I first connected with this Rhodesian Ridgeback owning, Harley Davidson riding, and Providence, Rhode Island based master gardener Annie P. via Twitter last winter before the shutdown, which feels like so long ago now. (By the way, in order to be considered a master gardener, one is required to do a minimum of 40 hours of classroom training, get a grade of 80% or higher on the final exam, then go out and complete 50 hours of volunteer work in the field.)

During the spring and summer she has an honor stand (someone else I know has made a hobby of driving all over the state in search of these unmanned flower carts and booths and documenting it on social) set up on Hope Street with a selection of some of the best looking and finest quality blooms around at very sharp prices.

For the holidays she’s back with an enchanting and merry array of rustic and thoughtfully created arrangements, including ones in tins that she’s covered in real birch bark. And she has assured me that they are in fact far better than anything I might pick up at my supermarket or chain store of choice.

Also since this and really all my other posts right now are about supporting small businesses, I asked Annie to share a few of her Rhody go-to’s with us. Here’s what she had to say:

“My local favs are the cider from Barden Orchards in Situate, cider donuts from Appleland in Smithfield, and outdoor dining at the Back Eddy in Westport! Thando [her Rhodesian Ridgeback] and I can be found in the woods in Blackstone Park on the Eastside just about every day or roaming the beaches of Westport.”

*Annie’s stand is located at the intersection of Hope and Doyle, across the street from the Y, on Providence’s East Side.

Photo Credits: All images courtesy of Annie.