“I must have flowers, always and always,” said Claude Monet.
We couldn’t agree with him more! But in January, for many gardeners it’s easier said than done. The garden is relatively sparse and those bare-root plants are just starting to get their feet wet. Attempting to create your own winter floral display can feel a bit like decorating Charlie Brown’s Christmas tree.
But that’s not to say the gardeners or ‘Monets’ among us are out of luck. On Saturday morning we teamed up with several members of the Fallbrook Garden Club (and a lot of protea), and created winter arrangements that would warm up any home or office.
Our guests toured the greenhouse, nursery and packing house, and learned about propagating and growing protea. We even shared tips about what’s currently blooming in our fields and how to arrange them in a handy ‘re-useable’ container… something they’ll use again when their gardens are back in bloom.
For many farmers and gardeners fall is considered "the forgotten season." It's the time when they put away their tools and equipment and kiss growing things goodbye. But that's certainly not the case here in Southern California and for the Poway Valley Garden Club. Given the abundant varieties of protea, leucadendron and banksia in bloom, you can liberate a neglected interval in the gardening cycle. That was the inspiration I hoped to pass on to these gardeners during their visit to the farm this week. With over 95 members, this club's mission is to promote interest in gardening, improve and beautify their community, and provide garden education and information.
