Orlaya grandiflora

WHITE LACE FLOWERS

No Tas / No WA

Orlaya grandiflora
WHITE LACE FLOWERS

Not permitted for entry to WA or TAS

Orlaya grandiflora is one of the laciest, prettiest but easiest, low care dainties you can have.

White lace doily flowers

There is nothing prettier – with massed flat plates of pristine flowers, like flocks of white lace doilies floating in the garden.
Flowers are unblemished snow white.

Foliage of green feathers

Above a haze of deep green feathery foliage
Looking like finest fern fronds.
So Orlaya grandiflora looks so dainty and fine, but is actually robustly tough and easy to grow.

Long blooming in summer & autumn

“White Lace Flowers” (a very obvious common name – but says it all) are great performers. Blooming continuously through summer and on into autumn, with long-lasting blooms.

More refined than Queen Anne’s Lace

The lacy white flowers mean this lovely but little known plant, might be confused with Queen Anne’s Lace (Ammi).
After all they both have that misty, snowflake effect in the garden.
But Orlaya is a much more refined plant – whiter than white – finer than fine flowers – more feathery foliage – plus lower and neater growing (60-75cm. tall approx).

Great gap-filler in any garden

So it is wonderful used as a gap filler between any plants, as long as it is in a sunny spot.
It does not overshadow neighbouring plants, as the foliage and flowers are so fine.
So it can grow up through and between without causing harm.

Wonderful cut flowers for floristry

“White Lace Flowers” are just perfect cut for classic bridal bouquets and elegant arrangements.
But also for mixing in as filler flowers with blooms of any colours.
Orlaya adds a look of fine and intricate crochet lace to any vase.

Also valuable for dried floristry flowers year round

The floristry crop continues even after the long flowering summer-autumn season is finished.
So leave some plants to go off to seed, until they form heads of green lace.
Then harvest and hung the green heads upside down to dry – for use in floral arrangements year round.
The dried heads are long lasting, retain their green colour well, and are very attractive.

Elegant looks but so easy & hardy to grow

Despite such dainty and elegant good-looks, Orlaya grandiflora is one of the easiest of plants to grow from seed.
And grows easily in your garden year after year.

Year after year in the garden

Once plants are established – it happily comes back each year as a self-seeding annual.
So allow a plant or two to go to seed each year – then you can just scatter the heads where you want next years crop to be, or just let nature do its own thing and fill in the gaps.
All they need to thrive are a sunny spot.

Heat & dry hardy

Seedlings of Orlaya grandiflora germinate easily, and quickly develop a deep tap root.
So this makes the plants well able to cope with periods of heat and dry over summer,  and still put up a great show.

Water-wise

The deep tap-root also means Orlaya plants do not need a lot or frequent watering.
They are robust, easy growers with minimal water and attention.

Tolerate poor soils, rocky & sandy sites, and suits coastal gardening

And also to do a good job in poor and hungry soils, sandy or rocky sites, and even coastal gardens.

Frost & cold hardy

Autumn self-sown seedlings over-winter well, as Orlaya is also very cold tolerant.
So you can sow seed directly in the garden in either autumn or early spring-late winter.
Or both for me so I get an even longer time of delightful blooms (autumn sown plants will come into flower earlier in spring, then spring sown seed will start fresh in early summer).

Quick & easy from seed

Seeds of Orlaya grandiflora are willing germinaters, and usually begin to sprout in 12-21 days.
From sowing seed to start of flowering is usually around 2 months, depending on weather conditions.

Cutting for professional floristry flowers

Unlike many floristry flowers, Orlaya blooms are best cut when they are at least 80% open or fully open.
Then plunge long stems into deep, cold water up to their flower chins as soon as cut, and leave in a cool place for at 6-12 hours to fully hydrate.
They are then ready to use in bouquets and vases.

SEED SOWING ADVICE: QUICK & EASY
Suitable for beginners & gardening with kids

Sow Orlaya grandiflora seeds outdoors in autumn, winter, or early spring – by scattering directly in the garden.
OR
Sow indoors at any time, whenever suitable temperatures are available (16-18°C.) for maximum germination rate.

Sow indoors for quick & early plants: First sow the Orlaya grandiflora seeds in a punnet / or tubes / small pots, on the surface of good quality seed raising mix.

Tip for easy sowing: It is probably best to sow a fine pinch of seed in individual grow tubes or small pots, as these hardy plants quickly develop long roots, and can resent being disturbed when transplanted – so best sown in individual tubes and then transplanted directly into the garden once grown, without being “pricked out”.

Now gently pat the seeds to the surface of the mix, but do not cover with mix, as these seeds need light to germinate.

Then thoroughly moisten the mix by standing the sown punnet / pots in a shallow water bath.
And allowing the moisture to percolate to the surface from below.

Now place the punnet in a warm, well-lit place (but not in any direct sunlight).
You can use a heat mat if you have one, but it is not essential, as these seeds are willing germinators given suitable conditions.

Temperatures of 16-18°C. are ideal for rapid and maximum germination.

Continue to keep consistently moist by misting regularly from a spray water bottle.
And covering the punnet with a clear plastic lid / bag helps to retain consistent moisture.

Seeds begin to sprout in 12-21 days approx.

Tip for enhancing germination rates

Seeds of Orlaya grandiflora germinate more quickly and evenly if they experience fluctuating temperatures, so if you can place the punnet / pots in an area that is warm during the day (approx. 16-18°C), but cools down at night – they will appreciate it.
Alternatively, growers in warm areas without cold nights, often sow the seeds, moisten, then place the punnet / pots in the fridge for 1-2 weeks. Then bring them out to the warm place at approx. 16-18°C.

If you have sprouted the seed in a punnet – then prick the seedlings out quickly as soon as they have developed their first set of true leaves, and disturb the roots as little as possible.
If you have sprouted them in tubes / small pots – then allow to grow, harden off and mature before planting out in the garden.

Seed Count: 20 seeds per pack approx.
(We always aim to exceed the stated seed count and give a generous serve)

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