Antioch, CA Florists

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Manuel Rose, retired Delta municipal judge, dies at 95 - East Bay Times

A champion of the environment and the “little guy,” retired Delta Municipal Court Judge Manuel C. Rose has died after a long illness. The longtime judge and former Antioch resident was 95.Rose died on June 20 in Walnut Creek. He grew up in San Pablo, graduated from Richmond High School and later UC Berkeley and Boalt Hall law school, and served in the U.S. Navy during World War II before going to work as a lawyer for Winters and Winters, an Antioch firm he later bought.In 1951 his life would take a turn when the state Legislature decided justices of the peace and city judges should merge in what would be called “justice courts.” At 29, Rose took up the challenge and edged out the current city judge to become one of the youngest judges elected in the state at the time.The job was part-time so he maintained his downtown Antioch law practice, but by 1969 the Antioch and Pittsburg courts consolidated and he went to work full-time in what was first called the River Municipal Court and later the Delta Municipal Court, based in Pittsburg. He remained there for 30 years until retiring in 1983 and later filling in for vacationing judges throughout the cou... https://www.eastbaytimes.com/2019/07/02/manuel-rose-retired-longtime-municipal-judge-succumbs-at-95/

VIDEO: Flower shop destroyed in string of Antioch arson fires - KRON4.com

Related CoverageANTIOCH (KRON) — Antioch fire investigators are once again looking into a string of suspected arson fires, crimes they’ve seen a lot of since the summer.The latest fire happened at a flower shop on A Street and West 15th Street.The owner whose business is in ruins on Monday night spoke with KRON4 about who investigators think may have done it.Paula’s Family Florist is destroyed. Investigators say the fire was started intentionally and it might have been done by a homeless person.On Monday afternoon, there were still footsteps in the foam that put out the flames at the florist shop. The fire happened before the sun even came up.Owner Paula Trotta got the phone call nobody wants.“We came down here and we’ve lost everything,” Trotta said.Showing KRON4 the inside of her 62-year-old family business, Trotta said she was devastated.And not only for her financial loss, but because these types of fires aren’t new in Antioch.“I know that there were four fires last night, and I was... http://kron4.com/2017/12/18/video-flower-shop-destroyed-in-string-of-antioch-arson-fires/

Corpse flower blooms in Sebastopol nursery, drawing hundreds of visitors - Santa Rosa Press Democrat

It actually kind of smells like the seashore to me,” said another woman, Terri Lay, of Antioch.“Yeah,” added Collingsworth. “Low-tidy.”Audrey, named after Audrey II, a giant, man-eating plant in the stage and movie musical “Little Shop of Horrors,” is native to the Indonesian island of Sumatra. Like the hundreds of other unusual plants at California Carnivores, the plant requires heat and humidity to thrive, making a trip to check her out a muggy experience.Most visitors were just thrilled to get a glimpse of the enormous maroon flower as it bloomed for the first time in its 10-year existence, its ruffled spathe finally opening Monday afternoon, revealing another foot or so of the tall, stalk-like spadex at its center that puts the plant’s overall height at about 5-foot-3-inches, Collingsworth said.“I’ve never seen a flower that size,” said Chris Hanson, 34, who works down the street and had come into the store several times to watch the plant develop. “It’s just impressive.”Formally called an amorphophallus titanum — so named because of the central phallus-like structure — the corpse flower, sometimes called a carrion flower, blooms for only a day or two, during which it is receptive to pollination.Unlike most other species in the shop, the corpse flower is not carnivorous and does not attract, trap and kill different creatures to absorb their nutrients.It’s believed the flower’s appearance and odor are intended to resemble rotting meat and thus attract pollinator insects, like flies or carrion beetles. The communal, skirt-like spathe conceals two rings of tiny female and male and female flowers at the base of the spadex.Collingsworth, who has had the plant for about eight years, had been providing status updates to his customers on social media since he saw signs that it might finally bloom this year, but word had spread far beyond through news accounts and other means. http://www.pressdemocrat.com/news/7144073-181/corpse-flower-blooms-in-sebastopol

