Election Recovery and Royal Sunset Lilies

Election Recovery and Royal Sunset Lilies

Autumn flowers election season fall Flowers and Emotion royal sunset lilies soothing

Today, as the sun sets, our mailboxes breathe a sigh of relief as they are no longer forced to house piles of glossy proposition pamphlets... It's been a whopper of an election season, and I'm sure many of us are looking for a little bit of calm and tranquility right about now.  For a pretty pick-me-up, I, of course, look to flowers. What better way to celebrate the end of this year's election season with something pretty, soothing, and tranquil—the Royal Sunset Lily.

 The psychology of colors is well-documented with colors on the warm end of the spectrum—such as red, pink, orange, and yellow—shown to bring forth feelings of optimism and energy.  Our bi-color Royal Sunset lily offers that perfectly soothing color combination in addition to its  positive emotional affects as a flower.

The Royal Sunset lily is an LA Hybrid, which means it isn't your average garden lily—LA Hybrids are a crossbred, man-made flower species. We have been these lilies for years now and have branded our LA Hybrids as Royal Lilies to indicate their prestige and high-quality standing.  Their blooms are bigger than traditional Asiatics, their vase life is the longest of any lily to date, and they have an incredible range of warm colors.  They are also virtually scentless—perfect for those who have floral allergies.

 Besides their excellent breeding history, Royal Sunset lilies also need a quality growing environment to really shine.  We plant our bulbs directly into the ground, laying down drip tape and a wire grid as we go.  The drip tape provides a consistent, measured supply of water and fertilizer directly to the flowers' root systems, and as the lilies grow, the wire grid is raised with them to provide support and help them continue growing tall and straight.
 

Royal Sunset lilies respond best to warm days and cool nights, which is why Arcata's cool, coastal weather is the perfect place for them to grow.  During the colder months of winter, we switch to growing our Royal Lilies at our Southern California farm in Oxnard. The two locations allow us to produce a continuous supply of high-quality lilies all year. 

It takes about 12-16 weeks for the lilies to reach the perfect time to harvest.  This unrushed developmental period is enough time for all the energy and nutrients from the bulb to reach the buds, so their vase life is incredible and the colors really pop.


We are especially excited to offer the popular Royal Sunset Lilies as we dive head-first into November.  The demand for these particular lilies has increased over the last few years, so we have adjusted our growing schedule accordingly in order to have plenty of these warmed-hued babies throughout the season.

This autumn, let the gorgeous colors and soothing presence of Royal Sunset Lilies evoke feelings of optimism, creativity, and energy within you and everyone who enjoys them. 

Guide to Antique Hydrangeas

Guide to Antique Hydrangeas

#mophead antique hydrangeas autumn Autumn Colors Autumn flowers fall heirloom marbled

I know you don't want to talk about it, but it's happening.  Summer is ending. It's as unavoidable as the, uh... passage of time.  Late August has arrived, foreshadowing cooler weather, vacation finales, and back-to-school advertisements. As we slowly and reluctantly start replacing our swimsuits with sweaters, let's focus on the positives of early fall: autumn ales, caramel apples, roasted things, antique hydrangeas....yes, while you can't eat antique hydrangeas, they are definitely as American and Autumn-themed as apple pie; plus, their kaleidoscopic palette is a great reason to look forward to fall.  Here you’ll find your guide to Antique Hydrangeas—the journey they take to become antique and the resulting kaleidoscope of colors and textures that are produced. 

The Process of Antiquing

First, antique hydrangeas are not a separate species from fresh Hydrangea macrophylla; in fact, they come from the same shrubs.   The only requirements for transforming fresh hydrangeas into antiques are time, proper care, and suitable atmospheric conditions.  Also critical is having the proper variety, as not all hydrangea antique as well as others...luckily, we have this dialed in!

So, as the days get shorter, the nights get cooler, and the air becomes drier, our hydrangea blooms start their metamorphic journey to become antiques.

Antique hydrangeas require that very weather change which comes with the end of summer.  It is this cool transition which allows them to establish their marbled coloring. No two antiques are the same, each change and morph in their own unique way.

