Spring Flower Series: Viburnum

Spring Flower Series: Viburnum

#americangrown greenery Snowball spring flower series Spring flowers Viburnum Willow Creek

Everybody has their own "Now it's spring" moment.  For some, it's when the snow melts, for others, when delicate blossoms tip the ends of fruit trees, and for us flower farmers, it's when Viburnum arrives to our Willow Creek Farm. Welcome to Part 2 of our Spring Flower Series, where we welcome Viburnum!

The short n sweet nature of Viburnum's growing season makes these spring branches extra special --we start picking at the end of March (when their heads are nice and full) and we are usually done by the end of April.

 Growing Viburnum

We grow Viburnum at our Willow Creek farm, located 45 minutes inland from Arcata, situated in a mountain canyon with a superb micro-climate.  This "hot spot" provides the perfect conditions to produce these fantastic spring blooms.  

We plant viburnum in both open fields and covered hoop houses--the hoop houses hold in heat and contribute to a faster growing rate.  We can stagger our picking schedule, starting with early-season hoop houses and ending with their open field-grown counterparts, and this little trick allows us to extend the short viburnum growing season by a few more weeks.   

 Viburnum is also known for its color change during the season.  First, its mass of tiny blossoms bloom in a vivid green color (known as early-season Viburnum), in a hue that is the perfect representation of Pantone's 2017 Color of the Year, Greenery.  Then, as our crop matures and the open-fields get some time in the sunshine, our early-season green viburnum develops into a brilliant, ivory white.  Their "late-season" white color, as well as their spherical, puffy shapes, is why you may hear them referred to as Snowballs. 

L-R: Sun Valley Sleeve, Early Season Viburnum, and Late Season Viburnum

 We pick while the crop is still mostly green, much like we do with our iris, tulips, and lilies.  This guarantees a longer vase life, plus you can watch the blooms color up beautifully.

American Grown Viburnum

 Viburnum Arrangements

When displayed by themselves, these gorgeous specialty branches provide a great focal pop of color, and have a natural, rustic, garden-fresh aesthetic.  

Regardless of whether you opt for early-season green or late-season white, this botanical and its long, wooden stems makes it the perfect complement with quintessential spring flowers such as tulips, iris, and hyacinth.

Tulips and Viburnum

 In fact, tulips and Viburnum are such a powerful, popular spring combination, we offer enhanced, 8-stem bunches of Viburnum and French Tulips.  These combos are big sellers, so be sure to contact your sales rep soon to get your hands on some of these seasonal favorites. And don't wait too long...Spring and Viburnum will be gone in the blink of an eye!

Viburnum and French Tulips

 

Fall Tulips are Here

Fall Tulips are Here

#americangrown fall Fall Tulips Netherlands New Zealand northern hemisphere tulips southern hemisphere tulips spring tulips

In celebration of the arrival of our Fall Tulips, please enjoy this short, educational photo show about how we grow tulips all year long.

American-grown Hypericum

American-grown Hypericum

#americangrown #CAGrown fall arrangements Fall Flowers Hypericum hypericum berries Lady Aster

Sun Valley is growing the versatile and oft-used botanical, Hypericum. Before my humble beginnings here on the farm, I had never heard of this plant, much less seen it out and about.  But now that I've grown wise to the ways of the flower, I see the unique berries of this plant EVERYWHERE.

"Midnight Glow" hypericum growing in the field

This ornamental superstar features colorful berries on a compact shrub.  The plant itself is a perennial botanical, sprouting golden blooms in the spring, which fall off to reveal elliptical berries come late summer.  We plant hypericum outdoors in fields of dark, rich soil, and let the long, warm days of summer coax it to maturity.  In Arcata,  it is very much a seasonal crop--we harvest the stems at the end of summer and fall, pruning while we pick, allowing the plant to rest and re-gather nutrients for the following season.

However, at our Oxnard location, we harvest hypericum throughout the year.  The Southern California climate, with its consistently longer and warmer days, creates the ideal growing conditions for year-round hypericum cultivation.   

Butter-yellow hypericum flowers and their resulting berries

The "classic hypericum" look has always been a leafy branch with dark-hued berries.  Now, after years of breeding, it's available in many other colors ranging from pale green to dark red.  We currently offer several of these colors, such as deep crimson Midnight Glow, mahogany-hued Universe, luminous Pumpkin, bright Lemon, and the magical red Triumph.

Some of our hypericum varieties, clockwise from upper left: Lemon, Triumph, Midnight Glow, and Pumpkin

Hypericum berries are long-lasting, retaining their color for weeks, which make them ideal additions to a wide range of floral arrangements.  And, as you can see in the photos,  the plant has multiple berries per stem, which makes it a great accent botanical as well as a bright focal piece in your autumn decorating palette.  The smooth and shiny berries provide an interesting and modern textural contrast, which has shown to be highly desirable.

