Best in Show: Brandi dela Cruz

It’s that time of the year when our pincushion fields high up in the hills of Ranibow start to look like firework displays that were pulled right out of the sky and tossed onto the steep hillsides. And when it comes to the ‘Best in Show’ display, there is no doubt Leucospermum Brandi dela Cruz takes the gold for its dazzling carpet of color and texture. A field full of blooms in rich golden-yellow with orange tints and each flower, large with a diameter of almost 6 inches. Breathtaking! This gorgeous variety is mostly a mix of Leucospermum reflexum and lineare parents...quite a stunning conjugal to say the least.

These fanciful blooms atop sturdy stems create colorful focal points not only in the field but when displayed in floral designs.

Banksia Integrifolia Wreath

If you’re looking for thriving organic floral displays in your home or office, you need to ponder beyond just flowers – the foliage is just as important as the blooms you choose. Leaves come in all shapes, sizes and colors and now, Banksia integrifolia is in the limelight. If you are not familiar with integrifolia or sometimes called Coast banksia or white honeysuckle, the foliage is fickle: the younger leaves are usually broad and irregular toothed, while the mature leaves are smooth and spear shaped. They have white undersides that tend to give the leaves a silvery look.

Integrifolia is lush and long-lasting, making it the perfect textured foliage for any wreath. Plus, it blends well with just about any flowers or greens enabling you to create your own unique display.

In the Field: Leucadendron Harvest

Leucadendron Harvest - it's what we call the perfect ‘winter pick-me-up’! An Australian-raised cultivar that originated from an ‘accidental seedling’ of L. stelligerum! And it is obvious why this Leucadendron is celebrated for its colorful ‘daisy-like’ blooms that are so flamboyantly displayed. The sheer volume of the flowers makes for a spectacular 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 ‘true’ flower that is nestled among the bracts. Simply Gorgeous!

Improving Protea Life

1. Look for fresh and healthy foliage; and flowers that are evenly colored.

2. Beware of blooms that are too tight or too open. For maximum vase life, a protea is often picked when they’re just starting to open.

3. Speed and care are of the essence. It’s possible to extend a protea’s life by several days if they are processed quickly and placed into water as soon as they arrive.

4. Re-cutting protea stems is a very important part of their care since the stem tip may become blocked and incapable of transporting water up to bloom. Cutting ¼” off the base of stems can increase the vase life of protea by up to 45%.

5. “Clean and fresh” takes on new meaning with protea. Your buckets, containers, vases, knives, clippers, and other equipment used in processing must be sanitized.

6. Carefully remove all the leaves from the bottom half to two-thirds of each stem. As a rule, remove any foliage that will be below the water level to prevent it rotting in the water.

7. Water quality has a direct effect on the longevity of protea. Clean water is essential.

8. Protea are thirsty flowers and can take up 75% to 80% of the water in the first hour. Cold or warm water can help to rehydrate stems faster than water at room temperature.

9. Make sure the protea and foliage above the water stay dry.

10. Leave the stems in a cool place for at least 2 hours, or ideally overnight. This ensures that the protea are fully hydrated before they are brought back into a warmer environment, displayed and Enjoy!

Hortiflorexpo Shanghai: The Banksia

The brighter the better in some cases, and that’s what we’re loving these days when it comes to banksia.

The banksia is a bold and textural bloom that’s displayed in many of our favorite designs. For any season, there’s always a way to make them work no matter what the occasion is. I think the uniqueness of a banksia is what makes it loved by so many of us. When it comes to designing with banksia, the options are seemingly endless. Such an exceptional flower can be transformed by the designer, projecting a different look depending on what else it is paired with it. You can go with natural burgundy, orange or green hues, or add more color to the stems and create a virtual rainbow. I attended the Hortiflorexpo in Shanghai this month, and while in the Lynch Group exhibit, banksias were all the rage.

Here are some of the ways they were displayed throughout the booth.

What color combination do you like best?