I just can’t even begin to express with words how amazing it was to visit the Sun Valley flower farm in Arcata, CA.  I was absolutely blown away by the operations and the beauty of it all.  The hydrangea, especially, are one of my favorites, and Sun Valley’s were just divine!  I would have laid right down in the middle of one of the 16 acres of the hydrangea hoop houses had it not been for the people around me…no kidding ~ the blooms were bigger than my head (which is quite large!) and the  colors were so brilliant and yummy they resembled a buffet of candy waiting to be eaten. 

 

I am also as genuinely impressed with their tulips.  They hand plant, hand pick and hand sleeve every bulb, bud and bloom!  The ‘ice’ program allows them to provide wholesalers/florists with a variety of colors year round! Tulips are removed, bulb and all, from their dirt bin only when they are ready and most packed in pre-cooled boxes, upright and in water for the best possible quality.  It’s like a spa treatment ~ with the poor quality stems being discarded at every stage of the process.  They even go so far as to ‘grade’ their own bunches with the most excellent being ordained with the ‘Super Seal’.  And all this while only using each bulb once to again ensure the best quality of product ~ Amazing!

And if all of that doesn’t impress you much …you should see the lilies!!  Sun Valley bought the rights to & hybridized the Stargazer which has now become the most popular lily in the entire living world!  With other brand names such as Sumatra and the new unique Tiger Woods, they are definitely working very hard to meet this industry’s call for variety and high quality. 

And if that isn’t enough to make you a believer in Sun Valley, maybe their commitment to the environment will entice you.  Not only have they been diligent in the effort of turning over 50 acres of paved area back into farmland, composting all their natural waste, steam cleaning all the dirt in the greenhouses to remove bacteria, and disinfect all the crates prior to planting ~ they also sell and recycle all the plastic from the hoop houses which has to be replaced at least twice a year along with the grinding down of the old crates for the production of oil.  (For more details of their commitment to the environment and Veriflora certification visit their website at www.thesunvalleygroup.com.)

 Well of course I could just go on and on about every little wonderful detail of this experience, but then there wouldn’t be a reason for you to go visit for yourself and have a taste of this fabulous flower farm.  But I do want to share one more thought before I depart ~ I believe that if we (as wholesalers and florists) can manage to pass along some of this educational information regarding the quality and practices of such wonderful places like Sun Valley and if we (as florists) know more about where our flowers come from and those guiding principles of quality that drives repeat and referral business, then we without a doubt can achieve a level of consistent success – even in the possible harder economic times that are to come. 

 I encourage you all to keep learning, keep growing and most of all …GET EXCITED ABOUT FLOWERS!!  (Florists/Designers - be sure to enter the Sun Valley Cup in 2009 and be sure to check out the Sun Valley website for all the wonderful flowers they grow and that are available right now.)

 Thank you to David for your wonderful state of being and to Florist’s Review for the sponsorship to this great opportunity. Thank you to Bruce for your time, to Cindy for your hard work and exceptional help with getting us out there and organizing everything, and to all of Sun Valley for including us into a part of your yearly festivities and of course for all the beautiful flowers. 

I had a blast, learned a ton and hope to see you next year! 

 Forever a Sun Valley Fan,

 Kelly Acock ~ National Sun Valley Cup Finalist 2008

The Monarch Flower Company ~ Kansas City, MO