Ojai Wedding...

My daughter is being married there on Oct. 28th. Anybody from DG there or from surrounding areas? I need references to places that might help me put together baskets for the rooms and barns that will welcome out of town guests. I'm thinking chocolates, splits of wine, bottled water, cheese and bread for these folks who will have traveled for hours and hours...
:)
Amy

Does it help at all to know she lives her life in L.A.?
teaches art at ucla, (aka eukla)
thats latin for ucla...
(I'm nothing if not irreverent...)
HB

Hi Handbright from Pompano Beach....
My brother and sister in-law live in Ojai. I personally don't have gift basket etc. referrals for the area but I know its a very boutique area that totally encourages individual's businesses ... no... I Mean NO franchises. Very very nice small community.
Here is a link I personally like for floral arrangements... they're about 1 hour south of Ojai but a style I think is very appealing.
http://www.zsgarden.com/mainmenu.html

Of course, very good wines in the Santa Barbara area, etc. Ojai Valley Inn is a fabulous place to stay if you're looking for a recommendation.

I'll see if I can get some contacts for you. Mind you the Ojai valley at this time is a little preoccupied with surviving the approaching fires.

~Aguane

Handbright.

Guess you made your contacts! Good luck and enjoy!

Sorry for the delay in the response here- My hard drive took a nose dive a week ago! I just got my computer back about 30 minutes ago. Weird how much I depend on this macintosh! Als o weird, not many folks service this computer here in Florida, took some doing to find anyone local...
Aguane! Thank you for this contact...
I'm going there now!
MWAH!
Amy

Wow! What a wonderful site...
a really beautiful place to visit, even if its only virtual...
Really wow!
:)
Thank you again Aquane!
A

i have a list of all the businesses in ojai, from our anniversary in may there, i can look for you or tell me what all you needed to know. it is a real small town but that baset thing would be easy to pull off there i imagine because it is an artist town. hope it`s not all sooty from fire damage from the day dire that lasted a month. are they staying at the emerald iguana?

Hi Helen,
I got the chocolates and wine, now its bread and cheese and bottled water. Most folks are staying at the Dent House,
where the wedding is being held, but some are also at suite1 and the emerald iguana. I called the Ojai Chamber of commerce and had them send me out some info, it looks like it's a wonderful villiage. All the women in her life are going to be there from the Thursday before the wedding onward so I'm sure we will be supporting those artists with our tourist dollars.
I sure hope its not all sooty! I hadn't even thought of that.
I think I'm all set, I'm leaving tomorrow for L.A.
One of the things my daughter "registered" for was a garden! She received gift certificates from "sunset nursery" in LA, and she has asked me if I will landscape two small gardens for her. I'm so excited to be able to do this. I have only gardened in upstate N.Y. and Ft. Lauderdale...so this will be a real treat. One of my gifts to her is a subscription to DG...
I'm very excited to be visiting her of course, and having the chance to see a little more of California than just Los Angeles.
Thank you for your offer, I'll be back online when I get there.
:) Amy

If you haven`t left you need to go to this place called the garden center or something like that ,it was down on the main street as you enter town,past the carrows resteraunt on the right, you`l see an arbor and lovely landscape in a parking lot. It is a artisans version of for sale garden planters,rustic stuff,stepping stones,fountains etc.all in a pathway of many garden rooms and themes. You`l have the big O. Hope to here from you on your trip to my second favorite town. My first is about 15 minutes up the coast called Carpenteria, it`s 10 minutes before Santa Barbara. Dawn (not Hellen lol)

Helln, I have to agree with you regarding Carpinteria! How about Robatauille's (spelling might be wrong)
candy store!?!!?!? We have camped at Carp for the past 10 years and the kids when they were little, couldn't wait to get to the candy store. Now it's me and dh and we can't wait to get to the candy store!
Amy good luck with the wedding, I had a daughter get married in June and now another next May. If you have any pointers for me, let me know. While you're up there in Ojai, consider visiting Gilroy, the garlic capitol! Never been there but hear it's something, also Solvang is another hot spot. Let us know how all goes. Ojai may be a little blackened around the outside, they had a bad fire there recently. I have 2 friends that live in Ojai and yes, it is a cute little town.
If there's any Armstrong nurseries in the area you'll be, they are great nurseries and have alot to choose from.

