Rotundifolia

Looking for alternatives to Chamelaucium or commonly called waxflower? We've got you covered! Consider Lepto Rotundifolia, a member of the Myrtle family and related to clove, eucalyptus, and guava. This Australian native filler flower is often referred to as Blue Lepto or Lavender Queen, and blooms in late spring when it’s waxflower relative is finishing up for the season.

With long woody stems that produce clusters of lavender blooms, Rotundifolia complements the beauty of proteas as well as other seasonal flowers. It’s versatile and can be used in a variety of ways. The long stems are excellent for adding line to an arrangement and are especially chic in oriental and contemporary designs. Rotundifolia stems can also be shaped into decorative handles for baskets, added to dish gardens or simply placed in a bud vase as a charming accent flower.

What to look for

• Buy stems in the bud stage to ensure the longest vase life. 
• Avoid bunches that are shedding or flowers that are turning brown. 
  

Flower Care 

1. Stems should be re-cut with pruning shears. The stems are very woody and may be tough to re-cut, but worth the effort as it will increase longevity. 
2. Place stems loosely in a bucket of flower food solution and place in a cool place where they will get good air circulation. 
3. Rotundifolia has a vase life of 7-14 days.

Callistemon

Looking for Bottlebrush? We’re getting lots of requests for those textural flowers that bear a striking resemblance to the well-known kitchen tool. However, the first question that comes to mind is - Exactly which bottlebrush are you referring to? The name bottlebrush has been used to identify several Australian native plants including Banksia, Calothamnus and Grevillea.

Did you know the Callistemon are the true Bottlebrushes? This Australian genus of about 38 species is a member of the myrtle family. The soft flower spikes are made up of hundreds of individual flowers. Bloom color varies between species; most are red, but some are pink, mauve, yellow, green, orange or cream, and many species have two or more flowering periods a year. In addition, bottlebrushes are also easily recognized by the textural seed clusters that are produced after each flowering period.

Callistemon Reeves Pink is a favorite summer filler flower here on the farm. Its dainty light pink bristles and delicate mint green foliage adds wonderful color and texture to bouquets and arrangements and it even looks fabulous when displayed alone.

What to look for:

• Buy when at least half the flowers in a spike are open and brightly colored. 
• Avoid bunches with drooping tips, yellow leaves or where all flowers are in a tight bud stage.

Callistemon Care:

1. Keep in a cool location. 
2. Strip leaves from the bottom half of each stem and wash stems thoroughly. 
3. Re-cut at least 1/2" off each stem and place in cold water. 
4. Always use a preservative as this will help keep open flowers looking fresh. 
5. Replace vase water every day.

Serruria Wins ‘Best in Class’ - Other Cut Flower

The Society of American Florists’ (SAF) Outstanding Varieties Competition has always been a great way for us to help increase visibility and demand for the flowers and foliage we grow, especially for the ‘newer’ varieties. During this year’s annual SAF convention in Maui, wholesalers, florists, designers and farmers awarded Serrruia ‘Best in Class’ in the Other Cut Flower category, and we were Thrilled!

Floral Management Magazine’s November issue states, “Attendees and judges alike had one thing – weddings- on the brain when discussing the prize-winning protea. “I love this one for its texture, white and pale pink color and vase life,” which can extend up to four weeks, said James McArdle of McArdles’s Florist and Garden Center in Greenwich, Connecticut. “I see it being a great filler in a low and lush arrangement.” Mitchell said ‘Blushing’ would be the ideal flower to show a bride who wants to blend an “edgy and cool” aesthetic with soft, feminine colors. The unique beauty also delivers in cost per stem, said Chivery, noting “the stems were laden with flowers.” Serruria, one of the most delicate flowers in the Proteaceae family, was technically extinct in the wild for almost a century until an accidental fire germinated seeds in South Africa’s Franschoek Mountains, according to Roy. “Conservation efforts in the 1960s and 70s saved it,” she said.

To learn more about Serruria and our first harvest – Click here:

For Serruria design and care information - Click here:

In the Field: Heather Sparsa

Another beautiful sunny day, and just on the way out of the office for a field trip, all good things for keeping creative floral inspiration flowing, and you may have noticed that here, lately, it has been nearly overflowing, thanks to a wonderful combination of raindrops and sunshine!

This field trip is all about Heather Sparsa!

Heather Sparsa or sometimes called ker-ker or Pink-smoke heath is a fynbos shrub that produces masses of small, pale rosy pink to white flowers in early winter, that turn the whole bush pink completely obscuring the leaves. And, when held in the palm of your hand, the delicate stem has the texture of velvet.

Its common name ker-ker is mimicking the sound made when walking through and brushing past the plants. Pink-smoke heath refers to the way the flowers cover the upward-pointing flowering branches, making them look like plumes of pink smoke rising up.

Verticordia – Featherflowers

Did you know name Verticordia comes from the Latin ‘verto cor’, translated as 'the turner of hearts'?  It’s a reference to the ancient Roman goddess Venus, who was regarded as the goddess of beauty and love and considered to have had the power to bewitch, enslave and turn the hearts of her suitors.  Her sacred flower was the Myrtus, or Myrtle, which belongs to the family Myrtaceae, as does Verticordia.

There are nearly 50 species of verticordia found in Western Australia, and are collectively known as featherflowers, due to their deeply divided fringed calyces.  Each bloom has masses of small cup-shaded flowers forming a ‘plume’ at the top of each branch with small piney leaves often poking out the side.

Most species make excellent cut flowers, and dried flowers will retain their color for a year or more.