Top Five Stylish Halloween Flowers

Top Five Stylish Halloween Flowers

autumn Autumn Colors burgundy Cotinus fall Halloween Hypericum orange art tango lilies Rosehips Sunflowers z-callas zantedeschia

I love Halloween.  Not only is it full of mischief and fun, it has a style all its own.  As one of the first "events" of the 2016 fall season, Halloween is full of changing color, mystery, and delight.  Today, we're talking flowers with a focus on FIVE of the best seasonal blooms for all your spooky arrangements.

Orange Art Tango Lily

Orange Art Tango Lily bouquet featured in Flowers& Magazine

1. Orange Art Tango Lily

One of my favorite fall flowers is the unique Orange Art Tango Lily, a wonderfully bold Latvian Asiatic hybrid featuring saturated orange petals with thick brushstrokes of dark burgundy in the throat. It's a stunning flower by itself, and its dramatic color scheme can work in all styles of autumn-themed bouquets.

2. Sunflowers

The best Halloween colors are warm, saturated, and full of contrast. Sunflowers, of course, are solidly autumn. Their fiery yellow, red, and orange petals paired with giant black, green, and taupe eyes provide a distinctive textural juxtaposition. They're gorgeous, fun, singular, and perfect for Halloween.

3. Celosia

Other things to look for in Halloween flowers are texture, unusual shapes, and vibrancy. A perfect example is our line of Bombay Celosia, which comes in electric hues of orange, red, hot pink, yellow, and lime green. Their brain-like appearance is perfect for Halloween decor, but they can also lend an  elegant, inspired feel.  According to AIFD designer Walter Fedyshyn, its "velvety texture makes any arrangement look like a work of art."

Bombay Celosia

 4. Fall Berries: Rosehips & Hypericum

Continuing on the theme of texture, some excellent autumn berries which provide pops of colors and depth are rosehips and hypericum.   These focal points are tried-and-true fall favorites and come in a variety of colors to add just the seasonal touch you need.

Sunflowers with Pumpkin Hypericum and Red Rosehips (L-R)

5. Dark Purple Accents

Dark purple hues, such as burgundy and maroon, resonate with the naturally changing autumnal ambiance.  A great example is royal purple cotinus, whose dark, earthy leaves have a bright red, iridescent edging--it provides a great backdrop to warmer autumnal shades.   

Royal Purple Cotinus paired with Royal Sunset Lilies

Zantedeschia, or z-callas, also offer a great range of dark maroon and burgundy blooms.  They have an incredible vase life, look stunning on their own and also when paired with other autumn favorites such as brassica and bells of Ireland.

Burgundy Zantedeschia, on its own and paired with Bells of Ireland and Crane Red Brassica

Sun Valley's division of hand-crafted bouquet design, Sun Pacific Bouquet (aka Sun Pac), is answering the call of autumn with the use of some of these fall favorites.  Their 2016 Fall Bouquet Collection features flowers such as warm-hued lilies and sunflowers, backed by seasonal greens and burgundy hypericum and cotinus.

Wild Fall Bouquet and Black Spider Bouquet by SunPac

When creating your fall arrangements this year try your hand with some of these five autumnal elements; and of course, do not forget the best part of Halloween bouquets--spooky fun.

Summertime in Willow Creek

Summertime in Willow Creek

Cotinus fuji golden spirit Rosehips royal purple cotinus summer flower farming summer flowers Willow Creek

The last time I was in Willow Creek it was winter.  It was cold and the majority of the farm was pruned, flat, and waiting...But now, smack dab in the middle of summer, our Willow Creek Farm is crawling with activity, growth, and color! 

Willow Creek: Winter to Summer Transformation

So, what's hot in Willow Creek? Well, right now we are pulling in tons of our Fuji rosehips, whose berries resemble small green apples with a little bit of red, hence the name, Fuji. Designers love these red-and-green-hued rosehips which are perfect for the summer color palette. 

