Known for its crown-like shape and dinner plate sized blooms, kings epitomize everything we all love about spring: Their shades complement nearly any seasonal-inspired color palette, their shape is bold yet organic, and the texture smooth and hardy. In short, they hit all the senses.
There are over eighty varieties of kings and they're divided into groups according to their leaf type. The leathery leaves vary from large and rounded to small and narrow. The artichoke-like appearance of the blooms nod to the name cynaroides, which means ‘like cynara’… the artichoke. Each flower-head consists of numerous small, tubular-shaped blooms or also called an inflorescence.
So, make the most of your spring gatherings and let these chic beauties become the talk of the table. We guarantee your guests will be captivated.
The most abundant and colorful time of the year is upon us, and there’s no better way to celebrate the season than by bringing nature’s wonder and beauty indoors. Yep, we’re talking about another festive Floral Topiary! Again this month, we’re challenging you to dream beyond traditional arrangements, and try something fun and fabulous.
We’d be remiss not to include the seasonal flowers that mark so many of the spring holidays and events. You can start off simple with just four or five different flowers, but don’t stop there! There are a lot more interesting ways to use nature’s bounty and create a beautiful topiary.
- Leucadendron Red Eye
- Purple and Yellow Isopogon
- Leucospermum Eurbescenes – Fruit Salad
- Lavender
- Jasmine Vine
Given the abundance of South African and Australian flowers and foliage being grown here in San Diego County, having this group of over 75 tour the farm and experience our day to day activities is a natural fit. With the perfect mix of Proteaceae, we knew it would be the just the place for them to capture some garden inspiration.
With just a little over a week left in the countdown to Christmas, we were feeling especially festive here on the farm. The timing was perfect as we held our holiday wreath and garland making workshop on a cool and brisk Saturday morning. To start, guests toured the packinghouse, greenhouse and nursery, and some even gathered tidbits of flowers and greens to include in their own special creation. Our talented crew was hard at work demonstrating the art of wreath and garland making – so all who watched would be prepared to craft something of their own. The office was stocked with all the necessary holiday accessories…. a Christmas tree, poinsettias and of course, proteas along with some festive treats to eat and drink. Here are some of our favorite photos from the workshop…
If you missed our fall wreath workshops, no worries… we’re already planning an Easter event! Find all our future events here.
The 2017 Farm & Flowers Guide is hot off the press and we couldn’t be more excited to share it with you. It’s a spectacular publication that celebrates the various flower and foliage varieties grown in America and the flower farmers who grow them. We hope this farm guide will help you plan your next event and let you know if the blooms you’ve been eyeing will be available!
Throughout the pages, you meet the farmers who are working hard to bring these gorgeous varieties to market… like our favorite farmer, Mel!
Enjoy a peak at several beautiful designs to get your inspiration flowing! And, you can browse the Botanical Index, a handy resource for details and images of a wide range of American Grown flowers and foliage… like beautiful protea and leucadendron from which to select.
If you haven’t received your copy in the September issue of Florists’ Review or Superfloral - Right this way to see the complete Guide.
Enjoy!
Farm tours are a wonderful way to celebrate the season, especially in June… California Grown Flowers Month!
We luckily picked the perfect June morning for the tour, blue skies and 75 degrees… a relief after several days of our typical ‘June Gloom’. We started off by providing the group with a little ‘insider information’ on our farm and what we’re up to this time of the year. Then off to the greenhouse and nursery we went to see where everything begins, sprouts and develops its roots here on the farm. Next stop, the packing area and cooler to watch as our crew prepared the daily orders. Finally, for a little ‘hands-on’ the group observed as we created a protea bouquet and then, it was their turn to create a bouquet of their own. We had a terrific morning sharing our farm and flowers with so many friends, and it was the perfect way to help celebrate California Grown Flowers Month!
What is it about wearing fresh flowers that makes an event feel extra special? Simply put, it’s the perfect accessory - natural, stylish, and we love it! Inspired by our wide variety of Proteaceae and Australian wildflowers (pincushions, serruria, waxflower, leucadendron and more) we perused the internet for bloggers who share our sentiment to help us dream up ways to turn our special flora into chic accessories.
