American Grown Wedding Inspiration: Taylor and Robin

Protea lovers, delight! We couldn’t be more excited to share some American Grown wedding inspiration with you. Last month, Mel and I put on our flower farmer florist hats and went all out designing and creating the wedding flowers for our friend, Taylor Zumstein. She tied the knot with Robin Reese at her family’s horse ranch on a beautiful summer evening. We just loved the way this wedding combined the elements of soft and strong with lots of gorgeous protea, textural green brunia, delicate pink peonies and wispy white veronica.

The pastoral ranch style setting amidst the oak filled grassland made for the perfect venue combined with sweet guest signage, strong wooden elements, welcoming wreaths and cafe lights. These kinds of specials elements really get our hearts racing and shows that rustic wedding style is always open to fresh ideas and new details. And detail was really where this wedding was at, from a sturdy ceremonial arch, to a custom chicken wire seating chart, to heart shaped wreaths and lush protea filled garlands that garnish the head table. Happy smiles were all round! The talented Login Walker’s dreamy photographic style captured it all to perfection.

The Nature Connection

For the last few months, it seems like the world has almost come to a complete halt. Businesses have closed, travel has been limited, and people are working from home to stop the spread of COVID-19. This virus has affected millions of individuals all over the world.

Amidst this pandemic we’ve all learned a few important lessons.

Perhaps the most important lesson learned is that certain things in life are unnecessary and then there are the essentials: family and friends, food, shelter, health, rest; and if you’re like most people, a connection to nature. When life is stripped back to the necessities, we realize we can do so much more with less and adopt a more sustainable lifestyle by reusing and making stuff from what we have right under our noses. Maybe this pandemic is nature’s way of telling us to slow down, to enjoy simple pleasures, to make space for things we really love, to put people and planet first before gain, and to connect with what is most important: ourselves and each other.

Beautiful blooms… with their color, smell, and symmetry provide the daily solace we seek to connect. They ease stress and lift our spirits. Flowers provide that connection to nature, allowing us to feel better, to think better, and to deepen our understanding of ourselves and others. If you’re not getting your daily dose of nature… you’re missing out on something that’s pretty spectacular: the real world!

Fabuous Foliage

Leaves can be show-offs in their own right, especially during autumn months. Variegated Leucadendron Jester does that every time. When we place stems at the base of an arrangement, they become the attraction, stealing glances from the protea. You can see why it is so named as it definitely sports colors of scarlet, green and cream. Its other names, Safari Sunshine and Katie’s Blush make a delightful reference to all its colors and is a gesture to it being kin to Safari Sunset.

Ivanhoe boasts foliage that is so long lasting, usually out living every fresh flower in a centerpiece. Bursting with color, texture and volume, this extremely popular species of the Australian genus of Grevillea is a hybrid cultivar. It has beautiful serrated and deeply cut foliage with deep green leaves and silver undersides, while new growth is a bronze color.

Varying colors of eucalyptus leaves when neatly displayed on a tabletop can serve as a textured table runner or garland. In wreaths, eucalyptus emits its own kind of botanical magic as it adds a light lacy touch. Eucalyptus foliage is available in lots of wonderful shapes and sizes – long and thin, oval and round, feathery, with cones, pods and seeds– the varieties are endless!

These gifts of nature truly stir our imagination and keep us connected to the earth.

August Articles of Interest

Gardening | For healthy proteas,
forget using artificial fertilisers

Proteas are often admired in floral arrangements and are purchased for their ability to last several weeks in a vase.

Because they are related horticulturally to a large group of Australian native plants, including banksias, grevilleas and waratahs, they require similar growing conditions.

Proteas originate from South Africa. They have a low tolerance for artificial fertilizers. Applications of superphosphate will kill proteas. However, they require magnesium, and this can be applied as Epsom salts, scattered over the root areas and then watered in well during spring.

Read more here.
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The Prettiest Pink Wedding Bouquets

As you're planning your wedding, it's hard not to gravitate towards pink. From "blushing brides" to the colors of love, its many shades make their presence known in a number of marriage-themed motifs. That's why it should come as no surprise that pink wedding bouquets are so popular. If you're thinking of carrying one down the aisle, you're in luck. We've rounded up some beautiful ideas to inspire you.

Read more here.
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Create a Happy Summertime Basket Flower Arrangement
(It’s Foam Free!)

With July being officially named American Grown Flowers month by the U.S. Senate (woohoo!), we at Team Flower wanted to celebrate! Check out the official press release here. And what better way to celebrate than with a bright and happy floral arrangement! This particular design is foam free and in a structured woven straw basket.

Read more here.

A Perfect Match: Protea and Peonies

Pink protea are definitely a personal passion. The velvety, bell-shaped blooms contrast beautifully with the soft petals of most flowers. They are standouts. A full-grown protea plant can produce 65 or more stems. There will be plenty of blooms to cut and enjoy indoors, and still some left in the garden for added pleasure. When left to dry in your home, protea deliver pleasure long after the plant’s season ends.

Another pink standout is the peony or also known as “Polish Poses”. They’re outrageously beautiful in bloom with lush foliage all summer long. Peonies are perennials that come back every year to take your breath away. In fact, some plants have been known to thrive for at least 100 years. For best results, the stems should be cut in the morning when the buds are still fairly tight. Peonies make wonderful cut flowers, lasting more than a week in a vase and they dry beautifully as well.

On days that call for a little extra bliss or magic, candy hues, mixed textures, and varied shapes emit homey spontaneity. A rustic French floral container, with ample room for plenty of blooms, becomes the perfect vessel for embracing an array of protea, peonies, grevillea flowers and, of course, fabulous foliage.

Bringing flowers into your home breaks the barrier between inside and out. It opens a window on nature’s astonishing world and conveys a special wisdom that increases the more you do it.