People Behind the Blooms
Katie Specht
Farmer/Florist
Inspired by the beauty of flowers and all they can do to bring joy to the world, Katie believes there isn’t a better feeling in life than handing someone a bouquet and seeing their reaction. Her favorite part of the floral journey is farming. She is an avid experimentalist always trying new farming methods or growing new unique blooms. What it all boils down to is that she is her happiest when she makes others happy by sharing her flowers. Katie lives on the farmette with two children, two donkeys, four cats and a remarkably patient husband.
Jenny Tamayo
Collaborator Farmer/Florist
After several attempts at a failed veggie garden, Jenny’s biologist-husband bought her a bag of dahlia tubers. He helped her dig a trench and put in a simple line of irrigation. Together they laid those trippy little tubers into the ground. Jenny had her doubts that anything would grow, but to her surprise and delight, three months later a perfect dahlia bloom appeared. It wasn’t until that moment that she realized she could grow her own flowers! It was an ah-ha moment that changed the direction of her life forever.
Since that summer, the joy of growing and arranging fresh, local flowers continues to sustain and nourish Jenny’s life. She adores all cut flowers but the dahlia still holds a special spot in her heart with their stunning colors and enchanting shapes. “They are the queens of all cut flowers,” says Jenny and have become her speciality and area of focus - and obsession - with each passing year growing more and more!
Jenny is honored to partner with Moonlight Blooms, supplying them with dahlias and beauty so awe inspiring it must be shared with the world. Every dahlia is grown sustainably, utilizing organic farming practices on Jenny’s farmette in Sonoma County, CA.
Judi Toogood
Collaborating Floral Designer
Enchanted by her grandmother’s gardens as a child, Judi cherishes her grandmother’s memory each time she sees tiny purple violets or tiger lilies swaying with the breeze. To Judi, lavender lilacs will always represent her mother.
Her favorite memories of people and events include flowers. As a young girl, Judi took note of how evocative receiving a bouquet of flowers can be. Love, Joy or Grief, flowers speak when we cannot find words to express ourselves.
As a high school student, Judi was presented with two choices for work experience: a bank position or work in a local flower shop. It took five seconds to make her choice. Judi has had the pleasure of being in the floral industry, working her way from shop assistant to lead designer in Michigan, to owning a small shop in Ventura, California and today, collaborating with Moonlight Blooms Farm.
Judi’s greatest pleasure continues to be floral design. Since moving to Northern California, she has worked as a studio-based florist and freelance designer for local floral companies. To remain current with floral design trends, Judi enhances her skills through workshops and classes.
Judi is delighted to be a member of the Moonlight Blooms family where the combination of design aesthetics and use of farm fresh flowers always creates something extraordinary.
Flower Friday Crew
People with Big Hearts
Flower Fridays are when a group of friends get together to make arrangements from the current harvest. We drink sparkling wine, eat goodies and design away! Flower Fridays bring joy two ways, the obvious fun of the experience and the great feeling that comes with gifting bouquets to someone who needs a pick-me-up. Most of our arrangements go to hospice or assisted living facilities.