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?

We Are Bringing You LA Hybrids

We Are Bringing You LA Hybrids

Asiatic Lilies LA Hybrid Lilies Oxnard

The lilies whisper to the day

That sends the breeze below

It touches ground that none can see

Where lilies lively grow

Beautifully arrayed in white

And drinking from the soil

Free to whisper their poetry

Without the need to toil

                                                        -Deborah Amar

LA Hybrids soaking in the California sun.

LA Hybrid and Asiatic lilies are coming in strong from our farm in Oxnard, California. As we all know, not all lilies are created equal. This is why at Sun Valley we call our LA (Longiflorum Asiatic) Hybrids “Royal Lilies” and our Asiatic Hybrids “Love Lilies”; this signifies that you are getting the premier varieties and the highest quality.

Tropic Diamond  |  Esprit  |  Party Diamond  ~ from the Fields Collection.

Nothing about the flowers we grow is garden variety; our flowers are bred to perform. Industry wide, LA Hybrids are in serious demand, and the reason is pretty obvious. These gems have been bred to meet the needs of flower connoisseurs.

Our LA Hybrids feature:

• Thick, color saturated petals.

• Larger buds than traditional Asiatics.

• The best vase life of any lily.

• A color palette more varied than any other lily class; have you see the peachy colored Menorca?

Menorca

So where do these traits come from? The Longiflorum bloodline produces the trumpet shape and provides extra-long vase life. The Asiatic bloodline brings the warmer flower colors and the upward facing blooms.

We increased plantings this year, so more Royals are getting harvested!

I asked Sun Valley’s Lane DeVries to elaborate on our Royal LA Hybrids.

“These lilies are perfect for people who love a big bold lily, but are afraid of the scent that traditionally accompanies an Oriental. Some ories have such a strong scent, I have trouble being in the same room with them. This is one reason I love our LA Hybrids…especially in winter when most people’s homes are closed up tight with the heat running. When it’s cold outside, the very light scent of the LA Hybrids is a blessing and the bright colors can chase off the winter blues like nothing else I know.”

Yellow Diamond Royal Lily

Next I asked Lane what makes our LA Hybrids special?

“There are a few reasons our Royals are superior to others on the market. First are our growing conditions in California. With a farm in northern California and farm in southern California we are able to grow in the very best climate year round. We also select the strongest varieties available, you start with a great bulb, and you get a great flower. Lastly, we grow our lilies slowly. You can’t rush these flowers. We have the space to let them grow slowly. This lets the energy from the bulb and the nutrients in the soil reach the blooms, so their vase life is phenomenal and the colors are just incredible.”

Yellow Diamond  |  Bright Diamond  |  Laksmi  ~ from the Royal Fields Collection.

Right now most of the country is in a ridiculous cold snap with arctic winds pushing subzero temp across vast swaths of America. There is no better time to treat yourself or your customers to these wonderful lilies.

Investigating "The Spring Effect"

Investigating "The Spring Effect"

#americangrown #CAGrown #springeffect Asiatic Lilies Iris spring Walt Whitman Wild Mustard

“In the spring, at the end of the day, you should smell like dirt.”

                                                                         ― Margaret Atwood, Bluebeard's Egg

It is the best time of year to be a flower farmer.  Why?  Because flowers love spring!  The warmth has returned to our fields bringing bunches upon bunches of flowers ready for harvest.  The growers worked hard to keep the plants warm and well lit all winter; now Mother Nature is taking the baton and leading the charge.  The flowers are reaching up to the sky with the help of long days and the benefit of warmer temperatures.

Wild mustard growing on the farm.

Our ever vigilant growers are walking around the farm with smiles of their faces; they are only checking the weather report once every couple hours, instead of once every ten minutes.  The rains of April truly do bring May flowers; we call it the “Spring Effect”.  Sun Valley is bursting at the seams with flowers.  Of course, a lot are already spoken for as Mother’s Day is just around the corner, but the fields, hoop houses and greenhouse are so full of energy you can actually feel it.

 

I took a hike across the Arcata Farm, to get a feel for spring.

Flowers are blooming everywhere.Even our giant compost pile is blooming out tulips with reckless abandon!

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I poked my head into a big Asiatic stand, the buds are forming perfectly.

Asiatic lilies as far as the eye can see

Next,  I found a crew out planting Asiatics. Yes, the cyclic existence of a flower farmer is evident year-round.

These lilies will be ready for harvest at the end of July.

