Pink / red catkins are 100% natural.
They don’t need any dye or artificial colouration during production.
Red catkins definitely have the X-factor:
Catkins appeals to the senses and therefore perfectly match with todays experience economy.
Horticulture and floristry can anticipate on Mother’s Day and Valentine’s Day with red catkins. During these ‘Hallmark holidays’ flowers are often bought as an impulse product. Sales during these days generate a higher profit, since everybody wants to shine with a nice bouquet for their loved ones.
Willows are particularly suitable as forcing shrubs for cutting. Naturally, willows produce catkins in early spring (February), just before Valentine’s Day. Since cut willow branches allow for long term storage in cold rooms, their period of use can be extended until Mother’s Day fairly easily.
Tree nurseries may find Salix an interesting crop to grow as a forcing shrub. For the following reasons:
Long and slender catkins that protrude above a bouquet always look appealing. Of course the slender and flexible stems offer opportunities for creative bending by florists.
You could combine red catkins with the pastel green flowers of Viburnum opulus ‘Roseum’, which is also an early flowering forcing shrub for cutting.
Salix stems are highly flexible. Bend two willow stems in a heart shape, as is often done with bamboo. You can append this heart shape with almost any garden plant. That way even a dormant garden plant becomes an attractive and appropriate giveaway article for Valentine’s Day and Mother’s Day. The receiver can transplant the plant in their garden and grow their own bunch of flowers during summertime.
When combined with a climbing plant, such as Clematis., the willow also offers support material for climbing. If you want to avoid rooting of the willow, you could give the bottom part of the willow branches a quick dip in molten wax. On the other hand, a sprouted willow could also act as support material for the Clematis. Clematis of pruning group 3, such as Clematis viticella hybrids, and willow can be pruned likewise in the same season and make a great plant combination.
I did some cultivar research and made a short list of the best red catkin cultivars available for forcing shrub blooms:
You can bet red catkins will be trendsetting in springtime next year.
It has taken a few years to propagate red catkin Salix cultivars. This year Salix chaenomeloides Mt. Aso will be available in dribs and drabs. But from 2016 onwards Mt. Aso will be available for florists on a large scale.
Hope this article inspires you to develop a red catkin strategy for next year. I would be happy to think along with you and find a suitable business partner to cooperate with.
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