Spring flowers Geraldton wax an Australian wildflower favourite

Geraldton wax is one of Australia's most famous wildflowers and is widely used as a cut flower in Australia and overseas.

The flowers last for well over a week when cut. Chamelaucium (Geraldton Wax) is a genus of about 30 species all occurring only in south-western Australia.

They are generally medium to large shrubs, reaching 2-3 metres in height, with narrow leaves and 'tea-tree' like flowers. The leaves are highly aromatic when crushed.

The flowers appear in late winter and may last through until summer. They are circular in shape and are usually pale to mid pink in colour, although other varieties with colours ranging from white to purple are also available.

If a Geraldton Wax plant is desired for the garden then it should be chosen while it is in flower in order to obtain the desired flower colour.

Plants are native to the dry summer climate of south-western Australia, although they will grow quite successfully here, provided they're planted in appropriate positions. The normal pink-flowered form is more suitable for the local area, hardier than the deeper purple or white forms.

However, if a position with good drainage in sandy soil is selected, then most varieties will succeed. Plants may be sensitive to frost until they become established. A sunny or semi-shaded position is preferred.

Plants should be pruned back each year after flowering, reducing the plant's height by about one third. Regular cutting of the flowers for indoor decoration will assist in the pruning process.

Perennials

Perennial plants form the basis of many gardens, particularly those that have a cottage or older style structure.

Flowers are produced over the summer months. They generally live for three or more seasons, rather than needing to be replaced every year, as is the case with annual plants.

Perennials are sometimes planted individually, although clumps or drifts of multiple plants can be most effective.

They will generally produce good displays of flowers for several years, after which time it is preferable to prune back, lift and divide the plants. This enables the healthier parts of the plant to grow, eventually ensuring better flowering. Foliage and root growth are mainly produced in the first season, with the plants reaching flowering maturity in second and subsequent seasons.

Many forms of perennial plants are commonly grown.

Salvias, commonly known as sages, are one of the more widely grown perennials. Plants are available in different varieties ranging in size from those under a metre in height to some that reach almost two metres.

Long woody stems are produced, with flowers appearing on the ends of the stems. During late winter the old stems can be cut back to just above the base of the plant, virtually at ground level. Then the plant can be dug up and divided into smaller plants, if it has grown too big to flower effectively.

Pineapple sage, which produces bright red flowers over light green leaves, is a valuable addition to many gardens.

Euphorbia is a hardy winter flowering variety with grey green leaves and lime flowers, which contrast well in the garden.

Other hardy perennials include plectranthus. Some varieties have mauve leaves, others have grey leaves, but all are tough and grow well under tree canopies.

When dividing up perennial plants a sharp knife may be used. Each section needs to have healthy roots with some basal shoots in evidence. It may be preferable to use fingers to tease the plants apart, rather than cutting through the larger clump with a knife.

Good, well-rotted compost should be added to the soil prior to replanting as this will assist in ensuring a good food supply for the new plants. Watering with Seasol will help the formation of new roots structures.

Gerbera are another group of perennials that can be divided at this time if the plant has become rather large.

Plants that have grown to a large size will not produce as many blooms.

Digging the plant out of the soil will enable the removal of old, dead or dying leaves. The plant can be cut into two or more smaller plants. Prior to replanting in a garden bed that has been enriched with a compost-type material, the crown of the plant, where the stems are joined to the main plant should be dipped into a fungicide solution. This will help reduce future incidence of disease.

Productive beans

Beans are a good choice for inclusion in the home vegetable garden as the plants are generally very productive.

Many different varieties are available to suit different growing conditions and preferences. They will grow quickly from seed, particularly if the seed had been soaked in water overnight prior to planting.

Soil that has been enriched with organic compost will be ideal as this will provide the good food source that will be required by the plant for crop production.

Adding superphosphate and sulphate of ammonia will provide the extra minerals required for optimum growth. Application should be at quantities suggested on the packaging.

In general, bean seeds should be planted about 4cm deep and 20cm apart if a dwarf variety has been selected. Taller growing varieties can be planted about 15cm apart. Regular picking will ensure a long season.

Flower power: Afghanistan's poppy farmers harvest success with rose

Standing in a field of roses in eastern Afghanistan, former poppy grower Mohammad Din Sapai quickly but carefully plucks the delicate petals that will be turned into rose water and oils for sale around the world.

The sweet smelling crop is providing farmers in Nangarhar province with a viable alternative to growing opium poppies, the sale of which has fuelled the conflict raging across the country.

"I am very happy with this harvest of flowers," Sapai tells AFP as he stands among hundreds of blooming rose bushes.