Weegy, I love it. My DH always has me get him Honeycomb there. The lst two years we couldn`t get a spot for July or August for tent only. We were going in June but it`s still overcast and cold for my son on the beach andit`s cold to lay out. I was just thinking it would be so fun to do a round up or big So.Cal.Carp.Camping trip on the big sites, we could do some tent/some camper. It would be so fun.???? Dawn

Fun!?!?! It would be fantastic! It's so darned hard to get into Carp don't you think? The last time we were there was about 5 years ago and I miss that beach camping so much.
Dh loves the honeycomb candy! I myself go for the chocolates, shoot, should have mentioned Robatailles (spelling again!) to Amy, forgot how close it was to Ojai.
Summer is almost upon us sooooooo, maybe a camping trip/roundup is in the future for us!
Sorry, Amy to have hijacked your thread!

ya sorry Amy, Maybe we should start a new one on Cal forum to see interest. My dh would probably not want to reserve 25 spots on our card. One time we had a large group and we got the first site in the large group spots and then I gave the confirmation # to everyone immediatly and they booked it under the same with their own credit cards. I guarantee we would do better to try for June though it sucks if it can even suck @ our favorite beach. DG ers would have a ball walking everywhere and seeing on those old houses with the picket fences,Robatailles(I think you mentioned it once.),the museum the gardens the b n b, food delivered to camp site,no packing if you don`t want to, the stores r there,/.';%#$U^We should see.between us both and then talk to the folk. Last time I went with a group, everyone drank the whole time, it was a blurr. I don`t drink much and never did but my DH had a prob so now he doesn`t drink so it would be more fun for him if there was more people to do other things with besides drink and he will drink odouls.

i went on reserve america and i set up a new account. they only go 7 mo. in advance and i know it will be impossible to book a large group individually for the good months on the phone, i don`t know how to get through to ask tech questions, they said they can`t help you unless you book on the phone but the trouble is on jan 1 if you are on the phone before 8, you will not get thru until all spots, individual or otherwise, are gone on fr/sat or sun. dmail me if you want so we can talk so we don`t blather on her thread. ok. nov 1 06, june is open.

Home now, but I just have to say this was a wonderful place to be. I never did get to plant the garden in L.A. but I was able to ammend the soil and add some visual interest with weird 2, 3, and 4 foot creramic "pods" my now son-in-law has been making. So many of the things I grow here were also there, but without the humidity, many were much larger...(and some much smaller)
Whoda thunk plumabago could be trellised like a vine?
And i got to see some movie stars!
The dent house was magnificent. Here is a description i lifted off the site itself-

HISTORY

"Before any construction began on the property, there were a couple of years devoted to understanding the history of the land, its great strength, the natural events that threatened it, and the needs of the native flora and fauna. There were consultations with archeologists, geologists, horticulturists, hydrologists, wildlife and wild-lands experts. Then, an elderly Chumash medicine woman, whose ancestors had held this land to be sacred, visited it at the owner’s request. She walked up canyon, and was gone for quite a while. When she returned, she said she had spoken to the trees. They told her that the work that was being done was good and they were very happy.

The ancient Chumash considered this confluence of three canyons and three streambeds to be a sacred place for spiritual retreats. Then, in the 19th and early 20th centuries, the land was used as a summertime grazing area for local ranchers. Ramon Ortega, famed cowboy and bear fighter of the late 1800s had a ranch here. These rare transverse mountains lie on an east/west axis, as does Matilija Canyon. The three creeks of the Matilija, Murietta, and Upper North Fork canyons converge on the property. Matilija Canyon was named after Chief Matilija of the Chumash, and Murietta Canyon was named after Joachim Murietta, notorious bandito, who is said to have used it as a hideaway. These perennial trout streams join to form Matilija Creek, which then runs down canyon to Matilija Lake, and on to the sea.

Planted throughout the property are several hundred citrus and deciduous fruit trees in organic family style orchards, all for the use of the Dent House kitchen and tables.

As you wander the property, you will come across an aviary with attached bird barn. There, and on the grounds, you will meet the resident animals: two dozen peafowl, three Toulouse geese, Khaki Campbell and Pekin ducks, Barred Rock, Araucana and Rhode Island Red chickens.

