Sunday, December 23, 2007

 

A Christmas present for Pat

In an earlier post I told you all that I'd have more about those flowers known as Protea that grow at about the 2500 foot level on Mt. Haleakala. Maui Protea can be ordered to most places in the world that have overnight delivery by FedEx from Sunrise Protea Farm. We visited this farm on the same day that we went to the top of Mt. Haleakala and I decided then that I wanted to order some for Pat for Christmas. Ordering them went fine- the only problem was me deciding which one I wanted to get. These flowers come looking beautiful, then they dry to become a neat dried flower display. Due to that I thought it might be best to get one of their baskets rather than a bouquet that would need a vase, which is not provided. The basket I ordered comes in one made of bamboo wood so it should look good when the flowers have dried.

The FedEx truck arrived a bit after 13:00 Thursday, just after we had finished eating lunch. Pat's two grandkids were over for the day as their school ended for the holidays the day before. N was helping Pat bake cookies, B and I played billiards and some other games. Anyway, the kids got to see the flowers about as soon as Pat did. She recognized what they were as soon as she saw the label on the package. They should last about two weeks in very good condition, then we stop watering them and they begin the drying process. I'll let you all know later how that goes. Anyway, here are some photos I took today of the Maui Protea flowers:

Protea basket 01a
This first photo shows the basket sitting on our dining room table, with the Christmas wrapping paper that I used for a background. There is one very large bloom that is known as a King Protea in the center and it has many others of various varieties grouped around it. We placed it on a small plate as the basket is not water tight, so it leaks.

Protea basket 02
Here is a closer view that still displays the King Protea pretty well but also gives a glimpse of some of the others.

Protea basket 03
A different angle showing a better view of some of the other blooms. We bought seeds while we were there that should grow some similar to the purple and black one at the center left side of the photo. However, we have learned that it is two years after planting before you should expect to see your first flower. And that is assuming that we will eventually get our sunroom built!

Protea basket 04
I've turned it a bit to get a different view of some of the other blooms.

Protea basket 05
And here is a still slightly different view.

Protea basket 06b
A closeup shot of the King Protea. It measures about 4 1/2 inches across so is pretty large.

I had fun taking these photos but they really don't do justice to these amazing plants. Follow the link I included above to go check their web site and you will see other photos and what they offer to order. I don't know how well those we want to grow will do but it will be fun to try. In the meantime, we will have these to enjoy and, hopefully, continue enjoying after they dry.

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Comments:
They are gorgeous, Dick! Do any of them have a scent? I suppose that would be asking too much, though....

Good luck getting your "sun" room up before Spring thaw. It's not doing y'all much good sitting on the lawn in pieces, is it?

Hope y'all have a blessed and joyous Christmas, Dick and Pat, filled with love, laughter, faith, good food, good friends and beloved family. ;o)

Love and hugs,

Diane
 
Merry Christmas to you and Pat!

A couple years back a student of Justin's received some sort of hawaiian orchids for graduation. She gave my husband some. They smelled wonderful!

Four days later I had to put them outside. The smell got heavier as they aged and I had a huge allergic reaction to them.
 
Gorgeous flowers Dick, and beautiful shots of them. I've dried lots of flowers in my time and had to hang them upside down to keep the petals in place as they dried. These will look lovely when dried too!

MERRY CHRISTMAS to you and Pat and your families!
 
Merry Christmas to you.

What a great present, and we got to enjoy them too.
 
Wow those are awesome photos and if the photo doesn't do justice to them, they must be spectacular in person.

Merry Christmas to you both
 
Merry Christmas to you, too, Dick!

Life is grand!
 
Wow! You ROCK!!
Those flowers will last forever with the beautiful photos you took of them!
Meery Christmas to you and Pat!!
 
They look so abstract, like something you'd find at the great coral reef.
 
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