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Flowers

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I always find it interesting that we sell so many more vegetable seeds than flower seed. It reminds me when, years ago (25years ago) I would only grow what I understood then to be edible plants, i.e. only fruit and vegies. I now understand the flowers to be a totally essential part of the circle of life, and grow flowers all though the veggie gardens and orchards where possible. They are so essential for feeding the beneficial insects, and also for the subtle ways they are able to connect with and support both the vegies and trees in the garden and us. They are healers of our souls. Flowers bred in modern times have different characteristics to these old beauties - larger flowers and more compact plants - designed for maximum eye contact in small spaces. They do not have the subtle healing energies of their ancestors. Our heirloom flowers are disappearing fast just as the vegies are. Growing them will not only improve the quality of your life it will help to keep the lines alive. If you have in your garden any heritage flowers not in our collection we'd love to here from you.

Energetically these flowers are all different. Some make geat companions for our veges, others are what we call "Cottage Garden" flowers and I have decided those are the ones that are s good for our souls in particular.  My book the Koanga Garden Guide matches the flowers up with their companion vegetables. picture in your mind the veges that have come origianlly fromsouth America... tomatoes. peppers....egplants.. beans..squash etc and then icture in your mindseye the flowers that just simly go with thsor flowers.. they also are the flowers those veges have evolved with...sunflowers, zinnias, marigolds dahlias etc etc   in just teh same way veges that evolved in Europe love growing with the European flowers and wild herbs

ALYSSUM (10cm) OS

Annual:plant early Spring and Autumn. A ground hugging , small white flowered, sweetly scented plant that is much lived by many benefical insects, and it ,aes a great gap filler and border plant around any garden.

ANISE HYSSOP

Edible, sweet scented foliage and flowers for salads, teas & drying. Lavender flower spikes attract bees and butterflies and provide copious nectar. Plant in spring. Perennial.

ARNICA (10cm) OS

Perennial:plant Spring.This is the medicinal plant used to make arnica cream. Traditionally, it is grown in alpine conditions, but we have found it to do very well here, too, as long as they have sandy soil. It’s worth making a special place for it just so you can make your own arnica creams!

BLOOD FLOWER (30-40cm) OS

Perennial but grown as an annual in cold climates: plant late Spring. A wonderful plant with orange flowers that attract the monarch butterflies. Ours attracted huge numbers of butterflies every day for months. The caterpillars didn’t even eat the plants to death (we planted about 20 plants). Wonderful for a child’s garden.

BISHOP’S FLOWER Fern Leaf (1m) OS

Annual: plant early Spring. Bishops Flower is an apaiaceae and as such it plays a very important role in the flower garden, vege garden or the orchard. The beneficial insects and predator wasps love the flowers. Bishops Flower flowers after the parsnip, carrots  and carrot weed does so it extends the season for feeding our beneficial insects. The flowers are also beautiful, looking like Queen Anne’s Lace.

CALENDULA

Mix NZ

Also known as Pot Marigold. Bright orange and yellow double flowers. Calendula is used to make a soothing antiseptic ointment, and the edible flowers are said to be anti-carcinogenic. An excellent companion plant for most vegetables and herbs, they can be dotted through the gardens and orchards. Plant all year. Annual.

Orange (30cm) NZ

Annual"plant Spring and Autumn.Traditional orange flowers that brighten the winter garden.calendula flower al yearround but are at thei best over winter and areregarded as having psychic healng powers.    We make our calendula cream from this one

Yellow (30cm) NZ

Annual. Traditional bright yellow calendula that contrast well with the orange in our winter garden. Sometimes it's hard to get loads of winter colour so both orange and yellow calendula are great.

CATNIP (Nepeta cataria) OS (Up to 100 cm) - Currently unavailable

A tall perennial herb loved by cats. Great for the bees. Is dormant through the winter. Has creamy white flowers and heart shaped greyish-green leaves.

CHAMOMILE German (Matricaria chamomilla) (50 - 60cm) OS

Erect annual whose white daisy flowers are used for a relaxing tea which aids digestion. Cottage garden flower which smells delicious as you brush past it. Plant in Spring. Self seeds easily. Companion plant for the vege garden. Great evening tea for people including children who find it hard to go to sleep!

