Every year we open up Maple Rock gardens for an event called Bloomtastic. By now I’m sure you’ve heard of Maple Rock. I’m sure that some of you have seen Maple Rock for yourselves. But the one thing nobody has been able to see during the Bloomtastic event is the Peonys in bloom.

The reason why you have not been able to see the Peonys is because they have always bloomed prior to Mother’s Day weekend. Every Spring when I walk the gardens I’m looking for a sign from nature that tells me Spring is coming. I’m looking for something that is an undeniable force of nature and once it starts it will not stop. When the Peonys start pushing from the ground up this says a couple things to me. First, it tells me the ground is warming and nature is waking up. The second thing is that I can’t stop it. Like you, I have been waiting for the rain to stop. Well it stopped and Spring came the next day. What’s unique about this year at Maple Rock is that it may be very possible that the Peonys will still in Bloom May 11th. This has never happened before. Perhaps this is mother nature’s way of rewarding Bloomtastic after a long, long winter.

Join us Saturday, May 11th as we celebrate nature and the new beginnings.

Join us in the garden Saturday, May 11th 9-3pm. We’ll have live music, lunch will be available, and a glass of wine or your favorite libation, should you desire one.

Bloomtastic this year surely will be spectacular if the Peonys can hold their blooms. I have no control over them but I will be talking to them tonight. Get your tickets by clicking here.

Succulent Kokedama Workshop

Come learn the art and craft of the Japanese Kokedama. These hanging string gardens will be handcrafted with moss, jute and a variety of succulents from the High-Hand Nursery. We will macrame a hanger for a manzanita branch to suspend the beautiful creations from. All materials and supplies are included and enjoy mimosas and fresh baked scones while we create. Dress for mess. Get your tickets by clicking here.

High-Hand Magalia is open for business.

Why did I open up a nursery in Magalia? Several reasons. Most of them are personal. We’ve been so involved in supporting victims of the camp fire that it has become an extension of all of us. I opened a nursery because I wanted to bring life back into an area of utter despair. I’m not crazy. People are trying to understand what the new normal is. I thought to myself, is it enough to just give money and come up with solutions? Is it enough to hand over the keys to a car? Throughout the last months we have helped a lot of people through tough situations that seemed insurmountable. Throughout the last months I’ve continued to ask myself what the next step is.

Life starts with a seed and in my business it starts from the ground up.

High-Hand was built from the ground up, so it’s obvious that my approach would be just that. Years ago we built High-Hand, literally from the a blighted, condemned piece of property. An old fruit shed that sat vacant for twenty-five years came to life when a seed was planted. An idea, a vision, a dream, and a burnt out lot. We are building it in the heart of the devastation as a sign that life can return. After helping for the last four or five months somebody has to step into the headwinds and show that it can be done from the ground up. So that is what we are doing.

We rolled up last Wednesday and started laying the groundwork for our humble nursery. We re-purposed the refrigeration truck used throughout winter as our storage truck. The stacks of pallets that had been accumulating from the multiple deliveries of bottled water are now our tables to showcase plants.

Please know that High-Hand Magalia is a humble little nursery, built from the ground up, by the great people of Magalia. It’s also staffed by the people of Magalia. Will this work? I don’t know. If it does, great. If it doesn’t then hopefully my failure there will inspire others to come after me. It’ll take us a few weeks for us to get into the rhythm of shipping plants and understanding the needs. We haven’t yet really established hours and we really haven’t established a synchronicity with High-Hand Loomis, but it’ll come, I promise.

The Children’s Library — From the ground up.

This Children’s Resource center, built with your donations, will supply books, necessary things/stuff that kids like and will need. After all these months of hardship this is kind of fun, isn’t it? Your donations helped build this. Give yourself a pat on the back and feel good about what you helped create.

At High-Hand Loomis our flower baskets are ready just in time for Mother’s Day. This is a great time of year to walk our greenhouses, take a deep breath, and take it all in. Our roses are beautiful and blooming.

