Lambertville, Nj , A Funky, Cool Rivertown You Must Visit on Halloween.

Photo by John Arehart

Are you familiar with Lambertville, New Jersey, declared one of Forbes's 15 prettiest towns in America and, in my opinion, one of the funkiest at Halloween? If not, may I suggest you pay a visit, and most definitely during the Halloween season? I regret to say that I’ve lived in this region for the past 23 years and Lambertville’s ethereal and artistic displays are something I just learned about yesterday!

Last night my husband Michael and I were taken on a private little tour by our friends Stacy and Bill. They’ve been strolling around Lambertville, particularly Union Street, for years during the Halloween season, and could not wait to share it with us. We are so glad they did. I’ve also enlisted the help of my friend and fabulous photographer, John Arehart, for some daylit photos because as luck would have it he also visited yesterday and captured some great images to share.

Photo by John Arehart

Spookier-Than-Average

For starters, the entire town is decorated in a “spookier-than-average way", but one house in particular really does stand out. It’s called “The Halloween House," at 133 North Union Street, Lambertville, NJ, and it has become known as a display of stylized hand-crafted figures that are ethereal, macabre, and compelling enough to bring visitors back year after year. They are all created by artist, Dolores Dragan, now a regular spook celeb in town.

Photo by John Arehart

Trick or Theatrics

So Dolores Dragan, a longtime resident of Lambertville, started creating an annual display of these interesting figures in 1998 when she was still teaching art at Lambertville School. What began as a theater project to help children at her school, quickly turned into a tourism wonder. Tourists come from far and wide to see her beautifully backlit works of art and marvel at the ingenious ways she displays them. The long line to enter her side and backyard reached way down the block last night. This however was not a problem as almost every house on Union Street is enchanted with its own creepy version of delights.

Photo by John Arehart

A Memory Maker

In this wonderful video produced by Bob Krist, Dragan says she decided after she retired from teaching that she would take on the role of a "memory maker” and create these fantastic sculptures and display them on Halloween. Dolores said "I would like to donate memories every single year to children who come by here. Show them something they've never seen before... and will talk about for the rest of their lives."

Dolores works from July-October on new figures and repairs. As you can see in Bob’s video, she is a true artist. Her sculptures made from plaster and gauze are reminiscent of Tim Burton’s characters, but Dolores says they each loosely represent people in her life. I guess she’s creating a Hallowfamily of sorts and once a year they come to gather at Dolores’s and “spook out” the town.

Photo by John Arehart

An Artistically Inspiring Rivertown

So, If you decide to pop over the bridge from New Hope, PA, to see the sights, don’t think you’re coming for only one house. There are now many, many neighbors participating in this larger-than-life Halloween spectacle. I’ve included some highlights here for you to see some of the immense creativity. One home was projecting Edward Scissorhands on a front porch screen, while others propped sinister, red-eyed ghosts and goblins in the uppermost windows of their vast Victorian homes. We found a friendly Witch House, massive trees filled with flying ghosts, a stripper skeleton dangling upsidedown on a pole (very interesting) and many other examples of well thought out halloween artistry. If you decide to mill around these two lovely Rivertowns be sure to enjoy some dinner, shopping, music, and drinks before you visit the funky festive displays. It’s a good idea for your new and more artistically inspiring life.

photo by John Arehart

The Friendly Witches House, Union Street, Lambertville, NJ 2022

Photo by John Arehart

The Ghost Tree, Union Street, Lambertville, NJ 2022

Stacy, Bill, Kim, Michael in front of The Halloween House, Union Street, Lambertville, NJ 2022

Photo by John Arehart

The Halloween House by Dolores Dragan, Union Street, Lambertville, NJ 2022

Photo by John Arehart

How to choose flowers that have sentimental meaning

The Meaning of Flowers

Long before I opened Studio Sprig in 2016, I owned a freelance design business called Kim Bensing Design where I told sentimental romance stories through book-like wedding invitations. Because of my background in conceptual advertising, the captivating stories about my engaged couples were what I was after. I interviewed them extensively before I even began the design work. I loved this aspect of my job. I really enjoyed getting to know their backstory, and what message they wanted to relay to their guests with their invitations.

So in 2012, my first daughter Kate was graduating 6th grade and I wanted to buy her some flowers. But I didn’t want them to be just any pre-made, handheld bouquet wrapped in plastic. I wanted them to be especially meaningful to reflect how ultra special she was to me. So I went to a florist near me and asked them to tie up a few specific blooms & sprigs for my daughter to hold at her ceremony. This is four years before I knew anything about the floral industry, local growers, seasonal flowers, or pesticides. I did, however, know about plastic wrap, and I knew I did not want that! When I arrived, I was strictly interested in the meaning of the flowers and I asked for their help. And because I needed a card to explain the flowers, I also designed and attached a simple little one that illustrated the meaning of each flower in the bouquet and why I chose it. I hoped that she’d keep this forever but I am not sure she could actually find that card today, as she’s now 22 and a very busy graduate student. But through that small, ribbon-tied bouquet and a little tiny card, my undying love was conveyed that day, and it was the catalyst that propelled me to launch the Bucks County, boutique floral art studio; Studio Sprig, four years later.

