BOLDT

The ranunculus fields in Carlsbad, California are one of the most spectacular and coordinated displays of natural color and beauty anywhere in the world.

“I’ve traveled everywhere, and I don’t know if there is a manmade floral experience as impressive as The Flower Fields,” Fred Clarke, general manager of The Flower Fields, says. “There are some pretty nice gardens in Europe and the tulip fields [in the Netherlands] but The Flower Fields are truly unique. We’re on a slope overlooking the Pacific Ocean so it looks like a rainbow of color on the hillside.”

The nearly fifty acres of Giant Tecolote Ranunculus flowers that make up The Flower Fields are in bloom for approximately six to eight weeks each year – from early March through early May. According to Clarke, the bands of blooms have multiplied in shades, starting in hues of red and yellow, and now encapsulating thirteen colors including picotee, a mixture of variegated colors.

“We have been breeding, selecting, and developing different colors over the years,” Clarke details. “So, every year, we select the plants, we let them cross pollinate, we harvest the seed, and then we plant that seed. And so, it’s quite a big farming operation.”

Once the fields are finished flourishing, the team digs up the corms (also referred to as bulbs) in June, levels the ground in July, and adds compost to the soil. They then form raised beds - three feet wide by 10 inches tall and install two drip irrigation lines on top of each bed.

“We are in Southern California,” Clarke shares. “You know the song, right? ‘It never rains in California.’ So, we use drip irrigation so we can be really efficient in our utilization of water. We put the water right where the plant is.”

According to Clarke, it takes about three months from the date of sowing until the plant starts to produce its first flower. “Then the plant produces blooms that we harvest for about a month.”

Every season, Clarke says The Flower Farm sells seven to eight million ranunculus stems and five million corms. Recently, the interest in the ranunculus has risen, with the flower trending just below roses and one of the most desirable flowers for bridal bouquets, arrangements, and as stand-alone stems.

“Our first harvest usually starts at the tail end of February,” he explains. “And then we’re open March 1 to Mother’s Day. And so, in March, April, and May is when ranunculus are being harvested and sold all around the country. In early springtime, the ranunculus are just beautiful. They have great color and they’re becoming really popular with florists these days.”

Known for its brilliantly colored, paper-thin petals, the ranunculus has origins in Asia Minor, another reason the flower is perfect for growing in the Southern California area, where it’s hot and dry in the summer and cool and wet in the winter.

The kaleidoscope of voluminous blooms, which has become part of Southern California’s local heritage, has a rich history, going all the way back to the 1920s. A Dutch florist named Luther Gage settled in the area just north of San Diego, planting ranunculus seeds he brought with him. Soon, Gage’s neighbors, the Franzee family, expanded their vegetable farm to include the ranunculus and the flower operation blossomed. At the current site since 1965, the colorful fields are a direct result of decades of cultivation.

Visitors eager to experience the radiant rows can visit The Flower Fields at Carlsbad Ranch in spring when the ranunculus are in peak bloom and ranch activities are in full swing. A regional tourist attraction as well as a national jewel, The Flower Fields features a variety of opportunities to eat, learn, relax, and enjoy – perfect for a day trip destination.

“We grow sunflowers; we have a five-acre field with sunflowers. It was a huge hit last year - super popular,” Clarke recalls. “They’re shorter cut flower varieties, so they grow about five feet high. Then we have blueberry picking every other Sunday. And we have a sweet pea maze - old fashioned sweet peas like your grandma used to grow. They’re super fragrant.”

In addition to the sea of sunflowers and one-ofa-kind sweet pea maze, guests are invited to take a wagon ride through the vibrant fields, stroll through the artist gardens and bird aviaries, visit the cymbidium orchid greenhouse and historic poinsettia display, learn from master gardeners at the demonstration garden, and wander and wonder in a butterfly garden that celebrates the butterflies that help make flowers bloom.

For couples set on celebrating their wedding with rows of ranunculus, lush greenery, or an exquisite array of flower gardens, The Flower Fields offers special event venues available year-round. From an indoor barn to an outdoor pavilion, the setting is ideal for fundraisers, birthday parties, and work events.

“We have a big barn that we built as these barn weddings have been super popular,” Clarke explains. “We have a school program that will get 7,000 elementary school kids through the fields, usually 400 to 500 at a time - they come four days a week. They plant seeds and they learn about composting and saving water and recycling. They learn about bugs, good bugs and bad bugs. They go on a hayride; it’s a half day program for the school kids. Then we have musical events on the weekends, and we do after-hours wine tasting. There’s all kinds of stuff.”

For those unable to attend the activities or experience the annual array of color in spring, The Flower Fields harvests and sells corms from their horticultural site so others can create the color at home.