Protea Brenda

In the language of flowers, protea is said to symbolize diversity and courage… and if Brenda had her own special language, she would be the symbol of resilience too! When asked to describe this gorgeous bloom, the first words that come to mind are hot pink and faux. The dark pink bracts or petals which surround Brenda are shiny and durable not soft and velvety like many other protea. STUNNING. And, perfect if you’re into self-care and hoping to start 2021 off on the right foot.

As COVID continues to impact our daily lives, flowers are more vital than ever for our health and well-being (apparently, pink flowers, that often convey a message of romance, also stand for love for one’s self… which, by the way, is super important right now). While navigating through the challenges of this “new normal”, they’ll bring a much-needed dose of happiness to break anyone out of a stress-induced funk.

Photo by @kwiaciarniawtepedy

Photo by @constantiapera

Finally, as a reminder… no one needs a reason to ask if they deserve flowers today - the answer will always be YES!

Leucadendron Inca Gold

Looking for a winter pick-me-up? With one step into a field of Inca Gold, you can escape to a ‘botanical retreat’ filled with rays of golden sunshine, leaving the winter blues behind. Yes, Leucadendron, please! Who doesn’t love a burst of sunshine on a cold, dreary day? This popular cultivar (which is absolutely stunning during this time of the year) is believed to be a hybrid of L. laureolum and L. salignum yellow. The rich buttery-yellow flowering bracts (think Illuminating) with red tips do not open wide like many Leucadendrons as they tend to keep a closed tulip-like shape.

There’s no doubt the color yellow sparks a broad spectrum of emotions in all of us. While it can be playful and radiant, yellow can also be unforgiving and ominous, which makes it a wildly fascinating hue.

The many facets of the color yellow reveal its extremely impactful spirit.

Yellow can liven up any space instantly. It is, perhaps, one of the easiest ways to bring sunshine indoors and enjoy the soothing energy of nature while relaxing in your home. Yellow advances from surrounding colors and enlarges any space. It mimics a sun-filled space, creating feelings of liveliness and good cheer.

Welcome Winter’s Color Palettes with Festive Flowers

As 2021 (finally) draws nearer, we usher in winter with eager anticipation for the season’s many celebrations and, of course, its breath-taking blooms.

Discover the possibilities for this winter with our assemblage of floral creations. Featuring Proteas that indulge in the season’s warm color palettes, these unique designs will stir creativity and ignite holiday spirits well into the New Year.

A mix of lush pinks and subdued burgundy combined with forest greens create a quintessentially cheery holiday ambiance. To add more depth + dimension to a winter arrangement, showcase festive blooms, like Pink Minks and Bankisa menziesii.

Winter would not be complete without a wreath or two. Here, eucalyptus, Banksia intergrifolia and Grevillea Ivanhoe foliage set an idyllic base for textural eucalyptus pods, Leucadendron and colorful Protea, adding wonderful texture to complement the wreath's greenery.

Inspired by the season’s cold-weather hues, the crisp, whites and pale creams of Protea, Sugarbush + White Hawk and Leucadendron comprise an elegant winter palette in this wreath.

A gathering of bright, colorful Leucadendron Duet + Maui Sunset combined with warm neutral Protea obtusifolia + nitida create a radiant winter display.

Rich in texture and colors, Protea Cere and Brenda with burgundy lilies and chocolate callas. Stems of agonis, Leucadendron, Grevillea Flowers and peach blossoms add movement and a “spring feel” to this seasonal bouquet.

Winter jewel tones, like yellow citrine, emerald-green and turquoise, are the standout of this seasonal color scheme. The saturated hues and contrasting textures of the Protea, Leucospermum and feathery acacia further intensify the warmth of this display.

2021 Colors of the Year: Ultimate Gray & Illuminating

It's an annual announcement: Come early December we all eagerly wait for the experts at Pantone to release the Color of the Year, forecasting a shade that they believe will set the tone for the year ahead.

This year, the global color authority and provider of professional color language standards, Pantone, has selected "Ultimate Gray" and "Illuminating" for colors of the year 2021 (yes, two colors). In an official press release, Leatrice Eiseman, Executive Director of the Pantone Color Institute, states, “The selection of two independent colors highlight how different elements come together to express a message of strength and hopefulness that is both enduring and uplifting, conveying the idea that it’s not about one color or one person, it’s about more than one. Practical and rock solid but at the same time warming and optimistic, this is a color combination that gives us resilience and hope.”

Pantone emphasized that a hue of yellow, called Illuminating, will help to fill people with "energy, clarity and hope" to conquer the continuing uncertainty, spirited and emboldening shades satisfy our quest for vitality.

"Illuminating is a bright and cheerful yellow sparkling with vivacity, a warming yellow shade imbued with solar power."

On the other hand, Ultimate Gray evokes feelings based on solid and dependable elements which are everlasting and provide a firm foundation.

Ultimate Gray is also the color of pebbles on the beach and found on natural elements whose "weathered appearance highlights an ability to stand the test of time."

"Ultimate Gray quietly assures, encouraging feelings of composure, steadiness and resilience," added the company.

When it comes to flowers and foliage which are appreciated for their immense color selection, symbolic meanings + overall “happy” nature, Pantone’s color selection is perfect. Yellow has historically been used to kindle joy and inspired positivity. Here’s just a few of our floral faves to look for in 2021.

