Several months ago I got invited to work with Tulipina in Ojai creating a wedding at The Ojai Valley Inn. Once I mentioned that I would be going to Santa Barbara, my gal pal Kelly Hornberger of Kelly Horberger Photography booked her flight and off we were to the races planning a photo shoot and getting all our ducks in a row to fit in as many experiences in as possible.
Not that woking for Kiana at Tulipina wasn't an experience that would have made the trip complete, but California has way too much to offer to pass it up. And one of those experiences was to visit one of the most prolific producers of the most gorgeous field grown garden roses there is in North America, Grace Rose Farm.
This might have been the most fun moment of the trip. To sit back and see fields upon fields of some of the most gorgeous roses there ever was. All at our finger tips to harvest. And to get a chance to experience this with a couple girlfriends made me the happiest.
We galavanted around the farm choosing which blooms would work best for the projects we had coming up. Each row made you think of all the gorgeous weddings and events these amazing bushes have produced for. All the beautiful memories they have produced and how they made such special times even more memorable.
As flower designers we have to keep visiting farmers to connect to the source of our medium. We use flowers to create the most amazing arrangements and to continue that connection to the people who produce them is so important to me.
We learn something new every time we go and it is just worth seeing the farmers and giving them a hug and letting them know how much they mean to us. That is important. They get so disconnected from us as they are insanely hard working people.
If you ever have questions on how to get connected and start growing a business in the flower community... start from the ground up. Learn everything there is to learn and NEVER STOP LEARNING.
The most amazing thing about this industry, is that 13 years later, I still don't even know one percent of what there is to learn. And for that reason alone I fall in love with the floral industry more and more every year. The endless information you can gather on one flower alone could consume a life time. And to think that there are 100's of cut flowers we use on a yearly basis, that just blows my mind.
What an amazing industry to be part of. Due to the intense amount of hard work to farm and to design flowers, I can promise you that you won't find anyone that isn't madly deeply in love with that they do. It would be impossible to do with out a maddening love.
