Best Cut Flowers

I love the cooler weather. I know the days are still warm, but the nights have that glorious cool tinge and even better, all the plants I love to surround myself with are now in bloom, or coming into bloom.

Cut Flowers that lasts for months inside or out!

I love gift giving at this time of year. I don’t do cut flowers, of course as I want my gifts to last a little longer, but I also know not everyone is a green thumb, so I also don’t want to cause any stress with my gift.

Which is why I always love giving Cyclamens.

Why Cyclamens?

Cyclamen persicum, native to the rocky slopes of the eastern Mediterranean, think Turkey, Syria, and Jordan is usually the Cycamen you will find at Trevallan. Despite their exotic origin, they’re remarkably well suited to life here in Ipswich during winter on patios or cool, bright indoor spaces.

They flower for months, from April right through to October, in a rich tapestry of colours, from snowy whites to rich reds, mauves, pinks, and bi-tones. This year a blue one was released for the first time. The foliage is also just as striking as the flowers — heart, kidney, or rounded leaves, patterned or marbled with silver.

A gift and a decoration in one.

Treat Them Cold, Keep Them Beautiful

Even though Cyclamens can grow well indoors, they love the cold. Cool air slows their respiration and preserves their blooms. I always say: cold mornings are their skincare routine!

At home, I water mine once a week, a good slow drench under a tap using icy cold water. Then, I pop them outside (in a shady spot) overnight. That cool, fresh air seems to give them a new lease on life. Indoors, they sit prettily in a bright room until it’s time for their next drink.

The trick is to let them dry out slightly between waterings. Cyclamens grow from a tuber, and those tubers are prone to rot if overwatered or if water collects in the crown. So always water the soil around the base, never directly into the middle of the plant. That centre is their weak spot.

Potting, Planters, and Fuss-Free Beauty

I prefer to keep mine in a decorative planter, not potted into a decorative pot with drainage. I simply place the Cyclamen, in its original black plastic pot, inside the planter. That way, I can take it out to water properly, let it drain, and then pop it back in. Just don’t let water sit in the base, soggy roots are sad roots.

Feeding Flowers, Not Foliage

Cyclamens are moderate feeders, and like many flowering plants, too much nitrogen means lots of leafy growth and very few flowers. To keep mine flowering and healthy, I feed fortnightly with Silica and Potash Liquid. This helps strengthen cell walls, increase flower production, and prolong bloom life. The result? Bloom after bloom, week after week.

Deadheading and Dormancy

Cyclamens don’t like being trimmed with scissors. To remove a tired flower or yellowing leaf, gently twist the stem at the base and pull it cleanly away from the tuber. This reduces the risk of rot or infection and helps the plant focus its energy on new growth.

Cyclamens grow from a tuber and tend to die down during our hot, humid summer. In our hot, humid climate, that’s perfectly normal. You can let the plant rest by placing the pot in a cool, dry, shady spot, reduce watering to almost nothing, and wait. If you’re lucky, it may re-sprout next autumn. If not? Well, you still got months of blooms for the price of a bunch of cut flowers and then some.

Cyclamen - best flower for indoors

A Cyclamen will warm your soul, even on the coldest morning. Whether you’re decorating your home, cheering up your work desk, or spreading a little love, don’t forget, a living gift like this blooms longer, lingers longer, and keeps on giving.

Who am I?

I believe I have developed a great personal rapport with all of Trevallan's customers, both in person and online. In fact, sometimes I forget I am actually just a business on a computer screen and as a result, some of you may not know the face behind Trevallan's web presence….So here I am!

I come from a family of gardeners. My knowledge is part book based, but mostly comes from being surrounded by it all my life. It's amazing what you can learn just by listening and being made to do something as a chore !

My grandparents were gardeners. Their vegetable patch sustained the family, so, apart from meat, there was no store-bought food. My grandfather also loved fiddling with plants and taught himself to cross breed, graft and do cuttings. However, his true love lay with camellias and azaleas, he was also a lawn fanatic. One of my fondest memories is getting in trouble as I didn’t mow straight enough on his ‘bowling green’ lawns.

Before going into retail, my parents ran a successful landscaping business 'Trevallan Landscapes' that would have been in operation for about 40 odd years today had my father not died in 2000. Trevallan Landscapes was high in demand and I remember my father travelling all over Queensland doing landscaping work - private and commercial. Working for him throughout my childhood was also a great way for me to earn pocket money.

In 1999, I finished my business degree and although I wanted to travel the world, I decided to postpone travel to help my mother at the centre after my father's unexpected death.

Since then, my pieces of paper have increased - I have a Certificate III in Horticulture, am chemcert qualified, have been a national finalist for Young Horticulturalist of year and have also been a HAL emerging leader, as well as being a member of the Queensland Horticultural Media Association.

However, as quickly as my pieces of paper increase, so does my workload. I have written for local papers and gardening magazines. I write all the information found on this website, manage Trevallan's workshops and social media - Facebook and Instagram, plus physically work at Trevallan. I also love giving gardening related talks to social and gardening clubs.