Leucospermum High Gold

Leucadendron Inca Gold

Leucadendron Pisa

Leucadendron Gold Strike

Isopogon

Grevillea Moonlight

Eucalyptus Tetragona

Leucadendron Galpinii

Whether Ultimate Gray and Illuminating are used as a pair or independently, these versatile colors will hopefully inspire creative ways of thinking and help move us forward with the optimism for a better tomorrow.

Fashioning Protea Ornaments

When it's time to decorate for the holidays this year, you may be devoted to your favorite store-bought decorations that have been tucked away in your garage all year long. While they’re a nice way to jolly up your home, we think designing and fashioning your own ornaments can be a more creative way to decorate. Whether you're already in the ‘elf mode’ or want to hold off on making anything until you've picked out your tree, there's never a wrong time to start thinking about creating some unique, homemade ornaments.

That brings us to our favorite holiday décor. Yep... you’ve guessed it once again, proteas! Did you know proteas are ever-flowers? With proper post-harvest care, blooms can last weeks in a vase. Then, they don’t die… they dry beautifully! Many Proteas retain their structural design and to some extent their color. When used in crafts, like ornaments, they are as permanent as almost anything the botanical world provides. The best part? Our favorite ornaments can be enjoy during the holidays and long after the season ends. So, if you're tired of those old store-bought decorations, we suggest you take a peek at these sweet angels.

When protea blooms find their ultimate place in a dried decor, they finish a story that began in Gondwanaland and triumphed over a thousand adversities. They represent a special kind of bond, a link to the past and a reminder of the present and how new life springs eternal.

Protea Pinita

Protea Pinita... here to spice up your the holiday season! This gorgeous protea hybrid is a blend of magnifica or queen + longifolia. Think LARGE bloom with a slightly waxy appearance and bracts that are flushed and tipped in a bright ‘chili-pepper pink’ then shading to light cream at the base. The central peaked dome is heavily tipped with black, providing a robust and appealing contrast.

Pinita looks fabulous mixed with other protea or combined with an array other colorful flowers and foliage. SO FESTIVE. A touch of royalty but also fluffy and soft... the perfect holiday bloom. Tip? Pinita looks stunning in any arrangement, bouquet or wreath!

November Articles of Interest

The one sure way to kill these beautiful,

hardy plants is with too much water and fertilizer

Some of the most glamorous plants for Southern California gardens come from a region whose soil is so poor in nutrients that fires are essential in providing fertilizer in the form of ashes for the existing flora. I am speaking about South Africa’s Cape floristic region. This area is more packed with endemic species than any other place on earth.

“Endemic” describes plants that are native to a specific place. Our own Channel Islands, for example, are famous for the seventy endemic species that grow there, and California has more endemic species than any other state. Yet the number of endemic species in the Cape floristic region — an area the size of Colorado — approximates the number of endemic species in all of North America.

Read more here.
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The florist behind Melourne’s Urban Blooms project

What better way to celebrate a reawakening than with flowers. Capturing the spirit of Melbourne after months of lockdown is the huge floral display that Cherrie Miriklis-Pavlou of Flowers Vasette installed over the grand archway at the entrance of the iconic Flinders Street Station last Saturday.

The Flinders Street installation falls under the Urban Blooms project that is part of the $100 million Melbourne City Recovery Fund delivered by the City of Melbourne and the Victorian State.

Read more here.
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Dried flowers are an Instagram obsession.
Here’s how to preserve, arrange and photograph them.

At first glance, Euclid Farm’s storefront might catch your eye as just another stylish Queen Street boutique, but look a little closer and you may be surprised at what you see. The shop window is filled with a display of dried flowers - and containers of dried blooms and grasses wrapped in bouquets of brown craft paper are the first thing you see when you step into the shop located directly across from Trinity Bellwoods Park.

Read more here.
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Handcrafting Beautiful Bloom Arrangements

I have always loved the sight of a fresh, unique bouquet inside my home. Not only do flowers incite mood-enhancing qualities, but they also add just the right pop of color to a room. And while I enjoy my weekly routine of picking up premade bunches from a store, I thought it would be fun to learn how to create an arrangement using dried/preserved flowers, which are gaining popularity in home decor and at events. They’re also low maintenance since they don’t require changing of water and can be swapped throughout the seasons.

Read more here.

Harvest Time: The Cornucopia

When it comes to Thanksgiving, we can’t think of a more iconic symbol of the holiday… called the Horn of Plenty because it comes from the Latin word cornus which means horn and copia which means plenty. They’re often brimming with a bounty of fruits and grains, but our favorites are, you guessed it, mostly proteas.

Thanksgiving has always been epic to harvest time, and it's always taken place in the autumn… so, naturally this holiday would include the cornucopia, which represents all of those things. Beyond that assumption though, at what time the cornucopia made its way into our country's consciousness as a Thanksgiving symbol is difficult to say. But with its meaning of abundance, prosperity and good fortune, the horn of plenty now embodies Americans’ thoughts of thankfulness. Whether referred to as a cornucopia or horn of plenty… the meaning of this ancient symbol still resonates today.

So, gather up your favorite fruit, flowers + foliage and create something beautiful!