Sapai is one of more than 800 farmers in the province bordering Pakistan benefiting from the "Roses for Nangarhar" project, a joint Afghan-German initiative set up in 2007 to encourage poppy growers to switch to a legal, money-making flower.

"They provided us with the plants, the tools and even paid us for the first year when we had no harvest," Sapai, 50, explains.

"Now I have 600 plants and I collect up to 1,200 kilos (2,650 pounds) of petals."

Opium is big business in Afghanistan, where Nangarhar is the sixth biggest poppy-producing province.

Poppy cultivation hit a new record last year, with opium production soaring 87 percent to an estimated 9,000 tonnes, official figures show.

But Sapai says he is perfectly happy to grow roses.

He makes enough money to support his family, and insists roses have fewer costs and take less effort. After the rose season, which ends in May, he switches to growing vegetables.

Better than poppies

Starting at dawn and working until late morning when the heat sets in, Sapai and his workers appear resigned to the constant dangers lurking around them as they quickly pick off petals and drop them into large bags.

Nangarhar is rife with fighters belonging to the Islamic State group (IS), which emerged in Afghanistan by the end of 2014 and quickly turned the province into a stronghold.

The Taliban also roam the area, and bombs planted along the roads leading to rose fields are a constant threat.

In nearby Omar Qala village, teacher and rose-grower Shah Zaman is also convinced about the benefits of harvesting petals instead of poppies.

"The people here used to cultivate poppies but this is haram (forbidden under Islamic law)," Zaman tells AFP.

He expects to harvest one tonne of petals this year.

"The roses are much better... I make good money from roses. They are resistant and don't require as much expense or work."

Khan Agha, a representative for Afghan Rose Ltd in Dara-e-Noor district, which emerged out of the Afghan-German initiative, agrees.

Roses "do not require watering, fertiliser or care" -- unlike poppies, he says.

Rose trees are also more durable, lasting 30 to 50 years, compared with poppies, which must be planted every season.

"We have solid contracts with the farmers who grow roses asking them to stop cultivating poppy and other types of narcotics, and the places where we grow roses are clean from poppy 100 percent," he adds.

The farmers grow a variety known as Damask roses, which were brought from Bulgaria by the Germans but are endemic to Afghanistan, says Mohammad Akbar Mohmand, the owner of Afghan Rose Ltd.

The petals are distilled in the provincial capital Jalalabad. It takes about six tonnes of petals on average to extract one litre of essential oil.

At peak harvest time, Mohmand's distillery employs more than 120 people. From dawn until late morning, trucks flow from districts across the province delivering their precious cargo.

Once picked, rose petals begin to wilt within hours and lose their scent.

"The roses picked in the morning have to be distilled the very same day, even if we have to work until 2 am or 3 am," explains Mohmand, as bags of petals are poured into seven huge stainless steel vats.

Make perfume, not war

Shortly before the "Roses for Nangarhar" project started, Afghan entrepreneur Abdullah Orzala began growing roses and distributing the plants.

The US-trained engineer recently opened a boutique in Kabul selling rose water and perfumes to middle-class Afghans and foreigners.

He has 100 hectares (250 acres) of roses, but hopes to triple the number of plants next year "if the security (situation) allows".

Like Mohmand, Orzala never stops worrying about the constant threat of violence.

In 2016, 50 farmers working for him packed up and abandoned their crops in Achin district after it became an IS stronghold.

"You can deal with the Taliban, but you can't mess with Daesh," he says, using the Arabic name for IS.

Two years later, his farmers remain displaced further north. Afghan Rose Ltd also closed the Achin distillery and retreated to Jalalabad.

Its rose oil now supplies several European companies, including German organic cosmetics brand Dr. Hauschka -- whose products are priced well out of reach of ordinary Afghans.

"They make very expensive creams with our roses," says Mohmand.

Orzala exports its rose oil to Canadian company The 7 Virtues, which also sources essential oils from Haiti, the Middle East and Rwanda under the slogan "Make perfume, not war".

3 Creative Ways to Incorporate Roses Into Your Wedding Flowers

When it comes to choosing wedding flowers, many brides have a clear list of blooms they think they have to have (peonies, it's always peonies) and those that they aren't so sure about. Flowers like carnations, baby's breath and, yes, even roses can be considered lowbrow; but as we've written recently, many of these "bodega" flowers have been making a resurgence as cool, trendy blooms among some of our favorite florists.

The rose, often seen as less desirable than many other flowers (like the peony or dahlia), has so many beautiful variations besides the run-of-the-mill bright red. To help educate us all on different ways your florist can incorporate roses into your wedding flowers, we worked with Emily Buckner from FLWR Studio, one of our favorite floral designers. She created three arrangements in three different styles, incorporating some of her favorite ways to use roses (and psst, the variety she uses here is a beautiful new kind called the Applause!).

