THE WAY OF FLOWERS

Any guest that has dined at SingleThread can attest to the role that exquisite, seasonal botanicals and floral art plays in the sensory experience of food, wine and presentation. Behind this beauty and creation is Co-Founder, Farmer and Floral Designer Katina Connaughton and her team of talented floral designers. As Katina so often shares, SingleThread is a love story between a Farmer and a Chef, and the way floral art is expressed at SingleThread underscores that very story. It anchors our guests to a sense of place, and brings the seasons inside as the experience of Kaiseki unfolds. 

Ikebana is an ancient and traditional Japanese art of flower arrangement that emphasizes simplicity, balance, and harmony between the floral elements and the surrounding environment. Also known as kado or "the way of flowers," Ikebana has a long history and is considered a form of meditation and a way of connecting with nature. While living in Japan, Katina studied ikebana in Hokkaido with a sensei who was in her 90s. Katina shares,

“We communicated through the energy flow of flowers, shrubs, and trees. She taught me the value of negative space, the complexity of austerity, and the fundamentals of pairing materials together in a meaningful way. Japan taught me lessons in seasonality and how to honor it,  as well as hone in and appreciate the subtle nuances of the seasons”. 

Floral art is so much an essential part of SingleThread that even the logo was so inspired. The allium flower was designed by Katina’s tattoo artist, Kirsten Holliday. Katina and Kyle chose the allium flower as the Singlethread logo because it is the one constant that we grow all year on the farm.

“Its symbolism for us is multifaceted in the sense that everything begins on the farm and in nature for us, we derive our inspiration from the land, and the allium is Kyle’s favorite vegetable. Growing Japanese negi (alliums) all year is my love letter to him"

This Spring we also launched our SingleThread Farm CSA program. Members who sign up for our Summer Floral CSA will enjoy a fresh bouquet of flowers, grown on our farm, each week of the summer season. Learn more in the link below. 

THE TEAM

As our 24-acre biodiverse farm has grown and as guests visit to share the SingleThread experience from around the world, the team of talented floral designers has also grown, starting with Katina and Kyle’s daughter Chloe; the longest standing team member who began working with her parents on the farm in the early days. The team now includes Floral Manager Moey, June, Zoë, Rae, Natalie and Veronica. Katina has tremendous passion for putting people first and she shares what makes each member of her team so special:

“Moey is a multifaceted artist with an analytical side for management. She's inspiring and strengthening the team in every way. Chloe blends textures and colors in a way that is true to her -- simply joyous. Zoë approaches design with a left and right side brain perspective. She is exceptionally creative and analytical all the while. 

June was likely born in the wild as she clearly was destined to guide and be guided by the natural world. Rae is a gentle artist with a thoughtful eye for design in the most intriguing ways. Natalie designs with an open heart and an open mind. She's as delightful as her designs. 

Veronica is the newest addition to our team and is bringing another beautifully unique perspective. All of the floral designers are bright lights that shine  individually and collectively. They beautify the world around them just by existing”

The floral team works hard every day to ensure that no day or experience is like the other for our guests. They source their botanicals mainly from our farm, where they grow a lot of cut flowers and are always planting more perennial flowers and shrubs to become established. They also work closely with our local flower farmers. In closing, Katina shares why this is so important to her and the team:

“There is a dynamic community of flower farmers here in Sonoma County. Mostly powered by women, there is an inspiring movement!”

We offer unique Floral Workshops at the Farm every month - led by Katina and the team - so you too can learn about Ikebana and take away a beautiful custom designed floral arrangement. Link to book below (scroll down to Events).

Photography credits: Emma Morris, Sarah Davies