Grevillea Flowers

Now, about mid-summer, is the time we anticipate the inevitable dog days to come as we watch our pincushion fields go barren and eagerly wait for protea season. However, the warm weather is no match for Grevillea flowers, they’re fuss-free sun-lovers that stand up to the rising mercury and add some much-needed color during this transitional period. These lollipop-like flowers, also referred to as Bush Lollies, Bush Toothbrush and Spiderman, provide masses of summery blooms that add, color, and fabulous texture in and out of the fields. Their popularity comes from their willingness to flower and flower. Here are just a few of the varieties being harvested.

‘Moonlight’ This popular variety has attractive deeply divided foliage and bears beautiful, lemon-yellow toothbrush flowers.

'Honey Gem' A fabulous of cultivar G. banksii and G. pteridifolia. Flowers are apricot with orange-yellow style and the leaves have silvery reverse.

'Misty Pink' A vigorous and hardy free flowering shrub with grayish leaves. Spectacular pink and cream 6 to 7” blooms in terminal clusters of six or more.

'Superb' One of the best bloomers with pink, peach and creamy colored flowers.

'Sylvia' Large dense, deep red flower spikes are produced on the plant for most of the year.

Can you picture these fabulous flowers in your garden or favorite arrangement?

Mingling Florals & Fruit

Fruit looks gorgeous in the garden, and even better served on a platter or mixed in your favorite dessert. But did you know, adding seasonal fruit into a flower arrangement, to bring in a fresh element of color, texture and shape, is often the recipe needed to transform a design from beautiful to eye-catching and unique?

What kinds of fruit can be added to a flower arrangement? More than you might think. Vine fruits such as berries and grapes, or even fruits like lemons, oranges, peaches, pomegranates and persimmons can be used to expand your palette of materials. A cluster of kumquats might give you a pop of smooth orange amongst green foliage, or a pomegranate snuggled amid lush blooms can lend rich color to a design.

Fruits that grow on branches, stems, or vines are easiest to include if you leave them attached. For example, a blackberry vine can be tucked and mingled in around your primary flowers quite easily. For larger fruits, the key to success is a sturdy stem. You can use the existing stem or create a stem by putting them on a skewer, so it can be secured in the arrangement. And… just as you would remove the leaves of your florals below the vase water line, do this with your fruit, as well.

Plus, using galvanized containers, vintage baskets and even other fruit like pumpkins are all fun ways to go from garden to table. Here are several of our seasonal designs:

Floral Dress-Up

What is it about wearing fresh flowers that makes us feel extra special? Simply put, flowers make the idea accessory, like a flower crown or boutonniere. They are natural, stylish and there is something sensual and romantic about wearing flowers. There’s no doubt, we think floral accessorizing should not be exclusive to weddings or school proms, they are perfect for most any occasion.

During the month of March, we took our love for flowers and accessorizing to the next level: Botanical Couture or Floral Dress-Up. American Flowers Week (June 28-July 4), a homegrown social media campaign established in 2015 as part of the Slow Flowers Society invites flower lovers (gardeners, florists & farmers) to celebrate beauty, sustainability and joy of local and seasonal flowers across the U.S. Teams of flower farmers and floral designers create wearable botanical clothing and accessories. Each look reflects a particular seasonal harvest straight from the fields, while also showcasing the farm and designer’s talent. The chic floral fashions created are worn by live models and photographed for publication.

We were thrilled to have the opportunity to team up with designer, Kelly Shore, owner of Petals by the Shore in Damascus, MD. Inspired by the breathtaking selection of Australian native wildflowers (particularly the Chamelaucium or waxflower) being grown here on the farm, Kelly created her own Nature’s Poetry. Frilly filler flowers, meshed in a mix of pink and white hues, layer upon layer, mimicked ruffles on a street length skirt.

Plus, accessories! A gorgeous waistband laden with Serruria Pretty & Pink and necklace to compliment with an added layering of eucalyptus and heather. The hat, garnished with more of the seasonal delicacies.

“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” – Slow Flowers 2021

Photography by Madeleine Collins & Diana Roy

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.

June Bliss

We all love the laid-back days of June. The sounds, smells, textures and sights of the onset of summer fill the days and nights with feelings of delight and excitement.

If you are lucky enough to have a garden, potential flower arrangements to boost those 'blissful feelings' are just footsteps from your door. Otherwise, roadside stands and farmers' markets are brimming with seasonal flowers to take home and enjoy.

Selecting and gathering your own flowers not only allows you to express your creative style, but they also bring the freshness and beauty of nature into your home. When you decorate with fresh flowers and foliage that reflect your unique personality, it makes for unforgettable gatherings that your friends and family will reminisce about for weeks.

To show how I've expressed my floral creativity during these early summer days, I created several arrangemnts with seasonal flowers and foliage that will hopefully inspire you to create your own. Cheers to June… California Grown Flowers Month!

California Grown Flowers Month

Spread the word…. June is California Grown Flowers Month!

For the seventh year in a row, the California Legislature is honoring the state’s flower farmers and recognizing their contributions to the state’s economy and workforce by declaring June as California Grown Flowers Month. The resolution highlights California’s leading role in flower-farming and the economic impact it has on the floral industry.

The industry has blossomed since its inception back in the late 1870s. Statewide flowers are grown across 701 million square feet, spanning the distance from San Diego through the Inland Empire to Carpinteria and north all the way to the Oregon border. California farmers produce three-quarters of the cut flowers in the United States, provide over a 100,000 of jobs and account for a total of $12.2 billion in economic activity every year.

Share the LOVE....California Grown!

It’s Not Always About the Flowers

Step aside flowers. The most interesting designs do not always rely on beautiful blooms to grab our interests. Instead, it is the foliage that win the applause. We love the remarkable array of shapes and sizes that are found in nature, from long, thin, oval, round, lacey, feathery and serrated. These wonderful botanicals add volume, texture and height to decor. And when it comes to color, most foliage is green, simply because all photosynthetic plants rely on chlorophyll for energy. Green is considered a neutral color and can often be left out in planning a color scheme. There are many different shades of green - from light and dark hues, blue and silvery tones, as well as variegated varieties. Matching the right foliage to colorful flowers can have a subtle but very powerful impact.

Today, we’ve embracing fabulous foliage.

Australian Pine

Banksia Integrifolia

Causurina

Diosmafolia – Honey Myrtle

Eucalyptus Blue Gum

Eucalyptus Silver Dollar

Grevillea Ivanhoe

Grevillea Hookeriana

Hakea

Honey Bracelet

Olive

Pepperberry

Wooly Bush