1. Select a combination of shapes and sizes.

Roses come in many shapes and sizes—single blooms, pompom, rosette, high-centered, cupped, quartered, double—the list goes on! To create depth and dimension in my arrangements, I like to use multiple varieties in a similar color tone. For this arrangement I've used high-centered Applause roses, a lilac spray, and a delicate blush single as my focal flowers. The supporting Queen Anne's lace adds texture to the recipe—romantic, soft and full!

2. Use interesting shades.

When most people think of roses, they envision the crimson Valentine's Day variety. While there's definitely a place for the deli rose, it's important to note that roses aren't exclusively red. When creating the palette for this arrangement, I worked with a selection of cooler hues to highlight the blue tones in the Applause rose. When paired with the vibrant blue cornflower and the moody gray carnation, the rose takes on an cooler color, quite unique and fun!

3. Rethink the dome.

My preference is always for a garden-inspired arrangement over the traditional dome or spiral shape. If I'm looking to create a more graphic or architectural moment, I will often opt for a number of full blooms, arranged on a kenzan (ikebana) frog. Limiting the arrangement to a just a few blooms can be very eye-catching and is also a great way to create an economical arrangement.

A dozen pollinator-friendly flowers

Fill your garden with colorful annuals that you and the pollinators can enjoy all season long.

Varieties from All-America Selections (AAS), a non-profit plant- trialing organization, can brighten your garden, attract pollinators.

Attract hummingbirds and second looks from passersby with the vibrant, bright-orange flowers of Canna South Pacific. This compact variety can be started from seed and was selected as a 2018 AAS winner for its vigorous, full and uniform growth habit.

Whether it's spikes of lavender, pink, white or red your garden and container need, you'll find them in the Salvia Jewel series. Watch butterflies and hummingbirds stop by for a sip of nectar and see finches feast upon the seeds later in the season.

Add more vertical interest and pollinator appeal in the garden and large planters with Asian Garden Celosia. The bright-pink blooms hold their color all season long atop sturdy stems, 31 to 40 inches tall.

Include a few Cupheas, also known as Mexican Heather, in containers, borders and mass plantings. Try FloriGlory Diana for plentiful, large blooms in an intense shade of magenta.

Incorporate beauty even in challenging locations with EnduraScape Pink

Bicolor Verbena. As the name implies, it is hardy, tolerating drought, heat and temperatures in the low teens, too. Use this spreader in large containers and baskets where you can appreciate the soft- pink blooms with their darker center.

Lure pollinators to your garden and containers with Vinca Mega Bloom Orchid Halo. The bright- purple blooms with a white eye stand up to heat and humidity without succumbing to disease.

Grow winning varieties of a traditional favorite, zinnia. These low-maintenance, sun-loving annuals can be started from seed directly in the garden. Add vibrant color to the garden with Queeny Lime, Zowie! Yellow Flame and Magellan Coral. Include a smaller-scale beauty with Profusion and Zahara zinnia varieties.

Gardeners and pollinators love purple coneflowers (Echinacea). Two colorful varieties, Cheyenne Spirit and PowWow Wild Berry, will fill your garden with color for seasons to come.

Cheyenne Spirit coneflower produces a mix of purple, pink, red and orange flowers along side lighter yellows, creams and white. This compact plant stands tall in wind and rain and is drought-tolerant once established.

PowWow Wild Berry coneflower lives up to its name. The vivid, deep-rose-purple flowers retain their beautiful color all season long. You'll enjoy continual bloom without deadheading or grooming.

Add more perennial beauty with Twizzle Purple Penstemon. The spikes of vibrant, purple blooms are favorites of hummingbirds and other pollinators. Include them in containers for added height or high-impact color anywhere in the landscape.

Extend your budget and increase perennial plantings next year by starting these three winners indoors by late January. Your efforts will be rewarded with flowers that same season.

And don't let shade stop you from inviting pollinators into the garden. Bounce Pink Flame Impatiens has all the flower power of common impatiens but is resistant to downy mildew. Plus, they are a bit more forgiving if you allow them to wilt. Just add water, and they bounce back.

Plant Sunpatiens Spreading Shell Pink in full sun or shade. Enjoy the season-long, soft-pink flowers even in high heat, rain and humidity. This variety has all the low-maintenance beauty of impatiens but is resistant to downy mildew.

Once you've added these beauties to your landscape, sit back and enjoy. You and the pollinators will reap the many benefits of these winning additions to your gardens and containers.