Florali

sweet sweet peas

 

Every once in a while I walk by the flower table in the shop and one of the buckets starts wiggling and squirming, saying "look at me, smell me." Yesterday it was the sweet peas.

 

 

When I purchased these from Richard at Santa Clarita Flowers (by far the best peas at the market), he mentioned that they were grown by 4th generation flower farmers. I compared them to the amazing pea blooms that are coming from Japan and he said that the seeds used by these southern California farmers actually come from Japan. Each stem is about 12 or more inches long. When the light is low, as it is this time of year, they stretch to meet the sun.

 

 

In addition to their intoxicating fragrance, I think they have some of the friendliest faces posing for the lens.

pink fog

 

Yesterday, driving home--across the bay bridge--from the flower market, the sun was rising and infusing the the foggy air with a soft pinkish glow.  When we started unpacking and processing the flowers I'd purchased, I decided it was a pink week...

 

peonies (yes, we're still getting them from the southern hemisphere) and hydrangea

 

 pink quince from California

and look...Craig (OUR Craig from Brannan St.) talking about flowering branches on youtube, via the SF Flower Market on facebook

 

 

 

 

may your day be filled with pink

flower market glimpses

A typical flower market morning...or maybe not so, because all I seemed to see was red and pink.  Is it the fast approaching day of hearts uniting?

We shop at the SF Mart which takes up most of a city block, between 5th and 6th and Brannan and Bryant.  If you're interested in learning more about it, you can go here.

 

I saw for the first time ever, flowers flown in from Japan.  And of all things, sweet peas.  They were extremely pricey...I was speechless!  Flowering branches, however, are cut locally.  There are ooodles right now!!

 
 Tulip magnolia 

 
From top to bottom:  ranunculus, more ranunculus, hyacinth, peonies, tulips

In the parking lot.

"I believe in pink.  I believe that laughing is the best calorie burner.  I believe in kissing, kissing a lot.  I believe in being strong when everything seems to be going wrong.  I believe that happy girls are the prettiest girls.  I believe that tomorrow is another day, and I believe in miracles."

- Audrey Hepburn