CHINESE FORGET ME NOT (50cm) Mixed pink and blue.

Biennial Cottage Garden.  These flowers do best planted in Autumn and then they flower the following Spring /Summer..they need to over winter before flowering. Clear sky blue and baby pink. Self seedeasily and prolifically but don't become a problem.

CHRYSANTHEMUM 

Garland Chrysanthemum  

Garland chrysanthemum, also known as chrysanthemum greens or edible chrysanthemum, is a leaf vegetable used in Asian cookery.  It is referred to as tong hao in Chinese, shungiku in Japanese. Avoid overcooking - add it at the last moment to hot pot since it easily loses the structure. Young leaves and stems are used for flavoring soup and stir-fry.

Court  Jester OS

Hardy annual, vege companion. A new….old flower for us. We imported this seed from Seed Savers USA, and it has been a real stunner in the garden this summer and autumn and still going strong.  It comes in loads of colours all mixed up  in concentric circles on each flower. The colours are South American colours and they go with the South American food crops.

CINERARIA (70cm) NZ Maida

Annual. This is the old wild type that come up all on their own every autumn and make a vibrant purple and pink and white display each spring. Once you’ve got them you’ll always have them.These ones are from my mother's garden.

CLARY SAGE (Salvia sclarea) OS

Biennial. This is a beautiful plant, great towards the back of a border. Has large grey-green furry leaves and pink and white flowers borne in spikes.  Traditionally used to soothe the eyes, hence the name “Clear Eye” Sage which changed to Clary Sage (50).

CLEOME

Mixed white, mauve and pink, stunning large flowers. Bushes grow to 1.5 metres and are excellent in cottage gardens. Plant all year round in the vegetable garden as a catch crop—shield bugs love them. Keeps them off the vegetables, and you’ll know where to go when you’re on shield bug patrol!

White Cleome

 

COLUMBINE (Aquilegia vulgaris) 

Grandmothers Garden (80cm) OS

An old tall form of columbine (granny’s bonnet) with dark rose, violet, pink and white flowers. Stunning colours and form, perennial.

Ruby Port (40cm) OS 

An excellent border columbine, with beautiful port wine hanging flowers. Outstanding cultivar perennial.

Mixed Aquilegia OS

This is a mix of Nora Barlow spurless double flowers and traditional single spurred flowers in deep pink, white, violet and wine. Upright tall stems. Grows to 80 cm.

Ohotu Forest NZ

This old aquilegia was found  by Taiamai when he was deer hunting in the Ohotu Forest in the Eastern Bay of Plenty.. It is a pink one and has been there for over 100 years when there was a homestead up there, obviously naturalised and very happy, the aqulilegia has spread to cover a large area.

COATES FAMILY HEIRLOOM BULB COLLECTION NZ

These bulbs are still all growing on private property at the base of Pukekaroro, a reserve across the road from Koanga that used to be owned by the Coates family. When my children were little they would run up the mountain at weekends for fun and on the way down would pick these flowers and take them in to Mrs Coates hoping she’d give them some of her baking. She always did and it was the best! The bulbs are pretty special. Apart from the snow drops they all have outstanding scents and they’re really old varieties:

• Snow drops - Classic white bells with green dots around them.
• Paper Whites (Narcissus) Multiheaded, 5 single white petals with a white centre.
• Bacon and eggs - Multiheaded, very double, yellow centres.
• Sol d’Or - (Narcissus) Multiheaded, yellow petals with gold centres.
• Jonquil - (Narcissus) Pale lemon petals with yellow centre.

COMFREY Root NZ

A perennial herb for herbal leys, kikuyu barriers, liquid teas and feeding animals.

CORNFLOWER

Emperor William (1m) OS

This is a very old cornflower with starry, sky blue, very dainty flowers. Old cultivars grow tall so it needs to be at the back of the border. Really beautiful with sweet peas and larkspurs.

Black Gem (1m) OS

Annual. Stunning ruffled dark maroon flowers. Good cut flower, flowering from Spring into Summer. Stunning at the back of a border. 

Black gem with Earl Grey Larkspur

Mixed OS - Currently unavailable

All colours from Pink, Maroon, Dark Blue, Sky Blue, Pale Blue and a few Bi- coloured flowers.

