Let me introduce you to the underdog…..STOCK

STOCK

Matthiola incana

math-ee-OH-la in-KAY-nah

This week I would like to introduce you to another favorite of mine. Another flower that I would classify as highly underrated. STOCK.

This annual herbal grows flower spikes that are approximately 12” tall. Each spike is filled with skinny stems that have 4 florets on each stem. These florets create a beautiful display of texture that are well used in floral bouquets as a background flower or filler. However, we see this flower becoming more and more popular and have had request for a full bouquet of just STOCK (we can’t complain, we love them too!)

Stock is actually a member of the cabbage family! WHAT?!?! This is crazy for us to wrap our minds around! Stock is actually edible, just like cabbage! The blooming flowers are a beautiful display on plating fancy dishes, but they also taste great too, they have a very nice radish taste to them. We love using stock on wedding cakes. We cut off the small florets and use them as a pop of color!

When storing Stock, it is important to cut them stem and get them into buckets of fresh water with flower food to ensure they extend their life as long as possible. If put into a unsanitary bucket, they create a mildew type smell as they are more susceptible to meldew.

Stock loves to follow the sun! Keeping them out of direct sunlight will keep them from curving and turning towards the light.

One thing we LOVE about stock is their scent! OH MY! They have a beautiful and long lasting scent that is a pleasure to enjoy! They also dry very nicely and can be used in a variety of other projects after the life of them in your bouquet.

Be sure to ask for Stock the next time you order flowers to ensure you get to enjoy their beauty and scent that is so underrated.