I’ve come to know that it is really all about dirt and ladybugs. If you mess with dirt too much it will kill you. However, people will stop traffic to save a ladybug. I think that if I continue to follow these rules then High-Hand Magalia won’t fail. It’ll plant a seed of growth in an area that so desperately needs it. My hope is that it will be an incubator for more jobs and inspire other businesses to step into the headwinds with me. Beyond the nursery I hope to create a nursery related product that can be Magalia grown and sold into the valley. I do have a thought of what this will be, but first things first.

Visit High-Hand Magalia and witness it’s humble beginnings. It is a drive that you will not soon forget. The address is 14098 Skyway, Magalia.

See you at Bloomtastic Saturday, May 11th. Tell Susie at High-Hand Magalia Scott said, “Hello.” Your support makes a difference.

See you at High-Hand Nursery,

Scott

How can you help out those impacted by the Camp Fire?

You have helped out so much! Here is what’s needed – Visa Gift Cards and cash. Gift cards and cash can be delivered directly to the nursery or sent to us by mail. Our address is:

Attn: Nichole
High-Hand Nursery
P.O. Box 2280
Loomis, CA 95650

You can also call us and give us a credit card over the phone. Our number is 916-652-2065. We will turn all checks and credit card transactions into cash.

I’m always astonished at the metamorphosis of nature. Nature is power. Nature is grace. As we go through our busy lives, day to day, month to month, year to year, do you remember? Do you stop to recognize the new beginnings and healing that nature’s spring brings us?

After a long winter spring has arrived to bless us with her grace, the apple blossoms of the Fuji Apple trees at Maple Rock are a hint of things to come.

Maple Rock Gardens Come Celebrate with Us

This time of year is a very special time at Maple Rock, our gardens come alive, our Peony’s bloom, and their flowers grace us with their smiles.

Join us Saturday May 11th, Mother’s Day weekend, and celebrate Mother Nature at Maple Rock’s Bloomtastic. Lunch will be available. Stroll the garden, listen to live music and enjoy your favorite glass of wine. Simply breathe and enjoy. Click here to buy tickets. Parking is free.

One can say that it is hard to find nature here amidst all the devastation. The healing process in Paradise has been agonizingly slow and painful. On my trip last Sunday it was easy to forget that Spring had arrived in Paradise.

We are still helping people who are living in cars, we are still helping people with individual needs. As individuals heal, there are very subtle signs that the healing in Paradise and Magalia is occurring. I had to look beyond the loss to find Nature’s grace. I am astonished with Nature’s ability to start over and wash away the devastation.

So What’s Next?

We’re going to open a nursery “High-Hand Magalia”. You may think I’m crazy but I’m not. I have a burning desire to try to do my part in bringing back normal. Were going to open up a nursery to employ people and provide sunshine and happiness and lift spirits in a region that is devastated. A portion of the profits will be given to support our ongoing work. The support we have received from all of you has been awe inspiring. I want to do more. So I hope we can create a few jobs and a revenue source for ongoing needs. Maybe I can get some of you to go to High-Hand Magalia and visit the nursery for yourself. I’ll let you know when we open. I’m not sure it will work, but it’s the only way to start the process of recovery.

At High-Hand Spring has arrived. Our fruit trees are blooming and peony are pushing. Join us for Bloomtastic Saturday May 11th. It’ll be a day not soon forgotten.

I’ll keep you posted about High-Hand Magalia and the new beginnings there.

See you at High-Hand Nursery,

Scott

How can you help out those impacted by the Camp Fire?

You have helped out so much! Here is what’s needed – Visa Gift Cards and cash. Gift cards and cash can be delivered directly to the nursery or sent to us by mail. Our address is:

Attn: Nichole
High-Hand Nursery
P.O. Box 2280
Loomis, CA 95650

You can also call us and give us a credit card over the phone. Our number is 916-652-2065. We will turn all checks and credit card transactions into cash.