COSMOS (Cosmos bipinnatus)

Red Dazzler (1.2m) OS

Annual, vege companion. A pinky red tall cosmos. Great for the back of the border amongst other cottage plants, or in amongst the vege garden, especially other vegetables originating in Central America. They’re really easy to grow and make a lot of colour. Great vege garden companion.

Sunset

An amazing vibrant orange and makes the best companion plant in the vegetable garden—not only for its colour but also because it has a compact growth habit, unlike other cosmos. An heirloom originally from Mexico, but we’ve brought it from the Seed Savers in the US. Beware of hybrid varieties around, you can’t save the seed from them.

DAHLIAS NZ 

A mix of our colourful collection from old gardens.

ECHINACEA (Echinacea purpurea)

Purple Cone Flower (80 - 100cm) OS

Perennial. Pink Daisy-like heirloom flower of the North American prairie. Highly prized as a cut flower and in the garden the large pink daisies last a long time. Whole plant, including roots, is a traditional medicine and herbal remedy used for strengthening the immune system.(use 2 year old plants) Pupurea is the hardiest of the Echinacea family and the best one for growing in clay soils. We make our own tincture and it works really well.

ELECAMPAGNE NZ

Perennial flowering herb that has stunning daisy like yellow flowers loved by the bees but at year
two the sweetly aromatic roots can be dug up and dried and then used to make a steam bath
to sooth croop and whooping cough and athsma.

FLAX OS

Flax is a traditional European grain and can form a valuable part of any home garden when grown in Bio Intensive fashion. It is also the plant that was grown to make linen cloth. It is stunning addition to the garden as it as beautiful blue starry flowers over along period and produces seed for harvesting over the summer. It’s easy to grow, and easy to store and use in many ways.

Redwood OS

This is the flaxseed or linseed that is available in most health shops these days in NZ It is a North American line that has been developed by  David Musgrave in the South Island over many years, but also grows well in the  North.

Golden OS

A line bought to this land by David Musgrave around 6 years ago from America. It is a beautiful looking variety.

FOXGLOVE (Digitalis purpurea) NZ  (1m)  

Wildcafted Biennial 1M Cottage Garden Collection. The traditional purple foxgloves that grow wild all over the hills.  A quintessential part of the countryside in this land as they were in the lands of our ancestors back home in England, Scotland and Wales. Stunning at the back or in the middle of a border.

GAILLARDIA (Gaillardia polycholia) (60cm) OS

Annual. I fell in love with this old world flower growing amongst the pumpkins in a vegetable garden of David Pomare, the then head gardener at Heronswood (in Melbourne) The flowers are like colourful miniature sunflowers, all orange, red, brown and yellow, some double some single. They look great in the vege garden, flowering for a long period over the late summer, autumn, and into winter. This summer we have them growing with the pakistani carrots ( which are flowering)  Hyssop, Sweet Marigold and red dahlais.. they look stunning.

GLADIOLI Whitianga Bay NZ

Perennial. These gladioli are growing wild where we live now and are stunning. They are not the original ones that we have in our collection from the goldfields on the Coromandel, but they are an old cultivar. The flowers are not as big as the more modern ones. The orange flowers with yellow centres colours are vibrant and make excellent vege garden companions. They hold their heads up without staking.

HOLLYHOCK NZ  (2.5m)

Muriwai NZ  

This seed line was sent to us by the daughter of an elderly wonderful gardener who lived at Muriwai, when her mum died. It is a stunning hollyhock because of the strength and health  of the plants and the huge varitaion in the colours and forms of the flowers. They range from silvery white to light pink to deep pinks and reds, some with wavy edges others straight edges. They are biennial-perennial to 2m, Cottage Garden. They are a mixture of doubles and singles some with ruffled edges and all shades of pink, from light to very dark, into red. Plant in trays in Autumn for flowering following summer. Extremely disease resistant.

Northland NZ - Currently unavailable

Biennial-perennial to 2m, Cottage Garden An old Northland variety …. a deep dark maroon red.

HONEYWORT (Cerinthe major)

HYSSOP

Sweet Marigold

A wonderful low growing, sweet smelling orange flower—magic in the vegetable garden. Edible flowers and leaves are a great companion for brassicas. Ideal at the ends of garden beds.

