Eve Lamb
The weather may have taken a bleak turn but for Harcourt protea growers, Val and John Blake, there’s always something warm and bright happening in their backyard.
And what a backyard it it – 30 undulating acres with panoramic views across the district.
While many gardeners have been left flowerless as the mercury heads south, the Blakes continue to pick hundreds of vibrant blooms in rich warm colours that chase away the winter blues.
“It’s a bit like a fashion business,” said John as he led the Express on a tour through the thousands of protea bushes and hundreds of other sturdy floral species including leucospermums and leucadendrons – “we picked thousands of stems of them a couple of days ago,” he said.
Val said that last year was particularly busy but things had since become a little more streamlined and less labour intensive for them since they switched to selling all their flowers through one local buyer, Proteas Direct.
“Particularly with COVID and flowers not able to come in from overseas, people really moved in on the local product and there has been an increased demand for local product,” Val said.
“And the long vase life is a big attraction.”
John very recently planted hundreds of new bushes including new native Australian banksias and said that while the work was tough, he wouldn’t change it for quids.
“If you don’t like hard work outdoors then it’s not for you,” he laughed.
Proteas Direct co-owner Steve Poyser told the Express demand for locally grown flowers including the beautiful structural blooms grown by the Blakes at Harcourt continued to be strong.
“Everything is pretty busy,” he said.
“The flowers are sold everywhere – wholesalers, the florist industry, brides, markets…”
And if a life growing flowers on the land appeals to you, Steve said the potential was there – “as long as you’re prepared for a lot of work and waiting for about four years until the bushes begin to produce,” he advised.