Fuji Rosehips in Willow Creek

Rosehips develop after their wild, pink flowers are pollinated and the petals drop off.  Once the bloom is gone, the seed pod (or hip) begins to form.  The species of Rosa we use are specifically bred to create big, beautiful hips, which is why regular rose bushes will not produce anything quite like them (to learn more about how we care for Rosehips, click here).

Rosehip Flower and Subsequent Berries

As the season progresses, so will the Rosehip's color, transforming from the fresh, summertime green-red combination into an autumnal reddish-orange hue (perfect for fall!) and finally, developing into a saturated cherry red.  What's really cool is that their changing complexion stays in line with each season's color scheme, keeping rosehips in high demand for fashionable, seasonal arrangements. 

Rosehip Field

So, now is the time to act on the Fuji variety; soon, the berries will morph into autumn's red-orange hue, and as the foliage drops off, the berries will turn to red, and before we know it, the magical rosehip season is over for yet another year.

Seasonal Rosehip Color changes

And what else is happening in our Willow Creek Fields besides the Rosehip Harvest?  One of my favorite crops to explore is our plots of ten-foot-tall Cotinus.

Ten-foot-tall Cotinus

The Royal Purple Cotinus in Willow Creek has grown well over my head and towers above its neighboring rosehips.  Its burgundy-purple sheen absolutely glows in the afternoon sunshine and its height makes quite the impression.

 While the upper side of each leaf is a bright burgundy, the underside is a muted silver-green (as you can see in the photo to the right).  Each leaf is framed by a bright red, iridescent edging, giving the entire branch a unique, dramatic, and contrasting presentation.

And how it loves to grow! Royal Purple Cotinus is drought-tolerant, extremely resilient to pests and fungi, requires minimal fertilization, and performs magnificently!  We start harvesting the stems around June and continue to pick through summer, usually stopping by the end of October. 


...and it gets better.  In the last couple years Sun Valley has added a new Cotinus variety, Golden Spirit, which I like to call the "wicked green Cotinus," and taking a look at the photos, you can see why.  This variety of Cotinus is brilliantly colored and gorgeously green.

Golden Spirit Cotinus

They act similarly to the Royal Purple cultivar, though because they are so light in color, we have had to make a few practical changes.  Royal Purple Cotinus is grown in open fields, allowing its dark leaves to really soak up the sunshine.  But, like any fair-skinned friend, Golden Spirit needs its complexion protected with shade cloth, otherwise the leaves will burn.

 

Golden Spirit Cotinus under Shade Cloth

Last but definitely not least, I took a peak at our extensive Ilex crops which are well on their way.

Come September, our orange and gold varieties will be ready to rock fall floral arrangements; followed closely behind by the harvest of our red Ilex (perfect timing for Thanksgiving and December Holidays).  Stay tuned, as we'll be giving you another Ilex update as these "winterberries" start rolling in the following months.





But, wait! It's still summer!  And while Fall and its autumn-hued Rosehips and Ilex are around the corner, 'tis the season for fresh Fuji Rosehips, giant Royal Purple Cotinus, and glowing Golden Spirit.

Until next time, this is Lady Aster signing off in beautiful Willow Creek.

 

Cotinus: The Sensational Smoke Tree

Cotinus: The Sensational Smoke Tree

#CAGrown Cotinus Lady Aster royal purple cotinus smokebush Willow Creek

When I first started working here on the farm, it seemed like I was learning the name of a new type of flora every day.  Quite frankly, the first time I heard the word, "Cotinus," I thought we were talking about a medical condition...

But when I saw the dramatic burgundy plant, I realized that YES, I did know it. 
 

However, I knew this deciduous shrub by its common name, "Smoke Bush" (or Smoke Tree).  This name comes from the plant's late-season appearance, when its wispy, airy flowers fade into a pearl-white color which literally resembles puffs of smoke.  We harvest the branches before the plant flowers, so don’t expect any wispy smoke from us. 
 

