Well, it’s taken us a couple of weeks to recoup from this adventure, but we thought it might be a good idea to tell you how the story ends.
Friday, we ventured to Bonsall and Fallbrook. First stop: EuroAmerican Propagators.
Check out all of those Proven Winners tags!
If you’ve ever bought a plant in a PW pot, you know these folks. This is home of the cutting-edge in plant propagation. We were fortunate to have a first-class tour by Fred Ceballos, Stock Production Manager for EuroAmerican. The facility sits atop the hills of Bonsall, where plants catch a nice breeze and a glimpse of the Pacific in the distance.
As a former annuals buyer who has spent years of tossing around flats of Supertunias and Superbells, I couldn’t believe that I had finally made it to EuroAmerican to see where these spectacular varieties are cultivated.
You might tend to think of these big-name plants as being mass-produced or industrial; however, EuroAmerican is very much the opposite. Here’s the hardworking staff sticking cuttings on the production line. All of this is carefully done by hand.
Colocasia liners — a fairy garden idea?
I was amazed to learn that EuroAm also produces about 20% of their own cuttings on site. To get a glimpse of the process, Fred had us suit up “propagator-style,” which included donning clean suits and hairnets, and sanitizing our shoes.
Alex Siefert (Bremerton City Nursery), Lisa Holmes (Valley Nursery), and Melinda Ramage (Vassey Nursery) all suit up.
Fred demonstrates footwear cleanliness.
Alex next to a row of Ipomoea mother stock. Note: each row has its own broom, tags, and supplies.
Greenhouse cleanliness includes sterilizing cutting instruments in a surgical-grade machine.
John Neeway inspecting root growth.
Emily Wilkins (Sky Nursery) observes EuroAm’s rooting trials in different media.
We also got a glimpse of some of EuroAmerican’s new line of finished product. Like their many of their plant liners, finished plants are hardened off outside to ensure their sturdiness.
Our next stop was Premier Color Nursery in Fallbrook.
Like EuroAmerican, Premier sits atop a couple of hills, and the staff is used to dealing with the demands of growing on slopes.
Eric Jones was our tour guide.
Those of you who’ve bought from Premier before know what fine quality plants they produce.
Fields of Anemone coronaria–get them while they last.
We got a glimpse of the oncoming crop of Freesia. Be sure to watch for this one on availability—it goes fast!
Here are Premier’s new Gourmet Grown pots for 2015, made in the USA of 100% recycled plastic.
Premier has weathered the drought in California, utilizing its hilly locale to reclaim all of its own water. Recent acquisition of nearby land has allowed the nursery to stretch its wings, and Eric promised us some new surprises and expanded offerings in the future.
Did I mention lunch at the best Mexican place in Fallbrook…?
After refueling, our group got to see a glimpse into the plant brokers’ world, as the Petula team stopped to check out potential new vendors. At this point, we’re keeping our lips sealed about names, but know that some good things are in the works…
Finally, Day Five ended with some retail therapy, next to the ocean in the Cedros Design District of Solana Beach. A perfect spot to enjoy plants and shopping (and maybe a cocktail for the driver after a long day in the van!).