The black iris is amazing in that at sometimes it appears black while at others it appears a rich purple.  I first became entranced in this flower a few years back when I was going through a dark stage.  My garden was full of pink and red but I wanted something deeper and richer. 

One of the most beautiful flowers they do not fair well when cut.  If you cut one of these and put it in the vase it turns the water an inky blue and then furls up and dies.  It is not a flower to be cut and gifted.  It is a plant that needs to be with its root.  At least this variety and color do.  This is a tuberous plant which populates on its own.  The picture above was started with two tubers 3 years ago.  They keep growing and growing. A great plant to grow if you want to get a strong plant that will fill space and be beautiful,

Random Black Iris Facts:  It is the national flower of Jordan

There is nothing like a rose.  A nice fat garden rose. Scents can range from a true rose scent to a violet or citrus smell.  No other flower has such a color or fragrance range.  No other flowers elicits such love as a rose.   

According to fossils the rose is 35 million years old.   Over the years it has evolved through both nature and science to survive most climates and soils.  Roses will grow almost anywhere. There are over 30,000 varieties of Roses.

Roses have a long history of being sought after and loved.   In the seventeenth century roses were in such high demand that roses and rose water were considered as legal tender. In this capacity they were used as barter in the markets as well as for any payments the common people had to make to royalty.  Imagine today if we could make payments with rosewater. Hmm…

In Healdsburg we have the ultimate Rose lovers dream, The Russian River Rose company.      They are open to the public on certain weekends.  They have a demonstration garden as well as a nursery.  One of my favorite spots in the scent bench.  It is basically a bench surrounded by the most fragrant of the roses.  It is a fantastic place to sit, relax and inhale. 

I like to take my son to the garden at least once a year.  We go flower by flower smelling each one and talking about what it smells like.  Very few roses smell like a traditional rose.  Some smell like cinnamon or chocolate or lemons.  There is quite a wide range.  It has helped him identify notes in wine much better (he just smells it).  They have over 600 rose varieties so needless to say it is at least a few hour excursion. 

They also make perfume at the Russian River rose company.  You can actually do a perfume experience where you make your own perfume from the roses.

If you are a rose enthusiast this is the place to go.  I have bought many roses from them over the years and they are the roses I have that do the best.  If you like climber they have one called fairy which is amazing.  I planted one 3 years ago and it has climbed into the redwood next to it over 60 feet and is trailing into our neighbors yard as well as ours.  Luckily we both love roses.

The peony is named after Paeon (also spelled Paean), a student of Asclepius, the Greek godof medicine and healing. Asclepius became jealous of his pupil; Zeussaved Paeon from the wrath of Asclepius by turning him into the peony flower.

The peony flower smells like a spicy old rose.  I mean a rose of antique varietal.  The cost of growing your own peonies can be as small as $10 to $1000+.  They are certain varieties that are very rare and thus very costly.  Personally, I do not think they are easy to grow.  The bud attracts ants therefore you have to be super diligent or else the ant will get to the bud before you can. The pink ones I bought at the farmers market for $7. I got 6 flowers for that price.

The Peony is used in eastern medicine for everything from curing bad dreams to relieving gall stones. There is speculation that compounds found in the peony will be used in modern medicine to treat some of our most serious diseases.  The peonies grown for medicinal use today come almost exclusively from China, Korea and Taiwan.

In Feng Shui the Peony is a cure for love and romance. It is considered metaphor for female beauty. It is often said that two peony in a single woman’s home will attract a mate.  It is crucial to have at least 2.  They also say that peonies in the bedroom of an older couple will bring an affair.  If you are married just keep them out of the bedroom just in case.  They look perfectly beautiful on the kitchen table.

(peony buds below)

1) Willi’s Wine Bar, Santa Rosa.  Local small production cheeses with a bit of foreign chesse to provide the perfect mixture of ummm and hmm.  They always have truffle honey which is absolutley divine.  Don’t go there without trying their cheese plate.  Also their martini’s are pretty addictive too.  Martini’s and cheese for dinner = perfect.

2) Napa Rose, Anaheim.  I am amazed by the cheese they find.  Every cheese has a story and every cheese is one I have never tried or seen.  I am 90% sure they have a person whose entire job is searching out small production cheeses. If you are going any where near Disneyland, make sure you book dinner at Napa Rose.  You can bring kids and the waiters are amazing with them but for the experience and cost I would drop them off at the Grand Adventure hotel daycare.  The wine list is even better than the cheese plate.

La Crema is famous for their Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir but what many people do not know is that La Crema makes small batches of appelation designated Pinot Noirs from other areas.  These wines are designed to showcase the best attributes of the appelation.  The Anderson Valley production is fairly limited at a case production of about 1800 cases.  It is worth seeking out.

The wine has concentrated flavors of black and red cherries with hints of toasted oak intermingled with aromas and flavors of bluebrries and floral notes.

Recommend: Drink now and for the next few years.  Pairwith salmon slow cooked on the grill.

Buy here: La Crema

I suggest coming prior to 5:30 so that you can ensure parking and a good viewing spot. Bringing a chair and a snack is suggested.

They also make rose perfume and have a perfume class that you can go to, to learn how to harvest roses to make perfume and yes, the perfume smells delicous.  If you like roses this is the place to go.  Make sure you stop to smell the roses and take a few home so that you can enjoy the beauty from your window too:)

http://russian-river-rose.com/