Kicking off the new year at one of my favorite Sonoma spots for enjoying a cafe or glass of wine, The Sunflower Caffee.
Located on the west side of the main square in Sonoma, the Sunflower Caffee is an inspiring place to catch up on some reading, paperwork or with an old friend.
There are several tables in front of the cafe, a handful inside, but the main attraction is tucked away in a courtyard behind the building- the wine bar and garden.
The theme of the Girasole Sonoma blog is Landscape Design, Food and Wine. Whenever possible, I like to try to incorporate these elements in a single event.
My goal for January was to cover Helianthus annus or the Sunflower. A favorite of mine since a child, the Sunflower represents both strength and beauty. Growing from a seed to six feet in a matter of months, the Sunflower is all about drama. Though it is 67 degrees here in Sonoma on the last day of January, the gardens are mostly dormant. Cold nights and frost, remind us that we must be patient until the Spring planting season can begin. In a cabinet by my desk, are tubs of seeds gathered last fall, waiting for their opportunity to take root in a couple of months and their place in the annual parade throughout the garden.
For now, it is a glass of Chardonnay, a creamy bowl of tomato and artichoke soup with warm bread, while I lay out my plan for this years cutting garden.
