Mellano & Co. in Carlsbad, founded in 1925 by Italian immigrant Giovanni Mellano at the Los Angeles Flower Market, now operates a wholesale branch at Suite 12 of the International Floral Trade Center on Dryden Place. Third-generation family management oversees 375-plus acres of flower and foliage farms in San Diego County, supplying the same horticultural supply chain served by Ewing Outdoor Supply on the landscaping side. The company partnered with the Ecke family in 1994 to farm the Carlsbad Flower Fields, transforming the 50-acre site into a major agritourism destination that draws over 33,000 monthly searches during the March-through-May peak. Retail florists, supermarket chains, and event designers source protea, garden roses, and California-grown greens through the Carlsbad branch, with additional wholesale houses in Los Angeles, Orange County, and Las Vegas supporting the same resort-level floral programs installed at Cape Rey Carlsbad Beach, a Hilton Resort and Spa. Farm-direct shipments maintain a 36-hour field-to-wholesale cold chain using forced-air precooling at 34 °F before transfer to refrigerated trucks.