Sun Valley ~ American Grown Flowers

August 10, 2017 Edition 52 Click to Watch! The Color of Summer Hydrangea Season in Arcata is something I look forward to all year. From the growers perspective, hydrangea are both rewarding and challenging since their development depends so much on weather conditions.  It's amazing how a cold weather snap in March can push back harvest time a few weeks in August, or different light conditions can delay flowering. Add in the different varieties we grow, each with different needs for sunlight, nourishment and water, then you end up with a matrix of variables that need to be managed row by row for a successful harvest. This is the challenging part and every season our Hydrangea program gets more refined. Growing hydrangea is hard work, but the reward is great as we ship these beautiful flowers across the country. Summertime is Hydrangea time, Enjoy!                                                                         - Lane BLOOMS THAT SELL Experience Royalty with our LA Hybrids  We are harvesting our summer crop of Royal LA Hybrid lilies. We have all colors available and the quality is top notch. We attribute this high quality to the cool weather in Humboldt County and our team of grower's expertise. We have the freshest lilies on the market. Superior quality equals repeat sales, so what are you waiting for?  Check in with your sales rep. today. Brassica Bonanza The chilly summer nights in Arcata are coloring up our Brassica crop beautifully.  We have the classic purple (pictured left with Sales Rep. Laura), classic white and rich, dark green. This  crop is one of the unsung heroes of our farm. It's big and it's beautiful, and many folks aren't familiar with it.  When we take Brassica to shows it gets an enormous amount of attention. This is a  great time to try some out!  PARTNER SPOTLIGHT Rainforest Alliance Certification  Sun Valley is now offering Rainforest Alliance Certified Tulips. Today's consumers are looking for assurances that their flowers were grown in a sustainable manner. Rainforest Alliance Certification resonates strongly with your customers. Learn more about the process on our Flower Talk Blog.   LOOKING FORWARD Matsumoto Movement Our Matsumoto Aster crop is heating up in Oxnard. Look for increased availability going forward into the fall. The program is weighted toward the ever-popular purple for autumn, then shifts to Hot Pink and Red for the holidays.            Hot Hot Pink Hydrangea Our Hot Pink varieties (Opal Pink pictured above) are ready to go. Beautiful heads, glowing with color and personality. Get these while they are HOT, Pink that is! SUN PACIFIC BOUQUET "Butterfly Garden" Is HERE! These super-cute Bouquets come with a brightly colored reusable watering pitcher.  This value-added offering from Sun Pacific comes in mixed cases so your in store display will be full of color. Perfect gift item! ENJOY THIS NEWSLETTER? www.tsvg.com     800.747.0396 Give us a call and Let's Talk Flowers!

The Sun Valley Group, 3160 Upper Bay Road, Arcata, CA 95521

Christina Burton-Fox AIFD floral artist & instructor

Florist Review tip of the week

Jul 10, 2017  Out of the Doghouse The third Monday in July, which is July 17 this year, is "National Get Out of the Doghouse Day," making it a great time to promote your flowers as the best way to say, “I’m sorry.” Use signage, emails, and social media and blog posts to encourage those in trouble to ask for forgiveness.  Florists at Eden Florist & Gift Baskets in Miramar, Fla., say they “specialize in doghouse repairs” and have made the shop a go-to resource for expressions of remorse. Of course, every day is a good day to get out of the doghouse, so don’t limit your doghouse marketing efforts to just one day. Remind your customers from time to time that your flowers can help them get back in the good graces of their loved ones at any time of the year. Have an idea for Tip of the Week? Submit your idea and be included in a drawing for a FREE book from Florists' Review! Click here

Christina Burton-Fox AIFD floral artist & instructor

Stem Counter News

Hey Christina, As an established floral shop owner, you know there are many reasons why a client might be a poor fit for you. They may have too small or too big of an event for you to reasonably take on considering finances and commitments to other clients. They may have a vision that is completely different from your style. They may be too needy (we've all had that bride), or too bossy (can you say bridezilla?), or their personality simply doesn't mesh with your own. Whatever the reason, what can you do when a client simply isn't a good fit for you? What To Do When A Floral Client Is Not The Right Fit -Ryan Need to know a client's details before your consultation? Here's a proven questionnaire that we’ve built as we’ve grown our business.