A flop eared German Shepherd, Golden Retriever-German Shepherd cross, Black Lab mix, Poodle/Yorkie mix (Benjie type), “Sadie” the Junkyard dog, plus the occasional barn and house cat, two rescued wild burros, Bumper & Savannah, and a wild horse named Lady comprise the domestic menagerie.

The Land Management plan for the Ranch is as a wildlife refuge to benefit the indigenous wildlife. This includes coyotes, deer, California Black Bear, bobcats, raccoons, mountain lions, rabbits, rainbow trout, venomous and harmless snakes, as well as a variety of insects, bats and birds. If you are lucky, you may catch a glimpse of the resident, shy Blue Heron, White Egrets or some visiting Mallards."

I felt like i was channeling that old indian medicine woman myself- I wandered off alone a lot. Highly recommended as a retreat- or for 4-6 day weddings!

:)
Amy

Amy, sounds like you had a great time...isn't Ojai wonderful? I haven't been there in a while, now I'll have to see if I can squeeze in a trip up there this weekend!
sherry

Anyone who goes to Ojai and is interested in cacti and succulents should visit Desert Images, 11140 North Ventura Avenue (Hwy 33). They're great!

Marilyn

It was wonderful, sherry- (and thanks to all!) I even got a picture into the plant files of a white chestnut tree- or butternut tree- from the front of the cottage I stayed in. The caretaker was a helpful and informative, but very busy so even though I shanghaied him I had to give him back all too soon...
The little town was like something out of a old time movie, friendly, warm, gracious and upbeat...perfectly perfect for an old recluse gardener like me. No cell phones up in the canyon, peace and quiet! I dont venture out too much and when I do I expect the worst. This little artists town was, as Goldilocks said, "just right". Now all I have to do is win the BIG lottery so I could buy a small retreat to call my own...
Thanks for all the suggestions everyone. The image below is a photo of the entrance into the persimmon, pear and apple orchard where the wedding ceremony took place, it really felt magical...
:) Amy

Well, thanks, Amy. You've just seduced me into making a visit to my DB, SIL, DNephew and DNiece. As I mentioned, they live in Ojai, that magical place.

I am glad you went away with as magical, tranquil feeling that we di. Did you ever get over to the emerald iguana where your people stayed. It was so gorgeous, I felt like I was in Hawaii. Did you ever get to that garden art place on the main drag? The place with all the garden rooms? Was there alot of damage or soot?

Unfortunately I did not get to sight see or shop as much as I wanted- there were 30 guests at the compound itself, my daughter had contracted that crazy flu thats going around and I was kind of pressed into nursing service. The Dent house is 7 miles up into the canyon and once we got there it was difficult to leave with all the preparations going on. I did get to see the Emerald Iguana from the outside, and the garden shop/ceramic studio was out of this world- from the outside, *sigh*. Doing a "drive by only" of that place nearly killed me.
There was no visible damage from fires- nor any soot. There were winds that came- the caretaker called them "Santa Anna"- that cleared the sky so that at night every star that is visible to the naked eye was brilliant in the sky. (I also got to see the inside of a spa- cant remember which one- for the fingernail pedicure stuff that goes with weddings. Since my fingernails are beyond help and permanently stained with dirt I did not partake. My idea of a manicure is a quick soak in diluted bleach- HA!)
The bougainvilla were so heavily blossoming that NO green was to be seen on the plants, the leaves were turning delicious shades of gold and orange on the deciduous fruit trees, the lemons, persimmon, pomegranete and oranges and olive trees were full of fruit- it was like a mini paradise!
The coffee shop was great, aguane! The lady there was a hoot- the place was packed with folks of all ages, AND their dogs and it was a real meeting place. I came home with five bags of coffee...
If anyone does decide to make it an outing to go up there and hike and camp please drop me a note! If I'm lucky enough to be on that coast you can bet I wont miss a chance to get up there again.
So for those of you have been there- it was as wonderful as you said, and for those who can make it a day trip, or an overnighter- well, add my voice to theirs! (and no, I am not an employee of their chamber of commerce- ;D)
Oh, and their community hospital is pretty good too. Got to see that when one of the guests who is on blood thinners sliced his leg open :(.
But all was well thanks to great care (and super glue). The doc even understood when I said that it was really my reiki that had done the trick-pretty hip hospital, really great town...
:)
Amy

WEll I`m glad you had a good time, that garden place was not even a small glimps of what was through the doors though. I am glad about the town not having any damage too, thanks for telling me.