Designed by Mel

We walk a prudent line when it comes to creating a ‘one-of-a-kind’ bouquet: too blasé and the bouquet can start to look like a mound of mis-matched proteas. Too planned and it ends up looking like a dull cookie-cutter Biedermeier. So, when an occasion calls for a little extra protea power, we step back and call in our favorite flower-farmer-florist, Mel. But in case you don’t have a passionate farmer to count on, we asked Mel to share some tips for creating one of his special protea bouquets.

“I think of designing a bouquet like planning a meal: once I decide on the main course, the side dishes fall into place. For this bouquet, the dramatic protea Arctic Ice took center stage. The most important thing to me is color and texture, as they immediately make a bouquet come to life. The King was an easy starting point, so I just played off of those fabulous, white, spikey bracts,” says Mel.

Whether you’re using flowers you purchased at your local market, a farmer’s market or clipping from your own garden, simply look for a few different varieties that go nicely together while creating contrast. In addition to the beautiful white King, this bouquet includes orange Banksia, red Leucospermum, silver-cone Leucadendron galpinii, lavender and white waxflower, woolly bush, boxwood, Grevillea and chocolate Agonis foliage.

“If you select your stems wisely, they’ll give you some hints when it comes time to put everything together. I let the flowers do most of the work for me and allow them to fall into place as I slowly twist and turn the bouquet. If you have an open mind and allow the bouquet to progress naturally, it will ultimately look much more spontaneous,” says Mel.