Easter Ready

If there is ever a season for arranging your own centerpieces, it is spring. You can embellish a beautiful table by gathering stems of seasonal flowers and displaying them in a pretty container. Creating a festive setting for Easter is simple when you have the pick of some of spring's most vibrant blooms, like Protea, Leucospermum, Leucadendron, Grevillea, plus lush, textural greens. Your centerpiece can act as inspiration for your table settings and other floral arrangements on display in your home.

Some of our favorite centerpiece ideas don't require you to go out and buy a new container — utilizing a galvanized bucket, clear glass vase, moss filled basket or even a colorful flower box will help you create an eye-catching arrangement. Spring centerpieces call for fabulous blooms, which means you can feel good about using simple elements to style your seasonal centerpiece including moss, branches, and just about any other flowers and foliage you can forage from your garden.

The Nature Connection

For the last several months, it seems like the world has almost come to a complete halt. Businesses have closed, travel has been limited, and people are working from home to stop the spread of COVID-19. This virus has affected millions of individuals all over the world.

Amidst this pandemic we’ve all learned a few important lessons.

Perhaps the most important lesson learned is that certain things in life are unnecessary and then there are the essentials: family and friends, food, shelter, health, rest; and if you’re like most people, a connection to nature. When life is stripped back to the necessities, we realize we can do so much more with less and adopt a more sustainable lifestyle by reusing and making stuff from what we have right under our noses. Maybe this pandemic is nature’s way of telling us to slow down, to enjoy simple pleasures, to make space for things we really love, to put people and planet first before gain, and to connect with what is most important: ourselves and each other.

Beautiful blooms… with their color, smell, and symmetry provide the daily solace we seek to connect. They ease stress and lift our spirits. Flowers provide that connection to nature, allowing us to feel better, to think better, and to deepen our understanding of ourselves and others. If you’re not getting your daily dose of nature… you’re missing out on something that’s pretty spectacular: the real world!

July: American Grown Design Inspiration

Although the New Year officially begins in January, here on the farm we can’t help but think that July deserves a little homage too. There’s something about the month, perhaps it’s the fact we’ve reached the year’s halfway mark or maybe because it’s American Grown Flowers Month… that seems to muster up a little nostalgia. With that in mind, these ‘dog days of summer’ aren’t easy to shake off. Whether you’re planning a cozy outdoor rendezvous, catching up on the latest floral trends or simply spending more time relaxing at home, we’ve created a summer inspired arrangement. A few of our usual favorites are included, like Banksia, Protea, Brunia and Leucospermum, with the foliage choices as a nod to the ‘summer essentials’ trend, as well as some fennel flowers, Southern Lagniappe, zinnias and everlasting for an extra splash of color.

Scroll down for a glimpse at our summer recipe, as we hope it will inspire you to create your own seasonal bliss!

June Articles of Interest

San Diego County farmers fight
for share of federal COVID-19 relief money

Farmers who grow San Diego County’s most valuable crops may miss out on federal cash for coronavirus-related losses because some of their agriculture products — primarily flowers, nursery plants and exotic fruits — are not included in the relief program.

Read more here.
_____________________________________________________________

The coastal banksia has its roots in ancient Gondwana

If you fondly remember May Gibbs's Gumnut Baby stories about the adventures of Snugglepot and Cuddlepie, you may also remember the villainous Big Bad Banksia Men (perhaps you're still having nightmares about them).

But banksias are nothing to be afraid of. They're a marvelous group of Australian native trees and shrubs, with an ancient heritage and a vital role in Australian plant ecology, colonial history and bushfire regeneration.

Read more here.
_____________________________________________________________

American-grown blooms for American Flowers Week

You’re invited to join the Social Media experience and share images of #redwhiteblueflowers for #americanflowersweek (June 28-July 4). Of course, we hope everyone features local and seasonal flowers — from your own garden, or sourced from a flower farm in your area.

We love what Kelly Shore of Petals by the Shore and The Floral Source has launched as part of her AMERICAN FLOWERS WEEK promotion and we want to share it here to inspire your own floral plans!

Read more here.

Seasonal Gatherings

Have you ever watched a chef shop at the farmer's market, getting excited while gathering an array of locally grown herbs and produce that will later be used to transform the evening's menu? That's me with flowers. I'm most in my realm when I'm surrounded by seasonal blooms and foliage, visualizing the myriad of bouquets and arrangements I could create. Usually, I start by considering elements like size, shape, height, color, and texture when I choose flowers, and I never know what I’ll end up with until it’s finished!

