2016 Flowers in Review

2016 Flowers in Review

2016 flower trends 2017 flower trends new year year in review

This last year was a doozy, wasn't it?  Between an upsetting amount of celebrity deaths, a heart-stopping, 7-game World Series, and the craziest election season on record, I do believe Merriam-Webster hit the nail on the head when they declared the 2016 Word of the Year to be "surreal." 

But 2016 wasn't all drama and confusion...Remember when the adorable Giant Panda was declared no longer endangered? Or when the unemployment rate dropped to its lowest in nine years? Or when coffee was found to be good for you? *takes a long sip*

So, before we banish 2016 to the history books, let's have a look at the Top 5 Flower  Talk articles from the past year.

2016 Flowers in Review

Number 5: Field to Vase Comes to Arcata

The American Grown Field to Vase Dinner Tour is a series of events which has  been taking the country by storm for the past two years. Last year, it kicked off its 2016 tour at our farm in Arcata.  Our tulip greenhouse was transformed into an elegant, intimate setting overflowing with tulips, iris, and lilies.  Friends, farmers, and flower lovers alike dined on locally grown food, beer, and wine prepared by farm-to-table chefs, and enjoyed a flower presentation by Flora Organica Designs, as well as readings by Amy Stewart and Debra Prinzing.

This year, the Field to Vase Tour has announced they will be going to Alaska, which I'm sure will be quite the visual and gastronomical treat.  Stay tuned to see where Field to Vase will be dazzling in 2017.   

Number 4: The Flowers of the Dead 

I suppose it isn't so surprising that our 4th most-read post was about the flowers of Día de Los Muertos, or the Day of the Dead.  The past year did feel heavy with loss as the world collectively mourned the passing of David Bowie, Prince, Leonard Cohen, Carrie Fischer, Debbie Reynolds, Gene Wilder, Leon Russell....(and the list goes on).

The Flowers of the Dead explores the history and tradition of Day of the Dead celebration, and the flowers used to commemorate death and honor its relationship to life. 

Number 3: Everlasting Summer Hydrangeas

Yes, we get it.  You love hydrangeas. These coastal mopheads have made the Flowers in Review countdown for the last two years, and no wonder. The past couple of seasons have seen us bringing new, hybridized varieties to the market, and our long growing season means everyone can have hydrangeas nearly 6 months of the year (including antiques).

That's a lot of hydrangea to love, and don't worry, hydrangea season (and sunshine) will be here soon enough.

Number 2: Pantone Color of the Year

It's as if Pantone knew that 2016 was going to be a stressful trip around the sun.  Last year, for the first time in its history, Pantone chose two hues for the Color of the Year--Rose Quartz and Serenity (13-1520 and 15-3919, respectively).

Floral design had a field day with these two colors in 2016.  The colors naturally complement each other; plus, an almost limitless combination of corresponding palettes made matching other colors and flowers with these hues easy and fun.

For 2017, Pantone's color of the year is Greenery, a "zesty yellow green" shade which bursts forth with freshness, rejuvenation, and hope.  We'll be discussing Greenery and its color complements in next week's Flower Talk, so stay tuned for some helpful color palettes and fun floral design ideas.

Number 1:  Aromatherapy & Oriental Lilies 

This most-read post of 2016 was one of the most fun to research and write; it explored the connection between stress relief and Oriental lilies and revealed some fascinating information about floral compounds, psychology, and our sense of smell.

It seems that floral education continues to be a popular read.  Last year's most-read post was my Lily Scent Guide, which broke down which types of lilies smell and which lilies do not.  These two lily posts show that floral education will continue in its upward trend, and we are here to answer that call, so you can definitely look forward to more fascinating flower information and education here in 2017!



So here's to 2016, and Happy 2017! We can't wait to spend it with you!

Sun Valley Goes to the Rose Parade

Sun Valley Goes to the Rose Parade

#CAGrown 2017 Rose Parade cal poly CCFC flower donation new year Pasadena

This weekend will bring us all into 2017, which also means Pasadena, CA will be having its annual  Rose Parade on January 2nd.  This New Year's Day parade began in 1889 to showcase the floral bounty of California; today, 120 years later, it continues to do just that.

2016 Miracle Gro  Float

I first experienced the Rose Parade when I was 7 years old; my parents took my brother and me on a road trip to Southern California, where we camped out on the sidewalk with hundreds of other people celebrating New Year's Eve.  The next day we watched the parade, and I was fascinated with the elaborate, moving floats, completely covered in flowers.  To me, it was pure magic.

From the 2016 Rose Parade

In the parade's earliest days, the flowers came from the flower fields nearby.  The elaborately decorated parade carriages showed off the great variety of everything California soil and farmers could grow, even during the dead of winter.  Today, the celebration of California-grown flora continues with the annual Rose Parade, and also through the work of the California Cut Flower Commission (CCFC), which is dedicated to sharing and preserving the agricultural beauty of California.  Each year, the CCFC honors and certifies floats that keep the tradition of using local flowers alive.  

As a proud California-based flower farm, you can bet that our flowers will be there.  Every year our flowers are used in several of the floats and decor, but you can find the biggest concentration on the award-winning Cal Poly Float.  Cal Poly University is dedicated to educating the next generation of farmers and ranchers in California, and their support of  flower farmers is on fully display in the Rose Parade.

 Each year's parade has a theme; last year was "Find Your Adventure," 2015 being "Inspiring Stories," and this year will be "Echoes of Success." I can't wait to see what the hundreds of floats are stirring up this year!

Cal Poly's 2016 Float

Keep an eye out for our Green Ball Dianthus, Tulips, and Lilies on Cal Poly's Float this year, as well as four different varieties and shades of our Iris used in other elements of the parade.  But above all, enjoy the visual celebration of everything California, and have a great New Year. 

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!