Vol 4 No 6
The Flower for the New Millennium
Finally Summer is upon us, and undoubtedly some of you are mopping your brows and wanting to get away from the heat, while others are soaking it up and sporting that contented look. During the summer months we, at Endless Flowers, select flowers that grow well in Mediterranean and tropical climates, especially so they will arrive at your door still smiling. This outstanding exotic is made to order, and we hope you will look upon this month's bouquet as a respite ' if you need one. Think cool evening breezes and magnificent sunsets at a beach resort as you enjoy these hardy and magnificent specimens!
How interesting that these ancient beauties which existed in primordial times, are now considered to be the flower of the New Millennium! With their flamboyant looks, they make a big splash wherever they go, and can be arranged to suit every occasion. Dramatic, striking, and even a bit imposing, they add color, texture and line to make a mighty powerful statement.
Your stunning bouquet includes Vlam and Veldfire Pincushion Proteas, Latifolia Proteas, tri-color Hala leaves, a fan of palm, and an accent of Curly Willow' a radiant display that's sure to get lots of attention, no matter how you arrange it. Consider making several arrangements with just a few flowers. You don't need many of these spectacular flowers to make an impact!
300 Million Years Ago
Scientific probes into the early history of plant life have shown that the ancestors of today's Protea were present 300 million years ago ' that's not in the scope of most imaginations! Plant life research indicates the they probably originated in South Africa along the southern coastal mountain ranges and on the southern coast of Australia. As the story goes' when the southern hemisphere was combined into one continent, the family of protea, was growing along dinosaur highway 101. When this hemisphere began to breakup into continents and drift apart, proteas moved to Africa and South America, while their cousins, banksias, moved to Australia. However many still query why protea is indigenous to so many areas.
There are over 1,400 different species of this diverse family identified so far, although only about 150 are of commercially use. Colorful Protea flowers come in many forms, from tiny dwarf flowers to shrubs, and even trees. Their blooms range in size from two to twelve inches in diameter. As a family, proteaceae is so diverse that it defied classification until 1735 when the Swedish naturalist, Linneaus, dared to give this family a name. Linneaus, inspired by Homer's 'Iliad,' named this family Proteaceae after the Greek God 'Proteas.' According to Greek mythology, Proteus was a sea god who had the ability to reshape himself into any form - hence, an appropriate moniker for this treasure which presents a breathtaking array of shapes, sizes, hues and textures.
Proteas became quite a novelty in San Diego and Santa Barbara about 40 years ago when horticulturist Howard Asper first successfully propagated them. Thriving in the California soil, Protea flowers became a booming industry and were eventually introduced to Hawaii. Both regions are so closely approximate to the native climate and soil of this family that propagation has been, and continues to be, a complete success.
Protea is grown commercially in South Africa, Australia, New Zealand, Israel, Spain, South America, Hawaii, and California. As you can see from the growing areas, protea flowers are more of a Mediterranean-grown flower than a tropical. Hawaiian growers have done the best job marketing them ' so much so, that much of the floral industry in the United States believes protea is a tropical flower that originated in Hawaii!
Say again - which one is the Protea?
They all are. The Veldfire Pincushion Protea (it's yellow) is called a composite flower, meaning it is in a class of plants considered to be highly evolved - remember, it took 300 million years to get there. 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 Vlam Cordifolium Protea (it's orange and nicknamed 'Vlam') is another variety. And to confuse you even further - both of them are typed as, 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 an Hawaiian sunset. Mated with the fiery shades of the Pincushion Proteas, this bouquet is bound to take you to a sun-drenched 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 totally composed of different looking Hala plants Today this plant is prized for it's colorful stripes, the pattern it lends to arrangements, and the creative things you can do with it's leaves. For instance, put a small slit in the middle of the leaf and poke the tip of it through the slit, or 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 also 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 summer sunsets of June begin.
Bedtime Story
As told by a little old professor of Greek Mythology
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, waves rose mountains high and the winds howled, wrecking ships and drowning those who lived on the shores. Occasionally, Poseidon was in a calm mood. Then he would stretch out his hand to still the sea and raise new lands out of the water ' that didn't happen nearly as often as the earthquakes and tsumanis.
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. Then again, Oceanus may have been his real Dad. Whatever. The important thing was that Proteus knew all things past, present, and future - so we know he knew who his Dad was - and that's all that counts. Proteus liked to hang out 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 sometimes he liked to tease them.
Everyone knew that ach 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 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 quit his act and calmed down (like Poseidon did occasionally ' genetics perchance?), resumed his usual form, and told the truth. Oh well.
