If you’ve ever marveled at a floral arrangement around Healdsburg, you’re likely familiar with the artistry of the team at Dragonfly Floral. Brilliant colors. Exotic shapes. Vibrant greens. These are the hallmarks of a typical Dragonfly arrangement. Many of the spectacularly beautiful flowers grow right on Dragonfly’s 6-acre farm on Westside Road.
This means Dragonfly has helped cultivate Healdsburg’s unique aesthetic of elegance and sophistication.
Dragonfly is a family operation. Bonnie Z (yes, that’s her last name) bought the farm in 1990—it was a vineyard then, and Bonnie spent most of that decade painstakingly converting the land over to a vegetable farm growing heirloom vegetables people had never experienced before, then transitioning to flowers. Bonnie is 78 now and is retiring from day-to-day design work, and continues to manage the garden with Pablo at her side for the last 21 years. She is always looking for new and exciting things to grow. Bonnie is passing the torch to her daughter Carlisle and their incredibly supportive and talented team: Ren, Dora, Cassandra, Pablo, Alyssa, Luna, Lindsey and the rest of the Dragonfly Family.
“Our tagline is natural and uncontrived, and that sums up our approach really well,” Carlisle said. “We create beautiful things for people in the community, and really try to stay true to that.”
Dragonfly offers several different services. In addition to creating arrangements for local businesses and elaborate installations for weddings and other galas, Dragonfly offers memberships. One is dubbed “Dragonfly Direct,” a monthly surprise, usually something long-lasting or at the peak of the season. They also offer standing orders for pickup and delivery to individuals and businesses alike.
The farm puts together seasonal wreaths, which it offers through quarterly subscriptions. It also has become active in local philanthropy; a “Year of Flowers” in the form of monthly arrangements has become a popular auction lot at local fundraisers, Dragonfly donates this service to help generate donations for other organizations in and around Healdsburg.
Of course, at the end of the day, everything about a flower farm comes down to the flowers.
Some of the highlights of the Dragonfly gardens include mulberries, lupine, penstemon, scabiosa, and edible petunias. Dragonfly also grows Leucadendron, Lycestaria, and other greens and textures to incorporate into arrangements.
Looking forward, Carlisle said Dragonfly has resumed some of the classes that it offered with regularity before the Covid-19 pandemic. The Dragonfly Floral School has been taken over by the Dragonfly Design Team, led by Alyssa and Cassandra.
Upcoming classes include an arrangement design class on July 16 and a kitchen wreath class on August 6. Carlisle noted that classes are a great way to connect with others—something she sees as the best part of Dragonfly.
“It’s not so much about the flowers but about who they bring to us: someone on our team, someone who uses our services, or just local community people,” she said. “That’s what matters most.”
Dragonfly welcomes guests to walk around the garden or have a picnic. They are not open for in-person shopping. They accept orders online and over the phone for pickup or delivery Tuesday – Saturday.