Then I stumbled upon some iris sprouts in their crates. When space is a factor in the hoop houses, often we will grow the iris in crates. We can let them grow their first few weeks outside, then we bring them into the hoop house where they spring into action.

Baby iris, these will be ready to harvest about July 4th.

After seeing the baby iris, I took a look at what these green starts eventually become.

A Telstar Iris against the soft blue sky of California in spring

Our elegant Skydiver Iris

It struck me that spring isn’t a time to ponder the nature of things; it is the time to experience things.  Forget yourself and follow your whimsy, let your senses guide you, and leave your smart phone at home.  Spring is actually a somewhat selfish season, a time to not think of the future, not to plan ahead, simply to be in the moment, so let the flowers guide you and take Walt Whitman’s advice, “Do anything, but let it produce joy.”

What Happens on the Farm in Spring?

What Happens on the Farm in Spring?

#americangrown #CaFlowers #OriginMatters Asiatic Lilies Easter flowers Freesia Gerberas Iris LA Hybrid Lilies ornithogalum dubium Oxnard

"The air is like a butterfly
With frail blue wings.
The happy earth looks at the sky
And sings."

- Joyce Kilmer, Spring

Spring officially starts tomorrow! And not a moment too soon, am I the only one feeling like this was a longer than necessary winter? Longer days mean more time after work to play in the sun and warmer temperatures all around.  The earth’s northern hemisphere is now tilting toward the sun, so shake off that chill of winter, and hold on.

As flower farmers this means we have to make some pretty dramatic changes in response to the changing seasons. One great part of having two farms spaced about 600 miles apart is that we have the ability to grow our crops where the weather is ideal. This gives Sun Valley top of the season availability, no matter what season it is.

For the last several months we have been growing Iris at our Oxnard facility. Now as it gets warmer down south, we will start iris production in Arcata as well. This parallel production will give us a steady supply as spring and summer bring warmer weather to both our farms, by mid-June it will get too hot for iris down south, but for spring we will be producing heavily both north and south.

In our hoop houses, we will also be bringing the majority of our Asiatic Lily and LA Hybrid Lily production north after about Mother’s Day. Now though, we will be running substantial production on both farms, as the climate is great in both locations. Crops that like the warmth such as Delphinium, Dubium and Matsumoto Asters will be coming on strong as these longer days lead to more light and more warmth in Oxnard.


Ornithogalum Dubium Orange...perhaps the hardest flower name to pronounce. 

Our freesia crop, which is one of the most temperature sensitive crops we grow, will be coming back to Arcata after Mother’s Day as well. If you aren’t familiar with freesia it is really worth getting a few bunches to watch them develop. It has an unusual, yet subtle scent which varies by variety. The vase life is remarkable, as the florets open up over time and there are great color options. I wrote about freesia last fall, but it continues to impress me as a beautiful and versatile flower.

Freesia, very easy to pronounce!

Tulips always stay in Arcata, except for a smattering of hoop house French Tulips that we grow in Oxnard during winter. Our big gerbera program is always in Oxnard, this is due to the growing infrastructure they need, as well as the growing expertise in Oxnard. Our lead gerbera grower, Gerrit Vanderkooy, grew up in Holland in a family which specialized in gerbera growing, so his knowledge of this particular crop runs especially deep. This generational knowledge is another key to maintaining steady production of our core crops.



Gerbera's Grown at our Oxnard farm.

 In Arcata, I asked our head grower Tim Crockenburg, what happens differently as we joyfully roll into spring.

“Spring is volunteer iris time in Arcata, we have big fields of bulbs that come up naturally every year. Frosty nights are few and far between, and the warmer days lead to healthier crops.”

What about in the greenhouses?

“We are using the grow lights less on the Orientals as the days get longer, currently they are still growing pretty slow. The most important factor in lily growing is the temperature. As it warms up they will come to harvest quicker.”

How are we looking for Easter and Mother’s Day?

“This year we are right on schedule. We always anticipate easing into spring, so we have planted our blocks with enough cushion to ensure that we will be in great shape for Easter…and then for Mother’s Day we will really kick it into high gear.”

Springtime in California is truly something to behold. No place on earth holds forth with so much potential. Whether in the high peaks of the Sierra, the rugged coastline at the edge of the Pacific Ocean, or in a backyard in San Francisco, spring is more than just a symbol of hope; it is as close to a true rebirth we will ever know. As the buds on the alders in Humboldt County explode from dormant branches and the mountains of the Los Padres National Forest above our Oxnard farm turn vibrant green, we can all breathe a sigh of relief that we are once again taking leave of the wet cold, winter and embracing the anticipation and optimism of spring.

