Ilex M: The Blue Prince has arrived!

Ilex M: The Blue Prince has arrived!

blue prince holly christmas holiday greens Ilex Ilex M Lady Aster meserveae

By now, if you've heard of Sun Valley, you have most certainly heard of our Ilex Verticillata (aka Winterberry) Program, which our own Lane DeVries has been breeding and perfecting for well over a decade.


...But have you heard about our Ilex M?  

Ilex M and Ilex V together at last!

Ilex M (aka Blue Prince Holly) is an evergreen shrub, and was developed by crossing Ilex with other holly types (in this instance, meserveae) in order to create a cold-hardy plant with attractive foliage. 
 

The end result? Beautiful greenery.  Ilex M features lustrous, elliptical-shaped leaves on blue-purple stems.  The shiny, serrated leaves are dark green with a bluish tint; hence its common name, Blue Prince Holly. 

Growing Blue Prince Holly

This shrub likes full sun, which is why we grow the crop 40 miles inland from Arcata, at our farm in Willow Creek.  This micro-climate in the hills gives Blue Prince Holly exactly what it wants.  According to grower Tim, the adaptable shrubs are happy as can be out there.  They are a dream to grow, needing very little in the way of environmental interference--no pesticides, no fertilizers, no problem. 

Our Willow Creek Farm

Tiny, whitish flowers appear in spring (a sign of its pollinating power), and they're gone by harvest time in September.   An interesting fact about Ilex M hybrids is that they are dioecious shrubs.  This means that they have their male and female reproductive organs (stamen and pistil) on separate plants.  Blue Prince is the male plant, and Blue Princess is the female.  Those who want their Blue Princess shrubs pollinated have to have a Blue Prince nearby.  

Using Blue Prince Holly

Blue Prince Holly provides excellent texture and its serrated edges lend an elegant feel to any arrangement.  It is a lovely dark piece to work with, and helps lighter-hued flowers really "pop" when paired with its shimmering, waxy foliage.

Blue Prince Holly, white roses, and gypsophila (by Helen Jane Floristry)

It also resonates perfectly with both red and white flora and really lets them sing. Below you can see it paired with 20 stems of Sun Valley tulips. 

In addition to its attractive foliage, this branch boasts some other great specs--unlike other types of holly (which are short in stature), Blue Prince branches grow up to 32 inches, giving you flexibility and versatility in design. They are also incredibly long-lasting--if you were to bring some home today, it will easily last until the end of the year.  

White Oriental Lilies paired with Blue Prince Holly

Your Blue Prince has arrived, and although he’s not on a white horse, this handsome specialty branch will be available until the end of December.  We are now offering Blue Prince holiday consumer bunches; as well 5-stem simple bunches for your own fairy tale creations. 

Flowers Are Magnets

Flowers Are Magnets

Ilex PMA Fresh Summit Tulips

"When words escape flowers speak."

                                               -Bruce W. Currie

Our "Moments of Awe" Booth

One of the great parts of going to a trade show is the physical act of creating an entire floral environment as a booth. We bring thousands of stems to show off the amazing flowers we grow on the farm. Of course, in the floral industry most folks have seen these sort of displays at one time or another.

Flowers for the people!

However, at a trade show such The Produce Marketing Association's Fresh Summit, we see a huge spectrum of people from across the produce industry and associated technology companies. These people may be familiar with growing watermelons and sorting pears, but they are still in absolute awe of flowers.

Roselilies in mason jars

Even Miss Chiquita Banana came to experience our flowers!

Staying close to the booth for a few days, I was able to watch people get drawn in by the wild colors and fragrances of our flowers. We would watch people scanning the rows of booths then do a double take when they saw the huge amount of flowers. Their feet started moving in our direction before they were consciously aware of it. People started getting tunnel vision as they focused on a particular flower. For some it was our roselilies, for others; the thick blocks of tulips were like honey to a bee. Their senses directed them right to their favorite item in the display.

"World's Favorite" the perfect tulips for fall.

Then they have to explain...

"These Stargazer lilies were my Mom's favorite."

"We always grew iris when I was growing up."

"I had orange tulips in my bridal bouquet."

The sensory impact of the flowers touches people deeply. They start recalling memories and occasions. They remember weddings, they remember their grandparents, they remember happy times, as well as, sad. They remember loves lost and love found.

Ilex season is here.

Flowers speak a different language than other experiences in our lives. It is so great to watch people reconnect to their personal history through them. The flowers are magnets for emotions and memories.

This is a great reminder that growing flowers is a very important job.

Ilex and Rosehips, A Farm Photo Essay

Ilex and Rosehips, A Farm Photo Essay

Ilex Rosehips trinity river Willow Creek

Farmers are no strangers to sunrise. In fact, I would be willing to bet that most farmers find the predawn light the nicest time of day. The winds are calm, a lingering wispy fog dances across the landscape and there is a crispness in the air that will vanish like the stars when the sun rises.

Geese welcoming the day.

