What’s Hot in Southern California: The Flower Fields

The Flower Fields in Carlsbad:

Have you ever dreamed of running through a field of flowers? Now through early May, you just might be able to at The Flower Fields in Carlsbad.

For over sixty years, Mother Nature has transformed the rolling hills of North San Diego County into one of the most beautiful displays of natural color and beauty anywhere in the world. The nearly fifty acres of Giant Tecolote Ranunculus flowers that make up The Flower Fields^® at Carlsbad Ranch, in Carlsbad, California, are in bloom for approximately six to eight weeks each year – from early March through early May – literally bringing the famous fields back to life. This annual burst of color is one of nature’s official ways of announcing the arrival of spring here in Southern California. (Source: taken from www.theflowerfields.com home page).

How It All Began:

The fields are a direct result of over 85 years of floral cultivation that began when Luther Gage, an early settler and grower settled in the area in the early 1920’s. Mr. Gage brought Ranunculus seeds to the area and began growing them in his fields next to Frank Frazee’s small vegetable farm in South Oceanside. This started a business called “Luther Gage Giant Tecolote Ranunculus bulbs”. The name “Tecolote” came from the owls that nested on his property.

Originally the flowers were single petal and ranged in shades of red and yellow. The beautiful colors and fullness of the flowers you see now are due to the careful selection done by Edwin Frazee over many years. If nature provided a full flower or an unusual color, Mr. Frazee would save the seed and plant them the next year. This resulted in full flowers in thirteen beautiful colors including picotee, a mixture of variegated colors, that can been seen today. (Source: https://www.theflowerfields.com/history-page)