Navigating The Farm By Bike

Navigating The Farm By Bike

Arcata Asiatic Lilies bikes brassica Brigth Wine. Humboldt County Kinetic Grand Championship LilySunValley Sun Valley Floral Farm

“Where is the brassica growing?”


I thought this was a simple enough question, however, the answer was pretty complicated and a little dangerous. On our Farm it is pretty tough to walk out through the greenhouses and hoop houses and find one variety or species without some guidance from the growers, the pickers or anyone else with an idea of where a certain stand of flowers may be. The growers can tell you with pinpoint accuracy where a crop is but interpreting their instruction can be part of the challenge.

“Brassica? You want Corgy White, Bright Wine or Crane Rose?” answers Grower Tim.

Picking the variety with the coolest sounding name I answer with confidence, “Bright Wine.”

“Ok, go out to 9th Street, 9th Street West, not East. Go down to about 944 and it is about half way down in the hoop.”

I act like this jargon means something, thank him and walk away. Behind my back I hear, “You’re not gonna walk all the way out there are you? Take a bike.”


Bikes on the farm

“Oh, which one?” I ask as I look over a collection of beaten up, but functional farm bikes. The grower points to a faded green one, “Take mine.”

I hesitate just long enough to get the question every adult who loves to mountain bike never wants to hear.

“You know how to ride a bike, right?”

“Ahh, yeah of course, nothing to it.” Thinking,  I know how to ride a bike why am I so nervous?

I hop on the once sweet beach cruiser with a basket on the front handlebars and take a few good pedals to get up to speed.  I feel Tim’s eyes on my back, as if the verdict is still out on whether I know how to ride a bike or not. Just at that moment a fork lift comes whipping around a parked delivery truck, beeping his horn to make sure he doesn’t collide with any one.

Who “yields” in this situation? I know on the water the vessel with the most control yields, such as a power boat yields to a sailboat. In this situation, my own sense of self-preservation slams back on the coaster brake, pebbles fly and I am back to standing astride a bike with a cloud of dust swirling around me, having gone all of 15 feet.

Grower Tim yells back over the forklift’s grumble, “Look out for forklifts!” and he returns to his clip board with crop calendars and planting schedules. I thank him for this gem of knowledge, remount the bike, give it a good shove (steady, steady) and pedal off in hopes of finding the “Bright Wine” Brassica, at this point I consider pedaling to a local café for an actual glass of wine.

Arcata is a bicycle friendly community, I would say more than just friendly, there are some real bicycle nuts here.  The Kinetic Grand Championship is an annual race of pedal powered vehicles, which need to be able go across (or through) pavement, sand, mud, open water and many other hazards. Start planning for Memorial Day 2013 to be a part of a wonderful spectacle, started right here in Humboldt County.

Bicycling in and out of the greenhouses, across fields and down dirt roads is a great way to get around. The farm is big! The farm is so big, we actually need street signs just like any other community. Cruising down Tulip Avenue leads you right to a mechanical door at the entrance of a greenhouse. Once you are comfortable on your ride, you can pull a string about 10 feet before the door, the door magically opens and you pedal right through. The street signs help you navigate through the rows of lilies, iris and tulips.


Street signs on the Farm.

I zoom past West 7th street, and sure enough West 9th Street appears on the right. I ring my handlebar bell, in the faint hope that if a forklift is coming the other way we may avoid a collision. I go past row after row of Asiatic Lilies, then the crops start getting different, some freesia, some basil (don’t ask…), some yellow iris, then suddenly I hit the brassica…right where Tim said it would be. All I needed to do was find it.


West 9th Street, home of the Brassica.

I take some beautiful photos of this unique crop, the Bright Wine is really a neat plant, so much texture and personality.

I head back to the office, taking a different route through the farm going past the blazing fields of crocosmia, enjoying the freedom and speed only a bicycle can provide. Pumping my legs, the wind in my hair, leaning over the handle bars for the least amount of drag, feeling great! I pull up to the office, just as Grower Tim is coming out. I slam on the brakes, kick out the back wheel, and skid to a perfect stop.  Then gracefully hop off the bike and stand in flawless form like any 11 year old would proudly do.

Grower Tim rolls his eyes, grabs the handle bars away from me, tosses his planting schedules in the front basket, mounts the bike and pedals away slowly, shaking his head.

