My favorite season is spring! I love how colors start to come in after everything has been bare. Since we have had so much rain this year we definitely have had a super bloom! Usually around May I host a walk or offer a curated box before Mothers Day. Last year I had a walk in Saratoga Village starting at Hakone Gardens. We have been members of Hakone for several years now. It’s a wonderful place to visit in the spring. This year I decided to do a springtime In Bloom Walk at one of my favorite bay area places, Filoli Gardens in Woodside. During the pandemic I got a membership to the gardens. It was a perfect place to transport myself to somewhere else and be safe at the same time. I have now been a member for 3 years and I love it! It has been a fun place to take friends and to go on my own to reflect. At the Clock Tower Gift Shop I have made connections with local vendors and have used their artisan goods for some previous curated boxes. Of course I was happy to include some of them in the gift bag for this event!
In 2021 I went to the Fall Days Event at Fioli. As I was shopping in the Clock Tower Gift Shop I met Teri from Kindred Cooks Caramels. I told her that I was working on a curated box for the holidays and she was interested in being a part of it. So I included a bag of her Caramel Sampler, which includes: Traditional, Sea Salt, Vanilla Chai, and Marshmallow with chocolate. I decided for my In Bloom Walk to offer the same bag of caramels to go into the gift bags.
Kindred Cooks Caramels has taken the best family soft caramel recipe they know and produced a delicious treat. They are sold at farmers' markets and select local businesses. Kindred Cooks Caramels are handmade and gourmet, made fresh from the best ingredients.
In my last curated box for Valentines called the I Love Los Gatos Box I included Roxannes Biscotti, which I found at The Butter Paddle in downtown Los Gatos. Before I started planning my In Bloom Walk I found her biscotti at The Clock Tower Gift Shop at Filoli Gardens. I purchased a package of her chocolate chip biscotti (with almonds). Having this serendipity moment inspired me to do a walk at Fioli in the spring, including caramels and bistcotti.
Roxanne bakes her perfect biscotti fresh every week in her kitchen in Morgan Hill. All the ingredients are sourced locally and her dedication to quality and craft is unmatched. Roxannes Biscotti are sold at The Clock Tower Gift Shop at Filoi, along with local farmers markets.
My In Bloom Walk was on Sunday April 29th. It was a beautiful breezy day at Filoli Gardens. I met everyone at the front entrance and they received their gift bags, which included a map, flower seeds, and a small sample size bag of Kindred Cooks Caramels, along with a Filoi sticker. If they purchased the large bag of caramels and biscotti that was included as well.
We started the walk by touring the house. It was beautifully decorated with fresh flowers from the gardens. Afterwards we contiuned walking through the gardens. In bloom were mainly Wisteria, Iris’s, some cherry blossoms, and a variety of peonies. While walking through the gardens we took a break and enjoyed some wine and cocktails in the orchard from the Blue Bird Bar. Everyone enjoyed shopping the Clock Tower Gift Shop and we had a delicous lunch and treats from the Quail Cafe. It was a beautiful day with old and new friends!
Since my 2nd favorite season is in the Fall I am thinking about hosting another walk at Fioli the end of October during the Fall Orchard Days. Stay tuned, it will be another beautiful day!
