Meet the Grower: CRAIG SCOTT

September 2024

Welcome to the beginning of spring here in Australia, one of my favourite times of the year! To usher in the new season, this month we talk to fourth-generation flower grower Craig Scott, who specialises in stunning Australian native flowers. If you are a regular at the Sydney Flower Markets, you may well know Craig and his business East Coast Wildflowers – he always has amazing blooms available and is very passionate about what he does.

While Craig has worked in the industry since 1987, it was his great grandfather Robbo who was the first in his family to pick and sell wildflowers, which he did at Sutherland train station in the 1920s. Craig’s grandmother and father also grew and sold flowers over the years, and now his daughter Bess does too, owning her own floristry shop in Paddington.

Craig and his wife Angela are based at their flower farm in Mangrove Mountain and also spend three days a week selling at the Sydney Flower Markets. Approximately half of their beloved farm is native bushland, while the other half has several open-air crop rows and greenhouses. As East Coast Wildflowers, Craig and Angela have become known as Australia's leading wholesale suppliers of Australian native flowers and South African Proteaceae. They offer more than 200 varieties of flowers and foliage, including some rare and unique varieties, to florists and stylists across Sydney. Their range includes waratah, billy buttons, mulla mulla, grevillea, wattle, eucalyptus, paper daisies, kangaroo paw and Craig’s favourites, flannel flowers and pink flannel flowers.

Craig is a frequent speaker on podcasts and webinars, where his calm, gentle voice reflects his deep passion for Australian native wildflowers. Working together on the Typoflora journal and calendar for 2024, I was fortunate to have a brief chat with him over the phone. Even in our short conversation, I was struck by his energy and enthusiasm when speaking about flowers and nature. He is always eager to inspire others to learn more about Australia's unique landscape, and his passion for experimenting with and growing new species of Australian native flowers and plants drives his desire to showcase the uniqueness and diversity of Australian flora. His goal is to inspire others to share his passion for these extraordinary plants.

Our flower for September is Craig’s favourite: the pink flannel flower. Here’s what Craig had to say when I interviewed him for our 2024 Planner.

1/ You have an amazingly beautiful farm of Australian natives. What are some of your favourite flowers that inspire you? Why?

Some of my favourite Australian native wildflowers include flannel flower (Actinotus helianthi), pink flannel flower (Actinotus forsythii), kangaroo paw (Anigozanthos), waratah (Telopea), mulla mulla (Ptilotus) and flowering eucalyptus (Eucalyptus and Corymbia). Our Australian flora is astounding, from the very soft and delicate flannel flower and mulla mulla to the bold and striking waratah and flowering gum. Our country abounds in diversity and abundantly beautiful native flora.

2/ Do you have any fun facts, growing tips or styling tips for your favourite flowers you’d like to share?

There are many different types of mulla mulla. They grow in all the arid regions across Australia. There is a diversity of colour and form. They can be used as fresh cut flowers but also make wonderful dried everlastings. They grow quite well in pots – some will live for a year while others for several years. The pink flannel flower is a very delicate, beautiful specimen that rarely flowers in its native habitat. In 2021, there was a massive flowering after the devastating bushfires of 2019 and the following rain. This was the first major flower event for more than 60 years. We have been growing pink flannel flowers in our greenhouse now since 2015. We grow them from seed and they flower beautifully, with a life of about five months.

3/ If you could give any advice to other aspiring flower lovers, what would that be? 

I would recommend they find an Australian native nursery and try growing some of these special plants, in pots or in the garden. I’d also recommend sowing some paper daisy (Rhodanthe chlorocephala subsp. rosea) seeds each autumn. Paper daisies are a hardy, versatile and brilliant Australian native wildflower. Protect the young plants from snails, watch them grow and flower beautifully in spring. Pick them for a vase or dry them; they will last for one to two years as an everlasting. It’s best to dry them by hanging them upside down in a warm, dry space, away from direct sunlight.

4/ Sustainability is a growing trend in the floristry industry. Flower growers and designers have become more mindful in lessening the impacts to our beautiful nature. What does sustainability mean to you and your farm?

Protection of the native environment is very important for the conservation of our native flora. On our farm, we aim to grow beautiful native plants and supply them as cut flowers to Australian florists. In this way we hope that many people will learn to know and love this beautiful unique flora that is so precious.

You can find out more about Craig via her website and instagram page.

SHOP THE PINK FLANNEL FLOWERS COLLECTION