“Life In Bloom” News Round Up
CalFlowers Renews Commitment to Life in Bloom
“I had the privilege of making a presentation to the CalFlowers Board of Directors, outlining the opportunities that Life in Bloom creates for benefitting flower sales,” said J. “We are truly grateful that the Board confirmed their commitment to remaining as a Major Underwriter for Season 9 - which will be filmed in 2026 and be broadcast in 2027. Production of each season happens about a year ahead of its broadcast, so greenlighting their support of the show is essential and so very much appreciated.”
“Currently, we are editing Season 8 shows which will premiere in April of 2026,” continued J. Look for several CalFlowers’ Members and businesses in the new season including: Jeanne Bose and the New San Francisco Flower Market, Barbara Schnur at Mayesh, Robin van der Schaaf of 2 Plant, Ivor and Rene Van Wingerden, and Michael Furlong at Ocean Breeze Farms, and Joost Bongaerts and his team at Florabundance.
Behind the Bloom Podcast
With generous help from CalFlowers, J’s “Behind the Bloom” Podcast debuted across all major podcast platforms on September 1, 2025. Look for it wherever you download podcasts. It may also be found on YouTube (“like” J’s Channel to be notified when new podcasts drop) and on uBloom.com.
“A fan of the show, RJ Pole, wrote to inquire why we didn’t have a podcast - and offered to produce one if we were interested. After listening to RJ’s podcast “Birds of a Feather Talk Together,” I knew I would be in good hands – frankly I did not have the time to learn how to produce my own podcast, and I LOVE the results!” exclaims J. New episodes drop on a weekly basis, officially on Mondays, although often a day or two earlier. Find your favorite podcast platform at the link - https://www.buzzsprout.com/2520512/follow - and see the Press Release for more details.
Membership Meeting
J and Kelly attended Membership Meetings in both San Francisco and San Diego. “It was so great to see so many members in person – and to hear ideas for future segments for Life in Bloom. We always have lots of ideas, however we also love to hear thoughts from the perspective of so many flower industry friends - whether farmers, wholesale, or transportation,” notes J. “I think there are at least a couple of concepts that will work their way into the next season as consumers are fascinated by all aspects of the Flower Industry.”
REMINDER Ocean Breeze International Life in Bloom Viewer Sweepstakes
“It gives us so much joy to send a box of gorgeous flowers from Ocean Breeze International to lucky Life In Bloom viewers,” says J. “And it’s so fun to share the arrangements they make, too.” Viewers can send in pictures of their flower arrangements inspired by the show to be eligible for a random drawing, for a box of flowers provided by Ocean Breeze. One drawing is held weekly (shipping-weather permitted). Follow J Schwanke’s Life In Bloom accounts on Facebook and Instagram to see winners and their results.
REMINDER for Professional Educators:
Any professional educator at the middle school, high school, community college, or university levels is welcome to a FREE subscription to uBloom.com. Professional Educators are invited to send requests to j@ubloom.com (yes, it’s J, himself), and once the credentials and school are verified, a login and password will be provided.
REMINDER for All CalFlowers Members:
All CalFlowers members, have FREE access to both Life In Bloom content PLUS paid subscriber sections of the uBloom.com website. E-mail Jordan Richardson (jordan@cafgs.org) so she may facilitate a free membership to the entire library of flower arranging instructional videos.