Tours and Workshops

Interested in learning more about growing and processing lavender? How about the inner workings of a honey bee colony? Or maybe  creating habitat for pollinators or regenerative organic agriculture? We provide tours for an up-close and personal look at how we run our farm to benefit pollinators and build healthy soil. We also do workshops to help you gain the knowledge you need to implement these practices in your own gardening spaces. At the end of the tour, you can sit in the Pavilion under the umbrellas to enjoy a picnic lunch overlooking the Lavender Labyrinth and the Santa Rosa Plain.

We offer several types of educational experiences.

1) Workshops, 1.5-3.0 hours
Includes a hands-on component, informational handout(s), and either a gift of Bees N Blooms products or workshop materials. These tours are only offered several times per year, announced through our Farm News and Facebook posts, with details on our Workshops page. Adults and children 12 and over are welcome.

2) Mini Tour, 45 minutes

Educational mini-tours are generally held on Sonoma County Farm Trails weekends. Get some gardening tips, learn about lavender and make your own lavender sachet, and check out what the honey bees are doing at this time of year. Bring the kids! Tours are $5 for each person, including children.

3) Group Tours, 1-2 hours, weekdays from May 15-October 15.

• Guided tours for adults: We provide a selection of tours to choose from (see below), taking into account accessibility and mobility concerns for seniors. A catered lunch can be provided for an additional fee. Advance reservation is required. Cost is $20 per person, with a minimum charge of $200 for up to 2 hours. Advance reservation is required.
• Guided tours for school groups: We work with Rock Rose Farm school to provide educational tours for children. More details on the School Field Trips page. Advance reservation is required.
• Self-guided group tour: If you want to come when the farm is not otherwise open to the public, but don’t want a guided tour, we can accommodate groups. We provide a map to enhance your exploration! Cost is $15 per person, with a minimum charge for a group of $150 for up to 2 hours. Advance reservation is required.
• Contact us well in advance to schedule a group tour.

4) Self-Guided Tour on an Open-Farm Day
Self-guided tours are available on any open-farm day. Get a Farm Map at the farm stand and go explore the farm! No additional charge. Admission to the farm is free except during Lavender Daze from the 3rd week of May through mid-July.

Tour Topics

The Buzz About Bees: The Inner Workings of a Honey Bee Colony

The honey bee is a fascinating animal! The colony works like a superorganism to gather and manage food stores, tuning their reproduction to the seasons to maximize their chances of surviving. Communication is one of the keys to their success, making them one of the most sophisticated insects on the planet. On this tour, we’ll watch the bees at work, talk about the different jobs honey bees have over their lifetime and learn about swarms–how the colony reproduces in the spring. We’ll discuss the hazards bees encounter in the increasingly built environment that humans have created. These hazards include pesticides, pests such as the Varroa mite, diseases, and lack of sufficient diverse and healthy forage. We’ll also talk about some common native bees in Northern California.

Creating Habitat for Pollinators

Pollinators of all types benefit from the work of home gardeners. On this tour, you’ll learn about which flowers are most attractive to honey bees, different kinds of native bees (bumblebees, carpenter bees, longhorn bees, mason bees, and more), and butterflies and why trees should be a part of your planting plan. You’ll also learn how to incorporate principles of regenerative organic agriculture into your garden plan and ensure season-long bloom for pollinators.

Regenerative Organic Agriculture: Building farms from the soil up

Conventional agriculture relies on herbicides, insecticides, fungicides and fertilizers to boost productivity. But this comes at a cost to agricultural ecosystems, destroying the life in the soil and decimating wildlife habitat. Regenerative organic agriculture moves away from this model, with rebuilding soils, integrating livestock into the system, and providing habitats for beneficial insects and accommodating wildlife as the primary pathways for regenerating a healthy and productive farm ecosystem. On this tour, you’ll learn about the methods we use at Bees N Blooms to manage the farm using regenerative, organic techniques.

Self-guided tour of Bees N Blooms

For those who want to strike out on their own, there is much to see with a free, self-guided walking tour of the farm (see map). Check out the different lavender varieties in the labyrinth, take a walk down the Prime Meridian pathway to the Butterfly Haven and the pond to watch the swallows flitting over the water, visit the ducks, geese, and chickens at the Poultry Palace, and see the apiaries and the bee trees. Visit the farm stand on the way out to take home some Sonoma County honey, lavender, cut flowers or garden plants.