Protea Trish Compacta

Few things look more exhilarating during these cold winter days of January than a bounty of gorgeous Protea Trish Compacta, in bloom… stretching high up in the sky on long, sturdy stems against a scenic backdrop. Their bright, vibrant flowers and lush, green foliage certainly have a way of taking the ‘chill out of the air’!

Yes, bring on the Protea Trish Compacta! Think Pink and so velvety soft (don’t you just want to reach out & feel those satiny petals?). This protea cultivar is a wonderful mix of compacta and laurifolia with the classic flawless-colored floral bracts in a rich pink (like compacta) and silvery-white highlights that surround the same pink colored center dome. Trish Compactas bloom winter through early spring… which means you should be enjoying them, umm right now!

When harvested and mixed with other proteas (and some textural Berzelia and eucalyptus), there’s no doubt Trish Compacta can take the chill out of any winter day.

Warm Apricot & Cherry Crisp

Is there anything better to eat during the summer than fresh fruit picked right off the tree, I especially love apricots! When I looked outside this weekend and saw my tree was loaded with fruit, I knew it was time to get inspired.

And while apricots are oh so good fresh, they also cook up into the most scrumptious jams and tarts. Once I harvested a basket of apricots, I grabbed my new Wine Country Table cookbook to see what sweet treat I could whip up for everyone in the office. This new cookbook by the Wine Institute celebrates California's bountiful harvest and the sustainable soul behind the farmers who grow it. As I perused the pages, I found a recipe for a Warm Apricot and Cherry Crisp. How clever of nature to ripen apricots and cherries at the same time; I love the combination of the sweetness of apricots with tartness of the cherries, they pair so well together.

I had the apricots, but I still needed the rest of the ingredients. I visited my local farmer's market in search of California Grown cherries and walnuts, and then off to the grocery store for more baking essentials.

Ready to bake, I halved and pitted the apricots and cherries. Then tossed them with a little sugar and tapioca to thicken their juices, added a crunchy oat and walnut topping, and baked until bubbly. The sweet aroma filled the office!

As the crisp baked Mel created a cherry-apricot inspired bouquet to adorn the table. The way I see it, nothing goes better with food and wine, than California Grown flowers! It seems the Wine Institute thinks so too; Mel is one of the farmers featured in the cookbook. He combined yellow and orange pincushion with cherry red kangaroo paws to match the beautiful warm crisp that was now ready to be devoured.

Create a Festive Fall Arrangement

Thanksgiving marks the last big holiday in the fall season. Without a doubt, it’s one of my favorite holidays because it combines so many of my favorite things – getting together with friends and family to share a savory meal and a daylong celebration centered on the bounty we receive from the earth. To get in the holiday mood, I like to fill my house with lots of beautiful materials from nature. I usually begin by creating a festive fall arrangement, a profusion of flowers in a pumpkin.

To create your own display, cut a circle from the top of the pumpkin, scoop out the interior, and insert a plastic liner with saturated floral foam. Using care to cover the raw edge of the opening, arrange stems for a lively tribute to fall.

June is California Grown Flowers Month

Did you know that June is California Grown Flower Month?

This week, California Sen. Mike McGuire took to the floor of the Senate to urge his colleagues to support California’s flower-farming families by passing Senate Concurrent Resolution 58 declaring June “California Grown Flowers Month.”

In presenting the resolution, McGuire acknowledged California’s hardworking flower farmers for the beauty, variety and economic value their flowers bring the Golden State.

“Today, we are recognizing California as America’s best source for high-quality cut flowers,” Senator Mike McGuire said. “The industry has blossomed since its inception back in the late 1870s. California flower farmers, distributors and florists generate thousands of jobs and drive $12.2 billion in economic activity every year. Our own Humboldt County is one of the largest flower producers in America growing more fresh tulips than anywhere else in the nation.”

As part of the announcement, each senator received a bouquet of California Grown Flowers from McGuire to help commemorate the occasion.