Here, hypericum berries are mixed with sunflowers to create an iconic fall bouquet.

And here, another beautiful use of hypericum mixed with "flame" Calla Lilies

More and more designers are finding that it adds a festive and lively feeling for any occasion and plenty of opportunities for creative exploration.  Take a look at the beautiful and innovative ideas our friends with Flowersand have cooked up below:

Above, peach-colored hypericum berries are strung together to create a whimsical and elegant addition to bridal bouquets and a centerpiece.  Below, red hypericum berries are kept bunched and added to warm floral hues (images found in the September 2015 issue of Flowersand).

The majority of hypericum is grown abroad in South America and Africa, leaving us as one of the few producers on United States soil.  With its growing popularity, we are proud to be one of the largest providers of American-Grown Hypericum, (especially since it's looking so gorgeous)!

What's the Story Behind Your Flowers?

What's the Story Behind Your Flowers?

#americangrown dinner party entertaining field to fork field to vase flowers J Schwanke Tulips uBloom

"At a dinner party one should eat wisely but not too well, and talk well but not too wisely.
                                                                                                             -W.  Somerset Maugham

They say you eat with your eyes first. The appearance of food plated at a restaurant or at home is the first experience a diner has with the meal, long before smell, and even longer before taste.

Amber Waves

However, I would argue that the experience starts before that. The table, the room, the music, the conversation and of course, the flowers, all compliment or detract from the food. These impact our senses before the food or drink is served. It is ironic that people throw a “dinner party,” when really it could be an “ambiance party” or a “flower party” or even a “conversation party.”

Redwood Tulips

With the Field To Fork movement about as hip as dinner can get right now, and the Field To Vase movement close on its heels, we are lucky to experience this wave of farmers market inspired dinners and flowers, this didn’t exist ten years ago.

The interesting thing about flowers as a centerpiece, arranged around the room or in the kitchen is that as the food gets eaten, wine bottles get emptied, plates cleared and conversation creates its own path among friends and family, what stays on the table?

 The flowers.

Tulip Dream

Chairs get pushed back, napkins folder into odd shapes, candles burn down, but the flowers remain. It is the flowers that stay as the focal, starting before the food comes and remaining after the waiter has brought the check, or your host has stacked the plates in the sink.

The flowers often become a conversation piece in themselves, and especially now, as the story of where your flowers came from is just as important as who grew your lettuce or vinted your wine. Do you know your flower farmer personally? Do you know the farm where they grew?  Are they grown in the United States?

Hot Property

Perhaps a good dinner party is really a “story party,” since this is what we talk about, the story of the recipe you used on the wild caught California Salmon, or perhaps how you developed the drink recipe for your signature cocktail, maybe how you toured the vineyard of the wine you are pouring.  Sure, we talk about family, work and topics of the day, but when you throw a dinner party you are sharing your home, your passions and your knowledge with your guests.
 
Make sure you have the story of your flowers in your repertoire, your guest will surely ask where they came from.

A big thanks to J Schwanke of uBloom.com for all the wonderful flower arrangements in this post.

What Zantedeschia Want: Part 1

What Zantedeschia Want: Part 1

#americanflowersweek #americangrown #callalily #Callas #CAgrown #light #OriginMatters #zantedeschia #zants

Zantedeschia--a colorful name for a complicated flower.  These lovely, long-legged blooms are commonly referred to as "Calla Lilies," and even though they are not true members of the Liliaceae family, we let them get away with it because they're so darn pretty.

Morning Sunrise "Flaming" Zantedeschia

 
Like most pretty things, Zants can present a growing challenge.  They are quite particular about what they like and don't like.  So last year, we grew them in both greenhouses and hoop houses with the goal to see which growing conditions gave us blooms of the highest quality.   At the end of the season, we found out what Zantedeschia really want.  And what do they want? A one-two combination of diffused light and cool evenings.

  
LIGHT
Light, of course, is essential for all plant cultivation, but most importantly, it's the type of light that really matters.  And what Zantedeschia want is diffused light.  Diffused light simply means that the light is scattered, as opposed to direct.  There are several ways to achieve this, which we will discuss later.  Zantedeschia also want UV light.  You know that lower range of the light spectrum that gives you a killer tan or a wicked sunburn? Well, it also has an effect on the growth of Zantedeschia.  The kind of light as well as its intensity has a huge influence on the color saturation and clarity of the blooms as well as the length of the plant.  

Check out that rich color!

 

TEMPERATURE
Researchers say a little bit of stress is good for the body, though too much can be damaging.  The same goes for Zantedeschia. A little bit of cold stress helps them stretch to their elegant length while also infusing their blooms with intense color. If Zantedeschia are kept at a balmy temperature all day and all night, the intensity of its color will be reduced.  A cooler evening environment is essential for optimum flower production. Cool evenings are what really make the colors of our pink and orange "flaming" varieties more vivid.

