The Spectrum of Valentine Flowers

The Spectrum of Valentine Flowers

Hyacinth Lady Aster Lilies pink purple red Tulips Valentine's Day valentine's day colors Valentine's Day Flowers

It may seem too early to start talking about Valentine's Day, but here on the flower farm, we have been acting on it since last fall. We planted our Valentine lily and iris crops in October, and two short months later, we brought our tulips out of the coolers and into the greenhouse, ready to complete their growing cycle.  Looking into the future, what kinds of flowers and flower hues will be in demand this Valentine's Day? Let's find out...

Pink Hyacinth + Red Tulips = The Perfect Valentine's Day Combination

The Color of Love: Flowers

The colors of Valentine's Day haven't really changed since its inception--Red, pink and white reign supreme, representing a combination of passion, wealth of love, and purity of heart.  However, we mustn't forget the dark horse of Valentine's Day--Purple.  From dark purple to light lavender, this lovely spectrum symbolizes enchantment, originality, and love at first sight.  Very appropriate and in-demand. We, of course, have the gamut of colors in a range of floral varieties--the reddest of reds and the pinkest of pinks and everything in between.

Soil-grown tulips in all the romantic colors

The Reds

When I think about red flowers, I think of the tulip.  The red tulip is a chic and romantic Valentine's Day flower--lore tells us the tulip's dramatic black eye represents a lover's heart deepened by passion, a perfect symbol for this love-centered holiday.  How red you want to go is up to you; this primary color is represented by the bright orange-red vermilion, to the darker bluish-red crimson, all the way to the darkest burgundy (and we have soil-grown tulips in each and every hue).  Of course, lighten the shade of red and we get "baby red," better known as that other popular Valentine color, PINK.

Red Tulip Eye (photo courtesy of Veggie Plot)

The Pinks and Whites

Now, when I think about exceptional pink flowers, I think of the lily. My first thought goes to the iconic Stargazer, as its time-honored speckled pink face and signature scent is a perfect Valentine choice.  But then I think of ALL our Oriental lilies--all are veritable floral powerhouses which come in all of Cupid's colors and whose star-shaped blossoms are befitting for any romantic celebration.

A Pink and White Lily Collection

Oriental lilies' range of pink shades begins on the dark side with intense maroon (ie: Sumatra, above photo, center bloom).  Lighten it up to a still-saturated pink hue like Dynamite.  A little lighter, and a variegated pink shines through, such as with the candy-pink Sorbonne.  The hues get lighter and lighter--I especially love the pink edging and white ruffled petals of Hotline.

Clockwise from top left: Sorbonne, Dynamite, Stargazer, Hotline

We cannot talk about pink Valentine lilies without mentioning Roselilies.  Their growing popularity and lush double-petaled heads guarantee that they will sell out this Valentine's season, so get these decadent, premium, and romantic blooms while you can!

Roseliles L-R: Belonica and My Wedding

And of course, at the end of the red, pink, and white spectrum we get the beautiful pure white of White Cup lilies, Clearwater tulips and more. Their clean coloration signifies pride and devotion and never fails to put on a celebratory show.

Clearwater Tulips

The Purples

Ah, purple, how do we love thee? I consider purple to be the middle child of Valentine's day, always included but never talked about. By definition, purple is a range of hues between red and blue, and is often associated with royalty, mystery, and magic.  When combined with pink, it is associated with femininity, seduction, and eroticism (if that doesn't scream Valentine's Day, what does?).  If you want to think outside the box, yet remain romantically relevant this Valentine's day, think purple, lavender, and violet.  Mix purple with pink and you have yourself an extra special mix, my friend.

Valentine's Day marks the start of the Floral Industry's 5-month Holiday Season, and soon, we pass our flower baton to all the other flower professionals who are going to keep the V-day train running all the way through to the end. Now that you know what to expect....are you ready?

American-grown tulips and Oriental lilies on trend for Valentine’s Day

American-grown tulips and Oriental lilies on trend for Valentine’s Day

AmericanGrown Lilies Tulips Valentine's Day

For Valentine’s Day 2015, the buzz is already about U.S.-grown flowers. Consumers are excited to learn where their food and flowers come from; they want to know the farmer who grew their veggies, the vintner who made their wine and the flower farmer who grew the romantic blooms that will be the centerpiece of their Valentine’s Day ritual.

