The Lotus flower has a deep connection with many religions, including Buddhism, Hinduism, Egyptology & Bahai.
In Buddhism, they represent purity of mind, speech & body. The Lotus grows in muddy water and blossoms at the top, still attached to it’s long stem in the mud below.
Lotus look so gorgeous on their own in a simple bowl/vase on your desk or bedside, and are a great reminder to be present and breathe.
– BOOKINGS CLOSE FEB 7 |
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This variety has softer leaves but still has the beautiful red berries – perfect for using in your Christmas themed arrangements this year.
Waratah
Spring is the only time of the year we get to see Waratah, which is second to why they are so special to me. First is their immense beauty. Early in the season, we see them available in Red and soon we will have the choice of stunning pinks and creamy whites.
Although Waratah are in the Proteaceae family, they are native Australia with some varieties growing in Southern NSW, Victoria, and Tasmania. Many Proteaceace varieties are native to South Africa and some native to Australia such as Grevillia, Banksia, Hakea & Macadamia . Whilst the ever popular Protea varieties including the King Protea varieties are native to South Africa yet do grow extremely well here.
The botanical name is Telopea Speciosissima. Thankfully we use their indigenous name ‘Waratah’
Telopea is derived from the Greek ‘telopos‘, meaning ‘seen from afar’, and refers to the distance from which the crimson flowers are visible. The name speciosissima is the superlative of the Latin adjective ‘speciosus‘, meaning ‘beautiful’.
Understandably the artists amongst the Early European settlers fell in love with the Waratah and it was heavily used in artworks.
Enjoy Waratah in your home while they last,
Yvette
TNB Tulips are one of if not the largest growers of Tulips in Victoria for the commercial cut flower industry. Els Bakker is the lady who runs the very impressive high tech facility in the Dandenongs just outside of Melbourne. Els comes from a long lineage of flower growers in Australia and the Netherlands, which is where her precious bulbs originate. Each year we visit Els and her team with our Floristry Career Change course students and each time we are blown away by her dedication to bringing the industry new and even more exquisite varieties of tulips.
See below for more information on Tulips on images from our time with El at TNB Tulips
Common name Tulip
Botanical name Tulipa hybrida
How to tell it’s good quality..
Choose well coloured buds and flowers that are partly open
Look for strong stems and glossy leaves with no signs of damage or yellowing
Avoid drooping or wilting leaves or flowers
Products or arrangements it’s suitable for, stem length..
Stem length 30cm–80cm
Mostly suitable in vases but can be used in foam
Conditioning, care and storage needs..
Split the bunches and strip the lower leaves, then wash the ends of the stems well
Cut 2cm–4cm from each stem with secateurs and put the stems in cold water with NO preservative
Replace the water daily
Keep them cool
It is suggested not to bucket them with daffodils or jonquils unless you have had the daffodils or jonquils quarantined in their own water for a day first
To prevent tulips turning to the light and becoming bent, wrap them in paper for support and put the wrapped paper and tulips in cold water for 3–5 hours. Once displayed in a vase they work beautifully in a well lit room with windows on both sides of the room.
Colours they come in..
White
Red
Yellow
Cream
Purple
Orange
Pink
Check out this great trick for watering indoor pot plants without making a mess, that keeps your plants happy and healthy in your home all year round.
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Roses
Roses are one of if not the most popular of all flowers. Their immense beauty and intoxicating scent are some of their greatest qualities but what we know now is that they have deeper powers we can not see but only feel. Roses are the most powerful of all blooms. Scientists have been able to rate their vibrational energy levels at over 300+mhz with some of the Red varieties rating at over 320mhz. To put it in perspective healthy human beings rate somewhere between 60-80mhz and an organic apple rates at 15mhz. No wonder roses make us feel so good. These guys are also ancient with the oldest Rose fossil found to date is over 300 million years old. Middle Eastern belief says the energy of God can be found in a Rose, which I thank my Uber driver for sharing with me. Roses are one of the best healers too, once cut from their source they immediately start to seal over forcing them to preserve any water they have within their stems. With this knowledge florists and flower lovers must ensure they re cut the stem just before placing water, best practice is to cut the stem under water. We are so fortunate in Victoria to have so many wonderful Rose growers of both indoor and outdoor grown roses. We are honoured to be creating a display on behalf of The Australian Rose Growers Association at this years Melbourne International Flower & Garden Show,
Yvette x
