Craig Scott: Wild at Heart

WORDS MEGAN ARKINSTALL

COAST EAST COAST WILDFLOWERS OWNER CRAIG SCOTT MIGHT BE MILD IN MANNER, BUT HE IS WILD AT HEART. THE MANGROVE MOUNTAIN WILDFLOWER GROWER IS A WELL-RESPECTED LEADER IN AN INDUSTRY WHERE NATIVE BLOOMS HAVE WELL AND TRULY MADE A RESURGENCE.

When asked what the most challenging part of growing flowers is, Craig replies, ‘the hours!’ His working week starts on a Sunday, when they harvest and bunch some of the 50 varieties of Australian wildflowers growing on his 50-acre Mangrove Mountain farm. He wakes at 10 pm three times a week to travel to the Sydney Flower Market, where he dons a fluro vest to pack, ship and bunch up flowers to sell from 5 am. Back at the farm, he works until afternoon before finally having a sleep. It’s an ongoing process. ‘In season’, he says, ‘we are forever picking.’

It takes more than coffee to get through; growing flowers is in Craig’s blood and he is truly passionate about it. He is a fourthgeneration flower grower. His great grandfather, ‘Robbo’, used to pick and sell wildflowers at Sutherland train station in the 1920s; his grandfather grew traditional flowers, and his grandmother owned a florist shop in Sutherland, whereas his father, Col Scott, grew flowers at Menai all his working life. Craig's daughter, Bess, who owns a florist shop in Paddington, is now the fifth generation in the flower business.

Although he also studied horticulture, it was on his father Col’s farm that Craig learnt a great deal about the flower business — growing them, harvesting them, selling them. He recalls going bush with his dad to forage for wildflowers: ‘we would climb trees and pick gumnuts. I had a real passion for wildflowers.’ Indeed, they are outdoor people at heart — his father enjoyed rock climbing and Craig enjoys hiking in his spare time. Thirty-two years ago Craig and his wife moved to the Mangrove Mountain property that his dad was running. Craig describes him as the backbone of the business. Initially they grew traditional flowers like dahlias and asters, but eventually they cleared the land and decided to focus on native wildflowers. Col was one of the first to sell flowers like Gymea lillies, and his passion for native plants was soon caught by Craig.

‘Natives are such a beautiful juxtaposition between the delicate and rugged,’ he says. »

Around 20 acres of the property is used for growing, while the rest is native bushland. When I visit, Craig takes me for a walk through the fields and greenhouses – followed closely by his kindly red kelpie, Baz. He shows me an array of vibrant and beautiful natives, many that are endemic to other parts of our country, but which he has found success growing here on the Central Coast.

There are rows upon rows of kangaroo paws, flowering gums, Christmas bush, and several greenhouses for one of Craig’s personal favourites, the flannel flower, for which he is widely known.

His knowledge is astounding, as he describes the origins and challenges of growing different varieties, such as the less well-known mulla mulla, as well as flowering gums, kangaroo paw, banksia, waratahs, grevillea, paper daisies and flannel flowers. The only sounds that accompany us are those of birds and the crunching of leaves underfoot – a quietness that Craig appreciates just as much as the beauty of the flowers he grows. The cultivation of Australian natives was limited to a relatively few varieties with a niche clientele when Craig and Col started East Coast Wildflowers, and although it’s now a roaring trade, there’s still more testing and experimentation required to grow

LEFT Grevilleas, kangaroo paws and everlasting daisies.

BELOW Doryanthes palmeri, closely related to Doryanthes excelsa, the Gymea lilly.

ABOVE Craig's favourite flannel flowers. RIGHT Ptilotus or mulla mulla.

natives — compared to the traditional flower crops that have been cultivated for centuries.

In 2018, Craig was awarded Flower Grower of the Year, an accolade that he is reluctant to talk about, but one which his employee, Hannah – who is bunching up flowers nearby – says is an incredible and much deserved achievement.

‘It’s about innovation, our desire to encourage people to use wildflowers and customer service, too’ he tells me. While humbly adding, ‘which may not always be spot on’, though I can’t imagine Craig being anything but affable.

A quick look at his Instagram page and I find that his blooms are widespread — displayed in a number of businesses, hotels and cafés, used for photo shoots and events, including for Prince Harry's visit to Australia in 2018 and the Invictus Games, and, of course, countless weddings.

The Mangrove Mountain farm isn’t open to the public, but Craig tells me the magic happens at the markets, for which he admits having a love–hate relationship. Despite the gruelling hours, the enthusiasm and loyalty from the florists and businesses is energising. And a little bit of coffee helps, too.

www.eastcoastwildflowers.com.au/

© GLENDA GRIFFITH