Leucadendron Harvest

We cheerfully brave the frigid start to winter knowing the promise of bright, colorful Leucadendron are on the way. Each year, this hardy, long-lasting foliage puts on quite a spectacular winter display. Day by day, the show gets better and better as the plants take on warm hues of white, cream, yellow, orange and red. Over 80 known varieties of Leucadendron exist, and all share the same emphasis: the beauty of their foliage. Today’s inspiration: Leucadendron Harvest!

Harvest is an Australian-raised cultivar that originated from an ‘accidental seedling’ of L. stelligerum. And it is obvious why this Leucadendron is reveled for its colorful ‘daisy-like’ blooms that are so flamboyantly displayed. The sheer volume of the flowers makes for a delightful winter show. Harvest’s colorful petals or bracts take on soft creamy-yellow and white hues with a splash of rusty-orange on the edges surrounding the rich yellow, orange + green cone that is nestled among the bracts.

Leucadendron Harvest has a way of eliciting oohs and aahs not only in the field but in floral designs as well!

Simply Gorgeous!

September Articles of Interest

A horticulturist's guide to Australian native plants

Why natives? Well that’s our specialty at the Australian Botanic Garden Mount Annan and we are here to share what we know about native plants, encourage home gardeners to grow them and celebrate their unique beauty with the world.

The horticulture team at the Garden carefully look after the incredibly diverse native plants that are found across the woodlands, grasslands, rainforests, horticultural displays and new seedlings in the Nursery - encompassing 416 hectares of land.

Read more here.
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CA GROWN proclaims October
as Farmer and Farmworker Month

CA GROWN has announced that the first-ever California Farmer and Farmworker Month will be recognized in October. It is a fitting tribute in a most challenging year.

When COVID-19 hit, farmers, farmworkers and the entire food and ag value chain moved swiftly and effectively to redirect supply lines from foodservice to retail and on-line platforms where possible. They increased contributions to food banks to avoid waste at a time we faced a substantial increase of need. They learned on the fly, securing personal protective equipment (PPE) and implementing operational and scheduling changes to keep workers safe. No segment of our society has handled the abrupt disruptions flawlessly, but through it all, agriculture has maintained an adaptive, creative, can-do approach.

Read more here.
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30 Orchid Bouquet Ideas for Brides and Bridesmaids

Show-stopping arrangements to carry down the aisle.

Orchids are one of the most popular wedding flowers, and for good reason. “They’re versatile and make a big impact in bouquets and other floral designs,” says Drew Rios of Roque & Fox Floral Co. in Los Angeles.

Another reason? Orchids come in a wide variety of colors, sizes, and shapes, making it easy to incorporate them into weddings of every style. That said, some varieties are more popular than others. “Phalaenopsis orchids and cymbidium orchids are hands-down favorites of many brides," Rios says. "Their front-facing forms provide an eye-catching moment in a bouquet.”

Read more here.

Banksia Menziesii

Banksia menziesii, also called Menzies' banksia, firewood banksia, port wine banksia or Raspberry Frost. Because every fall arrangement needs a robust yet stunning bloom like this one! The flower spikes are showy and vibrant, dark pink-red or raspberry in color that become intermingled with yellow as they mature. Other colors like bronze and greenish-yellow menziesii exist as well. Each bloom is composed of up to 6,000 individual flowers (inflorescence) and set against a backdrop of chic twisted grey-green leaves.

It has been said that this striking banksia has a special flower essence or healing energy, a distinctive dynamic inner life force that differentiates it from other flowers. Aboriginal People from all over the world have used flowers in their rituals and ceremonies, aware of their subtle healing properties. Menziesii’s special healing power is “Courage” – the courage to release pain and to move ahead triumphantly, and that “Triumph” over disaster leads to renewed energy. This essence certainly seems to parallel with The Language of Flowers and the symbolic meaning of Proteas which represent… diversity, transformation, daring courage and resourcefulness.

Autumn days deserve a little extra vigor, lots of great textures and interesting shapes. Menziesii combined with an array of other proteas and florals radiate a homey spontaneity and seasonal splendor.