HYSSOP Anise

Edible, sweet scented foliage and flowers for salads, teas & drying. Lavender flower spikes attract bees and butterflies and provide copious nectar. Plant in spring. Perennial.

KISS ME OVER THE GARDEN GATE
(Polygonum orientale) (2.5m) OS

Another old Heirloom that I saw for the first time in the gardens at Heronswood in Melbourne.many years ago.  It grows 2m  tall with a corn like stem, large heart shaped leaves with these pink tasselly feathery hanging flowers on top. Presumably once upon a time, hanging over the garden gate! I loved them and we planted them amongst the corn the first year we had the seed and ever since it’s just self-seeded around.

LARKSPUR

Earl Grey (1m)

Annual. This is my favourite larkspur. Grey is the closest colour you could call it but when you look closely it is all colours, exquisitely beautiful, excellent cut flower. Wondeful when grown with poppies and other Cottage garden flowers

Bluebell (1.2m)

Annual. This is a very old fashioned, original larkspur. It grows far taller than the modern varieties and has exquisite flowers of the very vibrant sky blue, or the colour of bluebells. (Approx.100)

LUPIN Yellow NZ

Perennial. An old cultivar from the South Island that has pale yellow flowers.

LOVE-IN-A-MIST OS

Mixed (50cm) OS

Annual. Old-fashioned flowers that are always loved in an annual border. They self seed readily which is part of their beauty. Mixed colours, white, pink and several blues. Can be picked as a cut flower or as a dries flower at the pod stage.

LOVE LIES BLEEDING (Amaranthus caudatus) OS Red. (1m)  

This is a well known old world flower, actually a member of the edible grain amaranths. This one is grown because of its amazing weeping red form. Long seed heads hang from all over the plant. This stunning edible ornamental is at home in the flower garden and the vege garden. IT is also a great companion fr Soith American vege. tomatoes corn beans etc

 

 

MALLOW (Malva moschata) OS

 

Marsh Mallow (1.2m)

Bi-ennial. Showy 3-5cm saucer shaped pink flowers amidst large heart-shaped leaves. Once the source of Marsh mallow, the confectionary. Used medicinally for its soothing effect on the throat. Tall plant reaching around 1.5 metres.

Musk Pink (1.2cm)

Bi-ennial. This mallow has large, baby pink flowers. Mallows are great in the Mediterranean areas, as they like hot, dry conditions, don’t mind coastal winds, and with their silvery grey leaves work well with other Mediterranean herb bank plants (catnip, catmint, wormwood, lavender, rosemary, geraniums, etc.

Zebrina

Bi-ennial This is a very ornamental mallow white large dark pink flowers with very dark stripes. Perennial.

MARIGOLD

Marigold Inca (3m) NZ (Tagetes minuata)

Also known as Mexican Marigold. Annual. This marigold has a completely different growing habit. It grows like a tree and has trunks like sunflower stalks and insignificant flowers. An odd plant or two scattered around a large vege garden will certainly help keep potato eel worms and nematodes etc. at bay, however we’ve decided they are also an excellent compost crop, and a very good fast growing shelter, if you’re looking for fast shelter for the vege garden. Keep in mind that they self-seed prolifically and in sandy open soils may become a problem. They aren’t a problem in the North on clay soils. They are an important edible plant in South America; the leaves are used in small quantities to season salsas.

French (1m) NZ (Tagetes patula) 

Annual and Vege companion. Normally grown as an annual but this marogold will last years if trimmed back occasionally. Sent in recently this is very old fashioned type of marigold that I haven’t seen since I was a child. They grow into a bush around 1 metre square and are covered in flowers from spring to  the middle of winter. A real cheery bright patch in the garden, great for a garden edge plant. I’ve really enjoyed them . They look great in a vase with some tansy flowers!
 

MORNING GLORY (Ipomoea sp)

Grandpa Otts OS

Annual. A deep blue morning glory with a purple throat. This is the variety that Diane Ott Whealy was gifted fron her grandfather and it became one of the original flowers in the Seed Savers Exchange seed libaray in the USA. It is my favourite Morning Glory.

Crimson Rambler  

Annual. The brightest crimson I’ve ever seen in the garden. Stunning up the beanpoles, behind the roses, and at the back of the borders.

