HOW IT'S GROWN: No one would argue that it is a delightful thing to buy a six-dollar bouquet of daisies for the dining room table. Where were they grown, though? Who tended to them? Was it a nursery known for this particular daisy, or do they specialize in other buds? If the farm-to-table movement encourages us to know more about what we're eating, that can certain extend to the flowers and plants we bring into our homes as well. Half Moon Bay is home to a caboodle of nurseries and greenhouses -- no surprise, given its perfect growing climate and location -- and once a year those growers open their doors and invite the public in. It's special, we'll note, because this is the one time of year that some of the places open up to the public. It's called Tour des Fleurs and it is just ahead on Saturday, July 21.
WHAT FLOWER FANS WILL SEE: There are a few tours to choose from, each featuring a trio of locations. So Tour C, for example, will cover the Bay City Flower Company, Harley Farms Goat Dairy, and Jacobs Farm/Del Cabo, which specializes in "culinary herbs & edible flowers." Oh, and perhaps this would be a good moment to add that there will be some visits to places that focus on the edible on the tours; the nursery visits aren't solely about cut flowers and potted palms. A ticket for one tour, which covers three locations, is twenty dollars. Even if you can't make the day, though, it is worth looking over the list of local Half Moon spots and seeing what they grow. Yep, it is a fertile stretch, indeed.
IF YOU WANT TO STAY OVER... There is a helpful list of lodging suggestions, too.