In the case of this arrangement, I was immediately drawn to the jewel tone hue of the roses contrasted with the cheerful pop of the peach pincushions. Since the protea and pincushions were similar in texture, I added a few stems of foxglove to create a delicate, country type feel. The spiky foxglove also brings a new shape to the mix without veering to far from my chosen palette. Finally, the Grevillea Ivanhoe’s serrated green foliage complements both the protea and pincushion’s texture injecting an organic looseness to the design. I'm enchanted with how it turned out, and even more importantly I had a wonderful time creating it!

Flower News: April’s Stories of Interest from Around the World

Heat-Resistant Wedding Bouquets Perfect for Summer

Finding the perfect wedding bouquet can be a challenge, whatever the season. But what about sourcing buds for a celebration that takes place during the summer, when the weather adds an extra variable to your decisions? That makes things even more difficult. If you're planning a celebration in a location known for its summer heat waves, it may be in your best interest to pick an arrangement that'll stand up to the sky-high temps.

Read more here
_____________________________________________________________

The Unlikely Florist is sweeping Venice off its feet with
rustic bouquets and a van named Untho

It’s hard not to fall for The Unlikely Florist’s beautiful bouquets. Spilling from a 1980 VW Vanagon, the rustic arrangements of blushing protea, ruddy South African pincushions and mustard-yellow billy balls attract people like spring blossoms charm honey bees. Small children run to the modified camper van parked outside the beachy Great White café on Pacific Avenue as if it were hawking ice cream; parents wrangle them to get a family picture. Aspiring social media influencers flock to the flora, burying camera-ready faces into bouquets that make for inspired accent pieces in requisite photos of the Venice Sign instantly shared to “the Gram.”

Read more here
_____________________________________________________________

Boost the awesome power of your flowers by
buying them from local growers

THERE’S NO DENYING a flower’s power. Whether it’s the lush extravagance of a bride’s bouquet or the sweetly fragrant posy celebrating a child’s birth, the twang on our heartstrings is real.

Flowers even have a language of their own, developed by poets, lovers and the occasional passive-aggressive lout. A quaint practice begun in the Victorian era allowed shy suitors to send secret messages by means of a carefully chosen bouquet — be it one of affection (composed of carnations, red roses and heliotrope, denoting faithfulness, love and devotion), or a cleverly disguised social dagger (snapdragons, yellow roses and zinnias, with their implicit message of revenge, jealousy and absence!).

Read more here.

A Field to Vase Celebration

A blissful welcome to the spring season, surrounded by a sea of gorgeous ranunculaus the Field to Vase Dinner Tour brought good cheer to The Flower Fields of Carlsbad. Clear skies and perfectly tepid temperatures greeted guests as they enjoyed American grown flowers while savoring an artisanal meal prepared by a local chef, Jeff Rossman, of Terra Catering. A skilled, self-taught Chef of nearly 30 years, Jeff helped pioneer San Diego’s thriving farm-to-table movement by purchasing fresh, organic produce from local growers before it was en vogue. Travelling to farmer’s markets before farmer’s markets were cool.

The dazzling floral décor was designed by Flower Duet’s sisters, Kit and Casey, who blended a bounty of locally grown blooms into each centerpiece and display. Kit and Casey discovered their love for flowers at a very young age thanks to their parent’s beautiful garden. Creating custom pieces for special events, they also engage in teaching flower arranging classes at their studio in South Bay of Los Angeles.

The idea behind this dinner series is to help people connect the growing “farm to fork” movement to flowers, and to share why the flowers on the dinner table should be as fresh, local and sustainable as the food on your plate. There’s no better place to celebrate the season and make that connection to flowers than in the breathtaking Flower Fields!

Inspirational News: Field To Vase Dinner Tour | Sun Valley Floral Farms | Arcata, California

If you don't know what the Field To Vase Dinner Tour is please check out the link! I'm still going to give a little info here, but there's more on their site and it's very much worth checking out. Field To Vase, in short, is a series of private, intimate, gatherings that place seasonal, local and sustainable American Grown flowers at the center of the table. But it's also so much more than that. It's about connecting people with the areas they live in, and even giving a little education on our countries floral economy. Buy local is a very real thing for Humboldt County, and we're blessed with a vast community of people who are passionate about preserving and sustaining local businesses. Read the rest of this blog at JM Photography.

Floral News: Inspirational Stories of the Week

Three-Dozen Floral Designers Transform a Condemned Detroit Duplex with 36,000 Flowers.

