>> "J Schwanke's Life in Bloom" is brought to you by the following... ♪♪ >> At home.

♪♪ At work.

♪♪ Or anytime.

♪♪ CalFlowers is a proud sponsor of where flowers and wellness go hand in hand.

>> We have fresh in all our stores, from soups and steaks and all things flour to all things flowering.

Custom fresh arrangements designed by our in-store florists at Albertsons Companies.

>> With additional support from the following... PassionRoses... Suntory Flowers.

♪♪ >> Flowers and farms are on the agenda in this episode, including a flower farm with pigs, a trip back in time and a versatile recipe from a dear friend.

[ Mid-tempo music plays ] ♪♪ I'm J Schwanke.

Welcome to "Life in Bloom."

Farms, whether they be for flowers or food, are central to our well-being.

And farmers are a special breed that deserve our admiration and understanding.

Growing, nurturing, and sustaining and specific skills that call for deep commitment by farmers.

We'll learn about farms of past times and a permanent outdoor exhibit at Meijer Gardens.

Then, we'll visit a local commercial and u-pick flower farm, Idlewild, that is a regenerative farm that includes pigs in its process.

And I'll also make an arrangement on a grand scale honoring farmers and utilize a classic farm for a recipe from a dearly departed mentor.

♪♪ ♪♪ Today, we're at Frederik Meijer Gardens & Sculpture Park to enjoy their Michigan farm garden.

Joining me is Steve LaWarre to help us discover what a Michigan farm was like in the 1940s.

Steve, I love coming to see you.

And this is so great.

We're on a farm.

>> We are.

>> And what a great morning to be here, right?

>> Right.

This is the Michigan farm garden.

It's reminiscent of a 1940s farm.

>> Okay.

>> That time when a family could live off of 40 acres.

>> Wow.

>> And it's just a beautiful space.

>> So, this replicates Lena's farm that was her home.

>> It does, yeah.

So, Lena Meijer, formerly Lena Rader, lived on a farm.

And this is a re-creation in some ways of her original homestead.

So, the house is a three-quarter scale replica of the home she grew up in.

>> Okay.

>> There was a windmill here that was actually on her farm.

>> So that's the windmill?

>> That's the windmill, yeah.

She tells stories of climbing to the top of that with her lunch and having lunch up there.

>> Of course she did.

Of course she did.

>> Yeah.

There's a barn that's over a hundred years old.

That's on the property here.

And we've got, you know, the heirloom vegetable garden, beautiful flowers.

>> And so just lots of stories can be told about this space.

♪♪ >> And you have animals, but those are in the form of sculpture.

>> Yeah.

So there's a pig out here.

There's a cow.

There's the ravens, or crows.

There's sheep.

And those were all part of Fred Meijer's original sculpture collection.

And so those are out here to help tell the story of those animals.

>> True or false -- there's a pig that Lena is riding.

It is a sculpture of Lena riding a pig.

>> That's 100% true.

Yes.

Lena, on a pig.

>> Awesome.

>> From what -- the stories that she always told, you know, I think that's true to life.

>> Why have a farm on a sculpture and garden park?

>> To have a farm associated with our botanical garden and sculpture park is important because it tells the story of a lot of different things.

You know, the idea that you can start with a seed and end with a tomato is a really important story.

And to be able to talk about where our food comes from, >> I just think this is so charming.

So, I'm from Nebraska, so lots and lots of farms.

Grew up on a farm that was a flower farm, as well.

But it really is reminiscent of that feel that you have, to have a spot where people can come, kids can come, and they can see tomatoes and corn and, you know, cucumbers and, then, also, flowers and to be able to put together flower arrangements from things that, you know, you cut yourself and that type of thing.

There's just so many connections And this is a space that we can do all that in.

♪♪ >> I grew up in cornfields, so I know where corn comes from.

>> Right.

>> But it doesn't just come out of that bag in the freezer or the can on the shelf.

There's a story behind that.

>> Absolutely.

And we've seen that.

You know, you see kids and families come.

Just that idea of picking a piece of fruit or a vegetable off of the actual plant where it grew, there's a lot of "aha!"

moments that happen out here.

And I think that's a lot of fun.

>> That's wonderful.

So, when you choose something to plant here, is it like heirloom varieties, or how do you pick?

>> Yeah.

So, the staff person that's in charge of this place, she does a great job finding a vast variety of things to plant.