“The month of June is the perfect time to celebrate the beauty and bounty of what our farms grow in California,” explained California Cut Flower Commission (CCFC) CEO & Ambassador Kasey Cronquist. “The resolution helps to remind people that the origin of your flowers does matter and buying California Grown Flowers does make a difference – not only in the quality of the flowers, but also by helping the state’s economy.”

So, the table is set and it’s time to celebrate!

Rainbow in Color

Greens so unsullied you feel calm and invigorated. Bright colored pincushions spring forth from the lush greenery like fireworks. The yellows in the fields are almost neon, the oranges are flamboyant and reds… blazing. All of this natural beauty is set against a vibrant blue sky. This is springtime in Rainbow.

Every spring, I’m awe-struck by the beauty of each varying color. I am amazed by the idea that colors so bright and pure happen organically in nature. I see colors I have never seen before, around every hillside. I notice orange and peach pincushions reaching high up to the sky as the sun passes over. Bright bi-colored blooms with long spiky red pins that reach out from their yellow centers. This is the season of amazing color and it permeates all our lives. Let it inspire you and learn what each color means.

Green has healing power and is understood to be the most restful and relaxing color for the human eye to view. Green can help enhance vision, stability and endurance.

Yellow is the color of sunshine, hope, and happiness. Yellow stands for freshness, happiness, positivity, clarity, energy, optimism, enlightenment, remembrance, intellect, honor, loyalty, and joy.

Orange is the color of joy and creativity. Orange promotes a sense of general wellness and emotional energy that should be shared, such as compassion, passion, and warmth.

Red is assertive, daring, determined, energetic, powerful, enthusiastic, impulsive, exciting, and aggressive. Red represents physical energy, lust, passion, and desire.

Blue represents both the sky and the sea, and is associated with open spaces, freedom, intuition, imagination, expansiveness, inspiration, and sensitivity. Blue also represents meanings of depth, trust, loyalty, sincerity, wisdom, confidence, stability, faith, heaven, and intelligence.

Field to Vase: A Garden Inspiration

Amidst a scenic Wine Country backdrop in charming barns full of beautiful “garden-inspired” floral arrangements, Mel and I joined Sunset Magazine’s Garden Editor and dinner host, Johanna Silver, along with 120 guests for a chic Field to Vase Dinner on the grounds of Cornerstone Sonoma, home of Sunset’s new test garden. Johanna started the evening off with a tour of the beautiful 11,000-square-foot garden that includes a “flower room” designed by San Francisco florist Alethea Harampolis of Homestead Design Collective.

Sunset Magazine’s Garden Editor, Johanna Silver

During the reception and dinner, we enjoyed an array of savory cheeses and charcuterie while sipping on wine provide by Dry Creek Winery. Chef Kyle Kuklewski of Ramekins Culinary School, Special Events, and Inn captivated our taste buds with a four-course family style dinner dishes showcasing Sonoma’s amazing bounty.

However, the flowers were truly the 'main attraction' of this event! There were beautiful garden inspired floral installations and arrangements throughout each barn created by Alethea Harmapolis. In addition, a fun D.I.Y Boutonniere Bar offered us a chance to get creative with floral favorites while crafting personalized accessories – flower crowns, boutonniere and corsages.

Everyone left the dinner with an arm full of colorful tulips and iris courtesy of Stargazer Barns (which I’m still enjoying now) and a Field to Vase tote filled with floral goodies.

In the Field: Grevillea Flowers

This month, we’ve been meandering through the fields enjoying the wonderful bounty of Grevillea Flowers. These gorgeous bottlebrush-like blooms are perfect if you’re looking for something a little unusual and screaming with color and texture. We'll be harvesting this bumper crop throughout the season.

Here are some of our favorites - We’ll kept it short and sweet since these blooms really speak for themselves:

Sylvia

Moonlight

Misty Pink

Superb

Robyn Gordon

Honey Gem

Peaches & Cream

Sandra Gordon

Banksii