Cultivation Of Crops: The Poetry of Spring

"Spring has returned.
The Earth is like a child that knows poems"
--Rainer Maria Rilke

Spring has arrived, and the world can't help but erupt with color: fruit trees are blossoming, shrubs are sporting new, tender buds, and flowers are brightening up fields, yards, and even our farm compost pile. Yes, spring is in full effect.

Our compost pile during spring

We grow flowers year round, and without a doubt, spring is the best time to be a flower farmer. We no longer need to "trick" our crops into thinking it is springtime. Now, the sun shines, and the flowers act accordingly.

We call this the "Spring Effect," though it could just as easily be called the "Flower Explosion." The timing is perfect as Mother's Day is just a month away, and in the meantime, we are fully enjoying the buzz of springtime energy around the farm.

First, our Willow Creek crops come alive (hello Viburnum!), which is quickly followed by our hoop houses, greenhouses, and fields giving us millions of blooms.

Spring's favorite flowering shrub, Viburnum!

Spring in the Hoops

Our crops of Royal Lilies (aka LA Hybrids) are imitating lush, miniature forests; we're picking thousands of Hyacinth a week; and our French Tulips and iris are showing great stem lengths.

Spring in the Greenhouses

Spring is the tulip's season. In Arcata, our greenhouses are brimming with tulips in all stages of growth.

Tulip Greenhouse

Our lily greenhouses are also full of hustle and bustle--picking crews are working hard, filling their buckets and carts with blooms ready to send out the door.

Spring in the Fields

Now that the soil is warming, we've begun planting summer crops in open fields--iris, crocosmia, hypericum, and hydrangea are in the ground. Spring paves the way for the summer arrival of these colorful crops.