It’s a new week with a fresh flush of flowers on the farm and the queen of the show is the lilies. These beautiful stop-you-in-your-tracks blooms were one of the first flowers I ever grew for sale. I remember my surprise that first year growing them when the bulbs arrived half-frozen. I thought they were dead and didn’t realize that the suppliers stored the bulbs frozen to be at the perfect stage for planting when they arrived at my door.
I learned how to hold over my unplanted bulbs in the cooler to stage weekly planting for the longest available season and how to spot the perfect stage of “plump buds” to store. I also discovered how to protect these sweet treats from deer and all the different shades of color I could enjoy from just one flowering crop.
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Lilies taught me how to grow in crates and have always saved the farm when we are looking for those big show-stopping faces before the dahlias and lisianthus arrive. I became confident enough to expand into calla lilies and Peruvian lilies (aka alstroemerias) and be one of the first to try the newest rose lilies.
Now we grow a wide variety of lilies and are excited to have them year-round through our heated greenhouse. These beautiful blooms show the growth of our flower farming journey as proud teachers who have literally brought us up in the fields. We feel educated and empowered through these blooms as we gather and ship some of the prettiest combinations of lilies you’ve seen in our newest bouquet.
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As this week's Harvest Tour participants gather with me on the farm, the lilies have been one of the first to attract attention. This classic staple still pulls at our hearts and it fills me with so much pride to see folks truly soak in and appreciate the flower that has taught me so much.
