Proteas and Pumpkins Pair Perfectly

Oh, my GOURD! I don’t mean to scare you, but Halloween is just around the corner. Creating an arrangement using a pumpkin and proteas is a delightful way to celebrate the holiday and the season. While we typically associate pumpkins with Halloween, they are suitable for so much more. Left whole, they can sit at many angles to give everyone at the table a beautiful view. These shapely gourds are a symbol of abundance, and when cut open, they make perfect containers for fabulous fall flowers.

Ready to 'treat' yourself and make your own gourd-geous centerpiece?

Choose a pumpkin with a fresh, healthy stem, no bruises, and a flat bottom so it won't roll. Cut off the top and set it off to the side. Scoop out all the seeds and pulp. Place a block of floral foam in water and wait until it is completely saturated. Then insert the foam inside the pumpkin, leaving just a few inches between the top surface of the foam and the rim. Insert flowers and foliage directly into the foam, working all around the perimeter of your pumpkin. In my design, I chose a mix of proteas, grevillea flowers, everlastings, amaranths, Australian pine, eucalyptus and a textural lotus pod.

Fall into Jewel Tones

With the Holiday Season only weeks away, now is the time to fall into Jewel Tones and create a little extra drama by adding these rich colors to your arrangements and bouquets! Autumn proteas bring an exotic and unique touch to any design, especially when combined with warm, saturated colors like topaz, emerald and sapphire, and unexpected textures like brunia, roses, ranunculus, everlastings and cones + pods. When paired with fabulous foliage like leucadendron, agonis, grevillea + eucalyptus, another level of allure and sophistication is added to the design...and, that's especially welcome during this magically time of the year. Here are some of our favorite designs bursting with deep hues and rustic stems.

July: Summer Design Inspiration

Although the New Year officially begins in January, here on the farm we can’t help but think that July deserves a little acknowledgment too. There’s something about the month, perhaps it’s the fact we’ve reached the year’s halfway mark or maybe because it’s American Grown Flowers Month… that seems to muster up a little nostalgia. With that in mind, these ‘dog days of summer’ aren’t easy to shake off. Whether you’re planning your next summer gathering, catching up on the latest floral trends or simply spending more time outdoors, we’ve created a summer inspired arrangement. A few of our usual favorites are included, like banksia, protea, and erica, with the foliage choices as a nod to the ‘summer essentials’ trend, as well as some lilies and everlastings for an extra splash of color. Below, we’ve broken down the arrangement by the individual stem to give you a better picture of each ingredient.

Protea cynaroides or King

Banksia robur

Erica verticillata

Grevillea Ivanhoe

Olive

Leucadendron Christmas Bells

Stargazer Lily

 Everlastings

Wild Flowers of the Western State

Western Australia is one of the richest wildflower areas in the world. Its great wealth lies not only in the large number of different species to be found but also in the great diversity of the size, shape, color, texture and form between individual flowers.

Wildflower Displays in Kings Park and Botanical Garden

There are over 8000 native plants in Western Australia with another 800 that have been introduced from other states or countries. In addition, a high percentage of native species are endemic, and found only in this part of the world. This is particularly so in the southwest portion of the state where it is estimated between 75% - 85% of the known wildflowers grow only within this small region and nowhere else on earth. Many of the flowers can truly be described as ‘unique’. The Kangaroo Paws, Bottlebrush, Grevilleas, Isopogons, Everlastings, Dryandras, and many of the Banksias and Waxflowers are botanical curiosities attracting international scientific interest.

From late summer through early spring (August and October), numerous exhibitions and festivals are held throughout the state by local enthusiasts to showcase and celebrate the wildflowers of the particular region. These festive events provide a fun and colorful way for both locals and visitors to gain an appreciation of the diversity of Western Australia’s flora.

A Taste of Chitterinng Festival Flowers