The Russian River Rose Company is a fun place to visit in Sonoma to see beautiful flowers in bloom; they have lots of roses for sale in the nursery, beautiful rose and perennial display gardens, and lovely fields of Bulgarian perfume roses. You can take the official tour to see how they distill the roses, or you can go to one of their open house weekends in April or May to wander the property yourself. The Bulgarian rose fields are special perfumery roses that the owner has imported, and their scent is amazing if you time your visit for peak bloom.
You can buy rare varieties of roses from their nursery — I always come home with a new favorite. They grow over 600 rose varieties!
4 comments
Lavender, roses and wine! Sounds like the perfect trip!! I’ve never been to Sonoma and long to go.
Yep! 🙂 Spring and fall are both wonderful here. Fall is beautiful when the daytime temps are a bit gentler, the afternoon light is exquisite, and the vineyards turn color.
I was worried that NYT article might cause some people disappointment if they come now because the lavender was at its peak a number of weeks ago and won’t be very impressive by now…
Hi Laurie,
I’ve been to the Napa/Sonoma regions 2x in the ’90s. They are simply beautiful and I envy you for living in such a wonderful place. This is one of the areas I’m hoping to explore more in the future when my little boy is older and able to appreciate the beauty of nature. I need to spend more time in Sonoma County – Napa Vally, towards the late ’90s was getting way too touristy.
a:)
Hi Ann,
Sonoma County has become busier too over the years, but still much quieter than Napa County. One thing that’s fun for nature lovers here is that we have such varied environments all within a short drive, from the oak grasslands inland to the redwood groves near the coast, and then the beach and ocean. Bet you have some great finds near you too though for getting out into nature!