Lompoc’s wildflower super bloom good for business

Wildflowers and wine – they’re becoming the perfect pairing in a way that only Lompoc can provide.

Babcock Vineyards has recently taken 30 acres of its property and changed it into a new natural habitat.

“We’re trying to tap into not only the wildflower phenomenon but on this hillside in particular, we’re planting different species of nectar flowers as well as with the milkweeds to hopefully attract the butterfly,” owner Bryan Babcock explains.

He says he wants to be able to do something for mother nature while providing a different type of experience for his guests, telling us: “You know [I want to] just try to let the forest and let the wildlife go back into the property. I think people are looking for experiences, they’re looking for nature and hopefully we’ll be able to deliver that some day.”

Six miles down the now colorful and full of wildflowers Highway 246, you can experience the wildflowers in a different way at La Purisima Mission State Park.

“It’s a great time of year to get out and see everything, the weather is really nice too – it’s not too hot not too cold, and it’s bringing a lot of people from more crowded areas up our way to see all the wildflowers,” says State Park Interpreter Ann Boggess.

Some of the flowers now sprouting up haven’t been seen in years.

“You can see things that haven’t been visible in 50-75 years from seeds that have been laying dormant in the ground,” Al Thompson, Former Docent at La Purisima explains.

The new plant life is leading to both businesses and parks blooming with visitors thanks to vibrant new additions.