Stunning Spring Arrangements Using Seasonal Proteas

What's not to love about springtime gatherings? The weather, the natural settings, and the longer days are all major highlights, but the best part of the season may just be the abundance of florals in bloom. This, of course, applies to spring protea arrangements. There's something about an awe-inspiring centerpiece packed with in-season proteas that’s sure to attract all your guests’ attention and, of course be the talk of the table.

What’s the best part about proteas that come to life in the spring? Many are about as bountiful as it gets, especially the Leucopermum ‘Pincushions’ and Leucadendron…. which pretty much ensures that there's a suitable option for any color palette. You can find many of these proteas in vibrant hues, as evidenced by this arrangement; the mix features a gamut of shades, from the golden-peach hues of Leucopermum Brandi dela Cruz and the vibrant red Phil Parvin to the sweet buttery-cream bracts and red cones of Leucadendron Red Eye and the vivid purple Isopogon. This breathtking centerpiece speaks to the season and its array of possibilities.

Feeling inspired by all the spring options? Then take a look at these gorgeous, arrangements for a little pre-gathering inspiration and let the amazing proteas featured help guide your own spring floral search.

This stunning centerpiece is proof of the season's wide array of proteas – blooming Leucadendron, textural Grevillea and colorful Protea and Leucospermum.

Looking for a little floral romance to add the occasion? Take a cue from this Protea, Grevillea and Leucadendron composition.

Protea-lovers, this pink-everything design is for you. One word of advice: Include a neutral hue (the creamy Leucadendron) to temper the bright color palette.

Look Out – California Grown Waxflower is Back

‘Tis the season for waxflower and with it comes an abundance of those beloved fragrant flowers. Belonging to the Chamelaucium genus of shrubs and stemming from the myrtle family, they are related to Leptospermum and Thryptomene. Waxflower includes over a 100 varieties of Geraldton wax + lots of other Chamelaucium species and hybrids. Some of the more common hybrids are classified as Pearlflowers, Gemflowers or Starflowers. These amazing plants typically bloom early winter through spring, and they are widely grown for their frilly eye-catching blooms.

The name waxflower is due to the slight waxy feel of the petals. The leaves, which contain oil glands, are small to medium in size and boast a beautiful lemony fresh scent when crushed. The blooms are delicate in style, flaunting five petals, ten stamens and a small, hardened fruit.

Also known as the flower of romance, waxflower is symbolic of patience and lasting love, which makes them a popular option for Valentine’s Day and weddings. These fabulous blooms have an abundance of uses in bouquets and arrangements, as well as in flower crowns and corsages, as cake embellishments, and simply, left all alone on a desk or table to be enjoyed for weeks.

Holiday Centerpieces for the Farmers Market

I always look to the fields for inspiration when planning my holiday centerpieces. We were fortunate to have a relatively mild fall, and I got to reap the rewards. A bounty of gorgeous protea hung around a bit later this year, and their fresh, bold blooms looked absolutely fabulous in my arrangements for the Old Town Temecula Farmers’ Market.

In addition to using fresh protea, I love the idea of mixing a bit of dried protea material in centerpieces too… it makes for the Perfect Union. There’s no rule against combining dried flowers with fresh blooms. In fact, the effect can be stunning. Dried flowers can add unique texture and color to designs. A Protea Pod or sometimes called “Protea Flat” for example, is the wood-like base and stem of the flower that’s left after the long bracts and center dome are removed. They're wonderful when added to designs… giving them a bit of a vintage appeal.

There’s no doubt, when both fresh and dried protea find their place in an arrangement, 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.

Flower News: September’s Articles and Blogs of Interest from Around the World

From flowers to festivals — Judges picked to evaluate
2019 Rose Parade floats have unique backgrounds

The trio that will decide which floats are best in this year’s Rose Parade consists of a celebrity wedding planner, the Kentucky Derby Festival CEO and a florist who used to design floats herself.

The Tournament of Roses each year selects several people to judge the 45-or-so floats based on criteria including design, floral craftsmanship, animation, thematic interpretation and color presentation. This year’s theme is “The Melody of Life.”

Read more here.
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US: California Grown Flowers Shine at State Fair

For 17 days this summer, California Grown Flowers were center stage at the California State Floral Association’s (CSFA) booth at the California State Fair. This year’s theme was “Back to the Floral Future

The fair’s run was kicked off at the California State Fair Gala on June 21 that featured flowers and foliage donated by California Pajarosa, Dramm & Echter, Glad-A-Way, Holland America Flowers, Joseph & Sons, Mellano & Company, Myriad Flowers International, Resendiz Brothers Protea Growers and Sun Valley Floral Farms.