Sylvia's Florist celebrates ribbon cutting with Antioch community, business leaders - Antioch Herald

Owner Sylvia Sandoval with scissors, her husband Valentin (in blue suit), friends, and Antioch community and business leaders celebrate the ribbon cutting for Sylvia’s Florist on A Street, Friday, Jan. 27, 2017. photo by Casey Quist, Studio 505By Allen PaytonAs their third anniversary draws near, on March 1st, Sylvia’s Florist held a ribbon cutting as a new member of the Antioch Chamber of Commerce, on Friday evening, Jan. 27, 2017. Attended by members of the Antioch City Council and Chamber, the evening featured beautiful flower arrangements and refreshments, including a fountain of dark chocolate in which to dip fruit and marshmallows, a few speeches and a free red rose to each of those who attended.Mayor Pro Tem Lamar Thorpe was first to share his thoughts, representing the City of Antioch.“Thank you for opening your business here in Antioch,” he said. “It’s important for our economic vitality because it’s going to be small businesses that will help us move forward.”“Certainly in addition I can’t express enough how we’re in a time of change,” Thorpe continued. “I’m de... http://antiochherald.com/2017/01/p26357/

East Contra Costa Datelines: Language of Flowers - Contra Costa Times

Antioch/Brentwood/Oakley/Pittsburg NewsPosted:   09/18/2015 12:00:00 AM PDTFundraisers"Language of Flowers" Luncheon: 11:30 a.m.-2 p.m. Sept. 23, Brentwood Community Center, 35 Oak St. Vanessa Diffenbaugh, author of "The Language of Flowers," will be the guest of honor at a luncheon sponsored by the Brentwood Library Foundation. Tickets are $45. Purchase online at www.brentwoodlibrary.brownpapertickets.com or send a check to Brentwood Library, 104 Oak St., Brentwood, CA, 94513. 925-516-5290.Pasta Dinner: 4 p.m. Sept. 27, Good Shepherd Church Hall, 3200 Harbor St., Pittsburg. Join the Pittsburg Historical Museum and Plumbers and Steamfitters Union Local 342, for a dinner honoring Coach Jim "Smiley" Camitz for his years supporting youth sports in Pittsburg. Menu: appetizers, salad, pasta, barbecue sausage and dessert. $30. Tickets can be purchased from 1-4 p.m. Wednesdays and 11 a.m.-3 p.m. Saturdays, at Pittsburg Historical Museum, 515 Railroad Ave., by calling 925-439-7501 or online at... http://www.contracostatimes.com/brentwood/ci_28818200/east-contra-costa-datelines-happenings-around-east-contra

Taos event planner helps make holidays, weddings about you - taosnews

She applied to a florist as a salesgirl. After three weeks, she was promoted to a position as floral designer.A native of Orange County California, Palmer's experience in the floral shop set the tone for a 32-year vocation. She worked at shops such as Roger's Gardens in Newport Beach, hotels and private homes. Her bosses lived in the old Nixon home, so this affiliation opened the door for her to work on the opening of the Nixon Library.Palmer moved to Taos when her husband was hired as the chief financial officer at Taos Pueblo. "Taos is a beautiful place. It's unique and amazing, and that includes the people," she said.Palmer said that she doesn't have to work at this career, but she chooses to do so. "The occasions for which I prepare begins as visions in my mind. It's hard work, bur worth it. I relate with my clients in order to give them good customer service. The event usually lasts one day, and I want to get it right. I want to please the guest(s) of honor," explained Palmer.She cited a special floral piece for a biker's funeral. "I created a special Harley Davidson item for the funeral. The cross was wrapped in leather. I used Birds of Paradise flowers to resemble the bike flames," described Palmer.Palmer has worked with wedding parties who come from all over the world for a destination ceremony in Taos. She coordinated weddings for residents from Texas, Colorado and Africa, among other places. Many of her clients favor garden weddings, and Palmer enjoys such events because of the color and texture they provide.An interesting challenge in this realm includes a wedding at Old Martina's Hall in which the couple requested an outdoor garden theme in an indoor setting. "When I receive such a request, I strive to rely on visions of nature, especially the forest, for various types of flowers. I keep in mind whether people have allergies, especially sage," Palmer related.Palmer rightfully earned the name Taos Floral Diva, and under this title one may seek her website. Her business also uses the title Margaret Palmer Floral Design. Some of the brides and grooms become her fri... https://www.taosnews.com/stories/know-your-neighbor-margaret-palmer,60914?

