Eufloria Flowers- my First Flower Crush!

UPDATE* A Message of Hope - from Chad Nelson- GM of Eufloria Flowers“I want to first thank J for his kind post and story. The last few days have been very emotional and stressful for everyone at our company. We are all trying to determine how to make it through this nightmare we are all experiencing. Yesterday we made a decision that was a very difficult one. After outpouring support from around the world we made a decision today to protect our investment inside our greenhouses and keep our plants alive at whatever cost and try make it through this crisis somehow. We will have to see what kind of assistance there is for all our farms that are struggling through this. Hearing from many colleagues and industry farmers encouraged us to make this effort. Who knows if and when we can get up and running again. Rest assured we are going to be laser focused and ready. I want to personally thank you all for your kind words and moral support through this time. It means more than you know. We are all going to need to be there for each other in order to come out the other side. All the best and stay safe. Chad”2nd UPDATE- Article - from the Santa Maria Times- March 20, 2020* READ IT HERE! These are extraordinary times- difficult, challenging and life changing...  My friend Chad from Eufloria called to let me know that Eufloria Flowers would be closing... due in part to impact of COVID 19-  the challenges of flower farming... the reasons behind this difficult decision are not important to this story...Instead- I wanted to take this opportunity to share the story of my first Flower Crush- Eufloria Flowers- specifically their flowers... I was giving a flower demonstration at Mears Wholesale in Springfield Missouri- these were the day of 500 people audiences (Social Distancing? Never heard of it then)... and a trade fair of vendors set up in the back of the warehouse opposite of the stage...Florists would come and make a day of it... watching design shows in the morning- having lunch- visiting with vendors and then watching another design show in the afternoon... Designers/Instructors like myself- would show arranging techniques, ideas, tips tricks and hints for better floristry. Those NEW to the Flower Industry- wouldn't know about these events - but there were 100's across the USA every year...On this day- Judy Mears the owner of the Wholesale house insisted that during the SHOW Break- I come and see these Fabulous Roses... that were in a booth in the back of the warehouse... Eufloria Roses... she said- they are Incredible... (I was a FRESH Young Designer- and I had seen roses... I mean- how incredible could they be- we had Sonia Roses and Samantha Roses... they were ok... but really ??? Incredible roses??? But she was the host- and I went (somewhat begrudgingly ) to see "these Incredible Roses"...I don't know the name of the lady- that was there as the Eufloria Rep- but Chad could tell you... and I introduced myself- and she showed me two varieties- Yellow Island and Milva- and that is when My LIFE CHANGED... these Roses were incredible- they were BIG- Huge Actually- had incredible color and weight and Fragrance... It was truly- LOVE at FIRST Sight... I was amazed- (and in retrospect "ASHAMED" because I had doubted Judy- when she said Incredible) ... The were the prettiest roses I had ever seen in my life... and I had been around... but these roses were indeed Incredible...This was over 30 years ago... so before the HUGE Head or Garden Rose Flower Trends- we had one or two roses to choose from in each color category... and these Eufloria Roses were definitely different- the sign said Boutique Roses... and I liked that... the Representative offered some Yellow Island and Milva for me to use in my second set- and I took them and quickly - fell- head over heals...That day- I started calling them the "Prettiest Roses on the Planet"...  