From Flower Farm to Vase- Plus an Iris Garden Arrangement!

Written By J Schwanke

Enjoy this week’s Behind the Bloom Podcast- Companion to Life in Bloom Episode #202 - From Farm to Plate & Vase… Watch NOW!

This week’s Podcast is a Companion to Episode #202 of “Life in Bloom” - title From Farm to Plate & Vase- and it’s a fun episode featuring our Farmer Friends- Jill and Mary- from Crane Dance Farms. We’ve designed these companion podcasts to tell you more about what happens behind the scenes - and share more information about the Guests, Projects and Flowers - we discovered together in these previously aired “ J Schwanke’s Life in Bloom” Episodes. It’s also giving me the opportunity to post these Episodes of Life in Bloom to my Youtube Channel where anyone can watch them!

Learn more about this fun project- created with Local Garden Flowers- in Duck Egg Vases… you’ll even hear a behind the scenes secret!

Season 1 - all 13 Episodes are up on Youtube- along with the companion Podcasts… and as you can imagine… we also post Stand Alone Podcasts- last week’s allowed me to share my Expert Advice about Flowers for Valentine’s Day (listen here) … what to order- where to order, what flowers - and colors are the best (guess what… it’s not RED ROSES… Just sayin’)… and more helpful hints to make your Sweetheart think You’re the GREATEST! - You can find them on My Youtube Channel right here!

MY favorite Benefit that we’re able to deliver with the Podcast- is a list of Links- that RJ and I talk during the Podcast… from my Favorite Flower Food (It’s Chrysal Professional 3… WINK WINK)… Classic uBloom Videos- Like this week’s IRIS Garden Arrangement- that includes Fresh Ginger Roots from the Grocer - Watch that here Now! Even some historical information about a restaurant in San Francisco… the Flower Cocktail Hour Recipe and Recipes in Bloom that have been shared on the show… I place all the free Links to things that RJ and I discuss- in the Description of every Podcast Episode- it’s always a treasure trove of follow up information- that is all Free… and will provide lots of additional information and lots of flower fun … Check out the Description of Each Behind the Bloom Podcast - to find the FREE links I supply every week - where ever you listen to your favorite Podcasts - or on my Youtube Channel or right here on the uBloom Website! Listen Now and read the description!

This week’s Classic uBloom Video is from the 2nd Season of “Fun with Flowers and J”… and it’s about creating an Iris arrangement- featuring Telstar® Iris from my Friend Lane DeVries- formerly of Sun Valley Flower Farms- and now President of Calflowers! (Stay tuned for an upcoming Podcast on Monday February 16, 2026… where we interview and talk to Lane about his NEW Book Pursuit of Purpose (available on Amazon) as well as his rich and amazing history in the Flower Industry.

This is such a fun project… and you can make it big or small… it’s a great way to make Iris even Prettier! Watch Now!


This arrangement of Iris- is a wonderful Idea I borrowed from one of my flower mentors- Joe Smith… Joe had a way of making every arrangement - just Beautiful… we used to joke about - that’s it’s easy to make a flower arrangement… and very easy to make an ugly one… but making something Pretty- takes Time and Talent… and I couldn’t agree more… I love Pretty Flowers- and Joe was the King of making Pretty Arrangements. This arrangement- features a trick of his- he showed me how Fresh Ginger Root in the grocery store- looked a lot like Iris corms or bulbs- in the garden… and by using Flax Leaves and Iris- along with the Fresh Ginger Root- you can create an arrangement of Iris that looks as if it was lifted right out of the garden! - Watch this Classic Fun with Flowers Arrangement here… NOW!

Sign up today for my FREE - Weekly Newsletter- that includes FREE Links to video and lots more! Sign up Here!

I hope you’ve signed up for my Free Weekly Newsletter- that also allows me to share FREE links to the NEW Podcast, NEW Video, Classic Videos, Local and National Schedules for Life in Bloom- and FREE Links to the Premiere Episodes for the week… in case you missed them… and lots more- it’s easy to sign up - just follow this link- www.uBloom.com/remindme to sign up today!

Listen to the Latest Behind the Bloom Podcast with J and RJ- ( you can watch it too… On VIDEO Here as well!)

I hope you enjoy this week’s Podcast- that talks about Flowers- from Farm to Plate & Vase… and will catch this classic “Fun with Flowers and J” Video - all about Iris - and set a reminder to catch Episodes from Season 6 and 7 - this week on your Local PBS Station, or Nation wide on Create TV… or subscribe to the PBS App… and watch any episode there as well! Have a Flower Filled Week… and remember to order EARLY for the best selection of Flowers- from your Local Flower Seller… you’ll be glad you did!







J Schwanke
Next

A Visit to the NEW San Francisco Flower Market