Dawn Allen from Peninsula Wildflower’s blooming passion forals

Working with nature and embracing the unique quirks of Australian wildflowers is at the heart of this blossoming flower farm.

Peninsula wildflower operator Dawn Allen. Picture: Yuri Kouzmin

Arriving in Australia from England 17 years ago, Dawn Allen had never seen anything like the native wildflowers that grow in abundance in the bush.

What has followed is an enduring passion and advocacy for Australian native wildflowers, and a desire to promote their unique beauty via her flower farm and florist, Peninsula Wildflower.

“I’d been a florist for years and years, I used to do a lot of high-end stuff with royal weddings,” Dawn said.

“Being English, I hadn’t come across these flowers before, they just weren’t what I was used to. I saw them in a completely different light.”

The farm, known as Khumbila at Boneo on Victoria’s Mornington Peninsula, was originally established by prominent women’s health specialist Bob Zacharin.

“He planted the garden as a bit of rest and relaxation,” Dawn said.

“He got really into it. We came here picking originally, and we dealt with Bob and his family. The farm was sold, and we came back to pick flowers (and) eventually went on to lease the property.”

Dawn now runs on-farm accommodation and agistment for horses from the Boneo property, while servicing corporate functions and weddings with her floral arrangements.

Peninsula wildflower operator Dawn Allen. Picture: Yuri Kouzmin

“I was working with something I’d never worked with before, and showcasing them in a different way, that has really worked for us. We’re not limited by being perfect. We’re perfectly imperfect,” she said.

Peninsula wildflower’s Dawn Allen always works with nature, letting the unique qualities of each individual flower show through in her arrangements. Picture Yuri Kouzmin

“There’s an awful lot of people jumping on the ‘grown not flown’ bandwagon. It’s good, people do use their local producers because they know that our flowers are Peninsula-grown, they’re supporting a small business and local people being employed.”