September Articles of Interest

A horticulturist's guide to Australian native plants

Why natives? Well that’s our specialty at the Australian Botanic Garden Mount Annan and we are here to share what we know about native plants, encourage home gardeners to grow them and celebrate their unique beauty with the world.

The horticulture team at the Garden carefully look after the incredibly diverse native plants that are found across the woodlands, grasslands, rainforests, horticultural displays and new seedlings in the Nursery - encompassing 416 hectares of land.

Read more here.
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CA GROWN proclaims October
as Farmer and Farmworker Month

CA GROWN has announced that the first-ever California Farmer and Farmworker Month will be recognized in October. It is a fitting tribute in a most challenging year.

When COVID-19 hit, farmers, farmworkers and the entire food and ag value chain moved swiftly and effectively to redirect supply lines from foodservice to retail and on-line platforms where possible. They increased contributions to food banks to avoid waste at a time we faced a substantial increase of need. They learned on the fly, securing personal protective equipment (PPE) and implementing operational and scheduling changes to keep workers safe. No segment of our society has handled the abrupt disruptions flawlessly, but through it all, agriculture has maintained an adaptive, creative, can-do approach.

Read more here.
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30 Orchid Bouquet Ideas for Brides and Bridesmaids

Show-stopping arrangements to carry down the aisle.

Orchids are one of the most popular wedding flowers, and for good reason. “They’re versatile and make a big impact in bouquets and other floral designs,” says Drew Rios of Roque & Fox Floral Co. in Los Angeles.

Another reason? Orchids come in a wide variety of colors, sizes, and shapes, making it easy to incorporate them into weddings of every style. That said, some varieties are more popular than others. “Phalaenopsis orchids and cymbidium orchids are hands-down favorites of many brides," Rios says. "Their front-facing forms provide an eye-catching moment in a bouquet.”

Read more here.

Event: CPA Member Appreciation Party

June is California Grown Flowers Month and the California Protea Association (CPA) kicked off the month-long celebration on June 1st by throwing a Member Appreciation party. The event was held at a beautiful estate in Hidden Meadows owned by the renowned local Visual Artist Pako Pablos. Pako’s artistic commentary on pop culture through the use of digital art, painting with acrylics and the creation of images in pastels has gained widespread exposure and popularity. Members had the opportunity to enjoy the estate’s panoramic views, tour the grounds and visit Pako's studio.

A delicious dinner was prepared by award winning chef Flor Franco. Garnering acclaim and a reputation for excellence, Flor has served as the Executive Chef for several award winning venues and restaurants, two Sundance Film Festivals, one Conde Nast dinner, hundreds of the world's best events, and has had the honor of designing and executing menus for Hollywood elite, dignitaries and national political figures.

It was a terrific event at a fabulous venue with scrumptious food and lots of great conversations with friends who love protea farming as much as we do!

Many thanks to Pako and Flor for their gracious hospitality!

Event: The Wine Country Table Launch

This week we ventured to Sacramento to help celebrate the launch of the Wine Institute’s new book, The Wine Country Table – a book we’re so excited to be featured in. Bursting with wine, food and our flowers, this tome conveys a fresh, meditative, and beautifully-photographed celebration of California, its natural beauty, its unrivaled bounty, and its determination to remain just as productive for generations to come. It’s all about sustainable farming, taking readers on a visual tour of 23 stunning farms and wineries throughout the state, introducing them to some of the vintners, winemakers, and farmers (like Mel) whose harvests are profiled.

Pictured above: Diana Roy, Francesca Marchini, Janet Fletcher,
John Taylor, Nick Matteis & Vincent Ricchiuti

Grape Harvest

Olive Harvest

Protea Harvest

Written by award-winning author Janet Fletcher with photographs by Robert Holmes and Sara Remington, the book highlights California's key wine regions, its eminent fruit, vegetable and flower crops, with suggestions on how to select and use them. It also includes fifty rustic-elegant recipes covering all bases, from breakfast to dessert and pairs them with the perfect California wines.

Roast Chicken with Lemons, Paprika & Olives - this recipe is fabulous and a perfect Spring weeknight meal!

Heirloom Apple Galette with Honey Ice Cream

And, there’s no doubt in our minds… Great food, wine and flowers make for the perfect pairing.

Click here to order your copy – Cheers!

The Grateful Table

It’s always a treat to attend ‘Farm to Fork – Field to Vase' events, but this week, in a vineyard right on the 50-yard line between Napa and Sonoma, CA, the human spirit came together in a very unique and special way. Over 500 people gathered in the Napa-Sonoma Wine Country community to honor and support people affected by what was the largest wild fire in the history of California. Farmers, chefs, floral designers, and tourism officials, were in attendance and most importantly, the first responders, the fire fighters, police force, EMTs, even dispatchers who received 1000’s of phone calls for help amidst the October blazes.

Visit California, Outstanding in the Field and destination partners Visit Napa Valley, Sonoma County Tourism, and Visit Mendocino County sponsored what was called ‘The Grateful Table’. In many ways this event marked the beginning of the recovery in the wine country with 100 percent of the proceeds going towards fire recovery efforts.

It was the perfect fall day, blue skies and a vineyard shimmering in vibrant autumn hues. The flowers that garnished the table ‘fit for a King’ were simply stunning. We're grateful to the California farms that donated all the flowers, Syndicate Sales Inc. for the vases, Jessup for providing the transportation and Torchio Nursery who kindly received the boxes. And, a huge thank you to the lead floral design team Venn Floral and the amazing designers who volunteered their time to help make sure the flowers at the center of the table are as beautiful as our treasured wine country! It was a fabulous way to start the Thanksgiving week and let the world know that the Napa-Sonoma communities spirit is uncrushable.

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.