The Banksia

Strong, resilient and bold, Banksias are far from delicate flowers, yet when they bloom, their effervescence and textures are unrivaled. As with the Leucospermum, the inflorescence of these robust plants consists entirely of the choreography of flower paths, they have no bracts or colored leaves. Most of these blooms look like corn cobs… tall, cylindrical and hard to the core.

Banksia are truly one of the best known and spectacular genera in the Australian plant family Proteaceae with nearly 175 species. These Australian wildflowers grow naturally in and around most of Australia’s coastal regions. Some varieties have growth habits similar to ground cover, others like shrubs and some trees. Colors range from silvery green through brilliant gold, yellows and orange to violet, deep red and even black tones. Banksia foliage varies greatly from small and piney to long and narrow to large, leathery and with deep serrated teeth.

Praemorsa – Cut Leaf Banksia

Ashbyii – Ashby’s Banksia

Ericifolia – Heath-Leaved Banksia

Banksia speciosa – rickrack banksia or Mint Julep

Waratah

Waratah. Think Gorgeous! They’re a diverse group of flowers that are part of the Protea family. The name Waratah, an Aboriginal name for “beautiful” comes from the Eora people, the original inhabitants of the Sydney area. The botanical term for this flower is perfect, seeing that the blooms are big and visible from far away... Telopea which comes from the Greek word “Telepos” literally means “seen from afar”. Anyone who has seen a waratah in the field would agree with the suitability of the name.

The large red blooms stand out amongst the green of the bush, and the shrub stands tall, strong and erect with long, leathery leaves. Each waratah flower is actually comprised of a group or cluster of flowers. Exactly how many depends on the species… ranging from as few as 10 to as many as 240 individual flowers, surrounded by a circle of floral bracts.

For those who believe in the special healing power or essence of flowers, Waratah represents hope where all seems hopeless, offering the necessary life support and courage needed during dark times. It offers strength and courage to cope with crisis and will bring survival skills to the front. Whatever the Waratah’s magical and spiritual properties maybe… there’s no doubt these beautiful flowers will bring cheer and joy to anyone’s day.

In the Field: Protea Grandicolor

The protea fields are more colorful this fall thanks to 'Grandicolor’.
A cross of P. grandiceps and P. aurea, this hybrid cultivar from Australia combines features from both parent plants in a unique combination. The greenish-cream bracts, which deepen to tan at the base, have a delicate pinkish rim and conspicuous hairs like the grandiceps and surround rusty-red centers. The egg-shape foliage is small and leathery with a silvery-green hue and the stems straight and upright like the aurea. Grandicolor produces dainty, medium sized blooms off and on from autumn through spring.

Gum Trees - Corymbia Ficifolia

What’s trending this season? Eucalyptus… from leafy garlands, to lush wreaths and verdant displays this fabulous foliage is showing up everywhere! However, did you know that some varieties of eucalyptus produce a profusion of bright flower clusters during the summer? These flowers are not typical flowers though, as these showy blooms are made up mostly of anthers and styles, rather than petals. And in species like, Corymbia ficifolia, the buds appear in masses on a single stem that develops on the axil of the leaves. These nectar-rich flowers can be found in hues of white, yellow, cream, red, pink, salmon, orange or even bi-colors and the stamens are held in small cup-like bases.

The best part? While they look amazing outside high up in the trees, once harvested, these bright, colorful branches look beautiful mixed with other flowers or simply displayed on their own.

Corymbia ficifolia Baby Orange

Baby Orange is loved for its bright orange flowers and compact form. The new leaves appear bronze-red then turn green providing a lovely contrast of color when flowers appear in July and August.

Corymbia ficifolia Wild Sunset

Wild Sunset has beautiful dense foliage with a wealth of bright red flowers delivering an amazing display.

Corymbia ficifolia Fairy Floss

Prefer a softer color palette? Fairy Floss is for you. Stunning, pink flowers decorate the branches.

Corymbia ficifolia Snowflake

If dark green foliage and stunning, white blooms are your thing, then Snowflake is ideal.