Licorice and Tulips

Licorice and Tulips

#cucumbers #Redwoods Artichokes California Flowers Dutch Eureka CA Freesia Lane DeVries licorice Mother's Day Tulips Valentines Day

I was out for a walk through the Sun Valley greenhouses today, and the normal buzz of activity was noticeably missing. No blasting music from the Spanish station, no trains of carts streaming by dangerously close and most unusual, many of the greenhouses aren’t brimming with flowers.

Boots left after an Oriental Lily pick

This isn’t to say that there aren’t busy places on the farm right now. Teams are picking lilies, tulips, iris, brassica, gladiolas, hydrangeas and freesia, but today you just get a mellow summer vibe on the Farm. Many people may not realize that summer is the official slow time in the flower growing business. It is slow for obvious reasons. People can pick flowers in their own yard, people are spending more time outside in nature and also, people are taking vacations and traveling more so they break their normal routines.

This is a blessing for some of our employees, as they get a break from the long hours they put in from November through Mother’s Day. It is a time to recuperate and strategize for the next big season, which gets going in late August, as kids go back to school and people resume their shopping habits.

While the fields lay fallow, they are actually very photogenic as remaining crops bloom out and cover crops return nutrients to the soil.


A freesia hoop house, past its' prime.  We currently have a fresh freesia crop, ready to go.

This time does provide an interesting opportunity for flower growers. What do you do to keep your greenhouses full and your work force intact? At Sun Valley we do a few different things. We spend a lot of time and effort keeping our facilities up to date, doing maintenance and cleaning.


The inglorious but necessary task of power washing our numerous carts.

The other project we are exploring is growing some traditional vegetables, especially those with a quick life cycle, so our green houses and fields will be ready to plant floral crops for the holidays.

A cuke crop in the making.

This year we are bringing in a cucumber crop, featuring several popular varieties of cukes. These will be harvested and sold to regional vegetable wholesalers. I’ve been trying to convince Sun Valley CEO, Lane DeVries that we should get in the pickle business, but apparently the Dutch aren’t as enthusiastic about pickles as I am. I envision our greenhouses brimming with delicious crunchy pickling cucumbers, then being soaked in a brine of fresh dill, garlic and pepper. Mmmm, maybe next year.

You may ask, what are the Dutch enthusiastic about?  LICORICE and TULIPS.

LICORICE. More than enthusiastic…licorice fanatics! They have the highest per capita consumption of licorice of any country in the world, almost 4 ½ pounds per person, per year. This according to about.com, read the full story of the Dutch licorice addiction here. Check it out, banana flavored licorice. (weird!)

TULIPS. Growing tulips is more than just an agricultural pursuit for the Dutch, it is a cultural passion. The reason Sun Valley Floral Farm is based in Arcata, California, is because our climate is as close to Holland as anywhere else in the U.S.  Sun Valley is rooted in innovation, and we have sought to improve upon the Dutch tradition. Our Tulips average 14-20 inches and weigh 45 grams each, where a tulip grown in Holland averages a height of 11-15 inches with a weight of 18-22 grams. See a comparison.

Lane moved to the States thirty years ago, and in a classic American success story; the student now out shines the teacher as Lane and the Sun Valley growers produce the world’s best tulips. 365 days a year.


Sun Valley CEO Lane DeVries, with our "World's Favorite" tulip.

Another surprising crop we are growing are artichokes. They are a great match for us, because we harvest some for people to eat, and then we also harvest a portion as a great bouquet accent item. The unique texture of a small artichoke head and the edgy leaves make artichokes not only a yummy foodie delight, but a non-traditional green for bouquets, arrangements and other floral designs.

Well, I started out this post mentioning that the farm was slow. As I look out my window today in the late afternoon, I see many employees wrapping up their days and heading home, many carrying artichokes. I guess we aren’t really slow, it is just a different rhythm from the sheer madness of spring or the panic before Valentine’s Day. The goal is to enjoy each season's rhythm and realize that the flowers ebb and flow, but like the sea, they never stop.

Please share this post with all your flower friends. Connect with us on the web: Facebook, Pintrest, Twitter and Google+, or visit of website www.tsvg.com

-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.

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