Welcome to 'PEP', our “Protea
Education Program”. Our
ultimate goal is to educate and inform about the benefits
of Protea...flowers beyond the ordinary. Your questions,
comments and suggestions are always appreciated. It’s
because of your feedback that we decided to change to our
new newsletter format.
Remember to add this e-mail address to your address book to
ensure you receive our newsletter promptly. If you have
trouble viewing this email, please click here:
http://www.DiscoverProtea.com/04_April_Newsletter.htm. If
you missed any previous issues of “Proteaceae 101” please
visit this page:
http://www.DiscoverProtea.com/new_media.htm
Please enjoy and have a great April.
Flower-worthy dates in April
2nd - Daylight Savings Time begins (set your clock ahead one hour)
9th - Palm Sunday
13th - Passover
14th - Personal Taxes due (send yourself flowers, you deserve it!)
14th - Good Friday
16th - Easter Sunday
23rd - Orthodox Easter
26th - Administrative Professionals Day (you know they want
to be acknowledged)
April Birthstone
Diamond or White Zircon (transparent)
April Flower of the Month
Sweet Pea
This month’s topic…and also our question of the
month
Question – I have ordered two Protea Bouquets from you in
last 4 months. The second bouquet was totally different
from the first. Is this normal? Stella, Miami Beach, FL
Answer – Yes, absolutely. Our Freshness Guarantee is that
our flowers are shipped to you as soon as possible after
cutting. We leave the flowers in a cooler overnight to
reduce the ‘field heat’, in order to slow down the
photosynthesis process and ship them the next day. The #1
benefit of Protea flowers is their long vase-life, and that
is vase-life in YOUR vase, and not in OUR cooler! In order
to live up to our Freshness Guarantee, we ship only flowers
that are in season. This means that you will hardly ever
get the same flowers two orders in a row. This has made us
very popular with professional flower designers. Freshness
and the long vase-life are key to them, and the seasonal
variety comes as a bonus. These flowers are so exotic and
eye-catching; they make a statement every time. Rest
assured, you will always get a minimum of seven (7)
seasonal Protea blooms (Protea, Pincushions or Banksia),
surrounded by ‘Cape Greens’ (Leucadendron) and other
foliage in our #1 Select Designer Grade Protea Bouquets.
So, Stella, our Freshness Guarantee is that no two bouquets
will ever be alike, and you will always receive a fresh
seasonal Protea bouquet that will outlast most other
flowers. And remember, Protea don’t die, they just dry!
Also, see our website for more Protea Tips and News:
http://www.DiscoverProtea.com/new_media.htm
Our Protea ‘California Spring Bouquets’ are now available
at http://www.DiscoverProtea.com
Sunset Safari is primarily grown for foliage and is a
hybrid variety between Leucadendron laureolum and
Leucadendron salignum. Spectacular red and burgundy stems
can get as long as 42” and there is a steady demand for
this long-lasting filler. Typically, the harvest season is
June through December, but Safari at various stages is
available year-round. There is no significant difference
between the male and female plants and both have dark green
foliage with a maroon or dark red flush. Safari can only be
propagated from cuttings, they don’t produce seed. Of all
the common Proteaceae varieties, Sunset Safari is one of
the easier varieties to propagate from cuttings, the
cuttings root consistently under the right conditions.
This is also an excellent variety to grow in the garden.
Once established, they demand very little care. But
remember, they don’t like phosphorus (in fact, don’t
fertilize at all) and the plants need very good drainage,
they are susceptible to root rot. They also do well in
pots, once again make sure you have adequate drainage and
let the roots dry completely before you water again (this
minimizes the onset of root rot).
his is the time of year to start (or continue) your Protea
propagation program. Visit us online at
http://www.DiscoverProtea.com for your Protea Starter Seed Packs.
Please feel free to e-mail me with any questions, comments
or suggestions at news@DiscoverProtea.com
Get those hands dirty!
people that are smarter that you are".
in order to get you most accurate and up-to-date information
about growing Protea.
nursery specializing in ornamental trees and shrubs for
Californian gardens. Their nursery grows many plants from
the Australian protea family, such as banksia, grevillea,
hakea and isopogon as well as small eucalypts, acacias and
leptospermums. They also grow South African leucadendrons,
leucospermums and proteas. Jo travels to Australia each
year in search of new species to introduce into Californian
gardens. They have seed and plants available for mail
order. The nursery is operated by owner Jo O'Connell, an
Australian horticulturist from Sydney. Contact Jo at
1-800-701-6517 or email: ausnat@west.net
(San Diego, CA) is a unique nursery called Barrels and
Branches. Meandering down the pathways you will enjoy the
tranquil sounds of water and wildlife, while discovering many
unusual plants that thrive in this area. This retail garden
center has a side variety of perennials, succulents,
California natives, fountains and fine pottery. In addition
to being a full service nursery, maintenance and design
services are also available. You will feel like you have
discovered your own personal retreat, welcomed by friendly
knowledgeable landscape professionals to assist you.
At the recent "Spring Home and Garden Show" in San Diego, CA,
they were awarded, 2nd Place Best in Show, Compatibility of
Plant Material, Perfection in Nomenclature as well as three
outstanding specimen awards. Visit them at
http://www.barrelsandbranches.com/ or contact Samantha
or Danica at (760)753-2852.
Lawrence brings to the table Protea knowledge from both
hemispheres. Lawrence is a second generation Protea grower
from South Africa and an active member of the California
Protea Association. Lawrence is also on the planning committee
for the International Protea Conference (IPA) that will be
held from March 30th to April 4th in San Diego, California.
He can be contacted at lawrence@rainbowprotea.com.
Information about the IPA conference is available at
http://www.ipa2006conference.org.
