On the road to the motherland of flowers (and food for that matter) we anticipated nothing less than a bombshell of a class - gorgeous ranunculus from Santa Clarita, incredible local fronds and foliage, food from the master of vegetarian delights and the most perfect, fragrant preserves studio to teach in...

So many thank you's to June Taylor of June Taylor Preserves for so graciously letting us come and use her spotless studio-kitchen, and for teaching me something new about flower arranging. June's art is evident in everything she touches from her meticulously spirited fruit concoctions to the meditative arrangements of rocks and natural ephemera kicking around her shop and studio. We feel so lucky to have a new friend in her, and bags of candied orange peels and rose geranium syrup.

And of course so much gratitude for the catalyst of this project, the wonderous Heidi Swanson of 101 Cookbooks. We are totally spoiled now - if only all our classes could start with a light lunch of buttermild farrow salad with fresh herbs and radishes and splitpea & goatcheese crostini...I hope and feel our collaborations with Heidi have just begun...

AND lastly here's to the amazing group of students who brought with them all sorts of different ideas about color, form, texture and flowers -- see for yourself...

Please take a look at all the arrangements and more photos from the class here on our flickr page!