Don’t eat the KALE!

Don’t eat the KALE!

#americangrown #LetsTalkFlowers brassica cabbage CAGrown Cailifornia Ornamental kale Pieter Landman

Sun Valley is offering a year round ornamental kale crop.  Although, we kind of like to be fancy and call it by its genus “brassica,” and many folks also call it “cabbage.”  Ornamental kale’s popularity has been steadily growing in the floral industry for several years now, and at Sun Valley we have been planting larger and larger crops to supply demand.  We are currently offering brassica as a year round item, with perhaps a week gap as the farm production moves from our Oxnard farm, north to Arcata in June. 

Brassica growing at our Oxnard Farm

As you would expect, our kale is in the same scientific class as many edible crops.  It is in the mustard family, and is a very close relative to cabbage, cauliflower, broccoli and Brussels sprouts(yuck!).  Just to get this information up front, no matter how tasty our Brassica looks, it is not for human or animal consumption…much the way I see Brussels sprouts.

Brassica growing at our Arcata Farm

Being at events where we have arrangements and bouquets featuring kale, it almost always manages to steal the show from the lilies, tulips and iris Sun Valley is so well known for.  Last month we had a beautiful new lily at a trade show, we had arranged the lilies with some brassica stems to add girth. We ended up spending the day looking on, as interested people literally pushed the lily petals aside to get a closer look at the brassica.

Two bouquets from the "Cabbage Patch" collection, by Sun Pacific Bouquet.

Brassica’s current widespread popularity can be attributed to its natural, “Farmer’s Market” type feel. People are enjoying the warm earthy feel of brassica. Simple arrangements that look like the elements were gathered from a back yard garden or a roadside stand are really hot right now.  Also, it being summer, the opportunity to think “Outside the Flower Shop” is really great.  Finding non-traditional botanicals in the woods, on the side of the highway or on the edge of a pasture frees the floral design palette.

We recently had world class floral designer Pieter Landmanon the farm for a film project we are producing.  Even with all the resources, flowers and greens of Sun Valley at his disposal, he walked into the studio with a handful of interesting grasses he has spotted in a neighbor’s unkempt yard.

Integrating a bit of the truly natural world in arrangements is a European touch; however, it seems very American, very “Do It Yourself” and very homestead.  Any of our California Grown Ornamental Kale varieties can also fit this bill, and the size and color make it the best of both worlds.  A “back to the land” element, yet with bulk, lovely color, and intense texture of a more upscale botanical.

Some Brassica options

Traditional brassica is thought of as a winter crop, since the beautiful coloration in the heads comes with cold temperatures.  This leaves brassica off most people’s radar for the hot months of summer. However, we move the crop to our Arcata farm for summer, where our average high temp for summer is 61 degrees Fahrenheit.  No, that is not a typo. This is a chilly place to live, which is perfect for brassica to color up…and for year-round soil grown tulips!  It is also great for not sweating in summer. 

 Here is one of our beautiful "Resource Pages" for inspiration and education, we have created these for many of our crops, see the full collection.

For some nice design ideas, check out this blog post from DesignSponge.

This summer have some fun with brassica, straight out of our garden.

Pieter Landman: The Undercover Martha Stewart

Pieter Landman: The Undercover Martha Stewart

#LetsTalkFlowers Armani Mother's Day Pieter Landman Tulips

This is an “all hands on deck” time of year on the farm and it is a marvel to watch Sun Valley flex it's muscles as the largest cut flower grower and shipper in North America.  Mother’s Day 2013 is coming off without a hitch. We are on 24 hour shifts, for picking, packing and shipping and spirits are running high.

In the heat of the action, we were graced by a visit from Pieter Landman.  Many of our readers may know Pieter for his stunning design work, his engaging presentations and his ridiculously extroverted personality.

I sat down with Pieter to talk about his career in the floral industry, and found the toughest part of interviewing Pieter is getting a word in edgewise.

Flowers are in Pieter’s blood; his father was a tulip grower, so it wasn’t a surprise as Pieter excelled at the Horticultural Institute in Aalsmeer.  After graduating with honors in horticulture, just a few years behind Sun Valley CEO Lane DeVries, Pieter embarked on what would become a grand journey leading him around the world.  In one fell swoop he decided to open a flower shop, start a business as a traveling freelance flower designer and pursue his master degree in floral design.  It seems the day he made this decision may have been the last calm, relaxing day he has had.

Pieter as a young man running his flower shop.

