Bloom Check Sustainability

Bloom Check Sustainability

American Grown Bloom check CA Grown Cut flowers Sun Valley Sustainability

Sun Valley just made a change that is good news for you, good news for your flowers, AND good news for the environment--we have officially switched over to Bloom Check.

Okay, so what is Bloom Check? Bloom Check a certification program all about sustainable farming practices in the US.  More specifically, it the gold standard in the sustainable certification of fresh cut flowers and foliage.

For retailers and consumers, it means the flowers you buy are grown under the highest standards for flower production, cultivated with respect for the land and dignity for the people who work it.  You are buying the best--and kindest--flowers that America has to offer.

For us, the flower farmer, it means we've met the most rigorous standards for growing flowers in the US.  We have gone through an extensive audit to ensure that we are using best practices with regards to water use, air and soil quality, wildlife protection, as well as societal impacts on our team members and community.    We have earned the right to wear the Bloom Check badge of honor on our (flower) sleeves, and we wear it proudly.  

Look for this sticker/logo on the flowers you buy

So, what are these rigorous standards? 

To ensure objectivity, the standards, accreditation, and audits for Bloom Check are conducted by a third-party certifier, Protected Harvest.

Protected Harvest is an independent, nonprofit organization which judges sustainability based on nine different production management categories: field scouting, information sources, pest management, field management, weed management, insect management, disease management, soil and water quality, and storage.
 

Not only that, we must stay below a certain number of toxicity units per acre.  Highly toxic pesticides are prohibited, and earth-friendly biological methods (good bugs vs. bad bugs) are encouraged.  Also, each handler of the crop must undergo a chain-of-custody audit that follows the crop from field to retail.  This extra step ensures that ALL levels of flower production (including storage, packing, and transportation)  is done as sustainably as possible.

Yellow Sticky Tape as non-invasive bug control

How is Bloom Check different from other sustainable certifications?

Origin matters!  Bloom Check is specifically designed for flower farmers in the United States, giving you the assurance that your flowers were not imported from another country on an air freighter or big boat.  Moreover, because Bloom Check is specific to American Grown flower products, the farms must also adhere to regulations put forth by the USDA, EPA, CDFA, State Water Board, Coastal Commission, and more  This gives consumers an authoritative guarantee from Protected Harvest and tens of regulatory government agencies that the Bloom Check flowers you buy are sustainably grown, with no shortcuts.

Sun Valley has always practiced sustainability, but changing our certification to Bloom Check helps us exhibit our practices with pride (and a stout guarantee). Sustainability is innovation, and our efforts to rework energy use, recycle water and soil, and take care of our employees is not only good for the environment, it's good for business.

When you buy or sell our Bloom Check-certified blooms, you can feel good that they are not only gorgeous in their appearance but also good for the earth and the future.

How to Create the Perfect Ilex

How to Create the Perfect Ilex

#CAGrown American Grown ilex verticillata Lady Aster Lane DeVries Willow Creek winterberry

If you are familiar with Sun Valley, then you know we are the industry go-to for bulb crops, especially soil-grown tulips.  However, we also have a seasonal crop which is just as renowned, and always wows our customers and blows the socks off of our competition--Ilex Verticillata.

Ilex Verticillata (aka Winterberry) paired with Blue Prince Holly

I say that last statement with confidence, as our ilex program has been hand-picked, bred, and cultivated by our own Lane DeVries for over a decade.  His long-term dedication to grow the best ilex verticillata is evident in the product we offer today.

So, what are the requirements for high-quality ilex? Deep, saturated colors of the berries, a large concentration of berries on each stem, good positioning and length of laterals, and, of course, overall lasting power.  It's these floral characteristics which make our ilex a joy to use in design and a pleasure to share with others.

How to Create the Perfect Ilex

The ilex we currently grow is the “Oosterwijk” variety, which is the female cultivar of the ilex plant, known for the holding power of its color and berries as a cut branch.  Our original plants came from Holland a little over 10 years ago, and we've been growing them at our Willow Creek farm since then. 

Ilex growing in Willow Creek

Years ago, Lane started working with some test plants which had planted in 2006.  He ranked each individual plant using a 30-point scale based on the positioning of the berries on the stem, the saturation of color, the size and number of berries, and stem length.
 

Quality branch: high concentration of colorful berries, many laterals with good positioning, and great stem length.

Lane then took cuttings from 20 of the outstanding performers, and these were repropagated and replanted.  This process creates identical genetic copies of the strongest plants.  Ilex may be one of the most difficult crops to repropagate, but it's worth it to follow the achievable dream of the "most perfect" ilex.   Lane plants, tests, replants, retests, and so on in order to continuously improve and innovate--one of Sun Valley's guiding principles at work. 

