The small town of Piketberg—overlooked by the Piketberg Mountains in the Western Cape, South Africa—is largely known for its vineyards, orchards, fruit farms, and varieties of exotic Southern African vegetation. Just outside the town, Piket-Bo-Berg is a small farming community located in the mountainous upper region of Piketberg, where cooler temperatures and more fertile soils present all the perfect conditions that support the growing of, not just fruits, but also Protea, fynbos, and rooibos (Aspalathus linearis) plantations.
This quaint location—which is in fact one of the best Protea-growing regions in the country—is where you’ll find Bugler's Post farms. Bugler's Post, a grower of Proteas and other Cape floral varieties, partners with Adomex, the specialist in cut and decoration green for different purposes and occasions. Adomex offers these floras and other filler flowers, through its Orca label. And, from Bugler's Post, this floral supplier gets exotic South African flowers for their OrcaExotics assortment.
A Short Background of Bugler's Post Farms
Nestled on a mountain near Piketberg, Bugler's Post is quite a flower farm like few others. It is run by Marika Ince, and her husband John Ince. John’s father, Spike Ince, bought the farm in the mid-fifties. Back then when he acquired the farm, it had nothing on it; no buildings, no orchards, simply plain land with naturally-growing Cape vegetation. The region is, after all, at the convergence point of different soil types and microclimates, thus supporting these Cape floral vegetations that grow naturally. The well-drained soils sandy soils are ideal for these florae as well.
Initially, the senior Ince built the farm as a fruit farm. However, in the sixties, he expanded it; incorporating Proteas into the mix, growing them from seeds he acquired from Cederberg, a region known for its exceptional botanical and floral diversity, wildflower displays, and one of the largest concentrations of exotic Cape flowers and greens.
Marika and John moved to the farmstead in 2000. Then, according to her, in 2020, the family acquired a neighboring farm for more expansion of its Proteas’ acreage; incorporating Leucadendrons and Leucospermums as well. Today, Bugler's Post Farms—which is Sustainability Initiative of South Africa (SIZA) and Global Gap certified—cultivates these exotic flowers on 55 hectares and is largely focused on Proteas, which are described as being some of the most beautiful around.
Even more is that Bugler's Post, according to Marika, is part of the product development program for Future Fynbos, whose product trademark is Ayoba®. This enables the grower to remain at the forefront of the industry; easily accessing new varieties. A key example of these is the grower's Pincushions which come in a range of colors ranging from yellow to orange and red, as well as pink ones. This is largely due to working closely with the breeder.
Marika Ince:
"Last year, for instance, we harvested our first Protea Ayoba® Blushing Bride. We believe that our partnership with Future Fynbos has been—and remains—key in staying ahead of the rest with regard to acquiring new varieties in the industry, for our basket of products."
Plus, the fact that Bugler's Post is a late-pincushion producing area plays to the advantage of the grower; giving them enough time to constantly deliver their floral products to their customers right from the start to the end of the season. In their case, the flower season starts at the end of August and runs through the end of December, and being close to the region's main airport eases the logistics part.
Enters Adomex and the Partnership for the OrcaExotics Label
OrcaExotics offers a selection of exotic flowers that grow in the wild in the magnificent landscapes of South Africa’s Cape Provinces. This region is renowned for its rich and varied native flora, collectively known as ‘Fynbos’—a name that originates from an Old Dutch term meaning ‘fine bush’. It doesn’t mean one single bush, but encapsulates a particular type of vegetation in the same way as the term ‘forest’.
Adomex International is one of the pioneers in importing cut greens and Proteas from South Africa having started importing these floral products between the 1980s and '90s, during which time, the Cape floral industry matured significantly, guaranteeing that Adomex extends its premium Orca brand to encompass this development.
Adomex:
“Our exotic flowers are tangible proof of the special beauty of this flower-rich area. They are now grown all over the world, but grow naturally, in South Africa. The South African native flowers delivered by Adomex are of excellent quality and are available in various sizes and packaging.”
Adomex selects its growers and suppliers with care and builds strong relationships with them throughout their partnership, which guarantees a constant supply of their exotic flowers of consistently high quality. With OrcaExotics, Adomex sources its products directly from premium growers who have distinguished themselves within the floral industry with their progressive and professional management organizations. And, Bugler's Post is not an exception; the grower has shown consistent development in their product portfolio and cultivation approaches.
Marika Ince:
"Bugler's Post is a prime example of this development—in line with Adomex's requirements—and with our premium product quality and special varieties of pins (Leucospermums, a.k.a. Nutans), Proteas, and Leucadendrons, we fit perfectly within the OrcaExotics quality branding. We have been supplying directly to Adomex International since 2022 and during the course of a season we supply on average between 1.5 to 2 tons of flowers per week. Plus, it is the quality of our varieties, coupled with other ideal features, that made Adomex decide to partner with us."
What You’d Find in Bugler's Post Farms Assortment for Adomex
For these reasons, Bugler's Post, according to Marika, delivers several varieties of Leucospermum, Leucadendron, and Protea to Adomex for the OrcaExotics label. You'd, for instance, find the Protea Ayoba® Arctic Ice and Protea Ayoba® Blushing Bride, among the varieties that the South African grower sends to Adomex. Arctic Ice, Marika especially notes, has a very long picking window; starting in March through the beginning of December.
Also in the South African grower's assortment are different Leucospermum varieties including Ayoba® Sun, Leucospermum Ayoba® Pink, Leucpspermum Ayoba® Mandarin Zest, Leucospermum Ayoba® Apricot Amber, Leucospermum Ayoba® Succession, Leucospermum Ayoba® Yellow, and Leucospermum Ayoba® High Gold. Likewise, there are Leucadendron varieties like Leucadendron Ayoba® African Sky, Leucadendron Ayoba® Cherry Pearl, and Leucadendron Ayoba® Jade Pearl, which are cone floral products. There's, certainly, so much in their floral product basket for you to choose from, you'd admit!
Photos by Bugler's Post Farms.
