Bert Ford of Ford Flower Co., LLC, donated his time and talents to the Women of NECC’s annual tea.

Pennycress, Lady’s Mantle, Cat’s Tail, Free Spirit Roses, and cabbage were just a few of the tools of the floral trade that Bert Ford of Ford Flower Company LLC in Salem, NH, used to create nearly a dozen autumnal and holiday center pieces and door displays during Northern Essex Community College’s Women of NECC membership tea on Friday, October 21 in the Hartleb Technology Center on the Haverhill campus.

Nearly 80 women attended the tea where they enjoyed tea sandwiches, dessert and tea donated by NexDine while Ford regaled them with stories of the floral industry as well as what they can expect to see in floral arrangements in the coming months.

What’s popular? Organic materials, tablescaping, oak leaves painted in Holland, miniature calla lilies called Mombo, birch branches tied in bundles and anything mocha, taupe or latte colored. And don’t dispose of mercury glass pieces just yet…it’s still popular, he said. The “snowy” look on greenery is also prevalent this year.

Jean Poth, NECC vice president of institutional advancement; Joyce McDonough from Middle Village, NY; Women of NECC member Nancy Greenwood of Greenwood Insurance in Methuen; Bert Ford of Ford Flowers, Inc., and Gerri Murphy, president of the Women of NECC.

As Ford decorated everything from glass jars to terra cotta pots to a silver compote and large lantern, he joked, “The better your table looks, the worse cook you can be”. He told them the key to an attractive centerpiece is to not be too fussy with the design.

Ford donated the arrangements he created to the college. They were raffled off to members of the audience who had purchased raffle tickets.

The event raised more than $4500 for student scholarships.

Founded in 1997, The Women of NECC was organized to help Northern Essex in its efforts to raise money for scholarship for needy and deserving students.

For more information or to become a member, contact Jean Poth, vice president for institutional advancement, at 978-556-3624 or jpoth@necc.mass.edu