Everlasting Summer : Hydrangeas

Everlasting Summer : Hydrangeas

fertigation fresh hydrangeas Hydrangea new varieties summer flowers

In the cool northwest, summertime means hydrangeas; and boy, do we have hydrangeas!

 We've been growing hydrangeas (H. macrophylla) in our coastal Arcata fields for over a decade, and in the last few years we've planted new hybridized varieties.  These are bred for better performance, allowing us to bring some amazing hydrangea attributes to the cut flower market: manageable bloom heads in a range of sizes, strong stems, amazing vase life, and of course, a gorgeous array of color.

Shadow

Noblesse

Revolution (in Pantone's Color of the Year, Rose Quartz and Serenity)

The color variations we are producing are off-the-charts.  Coloration of these plants is dependent upon their specific variety as well as the acidity of the soil or water.  A pH of 5 or below produces shades of blue and lavender, while a pH of 7 or higher will give us vibrant pinks.  Just take a look at the different colors we get by changing the pH of Everlasting Opal:

Everlasting Opal, from pink to blue

I love walking through the hoops just to see the range of colors within one variety. One of my favorite varieties right now is Amethyst, and looking at its kaleidoscopic coloration, you can see why:

Blue/Green and Lavender/Green Amethyst

Pink and Green Amethyst

Growing Practices

Soil pH aside, the most important element to growing long-stemmed, colorful blooms is temperature and light.   H. macrophylla is native to the maritime climate of coastal Japan, which means they love our coastal setting here in Humboldt County where the ever-present ocean breeze dissipates the heat.  Hydrangeas like to keep cool, and they also need a little bit of shade.  We cover our open hoop houses with shade cloth, which gives the plants just enough sunlight to grow and develop, while also allowing the coastal air to circulate freely.  This environmental setting encourages long stem length and complete coloring of the florets.  In winter, we keep the dormant plants uncovered, where the Humboldt rainfall nourishes the shrubs for production the following spring.

Green Emerald

White Emerald

We've seen a lot of success with one crop-tending practice in particular, known as Fertigation.  We inject fertilizers and soil amendments into our irrigation system, distributing the enhanced solution among the crops using a computer program.  This allows us to regulate the amount of nutrients each variety receives, helping us to be more efficient with our natural resources while also controlling the resulting end product.

Lavender Opal

Blue Opal

Pink Opal

Antiqued Hydrangeas

Our hydrangeas are ready and will continue to be in production through the end of the summer;  then, fresh hydrangeas will give way to the gorgeous, marbled tones of  Antiqued Hydrangeas.  



Thanks to both innovative plant breeding and the growing techniques of our knowledgeable flower farmers, Sun Valley continues to bring improvements and advancements to the Hydrangea Cut Flower Market.  By exploring new varieties and analyzing our growing methods we naturally follow one of our guiding principles, "Continuously improve and innovate."  And what a wonderful world of color this practice has brought to both us and you!

Biggest Floral Trends of 2015

Biggest Floral Trends of 2015

2015 flower trends all lilies don't smell Green Ball Dianthus Hydrangea Lady Aster new year Roselilies Women's Day

In a few days, we will say goodbye to 2015 and step forward into the new year.  Looking back on the last 365 days, did you love or loathe the biggest trends of 2015?

Between the debut of the Apple Watch, Caitlyn Jenner's transformation, the long-lost novel of Harper Lee, Adele's much-anticipated album, the omnipresence of Donald Trump,  and of course, the newest installment of Star Wars, there are plenty of trends from 2015 that you can choose to love or love to hate.

And what about the biggest trends in the floral world? Here, we feature our 5 most popular blog posts from the year, highlighting what you and other readers found to be most interesting and en vogue.

The Countdown

5)  Our 5th most popular post from 2015 was the Intricate World of Roselilies.

Roselily Belonica

These beautiful blooms are still a relatively new creation.  We've been growing them for 4 years, and--due to increased demand--have been steadily growing our program every year.  It seems that once someone learns of these singular flowers, they become a fan.  As their popularity increases, I predict we will be seeing more and more of these unique beauties, especially as we offer more varieties and a larger color palette.

4) Our 4th most-read post of 2015 is about the increasingly popular Women's Day.
 

This is a repeat from last year, proving that Women's Day is gaining ground as a recognized floral holiday in the United States.  Women's Day was started in America in 1909, but ironically, it was Europe that really brought it into the mainstream.  It has come back home in the past several years, and our popular 2015 post recommended 2 Woman's Day Marketing Themes to use as a focus in your marketing efforts--Honor and Respect.



3) Our third most-read blog post is no surprise.  Green Ball Dianthus (The Flower of the Gods) has rightfully earned a spot as one of the biggest floral trends of 2015.  Its ubiquitous presence in bridal bouquets, corsages, boutonnieres, and fall arrangements has certainly crowned it "King of the Botanicals," and I'm sure its fresh, textural presence will prove popular for years to come.

