Vine & Blooms

Why the name Vine & Blooms? There are a few reasons but mostly the name is inspired by the coming together for the love of wine and flowers. The two seem to go hand-in-hand in a beautiful relationship. Sipping on a glass of wine while creating your own special bouquet can lower inhibitions which is perfect for those who have beginner designer nerves. Floral craft activities have consistently proven to have tremendous benefits for both your mind and body as well!

Sounds far-fetched, doesn’t it? We don’t think so! That’s why this month we partnered with another California farm, Fallbrook Winery, at their 36-acre vineyard to host our first Vine & Blooms Workshop. The afternoon started out with a wine tasting and tour of the vineyard followed by our bouquet workshop. It didn’t take long for everyone to realize that floral designing (especially when it’s paired with friends and wine) boosts your mood and you don’t have to be a professional designer to have FUN with Flowers! It was no surprise how beautiful all the bouquets turned out and everyone had a blast in the process.

Many thanks to our friends at Fallbrook Winery for being the perfect host!

Seasonal Gatherings

Have you ever watched a chef shop at the farmer's market, getting excited while gathering an array of locally grown herbs and produce that will later be used to transform the evening's menu? That's me with flowers. I'm most in my realm when I'm surrounded by seasonal blooms and foliage, visualizing the myriad of bouquets and arrangements I could create. Usually, I start by considering elements like size, shape, height, color, and texture when I choose flowers, and I never know what I’ll end up with until it’s finished!

In the case of this arrangement, I was immediately drawn to the jewel tone hue of the roses contrasted with the cheerful pop of the peach pincushions. Since the protea and pincushions were similar in texture, I added a few stems of foxglove to create a delicate, country type feel. The spiky foxglove also brings a new shape to the mix without veering to far from my chosen palette. Finally, the Grevillea Ivanhoe’s serrated green foliage complements both the protea and pincushion’s texture injecting an organic looseness to the design. I'm enchanted with how it turned out, and even more importantly I had a wonderful time creating it!

Event: Husbands that Cook Cookbook Launch

We ask a lot of our CAGrown flowers and foliage. It’s not enough to just see them while they’re in the fields or harvested and ready for shipping - we want to see them in festive displays, bouquets and centerpieces, too! That’s why we were so excited to partner thefeedfeed and cagrownofficial to celebrate the launch of Adam Merrin and Ryan Alvarez’s new cookbook, “Husbands that Cook,” featuring 120 Irresistible Recipes that use fresh California grown produce!

High in the hills of Eagle Rock, CA, the day greeted over 35 guests from thefeedfeed’s Instagram Community of Cooks with blue skies and warm temperatures, making for a perfect afternoon to savor some of the recipes from the cookbook and while enjoying a feast of CAGrown flowers from our farm and Mellano & Company. As an extra treat during dessert, guests were also invited to create their own special bouquet to enjoy at home.

Thanks to everyone who joined us at Adam and Ryan’s home in Eagle Rock to celebrate the launch—we’re so proud to share CAGrown Flowers with you!

Event: Meet the Growers

To celebrate the esprit de corps of the Southwest Chapter of the American Institute of Floral Designers (AIFD), we hosted the first in a series of Meet the Growers Workshops here on the farm. All floral designers and floral enthusiasts are invited to participate in these workshops as they ‘get back to the roots’ and connect with the farmers who grow their favorite flowers and foliage.

It was an afternoon of protea chat, creative inspiration, and good cheer. While touring the greenhouse, nursery and cooler, Tracy Easter, explained how the flowers we grow are planted and harvested, as well as how they journey from the fields to the markets. A hands-on workshop was the event finale, as each guest created their own beautiful bouquet or arrangement using an array of protea, pincushions, grevillea, banksia and much more.