NASTURTIUM Red Empress (20cm) OS

Perennail, annual where there are frosts. The best one for a companion plant in the vege garden because it doesn’t take over. This one forms quite neat clump and had red flowers as well as quite dark reddy coloured leaves. (Approx.20)

NICOTIANA  OS

Woodlands (20cm) (Nicotiana sylvestris)

Annual. Heirloom variety, tall growing with bunches of tubular, drooping, highly scented flowers. These white scented flowers are stunning in the evenings and at night, so put them where you will be walking past them or sitting (or of course sleeping) They mix wonderfully with other Heirlooms, Hollyhocks, Petunias, Cornflower, Sweetpea, Cosmos, Kiss Me Over The Garden Gate, Scabiosa etc.

Hauraki Gold (Nicotiana tobaccum) NZ  

This is an old commercial tobacco variety that used to be grown in the Kumeu area. Very tall ornate plants with pink flowers. Harvest as leaves turn yellow starting at the bottom of the plant. We’ve really enjoyed growing this simply as an ornamental - they are stunning with their pink flowers coming out over almost a whole year. They just keep on flowering! A great backdrop to a perennial border, self sows readily. Leaves can be used to make a liquid tea for pesticide use. Check internet for recipes to make tobacco

PANSY

Companion Mix

Old fashioned multicoloured, patterned pansies. Excelent  colour in vege garden in Spring, flowers for months.

POPPY 

Fire circle (80cm) NZ  

We were sent this poppy years ago by a member, and we all but lost it. Last year we planted the last of the seeds and only one grew. It flowered by the fire circle and it’s beautiful! They’re all the same; pink, very double and very frilly. utstanding when grown with Earl Gey Larkspur, corn flowers and Bishop's Flower Fern Leaf.

Hungarian Blue Breadseed (100cm) OS

This poppy is a single mauve one, and it’s been selected for the size of the seed heads and so the amount of seed contained for cooking with. They are far larger heads than the more ornamental varieties, however the heads them selves are extremely ornamental and make great dried flower arrangements

Mauve Field

Single small mauve flower that self seeds and grows wild very easily in poor soil. Great in wild flower mix.

Soldier

SCABIOSA (Scabiosa atropurpurea)

Fire King (80cm)

Annual.Bright blood red flowers with white markings in the centre. Attracts many butterflies, excellent as a cut flower. We grew this seed from seed we imported from Seed Savers USA. Yet another example to us of the magnificence of these old flowers. They flowered for months, and were outstanding. Extremely bright and unusual colour. Scabiosas attract the butterflies.

Mauve (80cm) OS

Annual. This seed came originally from a European seed company called Antique Flowers. This is one of those old fashioned delicate flowers with very special energy. It is a very clear and beautiful mauve, a colour not common in other flowers so this is a great addition in a blue white purple pink colour border. Loved by the butterflies.

SNAP DRAGON

Vege companion. A classic traditional snap dragon that makes a great addition to the vege garden as it produces great colour all Winter and Spring.

SHASTA DAISY OS

A perennial clumping evergreen that produces very showy white daisy flowers all Summer. Much loved by the beneficial insects and predator wasps.

STOCK Palestine Pink (60cm) NZ

Bi-ennial: plant in Autumn. One of our stunning heritage stock varieties that flower from Spring to early Summer producing a heady evening scent.  A family heirloom from the garden of Mrs Garrett in Whakatane. Outstanding form and colour.

SUNFLOWER (Helianthus annuus) OS

Evening Sun

Medium height with stunning flowers. Shades of red, chocolate, yellow, orange, and often all in the same flower. Many heads on each stem.

Giant Russian Sunflower 

Huge heads on very tall stalks. Produce large amounts of seed, was specifically developed for eating.

Lion’s Mane (2m) NZ

Annual:plant in late Spring. As far as I’ve ever seen this is our only NZ Heirloom sunflower and it’s a real stunner.It came to NZ with the Dalmatian Gumdiggers  of Northland It has one main head, which is all petals right to the middle just like a big fluffy lion’s mane and then a whole lot more smaller (but still quite big)heads, all the way up the stem.

Maximillian (200cm)

Annual.:plant in late SpringThis is an original form of the modern sunflower. The flowers are small-4cm across- but each plant produces hundreds. They are like golden stars all over the plants, which become bushes. This variety is a perennial, forms a clump, and sends up multiple stems each Spring. They are not invasive, and they make wonderful summer hedges. Red Gift Zinnias, Persian Carpet Zinnias and Sunset Cosmos all look stunning with these sunflowers.

