In the latest episode of Grower for a Day from Decorum Plants & Flowers, Nadia Duran visits three Decorum growers, each with their own specialty, philosophy, and family story. It’s a day composed of early mornings, honest conversations, and plenty of moments that remind you why flowers are so much more than a product.
Chasing the Sun at Daily Sunshine
The first stop is Daily Sunshine, where brothers Patrick and Leon van Stralen have turned sunflower growing into an art.
Standing among thousands of bright yellow blooms, Nadia quickly realizes how much planning is required, with every field carefully scheduled so that flowers open at exactly the right moment. Every harvest is timed with precision. Every stem is handled with care before it even leaves the farm.
Watching the fields stretch toward the horizon, Nadia can’t help but smile and says:
"This is happiness growing in rows."
She also quickly realizes that producing them requires patience, experience, and an incredible amount of teamwork.
A Sea of Color Inside Divine Flowers
From open skies to endless greenhouse rows, the next stop couldn’t feel more different. At Divine Flowers, Dianthus reveals an entirely new personality.
Nadia walks through greenhouse after greenhouse filled with remarkable varieties – ruffled, elegant, delicate, and surprisingly contemporary.
The growers behind Divine Flowers have spent years perfecting not only an impressive assortment, but also the quality florists rely on. Strong stems, outstanding vase life, and carefully selected varieties have made their Dianthus favorites among designers who need flowers to perform as beautifully as they look.
For Nadia, it’s a reminder that some flowers deserve a second look. Sometimes the classics become exciting again when you see the craftsmanship behind them.
Where Eryngium Finds Its Character
The final destination takes Nadia into the open fields of Kroon Flowers. Here, the landscape feels completely different. Wind moves through rows of eryngium while owner Martien shares the story of a family business that has worked this land for generations.
Known for producing exceptional sea holly with striking blue tones and impressive stem length, Kroon Flowers grows around one million stems every year. Unlike greenhouse crops, however, nature has the final say here.
Growing outdoors means adapting every single season. For Nadia, seeing eryngium before it’s cut is almost surreal. A flower she’s used countless times to add texture and movement to wedding designs suddenly has an entirely different meaning. It’s no longer just another addition in a bouquet. It has a place, a history, and the hands of people who have dedicated their lives to growing it.
Every Stem Has a Story
As the day comes to an end, one thing has changed. Nadia hasn’t simply learned how to grow sunflowers, carnations, and eryngium. She’s gained a deeper appreciation for the people behind them.
The growers who check every crop before sunrise.
The families who have spent generations improving their flowers.
The teams that make sure every stem arrives exactly as florists expect.
It’s easy to admire flowers for their beauty. It’s something else entirely to witness the dedication that makes that beauty possible.
For designers, visits like these create a stronger connection to the flowers they work with every day. They remind us that every bouquet begins months before it reaches the studio, with growers whose passion often mirrors that of the florist who arranges the final design.
A Designer Who Never Stopped Following Her Passion
Nadia Duran's own path has been anything but ordinary. Originally from Mexico, she began her career as an engineer before following life – and love – to Australia. After designing her own wedding, she discovered a passion for creating celebrations for others. What started as a small wedding business eventually evolved into one of Australia’s most respected floral and event design studios.
Today, Nadia is recognized internationally for her lavish floral installations and destination weddings, always designing with emotion at the center. Yet despite years in the industry, she admits there’s still something magical about seeing flowers where they begin.
Or, as Nadia puts it after spending a day in the Dutch flower industry:
"Beautiful things in life really do take time."