In 1982, Pieter came on the international scene as a designer for Amsterdam Floriade. This is a once a decade flower show in Holland that last for 6 months, it would be an understatement to call this occasion the “Super Bowl” of floral design.  His involvement in this Olympian event led to Pieter being selected as one of six designers with the Flower Council of Holland.  This prestigious position expanded the demand for Pieter’s services.  Realizing he was spreading himself too thin, he elected to close the flower shop, and focus on his career as a floral personality and obtaining his master’s degree.  From 1986 to 1988 we was the host of a first of its kind floral design, home decor and lifestyle TV show in Holland.  Long before HGTV, there was Pieter!

As Pieter gained fame in Holland, his talents were being requested around the world.  You know life is getting surreal when the Sultan of Oman wants you to do his flowers and when you are brought to London to create the floral designs for Wimbledon.  Even back home in Holland the word was out, as the royal family of the Netherlands hired him for their floral needs, perhaps the highest compliment in the flower capital of the world.

With all this acclaim and demand, Pieter could easily have rested on his laurels.  However, he wasn’t even thirty years old.

Tulip necklace, featuring Sun Valley tulips

In the early nineties, he saw the power that mass market accounts would wield in the floral industry. So he set out to study customer behavior in this setting.  He didn’t hire a research firm, he hit the streets himself.  He traveled across the United States and Europe, standing in supermarket floral areas, seeing what people were buying and talking to customers.  By asking people what they like, what they want and occasionally getting chased out by zealous managers (To this day he is very quick on his feet!) Pieter was able to discern a huge problem in the floral industry. Flower buying customers did not like what the mass market stores were offering, people were not satisfied with the designs and most of the people he spoke to were extremely underwhelmed by what the mass market industry was doing with flowers.

Pieter in Holland

Pieter started making flower arrangements that people actually wanted and which could be produced in a mass market atmosphere.  This customer centric approach to selling flowers shocked the major flower buyers at US chains, and set up the foundation for his company Blooming Vision. Blooming Vision’s goal is to bring flowers to the consumer in the way they like it.

 

Pieter says, “I listen to what the consumer wants and likes …that’s what I bring.” 

 

Today, Pieter's influence and foresight can be seen in virtually every floral department in the United States.   

Behind this man, who seems very complex on the outside, is actually a person striving for simplicity.  This is perhaps the root of his genius.  His modest origins of growing up on the Dutch country side among the rows of tulips have served him well.  Pieter’s humorous tales of rubbing elbows with the world’s elites, always have a cavalier confidence that leads him out on a limb, only to be pulled back in by the person he needs to impress.

Armani in Milan, Italy

A classic tale is his first day consulting for Giorgio Armani in Milan.  Mr. Armani came down from his penthouse, as he does everyday at 4 p.m., to the retail front of the flagship store and asked Pieter,

“What's wrong with this flower department? No one buys the flowers.”

Pieter replied, “People don’t know the flowers are for sale, it looks like a museum in here.”

  

Jaws hit the ground, as no one speaks to Mr. Armani so frankly.

Pieter walked behind the counter to the sink, and splashed water on the counter and onto the floor.  He grabbed bunches of flowers from the manicured vases, and laid them on the pristine marble and glass counter tops.  He started snipping them into fresh arrangements, all while the wet greenery stuck to the marble and the stems of the cut flowers shot out into the haute couture capital of  Europe.

   

As he chatted about what he was doing with the flowers, the customers started walking up and asking if they could buy the arrangements.  Pieter said, 

“Yes of course, but you have to ask these guys how much they cost.” using his clippers to point at Mr. Armani and his entourage.

Mr. Armani said, “I think you have something here.” and walked away.  Years later Pieter is still consulting with Armani.

Pieter started working for Sun Valley in 2004.  He has since become an intricate part of the Sun Valley family.  You find his designs and presentations running all through our last ten years.  Pieter's energy and his generosity with his time and effort have been the basis of a great relationship.

 

“No matter where I go, I am identified with Sun Valley, I am very proud of this affiliation and the work we have accomplished.”

Pieter creating a series of tulip wreaths.

Pieter was on our farm in Arcata filming a series of videos showing how to make beautiful, modern arrangements from our soil grown tulips and other Sun Valley flowers.  Stay tuned for when we release these great “how to” spots.

When asked about what draws him to flowers, Pieter takes a more serious tone.  It is suddenly apparent how dedicated to his craft and how very thoughtful he is about flowers.

 

“Flowers create a smile, whether a single stem or a huge bunch, flowers are always appreciated.  A flower is never returned because it didn’t fit or was the wrong size.  Flowers fill every home, from a palace to a camping tent. I want to bring flowers to whomever likes them.”

After a brief pause, he continues, “And you know what? One day, Tiffanys in New York will be selling flowers; that is one of my goals.”

Tulip Credits

Tulip Credits

Free flowers free tulips Lincoln Road Miami Pieter Landman Soil Grown Tulips South Beach summer tulips.

