In the heart of Harvard Square, tucked away on Mount Auburn Street, sits Petali Flowers—a floral boutique that has been a community staple since its owner, John Selletto, opened the store in 1989.
Walking into Petali feels like stepping into a different world. Surrounded by every color under the sun and the delicate fragrance of lavender, you know you are in a special place. Selletto thinks so too. “We tend to take people, when they come in, out of their world and into ours,” he told me.
“A long time ago, my brother and I traveled throughout the Southwest, trading with the Indians. We bought old Mexican furniture, all kinds of things—and we opened up a store on Newbury Street with those items. We were there for quite a while. Then, Harvard approached us and wanted us to open up here. That led us to the Smith Center, where we had a couple of stores. Then, this space opened up, and I asked Harvard if I could rent it out, and they asked, ‘What do you want to do with it?’ I told them I wanted to open a flower shop—and I’ve been winging it ever since.”
Petali’s allure extends beyond its dreamy atmosphere—it is a testament to Selletto’s discerning eye for floral trends and quality. With flowers sourced from around the world—Italy to Japan to Holland to California—he ensures that every stem that graces the shelves is beautiful, memorable, and fresh. “I buy what I like… The flowers always hit you,” Selletto said. Petali also sells a variety of trinkets, from handcrafted soaps to stuffed animals to puzzles and board games. “We’re a really good gift store and a really good flower shop,” he added.
Selletto believes that Petali’s role transcends retail—he sees it as a conduit for fostering connections with the community. “We know a lot of people from just seeing them come in over and over,” he said. From helping boyfriends out of the doghouse (“Monday is a doghouse day,” he tells me) to witnessing the milestones of his customers’ lives, Selletto and his team at Petali are the custodians of cherished moments. “A college student, like yourself, will come in for four years. Then they’ll go off, come back, and say ‘Hey, I’m getting married… Can you do our flowers?’”
In addition to helping everyday Cambridge customers, Petali serves a number of nearby schools, from Harvard to Boston College to Northeastern, for special events. “We do a lot of flowers for the University and for events like Man of the Year and Woman of the Year,” Selletto said. “We make baskets and bouquets [for Man of the Year and Woman of the Year], and we don’t charge… It’s a Harvard thing and we like the people.”
As Valentine’s Day approaches, Petali is a haven for people seeking the perfect flowers to express their love. While red roses remain the perennial romantic gesture, Selletto also recommends the more free-spirited flowers in orange, pink, and purple. “Colors are important,” he added. “We have unique flowers some people have never seen…and whatever we have in here, people seem to love. Pantone’s Color of the Year each year is also popular.”
Amidst the flurry of romantic gestures, Selletto and his team remain attuned to the quieter, yet equally pivotal, moments. Anna Mae Becker, Petali’s Floral Design and Sales Manager, told me about a memorable encounter from this past fall. “Last semester, a young girl came in and said, ‘I’d like a small bouquet, something posey, because I’m going to ask this girl to be my girlfriend.’ Then, she leaves, and another girl comes in later looking for a similar thing. We wrap it up, send her on her way, and we think to ourselves ‘I wonder…’ At the end of the day, we saw them walking together with the flowers they had gotten each other. So they asked each other to be each other’s girlfriends on the same day.”
As our conversation wrapped up, Selletto showed me his current favorites—effervescent, orange-pink wild roses—and told me about the new Japanese porcelain dishes he ordered. Before I left, he gifted me a bouquet of light pink tulips. I told him that I’d be back next week.
Caroline Hao ’25 (carolinehao@college.harvard.edu) loves all flowers, but especially red roses.