Sidewalk Sale!

Hi everyone!  Hope summer continues to be bright and beautiful for you all! And if you're hanging out here in Boston like us we hope you're managing to avoid those hail cloud bursts! Here in the shoppe, we're beginning to wind down our summer time designs and starting to get excited for fall! Part of this of course means clearing out the shoppe so that we have room for all the pumpkins that will be on their way shortly!! So, we've collected some of our favorite summer time home decor  gifts and to help them get out the door we're dropping the prices by half! This includes all our gorgeous and preserved Summer Wreaths! They'll be on display in front of the shoppe, so feel free to peruse them and don't forget to stop in and say hi! 

We cannot get enough of these summer wreaths! Featuring beautiful classics like these pink roses, purple hydrangea, orange slices and even fun limes! 

Check out these decorative AND practical citronella candles! 

Herb stakes and summer candles,  just a few more of the goodies we must say goodbye to! 

-Serena Fae 

Herb Garden Planters

Summer can be a difficult time to plant due to the high temperatures and often the lack of rain.  If you're having trouble keeping your garden from crisping up consider planting an herb garden! Most herbs are sunlight loving and will provide you with fragrance and fresh taste throughout the summer months.  I've always loved the idea of being able to flavor my food with herbs picked right from my own garden, but as I live in the city and don't exactly have a the space for a sprawling edible garden I've settled for a summer herb planter.  Here are some of my favorites:

Rosemary 

I lovvvvvvve the smell of rosemary roasted anything! We once had a customer request that we include rosemary in an arrangement she was sending to her sister- Rosemary! It was the first (though probably not the last)  time I was very tempted to snack on my bouquet. 

Thyme

This is not the thyme for a bad pun! (seewhatIdidthere?) But did you know there are over 300 different varieties of thyme? The best varieties for cooking are English Thyme, golden thyme, German thyme and my personal favorite Lemon thyme. 

Sage 

I like the subtle flavor sages provide, it has sort of a sweet smoky taste. Its also one of my absolute favorite colors. 

We still have some adorable herb planters available. They make  really fantastic hostess gifts, so if you will be the guests of anyone with a passion for cooking this summer why not bring them something sweet? (or salty, or smoky, or bitter?)

-Serena Fae

Floral Arranging Class with Emily and Serena

Happy Saturday everyone! I hope you're all enjoying the summer as much as we are here in the shoppe. I wanted to share some pictures from a very special floral arranging class Emily and I had the pleasure of teaching at Millennium Place. The Boston luxury residences invited us to instruct a small group of women on the basics of arranging cut flowers. During the class, each participant created her own hand-tied bouquet first and  then had the option to arrange the flowers in a vase. To begin, we had the participants choose their own stems from a a selection of flower varieties, For this class we had picked out a beautiful pastel palette which included cream double petaled tulips, green immature hydrangea, white lisianthus, pink calla lilies and green hypericum.  

We had a blast working with the ladies and the arrangements were all simply lovely

Emily noted how unique each piece was saying, "It was exciting to see how differently the ladies put together the same floral ingredients" 

Participants learned to angle the stems for a hand-tied bouquet 

Cheers! 

We hope everyone had as much fun as we did and we can't wait to do it again! 

-Serena Fae 

Non-TraditionalVases

We absolutely love when our customers challenge us to "think outside the vase" by bringing in an unusual vessel in which to arrange cut flowers. This could be objects that reflect the theme of a party, a treasured family heirloom or even represent an inside joke! Some of our favorites to date have included a mini apple crate, a collection of sherry glasses and even a Nalgene bottle! For your next event take a peak around your home and see what everyday objects can be transformed into imaginative vases! To inspire you, we've posted some of our favorites!

Delicate and summery, arranging in shells can be a real fun summer project and fantastic centerpiece for the beach house.  

Vintage tins can usually be found with exquisite colors and patterns that naturally complement cut flowers. You can save your used tea cans or look on www.Etsy.com to purchase some. 

What's more fun than a tropical centerpiece arranged in a fresh pineapple? 

similar to the pineapple-vase are these three bell pepper vessels, for a genuine "from the garden" feel. 