Gardeners have been using Cotinus for years, and it has been bred extensively to grow in various shapes, sizes, and colors.  My favorite is the "Royal Purple" cultivar which we grow here--the burgundy-purple sheen on the upper side of each leaf is paired with a silver-green underside.  Toward the end of the season (and as you can see in the photos), each leaf is framed by a bright red, almost iridescent, edging.  Unique AND breathtaking!

In the wild, cotinus is found on the warm hillsides from Southern Europe to Northern China.  In the Americas, you can find it at our Willow Creek Farm in Northern California.
 

Our Willow Creek Farm

Our Willow Creek farm is in the hills of Humboldt County, nestled in a sunny valley (elevation 640 feet) right on the banks of the Trinity River.  Though it's only a 45 minute drive from our coastal Arcata farm, the climate here is much different.  The inland location and higher elevation provides more sunshine and a lot more heat (10-30 degrees more during the summer!).  These atmospheric conditions are perfect for growing cotinus, since it loves full sun and warmth.

6-foot tall Royal Purple Cotinus, back lit by the morning sun

And how it loves to grow! We start harvesting the stems around the first of June and continue to pick through summertime into fall, usually stopping by the end of October.  

At the end of each season, our Willow Creek team trims each plant down to the ground, and from early spring to the end of fall, it will shoot back up to 10+ feet.  According to our growers, Sun Valley's "Royal Purple" cotinus is a dream to cultivate.  It's drought-tolerant, extremely resilient to pests and fungi, requires minimal fertilization, and performs magnificently!


Mixing it Up

The dark coloring of cotinus makes it a very versatile piece for floral design--it can act as a dark background element, stand out as a tall, eye-catching focal, and it looks great mixed with strong colors. 

Its palette of purple, burgundy, and scarlet with bright red edging and silvery green undersides and can really bring out warm pinks, oranges, yellows, and reds. 



  

Royal Lilies, Rose hips, and Cotinus

Cotinus, Snowberries, Sonata Lilies, and Beargrass

Whether it's early in the season or late, the leaves of Royal Purple Cotinus are vibrant and richly hued, and there's always a glint in the dark foliage. The bright veins and edging really makes the dark and dramatic leaves sing. 

We offer 3-foot tall consumer bunches, as well as custom-cut "super bunches" boasting an incredible 6 feet in height.  If you want to make an impact, cotinus is the specialty branch for you!

J Schwanke's New Video Using Our Hydrangea and Tulips.

J Schwanke's New Video Using Our Hydrangea and Tulips.

calla lilies Cotinus Field to Vase Blog Huffington Post Hydrangea J Schwanke Tulips zantedeschia

J Schwanke just completed a wonderful video using Sun Valley flowers. Our big beautiful hydrangeas and our long, elegant purple tulips are the stars of the show. J has a great way of simplifying an arrangement and explaining it, so even a rookie can create a beautiful flower design.

Check this out, and get inspired!




This week Sun Valley also made a splash on the Field To Vase blog which is a gorgeous flower site, curated by Christina Stembel and her team at Farmgirl Flowers.

And in case you missed it, there was an article in the Huffington Post talking about our "CAGrown" Cotinus, which is the perfect foliage to highlight your fall flowers.

...and I had a to share a few photos of our Zantedeschia, WOWZA!

Ok, quit drooling. Back to work!

 

Grower’s Choice: Cotinus

Grower’s Choice: Cotinus

Cotinus Willow Creek

This week we feature a guest post by Sales Assist extraordinaire, Robin Baker.

Route 299 on the way to Willow Creek.

Last week, I got to trade in my office wear for boots and head out to the mountains to visit our Willow Creek farm. Lucky for me, I was given a tour by our head grower, Tim Crockenberg, who oversees all of the operations for our Arcata and Willow Creek farms. During our drive to Willow Creek, I had a hard time keeping notes because I was so awed by the gorgeous landscapes that unfolded before us at each new turn. Our conversations went something like this:

“So, Tim, how long does it take for the Ilex to be ready to pick?”