Last November, florist Lisa Waud went to a public auction and purchased an abandoned house in Detroit, Michigan—sight unseen. Crumbling and condemned, the aging duplex was filled knee-high with trash, broken bottles, and even a dead dog. Her winning bid: $250. But Waud had a vision. She planned to invite florists from Michigan, Ohio, New York and Canada to fill the house with a temporary art installation of 36,000 flowers. This morning, Flower House opens to the public. After a year of planning and three days of solid labor from dozens of volunteers, Flower House now contains room after room of independent flower designs and installations that flow together to create an immersive blooming environment. The piece is part art installation, part memorial to Detroit’s history, and an effort in sustainability and responsibility to American-grown flower farms. Read more>

Flower House grows from art installation inspiration.

Beyond the crumbling plaster, busted pipes, and peeling paint, a small ceramic plate remains fastened to the wall of an abandoned duplex in Hamtramck.“This is my house,” the plate reads, “and I’ll do as I darn please.” It’s a mantra Hamtramck floral designer Lisa Waud has taken to heart. With the help of more than three dozen floral designers from Michigan, Ohio, New York and Canada, Waud and her friends have taken an unlikely canvas, an abandoned house on the I-75 service drive, and transformed it with flowers, plants and foliage. Read more>

A Detroit Florist’s Vision Turns an Abandoned House Into Art.

Eleven months ago, a derelict house here that is now filled with 36,000 flowers contained far grimmer things. A dead dog. Jammed toilets - untouched for years. Broken glass from beer bottles and shattered windows. Twelve thousand pounds of trash had to be hauled out before Lisa Waud, a florist who bought the duplex at auction for $250, could see what kind of canvas she had purchased. Read more>

Heath or Heather?

Did you know the Ericaceae family is divided into two different genera of plants: heaths and heathers? Although both belong to the same family, they are botanically different and are divided into the Erica genus and the Calluna genus. The heaths belong to the Erica genus and there are approximately 4,500 species worldwide and of these 700 occur in the Cape Floral Kingdom, making them the largest family of fynbos . 

The Erica with its upright spirals of brilliant blossoms can be described, as simply elegant. The vibrant blossoms vary in shape and size from tiny to several inches in length and come in virtually all color combinations except blue. Other than heaths' greater susceptibility to cold weather, the main difference between heaths and heathers is that heaths have needlelike leaves rather than flat leaves; and come in taller shrub forms and even some small trees.

Here’s just of a few of our favorites grown here in Rainbow:

Erica Sparsa

Erica Verticillata

Erica Versicolor

Erica Baueri

Erica Baueri - White

For a glimpse of more heaths here’s a link to our Pinterest Board!

Ericas have become a welcome addition to our world of flowers!

Farmgirl Flowers Visits Rainbow

"Local. Sustainable. Slow flowers. These are more than just buzz words, they represent the philosophy behind the growing movement of localizing the flower industry. Plain and simple: flowers that are sold stateside should be grown domestically to support the local economy and our local agricultural communities. That’s why we’re calling it the Local Flower Movement."

- Christina Stembel

Meet Christina Stembel, owner of San Francisco-based Farmgirl Flowers.  As you can sense from Christina's quote above she's a strong and passionate advocate for domestic cut flowers.  Through her company Farmgirl Flowers, she has become notorious for sourcing and promoting only local and seasonal flowers for use in her bouquets and designs.

Lately, when Christina's not working side by side with her amazing design team in the San Francisco Flower Market, she's been touring farms from California to Alaska meeting the farmers and learning about the flowers they grow.  When Christina's travels brought her to Southern California she made it a point to stop by the farm and check out the special flowers we grow here in Rainbow.  And, during her visit we were thrilled to discover she is passionate about Protea too!  So, after a brief peak in the cooler to see what flowers are being harvested we headed to the hills to see how they're grown.  Join us on our postcard tour:

 

Standing on a rock high above the flower fields - It almost feels like you're on top of the world. 

Protea - there's so much to learn: the numerous varieties, they're seasons, how they're grown and harvested.

A trip into the fields is not complete without stopping to see the limo and yes, it's CAGrown!

Definitely a 'Farmgirl' - Christina even stopped to feed the goats! 

It's all about 'Field to Vase' and 'knowing' where your flowers come from. 

A recent Farmgirl Flowers creation!

More Peony, Protea, and Pistachio perfection...
#americangrown #farmgirlflowers