I first mentioned my trip to Willow Creek with Lane a couple months ago, when I talked about giant
Cotinus (which is coming in strong right now). Today I'm ready to move on to another Willow Creek crop - Rosehips, not to be mistaken for roses (the flowers). Rosehips are the fruit produced by rose bushes - lovely berries that change colors throughout the season. The Rosehip experience proved to be another eye-opening part of my day in Willow Creek. Let me start by saying - and this will sound pretty naive - I didn't know that Rosehips came from rose bushes. Okay, laugh all you want. I'm trying to be honest here. So imagine my surprise when I first encountered that wonderful rose fragrance on that lovely day in July. Also, imagine how much I stood to learn about this crop from Lane!
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| Lane walks through the Willow Creek fields, with Mae Mae and Pearl close behind |
The pictures above illustrate what the "Rosehips" looked like when I saw them in July - no berries at all! This was when it first dawned on me that Rosehips come from rose bushes. Now that I was on the right page, I was ready to really learn something!
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| The Jetsons |
As I've already mentioned, the crop smelled
incredible, and it was simply delightful to be near it. It seems I wasn't the only one who thought so. Apparently, bees love this crop. So much, in fact, that Lane called the rose bushes "bee hogs." He had me stand still next to the crop and said, "If you stop and really pay attention, you can hear thousands of bees buzzing and see them flying right over the crops. It's like a freeway!" He was absolutely right. It was like watching bees re-enact the opening credits to The Jetsons.
The bees are not the only creatures who love the rose bushes, although they're probably some of the only ones who benefit them. Last year, deer ate the top growth off of a bunch of our Amazing Fantasy rose bushes. (I'm not even sure how that factored into the crop recovery rate.) I had never really considered deer a pest before that day, but I suppose that's precisely what they are when you're growing a fragrant crop. Luckily, they've left plenty of Rosehips for us this year!
Apparently, the bees and deer aren't the only woodland mountain creatures enticed by our Willow Creek crops...
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| Yes, these are bear droppings. |
Bears are also occasional visitors to the farm. However, they are mostly enamoured with the berries and grapes that grow nearby, leaving Rosehips for the aforementioned species. That being said, it's always a good idea to bring Man's Best Friend along on a trip to the farm in case of a possible bear encounter. According to Sun Valley folklore, Grizzly (the pomeranian) actually chased a bear away once. Anyway, I digress....
Just a minute ago, I mentioned the Amazing Fanstasy variety of rose bushes. A very large percentage of the Rosehips we grow are Amazing Fantasy (despite the deer's affinity for it) because it tends to produce the strongest berry out of the varieties Lane has tested at Willow Creek. Once cut, Amazing Fantasy Rosehips can keep their color, shape and luminosity for several weeks.
Our Rosehips are harvested as early as August and as late as Christmas, depending on the progression of the crop and market demand. The month of harvest determines the color of the berry. Early in the season, they start out green; as they mature, they start to resemble Fuji apples - partially green with reddish swirls; finally, they become orange, reddish orange and cherry red at the end of the season. It's as if the Rosehips are aware of the most fashionable colors per season and act accordingly!
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Lane leaves himself a production message on his work voicemail
while strolling through a young Amazing Fantasy crop. |
It was interesting to see one of our crops looking so very different from what it would become by the time it was ready to be harvested (and to learn where Rosehips come from!). Now I'm just starting to see what they look like off the bush, ready for an arrangement.
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| Close-up of a rose bush in July |
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| "Fuji Apple" Rosehips off the bush in August |
When
you are putting Rosehips in a vase, here's what you should know: Handle with care! As you know, every rose has its thorn. (Sorry, couldn't resist.) Rosehips have 'em, too. Like most flowers, cut the end of the stems and place in cool water - no floral solution needed. Because they can last for a few weeks, feel free to mix up your Rosehip arrangements when other flowers fade!
Now I've told you about giant Cotinus and plump, multi-colored Rosehips. I still need to fill you in on other Willow Creek Crops like Chinese Lanterns, Ilex and Viburnum. (Funny, just one day in Willow Creek with Lane provided me several days' worth of blog material!) Look for more Willow Creek posts in the near-ish future!
As ever, you can learn more about our Rosehips by visiting our Flower resource page:
http://www.thesunvalleygroup.com/thesunvalleygroup/pdf/SV_RP_Rosehips.pdf
