flowers

A person taking a picture of the flower fields and a sign saying: Pick Your Own Bouquet today

Pick Some Flowers, Park Winters, Winter, CA

Silvia

A biscuit drizzled with honeyIf you only plan on picking your next bouquet at the flower farm in Park Winters, you are missing out. They also have an amazing brunch where everything can be made vegetarian. Wandering around the beautiful estate, before and afterwards, is required. 

Some items from the gift shop in Park WintersEven with events going on, you can visit the gift shop near the estate. You may walk away with some olive oil, soap, or a cute greeting card.

A sign saying: Welcome to the Flower FarmPicking flowers on most Saturdays or Sundays can be a relaxing way to spend your weekend. You can just ‘walk-in’, but they recommend that you reserve a spot online. Take the kids, but make sure they are supervised at all times. Kids under 12 are not allowed to handle the shears. Please leave your dog at home. Each bouquet costs $38, not the most frugal experience, but an extraordinary one. Get inspired by nature, relax,  and let your creativity bloom.

Dried bouquetsNot a fan of fresh flowers? No problem! The flower farm also offers to create a bouquet of dried flowers. Want to learn something? Sure, just book one of their workshops, like wreath making. Or book one of their garden tours and learn what’s in bloom.

Park Winters is located at 27850 County Road 26, Winters, CA. The flower picking experience is offered Saturdays and Sundays from 9am – 1pm. 

Pink tulips and forget-me-nots, Filoli in Woodside

Explore the Flowers of Spring – Filoli

Silvia

Nothing says spring as loud and pretty as a bunch of tulips. To experience the flowers in its myriad forms and colors you should go to Filoli.  

Filoli imports 100.000 tulips each year from the Netherlands. They plant them over multiple month, so you can enjoy the blooms until May.

Yellow tulip, Filoli in WoodsideIn the Sunken Garden and, of course, the Dutch Garden, tulips are featured and embedded in fields of forget-me-nots and violets.

But the showstopper tulips are planted in 4000 pots around the estate and shine their beauty up to you.  

Sometimes it feels like a tulip treasure hunt. Yellow and red tulip, Filoli in Woodside

Thanks to one volunteer for mentioning the pool area. Not only did I see the most gorgeous examples, it is also a nice quiet place to relax. 

You can always check what’s blooming on their website.

Parrot tulip, botanical art by Lois Perlman, Filoli in WoodsideCurrently there is also the 20th Annual Botanical Art Exhibition until May 20th, 2018. I enjoyed the drawings very much, and even found some of the tulips depicted.

Bouquet in the entrance hall of Filoli, WoodsideThe $20 entrance fee ensures the place will be open for the public. They have about 800 volunteers on the estate. Some of these volunteers create the flower arrangements in the house each Monday when Filoli is closed. So, if you come on Tuesdays you can admire the fresh bouquets.

The gift shop sells homemade jams and other products from the estate. The cafe has a wonderful selection of salads and sandwiches. You might also consider a stop here for coffee and dessert.

Do you also adore tulips?