Cultivation Of Crops: Walking the Oxnard Color Farm

I recently took a trip to Southern California to visit our Oxnard Farm, which is always a treat. Our farm world in northern-located Arcata is mostly tulips, lilies, and irises, so I love to experience the other flora that is also part of the Sun Valley Catalog.

red asters solidago yellow button pom pon

Red Asters, Green Solidago, and yellow button pom

Our Oxnard location allows us to take advantage of every flower's growing cycle, so while its grey and cold in Northern California, we are able to use the climate of Oxnard to extend the season of our warm-weather flora. The specific crops we grow in Oxnard are often picked when they are showing full color (which differs from here in Arcata). This means the lucky pickers, packers, and bouquet-makers get to fully experience the world of color they are creating. Last week I got to see it, and now I am here to introduce these beautiful blooming images onto you.

Enjoy and be bright!

The Hoops

The Dahlia hoop houses reward you with some beautiful sights of intricate petals that seem to be infinitely unfolding. These are featured in many of Sun Pac's winter bouquets and are also available in consumer bunches.

Below are purple and red Matsumoto Asters; their cheerful vibrancy never fails to disappoint. Normally, asters are a late summer/early fall variety, but with our organized hoop house program, along with Southern California's moderate temperatures, our blooms are able to flourish year-round.

Asters paved the way for their close relatives, Pom Chrysanthemums (aka Poms) a relatively new crop that is doing spectacular (but I'll let the flowers speak for me)...Right now is the season for mums, as they need short days and long nights to flower and show their colors. Their many-layered, warmly hued petals bring a long-lasting brightness to any vase.

While we do grow Zantedeschia (Calla Lilies) in Arcata during the summer and fall, we had some healthy new plantings in Oxnard hoops that look like they are going to grow up to have beautiful blooms come January, and I couldn't resist snapping a shot of the sprouting leaves in the sunshine.

The Bouquet Room

After walking through the hoop houses, I entered the world of Sun Pacific Bouquet, a bustling and bright world of bouquet-building. This was one week before Thanksgiving, and the season was evident in the colors on the tables.

Sun Pac Work Table

Lilies, Solidago, and yellow button poms

Lovely Liatris

Long stemmed flowers ready for a bouquet.

Thanks to everyone in Oxnard who let me get in their way to take these photos! And, remember, grey skies don't mean a thing when you're staring colorful blooms in the face. See a flower you haven't experienced yet? Be bright and be bold--try something new, and bring the world of color home with you this winter!