Kick off to Parade Season: Everything is Coming up Roses

There was no better way for us to help celebrate Miracle-Gro’s kick off to the 2017 Parade Season than by creating some beautiful centerpieces for guests to enjoy during Muir Ranch’s field-to-vase luncheon. Mel whipped up his own special recipe of roses, protea, leucospermum, leucadendron, grevillea and a sprig of serruria, and off to Pasadena we went.

The day greeted guests with blue skies and warm temperatures, making for a perfect afternoon to help to expand the farm's footprint. Throughout the morning volunteers kicked off parade season by helping students install 100 California grown rose bushes that will become part or Muir Ranch's new rose garden.

This is the third year Miracle-Gro has supported the program through their Tournament of Roses Partnership. Miracle-Gro representatives and Ty Pennington, Miracle-Gro’s spokesperson, were on-hand to help plant the rose bushes and reinforce their commitment to the community. As an added surprise, during the luncheon attendees were the first to see Miracle-Gro's 2017 Rose Parade float design.

'Everything's Coming Up Roses' is Miracle-Gro's Rose Parade salute to America's National flower and the most popular grown flower in backyard gardens. From tiny miniature roses to large vibrant blossoms, over 25,000 California grown roses will be featured throughout this beautiful float.

This year's parade theme: 'Echoes of Success' celebrates those people, organizations and institutions that have made an impact on someone's life. Miracle-Gro’s 2017 float will honor the very flower for which the Parade is named!

Special thanks go out to Harry Van Wingerden from Myriad Flowers International for providing the roses for the centerpieces and the bushes for the school’s new rose garden.

A Gift of Flowers

Between soil and sky - That’s where you’ll find Muir Ranch Director, Mud Baron and his student farmers on any given day! Muir's mission is to teach their students important business and life skills, provide them with meaningful employment, and improve access to fresh, locally-grown produce and flowers! Currently, Muir Ranch employs dozens of students year-round. These are jobs which have been made possible via community support, donations, special events, farmers markets and fund raising.

So, this Valentine's Day with flowers being top of mind, Resendiz Brothers and several of the neighboring farms decided to give a gift of flowers to Muir’s student farmers. We literally stuffed the school van! Everything from ranunculus, to protea, waxflower, heather, acacia, boxwood and more were donated so the students could create Valentine’s bouquets and arrangements to sell in Pasadena and the surrounding communities. Needless to say, the flowers sold out and all the proceeds raised will be used to fund more student farmer jobs! Awesome!

Many thanks to Mellano & Company, Obra Verde Growers, Rainbow Protea, Protea USA and Sandoval Farms for their generous support!

Kick off to the Rose Parade

There really was no better way to celebrate Miracle-Gro’s kick off to this year’s Tournament of Roses Festivities than enjoying a beautiful field-to-vase luncheon, while giving back to the Pasadena community.

At John Muir Ranch High School, the day greeted guests with blue skies and warm temperatures, making for a perfect afternoon to help support the Pasadena School Garden Program. This is the second year Miracle-Gro has supported the program through their Tournament of Roses Partnership. Miracle-Gro representatives and Ty Pennington, Miracle-Gro’s spokesperson, were on-hand to help work with the volunteers in the garden and reinforce their commitment to the community. This event was also a volunteer opportunity for members of the community to install a new pollinator garden (that includes Proteaceae and Australian wildflowers) at Muir Ranch and help distribute 100 Thanksgiving dinners.

Miracle-Gro is also the Official Rose and Flower Care Company of the Tournament of Roses for the fourth year in a row and this year their float with be certified as “California Grown”. This means more than 85% of the flowers and plants on the float will be grown here in California. We’re honored to have been chosen to contribute Protea to this year’s float. Miracle-Gro is the very first brand to invite flower farmers and customers to supply flowers for their float. In addition along with Ty Pennington and four other “Miracle-Groers”, Mel has been chosen as one of the California farmers to ride the float on New Year’s Day.

Looking forward to celebrating all things California Grown on New Year’s Day!

The Muir Ranch Farm-To-Table Supper Experience

Saturday at Muir Ranch School Farm in Pasadena, we soaked up the blue skies and balmy temperatures at the 4th “Field to Vase” Farm-to-table Supper of the 2015 season – a celebration of all things locally grown and harvested! From garden strolls, to ‘flowers on your head’, the evening was filled with colorful floral gems and savory seasonal food prepared by talented local chiefs using produce from the school’s garden.

The Menu: 

Muir Ranch "Weed" Porridge made with Muir Ranch grown
Purslane & Amaranth Tempura topped with Tomato Confit 

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North Carolina Style BBQ Free Range Pork Shoulder 

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Chambord Glazed Brussel Sprouts with Cana de Cabra Cheese 

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Spicy Korean Grilled Cauliflower 

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Watermelon-Tomato Gazpacho with Strawberry Habanero

There were several Garden Writers in town celebrating the 67th GWA Annual Symposium who also joined in on the festivities. With a field full of flowers and vegetable, local chiefs and farmers, Muir Ranch students (the kids who grow and eat the veggies - our next generation of farmers) there's plenty of inspirational stories to tell.

If you missed the celebration at Muir Ranch, join them for another harvest supper in October!