April 2017 Newsletter 2017 Committee organiCally. • Just beFore Christmas we met at Peter President: Gordon Meiklejohn and Marg Olde’s. It is in my view the Vice President: David Robinson best privately owned native garden. Secretary: Frank Allatt The garden tour given by Peter saw Treasurer: Rosemary Viggers new varieties oF natives suited For Cut Committee: Brian Parry, Sue Stewart, Craig flowers. SCott, Sandra CroCkett. • Thank you to everyone who allowed us to visit their amazing Farms. Next Meeting Projects supported by WIN in 2016 were: Saturday, 6th May, 2017 - Farm Visit At Growwild, the property of Peter and WFA Floristry Competition Sue Stewart, Mt. Tomah Waratah Festival – speCial 916 Old Hume Highway, Alpine. NSW thanks to Rosemary and Frank For their 2575. eFForts here. Phone: 48894353 Email: [email protected] Walking on the Wild Side – a great Agenda: opportunity to meet the Florists who buy 10.30am – morning tea - supplied our produCts. 11.00am – General meeting and Discussion SigniFiCant For 2016 was the Fact that we 12.30pm – Lunch. Bring own lunch and lobbied politiCians regarding the Biodiversity Chair Conservation Bill. 2 oF our members Brian – 1.15pm – Farm Walk) WFA and Craig – WIN will represent us in 2.30pm – afternoon tea Further disCussions. Thanks Brian and Craig. Topic for Discussion – RIRDC and the The Waratah Flowering projeCt is Continuing at Wildflower Industry. See article P5 in this Brimstone Waratahs. Not Certain as to where Newsletter. the Funding is being sourCed. But it is Please join us. Continuing with a new Master’s Degree student, Evan. President’s Report for 2016 Thanks to Craig For his Comprehensive market Congratulations to the OFFiCe Bearers and report. Valuable inFormation here. Committee eleCted For 2017. Overall membership is down 1. We had 2 new Highlights and Lowlights oF 2016 members join and 3 resigned. • AFter last year’s AGM held at Brimstone I need to emphasize to all growers not to be Waratahs we were hit by a massive hail overwrought about removing non-produCtive storm, the likes oF whiCh we had not Crops. If Crops are non-produCtive then they seen in over 25 yrs…………a low light ! need to be replaced with more CommerCially • The Seed Bank at the Australian BotaniC viable ones. Returns For those still growing, in Gardens Mt. Annan was the venue oF my opinion, are good. the May meeting. Persoonias were the FoCus oF this meeting. Thank you For your Continued support oF the • The June meeting was held at Brian and Committee. This is my last year as president. Yvonne Parry’s where as usual we Finally, I’d like to thank Del and Craig For being learned a great deal about growing our speakers here today. WILDFLOWER INDUSTRY NETWORK NSW. Inc. 1 Vale Peter Abell December 1963, - March 2017 Loving husband of Sue. Devoted father to Oliver, Claudia, Riley. Tragically died following a surfing incident near Coffs Harbour. Passionate about plants, especially Australian native flora. RIP • High value foliage is spectacular in some way/s: Decorative Foliage • OFten to do with leaf CharacteristiCs Foliage is used by florists on its own for suCh as leaf Colour, leaf tip Colour, leaf decoration or for foliage arrangements. Foliage is also used in arrangements as filler shape, leaf density, leaf length, leaf or to highlight focal flowers. arrangement, leaf texture, Contrasting leaf Colours or a Combination oF these CharacteristiCs. • Sometimes stem CharacteristiCs suCh as Colour and texture, • Sometimes Fruit suCh as woody Fruit on a dry stem; or a gall. • Grasses/sedges with speCtacular seed heads. • SuCh Foliage is usually in high demand although trends Change and some items are in and out oF Favour over time. Quality foliage: Bunching - Stems are trimmed (made • has minimum 60 – 70 Cm stem length presentable), cut to length and usually • is Clean, Free From disease with bunched. Bunch sizes vary according to minimum blemish (Chewing inseCt material being bunched. Check with attack, etc). Some Foliage speCies are wholesaler. prone to both Fungal and inseCt attack, Australian foliage used in floristry comes more so in some loCations than others. from many species. High value foliage • has a minimum 7 – 10day liFe From time species are mostly plantation grown. The of piCking. No soFt tips. Stems need to plants grown are often specially selected have hardened oFF. Due to soFt growth, from plants in the wild (natural variation) or there is less Foliage in the markets in have been manipulated (hand pollinated, the summer months. hybridised) to achieve their particular • Is not weedy. Applies partiCularly to characteristic/s. grasses. Please note: many NSW flora species are considered either to be threatened or endangered and at present, a license is required to bush pick and sell