"See...   I can ride a bike," I call out after him.

lily@tsvg.com

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Lily's Boots, Love and Royal Lilies - Part 2

Lily's Boots, Love and Royal Lilies - Part 2

Asiatic Lilies CA Grown California Flowers lily's boots Love Lilies Royal Lilies Sun Valley

Freshly harvested Royal Lilies

In my last Lily's Boots post, we followed Love and Royal Lily bulbs all the way from the bulb coolers to the soil, thanks to Tim, our informative tour guide. Today, we'll complete the journey from the sprout to the shipping cooler, thanks to a handful of knowledgeable Sun Valley Team Members.

Starting where we left off...

Once Loves and Royals are planted in the ground (which Tim and I got first-hand experience with), they take about 12 weeks to reach their blooming point, taking somewhat longer earlier in the season. Similar to Tulips, the Lily bulbs that hang out a bit longer in the coolers are the ones that hang out the shortest amount of time in the Hoophouses. Because they really enjoy the regular weather patterns of Arcata during this season and Oxnard during the alternate season, Royal and Love Lilies do not require a Greenhouse to grow in, unlike their Oriental Lily counterparts. (We'll explore Oriental Lily growing in the future.) For this reason, they're somewhat of a Grower's dream!

Although they're grown year-round between Arcata and Oxnard, we're in the midst of the peak planting season for Love and Royal Lilies since they provide a full spectrum of Autumnal colors. Also, because our Lily bulbs are used only once, as opposed to Gerberas or Roses, which grow from the same plant for three years, we are able to exercise a significant level of control over our Lily color programs. (Check out the range of Love and Royal Lily colors by clicking here and here.) So at any given time during this time of year, if you take a trip over to the Hoophouses, you can see the Loves and Royals being planted, tended to, and harvested - a whole life cycle happening right before your eyes!



At one part of the farm, a Team Member harvests Royal Lilies

Once the Lilies have been hand-cut by the Asiatic Lily Picking Team, they are wheeled a short distance over to a nearby Hoophouse, where they are bunched, sleeved and put into buckets of water. As it happens, I got a little bit of hands on experience with the sleeving the other day. I regret to inform you that I did not catch it on video, but here are some photos.

My bunching station: Grade 1 Love Lilies on the left, sleeves in the middle,
sleeved bunches on the right



Lily putting Lilies in a sleeve, taking about double the amount
of time as the Team Member to my left (not pictured), I might add

You might think that bunching and sleeving is as simple as putting a few stems together and sticking them into a sleeve, but the process is actually much more complicated. At least, I found it to be! For starters, each Lily has to be graded and then separated into its respective grade. The grading is made clear with color-coded rubber bands. Blue = Grade 1, and Red = Grade 6.



Blue and red rubber bands identify the Lily grades



Then each bunch of Lilies must go into its own sleeve. Every sleeve is coded with the brand and name of a Lily, and a color ring around the top of the sleeve indicates the color of the Lily - a helpful measure since we ship our Lilies closed.



"Santa Cruz" Love Lilies



"Champagne Diamond" Royal Lilies



"Tiger Play" Tango Lilies

Once the Love and Royal Lilies have been graded, bunched and sleeved, a Team Member ties them, trims them and puts them into a bucket of water on one of our Dutch auction carts. (You may remember the carts from IFE.) The team member carefully maps each cart to show exactly which variety or varieties are on the cart, how many bunches are in each bucket, and how many buckets are on each cart. This data is then entered into our computer system so the Packing Team in the Warehouse (the Love and Royal Lilies' final destination at the farm) will have an accurate inventory to pull from.



A Team Member ties and trims Love Lilies



Next the Team Member draws out a cart map by hand,
which he will later enter into a computer.



Finally, the Team Member wheels a full cart to the edge of
the Hoophouse where another team member will collect it
and pull it into the Warehouse.

And this completes our Sun Valley tour of the Love and Royal Lilies. The rest of the story, as you know, continues with a little Cold Chain Management, a wholesaler, retailer or florist, and ultimately, a smiling recipient of Loves or Royals.

The next time you're sticking an orange Love or a burgundy Royal into your cornucopia, you'll know exactly where your Lilies came from!

For even more information on Loves and Royals, visit this Resource Pages:
Love Lilies and Royal Lilies: http://www.thesunvalleygroup.com/thesunvalleygroup/pdf/SV_RP_LiliesRL.pdf
Love Lilies: http://www.thesunvalleygroup.com/thesunvalleygroup/pdf/SV_RP_LoveLilies.pdf
Royal Lilies: http://www.thesunvalleygroup.com/thesunvalleygroup/pdf/SV_RP_RoyalLilies.pdf