WEDDING FLOWERS: pink ice
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Showing posts with label pink ice. Show all posts
Showing posts with label pink ice. Show all posts

Spring Snow!



Spring weather is predictably unpredictable here is Tasmania, and after beginning with summer-like weather in the first week of September, we've had snow this week.  Its the first real dump of snow in around 8 years at Swallows Nest Farm.  Thankfully I think the plants will cope okay, although many of the branches were bowed down under the weight of the snow.  


Most of the Safari Goldstrikes have been harvested - if they hadn't been I imagine they would be bent over like the plants beside them.


Pink Ice ... literally.


Maui Sunset and Tall Red bending over with the weight of the snow.


The Tall Red is nearly finished flowering.


Safari Sunset acted as little cups, catching snow and ice.



The Waratahs were a little early this year.  I'm not sure how they'll cope with the snow!


The kids had a lot of fun making snowmen and having snowball fights this morning - it was a memorable day on the farm!


Tips for Longer Vase Life


Fresh flowers are one of life's little luxuries and if you're going to spend your hard earned dollar, you want to get the most for it!  Vase life is an important consideration for flower growers, wholesalers, retailers and of course, buyers.  Proteas have a reputation for being long-lived cut flowers, and they certainly are, but even the most long lived cut flowers will not last if they are not properly handled.  



As a grower, I see the flowers when they are at their absolute best - on the bush!  From the moment they are cut, they are slowly deteriorating - it's slowing down that deterioration process that makes all the difference!


BUY FRESH
My first tip is to buy the freshest flowers possible.  Buying cut flowers with a "reduced for quick sale" sticker from your local supermarket, you're not getting value for money.   It's obvious that the flowers are not going to be the freshest you can buy in this situation!  But how do you know whether the flowers you buy are fresh, or whether they have been sitting in a cold room for weeks?  It is very difficult with some types of flowers and only experience can tell.  But with proteas there are some key pointers to look for.  
1.  Colour should be clean and clear - no bruising and not dull or greyish.
2.  Leaves should be green and fresh looking (think fresh leafy vegetables).  Some proteas have a problem with their leaves blackening - this can happen even under ideal circumstances.  If you find some protea flowers that have blackened leaves but are otherwise fresh, a good trick is to remove all the leaves - this can actually be a plus with floral design, making the flowers more prominent, and making the form and colour of the flower the star of the show!


3.  Proteas open over a period of time.  As a grower, I have a window of opportunity for picking.  As soon as the petals begin to separate at the tip of the flower and are soft when gently squeezed (in the above photo) the flowers can be picked.  This differs slightly for other protea, but the principle is the same.  With waratah or pincushions, once the first few stamens have begun to emerge from the base of the flower and unfold out of the "petals", they can be picked and will continue to open.  


People often expect proteas to look like this (above) but this flower is actually too mature to pick.  Its vase life is shortened because it is already fully opened.  The central mass will start to collapse very quickly (see below) and the colour will fade.  From a growers point of view, these flowers are unsellable.  Practically too, the more open they are, they will more easily be damaged during transit. 
So for longer vase life, buy protea that have not fully opened and you'll be able to enjoy watching them unfold.  


FRESH WATER IS VITAL
This seems really obvious but I can't stress enough how important fresh water is to the vase life of a cut flower.  The following are some tips for keeping water fresh
1.  Put a teaspoon full of common household bleach into the vase before you put your flowers in.  This will stop bacteria from growing on the stems and in the water.  If you are keen, and have it on hand, a pinch of citric acid helps to pep up the flowers too.  There is no need to purchase the floral food sachets.  As a grower, I use bleach and citric acid - much cheaper than commercial water additives and every bit as effective. 
2.  Vases must be clean.  Bacteria can live on in a dry vase under the kitchen sink for months, and will seriously shorten the vase life of any flower.  The slimy, stinky water that comes from a dirty vase is not just unpleasant but will make your flowers very unhappy! Clean out dirty old vases with a bleach solution.  If you want to, you can then put them through the dishwasher every so often as the heat will kill off any lingering bacteria.  
3. If the buckets that your flowers are sitting in at the florist or wholesaler are dirty, your vase life will be lessened.  Look for clean water in buckets.  
4. When you get your flowers home, remove any leaves or slimy stems that will sit in the water.  Its a good idea to snip about 2cm off the end of stems anyway and this increases the flowers ability to "drink".  But removing leaves below the water line will also ensure that your water stays fresher for longer and that bacteria will not grow around the stems, choking off the water supply.
5.  Replenish water regularly - proteas are very thirsty flowers.  If your vase is not the see through kind, check every few days - I have seen proteas drink a vase completely dry in days.  Use a small, long necked watering can so you don't need to carry around big vases full of water.