And most of the fruits and vegetables that are out here are what we would consider heirloom plants, so things that have been open-pollinated, things that are more than 40 or 50 years old or have been in the market for that long, sometimes much longer than that.

And she tries to grow, you know, a variety of things where you've got the early cold-weather crops all the way through those very last fall crops.

There is hops trellis that are out here.

There's vegetables.

There's fruits from trees -- that will carry us through the whole entire growing season.

♪♪ >> So, talk about hops and vegetables and, like, fruit for ciders and fermented things.

>> Yeah.

So, that's a fun story.

You know, we as humans have worked with fermentation, you know, for our entire history.

And it's fun to look at the fact that you can take something like hops and create beer or things like apples or grapes or really any fruit with sugar, right, and ferment that and make a wine.

And, you know, there's a lot of stories with that from the sense that at one point in our human history, that was safer to drink than water itself, but, also, you know, it added to, you know, celebration and to interaction with each other.

So there's a long history of fermentation, and those stories are fun to tell here, even fermentation from the sense of when you pickle something or to preserve it or when you make something like sauerkraut or -- >> Are you a sauerkraut guy?

>> I love sauerkraut.

>> I love sauerkraut, too.

You're making me hungry.

>> Right, right.

>> So, yeah.

I think that's wonderful.

>> It's just such a great learning opportunity.

And I think bringing farm to people is an amazing part of what you guys do.

Thank you so much for sharing it with us.

I appreciate it.

>> Yeah, thank you.

>> Always good to see you.

>> It's always fun to take a walk with you in the morning.

>> Absolutely.

Right?

♪♪ ♪♪ Welcome to Idlewild Farm, a 40-acre family farm located in Belding, Michigan.

They specialize in growing cut flowers and are passionate about growing practices that honor the natural world.

Idlewild is the obsession of Heather and Aaron, who bring flowers from the Earth, along with their children, Adah and Reuben.

♪♪ Oh, and let's not forget the official farm greeter, Merle.

♪♪ Heather, it's so exciting to be here.

I love it.

Yeah.

So, I'm used to seeing Idlewild Farm at the market.

So, I see you and Adah down there, Reuben sometimes, sometimes your husband, Aaron.

But, then, now this is where you live.

So, not only is there flowers, but, then, there's also your u-pick.

There's your hoop house.

There's your piggies.

Your kids are here making bouquets.

We got Merle running around.

It's all wonderful.

It's just like it's a little slice of heaven.

>> Oh, thank you.

>> Yeah.

How did Idlewild flower farm start?

>> So, about 15 years ago, Aaron and I had a dream to start a vegetable farm.

It was always supposed to be a vegetable farm.

We went to a farmers conference.

I bought a book on flower farming, and I just went a little bit crazy.

And I thought, "Hey, I'm gonna add some flowers to our vegetable stall to attract customers and experiment with it."

So I told Aaron, "I'm gonna experiment with some flowers."

So I bought everything, though.

I didn't want to wait.

I'm very impatient.

So I just went crazy and bought all the things.

And I showed it to Aaron, and he said, "Do you have any idea how many rows of flowers that is?"

He's like, "That is not an experiment.

You just started a farm.

I guess we're a flower farm now."

So now we are a flower farm because I just am impatient and I want all the flowers.

>> And they're beautiful.

Your bouquets are beautiful that you create your little minis that the kids create.

>> So, we always have the three different sizes.

But I thought as long as the business goes, I always want to have something that a little kid can pick up for their mom or somebody maybe who's struggling can afford to have beautiful flowers in their home.

But it is nice for the kids to make them, too.

♪♪ >> Let's talk about the pigs.

>> Yes, the pigs.

So, we have three pigs on our farm, one Tamworth, Gail.

And then we have Felix and Mendelssohn.

Our children each named them after their favorite composer.

They really like classical music.

So Adah named Felix after Felix Mendelssohn and Amadeus after Mozart.

So we have classically named pigs, which is quite funny.

But they are massive.

>> They are big.

>> They're huge.

They're about 600 pounds.

They are a foraging breed.

So that was intentional to start the farm with foraging breed.

It's part of our regenerative agriculture practices that we have on the farm here, which is something we're really passionate about.

The pigs, after all, the flowers have kind of been spent after frost.

>> Sure.

>> We move them out to all the flowers, and they love it.

It's like kids at Halloween.

They just root around.

It's such a feast for them.

And what's really beneficial for our soil, too, is their manure.

