Summer’s gift of friendship, flowers – and those who love them . . .
We’ve been “on the road” for much of the past month, documenting the zeal of flower farmers, the artistry of floral designers, and the soulful stories of people who view flowers as a symbol of their values – values that elevate locally-grown, seasonally-harvested and sustainably-produced ingredients to an all-important place in the cycle of a perishable product – the simple bouquet of blooms you may place in a vase or present to a beloved.
Many, many of our hours have been devoted to travel, interviews, photography, location-scouting, filming, styling, writing and more!
We will have much to show for ourselves – soon – when these stories are fully developed. But since it’s been quiet here lately on this blog, we thought it would be fun to share a few behind-the-scenes candids. Please note: These are Deb’s photos – all taken on a Canon G10. I’ve learned much from Mr. Perry but these aren’t exactly ready for Prime Time. Enjoy them nonetheless. And perhaps you’ll learn a little more about what drives us professionally and creatively.
July 12-13 – Two days of filming for a segment called “Organic Flower Power” with Joe Lamp’l of PBS’s Growing a Greener World. We convened at Jello Mold Farm in Mt. Vernon and spent a day with Joe and his crew, director of photography Carl Pennington and cameraman Dave Pennington. Associate producer and friend Theresa Loe was not able to join us, but you can be sure that she was a major force in shaping the story.
Here are a few photos of our time together:
July 20 – San Francisco here we come! Just one week after filming the PBS segment, we hopped a plane and flew to San Francisco for four days of shooting. We started at Flora Grubb Nursery, where we filmed a floral-design segment with Susie Nadler, designer and owner of The Cutting Garden, a studio at Flora Grubb’s.
July 21: Next stop, a visit to Baylor Chapman’s Lila B. Floral & Event Design. I met Baylor last fall through Garden Writer friend Susan Morrison, when I was in SF to give a lecture for the Garden Conservancy.
Baylor and I became fast friends, and I promised her that I’d bring David back to work his photo magic on her studio and Lila B.’s Lot Garden. You can read more about Baylor in a previous post here. Enjoy these dreamy photos from last month:
July 23: Yes, it was Julie’s big wedding day, but early that AM, we snuck away to Berkeley to meet up with Max Gill. Thanks to Flora – for her suggestion and introduction. Max is a gifted, intuitive designer who grows many of his own ingredients (or procures stems from local farmers). Max designs the restaurant arrangements for Chez Panisse, Alice Waters’ renowned Berkeley restaurant. Seriously, we tried NOT to hyperventilate when shooting Max at his craft. It was pretty magical!
{ 4 comments… read them below or add one }
You have the most enviable job on the planet. at least from my point of view. i still love floral designing, and gardening
S0 very honored to be in such good company ~
Debra and David ~ We loved your visit, I thank you for you for seeking out and telling inspiring stories ~ and including Lila B. in your whirlwind Bay Area adventure.
Wow, where do I sign up to be the assistant……?
Looks like such a great time!