While I've been paper collecting so has Trevallan - over the years Trevallan has won a few awards, one I am most proud of is Best Small Garden Centre in Qld in 2010. We have also just joined Tourism Queensland, as we were recognised as a place of attraction to visitors outside of Ipswich.

As many of us know, knowledge isn't gained from just reading a few books. Knowledge consists of a lifetime of asking questions and determining what you believe is right answer.

I attend a plethora of industry events, run my own events here at Trevallan and read as much as I can, to stay informed in regards to all things plants. I also try to take the time to listen to my customers, my growers and my suppliers, as I find they've tried and tested many things I wouldn't get a chance to do in my lifetime.

My aim at Trevallan has always been to grow people’s minds, allowing them to experience gardening in their own style, but also educating them and giving them the tools for success. I want gardening to be for everyone, so I try to make it easy and simple. For me, Trevallan is a place that grows people’s minds, not just gardens.

But horticulture isn't my only love - aromatherapy is another passion. In between all my paper accumulating for horticulture, I also completed - Certificate Four Massage Therapy, attended many Aromatherapy Masterclasses and am also a qualified Aromatic Kinesiologist and run my own Energetic Healing Practice, Potionatrix .

In October 2012, I won a world wide competition to create my own essential oil blend. This blend 'wisdom' was produced, until recently (2019) by internationally renowned aromatherapy company, Perfect Potion and sold at Trevallan, as well as world-wide, via Perfect potion stores and online trading.

However, life isn't just about fertilising and sweet smells as on top of all of the above, I'm nurturing a young family with three children.

So that's me.

The woman behind the computer screen.

Roses are Red

The rose has long been a source of fascination and meaningfulness for cultures around the world.

Cleopatra was believed to have covered the floor of her palace room with roses before Mark Antony visited for in those times anything which was said "under the rose" was deemed to be a secret.

For many of us Queenslanders though how to keep roses looking amazing feels like a state secret.

I often stare in awe at the pictures in magazines of roses elsewhere in Australia. How dare they have the climatic conditions to grow these plants successfully?

I have never claimed to know the secrets of growing roses in a climate where for about six months of the year we have what feels like 100% humidity.

Many rose growers out there will probably have a small heart attack at my way of growing roses but that’s ok, my way is the right way for me and maybe if you’ve never had any success in the past it may become the right way for you.

The first thing I needed to realise was that my roses may never look like they do elsewhere. The humidity we suffer is the cause of most rose problems. No amount of sprays, fertilisers or correct planting techniques will change the problems humidity brings.

To combat most of the rose problems such as black spot, fungus, bud worm that occur during the warmer months I trim and fertilise.

I don’t spray.

During the really humid months most of my roses look like bare thorny sticks. I find removing all the affected leaves, trimming back the plant and then fertilising with a slow release complete organic fertiliser like Organic Link works fantastically.

I always trim my roses like I am cutting the flowers off for a long stemmed vase. I personally can’t stand long straggly bushes so I make sure all my roses get a good prune continuously throughout the year. I also find a good dose of granular Sulphate Potash at least twice a year, Winter and Summer, helps with fungal problems and boosts blooms.

After pruning you can use a product like Steriprune which is designed to protect wounds against infections and die back. Come the cooler months and my roses are thick and lush and full of flowers. The few leaves that do get black spot or mould just get pulled off and when the flowers die, I still trim the stem right back like I am cutting it for a long stemmed vase.

To keep roses healthy and insect free I try to regularly liquid fertilise them with Rose Triple Boost and neem oil, fortnightly is ideal (but not always possible). When black spot is rife I alternate between the Rose Triple Boost and Silica and Potash Liquid fertiliser (certified organic).

Another organic alternative for black spot and rust is eco-fungicide. Eco-fungicide is a registered organic fungicide for the control of powdery mildew, black spot and rust in many plants including tomatoes, zucchini, roses, grapevines and geraniums. It attacks existing fungal infections and kills external fungal growth within minutes.  Eco-fungicide also leaves an invisible protective coating that prevents new spores from germinating.

This Rose quote is so true even when growing roses. You must put up with all the disease, insects etc but it is well worth it when they bloom

To control insects some people like to use a pyrethrum based spray or neem oil.

All my roses are in full sun in pots and in the ground. I use Searles Platinum Potting Mix for the pots and Searles' Garden Mix for the ground. I mulch with Sugarcane.

Roses do not have the prettiest bush and they can sometimes seem a bit fussy but the reward of the rose is well worth it all.

The Secret to Great Looking Plants

I have discovered the secret to great looking plants.

Trace Elements.

Trace Elements isn’t some brand spanking new fertiliser on the block. It’s an essential item to healthy soils.

Most gardeners are going ‘pfft’ - I so knew that.

Well you might know it but how many of you use a complete trace element mix on your gardens at least once a year? What about your pots, at least twice a year?

It seems everyone fertilises and expects to see results. What happens when you do all the right things but you don’t see the results you want? 

A common question is – “I’ve given my plants all the TLC they can handle, I’ve fertilised, watered well, even checked the pH level and it's perfect.  What could possibly be wrong with my plants?

