February 9, 2026 By Erin Blake Elefante, Community Editor
Walking into Hingham Greenery in downtown Hingham is an instant mood lift – the warm air, bright colors, and fresh scent of plants and flowers makes you feel like Spring may just actually be on the horizon.
Richard Lynch, a 28-year employee of Hingham Greenery, was kind enough to take the time to chat with me about Valentine’s Day flowers and things to keep in mind when choosing an arrangement for various people in your life.
For starters, he typically recommends a mix of flowers to create a beautiful display. Roses typically last 5-7 days, and when only one flower is used, they all wilt at the same time. Mixing in other favorite flowers can give you a longer lasting arrangement. Lynch recommends adding classic crowd pleasers such as tulips, anemones, gerbera daisies, hyacinths, and hydrangeas to the mix.
Lisianthus, a rose lookalike, veronica, tall with tiny blossoms, and freesia with it’s sweet smell and long lasting bloom are also lovely for Valentine’s Day, according to Lynch. Hingham Greenery doesn’t typically offer special arrangements for Valentine’s Day, instead allowing customers to collaborate with the florists to create the perfect bouquet, something that sets the shop apart. “Generally, no two things are the same. We are more about uniqueness than mass producing things – that is our signature stye,” says Lynch.
For a man in your life, he recommends succulents, bromeliads (a flowering plant that is currently blooming), or other low maintenance and long lasting plants.
As for the intention behind certain colors, “red is love, yellow symbolizes friendship, white is purity,” explains Lynch. Other traditional meanings are pink for affection and grace, purple for calm and trust, orange for enthusiasm and warmth, blue for serenity, and green for renewal and good fortune.
Giving two dozen red roses for Valentine’s Day means “double the love” or “love you twice as much”, says Lynch.
A flower that “gets a bad rap” are lilies, and while some people do love them, Lynch recommends avoiding them if you’re not sure due to their strong odor and pollen that drops. Part of what separates Hingham Greenery from supermarket flowers is that they don’t use traditional “filler flowers”, instead focusing on beautiful displays with high quality flowers.
Above is a chart with other traditional connotations for certain flowers, depending on the message you want to send. But no matter what you choose, flowers are always a thoughtful and appreciated way to show you love, care, or are thinking of someone. Hingham Greenery is located at 39 South Street in Hingham and can be found online at www.hinghamgreenery.com. Happy Valentine’s Day!