Trending wedding arrangements featuring Green Ball Dianthus

2) I have a confession to make.  This list is actually the top 6 most-read posts of 2015--however, I have combined our second and third most-read posts as they both were about Hydrangea! The first, The New Everlasting Colors of Hydrangea, focused on our new varieties of "bulletproof" hydrangeas--blooms that have been specifically bred for the flower industry and designed to last weeks and weeks as cut flowers. 

Readers followed the change of seasons and the transformation of bright summer hydrangea into the beautiful marbling of antiques, which were showcased and explained in the popular blog post, The Enchanting Palette of Antique Hydrangeas.  The fairy-tale photos have me itching for summer already.

1)  And now, the moment we've all been reading for...our most-read post of 2015 was--drum roll please---Lily Scent Guide by Lady Aster! This post has been searched for again and again, and its popularity and usefulness demonstrates that floral education may be the biggest trend of 2015.
So, have you learned which lilies do and do not smell yet?

The Stargazer Lily (a very aromatic bloom)

I hope you enjoyed this look back into the past year (Auld Lang Syne), and now let's fill our glasses (and vases!) and toast to new beginnings.  

Happy New Year from Sun Valley!

Just Say "No" to Fake Flowers

Just Say "No" to Fake Flowers

AmericanGrown artificial flowers fake flowers Hydrangea Rose Lilies stargazer lilies

"When you see the genuine, you don't deal with the fakes anymore."
                                                                                                   -Nima Davani

Can you tell that these are not artificial?

Cut flowers are dynamic; they bloom, they move, they drink water, they drop petals, and change day by day, and in the case of tulips, hour by hour. I just returned from a vacation, where we stayed at a vacation rental, which was decorated with a bunch of artificial flower arrangements. Coming from a flower farm, it was a little weird right off the bat, since I am used to having fresh flowers in my home all the time.  To my surprise, some of these arrangements were actually very well produced and put together. The flowers looked real and the arrangements were pleasing to the eye.

After being in this house a few days, I started to notice things about these bouquets that started to bother me. First, one was a bouquet with anemone, a classic spring flower, paired with red ilex berries that would be harvested in the fall. It was pretty, but I couldn’t figure out what was wrong with it, until I realized, this bouquet was not only a silk fiction, but a seasonal fiction as well.

Another bouquet was placed squarely in a picture window, right in the blazing sun. It was strange to see “flowers” placed in a bright, harsh light. I literally grabbed the vase to rescue the flowers for certain doom, when the lightweight vase with no water caught me off guard.

Surprised, I said, “Oh, these are fake…”

Then I looked around making sure nobody saw me muttering to myself about the flowers. This would not be the first time I’ve been caught holding vase and talking out loud to the contents.

Fresh cut hydrangea fit nicely in wine glasses.

Over the course of a couple weeks something really odd happened with these fake flowers, which never happens with real flowers. I stopped seeing them, I stopped engaging with them, and I stopped enjoying them, because they lacked the basic life force of true cut flowers.

Real flowers need to get fresh water, they may need to be moved and re-arranged as a blossom falls off or a stem expires. They are constantly changing. One of the joys of fresh flowers is following how they change in the night, for me it is a pure joy to see how flower adjusted while we slept.

Artificial flowers just become clutter in a corner, on a shelf or as a center piece. Doesn’t this defeat the whole purpose of flowers? Real flowers need a little attention, but give back a huge amount of personality, color and cheer.

Stargazers compliment hydrangea, in a recycled cream bottle.

When I got back home from vacation, they first thing I did was run out to my garden and clip some vibrant blue stems of hydrangea and a couple lily stems to place around the house.

I quietly said, “Ahhh, that’s better.”

Only to hear my partner say,

“Honey, are you talking to those hydrangea?”

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!

 

2014 Hydrangea Forecast

2014 Hydrangea Forecast

#hydrangeas AmericanGrown Hydrangea

Sun Valley's 2014 Hydrangea harvest.

Hey Hydrangea Fans!
Good News, the Sun Valley hydrangea crop is looking very strong. We have already been picking several varieties, and hopefully you've already ordered some this season.

The Hydrangea Forecast is GOOD!

Personally, I think our hydrangea are so much fun. They feature crazy kaleidoscope colors and with our grading system you have the choice of head size, and various stem lengths. I love to run my hand over the massive blooms and experience the amazing texture. What differentiates Sun Valley hydrangea from others is our size. A typical South American hydrangea is a nice accent for a bouquet or a pretty filler flower. Our hydrangeas are focals, and they can stand alone beautifully.