Lane in his element

Another method that Lane uses to create the most perfect ilex is cross-pollination. He will plant two highly ranked bushes next to each other, and let the bees do their work of cross-pollinating the flowers, creating entirely new strains of ilex. Lane has the fields diagrammed like a stadium, each plant has an assigned section, row, and seat so that it can be closely tracked and monitored.

And while Lane has created the most perfect Ilex you can find on the market, the rest of the Sun Valley team ensures that it makes it to you that way.

Bunching and sleeving room

 Our Willow Creek team harvests the branches, places them in buckets and then they get hauled down the mountain to our Arcata farm. Once in the warehouse, our processing team removes the foliage to expose the striking red berries, and then bunches and sleeves the branches.

Large bucket of de-foliated ilex in our sales office

The end product is stunning. We offer simple bunches of the brilliant red ilex as well as enhanced bunches.  A very popular holiday favorite is our red ilex paired with cedar and white tulips or lilies--the contrast of color and texture is dynamic and beautiful.

The years of work (and love) that have gone into creating the best product in the market is a testament our floral devotion, and has made Sun Valley THE dependable source for ilex.  Not only that, Lane is continuing to improve and innovate, which makes the future look very berry bright, indeed.

Our exceptional red ilex is available NOW until it sells out, so get it quickly before Santa takes the rest of it up to Mrs. Claus! 



Walking the Oxnard Color Farm

Walking the Oxnard Color Farm

American Grown CA Grown dahlias Lady Aster Oxnard Sun Pacific Bouquet

I recently took  a trip to Southern California to visit our Oxnard Farm, which is always a treat.  Our farm world in northern-located Arcata is mostly tulips, lilies, and irises, so I love to experience the other flora that is also part of the Sun Valley Catalog.  

Red Asters, Green Solidago, and yellow button pom

Our Oxnard location allows us to take advantage of every flower's growing cycle, so while its grey and cold in Northern California, we are able to use the climate of Oxnard to extend the season of our warm-weather flora.  The specific crops we grow in Oxnard are often picked when they are showing full color (which differs from here in Arcata).  This means the lucky pickers, packers, and bouquet-makers get to fully experience the world of color they are creating.  Last week I got to see it, and now I am here to introduce these beautiful blooming images onto you. 

Enjoy and be bright!

The Hoops

The Dahlia hoop houses reward you with some beautiful sights of intricate petals that seem to be infinitely unfolding.  These are featured in many of Sun Pac's winter bouquets and are also available in consumer bunches.

 

Below are purple and red Matsumoto Asters; their cheerful vibrancy never fails to disappoint.  Normally, asters are a late summer/early fall variety, but with our organized hoop house program, along with Southern California's moderate temperatures, our blooms are able to flourish year-round.   

Asters paved the way for their close relatives, Pom Chrysanthemums (aka Poms) a relatively new crop that is doing spectacular (but I'll let the flowers speak for me)...Right now is the season for mums, as they need short days and long nights to flower and show their colors.  Their many-layered, warmly hued petals bring a long-lasting brightness to any vase.

 

While we do grow Zantedeschia (Calla Lilies) in Arcata during the summer and fall, we had some healthy new plantings in Oxnard hoops that look like they are going to grow up to have beautiful blooms come January, and I couldn't resist snapping a shot of the sprouting leaves in the sunshine.

 The Bouquet Room

After walking through the hoop houses, I entered the world of Sun Pacific Bouquet, a bustling and bright world of bouquet-building.  This was one week before Thanksgiving, and the season was evident in the colors on the tables.

Sun Pac Work Table

Lilies, Solidago, and yellow button poms

Lovely Liatris

Long stemmed flowers ready for a bouquet.

Thanks to everyone in Oxnard who let me get in their way to take these photos!  And, remember, grey skies don't mean a thing when you're staring colorful blooms in the face.  See a flower you haven't experienced yet? Be bright and be bold--try something new, and bring the world of color home with you this winter!

Rosehips: Autumn's Darling

Rosehips: Autumn's Darling

American Grown bees CA Grown fall arrangements Fall Colors Lady Aster Rose Hips roses Willow Creek

Rosehips: the plant of a million uses.  Well, maybe not a million, but its reputation as a great source of Vitamin C precedes it by centuries with ancient and modern use in tinctures, jellies, wine, and more.  Take a walk down your local grocery tea aisle and you'll be sure to find some herbal rosehip tea.  

However, rosehips are not just for flavoring foods, they are also for spicing up bouquets.  And in the world of Sun Valley, rosehips are through and through a fall specialty branch!   

