You never know what can be around the next curve. You might be as delightfully surprised as I was along CA-92 in Half Moon Bay, California. My husband and I had been there for a week for work, and we had finished the meeting for our client. So, it was time for a field trip.

My field trip started as I headed out towards the road we rolled in on, as I had seen a nursery there the first time we came here for work four years ago. Along my way, I took a detour as a “shiny” thing caught my eye: a lavender shop. It was part of a refurbished farm buildings along CA-92 called Pastorino Farms. It wasn’t until after I left the lavender shop that I realized that I was in my own heaven, as every shop there was about flowers. It was the perfect finale at the end of a busy week away for work.

It was by far the most helpful nursery I have ever experienced to learn about succulents, let alone any plants.

I started at the lovely lovely Lavender Home and Garden shop that caught my eye. She had many, many varieties of lavender plants. She also had a gift shop for those of us who couldn’t buy and plant lavender there. The aroma was delightful, and I could have lingered there all day.

From there, I wandered to the wholesale and retail orchid shop. They had many colorful and varied varieties of orchids. I was only disappointed because I would have loved to bring an orchid home with me, but I had no place in my luggage to fit another thing.

I then stumbled onto the carnivore plant shop, Predatory Plants, which was closed that day. It was too bad, as I would have been quite fascinated to have learned more about them.

So, on I went to find the Highway 92 Succulents shop. It was laid out in such a helpful way. They grouped all of the succulents in their genus and had very helpful signage giving specific information about growing each genus. It was by far the most helpful nursery I have ever experienced to learn about succulents, let alone any plants.

Even with no room in my suitcase, I nevertheless wanted to check out the native flowers shop of the area at Yerba Buena Nursery. There is so much to learn about the flowers to grow and bloom where you live, and how delightful it is to have a specialty shop right in Half Moon Bay.

The one I was most intrigued with was the hydroponic market, Aquaponics. They offered setting up your own hydroponic version of a small farm/garden at your home. They raise beautiful fish that create the fertilizer for the hydroponic gardens. In addition, though somehow I didn’t capture it, they had many hydroponic gardens in the back of the building where they grow vegetables, etc. that they had for sale at the store.

Another place missed was the flower design studio, Half Moon Flowers, which looked fabulous, but it was ‘shut.’

After leaving Pastorino Farms, I headed to the nursery we had passed four years ago when we were here for work the first time, which also got me started on my field trip. I have thought about this nursery ever since I first saw it, so I couldn’t wait to get there. I stopped not only to peruse, but to find a flower/plant to shoot before flying home. It was too windy, and I had been anticipating all week long to find a bloom in Half Moon Bay to photograph… so, it was time to go with the flow and find a plant (or two) to bring back to my hotel room for my photoshoot.

It’s wonderful to let Instagram and the many other modes of social media to open up the world to us, but to take a field trip to experience it yourself adds so much more to your life.

Share with me below: Where you have been wanting to take a field trip?

FEATURED FIELD TRIP
Pastorino Farms. Photographed @ Half Moon Bay.

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