Guest post from uBloom's JMH Schwanke!

Guest post from uBloom's JMH Schwanke!

CA Grown farmer's market Floral industry Flower farm Flower quality flowers for delivery Flowers in the media IFE 2011 Iris J Schwanke Lilies Soil Grown Tulips Sun Valley Tulips uBloom

J Schwanke visits our Sun Valley Arcata farm!

In light of our Arcata uBloom video release (coming today!), I asked my friend JMH Schwanke to do a guest post on our blog to tell us about his trip out here and whatever else his heart desired! Here is what he had to say:

My Friend Lily SunValley and I were chatting the other day... and Lily asked if I would like to be a guest blogger for Sun Valley! It was perfect timing... as our uBloom Team was readying themselves for the Sun Valley Arcata Premiere on the CA Grown Experience!

This was the JTV Crew's Second Visit to a Sun Valley Location... (we visited Sun Valley Oxnard Last September to see where Lily was born and also the Matsumoto flower fields and the Largest Cooler I have ever seen in my Life! Check it out on the CA Grown Experience visits Sun Valley Oxnard on uBloom.com)...and let me tell you... Oxnard and Arcata are Two Different Worlds!

This April we kicked off our Second Visit to the CA Flower Farmers with a Stop in Arcata CA at The Sun Valley Group! I can only begin to tell you how fascinating this trip was... and what an honor to be on a guided tour with Lane DeVries... CA Flower Farmer and owner of Sun Valley!

As a Flower Designer... I've always enjoyed creating with Sun Valley Flowers... they are simply... The Finest Quality Flowers and they NEVER Ever Disappoint... the Colors, the Varieties, the Long Lasting Performance... the List goes on and on!

But this was a different take for me... Our Visit focused on the Growing Process! The steps that Sun Valley takes to make typical seasonal flowers available everyday... Tulips 24/7!

It's pretty remarkable when you get to walk with a farmer through his fields as he shares his unique perspective and passion.... one on one! I liken it to "Singing with Tony Bennett" , "Dancing with Ginger Rogers" or "Painting with Monet"... you're side by side with the "expert"... those opportunities don't come around too often... and I was enthralled!

J and Lane talking flowers

I'll Admit it... I'm a HUGE Lane DeVries Fan! (A "groupie" if you will...) Lane amazes me... his Passion for Flowers is infectious... his Dedication...Limitless, and he's Compelling! I listened to every word... every second... knowing full well that his goal.. (and the goal of Sun Valley) is "Never be satisfied"! The message is clear... For Lane... it's all about the FLOWERS!

This "municipality"... Yes Sun Valley Group is just like it's own flower village... Street Signs, Transportation (in the Dutch tradition... bikes stand by to get quickly from one spot to another)... and topography...( The "Mountain" of Compost Rich Soil...)...the locations... 70+ Coolers (and heaters... Did you know that IRIS Bulbs are held dormant HEAT rather than cold temperatures? Surpise!)... The "residents" are Harvesting, Processing and Packaging... is like a finely tuned orchestra... each team member delivering their specific talent in unison to create the Sun Valley Flower "Symphony"! This is one well-oiled machine!

Crossroads at Sun Valley Arcata farm

It starts with Tons of Dirt (that Very Special "Humboldt Gold")... Millions of bulbs... Cooler after cooler... dedicated to scientifically delivering Soil Grown Tulips year round... for Flower Lovers Everywhere! It's staggers the Mind... and electrifies the senses! Degree by degree... breath by breath... drop by drop...Sun Valley coaxes and cares for each and every flower... from Bulb to Bloom!

Tulip bulbs ready for planting

Tulips just sprouting up

Parrot Tulips ready to go to their new home

It's an adventure... the Sun Valley Adventure... working with Nature to provide (year round) those fleeting Spring Flowers... Tulips, Hyacinth Iris... Ohhh BTW... The IRIS... Recently I attended the International Floral Expo in Miami and Sun Valley was there with Carts of IRIS... (and Loads of LILIES)... sharing their Passion for Flowers in True Sun Valley Style! Remember I told you... It's ALL about the Flowers!!

