Earth Day Iris

Earth Day Iris

AmericanGrown blue flowers Blue Iris blue planet Earth Day Iris Sustainability

This Friday is Earth Day 2016—a day allocated for collective appreciation and celebration of this Blue Planet on which we all reside.  

It all began in 1970, when 22 million Americans came together to raise awareness about the importance of clean land, air, and water, which eventually led to the creation of the US Environmental Protection Agency and the passage of the Clean Air and Clean Water Acts.  Now, 193 countries join in celebrating the planet, with the aim to protect and preserve it to the best of our abilities.

Lisa Waud and the Detroit Flower House

 Symbols used for Earth Day typically involve images of trees, flowers, or leaves depicting growth and a healthy environment.  Last year began the trend of using Iris as the Earth Day Flower, a fitting symbol of a Blue Flower for a Blue Planet. 

Recently, this Blue Flower for a Blue Planet concept was beautifully captured by our friend and renowned floral designer, Wil Gonzalez.  His floral installment for the annual Bouquets to Art exhibition in San Francisco featured our Telstar iris, and his commentary on the piece was just as gorgeous as the floral art itself:

 "Cool, wet and inviting, the tranquil, watery blue, the continually changing textures of these slowly maturing blossoms over the pass of the next week allow this flower arrangement to evolve...A flower arrangement reminds us to enjoy this moment in time. It will never look the same again."

Wil Gonzalez's living exhibition

Like this ever-evolving floral arrangement, so grows and changes our Blue Planet (and us along with it).  This is why Sun Valley strives to change and evolve with the Earth, rather than fight against it.  We do this by continually improving and innovating our sustainable farming practices as time goes on.

For example, we sustain our blue planet through recycling and reusing our greenhouse drain water, practicing crop rotation, integrated waste and compost management, and steam-sterilization techniques (an environmentally-friendly way to reuse soil).  We have energy-efficient greenhouses, Snap Fans in our hoop houses (see video below), and we, the people, use bicycles to get from place to place, which is friendly for the land and for our bodies.

All of these practices are guaranteed and verified by Bloom Check, a strict certification program for flower farmers in the United States.  It is through these "best practices" that we can achieve a healthy, symbiotic relationship with the planet that gives us (and you!) its gorgeous flowers. We strive to be as refreshing and pure as the most fitting Earth Day symbol, the Telstar Iris.  This Blue Flower for a Blue Planet shows the beauty that clean air, land, and water can achieve.

It's no small thing, Earth Day.  After all, this blue planet is the setting for our entire existence; and truly, the one thing that all of humanity shares, no matter what our beliefs, location, or history.  Let's celebrate it!

Irresistible Field Iris

Irresistible Field Iris

#americangrown #CAGrown #flowers4mom #OriginMatters flower farming Iris Mother's Day

I've been taking farm walks again.  In the morning I'll traverse the hoop houses, the greenhouses, and the cool, breezy fields. I've noticed we've begun planting our Summer Iris in the fields, and the spring crops that were planted weeks ago are revealing peaks of their blue and purple heads, swaying gently in the north coast breeze.  Now I see what the Chinese meant when they referred to Iris as the dancing spirit of early summer.

 
The long, sturdy stems of the Iris and its complex, mosaic blooms give it an air of tranquility and mystery.  One look at a vase of Iris and I am immediately transported to a quiet, sunny field caressed by a light breeze.

Lucky for me, a quiet, sunny field caressed by a light breeze is just a short bike ride away.  If you were to take that same ride, you would meet with one of our Iris Picking Team Members, who could tell you a bit about how the Summer Iris is grown and harvested here at Sun Valley.


The Cultivation of Iris

Unlike other flowering bulbs--which are stored cold--our iris bulbs are stored in heated rooms.  The heat keeps the bulbs dormant, and when we're ready to plant, we break their warm slumber with ethylene gas.  This is just another way we flower farmers mimic nature.  Ethylene is already present in all plants as a hormone and acts to stimulate the ripening of your banana, the opening of flowers, or, in our case, the waking of our sleeping bulbs.  But that's just the first step in planting.  Second, we must cool down the newly awakened bulbs, which encourages root development. 

As you can see, temperature is key when storing and planting iris bulbs.  Once awake and cooled, we plant our prepared iris bulbs in fresh, fertile soil in either hoop houses (fall and winter) or in open fields (spring and summertime).  Our cool and foggy Arcata summers create the ideal environment for cultivating field iris.  They are able to get sufficient sun during the day without the oppressive heat that can cause plants to go dormant.   From bulb to bucket, it takes 2-3 months before our irises are ready to be harvested and brought to you.

