Established in 1998, Rose Story Farm is located on the home property of local couple Bill and Dani Hahn, created with the dream and mission to "produce beautiful, fragrant, romantic roses in exquisite shapes and colors." Having both grown up in families of avid gardeners, Bill and Dani, together with their children, are dedicated to maintaining their farm as a place of beauty and passion, carrying on the legacy left by the generations before them. Growing 25,000 rose bushes of over 120 varieties, the Rose Story Farm truly is a story, not just a place.
This day was a dream come true for this flower lover...
As we drove down a dirt road into the mountains of Carpinteria, were greeted by wandering roosters, and approached the colonial style home on Rose Story Farm, I felt like I was in the movie A Walk in the Clouds. (Of course, we weren't quite in the mountains of Italy...but that same euphoria fell over me and I might as well have been.) When we got out of the car, the aroma of roses in the morning air was absolutely overwhelming. I wanted to pinch myself. Am I really here right now? The first thing you see upon entering is this rustic arch pictured below (right) leading to where you can purchase rose bushes to plant in your home garden. If you get a chance to visit the Rose Story Farm, you'll be greeted by this flower-filled gift shop (left) carrying everything from stationery to pajamas--all flower themed, of course.
A summer music program was being taught out of several bungalows on the property. As they played, the air was filled with symphony-like music as we toured through the gardens, creating a truly ethereal experience.
"When a flower does not bloom, you fix the environment in which it grows--not the flower."
When Rose Story Farm first started out, they planted 1,000 rose bushes--but did everything wrong. After recovering from their mistake, they realized that the best way to grow a rose is to do it the old-fashioned way: dig a hole, and set up a drip line watering system. Still today, they fight the ground squirrels and the weeds, but they choose not to use any poisons on their property to deal with these natural issues. This is a purely organic farm.
Some fun facts:
The softer the petals, the more fragrant the flower.
Each rose loses about 30% of its fragrance once the stem is cut from the bush.
In the 1800's, this property was homesteaded by a Sea Captain from Boston!
Carpinteria is the flower capital of California.
I jumped at the chance to bring my friend Lisa (L Marie Photo) on this tour to help me capture and document all the beauty of the day.
Put this on your bucket list to do with your mom or best girlfriend! Dani or Bill will happily lead you through a guided tour of Rose Story Farm. After breathing in the fresh, beachy, floral air and learning about roses all morning, you will "dine al fresco" on the farm! It's the perfect way to spend a mini-getaway out of town and share a memorable experience together.
"Flowers always make people better, happier, and more helpful; they are sunshine, food and medicine for the soul."
Of course, to finish off the day, I couldn't help myself so I loaded up the car with six new rose bushes for my home garden!
All photos by Lisa Marie Photo.
To learn more or to book your tour, head over to rosestoryfarm.com.