Rainbow

What’s the first thought that comes to your mind when someone mentions the word Rainbow? Most often, it’s a beautiful arc of colors formed by sunshine on rain! However, for me, Rainbow is much more then sunshine on rain, it’s the place where I grow my flowers, my protea – Rainbow, California.

A rainbow over Rainbow

Rainbow is a quaint and very colorful agricultural community. It seems like there’s a greenhouse full of gorgeous plants or a nursery with a rainbow of color packs ready for planting on every corner. This small community of nearly 1900 neighbors has one restaurant, gas station, school, florist and two country markets. On any given day, it’s not uncommon to see my pickups loaded with flowers navigating though the windy roads. Sometimes it looks like I have yanked a fireworks display out of the sky and tossed it in the back on my truck – almost a one pickup parade. But funny enough nobody gives it a second glance – it’s just another day in Rainbow or as I see it, another day in paradise!

Then, there’s that place “Somewhere over Rainbow way up high” where my proteaceae grow! Yes, these little known Southern Hemisphere Natives flourish in this particular area of S. California, bless with warm days, cool nights, dry summers and cool ocean breezes - the perfect Mediterranean climate for my special flowers. My protea plants are constant reminders that earthly life is both powerful and glorious. The earth itself produced these amazing blooms, using simple materials such as crumbed granite, lots of sun, and an occasional drink of water – my flower fields in these hills above Rainbow is where I’ve found my barrels of gold, my happiness, my life!