And they actually help turn the soil.

So when I look out and I see them at the end of the season and they're all living their best life.

It's like all is right with the world for a moment.

>> Tell us about Aaron.

>> I could not do this without Aaron.

So, though he has a job off the farm, he is our soil-science guy.

He knows all the beneficial nutrients.

It's quite a task to kind of know what each spot needs.

He runs the tractor.

I have no interest in heavy machinery.

So he does all of that.

We call him the quiet fairy.

Like, the staff, they're like, "We never see him.

But when we come the next day, all these amazing things have been done for us."

So he's like the quiet fairy of the farm that on the weekends and evenings, he's quite busy.

And he does a lot of the seeding charts, too.

So he does a lot of the mental, and he's our financial planner.

>> Got it.

>> All the behind-the-scenes.

>> Your core family, four people, and Merle.

>> And Merle, yes.

>> Okay.

So, then, but then you have other people here.

What do the other people do?

>> Yeah.

Yep.

So, depending on what day, we have two full-time staff, and we have two part-time staff.

But we have a full-time staff member, Katelyn, who this is her second season with us.

She's been incredibly helpful.

She allows us to be able to leave the farm for a minute, 'cause I know we're in good hands with her.

And, then, we have Tori, who's here today.

And Tori has been a new staff member.

But really just jumped right in and really a go-getter and helpful to have around.

>> They're lovely.

>> And they're just fun.

I always want to hire people that this is a family business.

So we're a part of the hiring process.

We always really do look for that.

Like, are you going to be people that we want to be around?

And they're just beautiful people that usually want to work on a flower farm, so it works out well.

>> Here comes the rain again.

>> Here comes the rain.

>> I know, right?

>> That really is a big part of farming, too.

We can't control the weather, but market doesn't -- Market happens whether it's raining or not the next day.

But we do have to harvest in all kinds of weather -- heat, rain.

So you've got to have a little glimpse of reality.

>> I know.

And I love that.

Thank you for having us.

>> I'm so glad you could come.

>> I want to visit with the kids and find out what their favorite flowers are.

What's your favorite flower?

>> Oh, that's so hard.

I would have to say celosia.

It has so many different varieties.

>> Variations.

Right.

>> I love that it dries well.

>> Oh, that's wonderful.

♪♪ Thank you so much for helping me with the featured flower.

I love it.

So the featured flower this week is gonna be your favorite.

Alright?

So, Reuben, what is your favorite flower?

>> Verbena.

>> Why do you like it the best?

>> I like verbena 'cause they're easy and I like the color.

>> Okay.

♪♪ And how about you, Adah?

>> This is Gomphrena.

And I like them because, yeah, it's also easier to strip off the foliage, and they're just so, like, short and sweet.

the darling of the... >> I love it, I love it!

♪♪ Well, thank you both for sharing them with me, and thanks so much for the beautiful I love the minis.

You guys do a great job.

♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ I thought it would be fun for us to create a gardening sculpture that's kind of a tribute to farms.

And so what we've got is a pitchfork, we've got a rake, we've got a shovel, and we're just making a tripod or a teepee out of them.

I gathered them together here, and I zip-tied them.

And so we'll keep just adding because we want to make sure that this is nice and secure.

♪♪ So, we've strapped these two, we've strapped these two, and we've strapped these two, and then we have a strap all the way around.

We've wrapped our sphere with anchor tape.

So, as we're making these insertions, that anchor tape is gonna help hold it together.

so that's our water supply for our flowers and foliage.

♪♪ As always, we define the shape of our arrangement with our foliage.

So our ninebark in two different colors and our viburnum berry goes in here to help us define what it's going to look like, how far it's gonna go down one side, the other side, how tall it will be.

♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ Then, I'm bringing in the chartreuse-green hosta leaves into the center of the bouquet.

That's gonna ground the bouquet and make a base with our sunflowers as our focal point.

♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ ♪♪ We'll cut the sunflowers short and place them deep into the center of the bouquet.

and then one slightly smaller and taller one to the top.

♪♪ ♪♪ Any exposed foam I can cover with our viburnum berry.

So now we have a living sculpture, complete with sunflowers, including our wonderful vintage garden tools.

to bring those farm implements into our garden.

♪♪ ♪♪ I learned this recipe from my mentor and dear friend Richard Seaboldt.

This was a favorite recipe of his, so noted for its versatility.

I suspect he may have coined the name eggs humility, as it's a humble dish that anyone can create.