KEEP CUT FLOWERS OUT OF THE SUN
It's common sense really, but keeping cut flowers out of the full sun will keep them fresh for longer.  Evaporation of the water is also a factor.  Tests have shown that proteas like a little fluorescent light rather than complete darkness while they are in storage.  Fluoro light is not the most flattering for showing off blooms though!  But if you keep them out of the baking sun they'll give you joy for longer.  Don't buy flowers that have been sitting in the sun at the shop - you don't know how long they've been there!


Proteas are a fabulous cut flower, long lasting, and spectacular in colour, texture and form.  If you're buying them, make sure you get value for money and buy the freshest you can and then enjoy them for longer by looking after them.  I have heard of leucadendrons being kept in a vase, with water freshened/replenished regularly, that lasted 6 months! Incredible!  

Drying Proteas






Proteas are fabulous as dried flowers.  They have great sculptural qualities and they keep their structure well, not falling apart easily.  There are no real tricks to drying your proteas - you don't need to hang them upside down, although it doesn't hurt.  Just as long as they are dried without being too crowded, to make sure their shape remains intact, and to allow for airflow.  Some even keep their colour well.  


You can get fancy if you want to - the following are some ideas from Proteaflora, a major Protea nursery in Victoria.
Hanging
Pick the flowers in their prime, strip off the bottom leaves then tie about 5 of the flowers together in a tight bunch with a rubber band. Hang them, heads down in a dry, dark, airy spot for about two weeks.

In a Glycerin Solution
The glycerin keeps the plant material supple and helps it last longer. After cutting and stripping the foliage, place the stems in a glycerin solution as soon as you can. Use a mix of one third glycerin (available at your chemist) to two thirds water. The solution should be seven to fourteen cm deep. Don't put stems in water first, and if the stems have been cut for more than one hour, re-cut them before placing them in the glycerin solution. When tiny beads of glycerin appear on the leaves, take them out and hang them as described above.

The pink flowers pictured are Protea Pink Ice.  There are some others mixed in including Brunia Albiflora, (press the link to check out more of these) and some Leucadendron Argenteum.  I am also lucky enough to have a huge Banksia Grandis tree and the seed pods often come on long stems which make a great display.

So next time you have a bunch of proteas, think about drying them for longer lasting loveliness!!

Early Autumn

Autumn is a busy time in the flower farm.  There are many proteas that flower over autumn and winter, and the cooler weather also brings a chance for clearing away the excess growth of summer.  There are so many weeds!  But I love the beginning of the cooler weather.  It seems like the plants are invigorated again after being a bit tired and weary at the end of summer.



Protea Pink Ice,  a cut flower industry staple, is absolutely sparkling at this time of year.  Beautiful clear pink flowers with icy white tips and clean, clear foliage are bursting out all over the bushes.  If you're buying these flowers, here is a tip - pick ones that are not quite fully open.  You'll get a much longer vase life.  Most people go for the really big, open flowers, but these are just at the end of their vase life and will quickly discolour and collapse.

Late summer and early autumn also brings out my favourite flower that we grow here at Swallows Nest Farm. Its called Brunia Albiflora.  Its not technically a protea, but it is native to South Africa and is a spectacular, sought after cut flower with beautiful long strait stems topped with stunning glowing silver balls of tightly packed flower buds.  Its very architectural and looks fabulous en masse, or as an accent in a mixed arrangement.

Brunia Albiflora is not a plant you'll find at your local nursery.  They are quite difficult to propagate and as a result its difficult to come by these plants, even as a grower.  I was very excited last year when we managed to get hold of some plants from Victoria and so we have dramatically increased our future production of these rare and beautiful flowers.  I can't wait!

Brunia's silvery balls will begin to burst into tiny rings of flowers at this time of the year.  Each ball will begin flowering in a ring around the outer edge of the ball and slowly, the flowers will open inwards until the whole ball is covered in tiny flowers.  Some people prefer the plant before the flower comes out, others like it both ways.


I always like to have some of the current season's flowers on my windowsill in the kitchen, as a reminder of whats going on outside.  I could tell you I'm doing experiments in vase-life,  but really I'm just enjoying the produce!


Whatever you do, if you are lucky enough to come by some of these flowers, don't throw them out when they are past their best.  They make spectacular dried flowers and keep for years.  You don't need to do anything fancy with them.  Just take them outside and strip off the tiny needle-like leaves so the stalks don't shed.  Then they are good to go in a vase again for a dried flower arrangement.

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