 
So what exactly is a rosehip? Is it a rose or isn't it?  Scientifically speaking, the rosehip is the swollen ovary that contains the rose seeds.  It is the "fruit" of the rose.  If you cut open a rosehip you will find it is full of reproductive seeds.  
 

Rosehip bloom being pollinated

Rosehips develop on wild roses as the petals drop off.   These wild roses may not look like the "traditional" roses you are accustomed to, but they are indeed classified as roses (and aren't they pretty?).  The species of Rosa we use are specifically bred to create big, beautiful hips, which is why the regular rosebushes in your neighborhood will not produce anything quite like them. 





We grow these plants at our inland Willow Creek Farm, which is located 45-minutes away from coastal Arcata.  This canyon in the hills provides an ideal climate of early springs, hot summers, and an extended autumn which gives rosehips plenty of time to mature.

Rosehip blooms in summer

We prune our rosehip bushes down to the ground every winter, and then we wait.  As the weather begins to warm in late winter/early spring, they begin to grow back  and by summer, the flowers are blooming and the bees are buzzing.  We maintain bee boxes from a local keeper on the farm, so the bees are happy and our rose hips are happy!

Bee Box with protective wires to keep the bears out!

Once the flowers are pollinated, the pink bloom falls off and the seed pod (the hip!) begins to form. 
 
We harvest rosehips as early as August and as late as Christmas, and the month of harvest determines the color of the berry. Early in the season, they start out green; as they progress, they begin to resemble Fuji apples--partially green with reddish swirls; then they develop a beautiful reddish-orange hue and finally, a saturated cherry red. It's almost as if they know what colors are fashionable per season and act accordingly!   

Rosehips in Autumn

We have been growing and testing rosehips for many years, and have found that one variety in particular, called Amazing Fantasy, produces the strongest berry in our climate. Once cut, Amazing Fantasy Rosehips can keep their color, shape and luminosity for several weeks.

Our strong rosehip program is bolstered by the fact that agricultural restrictions forbid the importation of fresh rosehips into the United States.  We are proud to be one of the few producers of this truly American Grown crop,  and you too can feel good when you support this important agricultural movement.

Design wise, rosehips are extremely versatile and fit into the fall and winter color palette perfectly.  Check out the dramatically beautiful autumnal arrangement created by floral designer,  Pieter Landman.  You can see how they add texture and a punch of focal color.

The "Dress This Nest" blog also featured our rosehips in a great DIY-tutorial in flower arranging.  Once you get started, you'll see that perhaps there ARE a million uses for rosehips!

American Grown Mother's Day 2014

American Grown Mother's Day 2014

#americangrown American Grown Lilies Mother's Day Oriental Lily

"Mama was my greatest teacher, a teacher of compassion, love and fearlessness. If love is sweet as a flower, then my mother is that sweet flower of love."
                                                                                     -Stevie Wonder

2014 marks the 100th year that Mother's Day has been celebrated in the United States. On May 9th, 1914, President Woodrow Wilson made the second Sunday in May officially "Mother's Day."

This is one of the busiest times of year on our flower farm, as flowers are the traditional gift to give your mom. Over the course of the year our Sun Valley team is training for this event, we focus on operational excellence year-round, however, Mother's Day is where the "rubber hits the road."

We are able to scale up our operations to meet demand due to a lot of planning and a lot of teamwork. At this time of year it's not unusual to see Lane DeVries on the "tulip line" laying flowers on the belt, which will get graded, sorted, sleeved and sent to mom's across the country.  It's not unusual to see Vince Thomas, our head of transportation and logistics, working on a shipping line in the warehouse. "All Hands on Deck" means literally "All Hands on Deck."

This type of leadership epitomizes the Sun Valley experience and it also embodies the American experience. Learning by doing and leading by example. This is why we are successful. As an American flower farm we face steep competition from flowers grown off shore. However, the tides are changing in our favor as consumers request American Grown flowers to share with their families and friends...and especially as the perfect gift for mom.

Much like Women's Day which we celebrate in early March, Mother's Days is distinctly an American holiday. You owe it to your mom to give her flowers grown right here in the United States...the same place where you were born and raised.

Doesn't this make sense?

The vast majority of folks reading these words grew up in the USA, making you just as American Grown as our flowers.

Even the White House is getting on board; did you see this outstanding article in the New York Times?

As our flowers get delivered to wholesalers, flower shops and stores across the country, we pass the baton onto the floral professionals that will make sure every mom has a wonderful day.

All the lilies in this post are test varieties we are growing in small quantities. If they pass the test, they may be available in the near future.

Good Luck and Thank You,