Stretching for the sky

So which performed better? Greenhouse Zants or Hoop House Zants? Stay tuned for next week's Part 2 to find out how we gave Zantedeschia what they want (and in turn, give you what you want---the highest quality Zantedeschia you can find!).

Hydrangea: The Marvelous "Mophead"

Hydrangea: The Marvelous "Mophead"

#americangrown #CAGrown #hydrangeas #mophead #OriginMatters

 If you live in the cool Northwest region of the United States, chances are you have spotted one of summertime's most beloved shrubs in your town--giant orbs of blue, pink, white, and lavender stretching skyward from big, leafy branches.  Oh, Hydrangea!

Close-up of Hydrangea's florets

The genus "Hydrangea" is represented by over 11 species of varying bloom shapes, but the cultivar most often used in cut flower arrangements are the globose heads of H. macrophylla (affectionately referred to as "mopheads").  This highly decorative, bulbous form was born in the coastal areas of Honshu, Japan, developed extensively in Europe, and was introduced to the United States well over a century ago.

At first glance, the garden varieties around the northwest may appear similar to what we grow here on the farm, except for a few key differences. This is because over the last few years we have been planting more and more hybridized varieties.  Why?  Our trusty plant breeders have been working to produce  varieties of Hydrangea which possess the longest vase life, with the sturdiest stems and the most vibrant (and giant) blooms.  And now their breeding success has become our viewing pleasure!

Many Hydrangea varieties can produce pink, lavender, and deep blue blooms depending on the soil's pH.

These immense and billowy flower heads are made up of multiple florets which boast long-lasting color.  And the varying colors of Hydrangea are fascinating! Yes, different cultivars will give us clear blues, vivid pinks, pure whites, shades of frosty lavender and coral—but their color and intensity can vary depending on the acidity of the soil or water that is used.  Aluminum sulfate will reduce the soil's pH, causing a hydrangea to produce blue and lavender blooms, while a higher soil pH will give us vibrant pinks.  It is even possible for some cultivars to produce different color blooms on one plant! (Further on in the growing season, hydrangeas' coloration gets even more interesting, giving us the marbled tones of Antiqued Hydrangeas.)

Soil pH aside, the most important element to growing long-stemmed, giant blooms is temperature and light.  H. macrophylla originated in the temperate maritime climate of coastal Japan, which bodes well for us flower farmers in Coastal California.  Hydrangeas love a coastal setting, where cool breezes dissipate the heat.  Heat and too much sunlight can be a problem for these blooms, as they are sensitive to drooping from heat stress.  We grow ours in open shade-houses which allows for the circulation of cool sea breezes, while giving the plants just enough (but not too much) sunshine.  This one-two combination encourages stem length and complete coloring of the florets.  In winter, we keep the dormant plants uncovered, where the abundant Humboldt rainfall nourishes the shrubs for production the following spring.

Young hydrangeas stretching skyward in our shade-house.

Thanks to our forward-thinking growers here and our ground-breaking breeders across the pond, Sun Valley is on the forefront of America's Cut Flower Hydrangea Market.  Our new hybridized varieties look stunning in wedding bouquets, in large, upscale arrangements, as single stems, or even gathered together in a rustic display of color, as in the photo below.  They're fun and versatile blooms, giving you the creative freedom to build what you like.  Take ours, and make them yours!

Memorial Day 2015

Memorial Day 2015

#americangrown #CAGrown Memorial Day Red white and blue

Ladies and Gentlemen, fire up your barbeques and throw your alarm clocks into the sea--Memorial Day is less than a week away! I'm sure a large portion of you are spending these afternoons daydreaming about the three-day weekend that lies ahead. I know I am, but amidst my preparations I have also been wondering:

"What is the best way to commemorate Memorial Day?"

Are hotdogs and beer enough? While I wholeheartedly agree that joining up with friends and family in celebration of our liberties is an excellent way to commend Memorial Day, we must also remember that this "Get Out of Monday Free" card is more than just a harbinger of sunshine and summer--it is a day of observance for those who offered their lives in service to our country.  It is a day to remember sacrifice.

One way to respectfully honor our veterans is with flowers.  Oftentimes, flowers indicate celebration, but they are also heralds of passing, observance, and remembrance.  For these occasions, flowers say things that words cannot.  They are a visual representation of life, beauty, and love, and are a means of showing support, appreciation, and respect.   

Photo courtesy of J. Hembree

This Memorial Day, honor our pillars of history by decorating the grave of a fallen soldier with flowers, send a thank-you bouquet to a living veteran, or simply add some red, white, and blue blooms to your home or cookout in memoriam. These flowers can serve to remind you of those who have faithfully served us. 

So, this Memorial Day, let's have fun, enjoy the sunshine, and commemorate those in the past that have helped build our present.