Sun Valley hydrangea are big, robust and impressive. The growing conditions at our farm in Arcata, California are ideal to grow these show boats of the flower world. Here  are a few pictures of our team members out in the field. 

Chris can barely hold these up!

We take a lot of pride in our flowers, it is obvious here.

We have many classic varieties available, however, we are always trying new varieties. This one is getting a lot of great press, called "Revolution." This is still in its' test stage so we won't have big numbers for a couple years...be patient

Meet "Revolution."

Our Sales Rep Amy Carrieri has been singing the Beatle's song Revolution to her customers as they call to inquire,

"You say you want a revolution, wellllll you know, we all want to change the world..."

Her extension is 5810, and she's got a great voice so ask her to sing!

Another Sales Rep based at our farm in Oxnard, Barbara Haskins, just used our hydrangea last week for a wedding, have a look at the beautiful work she does.

Here are some more posts about our Hydrangea Crop:

What Color is that Hydrangea?
Hydrangea: More Than Just a Pretty Face
The Scoop on Antiqued Hydrangea
Antique Your Own Hydrangeas

Just Picked Hydrangea

The forecast is truly smooth sailing and clear skies for the 2014 Sun Valley Hydrangea harvest, and don't forget...ANTIQUES ARE ON THE WAY!!!!!

What Color is that Hydrangea?

What Color is that Hydrangea?

Faial Growing Hydrangea Hydrangea Madonna The Blue Island

He called hydrangeas purple. And they were. 
Not fixed and deadly, (like a curving line
That merely makes a ring).
It was a purple changeable to see. 
And so hydrangeas came to be.

       Wallace Stevens – first stanza of Anecdote of the Abnormal

Sun Valley Hydrangeas

Is that hydrangea purple, or dark pink?  Is that a dark blue or purple?  Dark blue or blue blue?  Walk into the Sun Valley warehouse this time of year and be prepared to join the grand hydrangea color debate.  This might sound silly but it really is a challenge, since our customers need words to describe what often times is really hard to describe. Here is a recent quote from Sales Rep. Barbara Haskins,

"The head of the hydrangea is baby blue, with hints of sky blue, over on the left side it gets towards Navy blue, and the other side goes towards lavender."

What color is this hydrangea?

Words may not be able to do justice to the eclectic color pallet of a hydrangea, so then we start taking photographs.  This opens up another conversation, since every computer monitor, printer and camera is going to see the various shades of color in any given hydrangea differently.  

Feel the Pink!

So what to do?  First of all, know that we are getting as close as we can to your color requests. The crews are separating by color out in the fields, under natural light.  They place different shades of a certain color and variety in different buckets, so you will get consistency in your order.

Team member Ray Lugo is in charge of our hydrangea crop.

Then, let your customers know that hydrangea are a a multifaceted flower and to expect some variation...and celebrate it.  We pride ourselves on big bold heads, so these will naturally represent more colors.

The worst thing you can do is stray away from these gorgeous blooms. Don't fear the wild colors, embrace them!  Flowers are meant to be colorful, not shades of gray, let the color flow and roll with it.  

Hydrangea Rainbow!

Don't fall down the path of pop diva Madonna who was quoted saying, "I absolutely loathe hydrangeas." after a fan gave her a hydrangea bouquet in 2011.  Jeez!

Madonna might have been wise to embrace the hydrangea like we do at Sun Valley, since in folklore there are references to the mighty hydrangea being able to break the curse of a witch.  Perhaps this why we haven't hear much from the material girl lately?

"The Blue Island" in the Azores.

Sun Vally has a great selection of inventory, and our Sales Reps will do their best to give you a good idea of the colors, just dive in!  The only other place on earth that may compete with us in the hydrangea department is an island in the Azores named Faial. This island is  known as "The Blue Island" because of the huge amount of hydrangeas growing there. If there were any florists on the island, it would probably be named "The Bluish Lavender, with a hint of Pink Island."

 

Who is Debra Prinzing?

Who is Debra Prinzing?

#americangrown #CaFlowers Debra Prinzing Hydrangea Slow Flowers Sun Valley Floral Farm The 50 Mile Bouquet

"...sweet flowers are slow..."  ~William Shakespeare

"The day's prettiest blooms and just-unfurled leaves - gathered simply into a bunch and displayed in a jar of water - provide everything I need to start the day."  

                         ~Debra Prinzing, from Slow Flowers.

Have you been hearing the name “Debra Prinzing” a lot lately?  It seems whether online, at industry events or even reading the Costco Connection magazine, Debra’s name and her efforts to promote the Slow Flowers Movement keep popping up. 

I decided to track her down and learn a little bit more about this best-selling author and columnist. We have met before at industry events, and Sun Valley even hosted her at our booth at the International Floriculture Exposition this year, but I wanted to learn more.  