Choosing Sentimental Flowers for Arrangements and Bouquets

Here is a short list of some of the flowers I chose for Kate’s bouquet above, to the best of my limited 2011 knowledge, and again because I can’t find the card!!! I hope you get the idea.

The focal flower is Stock & it is a symbol of a happy life, lasting beauty, and contented existence. It also smells AMAZING!!
The purple Aster symbolizes love, wisdom & faith.
The scattered Baby’s breath symbolizes everlasting love.
I am sure there were a few more sprigs tucked in, but I can’t see them in this photo, so sorry.

This topic of “the meaning behind something” has always fascinated me so here is a little flower history for you.

Floriography: The Language of Flowers

Floriography, the language of flowers, has been practiced in traditional cultures throughout Europe, Asia, and Africa for thousands of years. Strong interest in floriography soared in Victorian England and in the United States during the 19th century. Gifts of blooms, plants, and specific floral arrangements were used to send a coded message to the recipient, allowing the sender to express feelings which - and I love this part - could not be spoken aloud in Victorian society. A popular book entitled Le Langage des fleurs by Charlotte de la Tour was published in France in 1819. Here, Charlotte offered 300 meanings for particular flowers to provide assistance in making bouquets. Victorians often exchanged small "talking bouquets", called nosegays or tussie-mussies, which could be worn or carried as a fashion accessory.* I always love this because I carried a tussie-mussie filled with roses, hydrangea, and herbs for my wedding in 1998, having absolutely no real understanding of why I chose one except that I loved Jane Austen.

If you are unfamiliar with the illustrations of Kate Greenaway, take a look at her gorgeous 19th-century children’s books including the one linked below.

I hope you have enjoyed learning the meaning behind the meaning of flowers. Below please see the short list of some popular blooms and their symbolisms as well as a few current and not-so-current resources I discovered. You can click on the image and it will take you to where you can buy it. Have fun the next time you create a bouquet from your own garden or pop into your local flower shop or farmer’s market, and be sure to request specifics based on what they will mean to your recipient. Remember to always attach a small card to explain!

Helpful Links to learn more about meaningful flowers

I have included a link for the french edition of Le Langage des fleurs if you would like to add it to your collection. There are also more current options which I will include below. Most notably the gorgeous books authored by Shane Connolly. Enjoy.

Buy on Amazon

Buy on Amazon

Buy on Amazon

Buy on Amazon

Floriography Sources

Shane Connolly of the UK is a renowned designer who designs for England’s royalty. Shane exemplifies the idea of discovering how florals can relate to the concept of your event. His beautiful website is worth browsing. Here are 6 of his published books that would be worth reading.

The Secret Language of Flowers: Rediscovering Traditional Meanings

Language of Flowers

Wedding Flowers

A Year in Flowers

Table Flowers: Over 50 Arrangements for Simple, Special and Spectacular Occasions

Discovering the Meaning of Flowers

Please comment to share some other interesting floral symbolisms or stories you’ve enjoyed or created. Include images!

A short list of popular flowers, herbs and their symbolisms:

~ Zinnia / friendship, & daily remembrance
~ Rose / love & passion
~ Peony / love, honor & goodwill
~ Dahlia / commitment & kindness
~ Tulip / passion & deep love
~ Carnation / love
~ Calla Lily / life & fertility
~ Gerber Daisy / cheerfulness & celebration
~ Orchid / thoughtfulness & charm
~ Gardenia / trust, hope & peace
~ Sunflowers / loyalty & admiration
~ Hydrangea / gratitude, grace & beauty
~ Rosemary / remembrance
~ Sage / wisdom & immortality
~ Thyme / courage & activity

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Learn: Read a book about the meaning of flowers
Create: Design a handheld tussie-mussie and assemble with a note
Inspire: Share your creation with a friend

I hope you enjoyed this Inspiration. Please leave comments below. I’d love to hear about your cool floral combinations. I’m always here to help you with your creative journey. Please sign up to receive blog post notifications and follow Studio Sprig on Instagram, Facebook, and Pinterest. I look forward to connecting. If you’re a blogger, what’s your favorite SEO Tool? I’ve had much keyword success with RankIQ. Learn more here. - Kim

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*source: Wikpedia
Disclosure: I am an Amazon Associate and will sometimes offer affiliate links. The price you pay will be the same whether you use the affiliate link or go directly to the vendor’s website using a non-affiliate link. Thank you very much.