Labor of Love: Valentine’s Day

Embracing the land that brings us together !

On February 14th, when you are celebrating the person or people in your life that make your heart skip a beat, we’ll be celebrating our farm and farmworkers, that pulled this special day together for us and give us all a shared purpose.

For this very reason, our farm is a gift of love and a labor of it, too. It isn’t easy work, harvesting flowers and foliage on the steep hillside of Rainbow (rain or shine), but it’s noble work and it gives you that feeling that nothing else in the world can. A feeling of contentment that comes from putting your efforts into nature and the land… only to watch it flourish and grow, brighter and better than you left it last.

The beauty of flower farming is something that we hope to enjoy for years to come. Think of it like a love note, sown together with soil, plants and a whole lot of passion. In the dead of winter, Valentine’s Day brings us a bounty of gorgeous florals to be grateful for and the best part, it’s only a pit stop as we approach the arrival of spring.

American Floral Trends 2022: Passion

What comes to mind when you think of the word “Passion”? That feeling of intense creativity, or that feeling of euphoria when doing something that is truly meaningful to you. Passion is about emotions, the motivation and what makes us feel good, or just “doing what you love”.

Did you know this year “Passion” is also a 2022 floral trend? During July’s AIFD Symposium in Las Vegas the new American Floral Trends Forecast was unveiled by nationally recognized floral trend experts.

“Passion” is all about “Romancing Hues”. Gemstone hues are reflected with Anemones, Iris, Peonies, Proteas, and Tulips certain to stir the senses in a trend story reserved for one of the great human emotions – “Passion”. This trend communicates the full range of passion-based consumer purchases to the language of flowers, and what it means when desiring saturated colors and sensuous florals. While these regal colors are nothing new, the application to mix them with more intensity, less contrast, and even greater monbotanical scale reveal a desire for more-is-more luxurious floral compositions. Influenced by idiochromatic precious gems to sartorial influences, this trend foresees bold and next-level designs in floral styling by multiplying style options from classic florals to exotic blooms. Other notable elements include vintage golds, blackened bronze, modernized urns and compotes, with rich deep green foliage statements.

To learn more, visit: American Floral Trends 2022!

A Perfect Match: Protea and Peonies

Pink protea are definitely a personal passion. The velvety, bell-shaped blooms contrast beautifully with the soft petals of most flowers. They are standouts. A full-grown protea plant can produce 65 or more stems. There will be plenty of blooms to cut and enjoy indoors, and still some left in the garden for added pleasure. When left to dry in your home, protea deliver pleasure long after the plant’s season ends.

Another pink standout is the peony or also known as “Polish Poses”. They’re outrageously beautiful in bloom with lush foliage all summer long. Peonies are perennials that come back every year to take your breath away. In fact, some plants have been known to thrive for at least 100 years. For best results, the stems should be cut in the morning when the buds are still fairly tight. Peonies make wonderful cut flowers, lasting more than a week in a vase and they dry beautifully as well.

On days that call for a little extra bliss or magic, candy hues, mixed textures, and varied shapes emit homey spontaneity. A rustic French floral container, with ample room for plenty of blooms, becomes the perfect vessel for embracing an array of protea, peonies, grevillea flowers and, of course, fabulous foliage.

Bringing flowers into your home breaks the barrier between inside and out. It opens a window on nature’s astonishing world and conveys a special wisdom that increases the more you do it.

Temecula Valley Garden Club

We were so excited to share our passion for Proteas with over 75 members of the Temecula Valley Garden Club. Hands down that had to be one of our favorite events this month. Our presentation consisted of all the things we love so much, the amazing array of proteas being grown here in California, growing tips and the delicious ways we arrange them… bouquets, designs and wreaths.

As many of you may know, autumn is the best time of the year to plant proteas. Plants that are established in the fall and winter grow faster in the spring and require less water when summer comes. This event gave us an excuse to bring along some plants, bouquets and wreaths, and for the members to take home and enjoy.

The Temecula Valley Garden Club is a nonprofit organization with 160 members, that aims to encourage interest in home gardening, promote better horticultural practices, conserve natural resources and aid civic groups. It also provides a wonderful place for those who share a common interest in gardening, to become acquainted and develop meaningful friendships.

A Passion for Flowers - Designing with Helen

Helen Davis has always loved flowers and plants. As a young mother in Yolo County, California, she discovered the art of floral design at the local fair. Feeling inspired, she decided to try her hand at designing and began participating in the fair’s annual design competition. A tradition she has held on to for the last 50 of her 89 years. Helen further developed her design skill while working for a good friend who needed help with her home-based floral business. Over the years, she has shared her passion for flowers with her children and grandchildren… spending time training and encouraging each of them.

A few years ago, while preparing for a competition at the fair and considering using protea in her arrangement, Helen was introduced to our Facebook page when her sister shared a post. Since then Helen regularly spends time on Facebook enjoying flowers posts… especially those with protea.

Helen’s ‘protea highlight’ happened this summer when Resendiz Brothers was the featured farm in the California State Floral Association’s booth at the State Fair in Sacramento. With some determination, her daughter, Laura, brought her to meet Mel and everyone with him in the booth. Helen was overwhelmed with the kindness shown to her. She was asked to pick the flowers of her choice and create her own special Protea Bouquet which she proudly took home with her. Helen’s love and enthusiasm for flowers will be a cherished memory not just for her but for all of us who got to meet her and hear her story that day!

Instagram: Photos We Dig

Ten fabulous photos from Yelverton Protea Farm - Established and hand planted by the Thorpe family in 1988. Centrally located between the south-west capes in the Margaret River Wine Region of Western Australia, Yelverton farms over two hundred acres of undulating fields nurtured by the Island Brook creek.

Notice anything different?

Check out our new website! With the love and attention Proteaceae and Australian natives have received over the last few years, we felt it was time for a change… plus, our fields have become home to so many new varieties of flora, we wanted give them a new home on the web as well. For the homepage we wanted to use more photos, so we gathered a bunch of our favorite truck and field shots – these images exemplify our spirit and passion for flower farming. We have many of these pictures hanging on the walls throughout the office and picked the ones we loved most, and our awesome web designer, Clement, put the site together.

We think the new website is awesome, hope you do too :)

UCRBG Friends Fall Dinner

From Home/Garden Shows to Botanical Gardens, teaching plant enthusiasts, gardeners and farmers about growing Proteaceae is one of our ‘favorite things’. Pardon our boldness, but we simply believe that sharing our passion for farming brings a whole lot of happiness to those around us. That’s why we’re always thrilled when we are asked to spread a dose of ‘Protea inspiration’ to associations, clubs and organizations. This month’s endeavor? The Friends of the University of California Riverside Botanic Garden (UCRBG) Fall Dinner.

The UCR Botanic Gardens nestled in the foothills of the Box Springs Mountains covers over 40 hilly acres. It is a living plant museum with more than 3,500 plant species from around the world for visitors and researchers to see and study. In a beautiful setting, the Gardens provide a wide assortment of plant materials for courses at UCR and other local schools. The Friends of the Botanic Gardens contribute to the mission of the UCR Botanic Gardens. The Friends provide support for the development and maintenance of the Gardens. Through funds accrued from annual membership fees, contributions and public events, and through volunteer member participation in various activities and projects, public areas are enhanced and the unique plant collections are continually expanded. And, it’s our hope Proteaceae will soon become a ‘welcome’ addition to the Gardens!

The Friends help create an environment that truly serves the needs and desires of the community as well as those of the University. The Botanic Gardens would not have been possible without the input, generous support and enthusiasm of the Friends.