Last week, I arrived at our farm in Willow Creek, California at about 6 AM. I was ahead of Vincente and his picking team so the gate was still closed. I jiggled the lock until it came free and then I was able to pull into the dark dirt road that leads to the ilex and rosehips. The fields are at the end of a twisty road, which leads down from a ridge to the Trinity River bed.

Ilex bushes, heavy with berries

The first thing you are aware of as you step out of the car, is that you are not alone. My headlights likely scared off a black bear, the tell tale signs are everywhere... and the evidence is fresh.

Taking photographs in the early light of dawn is a rewarding challenge. With the sun moving surprisingly fast below the horizon, you know you only have a set amount of time, before the light changes from the "magic hour" to just ordinary flat daylight.

Rosehips catching the light.

The red hues of the ilex and rosehips seem to attract the limited light, as the saturated berries possess a quiet luminescence.

You can't help but feel close to the land; the only sound is your own foot steps, the rhythmic drone of the river and occasional honks from geese sleeping in the reeds along the river's edge.

Ilex berries close-up

So much of the flower world is tied to spotless photo shoots, crystal vases and arrangements which almost look artificial. As I peer through the view finder of my camera, I see the farm as part of an eco-system, and part of a natural community, with the farmers as care takers. The sparrows are awake now popping in and out of the bushes, red berries clutched in their beaks.

Over the course of a year we grow many crops here, beside ilex and rosehips. Cotinus (which we are still harvesting!), Viburnum, Snowberries and other crops that like hot days and cool nights.

The Trinity River

The tone of this small farm is set by the river. The Trinity flows steadily past the fields, making its way to the confluence with the Klamath River, then on to the Pacific. Home to eagles, otters and salmon, the river still flows strong even after a dry summer.

I hear another sound echoing down the valley, the sound is man made. I look up to see a John Deere trudging slowly down the ridge, towing a trailer which will soon be filled with bright red berries, the sun still hasn't shown except on the tip of the opposite side of the valley.

Farmers commute

The days work begins, not at break neck speed, but at a steady, reliable pace. The work will follow the course of the sun across the sky, until it dips below the horizon on the far side of the valley. These days will be repeated, through the fall, moving to where the rosehips and ilex are the ripest and ready to pick.

I make my way back up the road, slowly gaining elevation as I climb out of the valley. Something pulls at my attention. Instinctively, I set up the camera on the tri-pod, the geese I heard earlier are grouping up to continue their journey south. Just as I think I have missed the moment, they decide to take one more tour of the farm, forming a perfect "V" over the ilex.

Click.

Geese over ilex.

    

Holiday Cheer and Ilex Inspiration

Holiday Cheer and Ilex Inspiration

Ilex OT Hybrid lilies Rene van Rems Willow Creek

 Why does Santa have 3 gardens?
-So he can ho-ho-ho.

What do you call people who are afraid of Santa Claus?
-Claustrophobic.

What do you get if you deep fry Santa Claus?
-Crisp Cringle.

There is no use hiding, the holidays are in full swing. Don't get overwhelmed, stressed out or depressed.  Put on a sweater with a reindeer on it, get some red ilex and let go into the holiday spirit.

Here are some inspiring ilex pictures to take the edge off.  

This is where we grow of Ilex, a.k.a. Winterberry.

This why it's called Winterberry, this great shot was taken by Lane just last weekend.

Beautiful table arrangement.

Photo credit; Rene van Rems, AIFD www.renevanrems.com

Ilex, accented by our "Shocking" OT Hybrid lilies.

Ilex with white tulips and cedar.

Christmas Cedar and ilex

White oriental lilies, cedar and ilex

Knock Knock.
-Who's there?
Mary.
-Mary Who?
Merry Christmas!

Whole Lotta Verticillata | The Ilex Chronicle

Whole Lotta Verticillata | The Ilex Chronicle

Ilex ilex verticillata Lane DeVries

Our Red Ilex Verticillata in a beautiful vase from The Blacksmith Shop in Ferndale, CA.

One person at Sun Valley is absolutely obsessed with Ilex Verticillata. His name is Lane DeVries. I walked into Lane’s office last week and asked the foolish question,

“Why is our red ilex so special?”

Lane’s eyes popped open, he flipped the top down on his laptop, took off his Bluetooth and grinned a huge smile, like a cat that had new toy. 

  

“So, you want to know about our ilex program, aye?”

Little did I know Lane had been patiently waiting for someone to come ask him about our ilex so he could expound on all the interesting developments in the Sun Valley ilex program.

Lane inspecting the ilex, bush by bush.

The following is distilled down from a reeeaaaally long discussion about ilex verticillata.

The ilex we currently grow is the “Oosterwijk” variety, which is the female cultivar of the ilex plant. Our original plants came from Holland, and we have been growing it at our Willow Creek farm for about 10 years.