Christina Burton-Fox AIFD floral artist & instructor

Pantone ~ Bright Shades

These brights are high speed and symbols of POW! View in web browser. GRAPHICS | FASHION, HOME + INTERIORS | PLASTICS See all of our color tools at pantone.com

Christina Burton-Fox AIFD floral artist & instructor

Floral Design 101 Flower Crowns

Are You Designing This Hot Trend? View this email in your browser

Floral Design 101 Flower Crowns Flower crowns are the biggest trend right now and at this point, it’s safe to say they are not going away! Although flower crowns are hugely sought after for weddings and special events now, they are actually a floral trend of the past. Click Here To Design Flower Crowns Today

Christina Burton-Fox AIFD floral artist & instructor

Fusion Flowers ~ story of Aloe

Website | Marketplace | Magazine | Weddings | Contact Us  14th July 2017 The wonderful story of Aloe Very tough, strong shapes and easy to live with: Aloe (officially known as: Aloe vera) has thick blue-green leaves which reach a length of 40-50cm and grow up in spikes from a rosette up to a maximum of 100cm. It’s classified as a succulent.  The leaves are greyish green and have serrated edges. Aloe is an exceptionally resilient plant which stores moisture and nutrients in the leaves in order to get through dry periods. The plant blooms in the summer, and helps keep the air in your home clean. The name derives from the Arabic word ‘Alloeh’, which means ‘shiny bitter fluid’. This refers to the cooling, gel-like liquid in the leaves. For example, if a leaf is damaged the ‘wound’ will immediately be sealed with coagulating sap in order to retain as much moisture as possible, just as with humans. The active ingredients in Aloe have also been found to have healing properties for humans. The ancient Egyptians called it ‘the immortality plant’.  What to look for when buying Aloe  When buying Aloe, look at the pot size and the size of the rosette. Sometimes there are already small rosettes on the plant that lend greater volume to Aloe and make it a bit more appealing. It’s important to know whether the plant is being purchased as a foliage plant or as a flowering plant. For a flowering plant, you should also look at the stage of flowering.    The succulent properties of the leaves mean that Aloe is not particularly prone to diseases. However, there can sometimes be mealybug between the leaf rosettes. Because this is very difficult to tackle with Aloe, it’s a good idea to avoid buying such a plant.    If the plant has been given too much water, the leaf rosettes can start to rot. It’s better for the soil to be a little too dry than much too wet.    If the plant spends too long in a spot with insufficient light at the point of sale, this will detract from the quality. The plants can then start to stretch, or the colour can fade.   The recommended storage and shipping temperature is 12°C.  Care tips for consumers Aloe is very easy to care for, thanks to its succulent properties: the plant stores moisture in the thick leaf rosettes to get it through dry periods.  Water once a fortnight. The pot soil can be left to dry out between waterings. Aloe likes a light and sunny spot. The plant can also be placed outdoors on the patio or balcony in the summer months. Feed once a month during the growth season.  Aloe flowers after a short rest period in the winter, during which the plant should have little water and no food. The plant develops when the days start getting longer again, at which point you should give it some more water and food.

Christina Burton-Fox AIFD floral artist & instructor

Mayesh Design Star: Garden Style Bridal Bouquet

Christina Burton-Fox AIFDfloral artist & instructor

Pantone Color Story

The movie Psycho and its main protagonist Norman Bates hold a special place in our pop culture. A contemporary prequel to Psycho, Bates Motel is a portrayal of how Norman Bates' psyche unravels through his teenage years, and how deeply intricate his relationship with his mother, Norma, truly is. Pantone Color Institute and A&E Network came together to create an official new PANTONE Color, a unique neon metallic shade in celebration of Norman referred to as Bates Motel Blue. The collaboration between Pantone and A&E networks was a joining of like-minded creatives who wanted to come together to create a distinctive shade in a unique medium in honor of this world renown pop culture icon

The world’s most universally loved color, blue, represents constancy and credibility. Associated with the continuity of yet another day, dependable and hopeful blue is consoling and brings a sense of peace and tranquility. It's therefore ironic that the Bates Motel sign, painted (as Norma tells viewers in the very first episode) in Norman's "favorite color", an exhilarating blue that instantly engages. Norma’s decision to employ this radiantly intense blue in the Bates Motel sign proves itself an excellent misdirect, as any fan of the series will recognize. Perhaps equally interesting is that a color family representing "truth," includes Norman's favorite color, when so much mystery and deceit lies under the surface of his fragile psyche.

Preserving the iconic hue that has surrounded the show, from marketing materials to social media, with blue neon tubing winding in and out of all creative, Norman and the Bates Motel's blue is now preserved forever in a distinct, vibrant blue that pulses with a dark energy and the Pantone Color Institute's incomparable color signature.

Christina Burton-Fox AIFD floral artist & instructor