Episode 104- Carnations, Family & Flowers

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Host J Schwanke gives a peek into his family history, his vintage carnation artifact collection, and into a family-run carnation farm. See how flowers have influenced and shaped every part of his life.*Bonus Content- in the Blue Links!Family History- My family history is rich with Flower References- and wonderful flower filled memories. As a 4th Generation Florist- it can't help but be filled with lots of great stories - from being born at a Flower Convention - growing up in a greenhouse, living next door to the flower shop and having an entire family that worked together and played together... In the Carnations, Family and Flower Episode of Life in Bloom- I tell a few of those stories... Check out this Video with my Mom- as we talk about some of the Flower History in our Green Family!J and the Akiyama Family look through family photos albums on his visit to the Akiyama Nursery!A visit to Akiyama Nursery- While filming our CA Grown Experience- a 3 year documentary- sharing the stories of the Flower Farmers of California- we heard reports of the last American Carnation Flower Farmer- a small family business in Watsonville- run by a Couple and their Son- the Akiyamas. It was a wonderful day visiting this historic farm- and getting to see them in action- hearing their stories. We also are happy to report- that even though the Carnation farm closed- the Family - Father, Son and Grandson are today growing Hops- for craft breweries- sometimes- things change... and new opportunities provide themselves.This simple and easy arrangement is also impressive- when lining up Carnations in Rows!Color Blocking Carnation Arrangement- this simple project- is easy to recreate - and color customize- you can make it small or large. Carnations are colorful, long lasting and even fragrant... so what are you waiting for... give this fun color blocking arrangement a try for your next dinner party! This Project is part of the uBloom Premium Video collection- and you can see this and over 1000 more videos with a uBloom Subscription- only $3.99 a month.J shares these NEW Unique Color Varieties of Carnations on Life in Bloom!Carnation Flower Farms- While there used to be many Flower Farms in Colorado and California- it soon became evident that the best carnations would be grown in Colombia South America. Bogota and the Sabana of Colombia provide the optimum temperatures, foot candles of light- and elevations- these 3 factors result in a much better- year round dependable crop - that is colorful, long lasting and once again fragrant. Join me as I visit Ayura Pride Eclipse Flowers and my Friend Jose Restrepo - to learn more about how flowers- including Carnations are grown in Colombia.J shares his collection of vintage Red Carnation Flower Artifacts on Life in Bloom!Vintage Carnation Artifacts- So I have a fascination with Red Carnations- note that I say Red... it's not another color- although I love the wide variations of colors, shapes and types of carnations- I still am drawn to the Classic Red- because of the history in my Family of my Grandpa Carnation Joe, my dad- Mel Schwanke- and even myself- wearing these Classic Flowers- Learn more about my quest for Vintage Carnation Collectibles in this week's Life in Bloom Episode!The Carnation Joe Cocktail- It's the Classic Manhattan- and my Grandpa Carnation Joe- would be filling his glass from the pitcher each day at 5pm. Check out the recipe for this classic Cocktail and learn a bit more about the Carnation Joe Ritual!Carnation Joe's Classic Manhattan served up with a side of Red Carnation!Carnations- or as they say across the pond- "Pinks"- there's more to carnation than meets the eye. Find out the origins of these classic flowers- see NEW Varietal Colors- and I'll show you a couple of flowers- that you wouldn't suspect are Carnations as well!J shares tips for creating beautiful Carnation Vase arrangements on Life in Bloom!Easy Flower Arrangements- Binding and Spheres- Carnations are durable and long lasting- they are forgiving and provide wonderful results for flower arranging. I share an easy technique that looks great in a vase-  You'll look like a pro with these simple yet impressive bouquets. How about a Sphere of Flowers- yet again- long lasting and easy to create- (although it takes a few more blooms) Spheres of flowers can be dynamic decorations for your next event or even a wedding! Check out this tutorial in the uBloom Premium Video file- a $3.99 subscription will give you access to 1000's of videos about arranging flowers on uBloom.com !

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Akiyama Nursery- Carnation Growing Family!

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Carnation Joe Classic Manhattan #FlowerCocktailHour