Thanksgiving Flowers: A Floral Touch to Your Holiday Celebration

As Thanksgiving approaches, we often focus on family, friends, and food. But one of the easiest ways to add beauty and cheer to your holiday celebrations is with flowers. Whether you're decorating your home, setting the dinner table, or giving a thoughtful gift, fresh blooms can infuse your surroundings with color and joy.

Consider arranging your flowers in a cornucopia basket or wreath ring to add a playful and festive vibe. These iconic vessels work well with the rustic harvest feel of Thanksgiving. When it comes to color, be sure to blend-in those rich hues of fall – from deep reds and creams to yellows and lush, vibrant greens that evoke the essence of the season.

Flowers also make thoughtful gifts for loved ones during Thanksgiving. A bouquet or a centerpiece can brighten someone's day and convey appreciation. A beautifully arranged floral gift can serve as a reminder of the love and gratitude shared during the season.

Thanksgiving is all about giving thanks, and what better way to express gratitude than through the beauty of flowers? Flowers will add a touch of nature's beauty and warmth to your celebration. Happy Thanksgiving!

May Gatherings: Décor & Gifting

May always arrives with its fair share of RSVPs. From showers to graduations, Mother’s Day to Memorial Day gatherings, it seems every weekend calls for a celebration, and… of course, there are the gifts and decor. What to get? Well, if you love king proteas, we’ve got you covered. Here’s a few of our top picks… our favorite designs, to create and gift!

Not only are kings totally striking on their own, but they look particularly intriguing when mixed in bouquets.

The large central dome that’s surrounded by spiky bracts with a smooth, velvety texture certainly begs a second look. The extraordinary shape of the bracts or petals gives the bloom a regal, crown-like appearance… it’s an oversized statement flower that looks absolutely fabulous in arrangements.

Captivated by the king? Well, when an occasion calls for a little extra ‘king-power’, there is always the Wreath!

June Articles of Interest

The Unconventional Beauties Whose Time Has Come

Proteas are all about flower power and staying power. From a lineage of some of the oldest of plants on earth dating back to a time before dinosaurs became fully evolved, proteas, with their prehistorically edgy and unconventional appearances, are flourishing in the cut flower industry today.

Demand for them by the floral trade has risen in the past 20 years from near obscurity to being must-haves in bouquets and arrangements for weddings, special occasions, holiday decorations and personal gifts of appreciation and love.

Read more here.
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Banksia, Banksia

I don’t know what it is, but I am drawn to plants that are popular with florists. Could be that these plants have a strong constitution, usually have unique shapes and forms, or proudly pronounce their pretty petal power. One example is the under-the-radar Banksia family. You may not know these plants by name but if you hang around floral shops, you’ve definitely seen them and said, “Oh, those are expensive but cool looking flowers!”

Please keep reading to learning more about Banksia:

Read more here.

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Slow Flowers Journal – American Flowers Week 2021

This year marks our sixth Botanical Couture collection for American Flowers Week. With 25 looks created to date, and recovering from the challenges of 2020 and the global pandemic, we are thrilled to share one dozen new wearable fashions showcased in the 2021 collection! What is the point of this Botanical Couture series? Is it frivolous? Yes! Is it strategic? Yes! By presenting flowers as fashion, photographed with editorial styling to tell a story, the American Flowers Week campaign shines a light on the talented growers and designers who are part of the Slow Flowers Movement. Moreover, it changes what we think of flowers. No longer just a perishable item to capture a sentiment in time, perhaps the flowers, foliage, foraged botanicals, and natural elements you see in these pages will shift and expand your thinking. With flowers transformed as art or sculpture, as fashion and beauty, as a symbol of the human desire to connect with nature, there is much more to each bloom than one might imagine.

Read more here.

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Take It Tropical

“To me, the colorful tropical flowers that bloom in warmer climates symbolize sunny days, sandy beaches, and island vibes.”—Jessica Cohen

For the vase, Cohen chose a blue-green glass vessel reminiscent of sea glass and ocean views. Then for the flowers, she chose bold, exotic blooms such as protea, pincushions, and beehive ginger. Finally, for a playful touch, she added gloriosa lilies and craspedia, a sphere-shaped flower covered in tiny yellow flowers. The vibrant result makes a perfect centerpiece for a tropical-themed party or a “just because” gift to brighten someone’s day.

Read more here.

Autumn Inspiration: Pumpkin Art

The vibes your autumn decor gives off depends entirely on what you pair them with. 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. Cut open, they make excellent containers for flowers when hollowed out. While most popular in hues of orange, white and green, pumpkins offer wonderful options for color schemes, especially when they are paired with protea and other unique botanicals.

Here is what you need to make your own:

• Fresh pumpkin 
• Knife 
• Clear plastic sheet or container 
• Chicken wire or Floral foam (optional) 
• Flowers, foliage, berries, cones, fruit 
• Clippers 
• Spray paint (optional)
  

Make it!

Carve your pumpkin so that you have a wide opening near the center of the pumpkin. Scoop out the seeds and pulp. Line the inside of the pumpkin with a sheet of plastic or container. If desired, cut a piece of floral foam with the knife to fit inside the pumpkin. Choose flowers and foliage with strong straight stems (proteas are perfect)! Insert the chicken wire or pre-soaked floral foam into the pumpkin and create your arrangement. Start with foliage, then add flowers, fruit, and other embellishments to create a full and interesting centerpiece.