Here is the scene, seven people walking down the legendary Lincoln Road pedestrian mall in the South Beach section of Miami. It is a hot humid summer evening, the street is packed with people heading home from work, out to dinner or just wandering around. The cafes and bars are in full swing even though it is a Wednesday evening. It doesn't seem like this town gets much rest.

Lincoln Road, South Beach

This evening, along with the rest of the multicultural buzz of Miami, there are four Dutch people, one Canadian and two Americans each with a large bucket of stunning Sun Valley Tulips. The game they are playing is, "Who can get hand out their bucket of tulips first?"

One would think this is an easy task, handing out free flowers on a busy metropolitan street. We found out, it's not as easy as it sounds and it actually is a weird exploration into the state our society.


Learn more about our gorgeous soil grown tulips HERE

At a corner, a couple women wait to cross the street, I hold out a 10 stem bunch of yellow tulips.
"Free tulips, have a bunch."

"No, thanks."

"No really, they are free."

"That's OK, no thank you."

"So you don't want free tulips, no strings attached?"

"Really?"

"Yes!"

"Well...OK. Wow they are beautiful, thank you"

"Have a nice night" as the light turns, we walk away to the next unsuspecting victim.

The woman shouts back, "Are you guys on Twitter?"

"@LilySunvalley" I reply, as I turn my gaze to an older gentleman sitting at a park bench smoking a cigar, "Here you go sir, free tulips tonight."

"Oh, why thank you young man, they're beautiful." He replies in a thick Cuban accent as he graciously accepts them.

Next an attractive younger couple, I hold out a bunch of purple tulips, "Free for the lady." The guy looks at me with hard glance, pulls his girl close and keeps walking. She looks over her shoulder, a little dismayed.

"Free Flowers" I say to the next couple, "No thanks" They seem friendlier, "no tip, no strings, not selling time shares, just giving away flowers" They stop and accept the bouquet, "Thanks!" as they admire the blooms.

With seven people all doing this down the street, people start to lighten up, the maître 'd at an outdoor cafe, produces a vase from under his stand for us to fill.

At the next cafe, some older men wave me over. They know the value of flowers, their temporal nature and their singular beauty, if crazy people are handing them out for free, they aren't going to be shy.

I offer a bunch to an older woman, "I don't like red, ...do you have yellow, oh wait look at those purple ones, can I have those?" in a thick New Yorker accent.

A slick guy on rollerblades goes by, eyeing us suspiciously, "Free tulips!" I proclaim, and hand out a bunch for him to grab mid-stride.  He puckers his face, and just before he skates off empty handed shouts, "Free, my ass!"

We arrive at a delightful watering hole, the leader of our tulip gang, the famous Dutch flower designer, Pieter Landman has a word with the bartender, she blushes a little, he places some tulips on the bar and suddenly all of us have been a served a refreshing glass of white wine. We sip our wine and watch the stream of people walk by the cafe, many of them carry tulips at this point. We recount how much effort it took to give away free flowers, is our society cynical? Yes. Interestingly, it seems the younger people were more weary of it being some sort of scam than the older people, perhaps this happened all the time in the old days?


Pieter Landman and some buckets of California grown tulips...just be for being given away.

It was a great exercise in the power of flowers to brighten someones day or just the unexpected joy of being in the right place at the right time. For the next several days how many people enjoyed those tulips sitting in a vase in their home or office? I am sure they not only enjoyed their color and scent but also the way they were handed out in a random happy go lucky way. When was the last time you got something totally for free?

Perhaps we need a new special day in the spring, when we build a tradition of giving out free flowers. Like most gift giving, I must confess that I shared in the greatest reward because it felt so good. Perhaps, just for myself I should buy a dozen stems a week, with the singular goal of giving them away to 12 random people. Would my life be richer? Yes. Would it break the bank? No.

In Russia, they have a beautiful tradition. On the first day of school, all the students bring a flower for their teacher. This must set such a great precedent for the semester. What is it about flowers that make them so magical? Their fleeting beauty? Their dramatic poses? Vibrant color? The fact that we can all grow them or of course... their scent that somehow clears out a day's worth of stress with one whiff? They are tied to our memories, to music, to our family, to all aspects of life.

A customer in the cafe is eyeing the bartender's big bucket of tulips, there is one last bucket at our table, Pieter points to the tulips, then to the customer, I think there may have a been a wink, perhaps a nod. It seems the bartender has explained the arraignment. Our last bucket of tulips disappears and miraculously our wine glasses stay full.

Evening turns into night, it has been a long day, and all the glasses are empty. "One more round?" the bartender asks.

I venture the question, "Do we have any tulip credits left?"

She smiles as she nods, "one more round it is."

And we toast the end of a rare and special day.

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

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