January Articles of Interest

Yes, native plants can flourish after bushfire.
But there’s only so much hardship they can take...

In a fire-blackened landscape, signs of life are everywhere. A riot of red and green leaves erupt from an otherwise dead-looking tree trunk, and the beginnings of wildflowers and grasses peek from the crunchy charcoal below.

Much Australian flora has evolved to cope with fire, recovering by re-sprouting or setting seed. However, some plants are sensitive to fire, especially when fires are frequent or intense, and these species need our help to recover.

Read more here.
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The Five Habits of Highly Creative People

You know the one who’s always inspiring? She brings interesting points to light in team meetings, aces every task at hand, and energizes the company with her innovative strategies and ideas. Or maybe the creative person you look up to is an old friend with a serious penchant for interior decoration. It could be your culinary-talented father, a local artist, or your favorite author or motivational speaker. Whoever they are, you're always left marveling at not only the vision, but the orchestration and end result, too.

Read more here.
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Flowers as a Gift are Connecting People Emotionally
and are Straightening their Relationships

People are sharing different kinds of gifts with their loved ones, but flowers are still found to be the most impressive gifts by a study. According to the study conducted by Rutgers University, every gift we offer to someone holds a secret message. The study has also found that the gift we choose, especially flowers, affects both the sender and receiver.

Flowers as a gift are viewed by the receivers as more successful, caring and emotional as compared to the other types of gifts. An exchange of flowers between men and women makes them happy and loving people. The study has also found that flowers emotionally connect two people to understand each other’s feeling.

Read more here.

Winter Gatherings

Have you ever watched a chef peruse his vegetable garden, getting excited while scrutinizing the fresh herbs and veggies that will later be used to create a fabulous meal? That's me with flowers. I'm most in my realm when I'm surrounded by seasonal blooms and foliage, visualizing the array of bouquets and arrangements I could create. Usually, I start by considering things like color, texture, shape and size when I’m picking flowers, and I never know what I’ll end up with until I’m finished!

In the case of this arrangement, I was immediately drawn to the vibrant winter colors of the Leucadendron contrasted with the sweet pink hues of the Protea and Grevillea. Since the Banksia Candles and Grevillea flowers were similar in texture, I added a few stems of Protea nitida to create a unique, exotic feel. Nitida also brings a new shape to the mix without veering to far from my chosen palette. Finally, the Banksia’s piney, green foliage complements both the Protea and Leucadendron’s texture injecting an organic looseness to the design. I'm enchanted with how it turned out, and even more importantly I had a wonderful time gathering the flowers and creating it!

In the field: Leucadendron Inca Gold

Leucadendron Inca Gold, please! Because who doesn’t love a burst of sunshine on a cold winter’s day! This popular cultivar bred in Australia during the 1990’s is believed to be a hybrid of L. laureolum and L. salignum yellow. The rich buttery-yellow flowering bracts with red tips do not open wide like many other leucadendrons as they tend to keep a closed tulip-like shape. Inca Gold are at their peak for color and harvesting during the early winter and make a breath-taking addition to bouquets and arrangements.

Protea Trish Compacta

Few things look more exhilarating during these cold winter days of January than a bounty of gorgeous Protea Trish Compacta, in bloom… stretching high up in the sky on long, sturdy stems against a scenic backdrop. Their bright, vibrant flowers and lush, green foliage certainly have a way of taking the ‘chill out of the air’!

Yes, bring on the Protea Trish Compacta! Think Pink and so velvety soft (don’t you just want to reach out & feel those satiny petals?). This protea cultivar is a wonderful mix of compacta and laurifolia with the classic flawless-colored floral bracts in a rich pink (like compacta) and silvery-white highlights that surround the same pink colored center dome. Trish Compactas bloom winter through early spring… which means you should be enjoying them, umm right now!

When harvested and mixed with other proteas (and some textural Berzelia and eucalyptus), there’s no doubt Trish Compacta can take the chill out of any winter day.

Natural Remedies for the Winter Blues

I must have flowers, always and always,” said Claude Monet.

Our sentiments exactly! Especially in January, at the cusp of winter, when we’re all slowly coming out of a ‘Christmas Greens Coma’. One trip into the fields and there’s no doubt in our minds, as the weather gets colder, the colors become brighter and more intense.

The Leucadendron Inca Gold seemingly ‘wakes up’ making for superb winter flowers in a bright yellow color with a touch of red on the tips.

And the Protea Brenda is so shiny and vibrant creating the perfect contrast with her lovely petals or bracts in hues of deep pink.

With a few stems of Grevillea Misty Pink and some textural Ivanhoe foliage, you can design a bouquet that takes the chill out of the season while providing an instant winter pick-me-up. There’s no doubt, the best remedy for beating the ‘Winter Blues’ is to surround yourself with vivid color and pretend it’s almost spring.