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

 

A Terrain of Thanks (Drone Flower Field Video!)

A Terrain of Thanks (Drone Flower Field Video!)

drone flower fields flower magic Ilex fields ilex verticillata Soaring over California Ilex videos Willow Creek

Our Willow Creek Farm is a breathtaking, humbling place—colorful flower fields nestled alongside the Trinity River, set against a backdrop of redwoods, wildlife, and morning fog.  This Northern California landscape truly inspires gratitude, and its beauty, paired with the dramatic colors of our ilex and rosehips, has been captured in this short movie by local drone filmmaker, Chad Johnson.


Enjoy and Happy Thanksgiving.

Ilex in Autumn

Ilex in Autumn

autumn berries branches fall botanicals flame ilex gold ilex ilex verticillata Lane Orange ilex red ilex Willow Creek

Can you feel it? Halloween has passed, election season is reaching its apex, and pumpkin spice is everywhere—Fall is here in all its glory and you don't even need a calendar to know.  The same goes if you're a flower farmer...the flowers tell you.

Orange Ilex

Take ilex verticillata for example... our ilex season kicks off in early October with gold and orange berries which echo the changing seasons perfectly.  November brings an overlap of all the colors—gold, orange, and the brilliant red-orange variety, flame. November is also when we start offering our famous, cherry-red ilex, which we continue harvesting through December.

From left to right: Flame, Red, Gold, and Orange Ilex

 Ilex Farming

We grow ilex at our  Willow Creek Farm, located 40 miles inland from coastal Arcata in Northern California.  This canyon in the hills provides the perfect micro-climate for ilex—a long, extended autumn, mild weather, and rich soil.  These elements come together to help us produce our high-quality ilex, renowned for its long stems and large berries.

Our Willow Creek Team Lead showing off some ilex

Mature ilex plants produce berried stems every other year, which means they are a long-game crop that requires devotion.  And for the last three decades, devotion is exactly what they have been receiving from Lane.   Soil-grown tulips aside, ilex is one of Lane's favorite crops and growing and breeding them has become quite the labor of love.

As mentioned above, ilex is not a short-term project—over the last 30 years, as Lane found desirable characteristics in individual plants (such as strong stems, great laterals, and good berry density), he marks that particular plant, and later, cross-breeds them with others in order to produce the best of the best.  Lane has created some of the finest ilex in the industry this way—ilex that you cannot find anywhere else.


The leaves on ilex will naturally drop off as the season progresses; however, when demand is up, we employ a few natural tricks to get ilex to drop their leaves.  Ilex berries are a fruit, and like most fruits, they emit ethylene gas.  By covering up a cart of freshly picked branches with plastic and leaving it overnight, ethylene gas becomes trapped and causes the leaves to drop off, leaving us with clean, berried stems.  Once ilex has shed its leaves, it remains a sturdy, dependable product that can last the entire season.

  Ilex Design

Ilex branches add incredible lines, depth, and height, and their berries provide a powerful focal punch. The sky is the limit when designing with ilex.  Gold, orange, and flame-hued ilex make great additions to autumn arrangements, wreaths, and bouquets...and of course, there's nothing prettier than a vase full of ilex berries by themselves. Just check out the versatile and gorgeous combinations below: 
 

Orange and Gold Ilex Arrangements

 We sell cut ilex with stem lengths ranging from 16-32 inches, and also offer mixed color boxes, allowing our customers to choose what best fits their purposes.  Order now to get our range of autumn ilex, grown with love, and exclusively bred to be the best of the best.

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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.

 

Viburnum Spring Snowballs

Viburnum Spring Snowballs

CAGrown Green viburnum Lady Aster short season crops Snowball spring Viburnum Willow Creek

In the Sun Valley Flower World, it ain't spring until we have Viburnum.  And ladies and gentlemen, do we have Viburnum!

Viburnum is extra special because its growing season is one of the shortest--we start picking at the end of March (when their many-flowered heads are nice and full) and we are usually done by the end of April  You may hear Viburnum blooms also referred to as Snowballs--this is because their mass of tiny blossoms give each bloom-head a spherical, puffy shape.

Viburnum is also known for its color change during the season (which we'll talk about below).  They first bloom in a vivid lime green color and then turn to ivory-white puffballs as they mature in the sunshine.  

