What’s in Store: Petal Pushers

Hoping to surprise your other half with fresh blooms for Valentine’s Day? Find inspiration aplenty at these local flower emporiums.


The cut-flower selection at Rouvalis, on Beacon Hill. / Photograph by Lizzy Barrett

FOR THE TRADITIONALIST
Rouvalis Flowers & Gardens

It’s always springtime inside Beacon Hill’s Rouvalis, where the sweet aroma of hydrangeas, roses, amaryllis, and other fragrant blooms greets customers at the door. The family-owned shop—impossibly charming with its old-school striped awning and thoughtful displays—offers a stacked roster of arrangements and plants, not to mention a vast selection of decorative vessels you’ll want to buy in bulk.

MUST-BUY: “Luster” arrangement of red amaryllis, orchid, rose, anemone, hyacinth, and hydrangea, $175.

40 W. Cedar St., Boston, 617-720-2266, rouvalisflowers.com.

FOR THE EUROPHILE
Brattle Square Florist

With exposed-brick walls and plants hanging from wooden beams overhead, Brattle Square Florist takes its inspiration from the open-air markets of Europe, specializing in fresh-cut flowers imported from around the globe. Stop in to build your own arrangement from varieties such as delphiniums, orchids, and sunflowers, or trust the shop’s experienced staff to assemble one for you.

MUST-BUY: Bunch of gerbera daisies, $7.50.

31 Brattle St., Cambridge, 617-876-9839, brattlesquareflorist.com.

A bouquet of black calla lily, peony, and other flowers from Fern. / Photograph by Toan Trinh

FOR THE NATURALIST
Fern

Navigating the verdant goods at this cozy Back Bay shop feels a lot like wandering through a well-appointed garden: Lush potted flowers and leafy houseplants—many accompanied by handwritten care instructions—form pathways along the tile floor and shelves, while an assortment of teeny succulents and glass terrariums tempts from a stone table in the corner.

MUST-BUY: Bouquet of black calla lily, peony, amaryllis, rose, anthurium, pincushion protea, dinathus, and pineapple, $150.

225 Massachusetts Ave., Boston, 617-859-8100.

FOR THE CREATIVE
Table & Tulip

A power player in the local wedding industry, Table & Tulip owner Andrea Halliday brings a stylist’s eye to each bouquet she dreams up, working alongside a small-but-mighty team of designers to craft anything-but-ordinary bunches that often feature flora plucked right from the garden of her South End studio.

MUST-BUY: “Hearts Aflutter” arrangement of peony, anemone, ranunculus, rose, eucalyptus, and fern, $175.

461 Shawmut Ave., Boston, 617-262-3100, tableandtulip.com.

FOR THE BUSY PROFESSIONAL
Winston Flowers

The roots of this Boston institution may stretch to 1944, but its services are decidedly 21st century: A godsend for time-pressed customers, the third-generation company offers same-day delivery and an on-call concierge team for custom gifts. Translation? Getting your hands on Winston’s classic arrangements (delicate orchids in ceramic vessels, baskets of white roses with thistle and eucalyptus) has never been easier.

MUST-BUY: “Orchid Splendor” arrangement of orchid, rose, lilac, hyacinth, and jasmine vine, $350.

131 Newbury St., Boston; and other locations; 800-457-4901, winstonflowers.com.

Winston Flowers’ “Orchid Splendor” arrangement. / Photograph by Toan Trinh