Waratahs

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tulip

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I'm reading a book,The Emperor's Children,and a flower arrangement described as garish had birds of paradise,waratahs and kangaroo paws. It was also called vulgar. These were centerpieces at a New York literary affair. I had to google waratah. Should I have known what this is-do you?
Sandra
 
Just Love Waratahs.! Looking forward to around September when they will be available again.

Australian National Flower and is The Emblem of New South Wales - Even The NSW Rugby Union Team are called " The Waratahs"

I think I love them so much cause of their striking red colour but there is also an " albino" version available now too.





 
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It is actually native to New South Wales ( Australian State)

Think I have read that some of the Waratah Species were actually a source of food for Aboriginals - not floristry realated I know, but interesting all the same. LOL
 
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Interesting because one of the characters in this fictional book is Australian. I personally thought the arrangement as described sounded exotic and not garish or vulgar.The pictures on google did remind me of protea.
Sandra
 
tulip said:
Interesting because one of the characters in this fictional book is Australian. I personally thought the arrangement as described sounded exotic and not garish or vulgar.The pictures on google did remind me of protea.
Sandra
Click to expand...

An Australian might not like it. Personaly I am not a big fan of our native flowers in arrangements - I think they look great in the bush, but let's leave them there. I would prefer something more 'exotic' - exotic from an Australian perspective that is. Although I do love warratah :). I suppose the bright colours could be described as garish.

We do get a lot of people asking for natives but I think this is mostly due to the long vase life of banksia & warratahs.

We get people from the UK wanting to send Australian flowers back home.
 
Toddxxx's post brings to mind just how we as florists see flowers.

We in the states see flowers like Proteas, Banksias, Waratah's as 'exotic'. In South Africa, the calla is so common, it's nickname is 'Pig lily" - they almost view that as a weed.

Todd, What do you consider 'exotic' from the Aussie POV?

We see the humble carnation as 'common', yet, in areas where they do not grow. are they 'exotic'?
 
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tulip said:
I'm reading a book,The Emperor's Children,and a flower arrangement described as garish had birds of paradise,waratahs and kangaroo paws. It was also called vulgar. These were centerpieces at a New York literary affair. I had to google waratah. Should I have known what this is-do you?
Sandra
Click to expand...
I love this flower, only see it sometime at the wholesaler, but it does not last long in our climate. Too dry. Like a protea.
 
Hey .. I'm Aussie and I don't see them as a weed.! LOL

Todd is over there in the West - maybe that's got something to do with his opinion? :tongue: I know or at least I'm pretty sure that they do grow more prolifically on that side of the country. Todd might want to confirm that one? Probably a bit like the Frangipanni in Queensland

I know with my shop that they are one of my best sellers in store and online. Actually I can never seem to have enough in stock and at the moment heading into spring they really are at their best.

I'll say it again - I love em.!

I Reckon it's pretty sad (but I suppose I shouldn't be whinging cause it's good for me!) that my competition dosn't really stock them, they send their customers who want them to me??!! But, then again she also told me she dosn't stock Orchids either "cause they don't sell" and again these are also a top seller for me.
 
RWK said:
Toddxxx's post brings to mind just how we as florists see flowers.

We in the states see flowers like Proteas, Banksias, Waratah's as 'exotic'. In South Africa, the calla is so common, it's nickname is 'Pig lily" - they almost view that as a weed.

Todd, What do you consider 'exotic' from the Aussie POV?

We see the humble carnation as 'common', yet, in areas where they do not grow. are they 'exotic'?
Click to expand...

When I first met my wife, walking down the street I saw Crotons growing like weeds - she couldn't believe I could sell those weeds for $40 at home.

Her Mother's front yard (orchids and exotic greens) is a veritable plethora of what we call exotic here.'

Same with bamboo forests there - my #1 favorite botanical - they knock me out, I go "Wow look at that bamboo" and she says "Eh".
 
Ricky,

It's just my own personal opinion, there are Aussie florists who like our natives, I just pefer something more colourful than banksia which when natural is mostly a cream colour (but you can get green Candle Banksia which are nice), although I do like kangaroo paw (except it tends to droop) and warratah.

What is exotic to me here in the West are tropicals like helaconia and orchids. A few years ago I was in Geebfs part of the country (Queensland) and bought some flowers - the helaconia were half the price but the oriental lilles were much more expensive than in my own shop. And they had these cute little mini pineapples on stems - I thought they were way cool but I have not seen them anywhere since.
 
OK Just had a grower come in with some BEAUTIFUL black and green Kangaroo Paw and Tetragona nuts (a type of eucalypt) so I placed a standing order with her.

So, yeah, it looks like I do like indiginous (sp) Australian flowers after all :eek:face
 
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