Early-Season and Late-Season Viburnum

Willow Creek Canyon

We grow Viburnum at our inland farm (a mountain canyon better known as Willow Creek) whose micro-climate provides the perfect conditions to produce this fantastic spring show.  

A rainbow beckons in Spring to our Willow Creek Farm

We plant viburnum in both open fields and covered hoop houses--the hoop houses hold in heat, contributing to a faster growing rate.  This simple trick allows us to extend the normally super-short viburnum growing season.  We can stagger our picking schedule, starting with early-season hoop houses and ending with their open field-grown counterparts.   

Here is the progression of growth over 6 weeks from dormant stems to super green foliage and blooms

 Viburnum Green-to-White

Viburnum is famous for its color change from green-to-white, which signifies the progression of the season. For example, right now, the crop is a charming green color.  This fresh look is known as early-season viburnum; it looks stunning on its own (a veritable spring forest with long stems and full, lime-green heads), and also works wonders as a focal piece in spring bouquets, adding color and a field-to-vase aesthetic to any home or bridal arrangement.

 

Late-season viburnum is another visual treat.  As our crops mature and the open-fields get a few weeks of full sunshine, our young, green viburnum develops into a brilliant white.  We still pick while it's mostly green, just like we do with our iris, tulips, and lilies.  This guarantees a longer vase life and you can watch it color up beautifully.

White snowball viburnum has an exquisite and classical appearance--its long stems and multiple florets still brings the wildflower aesthetic to arrangements like early-season green viburnum, but it also boasts an elegant cleanliness that can only be achieved with white. 

Regardless of whether you opt for early-season green or late-season white, this heady bloom and its wonderfully long, wooden stems makes it the perfect floral complement for wedding bouquets, Mother's day arrangements, or any quintessential spring gathering.  But you better hurry, like spring, viburnum season passes in a beautiful flash.

Green Viburnum and Tulips make the perfect Spring Statement

How to Create the Perfect Ilex

How to Create the Perfect Ilex

#CAGrown American Grown ilex verticillata Lady Aster Lane DeVries Willow Creek winterberry

If you are familiar with Sun Valley, then you know we are the industry go-to for bulb crops, especially soil-grown tulips.  However, we also have a seasonal crop which is just as renowned, and always wows our customers and blows the socks off of our competition--Ilex Verticillata.

Ilex Verticillata (aka Winterberry) paired with Blue Prince Holly

I say that last statement with confidence, as our ilex program has been hand-picked, bred, and cultivated by our own Lane DeVries for over a decade.  His long-term dedication to grow the best ilex verticillata is evident in the product we offer today.

So, what are the requirements for high-quality ilex? Deep, saturated colors of the berries, a large concentration of berries on each stem, good positioning and length of laterals, and, of course, overall lasting power.  It's these floral characteristics which make our ilex a joy to use in design and a pleasure to share with others.

How to Create the Perfect Ilex

The ilex we currently grow is the “Oosterwijk” variety, which is the female cultivar of the ilex plant, known for the holding power of its color and berries as a cut branch.  Our original plants came from Holland a little over 10 years ago, and we've been growing them at our Willow Creek farm since then. 

Ilex growing in Willow Creek

Years ago, Lane started working with some test plants which had planted in 2006.  He ranked each individual plant using a 30-point scale based on the positioning of the berries on the stem, the saturation of color, the size and number of berries, and stem length.
 

Quality branch: high concentration of colorful berries, many laterals with good positioning, and great stem length.

Lane then took cuttings from 20 of the outstanding performers, and these were repropagated and replanted.  This process creates identical genetic copies of the strongest plants.  Ilex may be one of the most difficult crops to repropagate, but it's worth it to follow the achievable dream of the "most perfect" ilex.   Lane plants, tests, replants, retests, and so on in order to continuously improve and innovate--one of Sun Valley's guiding principles at work. 

Lane in his element

Another method that Lane uses to create the most perfect ilex is cross-pollination. He will plant two highly ranked bushes next to each other, and let the bees do their work of cross-pollinating the flowers, creating entirely new strains of ilex. Lane has the fields diagrammed like a stadium, each plant has an assigned section, row, and seat so that it can be closely tracked and monitored.