Over the course of the fall we have gold, orange and red berries come to harvest.  Now through Christmas we have the classic red coming on strong. We usually sell out about seven days before Christmas, so get your ducks in a row now, because this year Thanksgiving is coming later than usual, and December is going to be a mad dash.

Ilex berries in mid-August.

Our picking team harvests the branches, places them in white buckets and then they get hauled down the mountain to our Arcata farm. In the warehouse, we removing the leaves to expose the stunning red berries, bunch and sleeve the branches.

Over the last several years Lane has been propagating the bushes with the best floral characteristics.  He has been doing this in a couple ways. The first way is making cuttings, and reproducing identical genetic copies of the strongest plants. By “strongest” I mean the plants that lives up to a set of 30 characteristics which Lane has established.  Characteristics include berry color, amount of berries on stem, position of the berries on the stem and stem length.

Ilex!

The other way Lane is working to create the perfect ilex is by cross pollination. He will take two highly ranked bushes and plant them next to each other, so that the bees will cross pollinate the flowers, creating entirely new strains of ilex bushes.

Lane has the fields diagrammed like a huge theater, each plant has an assigned seat so it can we tracked and monitored over the years.

 

This diligent and a bit compulsive behavior is leading to a breakthrough in fall foliage that will benefit all floral professionals, and ultimately consumers that will enjoy these berries as part of their fall and holiday traditions.

Ilex in the warehouse, ready to be sleeved.

Of course the berries are the star of the show, but I actually like the branch itself just as much. The main stem is a warm brown with gray and maroon highlights, and the stems holding the berries have an olive green tone that very subtly sets off the red berries with a lovely contrast.  The laterals of the branch are pretty stiff, so design wise you need to be conscious of this. The branches are much more rigid than a rosehip branch, and if you use this to your advantage you can easily go vertical or horizontal.

The Queen of Greens, Debbie Hartman, about to make some beautiful arrangements featuring our ilex.

Sun Valley is your dependable ilex source, and with Lanes' work, it shows that we are in this for the long haul.  Breeding this bush to be the best floral product is a testament to the effort and devotion we share in bringing the best flowers and foliage to market. 

  

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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Thanksgiving - Reflection on a floral education

Thanksgiving - Reflection on a floral education

California Flowers Growing Flowers Hydrangea Ilex Love Lilies Royal Lilies Soil Grown Tulips Sun Valley Thanksgiving

The turkey is back.

Without fail, the often grounded, gobbling bird returns year after year to remind us that it's time for a feast, football and most importantly, reflection. Thanksgiving is a holiday to, like the name implies, give thanks for the people and things that enhance our lives.

Since most of us won't be checking our emails tomorrow, I'm going to go ahead and share my personal Thanksgiving reflection with you today. Among the things I give thanks for every year - family, health, chocolate, The Beatles, etc. - this year I'm particularly grateful for the continuing floral education I've received from Sun Valley.

I've learned more about flowers in the past year at Sun Valley than I have throughout my previous 20-something years on earth. And I've had the pleasure of sharing it all right here on Flower Talk. The beauty of it is even though my floral horizons have been broadened so much already, there's still a huge world of flower facts out there for me to discover!

Until then, I want to share some of my favorite educational posts, ones I feel accurately represent my learning experience thus far. Without further ado...

1. Willow Creek Part 3 - In search of the "perfect Ilex"

I visited the Willow Creek farm with Lane a few months ago , and I learned a lot about Cotinus, Rosehips and Ilex, among other things. This post goes into detail about how our Ilex is grown and reveals one of Lane's greatest passions as a farmer.







2. Lily's Boots: Summer and... Cryogenic Freezing?

What do Sun Valley summer Tulips and Cryogenic Freezing have in common? One of our farm's main strengths is growing Tulips year-round. Learn how we're able to grow our Tulips in the summertime.







3. Hey Material Girl, Open Your Heart... to Hydrangeas

In light of Madonna's public denouncement of Hydrangeas, this post tells you all you need to know about how Hydrangeas are grown at Sun Valley.






4. Lily's Boots: The Path to Iris Enlightenment

I set out to learn all about Iris, and walked away a little more enlightened. This post is filled with fun facts about Iris and explores how this beautiful flower is grown and harvested.








5. Lily's Boots, Love and Royal Lilies - Part 1 and Part 2

You can't have one without the other! These posts go into detail about how we grow our Asiatic (Love) and Royal (LA Hybrid) Lilies at Sun Valley's Arcata farm. I got some fantastic hands-on planting and bunching experience - check out the video!




While there are so many other fascinating floral topics that I've covered over the last several months, I feel these posts provide a great example of the knowledge I've absorbed while working at the farm.

I'm very grateful to have been given the opportunity to learn so much about such a fascinating topic and to be able to share it with you. I'm also grateful that I get to continue doing so!


And now, for the first time on Flower Talk...
For a chance to WIN A FREE CASE OF MIXED CHRISTMAS TULIPS, tell me what you're thankful for this year on our Facebook page! (Click HERE for the Sun Valley Floral Farms Facebook page.)