Trace Elements

Most of us are aware that plants require mineral nutrients for their growth and development. Nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium, the macro elements, the names that usually appear on fertilizer packages, whether you use organic or chemical fertilizers.  It is sometimes assumed that they are the "important" nutrients. These macro elements are just consumed by the plants in large quantities. Trace elements, micro nutrients can often be forgotten about as they are required in minuscule quantities.

When it comes to macro elements being the most important nutrients, nothing could be further from the truth. Trace elements like Manganese, Iron, Zinc, and Copper, are every bit as vital to the plants metabolism as nitrogen, potassium and phosphorous. They have essential functions and so a deficiency in even one element will adversely affect the healthy growth of the plant. Strangely enough some trace elements when present in excessive concentrations are actually poisonous for plants.

Common gardening practices (such as liming acid soils) can contribute to widespread occurrence of micronutrient deficiencies in plants by decreasing the availability of the micronutrients present in the soil. Also, extensive use of glyphosate (most common weed killer) is increasingly suspected to impair micronutrient uptake by plants, especially with regard to manganese, iron and zinc.

So how do we pinpoint the problems in our soil? We can get a leaf or soil analysis.  Yeah right! I couldn’t be bothered with all that.

So what do I do?

I use Plant of Health’s Bio Trace. It has a blend of the key micronutrients (e.g. iron, cobalt and manganese) supported by macro elements. It is also contains fulvic acid to further enhance growth and health.

The best thing about Plant of Health’s Bio Trace, you mix some up in a watering can and pour it over the plants foliage or as a soil drench. Done. Couldn’t have been easier.

Go on breathe some life into your garden and use Plant of Health’s Bio Trace.

Careful though, when you see the difference it makes you’ll be buying it in bulk like I do now!

Creating a Sacred Space

It started with a graduation present.

Perfect Potion was a little shop in the Elizabeth Arcade in Brisbane. For my year 12 graduation present my mother bought me a box of essential oils and a candle oil burner. A few years later I upgraded to an electric oil vaporizer. It was ugly yellow; there wasn’t much choice back then! Now I have a classy black aroma diffuser.

No matter where I lived I always had my oils. Slowly as my interest grew, so did my library and my aromatherapy classes. I enjoyed infusing my home with the scents I created. I loved it when friends visited and they’d say ‘your house always smells so good’. When I lived in an apartment the girls upstairs used to tell me how much they enjoyed walking past my door as there was always beautiful scents wafting out.

Lucky for me as my interest grew Perfect Potion flourished. More and more stores opened, more oils were released, more blends were available, more products. Unfortunately it didn't quench my scent thirst, it only fuelled it.

There was nothing more I enjoyed than spending an afternoon in a Perfect Potion Store.

One day the opportunity arose to stock Perfect Potion at Trevallan Lifestyle Centre. We have never looked back. It has been an amazing journey being a part of a company that seems to only take huge steps forward.

Then in 2012 something strange happened - Perfect Potion ran a competition, a competition unlike any other. A competition open to all Australian and Japanese residents. The competition was to create your own essential oil blend to be sold under the Perfect Potion banner. They had never offered this before; all the blends sold by Perfect Potion are Perfect Potion’s creations.

The competition wasn’t just about choosing some essential oils. You had to work out the perfect combination of oils and then how much of each oil. Plus the scent you were trying to create was to embody your scared space.

Hang on I live in a small house with kids, animals – what scared space?

My books! It always comes back to books. Books are my scared space. Books are my escape. At the time of the competition my little library was being built. So now I had a sacred space but no scent.

Then a few days before close of competition inspiration struck. The oils just worked, the combination, the amounts. It worked. I still hesitated to enter and then late one night, almost competition end time, I finally got enough guts to enter. And swoosh like that the email was sent, the competition closed and I promptly forgot all about it.

You see I had a baby on the way. Number three to be exact. The day the winners of Perfect Potion’s competition was announced I was a little busy. I was in labour.

When I finally got my head out of new born clouds I read an email “Firstly, a massive CONGRATULATIONS for being the winner of the Create Your Own Sacred Space Blend Competition”.

I thought “what’s going on. Who won the competition? They aren’t telling me the names”. I thought it was a generic email sent to everyone who entered informing them of the winner.

Silly me.

Tears may have flowed when it set in.

My Creation - Widsom

Something I loved, something that is so important and a part of me just became real.

The day that I received that little bottle adeptly named ‘Wisdom’, my heart skipped a beat. Just thinking about it now makes me well up with tears.

It wasn’t just that I won it was the recognition I also got from the creator of Perfect Potion Sal Battaglia. A man who I admire for all that he and his team have achieved over the years.

Sal wrote ‘Choosing the sacred space blend has been so difficult for me as there were so many wonderful ideas and beautiful blends…. I was so impressed with the depth and complexity of the blend. It is such a simple formula…..I absolutely loved the blend …

Unfortunately after 8 years this blend is no longer a part of Perfect Potion's range. I will always be eternally grateful to Sal and the Perfect Potion Team for giving me this opportunity. I was lucky to have one of my secret dreams realised and to be able to share it with others.