Lesson Of Passion - Tori 500 Dirty Business
Pompilio Intindola
I first met Felicia when she came out to our farm for one of our in-person workshops. She was already a very experienced farmer but was looking to expand the flower portion of her business and I remember how much wisdom and encouragement she offered students whenever she shared.
My journey as a farmer has truly been a lifetime in the making and one that is a curvy road with many detours along the way. I was raised on a French prune farm in the Sacramento Valley of California. I spent my early years toddling behind my mother and grandparents around our family farm. Under their guidance during my childhood, I learned how to grow a number of production crops from dry beans, walnuts, rice, processing (canning) tomatoes, and other fruits and nuts we grew in our farm portfolio.
My favorite memories of the farm are not ones in our production fields but those in our farm gardens caring for the roses and flowers my grandmother lovingly curated. I worked on the farm from as early as I can remember doing everything from hand-harvesting fruit to running a production line on our commercial prune dehydrator.
Even on the busiest days, I treasured the time I spent during those last years with my grandparents. They passed away within a few years of each other. I was left emotionally and physically exhausted. At the first point in my adult life, I was able to get off the wheel and finally had a moment to think about what path I really wanted to take. I knew there was more out there for me.
I now have a more than 100-acre farm I manage, including 3 acres of garden rose production, 3 acres in bare root and research production, and a nursery. It truly has been a curvy journey to get to where I am today, with way more twists and turns than anyone would want to hear in an interview (this is the abridged version of my long story), but I am finally at the place where I feel I was always meant to be growing roses, food, and flowers to share with the world.
My farm nursery specializes in garden rose production and sales, offering bare root and potted roses seasonally. Bare root roses are shipped all across the United States and our five-gallon potted rose collection is available exclusively for pick-up at our farm nursery. Our big rose sale is this coming Thursday, January 20.
The garden roses in my collection are roses that are my tried-and-true tested varieties for cut flower production. I also have a research and breeding division to identify and bring new garden rose cultivars into commercial production. In 2021, the nursery started offering a special selection of companion plants to roses as well as pre-chilled tulip bulbs. We also offer a selection of rose and flower care products that are all of my favorite things, from fertilizers and gloves to clippers and compost. Every year we add more things to our nursery offerings and I am excited to introduce even more new items in the coming year.
My commercial cut flower production also specializes in growing garden roses as well. I sell wholesale to the floral trade and retail to anyone and everyone that wants to enjoy fresh cut garden roses in their home. We ship all across the United States as well as pick-up at our farm nursery. We also offer specialty cut tulips, peonies, flowering branches, and other assorted cut flowers seasonally, as well.
Expanding my educational offerings from a few on-farm workshops to an online community and an upcoming book on growing roses as cut flowers has truly been one of the bright spots of the last two years. Being able to connect with more people across the globe virtually to help them with everything from growing great roses, insect, and disease management to farm business development and planning has been an amazing experience.
I know five years sounds like a long time but since I grow garden roses in open field production, not in a controlled greenhouse environment, I am at the mercy of Mother Nature. One year the rose is subjected to flooding, the next drought, and weeks of wildfire smoke. I need to put it through the wringer to see how it performs in all matter of conditions over a period of years to truly see if it will stand the test of time for field-grown cut flower production year after year, regardless of the environmental conditions it endures.
Beautiful pink to apricot petals adorn this hard-to-find lady. Evelyn is in a class all her own and a true classic from the David Austin collection of roses. Named for the iconic perfumers Crabtree & Evelyn, who used it in their range of rose perfumes. She thrives in warmer climates. A glorious choice as a cut flower or in a garden landscape.
A dark and dreamy David Austin rose, Munstead Wood is my go-to for burgundy cut roses. Plump round buds open to a burgundy stunner with velvet-like petals. One of my favorite producers for fall bridal bouquets.
This rich velvet stunner is one of my favorite burgundy roses here on the farm. A perfect David Austin rose that pumps out blooms all year round. Long canes make this rose a wonderful climber and perfect rose for cutting nice long stems.