“Well, each plant…”

“Whoa, that’s pretty! Wow, look at the river! Oh, is that an eagle?! Oh, sorry, you were saying?”

I did manage to get some expert insight on our Willow Creek crops but I wanted to know what Tim’s favorite of was. Without a moment of pause Tim declared, “cotinus!”

Cotinus fields.

Okay, as a sales assistant, I sold cotinus last year and while I find it a nice touch to fall bouquets, I wondered what would make this crop so special in the field. As Tim and I walked toward the field, we reached a hill top where I had that question immediately answered. The deep burgundy cotinus stood out amidst a world of green.

We slowly walked down the hill toward the rosehips, pausing often so I could ask questions and snap pictures until we reached the edge of the cotinus field which sits directly beside the rosehips. Just then, the wind picked up and the cotinus revealed the silvery undersides of their leaves.

Yes, I could certainly see the appeal of this plant.

And a plus for Tim? Cotinus is a tough plant that isn’t susceptible to pests and requires no fertilizer. Resilient, beautiful, unique, and musical. The sound of the leaves of the cotinus plants brushing against one another still echoes in my mind.

When I returned to the office the next week, I had a new appreciation for this burgundy colored beauty. I wish I could send you enough cotinus to make you feel as though you’re standing with me in the field. And toward the end of the summer, when the cotinus reaches six feet, maybe I can. Until then, stock up on our 24”-36” cotinus as an excellent compliment to summer and fall bouquets.

Robin is outstanding in her field.

Cotinus Among Us!

Cotinus Among Us!

#americangrown CAGrown Cotinus Fall Tulips Fiori By Lynne Pieter Landman Willow Creek

“Gardens and flowers have a way of bringing people together, drawing them from their homes.”

- Clare Ansberry, The Women of Troy Hill: The Back-Fence Virtues of Faith and Friendship

Feel that subtle nip in the evening air? Like it or not, fall is just around the corner. Luckily autumn is perhaps the best season to get creative in floral design. The fall design palette is all about contrast and texture, Sun Valley is known for our lilies, iris and tulips, but we have an eccentric, funky and arty side of our offerings as well.

This cotinus reaches 10 feet tall!

Did you know we have a wild variety of branches, pods, berries and greens? These non-conventional design elements add an eccentric touch to any arrangement, which will leave even experienced floral pros asking, “What is that?”

Sunlight brings out the rich burgundy of the cotinus.

Cotinus is one of these hip, modish crops.  It is a dark branch, offering leaves which are maroon on the top and dark greenish on the bottom.  There are highlights of purple, burgundy and scarlet running through the leaves giving this subdued design element some serious visual interest.

Cotinus’ common name is “smoke bush” or “smoke tree,” which is derived from the wispy clusters of flowers that appear as puffs of smoke around the plant.  We harvest before the plant flowers, so don’t expect any puffs of smoke from us.  Cotinus grows at our farm in Willow Creek, California; this farm is up in the hills of Humboldt County right on the banks of the Trinity River.  This is an ideal spot to grow this crop, since it loves the sun.  It grows in tall rows, and really stretches to the sky.  These branches will shoot up to 10 feet tall in a single season.

Gardeners have used cotinus extensively for years; it is a great boarder and can even act as a living fence in your garden.  The tree has been bred to grow in different shape and sizes; however the tall, straight "Royal Purple" variety we grow is my favorite.

A gorgeous arrangement (and photo) by Lynn Staine of Fiori By Lynne featuring cotinus, check out her website and blog.

An autumn arrangement featuring Sun Valley Fall Tulips and our cotinus, by Pieter Landman.

In the design studio cotinus is very versatile, it can act as a dark back ground element, or stand out as a tall, eye catching focal.  To this end, Sun Valley offers custom cuts, how many other floral products can you get a 6 foot custom cut?  This probably the only one.

