California Weather and Availability
There were three very heavy days of rain late last week into the weekend. It created some mudslides in Southern California but none that affected flower growers. The good news is it should be dry through February 4th. This will hopefully help to get some of the flowers that had slowed in production back on track and create some availability for Valentine’s Day. At this point it is not 100% clear how much of a shortage there will be but we can definitely expect a tight market. On the bright side these heavy rains will make for an excellent spring and summer for all growing regions.
Stock and larkspur production from Baja and the desert have continued to increase and are picking up now because of clear skies. Snapdragons and Gerbera are still some what limited because of the cloudy days. Lilies remain in good supply and are on track for Valentine’s Day. Ranunculus and Anemones are available. Waxflower and Kale are good supply. Eucs are in good supply except Gunni and Feather Willow, and Seeded Euc is starting to slow down. Iris is one flower that thrives in cold and rainy conditions and it is in good supply.
Flowers that are not available and will not be from California for Valentine’s Day include Bupleurum, Bells of Ireland, Laceflower and Green Mist. Ginesta is going to be very limited as well. There was damage to a majority of production after the last series of storms. Tulips from northern CA and Washington state are still in good supply and that will continue through early spring.
Novelties
Stephanotis- Stephanotis out of California is still very limited. We will continue to have Canadian Stephanotis available.
Mimosa- We have Bagged Mimosa and Finger Mimosa right now. Grab some now- the season always seems to end sooner than expected.
Daffodils- Our first shipment of English Field Daffodils (Pencil Daffs) is arriving this weekend. This is another item with a short season. Everybody loves a cheery bunch of Daffs!
Peonies- The season in Chile is over. The Israel Peonies are off to a slow start due to cold weather, but we will have some White Duchess and Festiva Maxima for this week.
Callas– Large White Callas are still limited. Demand for Mini Callas has been low so we are buying cautiously. If you need any Mini Callas for party work, be sure to order at least 10 days ahead to make sure we get enough to cover your needs.
Stock- Production of California stock improved somewhat this week. The rain has ended and growers are assessing any damage to their crops. Lavender remains limited and the demand high making availability feel worse. We still struggle to sell yellow, peach, and pinks. Please try to take some of those colors to balance the availability and help balance the price and availability with the in-demand colors. Prices will most likely increase next week as demand swells.
Larkspur-T he growers are in the process of assessing the damage due to the excessive rain. We are starting to see more in the taller lengths and hope that soon all of our purchases will be 80cm or longer. We may still see shortages or gaps next week as we wait for trucks to arrive.
Delphinium– Production in California is very limited and will be into March. There was excellent availability this past week from Ecuador but that has changed dramatically. Cold and rain has really stalled production. We expect availability to shrink as demand rises for the next few weeks. We expect shortages on delph for the next month.
Protea/Leucadendron/South African Product– South Africa is shipping once again. We have been selling a lots of Silver Brunia, but regular Silver Brunia has come to an end so we have transitioned to Spray Brunia. There is a great supply of Pink Protea available from CA for next week. Banksia protea is limited and there is no demand. The price is extremely high so we will buy this on request only.
Iris– The demand for iris has kicked in. There is a good supply of dark blue iris from CA. but colors are always limited until the end of March. Purple is our biggest problem and it is not looking good for Valentines Day.
Ranunculus- Clooney prices are still high. We expect that to break a little after Valentine’s Day. One of our California growers had some weather related damage to their greenhouse this past week so their availability will drop off for a while.
Basics
General- The market has tightened up considerably as expected. Most items are now above prebook pricing and should remain so through the holiday.
Roses
General- The rose market is pretty strong right now. Prices are high and will likely move higher next week. Most farms are shipping at or near holiday prices now. Reds are definitely not in excess now.
Botanicals
Primrose and Primuila- Primula is sold out for the season but we do have Local Primrose available.
Bulbs- We have plenty of bulbs coming in from Canada. We also have a few local bulbs. Local production will pick up in the next few weeks.
Re-Stocking Sale– Our Botanical Restocking Sale ends January 31. Now is your last chance to take advantage of some super prices.
Valentine’s Day Botanicals- Make sure to order your plants for Valentine’s Day. In addition to the VD Botanicals flyer, we have this cute little Dish Garden in a 7” ceramic mug:
Greens
Leatherleaf- The Leatherleaf market is extremely tight. We expect to sell out for the holiday. In addition to Costa Rican and Florida Leather, we will have some Honduras but not as much as we had hoped.
Eucalyptus– Seeded will be a little scarce and may go to Cupped Euc before Valentine’s Day. Other Eucs are plentiful. Eucalyptus was an extremely popular item in 2016 and we expect that trend to continue.
