About Us
About the Lily Pad Bulb Farm
We are a family-owned and operated farm, based in the Pacific Northwest since 1985. We began our operation as cut flower growers in Olympia, Washington and have expanded into bulb and root production for nation-wide distribution. To a lesser extent we are also importers of fine bulbs and plants, new or rare to the domestic market. Currently, our business is based out of Myrtle Creek, Oregon.
We trial everything that we buy in order to determine its quality and garden-worthiness and provide insight and pertinent first-hand details to our customers. Part of our imported stock becomes planting stock for perpetuation of worthy varieties in our domestic fields. We have entered into contractual terms with certain other West Coast growers to grow some of our bulbs for us. We provide the stock and they provide the labor, land, and technological expertise. This is done partly to boost our capacity and partly to ensure against crop failure. Thus, the majority of our bulbs are domestically produced, even those originating in Holland and the Orient. We do honor plant patent rights and buy directly from authorized growers when dealing with patent-protected varieties.
Our Mission and Pledge to Our Customers
Highest quality, biggest bulbs and newest varieties for the best price. We want to inspire you with the thrill, the passion, and the unforgettable fragrance that lilies will bring to your life.
Product Guarantee
Our products are backed with a performance and identity guarantee, with some exceptions. See Guarantee Details in our Return Policy.
Why do business with us?
**Considering the size and quality of our stock, the ready service we provide, and our guarantee, we believe you are getting top value for your money by doing business with us. We thank our customers for your new and continued support of The Lily Pad**
Why do business with us?
New and better varieties
Tired of chain-store and garden-center “same old” varieties? We specialize in items you can't find in stores. We are well-connected in the industry and stay alert to recent exciting developments, and new and improved characteristics.
Bigger bulbs (Bulb-Zilla™)
In most distribution channels (especially non-domestic) the really large bulbs are unobtainable because they are scarce to begin with, are used mainly for propagation purposes, and are too costly to ship to the customer. On the other hand, we are dedicated to providing top-size bulbs, generally 18-20 cm for Oriental, Orienpet, and Trumpet lilies (take a look at our BULB-ZILLA™ product category, which provides an opportunity to obtain even bigger bulbs than routinely provided). Big bulbs produce more flowers their very first year, and of course will continue to grow larger in your garden every year. By doing business with us, you short-cut your waiting period and enjoy instant gratification in your garden. (Note: some types of bulbs are, by nature, small, and bloom well from small sizes). We will always specify bulb size and provide the largest size obtainable for those).*Note: We regret that we have very few of our signature "Bulb-zilla" selections available this season. Unusually hot growing season prevented bulbs from sizing up (as we would normally expect).
Quality bulbs, best value
We must disassociate ourselves from the mass bulb marketers and discounters who deal in inferior tired bulbs, many mislabeled and past "pull date." We place a higher value on our reputation and accountability to the customer than to engage in such business. Our bulbs come either directly from our fields, our growers' fields, breeders, or sources with whom we have established a long relationship of trust. We have our own system of post-harvest quality control to identify potential problems before they reach our customers. Our bulbs are maintained under appropriate controlled-temperature and controlled humidity conditions. Although we don't fall into the category of "discounter", we do pride ourselves on best price for comparable varieties, quality, and size of bulbs.We guarantee delivery of healthy, true-to-name bulbs
In an industry of mass marketing, where lack of accountability and impersonal treatment prevails, we stand behind our product. We maintain tight control over quality issues and are ready to replace or refund anything which meets with your disapproval. See Guarantee Details in our Return PolicyCustomer Service
We believe in "Real Person" customer service. We are actually happy to hear from you. Our phone staff and email staff is knowledgeable about all aspects of growing and care, and can provide prompt response to your concerns. Our voicemail is answered on a regular basis should you encounter busy line or voicemail greeting. Email is always acknowledged by a "real person." Our service also extends to state-of-the-art storage, packaging, and shipping of product, something that our larger competitors often fail to provide.We never import or pre-cool our Fall-harvested bulbs
All Fall-dug bulbs are domestically produced by us or by our Northwest Associates, and shipped fresh from the harvest. They don't need pre-cooling as long as you plant them right away and don't try to force them right off the bat.Some of the bulbs we sell in the Spring are from Holland, which arrive here pre-cooled. Temperature is gradually raised to thaw and package the bulbs, after which they go into our temperature and humidity-controlled cooler (NOT freezer). Bulbs are withdrawn as needed for our shipping activities and for our planting stock. There is absolutely no adverse effect on quality or performance. In fact most domestic cut flowers growers prefer Dutch pre-cooled bulbs.
SPRING SHIPPING:
We begin shipping our bulbs in early March and continue marketing until June. Many growers plant lily bulbs in the Fall; however, Spring planting is not a bad thing! Visit our Spring Shipping page to learn more about the benefits of Spring planting.