> OUTSTANDING VARIETIES 2023 OUT STANDING VARIETIES BY AMANDA JEDLINSKY PHOTOS BY BETSY BRZEZINSKI hen the time came to select a lily to ship to the Society of American Florists’ Outstanding Varieties Competition, Sun Valley Floral Farms’ Lane DeVries, AAF, didn’t have a particular variety in mind. In the end, he selected what looked best and was at the perfect stage to harvest — a light pink double Oriental lily, ‘Amistad,’ which the farm has been growing for just two years. “They just came out of the regular production batch in the green-house,” said DeVries, president and CEO of Sun Valley. “We didn’t do anything special for them. We didn’t plant for it — we just picked them out of the greenhouse and entered.” That the entry hadn’t been pampered for weeks as it grew at the Arcata, California farm, and the fact that the blooms were still pristine eight days after they’d shipped to blazing hot Phoenix — where the competition was held in conjunction with SAF’s annual convention — are true testaments to the lily’s appeal, DeVries and judges pointed out. It was also favored for its elegant, long white petals tinged with pink and layered on top of each other, giving each bloom volume and depth. ‘Amistad’s’ performance earned it “Best in Show,” topping 248 other entries from 38 companies. Judges scored each entry individually based on color and commercial appeal, stem and foliage, bloom form and size, and overall presentation. To provide a range of perspectives, the judging panel included three growers, three wholesal-ers and three retailers. The judges evaluated specific categories of flowers, and the highest-scored entry from each won “Best in Class.” The judges collectively assessed those winners and named ‘Amistad’ the best of the best. W 22 FLORAL MANAGEMENT | November/December 2023 | WWW.SAFNOW.ORG BACKGROUND IMAGE SHUTTERSTOCK/IMPROVISER Abundant ‘Amistad’
Floral Management Magazine November/December 2023: Page 22