Redmond florist is deeply rooted in the community - Redmond Reporter

Lisa said. “So right now it’s fall and everybody thinks of oranges and bronze. Well, the crops [farmers] plant way in Ecuador, way up in Canada, way [down] in California where they’re really growing all the flowers, those crops are going to be in those color.”Those environments not only influence the tones of the flowers, but farmers might decide to forgo an entire crop if there isn’t a high demand. People aren’t buying bronze colors for their centerpieces after December, she explained.Lisa said when people visit florists, they’re shopping for a professional’s skill. Color wheels, negative and positive space, textures and grouping of flowers influence the presentation of an arrangement.“We’re not production; we’re artists,” Lisa said. “When you go into a grocery store and grab some flowers, you’re giving flowers, but it’s not really something that someone has really specialized in.”She said there’s a creative process that happens when people go to a florists that adds an extra layer of thoughtfulness. The species of flowers picked, the color scheme, the style of a vase are all ways Lisa said people can show the uniqueness of a gift. She explained with the convenience of the Internet, people often put off gift giving until the last minute or they equate the cost of a gift to show how much they care.“When people come in to pick out a bouquet, they go that extra mile,” Lisa said. “It isn’t just a last-minute, pick-it-up, get-it-delivered process.”Anniversaries, weddings, dating and funerals are occasions when people seek out Lisa’s shop. For occasions of sympathy, Lisa said you’re always 100 percent good with white, yellow and chartreuse green. But she said it’s very subjective; on one occasion a friend who was going through a loss said the brightest flower arrangement made her feel better.Lisa doesn’t see the florist business disappearing anytime soon. Despite living in a world that is ever increasingly becoming tech-oriented she doesn’t believe people are willing to give up on deep-rooted traditions, the most recent being Redmond High School homecoming dance.Bear Creek Florist did 89 wristlet corsages and 82 boutonnieres for the high schoolers, each one customized for the student. Lisa still gets excited building boutonnieres, explaining it’s the artistic aspect that drives her to do the work she does and the idea that when a student is pinning a flower on a tux or slipping a corsage onto their wrist, they are wearing something unique to match the event. A trend Lisa Alimentt has noticed through the years is the fact that people are buying fewer arrangements specific to a home but rather are giving flower designs to friends as gifts during the holidays. Samira George/staff photoimg width="2048" height="2545" src="https://71qi67h7bb4dznqk9plwg1bl-wpengine.netdna-ssl.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/19483531_web1_6Flower-RED-191122.jpg" class="attachment-full size-full" alt="Lisa Aliment took over the famil... https://www.redmond-reporter.com/business/redmond-florist-is-deeply-rooted-in-the-community/

