SNAPDRAGONS
Snapdragons have upright stems and velvet-textured, tubular flowers; between 10 and 15 blooms appear on each flower spike, opening from the bottom up. The flowers have a distinctive shape as the petals have fused to form a kind of hood that overhangs a large lip that resembles a dragon’s mouth. They come in a rainbow of colours (almost every shade except for true blue), and some varieties are bicoloured. When preparing to put in a vase – pinch the bud off each stem as this is a preventative for stem bending.
HYACINTH
Hyacinths are flowering bulbs; the bulbs are squat and have a tunic of fleshy scales. The glossy green leaves, which appear just as the flower spike is emerging, are narrow and strap- like while the blooms themselves are crowded onto a short spike. The individual flowers are tubular and are of a very sweet perfume; the colour range of the flowers vary enormously from deep blue to pale yellow; white, pink, red, purple and pastels.
FREESIA
Freesias are cormous perennials which have bright, goblet-shaped, deliciously scented flowers. There is a broad range of colours available including yellow, pink, purple, deep orange and pure white. The narrow, sword shaped leaves fan out at the base of the plant; they make an excellent cut flower and are used extensively in bridal bouquets.
ORCHIDS
There is a good supply of Orchids available this month; there is an excellent range of colour choices in all varieties; some species are only available to buy per stem. Orchids that are available this month are – Cymbidiums, Slippers, Dancing Ladies, Tigers and Singapore.
STOCK
Named for Italian physician and botanist Pierandrea Mattioli (1500-1577), the genus Matthiola includes some 50 species of annual and perennial herbs in the Brassicaceae family. The species most often encountered by florists is Matthiola incana, whose relatives include broccoli, cabbage, alyssum and radish. Colours include - White, red, pink, cream, purple, lilac, yellow and peach. A fragrant flower, good in mixed bouquets and line arrangements.
HELICONIA
Heliconia is a genus of about 100 to 200 species of flowering plants native to the tropics in Central and South America, across the Pacific Ocean to Indonesia. Species of varying forms are commonly known as Crab or Lobster Claw, Sexy Claw, Parrot Flower, Fishtail Heliconia, Macaw Flower and False Bird of Paradise. They appear in bold, bright colours of orange, red, yellow, pink and some bi-colours. Heliconias are very distinctive and should be used as the dominant flower in an arrangement. They can be used with other tropical flowers or alone with foliages. Large Heliconias may need extra support. Use high density foam or support stems with chicken wire. Provide additional support in large arrangements by taping two wooden picks to the bottom of the stem before inserting into the foam.
GYMEA LILY
The two species of Doryanthes (excelsa and palmeri), they are large evergreen perennials indigenous to the east coast of Australia. They have large rosettes of sword shaped leaves and bear large red flowers with spreading petals, at the end of very tall stalks. The Gymea Lily is the largest flower used in floristry. The flower spikes can reach up to 8 metres in height and 66cm in width, but are usually sold as 3 to 4 metre spikes. Plants can take up to 10 years to produce a flowering stem and each individual bloom can take up to two years to mature.
GOOD SUPPLY OF THE FOLLOWING STOCK THIS MONTH:-
Arum Lily, Geraldton Wax, Rhododendron, Chrysanthemum, Jonquil, Erlicheer, Hypericum, Anthurium, Daffodils, Sweet William, Delphinium, Ranunculus, Banksia, Proteas, Leucadendron, Tulips, Carnations, Statice, Lilium, Koala Fern, Iris, Sedum, Calendula, Gerbera, Blushing Bride, Poppies, Magnolia, Alstroemeria, Grevillea, Gypsophila, Lisianthus, Violets, Roses, Papyrus, Smokebush, Thryptomene, Gardenia, Camellia, Helleborus, Erica, Molucca Balm, Kniphofia, Snotty Gobble and Emu Grass.
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Flower Report