Have a look at our Cotinus Resource Page, and why not order few boxes of this unique foliage?

What is Hip? ...Rose Hip that is

What is Hip? ...Rose Hip that is

Cotinus Ilex Rose Hips Tower of Power. What is Hip Willow Creek

The legendary California Grown soul band, Tower of Power asked the immortal question “What is Hip” back in 1973. This song was in my CD player as I took a sunrise drive up to our farm in Willow Creek, California. Even in the predawn light, it is a gorgeous drive as you zoom up from the foggy coast into the crisp clear mountains of the Six Rivers National Forest. Winding roads and dramatic overlooks welcome you as the first glimmer of daylight starts to appear in the east.

Autumn is the time our Willow Creek Farm really shines. We grow cotinus, snowberries, viburnum, Chinese lantern, ilex and rose hips along the banks of the pristine Trinity River. Late summer through December, different crops mature for harvest.  I was here on a mission…to find out once and for all, What is hip? …Rose Hip that is.

Rose hips traditionally develop on wild roses as the flowers drop off. The rose hip, also called the rose haw, is actually the fruit of the rose. Rose hips begin to form after successful pollination of flowers in spring or early summer, and ripen in late summer through autumn. Our rose hips are bred specifically to yield beautiful rich red hips, from a light pink flower. Roses and rose hips were probably first cultivated in ancient Persia and carried to Greece and Rome, the botanical genus, Rosa, is derived from the Greek, roden, meaning "red" and the Latin, ruber, also meaning "ruby" or "red," as apparently, the roses of the ancient Mediterranean region were deep crimson.

The Rose Hip Flower, then a few months later, the Hip.

As one of the most concentrated sources of Vitamin C available rose hips are very popular in many common cold preventives and remedies. According to some sources, rose hips may have up to ten times the amount of vitamin C as a lemon, although, much of this is lost if the hip is allowed to dry. During World War II, the British government directed citizens to create a syrup from rose hips to supplement children’s diets, since citrus fruit was incredibly hard to find.

We don’t recommend consuming our rose hips, since they have been bred to appear in floral arrangements instead of tea and tinctures. We do recommend using them as a great design element, especially in fall bouquets.


The Rose Hips add texture and color to these fall bouquets created by our bouquet division. 

Rose hips usually play a supporting role in an arrangement, however, sometimes it is fun to make the warm color of the rose hips really stand out and take center stage.

Rose Hips with Sun Valley's "Cocotte" Lily.

Out in the field, you really get a feel for this versatile plant.  Coming down the ridge toward our the stands of rose hips in Willow Creek, you see the red glimmer of the fields and the tracks of black bears, who find these fruits a tasty treat. 

Coming down the ridge to the Rose Hip and Ilex fields, with the Trinity River peaking through.

Rose hips splashing color through the field. 

Fall is a great time to explore the possibilities of designing with rose hips.  Cultures around the world have been experimenting with rose hips for centuries.  Here are a few non-floral applications.

• Rose hips have recently become popular as a healthy treat for pet chinchillas and guinea pigs. These small rodents are unable to manufacture their own vitamin C and are unable to digest many vitamin-C rich foods. Rose hips provide a sugarless, safe way to increase their vitamin C intake.
• Rose hips are also fed to horses. The dried and powdered form can be fed at a maximum of 1 tablespoon per day to improve coat condition and new hoof growth.
• The fine hairs found inside rose hips are used as itching powder. 
• Rose hips are commonly used as an herbal tea, often blended with hibiscus and as an oil. They can also be used to make jam, jelly, marmalade, and rose hip wine. Rose hip soup, "nyponsoppa", is especially popular in Sweden. Rhodomel, a type of mead, is made with rose hips.
• Rose hips can be used to make Palinka, a traditional Hungarian alcoholic beverage.

The wide array of uses for rose hips, whether in floral design or in other preparations, is pretty amazing.  So to answer the the question, "What is hip"  you only need to make it to the end of the song,

Hipness is. What it is!

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