I’m so excited for this week’s Free uBloom Video- I introduce you to my Flower Friend Robin van der Schaaf from 2Plant International. Robin will tell us about the Amazing trip a Lily Bulb makes- all the way from the Netherlands- to a field in California where it’s grown- and cut for a bouquet you might enjoy in your home or office.
It’s quite the journey too… a trip of over 7000 Miles… Robin will share how these bulbs are packed and then placed inside a climate controlled container – then boarded on a ship for a trip across the ocean to America… then moving south on the same ship- through the Panama Canal and then back up to California where it makes it’s way – into refrigeration where it stays at 28˚F – until they are ready to plant…
There’s more of course- we’ll see both Lily and Calla Lily Bulbs. Robin will dissect a Lily bulb and show us what’s inside- and how you can see the bloom long before the bulb is planted. Robin will show us the difference between the roots that are on the bulb- and the STEM roots the Lily creates to grow into a flower.
It’s an amazing journey- and Robin is the expert- it was a pleasure to learn about this amazing process- and it’s eye opening to see what goes on behind the scenes- before that Lily bulb goes into the ground. One of my favorite stops in this video is the place where they steam (IE Cook) the soil to eliminate any pests or disease- before they plant the bulbs in this CLEAN Soil… It’s a fragrance that is one of my favorite smells- and it’s a memory smell that reminds of my years in the greenhouses- where we would cook soil too.
Robin is also the Chairman of the Board for CalFlowers- and he’s a great educator- and shares so many valuable and interesting stories- about the Journey from Bulb to Bloom- and what happens every step of the way… I hope enjoy this week’s Free uBloom Video… and visiting with Robin -and learning more about 2Plant International.