Ornamental Kale
- Thread starter jstall4
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Can be bought through your wholesaler in season, or try your local farmer's market or greenhouse. Be sure to hydrate well.
Sher
New Member
I buy it by the box out of Miami..green or white. Use it in vases or in oasis...very cool to work with but production must be limited as it is not a weekly item and I really do not know the season. We got it last month..have not seen it on our list since..
Sher
twiggy
Well-Known Member
sometimes our grocery carries this.. would it be ok to use? or should i try to find a different source?
ctherose
New Member
I too have seen it on the list recently. Seems like I've had it at Thanksgiving in years past. One year I ordered some and found out it was just the leaves and not the actual vege so be mindful of terminology. It seems like it had a fairly long vase-life & held well too. My customers loved it for a different twist on the traditional thanksgiving centerpiece!
Tracy D'Amico
Well-Known Member
It's available now, I think through January, though the varieties change a little. You can also purchase the really really large stuff from nurseries, in pots and cut them off. We just bought a couple dozen pots for re-sale, if the don't sell, they go into arr's and make a great focal point. Love them, though they do give off the funkly cabbage smell sometimes ...
tracy
tracy
Ornamental Kales or Cabbages (like their name implies) are grown for decorations, whether it be in landscape applications or as a cut product in design work. They are not food grade items. Most members of the Brassica family ( you will find them listed as Brassica many times, especially if ordering from Holland) are a cool weather crop, you should see availabilty from now until February. Many growers are dyeing them and coming up with cool color combinations- look for black and orange for Halloween.
Great item for this time of year, long lasting, just be careful to keep the leaves above the water line as they will rot and become quite unpleasant.
Great item for this time of year, long lasting, just be careful to keep the leaves above the water line as they will rot and become quite unpleasant.
felicityflowers
New Member
Another note, they are available in the spring/early summer as well. I used them for my bridal shower (06) which was in April and then again for my wedding which was in June (06). This wasn't a special order and they were readily available from my wholesaler.
Orn. Kale is a great product! I love working with it
Orn. Kale is a great product! I love working with it
We're seeing kale a lot on the truck right now, I love using it, that and the little ornamental fresh artichokes, makes a great Tuscan look which is really popular here right now. Our Nursery department carries HUGE kale that's just beautiful for planting outdoors, pretty inexpensive too. The middle of the coneflower and the little fiddle fern out of Hawaii also look great, the color is perfect and we have used those in bridal work as well.
Joe Mioux
Well-Known Member
Think I need to sow some.
I used to grow and sell it for Spring sales. It sold ok. Ideally Fall is a better time to grow it due to the cooler night temps as the plant matures.
I have about a half a bench setting idle at the moment.
It could be grown almost year round in a greenhouse.
I used to grow and sell it for Spring sales. It sold ok. Ideally Fall is a better time to grow it due to the cooler night temps as the plant matures.
I have about a half a bench setting idle at the moment.
It could be grown almost year round in a greenhouse.
Sher
New Member
What did the fiddle fern cost...I got a box in from Haw and it enden up running 2.50 a stem with shipping. It was about 70-80 cm long and really cool but had a life span on it of about 9 days. We could not find it down here so tried a shipment just to see if we liked it...of course we did...now to figure out if it will grow down here...and where to get the uhule plant. Kale runs us about the same price but at least it is bigger and takes up space in a design...lol
Sher
That's about what it ends up costing us to put it in an arrangement too, unless we get it from a mainland wholesaler, since they add their two cents to it, then it really gets pricey to use. If you figure out how to grow it let us know, we'll buy from you LOL. Our customers think it is so unique, they love it.
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