Grower Spotlight....

CURREYS FLOWERS

Our Perfectly Pastel arrangement is a soft, garden gathered delight created with three or more varieties of the best and freshest seasonal blooms carefully hand selected from the Brisbane flower markets each morning, and artfully arranged with fresh green foliage in our own Lillipollen style.

Depending on the season, this arrangement will usually feature some beautiful locally grown spray roses from Queensland flower farm Curreys Flowers. Located in Karalee, this second-generation family-owned flower grower has more than 60,000 rose plants producing outstanding quality flowers which are generally picked and sold within 24 hours. The freshness of the flowers is what sets their product apart from an increasing abundance of cheaper imported blooms, which are often picked and packed for transportation up to 7 days before they reach the customer.

Sales manager Sonia Bitmead took the family farm over from her parents several years ago, and has watched as the influx of cheap imported flowers has seen her beloved industry suffer. Now she is calling on members of the public to make an effort to buy local Australian produced blooms. “The best way to ensure you’re buying locally grown flowers is simple: ask your florist directly. Until the Flower Industry Australia succeeds in enforcing "Australian Made" labels, it’s up to us to research and support local businesses” she says.

Currey Flowers is a real family affair, with Sonia, her husband and brother operating the farm while her parents stay on to lend a hand.

Their beautiful roses have an exceptional vase life of between 10 to 14 days. Available in some truly stunning colours, our personal favouites are the delicately scented “Giselle” and “Molly Jean”…

 

Feature Flower....

THE WARATAH

The bold form and eye-catching colour of the waratah ensures its place as one of the best-known Australian native flowers. This iconic beauty is most commonly found in deep crimson red and lesser-known cream and pink hues. The waratah is native to south-eastern parts of Australia including New South Wales, Victoria, and Tasmania, but is most common in the Sydney area of NSW.

The waratah plant generally grows to 3 metres in height and although it looks like one flower it is in fact made up of many flowers joined into a head ranging from 6-15cm in diameter on a thick, woody stem. These hardy blooms are in abundance every spring.

When choosing waratahs, look for blooms that are partly opened and coloured deep crimson. When the flower has a visible blue-tinge it is a sign they are expiring. Strip leaves off the lower part of the woody stem before cutting approximately 2cm off the ends on an angle using sharp secateurs. Immediately plunge into a vase of cool water, recutting the stems and changing the water every two days.

These bold beauties shine when styled in a grouped modern design with other Australian native flora and eucalyptus foliage. They also look fabulous when arranged en masse in a clear glass vase to showcase their strong form, from their thick, woody stems to their luscious, jagged-edged leaves and magnificently unique flower.

Hot tips for longer lasting blooms.…

View fullsize Bringing the colour to @cloudlandbrisbane ….
View fullsize Native Beauty….
View fullsize Perfectly Pastel…..

CARE FACTOR

We love our flowers, and we want you to love them too for as long as possible! Follow these six simple flower care tips to help keep your flowers looking fresher for longer. These tips apply to our beautifully wrapped bouquets - if your flowers have arrived in a glass vase you can skip straight to step 4.


1. Unwrap your bouquet as soon as possible - we include a water absorbing gel pack on the stems of our wrapped bouquets - remove this and discard, or safely recycle the water absorbing crystals by mixing into garden soil or potting mix.

2. Cut the stems of your bouquet with sharp scissors. Keep the stems on the longer side with the first cut, because you’ll need to trim them every few days.

3. Hydrate your blooms by placing them in a vase of clean, fresh, room temperature water. Ideally, you’ll replace the water in your vase every two days for optimum freshness! 

4. Keep your fresh flowers in a cool spot away from sunlight so they last as long as possible, and avoid places that have a lot of airflow, like directly under the air conditioner vent or a ceiling fan. ⁠Airflow increases evaporation and dries out the flowers, and heat sources make them bloom and fade much more quickly.⁠ You also want to keep your fresh flowers away from ripening fruits or vegetables because they emit a gas called ethylene which can cause cut flowers to age more rapidly — making them more susceptible to wilting and withering before their time.

5. Check your flowers daily to remove dead leaves and petals - it’s perfectly normal for certain flowers to last longer than others in your bouquet or arrangement - removing any dead flowers will ensure the remaining blooms last as long as possible.

6. Repeat for best results. Recut the stems and change the water in your vase every two days for optimal longevity.

ENJOY!


PRO TIP: Be sure to wash the vase/container very thoroughly in hot soapy water or, better yet, in your dishwasher once you no longer have your arrangement. Bacteria builds up in vases and does not go away when the vase dries out. Once you add water again, the vase could be full of bacteria and affect a new bouquet. Give your flowers a clean environment free of bacteria and they will last longer.

A Ferrari Night....

Highlights from the recent “A Ferrari Night” with Ferrari Classiche and Premium.
The evening included a special presentation from Gary Exall, Regional Aftersales Manager of Ferrari Australasia, with a live cross to Andrea Modena, the Head of Ferrari Classiche in Maranello.
Guests enjoyed curated dining by @eccobistro , incredible sounds from @gypsy.cats and an exclusive tasting experience by @carafewineaus with beautiful blooms created by the @lillipollen team.

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