Best in Show: Brandi dela Cruz

It’s that time of the year when our pincushion fields high up in the hills of Ranibow start to look like firework displays that were pulled right out of the sky and tossed onto the steep hillsides. And when it comes to the ‘Best in Show’ display, there is no doubt Leucospermum Brandi dela Cruz takes the gold for its dazzling carpet of color and texture. A field full of blooms in rich golden-yellow with orange tints and each flower, large with a diameter of almost 6 inches. Breathtaking! This gorgeous variety is mostly a mix of Leucospermum reflexum and lineare parents...quite a stunning conjugal to say the least.

These fanciful blooms atop sturdy stems create colorful focal points not only in the field but when displayed in floral designs.

Awe-inspiring Orange

“Orange is red brought nearer to humanity by yellow.” - Wassily Kandinsky

A delightful blend of red and yellow hues, the color orange oozes with happiness. Overflowing with energy and warmth, orange is commonly associated with sun and outdoor settings. That is why tropical surroundings are often immersed in orange hues. From its playful shade to its inviting comfort, orange emits a calm yet spirited essence.

Orange is considered a fun color with scrumptious and delicious qualities. It boosts the oxygen supply to the brain and kindles mental activity. As a citrus color, orange is associated with healthy food and it fuels the appetite. If you love having friends gather around your dinner table, orange makes guests more social, encourages conversation and extends the mealtime.

In color psychology, orange is hopeful and uplifting. In fact, orange is so optimistic and uplifting, that we all should find ways to utilize small orange items such as a pen or mug in our day-to-day routines to help promote the positive effects of the shade. Orange adds spontaneity + a positive way of looking at life. Representing adventure, freedom, risk-taking and individuality, orange is uniquely its own.

There is so much to LOVE about this color!

Creating the Perfect Ambience: Flowers & Candles

What do you get when you pair gorgeous proteas and the warm glow of candles? The perfect ambience, of course. Together, they evoke not just elegance and romance, but they unite the powers of the mind, body and spirit. The leucospermum's textural styles and the leucadendron's colorful bracts add an interesting contrast to the subtle lighting created by candles. Plus, there's a seasonal seduction, too. When you use an array of spring proteas, like waratah, isopogon, banksia, leucospermum and dryandra you're celebrating the glories of nature. And spring scented candles provide floral and herbal aromas that enhance your mood and feelings of calm and tranquility.

No matter what season of year… indoors or outdoors, striking candle centerpiece casts a lovely light over the table.

Banksia Coccinea

There are certain things that exemplify Australia, that are true icons of the amazing Land Down Under and there is no doubt that the Banksia is one of them. Banksia have earned a place on this list as they can be found all over the country. Many varieties have names that describe a certain physical characteristic, like the Banksia coccinea… or also known as the Albany banksia, the Waratah banksia or the scarlet banksia. Native to the coastal sand dunes or the southern edge of Western Australia, Coccinea is considered the most picturesque, though by far not the biggest of the banksia flower spikes.

The blossoms of the scarlet banksia illustrate the signature qualities of this protea genus, a barrel-shape inflorescence with hundreds of tiny flowers mounted on a woody cone in corn-cob-like rows. The male flower parts are the white and the longer female ones are intensely red. A general reluctance to reflex keeps these structures or pistels looped back in on themselves until they are finally released at anthesis - the period during which a flower is fully open.