With Valentine’s Day just around the corner, florists nationwide are gearing up for their busiest season. With 81 years of experience in providing beautiful and personalized arrangements to their customers, Winston Flowers, a family-owned florist with various locations in the greater Boston area, ensures their customers receive quality service.
“We want people to know that what we have is quality,” said Grace Cole, sales manager at Winston Flowers’ location at The Street Chestnut Hill.
Winston Flowers’ Newton’s location used to sit on a two-acre property off Route 9. Cole said it used to draw customers from all over the area. The space was home to their greenhouse, garden design, and event planning space. With the store’s move to The Street in Chestnut Hill, the location lost an outdoor space.
The Street location’s ceiling-high shelves, open floor space, and picture windows, however, allow customers all the space they need to explore the business’ products, according to Cole.
“People are very disappointed when they find out that we moved, but we can still do everything that we used to do there,” Cole said.
Upon walking into the store, one is greeted by a Valentine’s Day–themed array of pink, purple, and red hues, combined with the refreshing scents of flowers. The minimalist decor engenders a feeling of luxury, while the overall ambiance is light-hearted and welcoming, with greenery lining the walls and natural light flooding through the windows.
During the off-season, Cole said this decor requires that the flowers that ornament their shelves are imported from Belgium or South America daily, destemmed every night, and then arranged in the mornings.
Cole said Winston Flowers also believes in nourishing the local economy to foster community. Whenever possible, they pay special attention to sustainability and supporting local businesses.
“We get a tremendous amount from western Massachusetts, the Great Barrington area specifically,” Cole said.
Spotlighting the local farms is something the company feels is “absolutely important” to support, he added.
Winston Flowers also includes local gourmet and handmade products in many of their arrangements, creating a holistically satisfying product. Cole noted the store carries The Mighty Ginger Snaps from Lark Fine Foods—based in Essex—and Cranberry Orange Pistachio Cookies from Shubh Kitchen—based in Natick.
Currently, Winston Flowers is also working on an event in which guests will be invited to create their own arrangements with the guidance of the artists at the store.
“We try to bring in business and celebrate the community, figure out how to work with them to see if we can contribute,” Cole said.
Going above and beyond for their customers is an important part of the Winston Flowers mission, according to Cole.
One time, a mother placed a late order for her son’s birthday, calling the store to see if there was any way they could make it to him in time. Cole said she made the delivery personally.
“All of our delivery drives are already out by then, so I just drove it out—we do that kind of stuff all the time,” Cole said.
While Cole said Winston Flowers serves some high-profile customers, the company treats everyone the same.
“There’s a lot of celebrities in Boston,” Cole said. “The Celtics come in here, their wives come in here, and it’s fun, but we treat somebody that comes in for two stems the same way we treat someone that places an order for 700.”
Winston Flowers not only serves the community but also provides fulfillment and a creative outlet for those who work in the store. Sales associate Reagan Irish said she was grateful for how her job allows her to develop her creativity.
“Every community needs a florist, and Winston’s tries to be that for a good day or a bad day,” Irish said.
Djhane Balido, a general manager at Alo Yoga at The Street and BC ’23, explained how moving from the old stand-alone location to joining the mall has benefited the community.
“Moving into the shopping area has made the customer’s experience more enjoyable, as they can just pop into other shops after picking up or ordering flowers,” she said, regarding the companies’ shared customers.
Balido said she works with Winston Flowers for decorations for the Alo store when they change their floor design or are in between seasons.
“[The] people are always so, so nice and their quality is always amazing,” Balido said.
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