Best of Boston

Unlike those florists who oversalt otherwise decent bouquets with fillers and flourishes, Ilex co-owners Andrew Anderson and Carol Sharp are as restrained with their creations as gourmet chefs. Working with the freshest specimens of ingredients both familiar (peonies, roses) and less expected (pitcher plants, kale), they and their gifted design team put together naturalistic compositions that let each flower’s individual flavor shine through. Delicate orchids are done especially well here, but rest assured anything from Ilex will be an absolute feast for the eyes.