal choice for your indoor spaces this Christmas. Orchids are also often regarded as symbols of rarity and delicacy, reflecting the one-of-a-kind nature of cherished relationships.

How to Care for Christmas Plants and Flowers After the Holidays

Many Christmas plants and flowers can continue thriving long after December if given proper care. Poinsettias and Princettias should be kept in bright filtered light and watered only when the surface soil feels dry. Cyclamen, Paperwhites, Christmas Cactus, and Amaryllis can be kept indoors until warmer months, after which they can rest or be moved to protected outdoor spots.

 Holly, Juniper, and Helleborus adapt well to outdoor conditions and can be planted in the garden once temperatures are stable. Orchids and Anthuriums remain indoors year-round and only need consistent room temperatures and steady moisture. Extending the life of these plants reduces waste and keeps your home fresh well into the new year.

Christmas plants and flowers play a quiet but meaningful role during the holiday season. They add life to shared spaces, brighten quiet corners, and bring a sense of ease to homes as the year comes to a close. Whether you prefer classic choices like Poinsettia, Holly, and Amaryllis or modern favourites such as Princettia, Anthurium, and white Phalaenopsis, each plant offers its own presence in December. Many of these plants can also continue well into the new year with steady care, making them more than seasonal decorations.

If you enjoy learning about seasonal plants and the stories behind them, continue reading more features on Thursd and explore new ideas for your holiday styling.

Holiday Floral Collection!

All New Floral Arrangements!
As the holiday season approaches, adorn your home with beautiful seasonal florals and fragrant holiday greens. Now available for pick up or delivery!

Shop online, in store or give us a call for pick up or delivery!