Tulips On Trend

People are looking for domestic Valentine’s Day flowers, and of course they want reds, whites and pinks. The traditional roses and carnations are being joined by tulips and lilies as the trend-centric floral world rides the wave of the farmers market and locally grown aesthetics.

According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, there are currently 8,268 farmers markets in the United States, up from 3,706 in 2004. People are demanding access to fresh, seasonal and local foods — and retailers, farmers and all sorts of individuals are responding. The same trend affecting fruits and vegetables is finally coming to flowers.

For centuries the red tulip has represented love. According to the book, The Meaning of Flowers, by Gretchen Scoble and Ann Field, in ancient Persia to give a red tulip was to declare your love. The black center of the red tulip was said to represent the lover’s heart, burned to a coal by love’s passion. This speaks of the true essence of Valentine’s Day, and year-round domestic tulip production means these blooms will be available for the big day.

As Valentine’s Day shoppers look to impress, nothing in the flower world can touch the wow factor of an Oriental lily. The bold pinks and reds of Starfighters and Stargazers balanced with the purity of a White Cup or Gizmo white Oriental is a dramatic way to capture your customers’ attention. Did you know the Stargazer was bred in the small town of Arcata, CA, about 40 years ago?

Stargazers for Valentine's!

 The other lily making waves for Valentine’s Day is the Roselily series. These decadent double and triple-petaled lilies are stunning. They have been bred to have a softer fragrance than a traditional Oriental, and they are also pollen-free. These lilies are still relatively new to the market, so as Valentine’s Day approaches, demand for them will be growing. These are a premium item, but Valentine’s Day is a time when consumers focus more on the bloom and less on the price.

Valentine's Day on the Farm

This local flower trend goes by many names, such as slow flowers, field-to-vase and field-to-table flowers, but all these monikers reflect the consumers’ interest in knowing by whom and where their flowers were grown. It’s our job to tell them.

This article was previously published in The Produce News, written by Bill Prescott.

Orange Lilies for Halloween

Orange Lilies for Halloween

Asiatic Halloween Lilies Orange Lilies

"I would rather sit on a pumpkin, and have it all to myself, than be crowded on a velvet cushion."  -Henry David Thoreau

Halloween Party Centerpiece

Orange lilies are hot for Halloween. Last weekend, I attended three Halloween themed parties. Two for my kids and one for grown-ups. I was surprised to find a common theme at all three of these parties; orange lilies. Then I started noticing them more; grocery stores, florists' windows, arrangements in restaurants. They seem to be everywhere. Maybe I have pumpkin fever, but this is a trend.

Our "Jack O Lantern" Bouquet.

Halloween has become a big floral holiday, as flower lovers dress up their homes, as well as, their kids. Here at Sun Valley we have been seeing an increase in demand for Halloween themed bouquets for the last several years. This year, and likely continuing forward; the big splashy color of lilies is out shining other consumer bunches for the holiday.

Our Love Lily Asiatics at my local grocery store. #AmericanGrown

It makes sense, lilies have a stunning physical presence and Halloween is all about the visual. Our Love Lily brand of Asiatics, are looking great right now. Bariton is the variety we are harvesting for Halloween orders and we will have plenty as we push into November.

Perfect Halloween Lily

Fall is a wondeful time for lilies, and we have your fall color palette all taken care of with oranges, yellows and reds.

We turn back our clocks this weekend, so it will be Thanksgiving before you know it!

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!

American Grown Mother's Day 2014

American Grown Mother's Day 2014

#americangrown American Grown Lilies Mother's Day Oriental Lily

"Mama was my greatest teacher, a teacher of compassion, love and fearlessness. If love is sweet as a flower, then my mother is that sweet flower of love."
                                                                                     -Stevie Wonder

2014 marks the 100th year that Mother's Day has been celebrated in the United States. On May 9th, 1914, President Woodrow Wilson made the second Sunday in May officially "Mother's Day."

This is one of the busiest times of year on our flower farm, as flowers are the traditional gift to give your mom. Over the course of the year our Sun Valley team is training for this event, we focus on operational excellence year-round, however, Mother's Day is where the "rubber hits the road."

We are able to scale up our operations to meet demand due to a lot of planning and a lot of teamwork. At this time of year it's not unusual to see Lane DeVries on the "tulip line" laying flowers on the belt, which will get graded, sorted, sleeved and sent to mom's across the country.  It's not unusual to see Vince Thomas, our head of transportation and logistics, working on a shipping line in the warehouse. "All Hands on Deck" means literally "All Hands on Deck."

