The spontaneous eruption of new hybrid plants amongst her wildflower plantings is what delights Nina Foulkes-Taylor most about the cut wildflower business
she runs from the Bindoon property she shares with her husband Anton.
Formerly sheep producers, Nina and Anton established Plantation Wildflowers in 1980 when wool ‘fell in a hole’. “We looked at the garden, and we
looked at the beautiful wildflowers growing in the bush, and we looked at the people coming up to pick them, and we saw potential,” says Nina.
After contacting wholesalers and florists Nina began growing a list of popular flowers. 35 years later the farm has 35 acres of wildflowers under cultivation and produces an estimated 30 ton of flowers sold to both global and domestic markets. High demand for waxflower has driven plantings of around 25 varieties at the plantation,
the unique characteristics of which become apparent on closer inspection.
Big, bold, beautiful and vibrant deep pink in colour, the aptly named ‘Supermum’ is a unique hybrid developed on the farm as a result of cross-fertilization between varieties which normally grow thousands of kilometers apart. A self-taught horticulturist, Nina selected the plant based not only for the beauty of its flower, but
it’s robust and vigorous nature – qualities desirable in every matriarch.
Registering Plant Breeders Rights (PBR) for the variety means it can be grown and sold by nurseries as a garden plant, and whilst there is potential for royalties from
developing new plant varieties, for the Foulkes-Talyors the passion to propagate is more about personal satisfaction and furthering the industry.
Nina has passed on the ‘green thumb’ she inherited from her mother – a passionate gardener – to her daughter Vivienne, who joined the family business in 2007.
Together they have developed a prostrate form of pink waxflower which has been registered for PBR and will soon be available in garden centres. They named the new
variety ‘Tumbelina’ to reflect its uniquely tumbling habit as well as it’s tiny flower.
“This style is so exciting,” says Vivienne, “It could be used as a ground cover but we’ve trained one as a standard – its the sort of plant which will look gorgeous as a
feature.” “We’ve always enjoyed our niche market and the process of developing new plants,” says Nina. It’s clearly the icing on the cake after the rigorous physical
demands of running the farm, and the back-breaking work involved in picking and packing the thousands of bunches ordered in peak season.
As well as local people, backpackers are employed to help the family during the busiest time. “It’s a very satisfying job – very few people in the industry are rich,” she
laughs, “But most are happy.”
With spring in full swing, the family will join the community in celebrating our fabulous wildflowers this month at the annual Chittering Wildflower Festival to be held from the 17 – 20 September. They’ll be selling bunches of their uniquely diverse varieties of waxflower along with many other stunning, locally-grown wildflowers.
