Where can I buy bulks fresh herbs?

[couroupita]

I'm getting married in July and I want to do some simple bouquets, boutonnieres, and centerpieces made out of herbs - probably rosemary, sage, lavender, thyme, and basil - and I need a lot more than what you can buy in the grocery store. My googling hasn't yielded much, so I would love some advice from anyone who can help! I'm trying to avoid a florist to keep our costs down.

Does anyone know of a nearby u-pick farm or if the Morning Sun Herb farm is u-pick? What about the SF Wholesale produce market - is it open to the public?

Many thanks!

[rworange]

Start talking to farmers at farmers markets. Ask if they sell those herbs in the summer and about placing a bulk order. Alamenay or Civic Center would probably be the most cost-effective markets.

Eatwell Farms at Ferry Plaza on Saturday would be your best bet for lavendar

http://www.cuesa.org/farm/eatwell-farm

Basil in July should be really simple.

Yes, the SF Wholesale market is open to the public, but i've never been.

[CarrieWas218]

Morning Sun is not U-Pick and by July, their herbs are less prevalent than their other vegetable offerings.

that said, I wouldn't hesitate to contact Morning Sun about your needs as they grow a quality product. Also, another alternative I might suggest is to get your herbs from Morning Sun in late February/early March (when they become available) and start planting them yourself in a community garden. What Morning Sun sells are the saplings and you could get them early and have them grow into much bigger plants by July (although the rosemary takes a little longer to get that big).

[ckshen]

i grow all of these at home. you can get them in pots at a plant nursery. if you don't want to bother with growing, you can buy big size rosemary and lavender at nurseries that are a lot cheaper than the grocery store and just use them in your bouquets right away. or you can plant them as Carrie mentioned and they will grow in a few months.

i agree about basil, plant them in the spring and you will have a good size plant by July. Basil leaves get dark and oxidized fairly quickly though after cutting.

not sure about sage and thyme. aren't they fairly small in size even when mature? or you want mostly the smell?

in reality, rosemary and lavender are everywhere in the streets. if you find them where cutting is ok and they are big enough, you can cut some without noticeably reducing the plants size. after all, these are weeds in the Mediterranean.

there are also some lavender farms in Kenwood/ Sonoma. you can likely work out a deal with them. I've been to one that has a public opening date in July and you can cut lavender flowers (grosso and provence, i recall) and they charge you dependent on how much you cut. and there is a winery that has a lavender garden.