We spoke last week and I have distilled this article from our conversation.  When you ask Debra a question, don’t expect a one word…or one paragraph answer, it is clear that she sees the deep connections that run back and forth between the natural and man-made worlds. In talking with Debra, you find yourself joining in a discovery process, exploring where connections happen.  It brought to mind one of my favorite (and often misquoted) John Muir quotes:

“When we try to pick out anything by itself, we find it hitched to everything else in the Universe.”

Debra Prinzing is an author and outdoor living expert based between Seattle and Los Angeles.  She has written seven books to date, and serves as a contributing editor to Better Homes and Garden magazine and her work appears regularly in the Home section of the LA Times.

Her newest book is called Slow Flowers, and this book is sort of the guide to the Slow Flowers Movement.  What’s Slow Flowers? Debra explained that she took a page from the Slow Foods culinary movement, and that Slow Flowers is short hand for “acting with intention, being responsive to the seasons and being conscious of your consumer decisions.”  She asks the question of herself, “What is in my garden, that I can put in a vase and reflect the season?”

Trying my own hand at the "Slow Flowers"aesthetic, #1 Sun Valley Tulips with ferns from my backyard.

This project was an off shoot of her book, The 50 Mile Bouquet, which focused on small regional farms, producing sustainably grow flowers. For Slow Flowers, she took on the rather ambitious goal of doing a bouquet every week for a year, using only locally sourced flowers.  She started November first in 2011 at her home in Seattle, and quickly realized that she was going to have to learn to design with evergreen branches, berries and other botanicals that had survived the first frost. 

She recognized that even though most of the items in her garden were past their prime, there were still local growers, and regional growers producing flowers in greenhouses year round.  So off she went, engaging the flower growing community in her area and this is where the Slow Flowers idea really solidified.  She saw that consumers don’t know where their flowers come from, and aren’t making a conscious decision to buy flowers grown in their town, their state or even their country.  She wasn’t comfortable buying roses shipped in from South America, when she could buy roses grown year round in Oregon at Peterkort Roses or buying tulips shipped in from Holland when she could buy tulips grown year round a few hours south at Sun Valley in Humboldt County, CA.  This was a revelation, that in every community in the United States there are growers, big and small, creating high quality flowers and unfortunately, only a few consumers know this.

#2 My backyard Montbretia, with Sun Valley Tulips.

Debra’s primary audience has been gardening enthusiasts, and as she spread the Slow Flowers message to people interested primarily in horticulture, she found a very responsive audience.  People interested in gardening, naturally had an affinity towards understanding the origin of the plants in their yard, as well as the flowers in their vase. Debra’s message has snowballed from there. If you haven’t checked out the book, you should, and if you keep reading you may get a shot at winning one right here at Flower Talk.

Debra puts on a very engaging presentation, make sure to see her in action if you get the chance.  Here she is making a beautiful monochromatic arrangement with Sun Valley tulips, Dusty Miller, and she was about to add our Ornithagalum.

As Debra has traveled the country promoting the book, the biggest problem she found was that the floral professionals she spoke with didn’t have a resource to help them find local, regional or U.S. grown flowers.  And Debra, being in her own words “The Queen of Multitasking,” set out to correct this problem and www.slowflowers.com was born; this website (still under development) will serve as a data base that will help connect consumers and floral professionals to U.S. grown flowers. 

 

The first thing you notice about her book is the beautiful photography, as a bit of a photographer, I was impressed to find out she did all her own photography, with just natural light.  I asked Debra my favorite question for anyone, no matter who they are, 

“What’s your favorite flower?”

True to form, Debra answered with the lovely story of how the gardenia is her favorite flower, since they were in her wedding bouquet, and how they were likely grown in a greenhouse near Portland where she tied the knot. 

Week 5 from Slow Flowers.  Sun Valley has a stunning crop of hydrangea harvesting right now.

I asked Debra to elaborate on her personal floral design style, what kind of design work does she do for her own kitchen table? She went back to her gardening roots, talking about the “abundant garden” and that in her circles, if you can see the dirt in a garden, you don’t have enough plants.  She described her arranging style as “controlled chaos,” with a reliance on voluptuous heirloom flower varieties and a strong nostalgic appeal.

So what’s next for Ms. Prinzing?  She will be devoting a lot of time into the Slow Flowers website, seeing that there is such a pressing need to support the buy U.S. Grown flower movement.  Creating this resource will be not only be a personal accomplishment, but it will be a tool to promote quality fresh cut flowers grown on U.S. soil by U.S. farmers.

 

CA Grown flowers are near and dear to Debra's heart!

  …and getting back to “The  Queen of Multitasking,” she will also be launching a podcast featuring interviews with thought leaders and opinion makers centered around the Slow Flower Movement.

On my desk, I have three copies of “Slow Flowers.”  Please comment on this post, and I will pick three random winners, cheers and good luck!