or for a grower to sell specimens. WILDFLOWER INDUSTRY NETWORK NSW. Inc. 2 At the recent farm day visit there were a • NOTE: Myrtaceae speCies Can be significant number of species or species afFeCted by Myrtle Rust, partiCularly in variations on display and discussed. The Coastal areas. If an outbreak is Caught discussion led by Craig and Del considered early, Myrtle Rust Can be managed with each foliage item. Some of the items were a spray program. spectacular and others considered not so. Before planting, speak to a flower wholesaler about which species are saleable and of high value. Proteaceae • Banksia – Ericifolia, Formerly very good, but not used now; there is a market For Integrifolia, Marginata (like branCh struCture), Robur, Serrata, Spinulosa. • Hakea – Hakea Salicifolia (willow-leafed Hakea)- good, espeCially when Foliage considered. leucodendron is not available. Myrtaceae • Petrophile – has possibilities, but not too muCh • Syzygium - Lillypilly RainForest tree, • Isopogan – a low selling line small demand, but OK • Grevillea – Grevillea Ivanhoe (hybrid). • Leptospermum - Tea-tree espeCially the Bright green Foliage with sturdy dark variety with purple tips. (?) Coloured stem. Foliage develops subtle • Eucalyptus – pulverulenta (silver-leaved red highlights. mountain gum), also cinerea (Argyle • Persoonia – Persoonia Pinifolia (pine apple) stems with either juvenile or leafed geebung) has possibilities. mature leves. In demand beCause oF • Lomatia – Lomatia silaifolia (crinkle leaf Colour and leaf shape. Other bush)- attractive, but not well known to euCalypts whiCh appear speCtacular Florists. beCause oF leaf size, shape, Colour, • Adenanthos sericeus (Woolly Bush) - arrangement, density and hold For 7–10 Attractive and a market exists. days after being Cut. Eg. piperita • Stenocarpus – sinuatus (fire Wheel (Sydney peppermint). Buds oF SCribbly tree). Foliage does not sell. Gum and Bloodwood good. Note: many east Coast euCalypts are site speCiFiC ie have adapted to growing under partiCular Conditions. • Callistemon – Calothamnus quadrifidus (one sided bottlebrush) has good Foliage potential • Agonis flexuosa ‘Jervis Bay AFterdark’ (Willow Peppermint) • Melaleuca Bracteata Revolution Gold – Fabaceae – sub-family Mimosaceae very attractive • Acacia aphylla (Reindeer wattle or • Regelia Ciliata – from WA. Looks spikey leafless roCk wattle) – good at but is soFt. Florists like it WILDFLOWER INDUSTRY NETWORK NSW. Inc. 3 Christmas. Acacia Pravissima (Ovens wattle) has some potential. • Other acacias with unusual Foliage and sold at the Flower Market are cavenii (Grey-green Foliage), baileyana purpurea (a Cootamundra wattle with purple tips), cognate (river wattle) var. Lmelight(soFt lush Foliage), CultriFormis (knife-leaf wattle, has grey Foliage), glaucescens (Sally wattle, leaves poisonous to some animals, has distinCt grey Foliage, x’s available). • Poaceae (grasses) • Miscanthus – Cult. ‘morning light’. Sterile. SpeCtacular. Untried as a CommerCial produCt. Xanthorroeaceae • Xanthorrhoea – australis, also resinosa, both Found in the Sydney area. Leaves harvested, liCense required. Attractive, but not Currently in Favour. Scrophulariaceae • Erimophila – mostly like drier Climates. Rutaceae alternifolia (?) (emu bush). In demand. • Philotheca –myoporides (long leaf wax Ferns Flower). Does not sell as Foliage. Stems with Flowers ½ open will sell. • Gleichenia dicarpa (Coral Fern). Grows in wet places. A small demand For this Asparagaceae produCt. • Cordyline – stricta (seleCted Forms). Cyperaceae (sedges) Berries will sell, but in small numbers. • Caustis – blakei (good, very Prostantheroideae attractive),flexuosa (old mans’ • Westringia – fruticose (Native whiskers, attractive, but not popular). rosemary). Has Contrasting leaves. • Gahnia – melanocarpa Black-Fruit saw- (market potential unknown) sedge, needs to be adequately Doryanthaceae prepared. Attractive, but not in Favour). • Doryanthes – is the sole plant in the Family Doryanthaceae. 2 speCies with ExCels being the more speCtacular. Small demand For leaves. Cunoniaceae • Callicoma – serratifolia (black wattle). Has attractive Contrasting Foliage, but unFortunately stems do not ‘hold’ after picking. Bachia (?) unsaleable last Christmas. WILDFLOWER INDUSTRY NETWORK NSW. Inc. 4 Also see what Angus Stewart has to say have been prioritized For matching Funding about plants for decorative foliage. Go to From RIRDC For R&D projeCts. In the medium to http://www.gardeningwithangus.com.au/an long term, signiFiCantly less Funding will be guss-top-ten-australian-plants-for- available to non-levy paying industries and decorative-foliage/ programs whiCh rely on RIRDC Core Funding. Soft Flower Farm This means new, small and developing industries (inCluding