It was Wednesday, the biggest market day of the week at San Francisco Flower Mart. I went to bed knowing that I would have to get up extra early to pick up my flower order for the Bar Mitzvah Tracy and I were decorating for in a couple of days. I was looking forward to bringing our creative visions to reality with fresh flowers from all over the globe. I woke up at 2:30 a.m., two and a half hours before my alarm was due to chime. I started thinking about my flower order. Did I order enough flowers? Will I find something special for the bimah arrangement? Will I remember everything? The market opens at 1:00 a.m. Some say that the best flowers are gone between five and six, others say anything unique is gone by four. I’m wide awake now. What the heck, I might as well get up and go to the mart. Let’s find out when the good stuff really goes.
This is what I found:
Have you ever see a flower so delicious? These proteas were raspberry red and from far away they looked like they were flocked with velvet. Too bad this color is too feminine for a Bar Mitzvah. Many bundles were still available when I left at four thirty but I’m sure they would be gone by six.
When I got home I looked up what variety this wondrous protea was. Only days earlier, Tracy gave me an autographed copy of Neotropica - Hawaii Tropical Flower + Plant Guide by the very talented Hitomy Gilliam, AIFD and Lois Hiranaga AIFD. I learned that this protea hybrid is called Telopea (Waratah) speciosissima hybrid “Shady Lady” and that it is only available in limited supply. Happy Macro Monday to you all!
