Welcome Spring with Women's Day

Welcome Spring with Women's Day

International Women's Day IWD2017 Tulips Women's Day

“The beautiful spring came; and when Nature resumes her loveliness, the human soul is apt to revive also.”  – Harriet Ann Jacobs

March 8th  2017, is a day to celebrate the social, political and economic achievements of women, and focus attention on areas still needing action. Flowers are a wonderful way to celebrate the victories and recognize the ongoing struggles women face around the globe.

Women’s Day has become a flower forward holiday, due to the ability of flowers to connect people. They aren’t some materialistic tchotchke, flowers are universally appreciated, and speak a language all their own. On March 8th, we celebrate the accomplishments of women and look to the future as women leaders, role models, mentors and community members continue to reshape our world and make it better.

March 8th is also about when we see the first hints of spring. It is not quite officially spring yet, but you can smell it in the air. The coming spring is best represented in floral terms by the mighty tulip. Tulips are strong, resilient and colorful, much like the women in my life. Tulips are unique in their storied history and the huge array of varieties. No other flower has as much personality as a tulip, and whether you prefer the classics, like Ad Rem and Ile de France, or go for the cutting edge varieties like Goldfish and Queensland; the eclectic essence of the tulip family is much a like a modern family tree, with roots across the globe and also sorts for hybrid connections.

Though Sun Valley is renowned for our ability to offer a huge selection of tulips year-round, spring truly brings a bounty. This is the time where the new varieties from Holland are harvested, turning the greenhouses into the tulip lovers equivalent of a kid in a candy store. There are so many new varieties to ooh and aah over, we can barely keep up.  [Note to self…Call your rep and ask what new varieties we have available!]

This year’s Women’s Day celebrations will take many forms, from marches, lectures and events, to simple expressions of gratitude and love.  No matter how you celebrate, be sure to grab a few bunches of tulips on the way and give every women you meet a flower!

Women's Day Celebration

Women's Day Celebration

2016 Celebration Honor March 8 Respect Women's Day women's history

Women's Day is not a "new" holiday by any means, but it sure does feel like it.  The earliest Women’s Day observance was held on February 28, 1909, in New York, and the earliest I ever heard of Women's Day was March 8th, two years ago.  As a wee lass, I never saw Women's Day on the calendar, but I'm starting to now.  Why is that? I assume it's because women have made notable advancements (especially in the last two decades) that demand recognition, honor, respect, and celebration.

When the first Women's Day took place in 1909, women had very few, if any, rights.  They couldn't vote, own property, choose a career, sue or be sued.  At this time they weren't even considered persons under the 14th Constitutional Amendment, which guarantees equal protection under the law.

But we've come a long way since 1909.  In the US, we exercise those hard-won rights with vigor.  For example, a record number of women (104) will be serving in the US Congress this year (yes, that is only 19% of Congress, but that is twice the amount from 20 years ago).  There is even a serious female contender--nay, front runner--in the presidential bid.  Also, twenty years ago there were zero female CEOs on the Fortune 500 list.  Now, women occupy 5% of those positions.  Change may have started slowly, but it is catching fire.

The point? Honor a woman this day.  Whatever her position--CEO, administrative assistant, small business owner, full-time mother, manager, laborer, engineer, artist, customer service extraordinaire--honor her.  Her current social, cultural, and professional position was built upon centuries of revolutionary history, the ripples of which are still in effect.

We say, start with flowers. Flowers are pretty, but they are not weak.  They, too, have used all their resources--their genetics, their will, their immediate environment, the sun, dirt, and rain--to fight against the elements and rise up, beautiful, fragrant and strong. Men, honor the women in your life with vibrant, living blooms.  Women, celebrate the fellow females in your life with flowers--your mother, sister, boss, co-worker--any woman that has inspired or encouraged you in that special way that only women can.   Go further and buy flowers for yourself--love and respect yourself, and recognize from where you have come.

Women's Day is a day for reflection and celebration.  Reflection on how far we have come, and a celebration of the hope we have for the future. Enjoy it!

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!

Watch Lane Inspire the SAF Convention

Watch Lane Inspire the SAF Convention

Marco Island Society of American Florists Women's Day Women's Day 2015

Last week, Sun Valley was honored to win the "Marketer of the Year" award from the Society of American Florists. We won for our efforts to promote Women's Day, which is celebrated on March 8th.