Once it is time to harvest, the hard work has just begun.  Our Iris Crew knows to pick these flowers when the heads become become "las llenas" ("full").  When the heads are full, it means darker color shows throughthe leaves fully from the base of the bloom to the tip of the flower.  The tip of the flower should still be sheathed by green, but containing color on the inside.  This is considered the window pane, when the iris is still closed, but ready to burst into color in a few days.  It takes an experienced eye to notice this change, and those who pick Iris employ some special methods of the trade to ascertain and and guarantee that our iris are picked at the optimum moment.  They must take great care to not wait until they are too full, or pick too early when the buds are green--which means we often pick two times a day.  Timing is incredibly important, because at this stage of growth, iris moves fast, but luckily for us, our dedicated Iris team moves faster.  Check out the beautiful and colorful "las llenas" below:

After the Irises are picked, graded, and bunched, they are hydrated overnight with a special blend of nutrients before moving on to their next destination: you!

Mother's Day Iris
As Mother Day approaches, consider giving your mother a bountiful arrangement of irises.   After all, irises are singular in color, graceful in shape, and oh-so-versatile in scope--a charming, natural embodiment of a loving mother.  Whether standing alone (as the Blue Moon Bouquet below) or in combination with our other complementary and contrasting blooms--iris is sure to make a lasting impression. Check out the iris combination bouquets we're offering just for Mother's Day. 

Blue Moon Bouquet

Mother Sensation Combo

Mother's Delight Combo

World's Best Mom Combo

Bloom on! 

 

Summer Flower Fields on the Farm

Summer Flower Fields on the Farm

bikes Hypericum Iris Lucifer Crocosmia summer flower farming

So much of the detail work of flower farming is tied to time spent sitting at a computer. Today, I decided to brake free of the routine, and take an early morning bike ride around our Arcata farm.

I grabbed the rickety Schwinn farm cruiser, and pedaled off with my camera to see what was happening in the fields.  Some days its easy to forget why you got into the flower business.  Riding across the farm, looking for patches of color across the landscape is a great reminder about the beauty of flower farming.

The clouds were still hanging pretty low, but the soft light of a brisk summer morning made the flowers stand out.

I passed a field of iris, with a few yellow blooms flashing like a golden flare.

Golden Beauty Iris

Next, I came to the peace of a fallow field. We are lucky to be able to leave much of our land to regenerate nutrients. The grasses are green from the thick fog that keeps our area moist to the touch, hoping off my bike, my shoes and pant legs got wet as I looked around.

Farm Cruising!

Riding across the field, I saw a sea of red on the horizon. I knew it was our crocosmia crop dancing in the gentle breeze. I bounced across the field to a dirt road that led me to a wonderful sight.

Lucifer Crocosmia

The Lucifer variety in bloom is truly a site to behold.

Wowza!

You can point your camera in any direction and find inspiration. Even looking away from the flowers... where I found a fresh raccoon track. I think they must share my love of these flowers.

Raccoon tracks on the farm

Back in the saddle, I wandered up to something which is truly news worthy. Sun Valley is growing old fashion, California spray hypericum. We will be reporting more on this story, but this classic is coming back, and we are leading the charge to bring this CAGrown botanical, back to United States production. It's looking gorgeous!

#AmericanGrown Hypericum

  This is the epitome of summer flower farming.

Flower farming at its finest.

I continued on, pedaling west across the farm, in the distance you could see the sand dunes that hold back the pounding, pacific waves. I scared up a few quail, ...they were too quick for a picture and the scare was mutual.  I got to a quiet spot and turned my lens south towards Humboldt Bay. The sun was starting to come through the clouds, the road south laid out before me, beckoning me to ride a little further.

Don't forget the magic of flowers, don't forget that they come from the the same land we walk on everyday, don't forget that out in the valleys and coastal lowlands of California all sorts of people  have been drawn to the art and science growing flowers simply for people to enjoy.

Cheers to more days like this.

Iris: A True American Grown Flower

Iris: A True American Grown Flower

#American Grown Flowers #americangrown Casa Blanca Hing Kong Iris Nevada Purple City Sky Diver

Did you know 95% of the iris bought by consumers in America is grown right here in the United States?

This is in contrast to most other flower crops where the vast majority come from off shore sources.  We just released a new film with Lane DeVries explaining how we are able to have year round iris production. Please have a quick view, it is just over two minutes long.(Here is a link if the below player doesn't work.)

We love growing iris at both our farm in Humboldt County and our farm in Oxnard. Sun Valley is known for growing the spectacular blue Telstar variety, but you may not be aware that we grow some other popular colors as well.

• Casa Blanca (White)
• Hong Kong, Purple City (Purple)
• Sky Diver (Light Blue)
• Nevada (Yellow)

As you hear more and more about the American Grown flower movement, make sure you think of elegant, magisterial iris. Iris are a true American grown beauty. Across time, iris have been the subject of many poems and works of art.

Here is one of our favorite pieces from a distinctly American Grown author, Mary McNeil Fenollosa, born in Alabama in 1865

IRIS FLOWERS
My mother let me go with her, (I had been good all day), To see the iris flowers that bloom In gardens far away. 
We walked and walked through hedges green, Through rice-fields empty still, To where we saw a garden gate Beneath the farthest hill.
She pointed out the rows of "flowers";— I saw no planted things, But white and purple butterflies Tied down with silken strings.
They strained and fluttered in the breeze, So eager to be free; I begged the man to let them go, But mother laughed at me.
She said that they could never rise, Like birds, to heaven so blue. But even mothers do not know Some things that children do.
That night, the flowers untied themselves And softly stole away, To fly in sunshine round my dreams Until the break of day.

