If you follow our Instagram, you may have noticed a few photos recently that looked out of place (like those above) in a grid of temperate flowers, cold tolerant perennials, and mountain-plain landscapes. A certain flower farmer who contributes to this newsletter made his way south to the desert-mountain landscape of southern Baja California. Avoiding the salt-soaked streets of Cabo San Lucas (or probably more specifically the tourist trap traverses of that town), he headed north along the Baja coast to one of Mexico's famed Pueblos Mágicos (Magical Towns) in Todos Santos. There are currently 132 of these towns listed by the Mexican government, and they are never the mega resort places you normally hear of when referencing Mexico. Sites of historical and cultural significance, these towns invite a more authentic experience to both residents and travelers alike. For this farmer - Todos Santos popped up as a destination for FOOD! There are a few high-end culinary experiences in the area but the real draw is in the form of this farmer's favorite folded tortilla treat - tacos! If there is a paradise, I suspect it is adorned with taco stands on every corner with fresh off the boat fish and field harvested veggies to top them with. And the salsa varieties! My, oh my. Full bellies, full hearts (the community of Todos Santos is incredibly welcoming), and full spectrum vitamin D absorption. That is a vacation. Is there anything actually about flowers in this issue? Glad you asked - yes! After being in town for about a week, we (there was a honeymoon involved in this story too but that's not really the point of this tale) decided we wanted to see some local fauna. The area is already home to a desert mix of flora including the mighty cardón cactus which are absolutely incredible to see. Lucky for us, it was also turtle hatchling season! With the help of a local non-profit, we made our way to Playa Los Mangos (yep, there's actually just mango trees lining the beach) to hear about the 17-miles of coast they patrol to collect eggs and bring to a temperature regulated hatching tent to ensure enough of the endangered species make it to sea each year. During the information session (run by local teen volunteers), I noticed someone looking at me inquisitively from across the beach. They waved. I waved back. They approached, I tried to force my brain into recognition mode. They said, hello! I said, hello! ... What seemed like 45 minutes later but was actually 4.5 seconds, I realized I had run into another local flower farmer based in Longmont! Helen and Nelson of Artemis Flower Farm whose stunning bouquets have graced my very own kitchen table were standing next to me on the beach, roughly twelve hundred miles from where I know them. I know people normally say, "what a small world," in cases like this but I like to think something else was brewing in this happenstance. I feel that by nature of our profession or by nature of our very nature, flower farmers are attracted to things of beauty, regardless of form. Sure, someone has probably expressed some form of 'beauty being in the eye of the beholder' for millennia (the current form is accredited to the author Margaret Wolfe Hungerford in her book Molly Brawn) but if we find the art, science, challenge, and adventure of growing plants attractive - I'd take better than normal odds that we'd end up in a place known for its cultural lure, its food, its beauty, its mágico. We hope that you when you walk on the land that we cultivate and steward in the midst of urban noise and distraction - when you catch the scent of our spring lilac bloom or floral festivities - maybe you feel a little bit of magic too.
Aside (but actually below): It turns out that using other languages on English keyboards is incredibly frustrating, involving annoying key combinations and/or cutting and pasting from translation apps. And don't get me started on overzealous spell-checking. |