 
Please take 6 minutes to watch this rousing speech made by our CEO, Lane DeVries, as he accepted the award, and took the opportunity to recruit 300 of the biggest names in the floral industry to support Women's Day. (...and gave the $5,000 check back to the SAF to continue promoting Women's Day!)

Tina, Alecia, Beth, Marisol, Lane, Laura, Erica, Mary Lou, Wendy and Amy, all members of the Sun Valley team.

For more information on Women's Day read these two Flower Talk posts, which interestingly, are the two single most read posts in Flower Talk's history. 

Women's Day, by John Niblock from the Produce News 

Women's Day Homecoming

Thanks to the SAF for this award, and now is the time to start planning for Women's Day, March 8th 2015.

Women's Day 2013

Women's Day 2013

Floral Marketing International Women's Day Lane DeVries March 8 2013. Produce News Women's Day

Valentine’s Day 2013 has almost come and gone.  Hopefully you have spoken to your Sun Valley Sales Rep, and you are all squared away.  As farmers, we are always looking ahead, planting the next crop, looking far down the line to the next flower event.  Once the glitter, red ribbon and cupids of Valentine’s Day have been swept away, it’s time for Women’s Day.  To give you some background, and inspire you to help make this holiday a big floral event, I would like to share an article from Floral Marketing in The Produce News.  This article was written by John Niblock last fall, and features an interview with our CEO Lane DeVries. Help us make Women's Day 2013 a successful floral holiday. 

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The movement to establish Women’s Day on March 8 as a floral holiday is gathering steam. Lane DeVries, head of Sun Valley Group in Arcata CA, offered in-store promotional materials to retailers at the recent International Floriculture Expo, and told The Produce News in early September that a half-dozen or so supermarket chains will be using the materials in 2013.




“Women’s Day started in America 100 years ago, and it is still an American holiday,” Mr. DeVries told The Produce News. “Now let’s turn it into the flower holiday, which it is in Europe.” He had proposed a campaign to make March 8 a floral holiday in a guest column in The Produce News in January 2012 (Page 80).

“Women’s Day in eastern Europe is huge,” Mr. Devries pointed out at the IFE show. “And in Italy it is bigger than Valentine’s Day.” In Europe, the event is called International Women’s Day, a title Mr. DeVries shortened since it began here. In China and Russia, it is a national holiday. “Yellow is really the most popular flower color in Europe for Women’s Day,” he added in an interview.

The Sun Valley point-of-sale materials have photos of tulips, care-and handling instructions for tulips and bear the Sun Valley logo. They come in groupings of six to four items. Sun Valley is offering free digital copies of the items so retailers can print them in-house. Or Sun Valley will print them with the store’s logo for $110 for the largest set to $39 for the smallest. So far, most stores have ordered the digital copies and are printing the materials themselves.

Materials include theme posters with slogans like “Celebrate the women in your life with flowers” and “Fresh flowers for the women who make your days bloom with happiness.” The posters come in two sizes with tulip care-and-handling instructions on the back. Other items include bucket flags, hang tags and bucket sleeves with a Women’s Day logo and photos of women with tulips. Sun Valley also offers special bouquets for Women’s Day. 

Our "Power of Women" bouquet

 Officials at supermarkets in the Midwest and Northeast told The Produce News that Women’s Day is a big floral holiday at their stores that serve European immigrant groups who celebrated the day in their native lands.

Christian Maldonado, a sales associate at Silver Vase interviewed at IFE, said that the timing of Women’s Day, between Valentine’s Day and Easter, would fit well. “This is an additional sales stock week anyway,” he said. “We’d be getting ready to ship for Easter. What we need is a communications program with point-of-sales materials.”

Joep Paternostre, chief executive office of Bloomaker in Waynesboro VA, also interviewed at IFE, was cautiously optimistic. “It would fit nicely in our growing cycle," he opined.

Front

Back

The first women’s day celebration was held in the United States in 1909 and was called National Women’s Day. It was adopted by other countries and became an international celebration in 1910. Last March 8, 2012, 268 events were held in the United States to inspire women and celebrate their achievements, up from 74 events in 2011.

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Here at Sun Valley we are excited to see this holiday get more exposure.  If you are interested in the materials mentioned above send us an email lily@tsvg.com or give us a call 1-800-747-0396.