Flowers and Fireflies

Pretty easy to find. They have signs on Soquel Road

This is self service on the old fashioned hoor system.

All organic.

You park right next to the forty acres of trees. fruits, flowers.

Heavenly tasting organic strawberries today.

Low prices Large variety available during daylight hours

2111 Soquel San Jose Rd. Soquel, CA .

Santa Cruz and the county have many amazing flower growers. They sell their bouquets often out front of the house or farm. Can be seen at farmers markets and a few of the AMAZiNG bakeries around this beautiful coastal community.

I was searching for dahlia farmers which is a new trend. I'm thinking my climate in coastal southern California might work for me.

I was a rose grower in the Central Valley outside of Wasco until a tragic turn of events had me sell all my patents to Jackson and Perkins. I really don't want to move back to the heat of the valley to start again. Toying with what I will do to be contributing and creating in my "retirement."

My niece's wedding

How to plan, purchase, arrange and deliver happiness to the bride

My niece Juliette wasn't specific about the flower types or the arrangements she desired for herself, bridesmaids and groomsmen. I love this niece and wanted her day to be amazing.
The bridesmaids wear navy blue, and she chose silver accents for design elements.
She wants navy ribbon on her bouquet and silver for the others.
First study began with flowers are naturally navy blue. Not many.
Most blue flowers are tinted or dyed blue which grants a fake neon flare. Not the look I'm planning. The following flowers might have worked: Perry's blue iris (not available in late summer but can tend to be purple and I would not order online as color doesn't translate perfectly)
bluebird hydrangea (also not to be found) delphiniums (spring flower also necessary to pick in person) blue cornflowers (don't last long and tend to wilt rapidly)

I settled on: white hydrangeas 2 varieties, white peonies, 5 variations of white heirloom roses, white star gazer lilys (the one flower the bride asked for) blue ergiumium, navy virburnum berries, 3 types of silver eucalyptus, big blue sea holly, stephanotis and a few forget me nots from my garden.

Up at 3:00 AM off to the Los Angeles Wholesale Flower Mart 754 Wall Street. Rent a cargo van and load nine five gallon buckets in the van with two inches of water. Coffee black and hot, on my way.
There are a couple hundred flower sellers on the surrounding streets, they are open daily but may be hit or miss as to what you can buy. Pay the two dollars to enter the real wholesale indoor market, bring a couple envelopes of cash, and find one dealer who has the majority of what you need. Rather than go upstairs and find a cart, haul it around as things fall off and wander to wait or haggle - go to one dealer with your list and ask them if they can fill it. Most will go trade with everyone, send a runner to the coolers where you will get the freshest flowers, and they will help you load it. Tip the gentleman who loads your vehicle, minimum wage is probably how he feeds his family. I say he because only a few dealers are women.
My bill was one thousand two hundred dollars but I purchased 1320 long stem flowers, and five groups of greenery. I didn't fuss over each bundle, and assumed some will be rejects. My estimation for spoilage was a bit over kill, but this is and act of love not commerce.

I previously bought the ribbon (added white and cream satin rolls as I had in my mind's eye that her blue and silver might be strange - turns out they were perfect and I never changed the ribbons as I thought might be a last minute adaptation.) I brought wire cutters, rose sheers (fishars), two pairs sharp regular scissors, twine, floral wire, floral tape, tacky fabric glue and a happy heart.
First job: spread the flowers in organized bunches. Remove all the newsprint and twine wrapping. Cut off all the rubber bands. Strip down all the excess leaves off the stems and trim a quarter inch off each flower and put back in the buckets. Three hours work and your hands will be green. Remove all thorns as you go.

Stop and do a cleanup. Toss the newsprint and separate out all the green and put out in the trash.
Another coffee and a bowl of berries is in order. Shopping time- 4:00 AM - 6:00 - drive to Santa Barbara, start work 12:00 - now break time at 2:00.

Make three rolls of newspaper or a pool noodle or a big bowl for your working surface. This acts as a holder to help you wire and tie off the bundle without crushing the back side.

Start with the bridesmaids bouquets. This gets you in a rhythm. Your hands will get tired as you must hold the center flowers and add in a circle as you go.

Bride's bouquet above before major editing and removing greens. My daughter is

laughing in the photograph calling it triplets.

There are five bridesmaids. I made six bridesmaids bouquets in case one gets wrecked.
Also three more for her Mom and the grandmothers which are a bit different.