Bloom & Plume's Maurice Harris Reimagines Black Art - Complex

It's a hub for showing the importance of beauty and aesthetics, and not having to always be in an oppressive state.” That mind state is a direct result of the California native’s family upbringing. As a child, Harris was encouraged to explore everything he wanted to do as long as he promised to “do it well and give it all that [he had].” Taking that directive to heart, he initially pursued fashion, studying at L.A.’s Otis College of Art and Design before later pivoting his focus to the school’s Fine Arts program. “I’ve always had my own voice. I'm only ever good at doing me,” Harris explains. “I wanted to figure out how to do me the best. And when I switched over to fine art, I found that was a great medium for me to explore that.” POST CONTINUES BELOWHarris eventually took on a position at fashion brand, and experimented with flowers as a hobby. Aware of Harris’s love for flowers as a medium, his assistant booked him as a florist for a wedding. When the gig prompted a need for business cards, Harris coined his floral service, Bloom & Plume. When the economic crisis of 2009 led to Harris getting laid off from his fashion job, it was the exact stroke of “bad luck” needed to land Harris squarely in his floral career. He launched Bloom & Plume full-time with his severance package the following year. Harris’s blooming began well before the launch of his business, however, with his decision to no longer conform. “It has been a really interesting battle to not fit into society in a heteronormative way, to not just fit all the boxes,” Harris shares. “I’m big and I'm tall, and people always ask me do I play football or basketball? No, I don't. I'm more fluid with my expression, with my feminine energy, my masculine energy, all those sort of things.” “I think that beautiful things allow us to dream, allow us to escape, allow us to hope and aspire towards other things.”POST CONTINUES BELOWWhile Harris is aware that the art he creates stands as a luxury and most of his clients are wealthy—he has designed floral installations for everyone from Ava DuVernay to Florence and the Machine to Vogue—he is clear on the power of beauty and has selected it as his weapon of choice. “I think that beautiful things allow us to dream, allow us to escape, allow us to hope and aspire towards other things,” Harris remarks. This belief prompted Harris to extend his brand to a community cafe, Bloom & Plume Coffee, which he owns... https://www.complex.com/pop-culture/2019/11/maurice-harris-microsoft-surface-complexcon

Marigold harvest a gift to workers who have kept Mellano blooming for 50 years - The San Diego Union-Tribune

They’re family members by dirt,” he said. Advertisement Mellano & Co. is run by the third-generation descendents of Giovanni Mellano, who immigrated to California from Entracque, Italy, in 1921. In the 1930s, he married his wife, Maria, and they started their first flower farm on a 6.5-acre property near present-day Knott’s Berry Farm.At the request of poinsettia grower and family friend Paul Ecke, the Mellano family took over management of the American Florist Exchange in L.A. in the 1960s. And in the 1970s, Giovanni and Maria’s son Mike Mellano Sr. and son-in-law Battista Castellano moved to Oceanside to expand the family’s flower empire. Chairman of Mellano & Company Michael Mellano stands among marigolds at the Mellano & Company farm on Friday, October 25, 2019 in Oceanside.(Hayne Palmour IV / The San Diego Union-Tribune) Today, Mellano & Co. farms more than 40 varieties of cut flower products, particularly the fresh foliage and greenery that fills out most traditional floral bouquets. With locations in Oceanside, Carlsbad, Orange County and Las Vegas, it’s the largest specialty cut-flower grower in the nation, producing 6 million flower stems each year. In partnership with the Ecke family and Armstrong Nursery, Mellano & Co. also oversees the 40-acre growing and wholesale operations for The Flower Fields in Carlsbad.Michelle Castellano Keeler, the daughter of Battista Castellano, also grew up on the farm and today is the company’s corporate vice president. She and her cousin, Mike M., said the company has always had a heart for immigrant workers because of their family’s roots in Italy.During World War II when Japanese farmers in California were sent to internment camps, Giovanni Mellano purchased some of their L.A. farm properties and equipment for $1 and then stored everything for the internees until they returned after the war.At the Oceanside farm, Mellano & Co. offers onsite housing for its workers, some of whom have lived on the property for two generations. From 40 to 50 workers live there now, most of them were born in Mexican as well as a few Guatemalans and a family of Congolese refugees. Keeler said the idea for the worker housing came from her dad.“He was an immigrant himself and when we first moved here, he felt the way the Hispanic workers were treated was horrible so he built this area on our farm where they could live and be safe,” she said. Advertisement Taking care of workers is also smart business. Mellano said that 10 years ago, 50 people would show up to apply for five open jobs. Now, with the local unemployment rate at a historic low, just one person will show up to apply for five open jobs, and they may not even have the proper legal documentation to qualify. Giovanni and Maria Mellano with their sons Johnny, second from left, and Mike Sr. at their family flower farm in Artesia, Ca., in the 1930s. Their Mellano & Co. now farms more than 340 acres of flowers in Oceanside and Carlsbad.(Courtesy of Mellano & Co.) Beyond the labor shortage, growing flowers is an increasingly challenging business. The cost of wa... https://www.sandiegouniontribune.com/communities/north-county/story/2019-10-27/marigold-harvest-a-gift-to-workers-who-have-kept-mellano-blooming-for-50-years