Everlasting Summer : Hydrangeas

Everlasting Summer : Hydrangeas

fertigation fresh hydrangeas Hydrangea new varieties summer flowers

In the cool northwest, summertime means hydrangeas; and boy, do we have hydrangeas!

 We've been growing hydrangeas (H. macrophylla) in our coastal Arcata fields for over a decade, and in the last few years we've planted new hybridized varieties.  These are bred for better performance, allowing us to bring some amazing hydrangea attributes to the cut flower market: manageable bloom heads in a range of sizes, strong stems, amazing vase life, and of course, a gorgeous array of color.

Shadow

Noblesse

Revolution (in Pantone's Color of the Year, Rose Quartz and Serenity)

The color variations we are producing are off-the-charts.  Coloration of these plants is dependent upon their specific variety as well as the acidity of the soil or water.  A pH of 5 or below produces shades of blue and lavender, while a pH of 7 or higher will give us vibrant pinks.  Just take a look at the different colors we get by changing the pH of Everlasting Opal:

Everlasting Opal, from pink to blue

I love walking through the hoops just to see the range of colors within one variety. One of my favorite varieties right now is Amethyst, and looking at its kaleidoscopic coloration, you can see why:

Blue/Green and Lavender/Green Amethyst

Pink and Green Amethyst

Growing Practices

Soil pH aside, the most important element to growing long-stemmed, colorful blooms is temperature and light.   H. macrophylla is native to the maritime climate of coastal Japan, which means they love our coastal setting here in Humboldt County where the ever-present ocean breeze dissipates the heat.  Hydrangeas like to keep cool, and they also need a little bit of shade.  We cover our open hoop houses with shade cloth, which gives the plants just enough sunlight to grow and develop, while also allowing the coastal air to circulate freely.  This environmental setting encourages long stem length and complete coloring of the florets.  In winter, we keep the dormant plants uncovered, where the Humboldt rainfall nourishes the shrubs for production the following spring.

Green Emerald

White Emerald

We've seen a lot of success with one crop-tending practice in particular, known as Fertigation.  We inject fertilizers and soil amendments into our irrigation system, distributing the enhanced solution among the crops using a computer program.  This allows us to regulate the amount of nutrients each variety receives, helping us to be more efficient with our natural resources while also controlling the resulting end product.

Lavender Opal

Blue Opal

Pink Opal

Antiqued Hydrangeas

Our hydrangeas are ready and will continue to be in production through the end of the summer;  then, fresh hydrangeas will give way to the gorgeous, marbled tones of  Antiqued Hydrangeas.  



Thanks to both innovative plant breeding and the growing techniques of our knowledgeable flower farmers, Sun Valley continues to bring improvements and advancements to the Hydrangea Cut Flower Market.  By exploring new varieties and analyzing our growing methods we naturally follow one of our guiding principles, "Continuously improve and innovate."  And what a wonderful world of color this practice has brought to both us and you!

New Roselily Varieties

New Roselily Varieties

flower breeding Laterals mutation new varieties Roselilies

The Roselily is a gorgeous freak of nature.  Its spontaneous mutation (lush, multi-layered petals) was discovered by the De Looff Brothers in the early 2000s.  Over the next decade they worked with this mutation in their breeding program to bring forth the earliest Roselily varieties, Belonica and Fabiola.

New Roselily Variety, Thalita

These first flagship varieties—Belonica and Fabiola—took the floral world by storm.  Roselilies were new, complex, and singular; they also boasted other positive attributes like long vase life, no pollen, and a sweet, pleasing fragrance.

Roselily Natalia

However, because the initial Roselily varieties were the very first-of-their-kind, they had some issues (weak laterals, bud breakage) which the team at De Looff Lily Innovation succeeded in overcoming with new and improved Roselily breeds such as the speckled maroon Thalita, the elegantly white Carolina, the soft Natalia, and electric-pink Elena.

The bright pink Roselily Elena

These new Roselily varieties possess genetic improvements like thicker stems and stronger laterals.   These new, optimized roselily varieties still have lush, layered blooms, but now they sit atop a super strong stem base for no bud breakage.

Roselily Carolina

We've been farming Roselilies for five years now, which has given us insight into the best growing conditions as well as post-harvest care.  One practice we have seen excellent results with is the practice of netting.

Netted Roselily Bud

We pick Roselilies at a more advanced stage than our other lilies.  By gently covering the flower with a gerbera net, we ensure it stay closed, which allows us to keep the Roselily in the ground. This means the flower is able to continue obtaining nutrients, providing more saturation of color, bigger blooms, and stronger stems; plus, the nets have the added benefit of protecting the petals during transit.

Flower breeding is fascinating, and we are pleased with these new, strong Roselily varieties which have come from years of optimization.  From one mutation came two varieties, and from two varieties, we know have the crème de la crème of Roselilies with more to come!

Roselily Dalinda

We offer the whole range of colors year-round, so whether you want pure white, freckled pink, dark maroon, or electric rose, we have the Roselily you are looking for.

Roselily Thalita

The Intricate World of Roselilies

The Intricate World of Roselilies

#CAGrown Belonica Elena Fabiola Lady Aster My Wedding Natalia new varieties Roselilies

If you haven't yet experienced the elegant and unique Roselily, you're in for quite the treat.  These extraordinary flowers are a special series of multi-layered lilies.  Just take a look at the soft, unfurled petals in the photo below. 

Roselily Belonica

As you can see, when Roselilies are fully open, they resemble the stratified characteristics of a rose, while still boasting the exceptionally positive attributes of a lily (hence the name).  

The stamen (without pollen) of a Roselily

What are these "exceptionally positive attributes?"  First, for all their complicated beauty, Roselilies do not have a heavy or overpowering scent.  Rather, they possess a light fragrance which doesn't trigger sensitive noses.  Second, they produce no pollen, which is great news for allergy-sufferers and neat-freaks alike. And third, just look at them! They are incredible, singular, and breathtaking.

Roselily Fabiola in our greenhouse

Roselilies are still a relatively new breed; discovered, developed, and perfected by De Looff Lily Innovation in the early 2000s.  Commercial production of these exceptional flowers didn't actually start until a decade later (around 2011), and we here at Sun Valley have been growing them ever since.

Netting Roselily buds in action.

Four years of farming these babies have given us insight into the best growing conditions and care.  For example, we pick ours at a more advanced stage than our other lilies, but to ensure they stay closed we gently cover each bud with a gerbera net (the nets also protect from any in-transit bruising). This netting allows florists and designers to have total control over when and how they open the blooms.

Roselily bud with net

We also know that the strongest attribute of a Roselily is its large, lushly layered bloom.  The warm, controlled environment of our greenhouses puts every bit of stored energy in the lily bulb to work.  In this way, the bulb builds its kingdom of a 6+ inch bloom atop a strong, sturdy stem, seemingly multiple flowers in one.

The team of  De Looff hasn't stopped developing new varieties, some of which have recently come to market. We are excited to offer these dynamic new varieties, such as the striking pink Elena, the softer-hued Natalia, and the pure white variety, My Wedding (see photos below).   

Roselilies Elena and My Wedding

 

Roselily Natalia

For more brilliant eye candy, check out Roselily.com for creative design ideas, or order yourself a bouquet today and discover your new favorite flower.