'Early Spring Waratahs' | A Simple Floristry Design in a Vintage Silver Jug
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- Опубликовано: 23 сен 2023
- Click here to see my visit to Mangrove Creek Flower Farm: • Visiting a FLOWER FARM...
Let’s look at a design using the Waratah as the statement flower in amongst the foliage’s and flowers discovered at Mangrove Creek Farm.
Things to gather:
- I found a very old very aged silver vintage jug which will be perfect for this design, but just whatever tickles you fancy will do.
- I’ve also gathered a few stems each of flannel flower aka as phylica, viburnums, tea tree, hellebores & a little pittosporum foliage.
If you are new to the sight of a Waratah, let me share a few interesting tip bits about this Australian native flower! Its botanical name is ‘Telopea’ speciosissima - meaning seen from afar or red flowering tree. The name comes from the Eora Aboriginal people, who were the original inhabitants of the Sydney area.
The tree generally grows to around 3 meters and although it looks like one flower its is in fact made up of many flowers all joined into one flower ranging in size from 6 to 15 cm or so. From what I can discover it was one of the first Australian plants to be cultivated in Europe.
As a floral designer this is a magnificent flower to incorporate into spring designing. The colours connect beautifully with most others of the season. Additionally, like it’s bigger brother the king protea, it’s an excellent lasting bloom. If you are lucky, when cut and placed into a vase, can last up to 6 months.
While I’m on the subject of king proteas and Waratahs, one might be an iconic South African plant, and the other an Australian plant, both belong to the Proteaceae family. It's an amazingly diverse family that includes the South African leucadendron’s and the Australian banksia. Proteas and Waratahs shared common ancestors back in Gondwana when Australia and South Africa were joined as part of the super continent in the south, some 200 to 300 million years ago.
The bloom of the protea has spectacular textured bracts surrounding a cone-shaped head of tubular flowers. The Waratah is very similar with a symmetrical head of tubular flowers framed by spectacular red bracts. Both plants also have similar leathery leaves.
They're crying out to be noticed and their unabashed appeals for attention are directed mainly at birds. As the bird seeks out the nectar, which is deep inside the Waratah flower, its head becomes dusted with pollen from the upper part of the flower. It takes that pollen from one Waratah plant to another and cross-pollinates another plant.
In the language of flowers, the Waratah represents strength, courage, healing and support. The Indigenous people's use of the flower has been written to say that by ingesting the early morning dew and flower essence, one will be given courage, strength, and help in aiding recovery from illness.
Thank you to Vania and Darryl at Mangrove Creek farm for your time is sharing what’s involved in growing these magnificent blooms! You can find Mangrove Creek at / mangrove-creek-flower-...
and / mangrove_creek
Also thankyou to New Zealand Bloom. They ship the blooms from here in NZ to a market near you.
www.nzbloom.com
/ newzealandbloom
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Go to www.astarsplace.com for more! 
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You are just a bundle of knowledge,love your passion and energy and excitement over God's gifts to us.
The Botanical World is such a rich place of excitement to me. I hope I can inspire many others. Warm regards Astar
@@AstarsPlace , Year's ago, I seen a special about all the work that goes into keeping the White House supplied with daily fresh flowers,you would be fabulous as the gal in charge of arrangements over there.
Lovely as always Astar, thank you🌺
Love all your videos!! You have such a beautiful spirit!
Thank you for introducing me to the Flannel flower! It is beautiful! Your Spring design turned out great!
Hi Converse, Flannel flowers growing on mass made my heart sing. I haven't, or should I say, hadn't used them for years, but when I rediscovered them during our visit to Mangrove Creek Farm, it was an instant - must share with the world decision. Gorgeous blooms & they dry off beautifully lasting months. I'm so loving this opportunity to share what grows here in NZ & can be found in markets all around the world. Warm regards Astar
@@AstarsPlace,I have never seen any of these flowers before,those pink one's are amazing.
You are fantastics!!!
That was just beautiful, as always, Astar! The flannel flowers you used are different to what we call flannel flowers in Australia. Ours are called
Actinotus helianthi.
Beautiful!
Hi Astar from Australia. After watching your videos, I felt so inspired and experimented with different colors from the garden. I put together a small centre peice for the dinning room table. I used colors I would not usually use together. I put small yellow Proteas with a deep red kangaroo foot and another bushy plant with small deep red berry type flowers. I would not have thought it would work but it did. I guess it depends on the shades of colors used.
Hello and many thanks for your very kind words. After nearly 50 years as a florist, I have returned to my roots as a designer. Although she has long gone, I personally believe that Constance Spry was the very best florist the world has ever had. She cared little for rules, and instead thought anything in the botanical world was worthy of a place in a vase. As for as she was concerned, the difference between a weed & a flower was just an opinion. If the texture visually felt right beside another bloom in, it went. I want to bring back her style, zest & lust of all that is floral design. You are correct in so far as colour is concerned, if they all tie and blend by shade tone & tint, go forth and visually enjoy. Warm regards Astar
thanks @@AstarsPlace I will look Constance Spry up. I have not heard of her but she sounds interesting.
@@MsNZgal she was a fascinating and very clever lady with many talents. What fascinates me is her friendship with Oscar Wilde - now that's a dinner party I'd like a seat at. Cheers Astar
WOW!!! I absolutely love it! Waratahs are just such a gorgeous flower, and I’m not sure I’ve ever seen them for sale in North America, which is a shame (though proteas are usually available). Do you know the artist Margaret Preston? She did many pieces showing flowers native to Australia, and her waratah print is incredible. This arrangement is quite striking and pleasing! That variegated pittosporum IS spectacular 🌱 I absolutely love hearing the information you give, Astar, so don’t EVER worry about talking to much ❤️ Not possible when what you’re saying is interesting and informative!
Hi Jesse, yes I know Margaret Preston's work. Fabulous fabulous fabulous. The warratsh season is in full swing here and I'm loving it. I managed to see whites & lemons growing a few days ago, and honestly I really did feel as if I'd slipped into floral heaven. The botanical world is marvelously clever. We just have to keep looking to discover how amazing it is. Warm regards Astar
please could you give the latin name of your flannel flower - so lovely, along with the rest.
Hi Jennifer, the Latin name for flannel flower is Phylica Pubescens. I'll try and provide this info in future videos. Warm regards Astar
Can we get flannel flowers in the United States?
Hello Beth, yes you can. Their proper name is Phylica Pubescens. It's a gorgeous hardy plant that just keeps on giving. Check with your local garden shop to ascertain whether the growing conditions are right for your area. Hope this helps, warm regards Astar