Paying It Forward With Flowers

Paying It Forward With Flowers

Arcata California Grown Flowers Iris Linda Stansberry. Tulips

“I used to jog but the ice cubes kept falling out of my glass.”
                                                                        Dave Lee Roth of Van Halen - 1979

As we careen into the holiday season just about every business is looking to make the next six weeks really count. Retail stores will be jammed, grocery stores will be packed and a table at your favorite restaurant may be tough. As Thanksgiving approaches the party circuit starts as well, when did the weekend before Thanksgiving become “the” weekend to throw a shindig?  Oh well, time to saddle up, assign designated drivers and ride into the parties…we’ll see you again late afternoon on January first.

A great friend of mine and fellow blogger Linda Stansberrysent me a note about a recent experience as a non-drinker in the season of eggnog, single malts and “Celebrator Ales.” It started as she was hosting a small get together at her cute cabin in the redwoods outside Arcata, CA. A friend called at the last minute asking if she could bring anything.  Linda was just having an epiphany that she was going to run out of Parmesan cheese, so she requested a wedge and went back to cooking.

Thirty minutes later her friend arrived, not just with the cheese but with a great bunch of flowers. The bunch was a simple consumer bunch of tulips and iris from the same market that sold the cheese. It was a very thoughtful item to ensure she didn’t show up with just the cheese and she didn’t want to bring the usual bottle of wine to a non-drinkers home.

Red Tulips and Blue Iris from Sun Valley

The flowers were an unexpected delight and Linda was thrilled to get a warm burst of color for her cozy home.  Since tulips respond so quickly to a warm room, she and her guests were actually able to watch the tulips dance and move throughout the leisurely northern California style dinner.

 

The party came off without a hitch, and when Linda woke up the next morning the iris had opened and looked spectacular.  It was one of those sweet gifts made even sweeter by their spontaneity.

Red Tulip and Iris opening.

The next evening it was Linda’s turn to be a guest at another friend’s party. This wasn’t dinner, it was later, with a band and hopefully some dancing.  Linda was in a dilemma, do you bring a bottle of wine or a 6 pack of micro-brew, even though you don’t drink? Then it struck her, FLOWERS!

Purple Passion bouquet from  Sun Pacific Bouquet

Linda arrived about nine o’clock with a beautiful west coast style bouquet of local flowers. The party was just starting to get rolling and the hostess was thrilled as Linda presented the colorful bouquet.  Ironically, the hostess popped the bouquet in an over-sized mason jar and used it to dress up the table holding the wine bottles and glasses.

 

After a night of dancing and fun Linda was on her way out, she looked back over her shoulder at the wine bar area.  All the bottles were empty, but the flowers had held their beauty all night, and certainly would continue to shine throughout the week.

Ories and Iris, a lovely combo.

Arcata is a pretty small town, nestled between the Pacific Ocean and the giant redwoods, our flower girl Linda woke up Sunday to an empty fridge, over the next few hours she made her way to coffee, breakfast and the grocery store to pick up a few items.  In the store, she bumped in to the hostess from the night before, with a beautiful Oriental lily bouquet cradled in her shopping basket. She was on her way to visit her parents, and the grand idea of bringing flowers had just occurred to her.

We Steam It.

We Steam It.

California Grown Flowers Royal Lilies steaming soil

Kneeland, CA. high above Humboldt Bay



Golden Tycoon Royal Lily

Two weekends ago, I went to a classic northern California pot luck. We drove up to a former hippie cabin, upgraded into a Sunset magazine worthy house. Not big, but having beautiful amenities and unique touches of style. The house sits on the crest of a dramatic mountainside, with a view out over Humboldt Bay and the Pacific. The food was Middle Eastern, Greek and Turkish. The mixed grill featured local lamb kabobs and all sorts of tasty culinary treats.



Cinnabar Royal Lily

My wife and I contributed a few dozen of her world class dolmas, and being a flower guy, I brought a stunning bouquet mixing our Cinnabar Royal Lilies  and our Golden Tycoon Royal Lilies with some greens. Our hostess was thrilled to receive a simple yet decadent hand tied bouquet, her eyes lit up at the elegance of a few lily stems, and a bit of Sweet Huck. Sun Valley Royal Lilies are great to bring to a food function, since they don’t have a strong scent. In my experience, it is frowned upon to bring in an armload of flowers which overpower all the chefs best intentions. (You only do this once!)



The flowers’ colors complimented the sunset which slowly unfolded over the Pacific while we enjoyed a great dinner and engaging conversation. As the wine flowed and the evening progressed the flowers got more attention from the guests. Amazing as it is, a few new buds had started to open up and were now “kissing.”