Taramahara White Sunflower

Solid gold flower with some stripes. Excellent producer of pure white seeds on large heads 18—20cm diameter. From the Mennonites, adopted by the Taramahara Indians, developed as an eating variety.

TITHONIA

Mexican (1m)

Annual. Plant late Spring. Plants grow to 1 m tall and are covered in small 4cm wide bright orange sunflower like flowers. Flowers for months needs warmth. Outstanding as a vege companion and at attracting the Monarch butterflies.

SWEET WILLIAM (Dianthus barbatus) OS

Nigracans (30cm)

Bi-ennial: plant in Autumn. This very old variety is really different to what we know as Sweet Williams today. It is a single colour, dark red maroon, almost black, with dark leaves as well, and is very highly scented. It was apparently planted by the bushel in Henry the Eighth’s new garden at Hampton Court, and at that time were called Velvet Williams, and Bloomy Downs as well. They haven’t been available since 1883!

Tall Mixed

The classic old-fashioned type of Sweet William, tall to 40cm, a wide mix of bright colours, beautifully scented.

TWEEDIA Pink (30cm) NZ

Grown as an annual in NZ: plant late Spring. This is a little low growing bushy plant, with stunning tiger lily type flowers, pink with dark pink spots on their throats that attract the Monarch butterflies. Easy to grow, self-seeds easily, and in our gardens, haven’t been demolished by the monarchs to the point where the flowers are sacrificed at all.

TOBACCO (Nicotiana tobaccum) NZ Hauraki Gold (250cm)

Annual:plant Spring.This is an old commercial variety of tobacco that used to be grown in the Kumeu area. Very tall ornate plants with pink flowers. Harvest as leaves turn yellow starting at the bottom of the plant. We’ve really enjoyed growing this tobacco simply as an ornamental; they are stunning with their pink flowers coming out over almost a whole year. They just keep on keeping on. A great backdrop to a perennial border, self sow readily. Leaves can be used to make a liquid tea for pesticide use. Recipes for turning the leaves into smoking tobacco click here

VERBASCUM  NZ

Mullein NZ (Verbascum sp.)

Wild harvested.  Mullein is the herb used to make an oil for earache. The flowers and leaves are soaked in olive oil for 6 weeks then strained off and bottled into a small bottle with a dropper. We used this herb to relieve earache when our children were young. It worked very well.

Olympican (Verbascum olympicum) (180cm)

A stunning biennial: plant Autumn,  with large furry leaves and a huge bright yellow spike with orange stamens. A more modern form of the herb mullein. A real showstopper, enjoys a hot dry place.

Viola Companion Mix  

Old fashioned multicoloured, patterned pansies. Excelent  colour in vege garden in Spring, flowers for months.

ZINNIA (Zinnia angustifolia) OS

Classic (150cm)

Annual: plant late Spring. This flower is a Native to South America. For thousands of years it has been grown by the Aztecs, and we can see why. It attracted more attention than any other flower in our gardens this past summer (with the exception of Cosmos Sunset). It is a low growing bushy compact plant with glowing orange daisy like flowers (3cm) with an orange yellow centre. Easy to grow and especially fantastic in the vege garden as a companion plant on the ends of the beds, and along the paths. Looks great with dandelion flowers, Tangerine gem marigold, and Red Empress nasturtiums.

Chromosia (1m) OS  

Annual: plant late Spring. Nothing can compare with zinnias in the summer/autumn garden for colour. They are always the brightest, the longest lasting, great cut flowers and also attract the butterfiles. This particular range of colours is outstanding, some single colours others blending from red to yellow, to almost white, to dark pink/red. Extremely disease resistant. Plant in trays in Autumn for flowering following summer.

 

 
Persian Carpet OS

Annual 60cm Vege companion. I brought this seed back from seed savers about 10 years ago. It’s a stunning flower from Summer to mid Winter. It is a medium height 20-30cm with a wide variation of colours and intricate patterns just like a Persian carpet. Excellent cut flower - excellent companions in the vege garden. Maroons, yellow, lemon, gold, cream.

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