Inside look at the Flower Market : July 2023

We are in the midst of winter, and while the flowers might not be as plentiful as they are during other times of the year, they are still looking beautiful, and are very fragrant!

Here are a few we are using at the moment in our work.

1. Blossom

Meaning - Blossom represents spring, a new beginning and growth. Cherry blossom has additional meaning in Japan. Here this blossom type - sakura - represents life and the fact that we don't control it.

OK, I can safely say blossom is here now, finally!! Beautiful japonica in white and raspberry, and some cherry blossoms popping up!!

Image source: Pinterest

2. Camellia

Meaning - Love, Adoration and Longing

In beautiful whites, pinks and reds, camellia is beautiful as a gardeny style flower, and also has beautiful foliage.

Image source: Elise Hassey for Floreat

3. Paper daisies

Image source - Elise Hassey for Floreat

4. Birds of Paradise

Meaning - The bird of paradise flower symbolizes joyfulness, paradise, freedom, anticipation, and excitement

We love using "birds" - they have such an amazing shape and structure, and who would have thought a colour combo of orange and blue would work so well with so many things!

Birds of Paradise need 3 to 5 years to mature before they flower, so I feel each and every stem is a treasure!

I Love Wednesdays for Floreat

5. Dutch Iris

Meaning - Hope, wisdom, trust and valour

Dutch iris are a new favourite of mine - they are an old fashioned bloom, but I find the structure so beautiful! They are tight when you first get them, and when the open they hold for days! They come in a vibrant purple, but I love the white and yellow ones!

6. Daffodils and Jonquils

Meaning - Jonquils have long been associated with Narcissus, whose self-absorption caused his demise. The flowers also stand for creativity, inspiration, rebirth, vitality and success.

The simplest, but sweetest smelling of them all! Paperwhites and jonquils are the precursor to daffodils, and we are using them for everything at the moment!!

Image source - @tillawinstonflowers

7. Wattle

Meaning - As one species of a large genus of flora growing across Australia, the golden wattle is a symbol of unity

Wattle is native to Australia, and also introduced to other warmer climates around the world. It is often referred to overseas as "Mimosa".

Image source: Elise Hassey for Floreat

8. Carnations

Meaning - Fascination, disctinction, or love

With so many beautiful colours available, carnations, otherwise known as sims, have well and truly made a comeback.

I would never have dreamed a few years ago that I would be using carnations in our bouquets, but now, because of their colours, texture, and longevity, they are becoming a staple during the winter months!

Image source: I love Wednesdays for Floreat

9. Giant Candle Banksias

We've been using these A LOT lately!! I love the colour, they look great with a neutral mix, or bright bunches!

Image source: Elise Hassey for Floreat

10. Freesias

Meaning - friendship, trust, thoughtfulness and innocence

Freesias come in beautiful soft white and mauve, with brighter burgundy and yellow. They are so shapely and whimsical, beautiful on their own, or so pretty in mixed bunches. They open slowly, and last about a week!

Image source: I love Wednesdays for Floreat

11. Cymbidium Orchids

Meaning - orchids mean thoughtfulness, refinement, fertility, beauty, charm, and love, they're the perfect bloom to celebrate all of life's precious moments.

The lovely Neville Schaefer of Schaefer's Orchids only makes an appearance at Sydney Flower Market each Friday in the Winter months when his Cymbidium orchids are on full show, and what a treat it is when he's there. Our orchid order is always impeccably packed in boxes so that his prized Cymbids don't get damaged on their journey back to our studio. We got our first box last Friday, which is always a very exciting day!!

Image Source: Elise Hassey for Floreat

12. Tulips

Meaning - perfect and deep love

One of the biggest supplier's of tulips in Australia is de Boer tulips (which translates to "The Farmer"), who began their family business in the fields of Holland. Based in Victoria, they are now the biggest supplier of tulips to the Sydney Flower Market and their contribution to the Australian local flower industry is invaluable. Their wide range of interesting single, double, parrot and frilly tulips are some of the most beautiful we've seen.

Image Source: @ilovewednesdaysphoto for Floreat

They come in oranges, pinks, peaches, reds, burgundy, purple, yellow, white, and they last for 7-10 days, while you can enjoy watching as their stems grow in the vase, sometimes up to 15cm or more!

13. Poppies

Meaning - rememberance

Image Source: @jonimaflowers Instagram

The poppies popped up early this year, and we are very happy about that! We source our poppies from a few different growers, one of them being Jonima Flowers (read more about their family run farm here) who have tall, strong stemmed beauties in an incredible range of colours.

The come in white, pink, peach, red, yellow and orange sold all together in one mixed bunch, and can last for 5-7 days, depending on their stage of life. If closed in a bud and they haven't opened after a few days, you can scald the ends in boiling water for about 10 seconds or peel their furry, green cases off to nudge them open.

14. Hyacinth

Meaning - Constancy

Hyacinths are one of my favourite flowers. They come in white, soft pink, raspberry, mauve, and blue. They take a few days to open completely, and then they are in their prime for a few days after that. They have quite a strong scent.