Past Newsletters - April 2010
A Burst of Color From the Far Corners of the World!
Robust, lasting, and so elegant in its simple lines, when Ludwig Mies van der Rohe described his architectural paradigm, Less Is More, he could just as well have been referring to this magnificent floral architecture! This month’s outstanding exotic bouquet will sing you a calming lullaby that brings to mind cool evening breezes filled with the fragrance of new spring blooms.
These ancient beauties, which existed as far back as primitive times, are now considered to be the fashionable, chic flower! With their flamboyant looks, they make a big splash wherever they go, and they can be arranged to suit any occasion. Dramatic, striking, and breathtaking, they add color, texture and architecture to make a pretty powerful statement.
Your eye-catching bouquet includes Orange Vlam and Yellow Veldfire Pincushion Proteas, Latifolia Proteas, tri-color Hala leaves, a fan of palm, and an accent of Curly Willow—a glowing display that will certainly get lots of attention, no matter how you arrange it. Consider making several arrangements with just a few flowers. It doesn’t take many of these spectacular flowers to make an impact!
‘DINOSAUR HIGHWAY 101’
Research into the early history of plant life has shown that the ancestors of today’s Protea existed 300 million years ago in Gondwanaland (the southern precursor supercontinent). As the story goes, when the southern hemisphere was combined into one continent, the family of Protea was growing along Dinosaur Highway 101. When the hemisphere began to break up into continents and drift apart, Proteas shifted to Africa and South America, while their cousins, banksias, moved to Australia. Proteaceae is divided into two subfamilies: the Proteoideae, best represented in southern Africa, and the Grevilleoideae, concentrated in Australia and South America and the other smaller segments of Gondwanaland that are now part of eastern Asia. Africa shares only one genus with Madagascar, whereas South America and Australia share many common genera — this indicates they separated from Africa before they separated from each other. However, many still wonder why Protea is native to so many areas. There are over 1,400 different species of this diverse family identified so far, although only about 150 are commercially used.
THE TALE OF PROTEUS – ‘CATCH ME IF YOU CAN!’
Poseidon, the omnipresent God of all Seas and Earthquakes (the guy with the trident) was a temperamental, aggressive, and often violent god. When he struck the ground with his trident, the Earth trembled and split open. When he struck the sea, the waves rose like mountains and the winds howled, wrecking ships and drowning those who lived on the shores. Amphitrite, his Queen, and Poseidon had only one son, Triton (the man with a fishtail instead of legs), but everyone says that Proteus (officially the son of Cronus and Rhea) was really fathered by Poseidon. The important thing was that Proteus knew all things past, present, and future. Proteus liked to spend time on the Island of Pharos, off the coast of Egypt, and herd Poseidon’s seals—another telling clue? Everyone was always pestering him to forecast the lottery numbers, so Proteus would change his shape at will to avoid them, but he also took pleasure in teasing them sometimes.
Everyone knew that each day at noon Proteus would rise from the sea and sleep in the shade of the rocks on the island of Pharos with Poseidon’s seals lying all around him. If anyone was clever enough to catch him, Proteus would assume dreadful shapes—tigers, dragons and bears, and terrible monsters. If anyone was fearless and persistent enough to hang on to him, Proteus eventually quit his act, calmed down, resumed his usual form, and told the truth.
Swedish botanist Linneaus had this story in mind when he dared to classify the diverse family of proteaceae in 1735. Thus, the family of Proteaceae is named after the Greek God Proteus. This is an appropriate moniker for this prehistoric flower that presents a breathtaking array of shapes, sizes, hues, and textures.
WHICH ONE IS THE PROTEA?
They all are. The Yellow Veldfire Pincushion Protea is called a composite flower, meaning it is in a class of plants considered to be highly evolved. Veldfires have multiple flowers forming one cluster on the end of each stem. To some, their distinctive head resembles—you guessed it—a pincushion. However, the mass and shape of the flower heads, combined with their delicate radiating florets, give them the look and feel of the sun. The orange Vlam Cordifolium Protea is another variety. And, to confuse you even further, both of them are typed, and often referred to, as Leucospermum. This information is going to really impress your Garden Club! The stunning Latifolia Eximia is one of the easiest Proteas to grow, as well as one of the hardiest (which is probably why it’s easy to grow). Also known as Pink Ice, its petals are sturdy and grow up and around a composite flowering head. Some say the pink hue of this flower is reminiscent of a Hawaiian sunset. Paired with the fiery shades of the Pincushion Proteas, this bouquet is bound to take you to a sundrenched beach in the Mediterranean or, if you insist, Maui.
SUPPORTING CAST
To expand your floral horizons, we have surrounded your antediluvian Proteas with Tri-Colored Hala leaves (Pandanus tectorius), and these truly are from the sun-drenched state of Hawaii. There are many varieties of Hala. In fact, you could plant a very interesting garden composed entirely of different looking Hala plants. Today this plant is prized for its colorful stripes, the pattern it lends to arrangements, and the creative things you can do with its leaves. For instance, put a small slit in the middle of the leaf and poke the tip of it through the slit. Or you can shred the leaf for another interesting effect. The fruit of the Hala plant very closely resembles a pineapple and was a common fruit enjoyed by the early Hawaiian natives. Hala has been gainfully employed for centuries in Hawaii as a fiber and a dye used in traditional crafts and customs. Blankets, or “kapas,” were woven out of the Hala leaves and were decorated and adorned with the dye from the fruit of the tree. Leis were also fashioned from the fruit. We included a palm frond for contrasting lines and to reinforce the ambiance of warm tropics and sandy beaches. The crowning touch of Curly Willow, with its driftwood-shaped curves, adds to the coastal feel and completes a breathtaking and exotic bouquet to enjoy as you watch the sunset.
THE WILD CORNERS OF YOUR BACKYARD
Growing Proteas: To grow Proteas well, there must be an open sun location with good air movement around the plants. But probably the most crucial factor in growing Proteas is to provide adequate water drainage. If the soil drains well then the plants will flourish. Proteas rarely succeed in heavy clay soils that are notorious for their poor drainage. Planting them on slopes or on slightly elevated mounds will also be beneficial for the drainage.
When planting, dig a hole that is twice the width of the container and one and a half the height. The backfill can be amended with fir bark, redwood shavings or leaf mold if desired, but it is not necessary. And because Proteas enjoy air circulation, don't plant them too close to each other or in close proximity to other types of plant material.
Proteas generally enjoy full sun and dislike areas that are always in the shade. They should also be protected from frost if possible. Blooms appear from the second year of planting and flower annually thereafter. The plants can be staked but prefer to spread naturally (often growing on their elbows). Prune plants back as you cut flowers. Proteas have fine roots near the surface, so be careful not to cultivate too deeply.