Eggs are really the only essential ingredient.

Add whatever you have in the fridge to make this anytime.

It's very simple, and it can have everything that you want or anything that you want in it.

Whenever he would have company come over to the house, he would suddenly say, "I'll whip up something for everybody to eat," and it would be eggs humility.

I've done it where I've themed it to pizza.

I've done it with hot dogs.

You can do it with just about anything that you want.

The basis is pretty simple.

It can have bread or potatoes.

I like bread, so I've got some Asiago cheese bread here, and I've got four pieces of it.

And it can just be a nice bread.

It can be white bread.

It can be whatever you want it to be.

Really simple.

So, I did four slices, and I just broke them up.

That's just kind of my base.

Then, I'm gonna add some Canadian bacon.

And I like to just slice it up.

And add some mushrooms.

We'll add some green pepper.

We'll add some scallions.

And then I like to add a little sharp cheddar.

But, then, I also like to add a little bit of mozzarella.

And that's just to make it a little ooey and gooey.

That works out pretty well, too.

And I just kind of eyeball it 'cause it's a wonderful little dish.

That looks good.

There we go then.

Then, I've got six eggs inside here.

I've got about a cup of cream.

♪♪ Then we just pour this over the top of everything.

♪♪ And, then, just to make it pretty, I add a little bit of Parmesan cheese on top.

I like the way that all colors up.

Now we're going into the oven, 350 degrees, So, it's time to take it out of the oven.

♪♪ You're gonna get the feel of where you like it.

Some people like it to be really crusty on top.

I like it to be a little smushy.

So this is great.

Eggs humility -- a tribute to my friend.

It was always great to go see him.

It was always great to cook with him and laugh with him So thanks for the recipe, Richard.

♪♪ And now it's time for my favorite part of the show -- flowers from you, the viewers.

Today, I have an amazing arrangement from Terri Hicks of Columbia, South Carolina.

Terry writes, "I work for a flower farm in Blythewood, South Carolina.

My boss and I grow all our flowers for local florists and bouquet subscriptions."

Thank you for sharing this bouquet, Terri.

I love that you're growing so many different types of flowers and arranging them perfectly.

Please send me your pictures of flower arrangements inspired by "Life in Bloom."

We call them "Schwankies," after a viewer's nickname.

Send them to j@uBloom.com.

That's the letter "J," "@", the letter "U" Bloom.com And watch for more "Schwankies" on upcoming shows.

I hope you've enjoyed our foray into farm life and its beautiful, comforting, and delicious rewards.

For "Life in Bloom," I'm J Schwanke.

So, we have a tradition at "Life in Bloom," and it's flower crowns that I've made from flowers from your farm.

Okay, but, also, you asked me for a special request.

You wanted a flower bracelet.

So we did that, too.

So thank you, Reuben, for the great suggestion.

Adah, this is yours.

You picked out really pretty flowers for them.

Thank you.

And this is for your mom.

>> What can I say?

Love it.

>> You guys look great, right?

>> Yeah.

>> Thank you so much for letting us come here.

Thank you for the wonderful things that you do... >> Oh, thank you.

>> ...at Idlewild Farms.

I just love it.

And I love seeing you every week.

I love seeing you.

I love seeing your mom.

Love your dad.

You guys just keep up the good work.

>> Thank you.

>> Flower power.

>> So fun having you.

>> Thanks.

is filmed in Grand Rapids, Michigan.

>> J's flower-arranging tips, helpful hints, and arrangement recipes are available in J's two books, "Fun with Flowers" for $25 and "Bloom 365" for $20 plus shipping.

To purchase these books and any of our additional products, visit uBloom.com/Store.

To learn more about flower arranging and J, access to videos, and to get recipes, tips, techniques, and much more, visit us online at uBloom.com.

Follow J on Facebook and Instagram at J Schwanke's Life in Bloom.

"J Schwanke's Life in Bloom" is brought to you by the following... >> At home.

♪♪ At work.

♪♪ Or anytime.

♪♪ CalFlowers is a proud sponsor of where flowers and wellness go hand in hand.

>> We have fresh in all our stores, from soups and steaks and all things flour to all things flowering.

Custom fresh arrangements designed by our in-store florists at Albertsons Companies.

>> With additional support from the following... PassionRoses... ♪♪ Suntory Flowers.

♪♪ Closed-caption funding provided by fabulousflorals.com.