Lily Talks Lilies (Part 1)

Lily Talks Lilies (Part 1)

#americangrown #CAGrown Curie Oriental lilies Stargazer lily Sumatra lilies

Beauty is silent,—through the summer day Sleeps in her gold,—O wondrous sunlit gold, Frosting the lilies, virginal array! Green, full-leaved walls the fragrant sculpture hold, Warm, orient blooms!—how motionless are they— Speechless—the eternal loveliness untold!
                                                                                                           -George E. Woodberry

If you know Sun Valley and Lane DeVries, then you know his favorite flower is a soil grown tulip.  But I have a confession to make… my favorite flower is an Oriental Lily, sure “Lily” is my name sake, however it is more than that.  Ories achieve the epitome of what a flower should be; big, colorful, fragrant and absolutely beautiful.

Sun Valley Lilies: Sumatra in center, Marmara at the top and Curie at the bottom.

If you had to stand out on the roadside and stop traffic using only a 10 stem bunch of flowers, what variety would you pick? 

Our Sales Assistant Robin, stopping traffic with a 10 stem of Curie.

One of our Guiding Principles is “Always remain humble and gracious.” Our lilies certainly are gracious as they perform stunningly for our customers, but they are not humble.  Our lilies are the rock stars of the flower world, sure they have an ego, sure they are flashy, but as Muhammad Ali said,

“It’s not bragging if you can back it up.”

So why are our Orientals Lilies superior to others on the market?

It starts in the ground; Lane’s soil mix provides the perfect environment for the bulbs to grow.  It is a mixture of redwood, Douglas fir and other local wood fines, compost, sand and love.

“Operational Excellence” is one of our hallmarks on the farm, and the steps involved in the early stages of our lilies development are a testament to this goal.  The bulbs are hand planted in black crates, then brought into the Rooting Coolers, this is a step many growers are unable to achieve. In the Rooting Coolers we simulate early spring, creating a chilly and moist atmosphere which signals the bulbs that it’s time to grow.  The bulbs start forming a strong root base for the flower to use as it's support system; the bulb will sprout out of the soil in less than two weeks.

It's always spring in the Rooting Cooler.

Two weeks doesn’t seem like a big deal, however, it is a HUGE deal.  We are able to have these lilies growing for the first two weeks of their life cycle before we put them in the greenhouses.  Lilies take between 12-16 weeks to come to harvest, so this two week stretch gives us the ability to have a huge inventory of Oriental Lilies for Valentine’s Day, as well as Mother’s Day.  At big floral holiday times, space is extremely limited inside the greenhouses, so two weeks in the rooting cooler gives us room to breathe, and you get a steady, year round supply of lilies even at peak times.

Lily roots, the newest growth is coming out of the top.

Strong roots lead to big blooms, with superior vase life.

The oriental Lilies grow in a bit of an unconventional way.  The new roots actually grow out of the top of the bulb, then reach down to the soil. As our lilies grow we help support them, using a wire frame which we raise incrementally as the lilies reach skyward.

The metal bar is raised as the lilies grow.

Our California farms are blessed with consistent light levels and cool nights.  Both these factors contribute to our lilies’ quality.  Most people think flowers need bright light and hot temperatures to bloom; this is actually not the case.  Ironically, we prefer nice steady light levels, and we use the shade cloth in the big Dutch greenhouses more often than not. The cool nights that come with our Pacific coastal climate also help our lilies.  The chilly nights lead directly to bolder, more vibrant colors in the bloom.

Chilly nights make the colors POP!

Oriental Lilies are all about purity of purpose.  They are meant to be divine and ethereal.  The lily possesses an unending sense of wonder, even before the flower opens; the stage is set for greatness.  Once opened, the lily commands your attention and thrills your senses. 

 

Tune in next week for part 2 of Lily Talks Lilies. 

   

Pollen Disasters!

Pollen Disasters!

Bright Diamond Lily LA Hybrid Lily Oriental Lily Removing Lily Pollen from clothing Stargazer lily Valentine's Day 2013 Bouquets

One of the most eye catching elements of a lily is the colorful pollen which coats the stamens of the flower. The pollen and stamens provide a beautiful contrast to the petals of the flower, literally sticking out of the bloom at the end of the filaments. While being a key element in the reproductive system of the flower and a great visual element for flower lovers, the heavily laden stamens drooping with a huge amount of pollen hold a great potential for disaster. Not disaster on the epic level of a hurricane or earthquake, both of which have been big news this week, but disaster for your clothes and table clothes.