-Mary McNeil Fenollosa (1865-1954)

Savor This Moment

Savor This Moment

Iris Lilies spring Tulips. Crocuses

"To everything - turn, turn, turn
There is a season - turn, turn, turn
And a time to every purpose under heaven"
                                -Turn, Turn, Turn by Pete Seeger, adapted from the Book of Ecclesiastes. 

When I look at a stand of bare trees in the cold solitude of winter, I can't  imagine what they look like in mid-summer full of leaves and life. Likewise, when I look at a mighty oak tree in the warm sun of July I can't image what it looks like in stripped down winter silhouette.

Somehow my brain just won't let this happen. I am generally able to hold two opposing thoughts in my head at once, yet when it comes to this one situation, I am unable to imagine one situation, while looking at the other.

During spring though, when the trees are filled with blossoms and new light green leaves, no longer just empty branches, and before they grow big deep green leaves, I am able to see both worlds.

Iris in Mason Jars

It may be cliche to call spring a rebirth, maybe a reawakening is a better term?

In ancient times people used their surrounding environment to gauge what their actions should be. I think events such as the return of a tree's leaves were chapters in the season's book, and I believe flowers have always been characters that weave themselves through nature's narrative.

Growing up in Rhode Island, I remember the crocuses literally pushing themselves up through the icy snow as the first sign of spring, long before the trees were even thinking about budding. I hear tell that the crocuses are just coming up this year, giving hope for an end to the epic winter New England has endured. On the heels of the crocuses are the yellow and white daffodils, then as the waters run free of ice and grass turns green again the tulips erupt across the landscape. This gives us mere mortals the needed faith to persevere as the days get longer.

As the iris bloom the trees blossom, cherry, apple and peach... and magnolia out West. The shade they provide will protect the long stemmed lilies which sneak up on us, as they take many weeks to grow but we don't notice them until the blooms demand our attention.

Whether you celebrate Passover, Easter or Earth Day savor this moment.

Sun Valley Oriental Lily Bouquet

Winter trudges through darkness and cold, summer with heat, humidity, and daylight that never ends, followed by autumn with dry days and chilly nights, yet it is spring that nourishes our soul and allows us a to gather a years-worth of energy, strength and faith.

Take deep breathes, the power of spring is upon us.

Spring Abounds, Better Hold On.

Spring Abounds, Better Hold On.

Arcata French Tulips Iris Oxnard spring

It would be just like spring in California
To know your love would be mine
             from the song "Take Me" performed by Jerry Garcia and David Grisman.

Early spring on a California flower farm is something to behold. Having farms at both ends of the state, Sun Valley has two very different micro-climates happening right now, and both are going off.

Arcata

Looking out my window in Arcata, the wind is blowing a big wet storm in from the south west.  The hoop houses that are brimming with French Tulips and Hyacinth are shaking in the steady breeze. Clouds are moving fast across the horizon, sometimes dropping a quick deluge of rain, other times surprising everyone with a burst of sun.

Our Arcata Farm

Right now you hear constant reports of the California drought, and though the rain started later than usual this year, our farm nestled on the redwood of Humboldt County is on it's way to normal precipitation for the year. We added another couple inches over the weekends, and one decent sized earthquake Sunday night. 6.9 on the Richter Scale, with no damage on the farm.

This early spring time is a keeping our growers and picking team really busy. The French Tulip harvest is stunning. Our Frenchies are the giants of the tulip world, the blooms are as big as a coffee cup and the colors are rich as King Midas himself.

Our "Pink Pride" French Tulip.

Oxnard

Oxnard traditionally starts to really warm up as we get through March. Right now their highs are in the mid-70's. Over the last few weeks they've had a few drenching rains, which have spurred our big Iris and Matsumoto Aster crops on to new heights. As it warms up more in the coming weeks our Lily harvest will be moving back to Arcata where it will remain until the fall.

I asked GerritVanderkoy, our head grower in Oxnard, what was happening on the farm. 

"The recent rain we received was a welcome sight, we can always use more."

Growing Iris in spring

He continued, "Our iris love this spring weather, the crop is coming in really nice, as are our Matsumoto Asters. Right now the flowers we grow outside are looking especially strong."

(Check out this 1 minute video on our Matsumotos from the Field in Focus Series.)

I asked what other crops are enjoying the spring weather,

"We are picking a lot of Matricaria and Freesia, and our Delphinium varieties really like the spring weather, it's growing in leaps and bounds." 

Sun Valley excels at a several things. Team work, year-round flower production  and cold chain management to name just a few. However, every year when spring rolls around and the flowers take advantage of Mother Nature's generosity; with the perfect blend of rain, sun, clouds and warmth, it is impressive to see flowers nearly leaping from the soil, reaching for the sky and growing fast.

Spring abounds!

This is the time of year when flower growing looks easy. We work in concert with Mother Nature and direct traffic as the flowers take off on their own initiative. Better hold on.     

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.