And while Lane has created the most perfect Ilex you can find on the market, the rest of the Sun Valley team ensures that it makes it to you that way.

Bunching and sleeving room

 Our Willow Creek team harvests the branches, places them in buckets and then they get hauled down the mountain to our Arcata farm. Once in the warehouse, our processing team removes the foliage to expose the striking red berries, and then bunches and sleeves the branches.

Large bucket of de-foliated ilex in our sales office

The end product is stunning. We offer simple bunches of the brilliant red ilex as well as enhanced bunches.  A very popular holiday favorite is our red ilex paired with cedar and white tulips or lilies--the contrast of color and texture is dynamic and beautiful.

The years of work (and love) that have gone into creating the best product in the market is a testament our floral devotion, and has made Sun Valley THE dependable source for ilex.  Not only that, Lane is continuing to improve and innovate, which makes the future look very berry bright, indeed.

Our exceptional red ilex is available NOW until it sells out, so get it quickly before Santa takes the rest of it up to Mrs. Claus! 



Rosehips: Autumn's Darling

Rosehips: Autumn's Darling

American Grown bees CA Grown fall arrangements Fall Colors Lady Aster Rose Hips roses Willow Creek

Rosehips: the plant of a million uses.  Well, maybe not a million, but its reputation as a great source of Vitamin C precedes it by centuries with ancient and modern use in tinctures, jellies, wine, and more.  Take a walk down your local grocery tea aisle and you'll be sure to find some herbal rosehip tea.  

However, rosehips are not just for flavoring foods, they are also for spicing up bouquets.  And in the world of Sun Valley, rosehips are through and through a fall specialty branch!   

 
So what exactly is a rosehip? Is it a rose or isn't it?  Scientifically speaking, the rosehip is the swollen ovary that contains the rose seeds.  It is the "fruit" of the rose.  If you cut open a rosehip you will find it is full of reproductive seeds.  
 

Rosehip bloom being pollinated

Rosehips develop on wild roses as the petals drop off.   These wild roses may not look like the "traditional" roses you are accustomed to, but they are indeed classified as roses (and aren't they pretty?).  The species of Rosa we use are specifically bred to create big, beautiful hips, which is why the regular rosebushes in your neighborhood will not produce anything quite like them. 





We grow these plants at our inland Willow Creek Farm, which is located 45-minutes away from coastal Arcata.  This canyon in the hills provides an ideal climate of early springs, hot summers, and an extended autumn which gives rosehips plenty of time to mature.

Rosehip blooms in summer

We prune our rosehip bushes down to the ground every winter, and then we wait.  As the weather begins to warm in late winter/early spring, they begin to grow back  and by summer, the flowers are blooming and the bees are buzzing.  We maintain bee boxes from a local keeper on the farm, so the bees are happy and our rose hips are happy!

Bee Box with protective wires to keep the bears out!

Once the flowers are pollinated, the pink bloom falls off and the seed pod (the hip!) begins to form. 
 
We harvest rosehips as early as August and as late as Christmas, and the month of harvest determines the color of the berry. Early in the season, they start out green; as they progress, they begin to resemble Fuji apples--partially green with reddish swirls; then they develop a beautiful reddish-orange hue and finally, a saturated cherry red. It's almost as if they know what colors are fashionable per season and act accordingly!   

Rosehips in Autumn

We have been growing and testing rosehips for many years, and have found that one variety in particular, called Amazing Fantasy, produces the strongest berry in our climate. Once cut, Amazing Fantasy Rosehips can keep their color, shape and luminosity for several weeks.

Our strong rosehip program is bolstered by the fact that agricultural restrictions forbid the importation of fresh rosehips into the United States.  We are proud to be one of the few producers of this truly American Grown crop,  and you too can feel good when you support this important agricultural movement.

Design wise, rosehips are extremely versatile and fit into the fall and winter color palette perfectly.  Check out the dramatically beautiful autumnal arrangement created by floral designer,  Pieter Landman.  You can see how they add texture and a punch of focal color.

The "Dress This Nest" blog also featured our rosehips in a great DIY-tutorial in flower arranging.  Once you get started, you'll see that perhaps there ARE a million uses for rosehips!