a phrase that would ultimately end up on banners at the Eufloria Farmers Markets in California - as a quote from yours truly. I couldn't leave these roses alone- I would call- contact - introduce- insist that they were at my shows- and soon this fellow "Chad" and I became good friends- traveling to wholesalers across the country to show the NEW Varieties - and share tips, tricks and ideas...Eufloria Flowers- was the very first Flower Farm I visited- and when I saw these Eufloria Flowers growing in person- I was even more impressed... in my book Fun with Flowers- I list some of my favorite flower friends- One is Lily Garcia- she was the General Manager- of Eufloria- and she would tour me around the farm and show me how they planted, grew, pinched, bent and harvested the roses- while my friend Chad- sat at command central and sold "the Prettiest Roses on the Planet" to wholesalers all over the world...Eufloria had won several awards - prior to that visit- with Milva- it had won best in Class, and Best in Show at the Society of American Florists Convention- and that day- Lily and her family fixed an authentic Mexican Dinner for everyone- and we were invited- Lily took my plate - and fixed it for me- so I could try everything- that was one of the best meals of my entire life... talk about YUMMMMMY!Kelly filmed little videos of me on the farm with a handy cam- during that trip... they ended up on JTV- me in the lunchroom at Eufloria - arranging flowers...  (this was where it all started- Check it out... grainy and all hehehe) and that was the start of what would ultimately inspire- the CA Grown Experience on uBloom... I knew - that virtually NO ONE had been able to see Roses in production... or visited a farm and that we had to bring that experience to the world... That's how our First Documentary got started- it was inspired by Eufloria Flowers...We made 3 Series of the CA Grown Experience- and during each visit- Eufloria Flowers had us create another video- they appear 3 times - Once with a Tour of Eufloria Flowers- Another with their Eufloria Farmers Markets- and the Third with their Romantic Garden Rose Collection... fast forward to today... We've included some of that footage- in Season 1 and 2 of J Schwanke's Life in Bloom- on Public Television... I'm so pleased we filmed and memorialized Eufloria Flowers - even more so in light of their recent announcement.The friendship Kelly and I forged with Chad and the Eufloria Family- led to my first visit to Amsterdam - courtesy of Eufloria Flowers- to help them decide on New Varieties! This was a huge honor- but also a whole lot of fun... seeing Horti-Fair for the first time- Touring Rose Breeders- Visiting the Van Gogh Museum- Touring the Red Light District (I said- TOURING... ahem)...Beers in the Old Sailor- Soup at Scheurs- Burger King at Schipol Airport... great times with Great Friends- Chad brought me- and Rick Rojahn from Rojahn and Melaney... The famous Wholesaler in Milwaukee- we always had a lot of fun- and Rick was the driver for the rental car in Amsterdam...Kelly and our Photographer Friends David and Dean- would also travel with us to the Eufloria Farm to create their catalog- created with 3 roses for each variety- one closed, one half open and one in full bloom- so that customers would see - how the roses progressed- and encouraged them to order early and allow these Boutique Roses to open up before use... those were fun trips...uBloom sponsored Chad's sons little league team one year... I've seen each of Chad and Kathrine's family expand - with 4 wonderful kids... and we've exchanged Christmas cards and visited their home- grilled steaks, cooked supper, and at every single photo shoot- or video production- I've had Eufloria Roses- Hybrid Tea Roses- Spray Roses and Romantic Roses- to feature in the projects... Chad and Andy- never said no- when it came to sending roses- by truck, overnight or otherwise... they promised me- I would have Eufloria Roses when I needed them...The Happiest and Saddest days of my life- have included Eufloria Roses- when Kelly's Dad passed away ... Chad sent Roses- for his memorial- Happy Hour and Black Baccara- gorgeous roses... that brightened that dreadful day. When Kelly and I got married- I wore a Red Carnation and Kelly wore a Sweet Moments Eufloria Rose... (this rose is the most fragrant rose I've ever encountered and I could smell it as the breeze gently blew - when we said our vows outside the Courthouse in Burlington Vermont... Happiest and Saddest Days... made BETTER by Flowers... Eufloria Flowers.So today marks the end of an era...  social distancing- shelter in place... uncertain times... unknown roads ahead...Eufloria Flowers will be closing down... but the memories of the "Prettiest Roses on the Planet" will remain in my heart forever-  - Thank you Flower Industry- for placing me on that stage in Springfield Missouri -Thank you Judy Mears for Introducing me to Eufloria Flowers- Thank you Andy Koch and Lily Garcia for growing Incredible Roses- Thank you Chad for your friendship- and generosity... Thank you for the "Sweet Moments" in my life...Thank you Eufloria Flowers... You will always mean the world to me!