Even as the temperature changes and the colors diversify, they aren't quite ready to be cut. We continue watering and feeding the shrubs, and by leaving the blooms on the plant, the passage of time and cool weather allows the flowers to harden, mature, and marble gracefully.  The shrub continues to provide nutrients to the flowers as they age. 

 
We have 2 gorgeous acres of these antiquing hydrangeas right now, and we will be continually offering Antique Hydrangeas for the entirety of the fall season, from now through November.

Blushing Autumn Tones and Textures

The colors of antique hydrangeas are like a dusky fairy tale—bewitching, prismatic, and a little psychedelic.  Their colors develop naturally alongside autumn, its blossoms changing from their bright summer colors into mingled layers of  muted greens, smokey burgundies, variegated hazels, shimmering blues,  and soft lavenders.


While the changing colors gives us some indication of when to pick, we really know they're ready by their texture—the hydrangea florets feels slightly rigid and resist a little when touched.  When the blooms become crisp to the touch, we are good to go. A nice firm bloom head means the hydrangea is ready to harvest, and at this point, an antique hydrangea will last virtually forever—its flowers will never wilt, droop, or die.

And, of course it wouldn't be antique season if we didn't roll out the legendary specter of "Hydrangea Jack" Some know him as a sales representative, to others he is a myth, perhaps waiting in the next row of antiques.

    

Antique Seascape

So, while the languid days of summer seem to be getting shorter, take heart! Technically, we still have a few more weeks of summer, and even with the seasonal change comes plenty of loveliness to look forward to. Enjoy yourself.

Go Team, Autumn Colors and Varieties.

Go Team, Autumn Colors and Varieties.

#americangrown Autumn flowers LA Hybrid Lilies Lilies

"Farming is a profession of hope."
                                             -Brian Brett

We hope you had a flower filled Labor Day and were able to enjoy the long weekend. For flower farmers, Labor Day weekend is a natural jumping off point for fall. All the splashy color of summer blooms will start being replaced by the orange, yellow and reds of autumn.

A creative use for all those empty wine bottles!

We love this time of year on the farm for many reasons.

First, is that since families are sending the kids back to school, and settling down after vacations and road trips of summer; they will be getting back to their year-round routine. This means having fresh American Grown flowers at home. We are ready with LA Hybrid Lilies in a wonderful fall color palette, and our Zantedeschia crop has the warm colors that will keep you cozy as the nights start to take on a chill and the leaves start to change color.

Our Royal LA Hybrids are looking great!

Second, is that our Willow Creek farm is about to grab the spotlight. Rosehips, Snowberries, Cotinus and Ilex. If you keep an eye on Sun Valley, you'll remember that our CEO/President/Farmer, Lane DeVries, has an obsession with Ilex Verticillata. He has been making cuttings and breeding the Ilex with the best traits for floral design for years, and every season the orange and red Ilex berries start to color up in a wave of bright berries across the Trinity River valley. This year is promising to be the best Ilex harvest to date.

Patience...it's not quite Ilex time, but getting close.

Third, is that fall weddings and fall special events are always a great time for flower designers. As summer wanes, people need to keep the energy that flowers provide, whether in their home, at their office or in restaurants and cafes. This leads to an economic upswing for all segments of the flower industry, and this starts right here at farm level; where 16 weeks ago we planted the orange and yellow lilies that are so in demand, now that we are past Labor Day.

Autumn Anitques

Personally, fall is my favorite season. Perhaps because I was born in October, perhaps because we are indoctrinated with the idea of going back to school at a young age, ...even when school is a distant memory, or maybe it's the need to prepare for winter, storing up ideas and inspiration, much like a  squirrel gathers acorns.(Does this sound nuts?)

Fall is invigorating. I get a huge burst of creativity, and the sensation of the crisp autumn air is amazing. The cold nights are not only the perfect weather for hiking (and sleeping), the warm sunny days and chilly nights are great for flowers, especially lilies. This bodes well for you as our Orchid Lilies, Sonata Lilies, Love Lilies, Zantedeschia and a wild variety of Specialty Lilies are coming in just in time for football season.

Flower Inspiration!

Get energized this fall with our stunning flowers that are grown to perform at the highest level, go team!