Bromeliads range from prickle-top pineapples to skeins of Spanish moss to yucca like, desert-loving dyckia.  Native largely to the South American tropics, where they swing from trees, cling to rocks and cliffs, and hug the rainforest floor.  Only one, the pineapple, is grown for food.

Many of the 3000  bromeliad species thrive both indoors and out and bloom for months at a time.  They often have splashy, eye-catching leaves, and quite a few are epiphytes that don’t need soil and instead use their roots more for grabbing somthing to grown on than for feeding.

The most familar bromeliads are aechmea and billbergia; both are “tank” types that store water in the cupped centers of their leaf rosettes.  Neoregelia and vriesea, also tank types, feature vividly colored and patterned foliage.  Tillandsia – called ” air plants” – can resemble curly legged sea creatures and contentedly live on a driftwood perch with occasional spritzes of water and food.

As seen in Garden Design magazine, January/February issue.  Written by Susan Heeger.  Photography by Jack Wolford.

Long-time member Jun Pinon was featured in a series of exclusive floral design courses, ” Arranging Happiness“,  at the In Water Flower School in May.

In Jun’s own words,  “My moto is: floral design is not only about arranging flowers, but arranging happiness.  With this in mind, my goal has been to inspire, share, innovate and lead through the magical world of flowers.  Aside from running a successful business in San Francisco, I wanted to create a way to share the skills I’ve acquired throughout the years. There is so much to learn in this business, I learn something new every day, and think that evolving with the latest trends is the best way to stay current. I hope to bring this knowledge and experience to a larger community while providing honest recommendations of tools and tips that have worked for me in the past.
I have always believed in promoting a healthy living through floral design. My philosophy surrounds promoting wellness and empowering budding floral designers with the skills and tools to bring their visions to life.  While life itself can be complicated, you can always find ways to simplify it.  My eight-year-old niece says that floral designing “calms your mind” and she is right! ”

Flowerlink, a  flower wholesale business specializing in Ecuadorian roses (garden, regular and sprays) and Colombian hydrangeas is located in Hawthorne, CA – 5 minutes away from Los Angeles International Airport.  They are directly related to family-owned farms in Ecuador (Florecal, Flores Verdes and Freya). The farms have been in business for over 20 years.
Their expertise is providing the most amazing roses in the world, at the best possible price, with the best possible shell life. Currently they bring in 4 direct shipments per week and cater to many high end florists in LA and other cities.

Flowerlink is very proud to have become Fair Trade certified. This has afforded them the opportunity to sell to the Southern Pacific Region for Wholefoods Markets.

Portland, Oregon bbrooks member Fieldwork features a bountiful arrangement of mixed Lupine in the Floral Prototype section of their website. Gorgeous colors and textures!

Lupins are popular as ornamental plants in gardens.  There are numerous hybrids and cultivars. Some species, such as Garden Lupin and hybrids like the Rainbow Lupin are common garden flowers.

Lupine seeds are also edible. The yellow legume seeds of lupins, commonly called lupin beans, appear after the flowering period.  Lupin beans are commonly sold in a salty solution in jars (like olvies and pickles) and can be eaten with or without the skin.

Lupini dishes are most commonly found in Mediterranean countries, especially in Portugal, Egypt, and Italy, and also in Brazil.

Edible lupins are referred to as sweet lupins because they contain smaller amounts of toxic alkaloids. The seeds are used for different foods from vegan sausages to lupin-tofu or baking-enhancing lupin flour.

Given that lupin seeds have the full range of essential amino acids and that they, contrary to soy, can be grown in more temperate to cool climates, lupins are becoming increasingly recognized as a cash crop alternative to soy.

Varietal information as found on Wikipedia.