State of The Lily Industry
Scouting Lilies in Holland
Hi! Linda here today. Karissa and I are back from a trip to The Netherlands to source lily bulbs for Little Farmhouse Flowers. It was a great opportunity to spend some focused time with the hybridizers, brokers, and farmers who produce the lily bulbs that we use here on our farms.
One thing that was surprising to us was the direction of the industry in terms of lily trends. It was clear that tremendous effort has been spent on breeding oriental lilies with ENORMOUS red or white flowers. At first we were wowed, and then we realized that nearly every green house was exhibiting the same giant oriental varieties. The only thing I can equate it to would be the situation that might happen if a bunch of dudes who love shiny red sports cars were put in charge of developing new lily varieties.
When we shared our preferences and the favorite varieties of North American growers in our conversations, most of the breeders and brokers laughed it off. So, then we started to show them the things we like. Ha- they were appalled. But we explained our reasoning to them. A 12-inch diameter smelly oriental lily just isn’t what we like to grow. We like smaller blooms with less scent, less pollen, and tidy growth habits that allow us to use them in wrapped bouquets and vase arrangements. We have no use for massive blooms with 1/2 inch wide stems.
One breeder asked us to walk through a greenhouse and select our favorite flower. We chose a smaller (4ft tall) muted pink lily with 6-inch blooms. It was dwarfed in comparison to its neighbors in the row. AND, it had already been singled out for the compost pile. NO! We told the breeder — we can sell five times as many of these perfect “dusty rose” colored flowers as those bright red ones next door. He was shocked.
These conversations were revealing and important. We headed back to the states and sent our inquiry lists to the brokers. Our order/voice is the single most powerful driver in the future direction of the industry. We learned how important it was that we went and talked to the breeders and brokers directly and showed them the kinds of flowers we’re drawn too.
Future hybridizing:
So- we’ll see what happens. We’re excited to be entering the marketplace on behalf of flower farmers in the US and Canada. Our aim is to grow our own lily program at our farm in interesting ways, while supplying unusual and rare varieties to others who may be looking to set themselves apart and inspire interest in lilies!
If you’re curious and you’d like to learn more about lily cultivation as a programmable crop, be sure to check out our Lily Workshop (offered in person or online). Our in-depth program will teach you how to source, plant, grow, and harvest lilies over a very long season (year-round cultivation is possible for many students).
Have a question? Let us know in the comments below and we’ll get back to you.
