One thing I’ve learned about myself over the years is that few things make me as happy as having fresh flowers in my house. I’ll pick lilacs from my yard in spring, “borrow” hydrangeas from my neighbors in summer, and snatch a few branches of holly from walks in fall. Otherwise, I’m more than happy to buy a bouquet or two from a retail shop. It’s an immediate mood-booster, and it makes me feel like my house is ever-ready for guests to come over for a glass of wine and some chit-chat.
So imagine my delight when a friend recently introduced me to Buttercup, a flower and wine bar in Wickford. She promised a fun, sensory experience where the scent of fresh-cut stems mingles with the clink of wine glasses and the delight of a charcuterie board (what on earth did we do before charcuterie boards?) – a place where creativity, conviviality, and community bloom in perfect unison.
We’re greeted at the Wickford storefront by owner Lauren Scowcroft, who explains that she wanted to create an inspiring space, a place where you can do more than raise a toast with a friend. Success! It all feels effortlessly refined yet unpretentious: soft light filtering through windows onto vases of garden roses and eucalyptus, and the scent of citrus and greenery in the air. The front room features bar seating, where you can order sips and snacks, wines mainly sourced locally, and charcuterie boards as well as a small menu of other nibbles.
Wander into the back room, where you can grab a ready-made bouquet, or create your own, selecting from pails full of fresh, locally sourced, seasonal stems. Scowcroft suggests starting with one large favorite flower (I pick a fuschia Gerbera daisy) and building down from there, adding smaller blooms in complementary or monochromatic tones, and finishing with greens. Though she isn’t a professionally trained floral designer, Scowcroft says “flowers have always been a part of my life. I love them and love learning about them.”
Buttercup was born out of the pandemic, when Scowcroft was furloughed from her job at the Newport Restaurant Group. She began brainstorming about something she could do outdoors, and her love of blooms led to the idea of a pop-up flower truck. A resident of Narragansett, she could envision such a thing being popular with locals and tourists alike. She had her heart set on a vintage Volkswagen pick-up, and after more than a year of searching – kismet! She found a 1974 turquoise-and-white model in Florida and brought it home. It’s Monet’s garden on four wheels, and it started popping up at outdoor events in South County in the spring of 2022.
The Buttercup flower truck’s success led to this Wickford location two years later, where Scowcroft was able to pair the bouquet-building with a small selection of wine, beer, and snacks. Buttercup is the perfect place to host a bridal shower or intimate birthday gathering, savor time with a friend, and leave with something tangible, fragrant, and beautiful. Scowcroft hosts wine tastings, sip and paint nights, and other special events year-round, while the truck is on hiatus until warmer weather prevails.
After a couple of hours, a retail purchase, and several glasses of prosecco, my friend and I leave Buttercup feeling warm and toasty, carrying craft-paper-wrapped bundles of joy, better for the experience. Beyond their charm, Buttercup the storefront and Buttercup the flower truck have become reflections of Wickford itself – historic, picturesque, and rooted in connection. Scowcroft credits the village’s warm spirit for helping her dream take root. “People have been so wonderful,” she says. “It feels like we’ve created something that belongs here.”
4 Brown Street, Wickford
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