10, ENTERTAINMENT, THE HERALD, Wed. Mar, 30, 1977

THE WILDFLOWER
PLACE
by Ed & Jean MacKenzie
“This business,” explains
John Richards, with a
wicked grin, “is built on

junk that nobody else

wants!”

But John and his wife
Maureen are not junk
dealers. They are in the
wildflower business and

‘ their Okanagan workshop

and display house are open
to the public from 10 a.m. to
7 p.m. daily. -Located
halfway between Oliver and
Osoyoos on the east side of
Highway 97, the bright
orange roof of their shop is
clearly visible atop the
hillock they call Wildflower
Mountain. Visitors who tour
their plant on No, 20 Road
come away marvelling at
the magic that makes an
attractive centerpiece out of
dusty roadside weeds.

This is one of Canada’s
unique industries — sup-

plying decorative dried

ROAM AT HOME!

A TRAVEL BRITISH COLUMBIA FEATURE |

blossoms and: seed pods to
florists and _— flower
arrangers across the con-
tinent, John and Maureen,
aided by a staff of 25, comb
the shore, fields and
roadsides of the province,
gathering their materials.
Many of the plants they seek
are regarded as pests by
farmers and ranchers who
are only. too glad tosee them
removed.

John began the business
seven years ago, working
out of his Vancouver
basement. But the damp
coastal climate mildewed
his stock, so the Richards
moved to the - sunny
Okanagan and their present
ranch property. Eventually
they hope to turn the land
over to growing much of
their own material.

Baby’s Breath, which has
seeded itself throughout the
Okanagan, is one of their
major items. It must be
picked at exactly the right
time, however, or it will not

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The place to stay while shopping, skiing,
holidaying, travelling through or just visiting
friends, close fo major shopping centres, etc. _

‘ mullein and clusters of alder
cones are cleaned and then
’“‘velyetized’’

dry successfully. Blown
clean, dried and coloured
pink, mauve, green or gold,
the delicate tracery of the
tiny blossoms enhances
many of the arrangements
that fill the shelves in the
display shop.

Though most of their
business is with the
wholesale trade, Maureen
and a crew of floral experts
have just begun to produce
decorative arrangements
for sale. In addition to these,
they sell packages of
materials So that
customers, inspired by the
wide variety of shades and
textures, may try out their
own designs at home.

Under their talented
fingers, knapweed, a
noxious plague to farmers,
becomes a graceful com-
ponent in a gay centerpiece.
These sculptured forms of
milkweed pods, bleached to
pale satin by a secret for-
mula, add dimension and
contour.

Wild mustard, conquefoil,
pearly everlasting, “ball of
mustard’’, yarrow, false
tarragon, wild larkspur and
love-in-the-mist are. a
treasures to the eyes of the
Wildflower picking crews.

Slender birch branches,
tall crusty-brown spikes of

in John’s
homemade flocking
machine.

“Wild pampas” is
gathered along the
Okanagan canals, and sea-

coast salt marshes produce

sand burrs and salt-water -

grass. Cedar sprays and
salal are preserved in

glycerine. Wild sunflower

f yy!

pods are“ sprayed into

sunbursts of colour.

John and Maureen
Richards have a good thing
going on Wildflower

Mountain — and part of
their obvious joy in their
work is the very human

a

“BEFORE YOU ACCEPT ME,
CAN YOU CLEAN FISH?”

Satisfaction of producing
‘“‘something’’ from
“nothing”.

(This Roam at Home
article is one of a series
provided by Tourism British
Columbia.)

[thos | |

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