Combining pumpkins with flowers delivers a festive yet elegant take on seasonal decorating: they make perfect porch displays for Halloween, lovely Thanksgiving centerpieces or even wonderful gifts.

January Articles of Interest

Yes, native plants can flourish after bushfire.
But there’s only so much hardship they can take...

In a fire-blackened landscape, signs of life are everywhere. A riot of red and green leaves erupt from an otherwise dead-looking tree trunk, and the beginnings of wildflowers and grasses peek from the crunchy charcoal below.

Much Australian flora has evolved to cope with fire, recovering by re-sprouting or setting seed. However, some plants are sensitive to fire, especially when fires are frequent or intense, and these species need our help to recover.

Read more here.
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The Five Habits of Highly Creative People

You know the one who’s always inspiring? She brings interesting points to light in team meetings, aces every task at hand, and energizes the company with her innovative strategies and ideas. Or maybe the creative person you look up to is an old friend with a serious penchant for interior decoration. It could be your culinary-talented father, a local artist, or your favorite author or motivational speaker. Whoever they are, you're always left marveling at not only the vision, but the orchestration and end result, too.

Read more here.
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Flowers as a Gift are Connecting People Emotionally
and are Straightening their Relationships

People are sharing different kinds of gifts with their loved ones, but flowers are still found to be the most impressive gifts by a study. According to the study conducted by Rutgers University, every gift we offer to someone holds a secret message. The study has also found that the gift we choose, especially flowers, affects both the sender and receiver.

Flowers as a gift are viewed by the receivers as more successful, caring and emotional as compared to the other types of gifts. An exchange of flowers between men and women makes them happy and loving people. The study has also found that flowers emotionally connect two people to understand each other’s feeling.

Read more here.

Protea-Inspired Baby Shower Arrangements

The arrival of a new bundle of joy is such an exciting time and what better way to celebrate than with a beautiful baby shower? Baby showers give family and friends the opportunity to shower the Mother-To-Be with well wishes and gifts. And while sharing this memorable occasion with family and friends is already wonderful enough, beautiful floral arrangements can help make the event even more special.

OMG… we absolutely loved the idea of creating Protea centerpieces for a recent baby shower! With the baby's February due date, the grandma-to-be, Maryann, knew she wanted beautiful flowers, “especially protea”. Selecting a protea theme seemed like the perfect fit, especially after finding out the color scheme was natural greens, ivory and pink. Scroll on down for a glimpse of these enchanting fairy-tail centerpieces!

Simply Gourd-geous Centerpieces

Because they’re both born in the garden or on a farm, pumpkins and flowers pair perfectly in centerpieces and displays, especially when the pumpkin stands in for a traditional container. Plus, there’s a bounty of pumpkin varieties to choose from, white ones, green ones, speckled ones, tall ones and squat ones... hundreds of pumpkin varieties exist. Bright colors, interesting shapes and an array of textures make them ideal containers. And, they are watertight, at least for the duration of the vase life of most of the blooms you put in them.

Pairing pumpkins and flowers (especially protea) delivers a festive yet elegant take on fall decorating: they make perfect porch displays for Halloween, lovely Thanksgiving centerpieces or even wonderful gifts.

Here’s what you need to make your own:

• Fresh pumpkin 
• Knife 
• Clear plastic sheet or container 
• Floral foam (optional) 
• Flowers, foliage, berries, fruit 
• Clippers

Make it!

Carve your pumpkin so that you have a wide opening near the center of the pumpkin. Scoop out the seeds and pulp.

Line the inside of the pumpkin with a sheet of plastic or container.

If desired, cut a piece of floral foam with the knife to fit inside the pumpkin. Soak the foam in water while you prepare your flowers.

Choose flowers and foliage with strong straight stems (proteas are perfect)!

Insert the floral foam into the inside of the pumpkin and create your arrangement. Start with foliage, then add flowers, fruit, and other embellishments to create a full and interesting centerpiece.

Spring Decor: The Wreath

Spring arrives with its fair share of special occasions. From showers to family reunions, Easter to Mother’s Day, it seems every weekend calls for a celebration and, of course, there are the decorations and the gifts. What to get? Glad you asked. Our favorite decor for your door, mantle or wall has actually been leading a double life lately. A bountiful protea wreath adds a sense of luxury and organic authenticity to a room. However, when the parties over, a wreath makes a fabulous gift. Crafted with a bounty of spring flowers and foliage – blooming leucadendron, textural berzelia, lush grevillea and colorful protea, pincushions,telopea & banksia... all the ingredients necessary to create a cheerful welcome as well as a happy heart.

Spring on the Farm

Spring is in full swing here on the farm thanks to some incredible floral displays taking center stage in the hills of Rainbow. The season's colorful leucadendron along with bright leucospermum, gorgeous grevillea flowers, and our favorite waxflowers create a bountiful harvest. We're especially excited to welcome back spring favorites like isopogon, waratahs, boronia in an assortment of colors, verticordia plumosa, and eriostemon with its distinctive buds of apple-blossom pink. Best of all? When these gorgeous flowers are mixed into a bouquet or tucked into a arrangement, they are simply ‘Breathtaking’ and ready for gifting and decorating!