Six Decades of Floral Craftsmanship in Norwood
For more than sixty years, the name Peter Fisher & Son, Inc. has stood for beauty, craftsmanship, and quiet excellence in Norwood. From their greenhouses at 6 Washington Street, generations of residents have turned to the Fisher family for flowers that mark life’s most meaningful moments—weddings, hospital visits, celebrations, and farewells.
Founded in 1890 by Peter Fisher, a carnation specialist whose skill quickly earned him a loyal following, the business grew steadily as Norwood itself expanded. In 1922, roses became the firm’s signature specialty, and the demanding work of cultivating them is now shared by Stanley R. Fisher, his son‑in‑law Edward Sullivan, and his son Allyn H. Fisher.
The process behind each bloom is a story of patience and precision. Roses begin as cuttings, grafted onto hardy wild‑rose stalks, then nurtured into bushes capable of producing as many as thirty blossoms at a time. A rose plant bears well for only three years before its productivity fades, requiring a constant succession of new bushes to maintain a steady crop. The varieties raised at Fisher’s include Better‑Times Roses, Briarcliff Pink, Yellow Gloria, Peter’s Briarcliff, and Starlite—each grown with the same meticulous care that has defined the business since its earliest days.
Inside the greenhouses, the work is as impressive as the flowers themselves. Massive boilers with automatic stokers provide heat; electric and steam pumps return condensation to the system; a dedicated water pump supplies the weekly watering; and a large spray pump protects the plants from pests. A commercial refrigerator, kept at 42 degrees, is always filled with roses and fresh‑cut flowers ready for delivery. The greenhouses are open daily from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m., and on Sundays from 8 a.m. to noon, serving customers with the promptness and courtesy that have become the firm’s hallmark.
Through decades of change, Peter Fisher & Son has remained a constant—an enduring example of Norwood craftsmanship, family dedication, and the quiet artistry of those who coax beauty from the soil.
Source: Norwood Messenger
More Norwood Business History
-
Norwood’s Jewish Community
All of the Jewish families that lived in Norwood in the early 1900s recorded their nationality as “Russian.” In 1920, Norwood’s census taker recorded the townspeople came from if they … Continue reading Norwood’s Jewish Community
-
Norwood’s Italian Immigrants
In over forty years, between 1880 and 1920 over four million Italians began arriving in The United States, many coming from the poor agricultural towns located in Mezzogiorno region (the … Continue reading Norwood’s Italian Immigrants
-
Settling into Business in East Walpole:
“The Neponset River rises in Foxborough and enters Walpole at the extreme south corner, and takes a northerly course to the centre, then changes to an easterly course, and enters … Continue reading Settling into Business in East Walpole:
-
Norwood’s Lebanese-Syrian Immigrants
Syrians had been arriving in Massachusetts since the late 1880s. Many came from what is today, the countries of Lebanon and Syria, and these immigrants were mostly Christian. Traditionally, this … Continue reading Norwood’s Lebanese-Syrian Immigrants
-
Norwood’s Lithuanian Immigrants
The history of Lithuania is long and complicated, but it needs to be understood as its roots illustrate when and why Lithuanians came to the United States. In 1795, The … Continue reading Norwood’s Lithuanian Immigrants
-
Norwood’s Portuguese Immigrants
The Portuguese began arriving in Massachusetts in the late 1800s, many coming from fishing villages in the Azores. They created Portuguese communities in Boston and Cambridge. In the late 1950s, … Continue reading Norwood’s Portuguese Immigrants
-
The Ethnic Groups that Called South Norwood Home
South Norwood was a multi-ethnic neighborhood. Immigrants from Syria, Poland, Lithuania, and Italy first settled here; followed later by people from Portugal, Brazil, Egypt, and Ecuador. Like the residents of … Continue reading The Ethnic Groups that Called South Norwood Home
-
Maps of South Norwood
Looking at maps of the area helps to illustrate how South Norwood grew. Two 1876 Maps show house lots on the (Upper South Norwood) end of Washington Street beyond the … Continue reading Maps of South Norwood
-
Growth and Development of South Norwood
Until 1872, Norwood was parish of Dedham. Originally, Dedham was a huge land grant that stretched westerly to the Wellesley/Natick area, easterly to Norwood/Walpole and to the south all the … Continue reading Growth and Development of South Norwood
-
South Norwood: A Bustling Multi-Ethnic Neighborhood
South Norwood was a largely undeveloped area when Norwood was established in 1872. There were a few houses located on in Upper South Norwood by Dean Street, the Balch School … Continue reading South Norwood: A Bustling Multi-Ethnic Neighborhood
Discover more from Norwood Historical Society
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.