Locally Grown

Flower Farmer Hedda Brorstrom’s 6 Favorite Sonoma County Spots

Hedda Brorstrom's Full Bloom Flower Farm has bouquets to go

Full Bloom Flower Farm’s Hedda Brorstrom nurtures flowers from seedling to vase. Her chemical- free farming mission necessitates a hyper seasonality, and her lush, organically styled arrangements are full of thrilling texture and rhythm.

Brorstrom grew up in west county — her 1-acre farm stands on the site of her parents’ onetime worm-bait farm. She went on to study agroecology at UC Berkeley, focusing on the politics of the Slow Food movement, and fell in love with flowers as an apprentice farmer in Santa Cruz.

Summer bouquets from Full Bloom Flower Farm

“There’s no better way to show that you love someone,” she says. “It’s such soulful and important work to have beauty in the world.” She sees each bouquet as a snapshot of time and season: Hearty zinnias, sunflowers, marigolds and roses are the workhorses of her summer bouquets.

The limits of farming in-season only, she says, offers plenty of creative direction: “We end up using our really unique perennials like honeysuckle, clematis and hellebores.”

Here are a few more of Brorstrom’s favorites, from the flower world and beyond.

Hinterland in Occidental has edgy novelties, often made using screen printing techniques—Photo by Chelsea Kurnick — Hinterland’s edgy novelties are often made using screen printing techniques—Photo by Chelsea Kurnick

Hinterland: Selling edgy novelties, Hinterland opened in summer 2016 in an art gallery called Neon Raspberry Art House, which “questions perspectives.” 3605 Main St., Occidental, 415-314-8001

Nightingale Breads: Wood-fired French baguettes offer “just the right amount of crispness.” 6665 Front St., Forestville, 707-887-8887

Bouquet by Full Bloom Flower Farm in Sebastopol

Full Bloom Flower Farm: Brorstrom’s farmstand has bouquets to go, plus arrangements for events and a flower CSA. 9516 Graton Road, Sebastopol, 707-591-6968, fullbloomflower.com

The Occidental Arts and Ecology Center has medicinal, edible and habitat plants and hard-to-find gallon starts

Occidental Arts and Ecology Center: Medicinal, edible and habitat plants and hard-to-find gallon starts. 15290 Coleman Valley Road, Occidental, 707-874-1557

Rare rhodendrons can be found at Hidden Forest Nursery — Photo by Karen Kizer — Rare rhodoendrons can be found at Hidden Forest Nursery — Photo by Karen Kizer

Hidden Forest Nursery: A grove of ancient dawn redwoods, rare azaleas, and rhododendrons the nursery has been hybridizing since the 1970s. Some of their 300 varieties of rhododendrons are extremely rare and are exclusive to the garden. 3970 Azalea Lane, Sebastopol, 707-823-6832, hiddenforestnursery.com

Crab mac and cheese at the Holly and Tali Show at The Casino Bar & Grill in Bodega—Photo by Heather Irwin

Casino Bar and Grill: This rustic bar (not an actual casino) is the de-facto town hall in the tiny town of Bodega, with dinners from the Holly and Tali Show Monday through Thursday and chef Mark Malicki on weekends. 17000 Bodega Hwy., Bodega, 707-876-3185

Written by Karen Kizer