Rich, deep red, ruffled clusters adorn this compact bush. An eruption of color and a beautiful rose for red lovers. Petite clusters of blooms make this a perfect spray rose for cut flower lovers with exceptional vase life.
A stunning deep pink rose that is sure to bring brightness to your garden. James L. Austin is a versatile shrub with an upright growth habit and a light to medium fragrance with hints of blackberry, raspberry, and cherry.
A lovely yellow shade that will brighten any garden, this David Austin rose is a classic that performs well in both warm and cool climates. With cupped blossoms, Charlotte stays rather compact for an English rose.
An exceptional rose that thrives in warmer climates. Elle is a beauty all her own. A soft pink blend with hints of orange and yellow as the weather changes with the season. Deep glossy green foliage makes this a top performer in humid climates.
One of my all-time favorite roses! The ruffled Princess is a wonderful cut flower with an unforgettable fragrance and long straight stems. She is the epitome of style and grace in the garden and my top pick for a pink to blush cut flower.
A beauty of an ombre rose, this is a favorite of floral designers and gardeners alike. Flushes prolifically throughout the season and is one of my all-time favorite roses. Everyone who meets this beauty falls in love.
One of my favorite peach roses here at the farm. This David Austin stunner has beautiful rosette-shaped blooms and a pleasant fruity fragrance. With nice long canes, this rose can be grown as a climber or cut regularly for shape making a wonderful shrub.
A beautiful bloomer throughout the season. Pearl adds a simple elegance to any floral arrangement with petals that are almost iridescent. An exceptional performer in cooler climates and resistant to blackspot in humid locales.
French Lace is my favorite cream rose grown here on the farm. Beautiful petite blooms that change from ivory to light apricot with the seasons in a perfect shade of porcelain. Everybody falls in love at first sight with this compact floribunda.
Erin: I know firsthand how important pre-orders are for the success of a book, especially for first-time authors. We want to help you get Growing Wonder into as many hands as possible. Can you share how readers can pre-order a copy of your new book?
I will be offering signed copies from the very first print run through my website and these special copies will be available sometime in February. If you are eager to get your hands on one, pre-order from the Menagerie Shop here.
To celebrate the upcoming release of Growing Wonder, Felicia has given us five deluxe rose goodie boxes to raffle off. Each box will contain a signed copy of her book and three of her favorite bare root roses!
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Very much enjoyed learning how and what you ladies are accomplishing and your motivation driving such success! Truly sisters. The entire interview grows like my Wisteria vines, twisting and turning and reproducing joy in every season. Thanks!!
Wow this was exciting. I actually know so little about roses, but love them. And I just was introduced to the idea of garden roses in wedding bouquets by my girl friend who did a whole romanic pink wedding with them. This last year I bought two David Austin Queen of Sweden roses and enjoyed them so much. They were my 6 year anniversary gift from my husband and we got everything needed to plant them together. It was really something special to do that together. At the end of the year I was very intimidated with how to prune them and what would keep them well through the winter. I still cringe hoping they will be alive this spring. Moving into this year I love seeing new rose options and want to learn more about how to enjoy the flow of growing roses and how to pick varieties that will work for my cut flower business. I am obsessed with Celestial Night, because of that color. My mom and I plan to create a row of roses this year back on my family farm in North Dakota. I love the idea of adding something so special to a place that is incredibly special to me and my family. I look forward to reading Growing Wonder and having her book for reference, because I am so new to everything.
Like Felicia, roses connect me to my Italian grandmother. I remember the big , beautiful, fragrant deep red roses growing in her front yard in West Virginia. I have tried to grow roses in my garden in Cincinnati and now in San Diego. I am replanting my backyard garden and want to add new rose varieties. Will be difficult to select which ones though!
As a Research Nurse, I respect all of the time and trial that she puts into each new rose (5 years, wow)!
So excited to read and learn from her book!!