The Sparrow and the Sorbonne

The Sparrow and the Sorbonne

#birdsnest #sorbonne #greenhouse #sustainability #lilies

Where there's a farm, there's life! In addition to the flower-centric happenings around here, our farm is home to many other types of critters--harmful and helpful alike.  We have bees collecting pollen from our crops, ladybugs feasting on pests, and even the occasional raccoon to scare the bejeezus out of me as I walk to my car.

A working bee collecting pollen from a Matsumoto Aster

A fantastic frog....doing his frog thing.

Recently, our lily greenhouse has become home to a new family. They were first spotted when Tim, our head agronomist, was doing his daily farm walk through a section of Sorbonne Lilies and discovered a small bird's nest, complete with three eggs. 

We left the nest alone and instructed all teams to not disturb the eggs! Caution tape was put around the small section to ensure their protection and over the next few weeks, I monitored the progress of our Lily Sparrows. 

Two hatched, One to go!

One aspect of this Circle-of-Life tableau that I particularly enjoyed was that just before the eggs hatched, all the surrounding Sorbonne Lilies burst open, as if to welcome the new baby birds to the world.  Talk about an entrance!

Prime real estate!

I made weekly trips to the greenhouse to check on our little sparrows.  The mom was not happy to see me, even though I assured her I was just there to observe and take some photos.  Eventually, when the babies were big and strong enough, they flew away to make their own life.

This sparrow story is a great illustration of how a professional greenhouse environment can be healthy, balanced, and a great place to build a home....er, nest. That is, if the greenhouse is treated the right way, with no shortcuts or harmful chemicals. And maybe, someday, the three sparrows will return to their birthplace to build another nest in our lilies. Either way, they are more than welcome.

A Lily Scent Guide by Lady Aster

A Lily Scent Guide by Lady Aster

#AllLiliesDon'tSmell #americangrown #CAGrown #lilies #Smell Asiatic Lilies LA Hybrid Lilies lilyguide Oriental lilies OT Hybrid lilies Roselilies

Welcome our newest flower connoisseur, Lady Aster, we will be sharing her view of the farm on occasion. Enjoy.

“Smell is a potent wizard that transports you across thousands of miles and all the years you have lived.”
               -Helen Keller

The body is a wonderful mechanism.  Our sense of smell, perceived in our olfactory bulb, is part of the brain’s limbic system—an area so tied with memory and feeling that it has been nicknamed our “emotional brain.”  A single smell can call up long-forgotten memories and powerful emotional responses in an instant.  Pretty great stuff, if you like what you smell.  Everyone is different and some people do well with strong scents, while others’ olfaction may be easily overwhelmed. 
   
So what about Sun Valley’s Oriental Lilies? Do these inspire good feelings or aromatically overwhelm?  The answer can be both—while our aromatic lilies may smell amazing to some, others with allergies or sensitive noses may find their scent overpowering.   Luckily for them, not all lilies smell.  It’s true; some lilies boast a fragrance that will fill a room, but other varieties have little to no scent at all.  If you are one who has an aversion to strong-smelling flowers, but still love the presence of gorgeous blooms, this is the post for you. 

I took several of our lily varieties home to test the “smell phenomenon,” placing each variety in a different room for a clear distinction of scent. Here, I provide you with a short-but-sweet summary about which lilies to choose for your all your scented (or non-scented) needs. 

High-Level Smell:
The lily with the strongest fragrance comes as part of our Orchid Lily Line—our well-known Starfighter Lily.  Its colorful blooms and sweet smell brings a bright and lively presence to any room.  I placed a bouquet in my living room, and every time I entered the room I was reminded of stepping off a plane in a tropical paradise, the air heavy with honeyed smells.  If you are one who loves powerfully fragrant flowers, opt for our Starfighter Lily; or, if you prefer a less provocative scent, try our other Orchid Lilies, such as White Cup, Sorbonne, or Curie.   All lilies of the Sun Valley Orchid variety have graceful, arching petals and range in color from pure white to warm hues of pink and red.  

Our famous Starfighter smells how it looks—vibrant!

Mid-Level Smell:
These beauties still have a fragrance, but it is less direct than our Orchid varieties.   These slightly sweet flowers include all varieties of our Sonata Lilies, whose upward facing, 6-inch blooms boast an intensely delicate scent with a light citrus-green background.   The smell of these lovely lilies is subtle, only coming to the surface when you stick your face in them and take in a big, deep breath.   Sonatas are a hybrid of both Oriental and Trumpet Lilies, giving us the best of both worlds in terms of satin-like colors, longevity of life, and light, pleasing scents.

 These Sonata Lilies exhibit a subtle scent to match to their soft, silken colors, this is Time Zone.