This type of leadership epitomizes the Sun Valley experience and it also embodies the American experience. Learning by doing and leading by example. This is why we are successful. As an American flower farm we face steep competition from flowers grown off shore. However, the tides are changing in our favor as consumers request American Grown flowers to share with their families and friends...and especially as the perfect gift for mom.

Much like Women's Day which we celebrate in early March, Mother's Days is distinctly an American holiday. You owe it to your mom to give her flowers grown right here in the United States...the same place where you were born and raised.

Doesn't this make sense?

The vast majority of folks reading these words grew up in the USA, making you just as American Grown as our flowers.

Even the White House is getting on board; did you see this outstanding article in the New York Times?

As our flowers get delivered to wholesalers, flower shops and stores across the country, we pass the baton onto the floral professionals that will make sure every mom has a wonderful day.

All the lilies in this post are test varieties we are growing in small quantities. If they pass the test, they may be available in the near future.

Good Luck and Thank You,

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.

Floral "Jewel Tone" Primer

Floral "Jewel Tone" Primer

Asters delphinium Jewel Tones Lilies Pantone Sumatra lilies tango lilies

“Autumn is a second spring when every leaf is a flower.”

                                                -Albert Camus

Now that it is officially autumn, it’s time to dig into the hot colors of fall. The fashion world dictates the color schemes we will see from the runways in New York and Paris right down to the colors a bride requests for her fall wedding. The name of the game this season is “Jewel Tones.” Jewel tones are the rich, saturated colors associated with jewels, such as emeralds, rubies, amber and sapphires.  These tones aren’t the bright and shiny side of the precious stones, but the dark, warm interiors of the stones. According to the trend setters at Pantone, the jewel tone palette will be accented by neutrals, such as browns and taupe.

So let’s investigate the flowers and botanicals that represent jewel tones.

Sumatra is a jewel toned delight

In the lily department, the Sumatra Lily will be a stand out this fall. This beautiful Oriental is big and dark; the saturated colors will ensure that this lily will be the focal of many autumn floral events.  For our Royal Lilies, which is what we call our LA Hybrids, the Sunset Royal lily has all the warmth of a vibrant autumn sunset.  Sun Valley has the exclusive North American rights to grow this lily, and there will be big numbers coming to harvest every week.  The other lily to keep your eye on is Orange Art. This stunning lily is from the Tango Series, so it is part Asiatic and part LA Hybrid.  This is one of our lilies that the average consumer hasn’t experienced; the gorgeous contrasting hues make this a show-stopping fall lily.

Orange Art from the Tango Lily Series.

The ever popular Matsumoto Asters we grow are a natural match for the jewel tone theme. Purple, red and our hot pink fit the bill nicely.

Fall color Matsumoto Asters

 A flower that grows beautifully at our Oxnard farm that we don’t mention nearly enough is our Delphinium Sea Waltz, now this is a rich sapphire blue.

Delphinium Jewel Tones

One of my favorite items we grow on the farm is Ornamental Kale, often called Brassica.  J Schwanke from uBloom just completed a great video showing off our product. Have a look, the dark purples and emeralds of our brassica will be hot this autumn, so you need to see this video!

Not all jewel tones are necessarily dark; our gerberas are bright, yet saturated. Some varieties which will be hot this fall are: Maya, Shania, Carambole, Intensa and Malibu.  I recently took a walk through the Oxnard gerb greenhouse, the crop is looking pretty spectacular.  The colors are popping and the plants are looking very healthy.

Our Gerb greenhouse in Oxnard, CA

The last crop I need to mention to give you the inside track on jewel tones are our Fall Tulips. The great part of growing bulb crops is we can grow the color mix you need on demand.  We often say, “We grow it, when you need it.”  This is the epitome of our year round tulip program.  We keep the tulips in coolers just until we are ready for them to burst into action. The crop is carefully planned, so we grow the colors that any given season requires.  Its fall, so we have the oranges, yellows, red and bi-colors that will be the color splash in your autumn arrangements. The bulbs are from the Southern Hemisphere so they are “spring fresh”, which leads to the best quality and the best vase life.

Jewel tones are the theme of this season, and Sun Valley is growing just what you need.