Isopogon: Cone Flowers or Drumsticks?

Isopogon, another intriguing and unique member of the protea family consists of over 34 species and three varieties.  The species found in Western Australia are often referred to as cone flowers, while those in the eastern states are known as drumsticks.

These distinctive looking spring flowers - born as a dense cones with the blooms spiraling from and surrounding the central cone, look petite pinwheels.  Similar to many Proteas, Isopogon flower heads are made up of many flowers in shades of purple, yellow and cream that open from the outside in.  Its stems are woody and leaves are green, pointed and encircle the flowers at their base.

What to look for

• Buy when the outer flowers in each flower head are opening.
• Avoid bunches with brown tips on the flowers and with yellow leaves.

Flower Care

1. Keep cool.
2. Strip leaves from the bottom half of each stem.
3. Re-cut at least 1/4” off each stem and place in cold water.
4. Use a preservative as this will help keep open flowers looking fresh.
5. Replace water frequently.

Spring - A Season of Abundant Opportunities

As spring arrives there are many wonderful opportunities to celebrate. Consider the months of March, April and May.  We honor women (Woman’s Day), working professionals (Professional’s Day) and mothers (Mother’s Day) as well as celebrate St. Patrick’s Day and Easter.

All of these occasions provide the perfect opportunity to give and to enjoy flowers.  Protea are harvested year round, with springtime providing the most abundant selection.

During this time of the year, many of the new hybrid protea and leucospermum are in bloom, the leucadendron flower and develop cones, and several other amazing family members like bruniaceae, telopea, and isopogon are also being harvested.  Some of the season's most popular varieties are protea Andrea and Pink Duke, leucospermum Flame Giant and Tango, as well as leucadendron Red Eye and Pom Pom.

It's time to Welcome spring in a unique fashion with a bounty of colorful proteaceae!

Four Ways to Celebrate Women's Day

Wondering how you can celebrate Women's Day on March 8th?  Here's our top four picks:

1. With Flowers, of course!  It doesn't matter if you are a man or a woman to join in on the celebration - it is perfectly acceptable for a man to give flowers to the women in his life, as well as, women to share flowers with their friends, family and co-workers. 

This day celebrates the accomplishments of women as well as recognizing their achievements and the struggles that they've gone through.  Here are a few more things that you can do to help celebrate this important day. 

2. Learn the history of Women's Day. Did you know the first Women's Day was celebrated in 1909 to honor the 1908 garment women's strike in New York?  The women were protesting their horrific working conditions.

3. Learn why the day is important. As women's accomplishments, particularly those that have to do with the home (raising children, cleaning, cooking, etc.) are often ignored and overlooked. This day helps to remind people of the important things that women do every day. 

4. Help raise awareness. Mention that it's Women's Day to people you know, your family, your coworkers, your friends.  Discuss with them why it's an important day and why it's important to treat women with respect and to acknowledge their contributions to society.

Fabulous Cone Bushes

Did you know the seed heads of female Leucadendron are woody and cone-like - hence the common name cone-bush?  During the winter, many of the Leucadendron flower and their bracts take on fabulous color - creams, yellows and even tricolor with a small greenish - yellow cone in the center.  As the branches mature in the field the cones become much larger and change shape.  In addition, their colors change to rich browns, deep reds, greens and even silvery tones.  These cones are extremely durable and full of texture making them a 'stand out' in any bouquet or arrangement.  When dried, they're prefect for use in crafts and wonderful when mixed in potpourri.  Here's some of our favorite cone-bushes! 

Macowanii

 

Rubrum

Terenifolia

Linifolium

Nobile

Crown Jubilee

Pisa

Goblet

Silver Tree 

The Exquisite Cape Flora Bouquet

Exotic tints - from the purist white and cream hues to lush shades of green and a hint of marsala - the Cape Flora Bouquet is truly a wintertime favorite. Although muted in intensity, this simple mixture of leucadendron, berzelia and waxflower captures attention with varied textures and shapes.

Flowers - What We LOVE!

With Valentine's Day just weeks away we've began harvesting some amazing flowers and we want you to see them first! 

 

Share a little of our LOVE this Valentine's Day and give the gift of Flowers!

Hot & In-Season: Filler Flowers?

Those fabulous plants loaded with blooms either up and down or clustered atop of each stem - like heather or waxflower are often referred to as 'filler flowers'.  But, are they really fillers, a kind of stuffing or space filler?  Absolutely not, they're one of the season's hottest harvests!

These awesome flowers add texture, bulk and style to bouquets and arrangements.  In addition, they compliment the color scheme, and add frilly or delicate textures to the mix.  And, there's so many wonderful varieties to choose from - saxicola, calycina, heather, boronia, sterling range, genista, eriostemon, waxflower and many more.  Here's just a few of our favorites! 

Calycina Thryptomene

Kunzea

White Lepto Rotundifolia

Boronia

Waxflower

Sterling Range

Riceflower

Genista