Low-Level Smell:
Roselilies (which are part of our Specialty Lilies collection) are lush, double-flowered, gorgeous blooms that demand attention with their appearance, while offering a soft and delightful fragrance. Because their layered blooms are pollen-free and their aroma light, they are a great choice when wanting to visually “wow” your audience without triggering any floral allergies or scent sensitivities.  

One of my favorite Specialty Lilies, Belonica, has giant double blooms that will tickle your fancy, not your nose.

No Smell:
For those who would like immense flora with low-to-no smell, our Love Lilies and Royal Lilies are the blooms for you.  These Asiatic and Longiflorum-Asiatic hybrid lilies are well known for their strong stems, smooth petal forms, long lasting blooms, and, of course, their lack of smell.  Their petal texture is thicker than other lily varieties, which means a longer vase life and their colors range from richly saturated hues to soft, pastel-like shades.  If you suffer from floral allergies or simply don’t like fragrant flowers, check out the large selection of Love (Asiatic) and Royal (Longiflorum-Asiatic) Lilies for a beautiful, verdant display without any additional smell.

A colorful combination of our odorless Love Lilies.

A close-up of one of our long-lasting, no-smell Royal Lilies, this is Royal Bach.

 I hope you enjoyed our walk-through scented science experiment. Regardless of your preference of smell or no smell, all our long-lasting lily varieties will be sure to offer a visual experience like no other.  What do you think? Are you a fragrant flower lover or do you prefer beautiful bouquets without, ahem, a strong bouquet?

Grow Lights in Humboldt, California

Grow Lights in Humboldt, California

#lilies grow lights Oriental lilies

"Yours is the day, Yours also is the night; You have prepared the light and the sun."
                                                                                                                      Psalms 74:16

On a recent rainy, foggy morning while driving into work at 5:30 AM, I noticed the light from our greenhouses reflecting off the heavy moisture in the air. it was a very beautiful sight. I decided to hike out in the pre-dawn darkness to the lily greenhouse to see what it looked like up close. The farm can be a little spooky this time of night, a stray cat or bold raccoon, can put your senses on high alert.

I found rows of Oriental lilies all bathed in a warm orange, reddish light. Weirdly serene, with the quiet buzz of the filaments echoing through the greenhouse.

Baby "White Cup" Orientals.

When I got back to the office I decided to check in with our head grower, Tim Crockenburg, for an explanation of our lighting system.

Our Orientals and OT Hybrids need a solid 16 hours of light a day. As the days get shorter, our lights compensate for the lack of daylight. They are actually on timers that adjust to the sunrise and sunset, so the lilies get the light they need, and we don't waste electricity.

The Edge, these will be ready for Valentines Day.

The lilies would still grow beautifully without the lights, however, this boost of light keeps them growing perfectly on schedule. Our goal is to bring them to harvest in 16 weeks, and this would  not be possible without the lights.

We use 430 Watt Son Agro high pressure sodium lights. These lights are ideally suited for growing flowers, since the orange and red light spectrum is exactly what the flowers need to encourage budding.

Got Lilies?

I also asked Tim, if we use these same lights on the lilies at our Oxnard farm, surprisingly the answer is no. Check out this chart, it shows the difference in daylight hours at our to location. Arcata is about 750 miles north of Oxnard, but the daylight hours and seasonal changes are very different.

This interesting mix of science and nature leads to phenomenal lilies. Flower farming requires a significant background in science. When I started asking Tim questions, he immediately produced a text book about plant physiology, and referred me to several pages, which he knew by heart.

 Who would have thought that flower power required so much thinking?

Valentine's Interview with Lane DeVries

Valentine's Interview with Lane DeVries

#lilies #tulips #ValentinesDay Flowers for Valentine's Day

Tracking down Lane DeVries18 days before Valentine's Day is tough. He is walking the greenhouses, talking to the logistics team and making sure everyone is on the same page. My goal was to ask him some questions about our Valentine's prep and get his outlook on this year's holiday.

I caught Lane as he was heating up a mug of tea, and he had to remain still for a few minutes while his tea steeped. I saw my opportunity, and I took it!

Our lilies are loving the January sun.

 Lily: "How are you feeling about the crops with less than three weeks before Valentine's Day?"

Lane: "We are right on time. Everything looks great."

Ray is picking your tulips.

Lily: "What are your feelings on the weather?"

Lane: "Lilies love the sun. It is unusual to have all this sun in January. Especially the Oriental lilies, they are spectacular right now.  The tulips like the sun as well, we've been using the shade cloths a lot, but if you look at the foliage it is phenomenal...and nice green foliage leads directly to great vase life.

Lily: "What about the rain?"

