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.

Flower News: Octobers’s Articles and Blogs of Interest from Around the World

October Tree of the Month: Fire-Wheel Tree

“Fire-wheel Tree” may seem like a strange name for a tree, until you see its fiery-red, circular-shaped, flower clusters (called umbels), which look like flaming bicycle wheels!

3-inch long flowers are the “spokes” of each wheel (6 to 20 flowers per umbel); these radiate out from the umbel’s central “hub” and bear at their ends (at the “rim”) globular yellow tips where the floral organs are located. The flowering time is usually in autumn but can occur sporadically at other times of the year. The nectar is wonderfully sweet - attracting hungry moths for pollination.

Read more here.
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Cal Poly students begin harvesting flowers
to decorate school’s 2019 Rose Parade float

Construction on the Cal Poly Rose Parade float is well underway. But this past week, work got started on another — perhaps more subtle — aspect of the float: harvesting the flowers that will decorate this year’s entry.

Students grow and harvest a portion of the plants from the on-campus Rose Float flower fields. These include marigolds, strawflower and statice, which will be used as colorful decorations.

Read more here.
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7 Must-Try Floral Techniques to add Beauty
with Branches

Autumn is awesome with possibilities for adding seasonal materials to your floral arrangements.

But there’s more to creating captivating fall flower designs than just incorporating the colors and textures of the season.

Adding a linear element like branches allows you to expand the space of a floral composition. You’re adding dimension while creating a visual connection to the outdoors.

Here are seven techniques (plus a twig-tree project from Smithers-Oasis Floral Design Director Kevin Ylvisaker AIFD, PFCI you can try) that will enable you to turn twigs and branches into seasonal beauty your customers will want to bring indoors.

Read more here.
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Rose Parade efforts in full swing

Plans for the first two Certified CA Grown entries at the 2019 Tournament of Roses Parade are already underway, and the ramp up to the New Year’s Day tradition has begun.

The entries from Cal Poly Universities and FTD Companies Inc. – the first to announce so far – will both feature CA Grown flowers and foliage. Additional CA Grown entries will be announced in coming weeks, including a number of equine entries.

Read more here.