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Clifford’s Flowers Makes Life a Little Brighter

By Kathy Kurtz Ferrari
Staff Writer
4/29/10

Say it with flowers.

That old adage has been a staple of advertisements for the floral industry, but whether it’s a birthday, anniversary or Mother’s Day, it’s hard to go wrong with something that blooms.

Clifford’s Flowers has been saying it for more than 60 years, with two locations in Quincy. Second-generation owner Jim Clifford Jr., along with his wife, Holly, and a loyal staff run the business like a well-trained team.

Clifford’s headquarters, located at 216 Ricciuti Drive, in Quarry Hills, measures more than 10,000 square feet, and houses fresh flowers from all over the world. The temperature-controlled environment allows the staff to design floral arrangements that will peak at just the right time for delivery.

A visit to Clifford’s large space is a treat for the senses; bursts of color greet customers as they enter the floral-perfumed space. There, Clifford’s staff members ensure floral wishes are tracked from beginning to end, making sure that the message conveyed by the sender is flawlessly received. Handling a large amount of Internet orders and those sent through the FTD network, those working in the communications center begin a carefully orchestrated process.

Information about the order is then sent to the fulfillment center, where designers carefully chose cuttings of the freshest flowers available. Then they snip, stick, match and arrange a myriad of flowers to create a colorful sentiment, translating flowers into language.
“Flowers express emotion,” said Jim Clifford, as he looked over some recently received hydrangeas. “If it’s an emotional time, like a funeral, flowers help.”

While a large part of the business does center on helping customers through such difficult times, much of the work is meant for happier events.

The floral arrangements add a special touch to occasions and holidays throughout the year. Wedding consultants are also on staff at Clifford’s to help make memories. Imagine what an event like that would be without the right flowers.

Clifford’s father, James Clifford Sr., started Clifford’s Flowers in 1944, after returning from serving his country in World War II. He purchased the store from William Patterson, who was the gardener for the Adams Estate in Quincy. Continuing with tradition to this day, Clifford’s is commissioned by the president of the United States to create memorial anniversary wreaths for Presidents John Adams and John Quincy Adams, which go on display annually at the United First Parish Church in Quincy, where the father and son are entombed.

One of the busiest times of the year is Mother’s Day, which this year falls on Sunday, May 9, and the staff at Clifford’s is gearing up to handle more than 3,000 orders to brighten the day for many local mothers. Prom season is arriving, as well, and Clifford’s has many styles and colors to coordinate a custom corsage with any shade of dress.

Fresh flowers arrive by the truckload each day, and someone from Clifford’s is at the airport every day to retrieve special flowers, such as tulips from the Netherlands and France.

“We also support local greenhouses and growers,” Clifford said. “Like in the winter, we buy poinsettias from New England greenhouses. We prefer local, because it’s fresher.”

That said, Clifford did take time to show a visitor the beauty of large, colorful tulips from France that made their cousins from California look rather common.

Clifford’s also has a storefront location at 1229 Hancock St. in Quincy. For more information, visit www.cliffords.com or call (617) 479-8884.