Carts full of Telstar Iris

Sumatra Lilies at IFE - Wow!

And that being said... it's Easy to see... Sun Valley is still a Flower Farm... Man working with Nature... side by side... with respect and admiration! Bulbs are planted... roots are established... leaves appear and flowers bloom... day in day out... Planting, Growing, and Harvesting... the process is never ending... and Thank Goodness because the Flower Keep Coming... thanks to our Local Flower Farmers!

Rows of Tulips in one of the Greenhouses

Lane among the tulips

The opportunity I've been afforded creating the CA Grown Experience has been Life Changing... I realize I look at Flower Differently NOW... (and I'm a 4th Generation Florist... Designer, Store Owner, TV Host, Flower Expert... ) but it took this experience of Traveling from CA Flower Farm to CA Flower Farm... meeting the Farmers to realize that it's not merely a bucket of Tulips...NOW It's a Bucket of Lane's Tulips... (or a Bucket of Chad's Roses... or Mel's Protea)... because it's Personal! I Know First Hand "Where my Flowers come from!"... and that is very VERY Special!

We look to Our Flowers for their Beauty, their fragrance... and even their Healing properties... because of the CA Grown Experience... Now I look a little further... to the Flower Farmer... who had the vision to plant the Flowers I love so very much!

Thanks Lane... for being my Flower Farmer... and my Friend! I love Flowers... I love Tulips and I Love Sun Valley! Thanks for the Memories!!!

J, Lane & the uBloom Crew

Take Care Lily!!! Thanks for asking me Guest Blog... and Did I mention you look particularly AWESOME in that Color??! and That you Smell especially Wonderful Today?

XXOO!

J

Everything Flowers at http://www.ubloom.com/!


Gosh J, thanks for the flattering words! More importantly, thanks for your support of our farms and the floral industry as a whole. So excited for the Sun Valley Arcata video and videos to come!

Lily's Boots: Flowers, boots and the Miami heat

Lily's Boots: Flowers, boots and the Miami heat

Boots Bridal bouquets CA Grown Floral industry Flower arrangements Iris Lilies Miami heat Rain Boots Tulips Wedding flowers

I'm here in the midst of the third and final day of the International Floriculture Expo - Miami edition. I have been preparing for this event for what feels like a very long time, and while I think i was well-prepared for the goings-on in our booth, I was in no way prepared for the floral extravaganza that is the IFE: the Disneyland for floral enthusiasts, the Mecca of all things new and remarkable in the floral industry, the land where working is downright fun.

Of course it was great for the reasons I had anticipated: yesterday’s ceremony in which Lane named a lily for Stan Pohmer; featuring our fantastic flowers using materials from the farm (auction cart shelves, conveyor belt floor, greenhouse pipe chandelier); formally introducing All-In-One Vases and Upscale Vase Arrangements, and raffling off the much-coveted iPad2’s.

But here are some of the things that one simply can’t plan for or anticipate that made this show truly fantastic:

First of all, our team reconnected with old industry friends, and I got to make a lot of new ones. Maybe there’s something to this whole “flowers make you happy” thing because people within the floral industry are genuinely friendly and pleasant to be around – easy to befriend.

Second, I get to spend time with our flowers from the time they are babies until they are ready to make their way into the world on a daily basis, but here I get to see them in the world! Buckets upon buckets fully loaded with flowers are simply a stunning sight. It’s hard to say whether the two cartloads of Telstar Iris, the rainbow of soil-grown tulips, or the whole corner devoted to Lilies of all varieties (Royals, Lilytopias, Rose Lilies, oh my!) were more magnificent to take in. “Power in numbers” hit home with this display.

One last-minute inspired idea came to Lane last night when we found ourselves with a few extra tulips at the end of the day. He and another team member ended up handing out several bunches of tulips to unsuspecting people strolling around South Beach. Aside from a few “what’s the catch?” looks from suspicious passers-by, a lot of people walked away with bonus flowers and bonus smiles.