As always, we'll be  here at the shoppe to create your ideal fresh floral arrangement and we cant wait to see what you bring in!

-Serena Fae  

Carnivorous Plants

At Rouvalis Flowers, we take pride in carrying plants and flowers that you don't see in your everyday flower shop. We go out of our way to hunt down unique, unusual, and eye catching botanicals. This week, we are excited, and a little scared, to introduce a variety of carniverous plants to our store! We are carrying a range of these bizarre plants, from Venus Fly Traps to Pitcher Plants. Whether you enjoy them for their strange appearance, a conversation starter, or even to help resolve your summer fruit fly battle, we hope you'll find them as interesting as we do!  Here are a few images from plants in our store, and some information on how to care for them. 

Here is a close up of the Venus Fly Trap, probably one of the most recognized of the  carnivorous plants. They make a great house plant, and a great conversation piece! Simply keep the moss or soil they are planted in moist, and remember, they like bright light!  

Another one of our favorites is called a Pitcher Plant. These bulbous pitchers hang from the plant and attract prey such as flies and ants. The plant is full and lush, bright green leaves are complimented by the red and orange hues of the pitchers. The plant likes bright sun and needs watered weekly, keeping the pitchers wet when watering. 

At Rouvalis, we even use some carnivorous plants in our fresh cut flower arrangements. These saracena lillies add interesting texture and style to any arrangement. They are a long lasting fresh cut flower, and are a great addition for someone who enjoys more unique flowers!

Lavender-Honey Ice Cream Recipe

Summer is a time for two of my absolute favorite things: the blooming of fragrant purple lavender and  ice cream! So naturally I've looked for ways to combine them and what I've found is a recipe that will have you as delighted as a honey bee in a lavender patch.  It truly is the best flower flavor I've tasted in an ice cream, though I must say the Rose and Mint cone  I had one summer in New Orleans was a close second. Flower flavored treats are nothing new- around the world  blossoms have been used to flavor anything from tea to chewing gum for years. Give this recipe a try and see if it doesn't become one of your favorites!

 Below I've shared a recipe for Lavender Honey Ice cream that is simply divine. From the one and only Martha Stewart.

INGREDIENTS      

• 2 cups whole milk
• 1/4 cup dried lavender
• 1/3 cup honey
• 5 large egg yolks
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1 cup heavy cream

     

DIRECTIONS

1. In a medium saucepan, combine milk, lavender, and honey. Bring to a gentle boil, cover, and remove from heat. Let steep for 5 minutes. Strain mixture, reserving milk and discarding lavender.

2. Combine egg yolks and sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer. Beat on medium-high speed until very thick and pale yellow, 3 to 5 minutes. Meanwhile, return milk to a medium saucepan, and bring to a simmer over medium-low heat.

3. Add half the milk to egg-yolk mixture, and whisk until blended. Stir mixture into remaining milk, and cook over low heat, stirring constantly, until mixture is thick enough to coat the back of a wooden spoon.

4. Remove from heat, and immediately stir in cream. Strain mixture into a medium mixing bowl set in an ice-water bath, and let stand until chilled, stirring from time to time. Freeze in an ice-cream maker according to manufacturer's instructions. Store in an airtight plastic container up to 2 weeks

-Serena Fae

Hinged Vase Collection

Our Hinged Vases finally came in and let me tell you they were definitely worth the wait! We absolutely love their unusual shape and style, and have had a lot of fun filling the slender glass tubes with the boldest blossoms and sharpest textures.  From color gradients, to single stem varieties, to a wildflower mix- there's no wrong way to arrange in these beauties!  This vessel makes a notable centerpiece or would look stunning on a mantle. It's also a fantastic way to make even a few stems go a long, long way! 

We find that using traditional "gardeny" cut flowers such as garden roses and veronica provide a lovely soft contrast to the smart metal angles of the frame. 

A traditional rainbow of colors looks great in this short hinged vase. 