Our Bright Diamond Royal LA Hybrid Lily, loaded with pollen.

Anyone working with lilies or enjoying them in their home or office will know the sad moment when you inadvertently brush against a big Oriental or LA Hybrid lily and end up with a swath of bright orange pollen on you khakis or worse, your white slacks. In my case, it was my new fleece pullover, not as fancy as white linen slacks, but living in Humboldt County a necessary item that gets worn daily and a bright orange pollen stain was bad news.

We had been photographing our bouquets for Valentine’s Day (only 116 days away!), and for beautiful photos you need the lilies, tulips and iris all fully open. After a few days of shooting, I planned to take the bouquets over to our Local Sales Department. Local Sales is where we sell our fresh cut flowers to local Humboldt County florists, I figured I could leave the bouquets out for display since they still looked so stunning. Carrying a Grande "Season of Love" bouquet with a big Stargazer Lily as a focal, I maneuvered through the office, then up the hallway, not only trying to avoid getting the pollen on myself, but also not wanting it to fall onto the petals of the Gazer or other bouquet elements. I turned the corner toward the HR Department; Fernando saw me coming, dropped what he was doing and moved quickly to get the door for me. I made it outside, and turned toward Local Sales. They have a few tables outside where I thought I would put down the bouquet before asking them where they wanted it placed.

Just as I set the big bouquet down, a big dump truck started backing up about 20 feet away from me, the year splitting sound of the reverse, “Beep, Beep, Beep” sounded. Instinctively, I turned my head to make sure I wasn’t in its’ path. In that brief lapse in concentration, I managed to get huge stain of pollen right on the front of my fleece, “Ah, Beeeep” …Luckily the trucks beep also cover up my expletive.

Cisco, the manager of local sales, looked up from his computer and out his window, perhaps sensing the potential pollen tragedy with some sort of sixth sense. I cupped my hand, about to make an attempt at brushing the bright orange pollen off the with the back of my hand.

“Stoppppp!” Cisco yelled, the look in his eye showing a dire warning. “Don’t touch that pollen or it’s going to stain!”

I raised my hands above my head, as if I had just been addressed by the police (not that I know what that is like),

“What do I do?” I asked, the fear of a permanent stain creeping into my voice.

“Freeze, Don’t Move.”

“Yes, Officer…I mean Cisco.”

He reached in his right hand desk drawer pulled out a roll of clear packaging tape. He skillfully ripped off a piece, flipped the piece around backward and created a loop with the sticky side out. He approached, sizing me up and inspecting the pattern of caked-on pollen, kind of like a CSI investigator analyzing GSR. A trickle of perspiration dripped from my forehead. Starting where the pollen first contacted my fleece, he used a gently, twisting, padding motion and to my amazement the pollen came right off my fleece and became stuck to the tape.


Removing Lily Pollen from Clothing.

With a few skilled placements he was able to remove the pollen and save my new fleece. I was amazed, I offered Cisco my heartfelt thanks, and ever the gruff farmer/pragmatist all he said was, “Fleece is expensive.”

As he turned to walk away, an unlikely hero in a bleak situation, he added, “You can put your hands down now.”

Have you had any disasters with pollen?
Do you pick off the stamens?
Do you have any miracle cures for removing pollen from clothes?
...Please comment and share.

lily@tsvg.com

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Bulb Flowers and the Celebration of Rebirth

Bulb Flowers and the Celebration of Rebirth

Bulb Flowers Cut flowers Easter flowers flowers for delivery Freesia Iris flower Lilies Spring flowers Stargazer lily Tulips

Easter holds different meanings for everyone. For Sun Valley, aside from the traditional denotations, this holiday connotes the blooming of bulb flowers - the awakening of bulb flowers from their winter slumber goes hand in hand with the celebration of rebirth.

As you may know already, we grow our core bulb flowers (tulips, lilies and irises) year-round, but their aesthetic is decidedly springy this time of year! Might I suggest you celebrate spring's awakening by bringing some cut bulb flowers into your home this weekend?

 

[The pictures above represent some of our favorite spring bulb flowers enhanced with bear grass. They are as follows: Tulips, Stargazer Lilies, Telstar Irises and Freesias.]

"The Amen of nature is always a flower." - Oliver Wendell Holmes, 19th C American writer

Happy Easter!