This morning’s highlight was getting a sneak peak of Rene van Rems’ new book Rene’s Bouquets for Brides, which is filled with creative and captivating wedding bouquets – some classic, some contemporary, and all made from flowers grown within the U.S. The photography perfectly captures the wide range of bouquets and “brides,” which a) make me want to get married one day so I can carry one of those masterpieces down the isle, and b) remind me that floral design of the caliber is a scientific art that is better left to the experts! For more information on Rene and his book, please click here. 

Finally, the icing on the IFE cake for me was the fact that our booth tied for Best Booth Design for the show. I think that the tulips-in-boots chandelier was a big hit, and the farm-like feel of the booth really resonated with people. The stunning flowers just might have had a little something to do with it as well. ;) (And yes, I wore my boots during the entire show along with my fellow team members!)

 Overall, this has been an amazing experience and one that I hope to repeat again and again. I couldn't possibly write about everything that I've experienced during this show (because you would eventually become overwhelmed or lose interest in my rambling), but let me say I'm humbled by the amount work that has gone into making this thriving floriculture industry into what it is today, and I'm happy to have met some of the folks who've contributed to it. Until next time, it's been a pleasure! 

How to tell a flower from a lemon

How to tell a flower from a lemon

CA Grown Flower quality flowers for delivery Iris Lilies Send flowers tFlowers and science Tulips Vase life

My Friday post about Lemonade Day (click here) gave me inspiration to answer one of the questions I had before starting here at Sun Valley:

How can you tell a flower from a lemon? (In other words, what makes a flower a quality flower?)

Now, I'm not talking about flower variety or arrangement style. I'm talking about how can you tell you're getting a flower, any flower, that's going to give you the optimal bang for your buck.

Here are some things to look for when trying to judge the quality of your flowers:

1. Size Matters
When looking at two flowers of the exact same variety, you can generally assume that the one with larger blooms and longer, thicker stems is of better quality. It most likely received the right mix of nutrients, water, sunlight and TLC to make it grow to its maximum potential. Just don't try to compare different flower varieties. This is unfair to the littler guys.


An orchid with Botrytis


2. What's that brown spot?
If you ever find yourself asking this question about a particular flower, run in the other direction! Unless, of course, the color is a characteristic of the flower. (Ask your florist on this one.) Brown spots could mean the flower has a mold, pests, mechanical damage, or a disease, such as botrytis.

3. How long it lasts
"Vase life" is something I didn't even know there was a term for a few months ago, and now it's something I hear about practically every day. Vase life simply means how long the flower lives after being cut. Each type of flower has a basic ballpark figure for longevity in the vase. (Click here for the vase life of Sun Valley's flowers.) If your flower lasts on the longer side of its expected vase life, it's good quality! Remember: you'll get to enjoy your flowers longer if you bring them home when they are still slightly closed. A wide-open flower is already more than halfway through its life cycle.

Personal side note on vase life: We all know cut flowers don't last as long as, say a puppy or other gifts, but sometimes when we know that we only have something for a short time, we appreciate it all the more while we have it.


Dyed blue roses can be a popular choice



4. Flower color isn't black and white

The flower color issue can actually be a tricky one. Overall, if the color of the flower appeals to you, then great! That's all that really matters. But some flowers out there are dyed to become a certain color, and well, if this doesn't matter to you, then it doesn't matter. But generally, a flower that reveals its true colors without the assistance of artificial dyes is probably your best bet if it's perfection you're seeking. Buyer be aware: several species of flowers, such as tulips, roses and gerberas, do not naturally grow in blue.

This lemon test can be applied to basically all flowers, but each individual species of flower has its own quality standards and potential sour spots. If ever you are unsure about what you're about to put in the vase, don't hesitate to ask your go-to floral expert, such as the local florist or your Mom. Aside from quality, the most important thing to remember when choosing a flower is to pick one that appeals the most to you, whether it's for sentimental reasons or for pure aesthetic attraction.


If Mom doesn't have all the floral answers, The Flower Expert Feed gives great information on a large variety of flowers. Here's the link: http://www.theflowerexpert.com/

And if you want to keep up with me and my boots, subscribe to this blog by entering your email address on the right-hand side, and follow the steps from there!