Among the Oohs and Ahhs, I was eyed by a guest I didn’t know well. He approached and asked, “How many pesticides are on those things?”

I answered, “None, the flowers are from Sun Valley, it is a Veriflora Certified Sustainable farm and being grown in California, the environmental restrictions are probably the toughest in the world.”

Without hesitating he asked, “Then, how do you deal with all the weeds and weird bugs in the soil?”

I took a long sip of my local Cabernet, “We steam it.”

“You do what?” his nose sort of wrinkling.

Steam Rising from the Soil



“Steam it” noticing I had an audience, I continued, “We take all the soil we grow our lilies in, cover it with huge thick canvas clothes and pump steaming, 212 degree moist air over the soil for 8 to 24 hours, this kills all the seeds, pests and basically sterilizes the soil. This way we don’t have to use tons of chemicals."



Steam Tube and Tarps in a Hoop House.



Another interested guest asks, as she gawks at the big blooms of the lilies, "These are grown in soil? ...in the ground?"

"Sure, lilies love to be in the soil, you also get a much higher quality flower by growing in soil as opposed to hydroponic.  Thicker stems, longer life after cutting, and most importantly, dramatic vibrant HUGE blooms.  (Sorry South America, you can't compete with our California Grown lilies!)

Just after planting, then baby lilies... only about 3 weeks old.

“Wow, that’s pretty sweet” the once skeptical guest replies as he looks at the lilies with a new appreciation and now can’t help put get much closer to admire their beauty. He looks up and asks, “So where’s this farm?”

I point out through the window, to a few lights twinkling below next to the ocean, “right there.”

Please share this blog with your family and friends who love flowers.

"Like" Sun Valley Floral Farm on Facebook and follow us on Pintrest for more beautiful flower imagery.
Tweeting? us too.

-Lily

“The earth laughs in flowers.” -Ralph Waldo Emerson

Lilies at Home, a Meditation

Lilies at Home, a Meditation

CA. California Grown Flowers Eureka CA Oriental lilies Sun Valley Lilies

Maybe I'll go to Amsterdam
Maybe I'll go to Rome
And rent me a grand piano
And put some flowers 'round my room
                                  -Joni Mitchell, from the song “Cary” off the “Blue” release

Sometimes I think we forget the simple beauty embodied in a few flower stems placed in a vase, nothing fancy, no pruning or preening, no dramatic color combinations or multiple varieties. The exuberance of a few stems of our Sonata Lilies resting in a couple inches of water can’t be under estimated.

Yellow Concador Lilies at home in Eureka, CA

As the scent continues to mature and the blossoms continue to evolve, it becomes a daily meditation on beauty and grace. With one variety of flower placed throughout your home, you get to truly experience the flower. Visually, the elegant minimalism dresses up your counters and tables, yet doesn’t demand attention or overpower your own style. Enjoy its’ scent without other varieties muddying the bouquet. Walking by them many times a day, you find the sweet rich fragrance of an Oriental Lily pulling you from your daily routine. It makes you appreciate the moment, look up from your cell phone, tune out the TV and maybe even quiets the buzz of your family. It is just a passing second as the aroma connects you back to the moment, back to the beautiful transcendental nature of cut flowers and the inherent joy of “now.”

The value in a bundle of stems is huge. When you insist on California Grown Flowers you can rest assured that you are getting the freshest flowers available and that they are grown to strict standards for esthetics as well as, for the environment.


Yes, that is my retro blue sink...and yes the yellow lilies compliment it perfectly.

 I like to put a few in the kitchen and a few in the bathroom…on occasion I even put them in the laundry room, why not? It takes but a moment to slice the green ends off the bunch as you return from the flower shop. Grab three or four small vases and split them out, a couple in one, 4 in another, and the last couple lilies sitting as single stems. Placing them around your living space gives you a great opportunity to get to know the variety. Since you have a few here and few there, you will often see the blooms from different angles, perhaps the sunlight will touch the flower, showing the transparent edges of the bud in a beautiful warm light. Of course, everyone tells you to keep cut flowers out of the direct sunlight. I say “live a little” and let the sun bring out the detail and the stunning color of the flowers even if it leads to a quicker end to the show. This is another advantage of spreading the bunch out; it is a chance to have more fun with where you put the blossoms.


Stash a lily in an unsuspecting spot!

The temporal experience of a cut flower, whether from a florist, local market or cut right out of your own garden is truly one of the little treats we can do for ourselves. It helps us stay in the present and leads to a richer, more vibrant life.

Please "Like" Sun Valley Floral Farm on Facebook and stay intouch with the Sun Valley Community!

-Lily
“The earth laughs in flowers.” -Ralph Waldo Emerson