Month: April 2018

Image of a flower cart on a beautiful garden

Plant Babies For The Time Poor and Cash Poor

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Now I think pretty much every person on the planet has heard the term ‘fur baby’; a term defined by  the Oxford dictionary as ‘a person’s dog, cat, or other furry pet animal’. It has come to be understood that these ‘fur babies’ are on a level equal to that of any beloved member of the family, like one of your children even. Our pets have indeed become more pampered, primped and cared for over the years, with a booming business having emerged to keep up with this new level of love and maintenance. Having an animal is certainly hard work but it is also rewarding, after all, a fur baby will show you a level of affection, which makes the commitment worth it.

Image of Low maintenance plants including cacti and succulents
Florist with Flowers stock a wonderful range of low maintenance plants such as cacti and succulents. Photo Credit Mashtal Egypt

But let me ask you this…..have you ever considered having a ‘plant baby’?

According to an article in The Star Advertiser Honolulu, some are choosing to fill their lives with house plants instead of housemates. They suggest that many people lack the time and means to take on the commitment of pets, or having children, so are choosing to embrace house plants. Allegedly, these house plants are being given names and being talked to on a daily basis, or having music played to encouraged ‘growth’ 🤣 Now, while these methods are not scientifically proven, it can’t hurt right?

Houseplants do require a level of commitment if you want them to survive, however you can choose the best fit for you and your lifestyle. Not home often and tend to forget to water your plants regularly? Try low maintenance plants like succulents, cacti or the lush Zanzibar, a plant accustomed to dry, arid conditions, yet with a lush, supple, tropical appearance.

Image of gorgeous and lush Zanzibar plants
The Zanzibar appears lush, but unbelievably can be left with no worries whilst you go on holidays. It makes the perfect houseplant for those with limited time and experience caring for living things.

Or perhaps you like something elegant and colourful, and can make the time to water it weekly? Orchid plants are such wonderful value as they flower for weeks to months, and when cared for correctly will flower once or twice a year.

Do you like something to have dual purpose? Why not create a gorgeous garden of edible flowers and microherbs in a sunny spot near the kitchen? Not only will it look gorgeous, but you can harvest what you need at each meal.

Image of Edible flowers and herbs create an attractive houseplant
Combine edible flowers with herbs that you like to cook with and create an attractive house plant like this gorgeous planter created by Brolly via Garden Therapy.

I also love good old favourites like Boston ferns or Maiden Hair ferns. They do require a shady spot that gets just gentle sunlight. Ferns are also one of those wonderful plants that actually help clean the air; absorbing pollen, bacterias and moulds, whilst taking in carbon dioxide to process into oxygen. Ferns look great in hanging baskets or pots allowing them to become pendulous. They can also work in tabletop pots or terrariums.

Image of Maiden Hair Ferns plants
Maiden Hair Ferns are a delicate old favourite of mine. They do require regular watering and the perfect position, but when they are happy, they certainly let you know with their full head of glorious ‘hair’. Photo Credit: Botanique Workshop

I guess the most important thing when choosing something to become a part of your life is to consider whether you have the time and room in your life to care for it. So whether you choose your housemate to be human, furry or leafy, consider whether you are ready to commit to caring for it, and giving it all that it requires to thrive.

Fwf x

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Image for the rememberance of Anzac Day

Making Arrangements for Anzac Day

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With April well under way, by this time next week Anzac Day will have been and gone. With various services taking place all over the country and around the world, many Aussies will choose to attend one and may even wish to take along a floral tribute.

I guess I had assumed that everyone knew what a traditional Anzac Wreath looked like, but perhaps they don’t….. or perhaps like basically everything else in the world today, people are choosing to express themselves and do it their own way.

Still, when my husband returned from work a couple of days ago trying to clarify the details of a traditional arrangement, I was surprised. His employer, tasked him with making the wreaths for the organisation. Sure, he has worked in and around florists much of his adult life, but he isn’t a trained florist. But he is a bit of a stickler for tradition, so he was pretty set on getting it right.  The organisation on the other hand had more liberal ideas of what the wreath might look like.

Image of an Anzac Day laurel wreath
Anzac Day laurel wreath or chaplet featuring the Lest We Forget ribbon, red poppies and rosemary

Did you know that an Anzac Day wreath is usually teardrop shaped?