Read more here.
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Cal Poly Universities’ Rose Parade entry
will be ‘out of this world’

Cal Poly Rose Float announced the 2019 Cal Poly Universities entry in the Pasadena Tournament of Roses Parade will feature a pair of astronauts and a handful of aliens on another planet communicating through music.

The premise is that astronauts landing on a distant planet are unable to communicate with its inhabitants through language, so they use musical instruments to share a message of goodwill.

Read more here.
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Events: Crafting Cornucopias

Come holiday season, we’re busy elves here on the farm. While brainstorming ideas for our holiday bouquets and wreaths, we decided to break out the clippers and wire, and get hands-on. Here’s what an afternoon of arts and crafts (and plenty of laughs) looked like at our recent Cornucopia workshop.

Rainbow in Color

Greens so unsullied you feel calm and invigorated. Bright colored pincushions spring forth from the lush greenery like fireworks. The yellows in the fields are almost neon, the oranges are flamboyant and reds… blazing. All of this natural beauty is set against a vibrant blue sky. This is springtime in Rainbow.

Every spring, I’m awe-struck by the beauty of each varying color. I am amazed by the idea that colors so bright and pure happen organically in nature. I see colors I have never seen before, around every hillside. I notice orange and peach pincushions reaching high up to the sky as the sun passes over. Bright bi-colored blooms with long spiky red pins that reach out from their yellow centers. This is the season of amazing color and it permeates all our lives. Let it inspire you and learn what each color means.

Green has healing power and is understood to be the most restful and relaxing color for the human eye to view. Green can help enhance vision, stability and endurance.

Yellow is the color of sunshine, hope, and happiness. Yellow stands for freshness, happiness, positivity, clarity, energy, optimism, enlightenment, remembrance, intellect, honor, loyalty, and joy.

Orange is the color of joy and creativity. Orange promotes a sense of general wellness and emotional energy that should be shared, such as compassion, passion, and warmth.

Red is assertive, daring, determined, energetic, powerful, enthusiastic, impulsive, exciting, and aggressive. Red represents physical energy, lust, passion, and desire.

Blue represents both the sky and the sea, and is associated with open spaces, freedom, intuition, imagination, expansiveness, inspiration, and sensitivity. Blue also represents meanings of depth, trust, loyalty, sincerity, wisdom, confidence, stability, faith, heaven, and intelligence.

Protea: Fall’s Final Flush

It takes just a peek out in the fields to remind us that fall has, indeed, made its way to this side of the equator. I always find that the sky is prettiest in the autumn, it seems to take on a warm golden glow that reminds me of the word ‘harvest’. That awareness as nature yields its final flush and soon the fields will begin anew - is the mood of our latest field trip. There’s something so calming about a pickup full of protea standing tall, blooms to the sky. I thought it would be the perfect way to share the feeling of the season. Each gorgeous protea transforms everyday life here on the farm — such harvesting, hydrating and even transporting—into works of art.

Protea – A Tropical Event Centerpiece

Ready for a summer break? Protea, tropical fruit and a palm tree take center stage in this uBloom video, and our friend, J Schwanke shows how with just a few components…you can create this fabulous arrangement on any scale. This Palm Tree Centerpiece is BIG…and perfect for a Buffet or Grand Celebration but J also shares tips for scaling this down for a patio party too. With several elements this centerpiece is easy to build and at the same time looks impressive and will be a show stopper! Click here to view the video:

Now, it’s time to create your own tropical centerpiece!

The California Farm and Flower Guide

This year, I had the pleasure to introduce the 2016 California Farm and Flower Guide, a spectacular publication that celebrates the various flower and foliage varieties grown in our state and the flower farmers who grow them.

Welcoming readers to this annual guide is one of the perks of being chair of the California Cut Flower Commission (CCFC). I list it as a perk because I can't imagine a more wonderful honor than getting to show and tell about the amazing bounty that comes from California's flower farms.

In this guide, you meet the farmers who are working hard to bring these gorgeous varieties to market!

Enjoy a peak at several beautiful designs!

And, you'll find this guide to be a handy resource for information on the state's flower farms, and for details and images of a wide range of flowers and foliage from which to select.

Right this way to see the complete Guide. Enjoy!