Come Sunday, the Petula team is headed south to California for our annual SPARK trip. Our goal: to ignite (or re-ignite!) our shared passion for plants and to inspire creative ideas. We’ll be walking the grounds of our California growers and stopping in to visit some spectacular nurseries and retailers along the way.
Actually, we won’t be driving for 9 hrs 55 min straight!
We’ve got a great group along for the ride, including some NW nursery folks (and one self-proclaimed “hortisexual”). This will be my first SPARK trip since starting with Petula in November. I can’t wait to share in the conversations about our industry, plant lust, and nursery life, as we make our way down the coast from the Bay Area to San Diego. Six days, 600 miles, one van, seven women and one lucky guy named John, and every awesome plant stop we can make—an adventure not to be missed!
I am especially excited to stop by Flora Grubb Gardens in San Francisco. One of the most influential style-makers around, Flora Grubb takes ‘retail-chic’ to another level. Ever heard of a Thigmotrope Perch? Check it out:
A fan of the unusual, I’m eager for Annie’s Annuals in Richmond. If you’ve ever received one of Annie’s catalogs, you already understand the levels of lust that her photos and descriptions can incite.
Near Santa Barbara, we’ll tour San Marcos Growers. San Marcos’ offerings are extensive (so much so that we’ll refuel with lunch before touring their second site!). Everything from California coastal to Australian outback. Not convinced? Two words: Aeonium ‘Electra.’
Maybe enough time to squeeze in a walk through Lotusland? (Only if I “mistakenly” read the directions….) On the coast, we’ll stop for a multi-tasking breakfast at the Succulent Cafe in Oceanside.
And a little further south, we’ll swing into Bonsall for a tour of EuroAmerican Propagators. Home of a little brand called Proven Winners®. We’ll likely have to suit up “Three-Mile-Island-style,” but so worth it to see a glimpse behind the scenes at one of the world’s best propagators.
If that’s not enough to excite even most casual plant lover, may we offer one more enticement?:
It’s not too late to join us! If you can’t make it, we promise to keep you posted on our adventures and discoveries.
Photos courtesy of Flora Grubb Gardens, Annie’s Annuals, San Marcos Growers & The Succulent Cafe