-Serena Fae 

Summer Wreaths

                                                                 Succulent summer wreath 

Think hanging a wreath on your door is strictly for the holidays? Think again! Summer wreaths are a lovely way to celebrate the warm weather, while making your home more welcoming to family and friends. At Rouvalis, we're big, big fans of outdoor decorating and just cant restrict ourselves to adorning our front doors but once a year. We highly recommend finding a preserved summer wreath for decor that will stay looking colorful and last all summer long! We have a small number of enchanting wreaths left for the season and would be more than happy to help you pick the right one for your home! 

  Below you'll find a collection of summer wreaths we love for home decorating and celebrating the season. 

Summer greens and purple give this lovely wreath a natural, earthy feel

We love the simplicity of this bud wreath, which easily works well for both spring and summer 

This shabby chic wreath has an antique yet festive feel 

-Serena Fae

In The Shoppe: Bromeliads!

Summer is in full swing! and that means one thing: VACATION! We can't think of many downsides to packin' up and getting out of the city for awhile, but we can think of at least one: Plant Killer's Guilt. You know- that feeling you get walking in the door from a week on the cape, only to find your beloved little fern has suffered a painfully parched death? Somewhere between remembering the sunscreen and your passport you forgot your pothos.   If this sounds at all familiar don't worry, we've got you covered! New to our shoppe this week we have bold, beautiful and resilient Bromeliads.  Bromeliads are vividly colorful low-maintenance  tropical plants that are native to the Americas. They work wonderfully as indoor houseplants, especially if you have a bright sunlit room or windowsill. Bromiliads boast a large array of unique colors, ranging from coral and royal blue, to hot pink to bright yellow and many more. The foliage is equally impressive, with many varieties featuring natural patterns such as stripes, spots and color splotches.  They are extremely forgiving in terms of care, only needing to be watered about once every 3 weeks. The infrequent waterings and temperature adaptability make Bromeliads our top choice for vacation-proof houseplants.  Head in to our Boston location to check out our impressive selection of Bromeliads and enjoy a vibrant houseplant that wont be pushing up daisy's by the time you get back from the islands. 

-Serena Fae 

How To: Mounted Staghorn Fern

We all know how much fun living in the heart of Boston is, but we also know city living doesn’t come without its drawbacks namely - that tiny apartment. Many times our customers come to us with the desire to “greenifiy” their homes, but with limited space to do so. Our advice to them- get creative! Challenge yourself to see seemingly unusable space as a place for plant life. For example, your wall! We know what you’re thinking, a plant on a flat vertical surface? Yes! Allow us to introduce to you the Mounted Staghorn Fern. Unique, hip and wildly imaginative- a mounted staghorn fern will not only save on space but add an impressive statement to your interior decor. 

Making a mounted staghorn fern is easy! We'll show you in just 5 steps:

                                                                          Mise en Place 

You will need:

Wall Mount- a large piece of hard wood to be the back mount for the fern.  Here, we've used this weathered piece of salvaged driftwood. 

Wire- a good amount of strong bind-wire or twine to hang the mount and to bind on the fern. 

Moss- we've used a gray Spanish moss for a touch of mystery,  but you could also use a green sheet moss for a splash of color.  

Cloth- a sturdy breathable material, we recommend burlap.  

Step 1:

                                                                    wire is nice and snug 

 Use the bind-wire to string up the wall-mount, leaving a loop in the back to hang it by. Be sure to tie the bide-wire as tightly as possible- this will be the only material holding the entire mount to the wall. 

Step 2:

                                                                      Swaddle the fern 

Remove your staghorn fern from its grow pot. You can remove a good amount of the soil from the ferns base, it will only need a clump of soil around its roots. Next, wrap the soil and roots with your cloth and tie off the top with the bind-wire. 

Step 3:

                                                           place the fern wherever you like 

Bind the staghorn bundle to the wall mount. Again, make sure you are binding the material as tightly as possible, however do not squeeze the roots of the plant so hard that they are cut. 

Step 4:

                                                                                 Voila! 

Hang up your mounted staghorn fern and enjoy! Remember to fully soak your fern once a week in the sink to keep it hangin' happy!  

Serena Fae