A traditional laurel wreath is made in the shape of a teardrop with the base entirely covered with flat laurel leaves. I have often seen these wreaths covered with alternative foliages such as camellia leaves or little gem magnolia. Laurel is symbolic as it has been used since ancient Roman times to crown victors and the brave as a mark of honour. The chaplet usually has a cluster of three red poppies in the bottom centre. Red poppies are a significant symbol of remembrance, always used for Remebrance day on November 11th, but have taken pride of place on Anzac Day wreaths. According to soldiers’ folklore, the poppy is said to have absorbed the blood of the fallen from the ground to achieve it’s vivid colour. Poppies are also one of the first flowers to bloom in the battlefields of the First World War in Belgium and the North of France.

The Lest We Forget ribbon should be placed high in the left corner, across the wreath, and finishing low in the right hand side to symbolise the sun rising in the East and setting in the west.

Lastly, rosemary is often added to the wreath as another symbol of remembrance.

Image of a Rosemary - symbol of remembrance for Anzac Day
Rosemary is often worn for remembrance, but can be used in fresh flower arrangements also

What I could see as my husband continued to relay the conversation to me, was that whilst the traditional laurel wreath is specific and symbolic, in general, people are basically happy with anything beautiful. It was only our industry knowledge and the assumption that they wanted a ‘traditional arrangement’ that was really complicating things.

Image of a Round floral wreath - traditional funeral arrangement
Floral tributes are a traditional funereal arrangement although often people choose to leave these beautiful fresh flower arrangements at Anzac Day services and commemorative monuments

Take a moment to look around if you attend a service this Anzac Day- through the sea of arrangements do you notice the laurel and the vivid red poppies, or do you see brightly coloured rounded floral wreath arrangements. Round wreath arrangements are a traditional funereal arrangement but there is certainly nothing wrong with choosing to design your own special tribute thiscAnzac Day.

What do you think? How important are traditions to you?

Fwf x

feature image via SBS

 

 

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Australia has some breathtakingly beautiful native flowers on offer

Growers and Florists Unhappy as Games Forget the Flowers

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The 2018 Commonwealth Games, which started on April 4th is currently being held on Australia’s Gold Coast, and runs until April 15th. Just a few weeks ago, our blog post was on the growing popularity of native flora, which shone so brightly under the international spotlight back in the 2000 Sydney Olympics. So given that the Gold Coast has been playing host to the Commonwealth Games recently, it came as a bit of surprise to many I’m sure, that no bouquets of flowers were given to the medal winners.

a lovely combination of native flora including banksias, paper daisies, grevillea, Geraldton wax and more
Medallist Leisl Tesch with her beautiful native bouquet. Photo Credit: Sport the library/Ryan Gormly Sydney 2000 Paralympic Games Wheelchair Basketball

Traditionally , all medal winners at sporting events have been presented with a bouquet of unique native flora, and it provides a wonderful platform for local growers and businesses in the process.

It is estimated that Queensland growers alone have missed out on approximately $12 million worth of business opportunities after the Commonwealth Games organisers made the decision to cut the Australian flower gift bouquets. Instead, the medal winners were gifted a plush toy, a decision that has angered many within the flower industry, frustrated at the wasted opportunity to showcase what the State, and Country has on offer.

Waratahs, billy buttons, grevillea, wax flower and other natives are combined to create eye catching and unique bouquets for the medallists.
Hundreds of these gorgeous bouquets were made to present to the medallists at the Sydney Olympics in 2000. The unique combination of wonderfully wild flowers were mesmerising. Waratahs, kangaroo paw, grevillea, Billy Buttons, Geraldton wax and Eucalyptus were used to create warm, earthy bouquets which were unforgettable. Photo Credit: Geocities

This fight has been going on for the last two years, with Flower Association of Queensland executive officer Shane Holborn working tirelessly to get flowers presented at the Games. And unbelievably, the flower association even offered to provide the flowers for free. They were certain that the opportunity to turn the spotlight on our Native Flora and provide world wide exposure, would have had a profound long term affect on the industry.

“It was not about selling the flowers to them – we even offered the flowers to them for free,” Mr Holborn said.

