Spring Floral Topiaries

Topiary… the term may sound unfamiliar, but there’s no doubt you’ve seen the art around. Those hedges and shrubs that have been trimmed into amazing sculptures of everything from shapes to animals to people are topiaries. The art is defined as the horticultural practice of clipping shrubs or trees into shapes.

Topiaries date back to ancient Egypt, when rows of date palm were force-cut into shapes of cones. They returned in medieval times as a way of training fruit plants, and then again during the Italian Renaissance. In the 15th century, the Dutch became intrigued with creating topiary that resembled animals while the French preferred creating topiary into geometric shapes. Topiaries have continued to evolve, they’re not only restricted to formal landscaping structures, some are crafted from potted plants, like ivy or rosemary.

Designing a topiary no longer requires that you adhere to live plants, floral topiaries have become quite popular as well. Crating a floral topiary is a simple way to bring a touch of nature indoors. All you need are the flowers and foliage of your choice, floral foam, as well as a tree branch (or stick) and container to act as the support and showcase for your design. For my first topiary, I gathered Serruria, Leucadendron, Phylica, Berzelia, Calycina and waxflower.

As the spring season’s floral options transitioned from soft mute colors to more vibrant hues, I mixed Leucospermum, Isopogon, Leucadendron and sprigs of lavender and Jasmine Vine.

Many of the botanicals I gathered for these toparies will retain their structural design and to some extent their color long after they’re vase-life. Simply put… they don’t die, they dry… Beautifully!

For the Love of Peach

If there is ever a shade that soothes our souls it is the color peach. With its origin in nature, the peach is something of a comfort. It also gives a feeling of joy, although not quite as high-spirited as orange.

The color story is a wonderful combination of a lively yellow paired with soft pink. When mingling the two colors, equal parts of each shade should be used to obtain a true peach color. Adding a splash more of pink produces a peach hue that has deeper red tones, while adding more yellow to the mixture produces a peach hue with more orange tones.

Peach is known to be a superb color for communication, it also has influence on good etiquette and tranquility. It is a shade that gives you refuge, as it does not let you delve into agony or disappointment. Peach brings a wealth of positivity, always invigorating us in the most difficult moments.

The peach palette works well in interior designers, especially when combined with flowers. It is a combination of orange, yellow and coral shades, which allows you to grasp an unlimited number of design possibilities. Peach can be used as an accent or background and combines well with the blues. You can also blend it with mint-green and gold for a chic and feminine palette.

Get Hooked on Fresh Spring Leucadendron

A vibrant, bunch of Leucadendron is a delightful thing: After a quick snip off the stems and a few leaves removed from the bottom, all you really need to enjoy them is a vase. Since they are so simple to arrange, it is easy to forget that they’re basically considered the foliage side of the family of Protea. To honor this genus and some 80 species (who all share the same emphasis: the beauty of their foliage), we have gathered a few of our spring favorites.

Much as we love the traditional greens… eucalyptus, grevillea, melaleuca (they're always in season!), each year we wait for spring when colorful Leucadendron come into season. After all, what could possibly be better than field fresh Leucadendron? These proteas have strong qualities in terms of their feature-game. Their exquisite colors add vibrancy to any design. Their famed longevity means they will be relished for weeks. And who can resist the colorful cones? The petals of the Leucadendron are called bracts or modified leaves, and the true flower is the cone nestled among their bracts.

For inspiration, scroll down for a glimpse this season’s favorites.

Lennox

Maui Sunset #2

Senorita

Xanthoconus

Eucalyptifolium

Gold Strike

Rainbow Gold

Discolor

Easter Ready

If there is ever a season for arranging your own centerpieces, it is spring. You can embellish a beautiful table by gathering stems of seasonal flowers and displaying them in a pretty container. Creating a festive setting for Easter is simple when you have the pick of some of spring's most vibrant blooms, like Protea, Leucospermum, Leucadendron, Grevillea, plus lush, textural greens. Your centerpiece can act as inspiration for your table settings and other floral arrangements on display in your home.

Some of our favorite centerpiece ideas don't require you to go out and buy a new container — utilizing a galvanized bucket, clear glass vase, moss filled basket or even a colorful flower box will help you create an eye-catching arrangement. Spring centerpieces call for fabulous blooms, which means you can feel good about using simple elements to style your seasonal centerpiece including moss, branches, and just about any other flowers and foliage you can forage from your garden.