South Africa's Cape Floral Kingdom Has More Diverse Plant Life Than the Rain forest and Must Burn to Survive
South Africa's Cape Floral Region is a group of protected areas that have the highest concentration of plant species on Earth. With triple the number of plant varieties as the Amazon rainforest, the UNESCO World Heritage site is unique in another way — it must burn periodically to survive.
The group of eight protected areas that comprise the Cape Floral Kingdom outside of Cape Town is the smallest of the world's six floral kingdoms. The flammable ecosystem must burn every 10 to 20 years in order for the plants' seed to germinate and to destroy invasive species, BBC.com reported.
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Eruption of color is a rite of spring at
Carlsbad's Flower Fields
After a wet and wild winter, the Flower Fields in Carlsbad are shaping up for one of the best seasons ever.
For 10 weeks each year, the working farm lets the public wander its carefully manicured rows of white, red, yellow, purple, pink, and orange blossoms perched on 50 gently sloping acres overlooking the Pacific Ocean.
The flowers are ranunculuses, a member of the buttercup family. But generations of cultivation have made them unlike any ranunculuses in the world.
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Gardening Matters: Iconic Banksias call Australia home
The banksias are iconic Australian plants and are members of the Proteaceae family in company with the grevilleas, hakeas and South African proteas.
Banksias are almost uniquely Australian.
Banksia dentata, from the Northern Territory, is also found in New Guinea.
Over 70 Banksias call Australia home with the lion’s share of species occurring in the southwest corner of Western Australia.
NSW is well represented with 16 varieties. Until recently there was thought to be 15 NSW species, then a new banksia was discovered on the south coast. This new species is very rare and vulnerable with only 14 plants found so far.
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Certified American Grown Flowers Star
at FTD World Cup 2019
The FTD World Cup 2019, considered the Olympics of floral design, was held last weekend in Philadelphia, marking the first time the competition has been held in the U.S. since 1985. But perhaps even more exciting than its return to the U.S. is the fact that global participants in the competition created some of their designs with over 14,000 Certified American Grown Flowers and Greens donated by American flower farmers!
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10 Spring Wedding Themes That Are in Bloom for 2019
Springtime may call to mind fresh blooms and pastel hues, but those aren’t the only inspiring details for spring weddings. This year, modern couples are combining traditional elements with stark contrasts, including black accents and futuristic details, for their spring wedding celebrations.
For more ideas, top planners and designers are sharing with Brides the biggest spring wedding themes for 2019.
Read more here.