“Media from all around the world would have seen what we have to offer,” Mr Holborn continued.

No flowers for Commonwealth games medallists in 2018
Gold medallist Isis Holt celebrates her win and poses with her Borobi plush mascot. Photo Credit AAP Dean Lewins

A spokesperson from the Gold Coast 2018 Commonwealth Games Corporation said that the decision to given the plush toy rather than flowers was made so that the medallists could take the special memento home with them, something that could not be done with flowers for biosecurity reasons.

It certainly does seem a shame given that in the past a gift in addition to flowers has been presented like in Glasgow where medallists received a two handled drinking cup/bowl (a quaint) as well as an arrangement. In total 590 flower arrangements were created and presented.

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There is a large flower industry growing in Bundaberg, and many more growers sprinkled through the state of Queensland, so this would have presented a fantastic business opportunity and exposure. Certainly for any florist designing and creating arrangements for the Games would have been a fantastic experience also.

Whilst the challenges with biosecurity can be understood, the medallists go home with quite a magnificent memento as it is, and it seems a shame to miss such a stellar opportunity for an industry which so often does it really hard. For anyone who works in agriculture, or commercial growing of any kind, it is such a hard slog, and is so often affected by forces far beyond your control. It certainly would have been a much needed boost to an industry that has it’s fair share of challenges.

What do you think? Did you notice the absence of flower bouquets at the games like I did?

Fwf x

Feature image Credit: Backcreek Country

 

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Paper Flower Maker Makes Her Mark on the Industry

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As a florist, it goes without saying that I find natural, fresh cut flowers absolutely beautiful. Nature creates the most exquisite intricacies in each flower petal, so that each bloom is stunningly unique. These are the details that we look to exploit when we put an arrangement together; we look at the minute differences and play around with the variations in colour and texture to build an arrangement that is eye catching and exquisite.

Often, our clients also have a vision when they walk through our doors. Perhaps they have a particular bloom in mind, or a specific colour. It is made all the more important when this detail is central to a theme for a party or event….so what is a florist to do if what the client wants is just not available?

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Cetti’s garden roses Picture Credit: The Green Vase

“There is a place for faux flowers today,” says Whitney Robinson, editor in chief of Elle Decor. “They are essentially copies of what you would buy fresh…not everyone has the time or budget to be able to buy fresh consistently. We are entering a new era in faux flowers as well, toward a new generation of paper flowers that takes the artistry to the next level.”

Coleus blooms and foliage are crafted from paper
Cetti creates individual Coleus pieces with gorgeous foliage Picture Credit; The Green Vase

It seems that with our busy lifestyles today, consumers are looking for a way to decorate their homes/offices or events without the maintenance that fresh flowers require. In the last few years many florists and homewares stores have begun stocking larger quantities of faux flowers to keep up with demand. With modern materials and more realistic production, these faux flowers are a very suitable alternative to the real deal. Sure, they do require some dusting and fluffing but they make sense for many spaces.

Some people will still turn their noses up….that is unavoidable, and sure, there are some blooms that look better and more realistic than others, the key is making the right choice for your space. And believe it or not, it is not only the humble working class that are embracing these no fuss, floral alternatives, faux flowers have got some real street cred.

Paper anenomes handmade by Livia Cetti
Handmade paper anenomes by Livia Cetti.
Hibiscus flowers are fragile, so these paper versions are a great alternative for arrangements
Gorgeous paper hibiscus created by Cetti. Michelle Obama used these in arrangements for a Korean State dinner at the White House. Picture Credit; The Green Vase

When Michelle Obama, the then First Lady had tables adorned with hibiscus envisioned for a Korean State dinner, artist Livia Cetti set upon designing exquisite handmade paper ones as the fresh version was far too fragile to be up for the task at the White House. In fact, paper flowers are moonlighting at some of the best addresses, and are being accepted by decorators, designers and influencers around the world. Cetti, once a stylist for Martha Stewart has now written two how-to books on paper flowers. She supplies her paper flowers to some of the high end shops in New York and sells them on her website, with prices starting from $35 per stem (some are priced at $200 a piece!) “People like the fact that paper flowers stay around for a while,” Cetti says. “My objective isn’t to be as realistic as possible; it’s to find the character and feeling of each flower and interpret that.”

Fwf x

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