Lane: "No doubt about it that we need rain in California, but all this sunshine has been great for the flowers. Also, we are watching the weather across the entire nation. We really hope for some calm weather in the next couple weeks to keep the roads open so our flowers can get where they are headed."

Lily: "Valentine's Day is on a Friday, with the holiday weekend in the mix. Some people are speculating sales may be off, what's your sense on this?"

Lane: "It is what we as an industry want it to be, people are going to be buying flowers regardless of the day of the week. I've seen buyers cut back their numbers because of the day of the week, then surprise...their sales are off. Really, I think having enough flowers for this holiday is a bigger issue than having too many. And as far as the day of the week...look at the biggest flower day of the year, Mother's Day. What day of the week is Mother's Day?"

Lily: "Sunday."

Lane: "Right."

Lily: "OK, I see your point. What do you get your wife for Valentine's Day?"

Rich wonderful Valentine's Day color. #CAGrown

Lane: "You know it's funny, over the years I've done all sorts of flowers, I've tried the roses, but really the bulb flowers we grow here are her favorites. Last year I did a bouquet of tulips, hyacinths and iris, and she loved it.

Lily: "Any other traditions?"

Lane: "A card... If I don't show up with a card, it will not be good."

Lane out in the tulip greenhouse.

Lane's tea was cool enough to drink and I heard the growers footsteps coming down the hallway, time to scoot!

Stay tuned as we ramp up into Valentine's Day.

 

Hi-Tech Flower Farming

Hi-Tech Flower Farming

#americangrown #lilies #tulips Scarecrow Tanner Allen technology

It's poetry in motion
She turned her tender eyes to me
As deep as any ocean
As sweet as any harmony
But she blinded me with science
"She blinded me with science!"

                                                         -Thomas Dolby

A perfect row of lilies. The space between the crates disappears and they are all the same height.

You may think of flower growing as a quaint, contemplative stress free occupation.  Perhaps as you kneel in your garden planting your fall bulbs you experience this kind of sensation. The reality of a flower farm is very different.  It’s actually surprisingly stressful to bring a gorgeous greenhouse of lilies or tulips to harvest. There are pitfalls all over the place, however, at Sun Valley we have invested in the technology to make sure the risks that we face are minimized.

Baby tulips, with drip lines running across the crates.

Get ready to have your mind blown; mine is still reeling at what our growers can do from their smart phones. It is kind of like Star Trek with really amazing flowers.

Tanner checking on recently planted tulips.

For years, Sun Valley has had state of the art equipment in the greenhouses measuring key data points. Ten years ago when a greenhouse got too chilly, a beeper clipped to someone’s belt or propped up on their bedside table went off.  Then you had to get to the farm or call someone at the farm and make sure the situation was corrected. Are you old enough to remember what a “beeper” is?

I recently walked the greenhouses with our head grower Tim Crockenberg, and our newest grower on the Sun Valley team, Tanner Allen. Tim and Tanner proceeded to show me the awesome technology our farm utilizes every day.

From his smart phone, Tanner can monitor and actually make changes in the greenhouse environment from anywhere in cell phone range. What they are capable of doing is remarkable.

The data points we are constantly monitoring include:

• Power: Are there any surges or outages?

• Climate: Any high or low temperature alerts?

• Greenhouse vents: Opened or closed?

• Irrigation: Proper amount of water for the flowers and soil moisture levels?

• Water: PH Level.

• Water Electro-conductivity: Salt content of the water, which points to the plant’s absorption of nutrients.

These devices measure atmospheric conditions.

The growers can see what all these data points are doing nearly row by row, however, they can also make corrections and changes remotely. So that need to call someone at the farm, or to come to the farm yourself to make changes to ensure the crops are in the ideal environmental doesn’t exist anymore.  Our growers could be traveling 200 miles from the farm and see that a bed of tulips isn’t getting enough water, and through their phone they can simply increase the irrigation rate. 

Using smart phone to monitor our crops and conditions.

Of course, if something jams or a certain valve gets closed by accident, Tim, Tanner, Gerrit or Lane will be headed to the farm to fix the problem.

Another aspect of the farm that is constantly monitored is the possibility of frost.  Around the farm we have frost monitors. When they hit a certain temperature, sprinklers automatically start spraying water on the hoop houses. Water has to release heat to freeze, so the tops of the hoop houses freeze over, and inside the hoop house stays nice and toasty…a few degrees above freezing.

Technology in farming has advanced at a staggering rate. The fact that it may look like Tanner is playing on Facebook, when really he is watering a row of thirsty lilies and remotely correcting a temperature imbalance in the tulips is amazing.  However, there are some time tested technologies we still embrace here on the farm. 

Great shot taken last week by David Aronovici

  To infinity and beyond!