The first step to recovery is admitting you have a problem. Well, I will admit, I do have a bit of an obsession, but it is not something that I am planning to stop any time soon.

Ever since I wandered into the Winston Flowers store on Greenwich Avenue in Greenwich, CT, I was hooked on orchids! You really have to visit one of their locations (6 stores in the Boston area, 1 in Greenwich and a design studio in NYC) to appreciate the quality of their orchids (they do a superb job with other flowers, but I am addicted to the orchids).

I love using orchids as a design accessory primarily because of their sculptural beauty and because they are low maintenance! Here is how crazy I am about getting my orchid fix. If I happen to be anywhere near Greenwich, I call ahead to the wonderfully talented and ultimately accommodating store manager, Alba DiBenedetto, to let her know that I will be there. I drop off my vessels and head out to see my clients or do some research at the design district at the top of The Ave (that’s what they call Greenwich Ave in Greenwich, FYI). When I come back, Alba has my vessels replanted and looking super gorgeous! Or, if I am heading into NYC, I call ahead, drop my containers at a client’s concierge in the West Village and Winston Flowers picks them up, replants and delivers back to the apartment building the next day. And then, yes, I do schlepp back into the City to pick them up – well worth it!

Over the many years of doing business, I have come to know David Winston pretty well. The growth (no pun intended here) of Winston Flowers is a classic American business success story. In 1944, David’s grandfather Robert started selling flowers out of a pushcart on Newbury Street in Boston, right next to the original location of the Ritz-Carlton Hotel. He and his son Maynard then opened a shop on Newbury Street which is still there today!

I wanted to ask David (3rd generation Winston Flowers) what makes their orchids so much more beautiful and long lasting than those that you can buy elsewhere. So, I had a little chat with David and his daughter Isabel (4th generation Winston Flowers).

Unlike most other orchid sellers, Winston sources their plants from a grower on the North Fork of Long Island. David emphasizes that the primary reason for longevity and beauty of their orchids is that the plants are received from the grower at a Winston Flowers store within 3 to 4 hours. Other orchids are mass produced in either Florida or California, put in plastic and boxed and then shipped on an enclosed truck where they can sit for as long as 4 days. Freshness is key. Winston Florist also sets very high standards for the plants they accept based on height, bud count, plant foliage and thickness of the stem.

When I asked David why he recommends orchids as an indoor plant for his residential, commercial and hospitality customers, he explains “orchids are the best indoor plant because they flower, they last at least 4 to 6 weeks, they require very little maintenance and they are the most economical.” It’s true, a significant fresh flower arrangement costs about the same as an orchid but needs to be replaced once every 5 days. Orchids can last up to 5 times as long or more!

David and I agree that as simply elegant and beautiful as orchids are, the vessel is also important. Here’s how David recommends starting your orchid décor:
1. Find a spot in your home – an entry table makes a big statement
2. Choose a unique vessel (Winston Flowers also has a great selection)
3. Plant with one or several orchids based on the size of the container
4. Maintenance is easy – mist plant + 1/4 cup of water at roots every 10-14 days
5. After 4 to 6 weeks (I sometimes get up to 12 weeks), replant.

I asked David and Isabel about their favorite orchid variety – it’s like your children, hard to pick just one. For David – novelty Phalaenopsis (white at Christmas and in summer, colors in the fall); and Lady Slipper. For Isabel – novelty Phalaenopsis; and Omcidium. For me – I am a double Phalaenopsis kind of girl primarily, but I do also like the mini whites and the kaleidoscope.

I must tell Ray that David said my habit was economical!!! So how bad can it really be.

Enjoy your orchids.

Susan