Heya flower lovers,
Well haven't things turned upside down a little bit. I saw some people say that they were expecting another lockdown and were prepared for it whereas in hindsight I can see it now but I was too busy getting swept up in my freedoms haha. Well, I made the most of it and hopefully we won't go beyond two weeks. We were supposed to be in the NT this week for our Wedding Anniversary so there is definitely disappointment there but hopefully we'll get to go soon. It's funny because when you grow up poor (or is it really just 'broke' when you're from a Western environment?!) it can be hard to identify as anything else. But it has really clicked in for me that regardless of how poor/broke I grew up, I'm still privileged. I've definitely had some hard times but we live in such an excellent country (didn't say perfect) and compared to other countries, there's very little I need to complain about. In fact, I may even share a trip I took to visit family in Samoa. That was also another defining moment in my life where a lot of my realities were put in perspective. I still allow myself to feel all the things but I can draw on this very helpful perspective now and it works a treat!
I haven't done a What's in season? segment in a while and thought I should get back onto it this week for #APRflowerEd. I think the next time I do this, I will try and find some not-so-known flowers to share. Maybe even ones that I'm not very familiar with. This week I share a little bit of info on Acacia, Narcissus, Iceland Poppies, Sweet William and Pepper tree. Tap image to head straight to my YouTube video or keep scrolling to read a bit about them too!
Flowers available in Winter:
Narcissus
There are many different varieties of Narcissus but the ones I have are Trumpet Daffodils. Since I was a child they have been a fave of mine... probably the original favourite flower I had until I realised how many other flowers there are and now my list has grown! Narcissus are a European flower available in Winter and Spring. They have a shortish vase life of up to six days and come in variations of whites, creams, yellows and multi-colours like white Jonquils with an orange centre. Be mindful of their sap as they can be detrimental to other flowers, which springs to mind the infamous story of Narcissus, the son of a Greek God. So very fitting haha.
Sweet William - Dianthus Barbatus
Another European flower which is related to Carnations. Not exactly a Winter flower, but more like a year round flower thanks to green house grown, field production and imports. Sweet William have a long vase life of about 10 (+-) days but also because of the nodes, they can snap easily so handle with care! They come in a myriad of colours like whites, purples, reds, pinks and bi-colours.
Acacia - Wattle
Hailing from good ole 'straya, one of the perks of Winter is seeing the beautiful pops of yellow adorning people's gardens. Not just admired for their gorgeous flowers, their foliage is also common in arrangements and wedding work. There are there species different species available and therefore availability can differ too. You'll see variations of yellow and creams—particularly in national parks they're quite common. You'll also see a variation in the foliage colour from your typical greens to similar Eucalyptus greyish, bluey greens which are a great alternative to Eucalypts.
Pepper tree - Schinus Molle
Also known as Peruvian pepper tree as it comes from Peru. This foliage has a gorgeous wild, whimsical leaf with gorgeous pinky red berries. It has the most delicious woody, peppery scent. I love to use Pepper Tree in wedding arrangements, especially Bridal bouquets and flower arches. If you're wanting to make a wild bouquet then this is definitely the foliage for you. It helps to add that whimsy look without having to think about it. The berries are pretty spectacular in wedding work too as you're always trying to find interesting things in a bouquet as that's what makes them stand out.
Iceland Poppies
Another European flower and one that comes in so many colours! They unfortunately have a short vase life and so I think they're best as single bunches in a vase so you can get the most enjoyment out of their beauty. I like to admire a flowers stage of maturation and can sometimes prefer something simple over something grand and that has been arranged. And then other times I prefer something grand. I've also delved a lot further in a previous post here on how to care for them as they can be a little finicky.
And that's that for this week. I hope you found this helpful and/or interesting. I'm still delivering flowers but all will be contactless and I'll be wearing a mask. Please ensure that you have the correct address so I can drop and go :). Keep safe everyone!
xo rose