Fall in Love with Jester

Say hello Leucadendron 'Jester'… your new fall floral BFF! With its jaw-dropping blend of green, crimson, and cream, this fabulous foliage brings all the drama (in the best way!). 🌿💚❤️

Jester or also called “Safari Sunshine” not only famed for its beautiful contrasting hues it’s also prized for the texture and volume it adds to everything from bouquets and centerpieces to large-scale installations and event work. Its structural form and bold coloration make it a go-to alternative to traditional greens, especially for autumn and transitional palettes.

🔹 Why we love it:

• Seasonally on-trend: Perfect for fall weddings, Thanksgiving and Christmas designs 
• Long-lasting: Excellent vase life for retail & event work 
• Versatile: Works beautifully in both modern and rustic arrangements 
• Textural contrast: Pair it with other proteas, roses, or let it shine solo. Either way, 'Jester' steals the show.

Ready to add a little autumn magic to your designs? Scroll down for inspiration.

Praemorsa – Cut-leaf Banksia

We’re turning up the texture with the exquisite Praemorsa or Cut-leaf Banksia!

Wow… texture in this banksia isn’t just limited to the flower, check out the foliage as well! Praemorsa leaves are firm and leathery, with toothed margins and truncated or cut ends (hence the name). The bloom which is often seen in spring consists of hundreds of individual flowers growing out of a woody 10” long and 3” wide spike. And the colors... a wine-red bloom with tips in a blue-green and the grey-green foliage adds even more character to this superb banksia.

After flowering the bloom then turns into a hard cone of follicles that store several winged seeds. The follicles can take years to mature and open, usually needing a fire or a long drying out period. Once seeds are freed, they typically take 30 to 49 days to germinate, and four to five years (plus lots of patience) before you ever see a bloom.

A lovely reminder of Ralph Waldo Emerson’s famed words, "Adopt the pace of nature. Her secret is patience." And yes, praemorsa’s amazing textures and true beauty are certainly worth the wait!

Protea Nitida – Waboom

Add some interesting color and texture to your winter designs with this beautiful and unusual protea, Nitida or also called arborea and waboom. This diverse South African shrub, with its lengthy history and unique appearance is a jewel in the fynbos world. It’s the only protea plant that’s large enough to produce usable timber. The name waboom, which is Afrikaans for wagon tree, originates from the wood’s use for wheel rims and brake blocks on wagons. Plus, it’s ideal for creating decorative furniture and it makes excellent firewood. In addition, the leaves were boiled to make a blue-black ink for dyeing.

This awesome protea not only produces useful timber, but its flowers and foliage are prominent and captivating when used in floral designs. Nitida has long, oval leaves that are leathery and fully evergreen. They emerge opaque magenta but mature to a light bluish 'sea-green' or silver. Large, white flowers bloom during the winter and early spring. Each blossom opens from a tidy bud to an impressive flower with creamy-white spike-like stamens with brown tips and surrounded by bronze colored bracts.

The Latest Floral Inspiration

How Pincushion Protea Flowers Are Grown in California

With their striking colors, intricate forms, and eye-catching textures, pincushion protea flowers are an extraordinary addition to any floral arrangement. These captivating blooms, known for their pin-like appearance and velvety texture, have been capturing the hearts of flower enthusiasts for years.

Read more here.

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The Silver Tree

The genus is named after its most outstanding member, Leucadendron argenteum….known to botanists, gardeners and plant lovers throughout the world as the silver tree, but the early Dutch settlers dubbed it witteboom, literally ‘white tree’. In 1691 the botanist Plukenet used the name, translated into Latin, to describe the witteboom and related plants….Leucadendron, therefore, became the accepted name for this genus…

Marie Vogts, South Africa’s Proteaceae

On that projecting isthmus of land called the Cape Peninsula, at the bottom left hand corner of Africa, there can scarcely be anyone unfamiliar with the handsomest arboreal member of the protea family: silver tree or Witteboom, as it is known in high Dutch and its descendent language, Afrikaans. Always strikingly silver, it is transformed by the hot, drying, gale-force north winds of the cooler months of the year to a gleaming metallic lustre. The glory takes one’s breath away! Even the dry leaves of herbarium specimens retain their sheen, prompting Linnaeus, that first great modern plant namer, to exclaim at his desk in Uppsala, “this tree, the most shining and splendid of all plants.” I wonder if he was lucky enough to see a living specimen; the seeds were certainly available in Holland by then.

Read more here.

Eucalyptus Macrocarpa – Mottlecah

Evergreen plants, which have flourishing leaves or needles year-round, are often the foundation of a beautiful landscape or floral arrangement. Place them in the correct spots, and you'll frame your garden or centerpiece with a natural, leafy border. Plus, since many varieties offer colorful foliage, flowers, and cones, evergreen shrubs can add color and texture to any creative endeavor.

Eucalyptus, one of my favorite evergreen plants, is a large genus of more than 700 species in the Myrtle Family. While some species are tall trees, others have a multi-stemmed shrubby tendency like the flamboyant macrocarpa or “mottlecah” (the Aussie name). This distinctive species of eucalyptus has what Australians usually refer to as a “mallee” growth habit (varieties that are multi-stemmed, grow from an underground rootstock and thrive in harsh conditions).

It’s obvious why this amazing plant is celebrated for its grayish-white or bluish-white leaves and its long, sturdy branches… they make for a stunning display both in the field and in floral designs.

The usual flowering time for macrocarpa is typically late winter through spring. For months before the flowering commences, the silver dollar sized buds are visible as white domes with pointed tips, and within is a cluster of stamens. As the stamens expand, they pop off the white cap and provide a splash of bright red and yellow. The gum nuts which follow the flowers are also an interesting feature of the tree… they’re very large and have a powdery grey covering.

Red, White & Blue Centerpieces

Beautiful centerpieces are a lot like wonderful guests. They add a festive ambiance, lure the eye, and spark interesting and inspiring conversations. With the summer’s abundance of fabulous florals, fruited stems and branches, anyone can easily assemble an arrangement that's dynamic, alluring, unexpected… and it might even become the talk of the table.

Consider hosting a 4th of July gathering and set the scene with a colorful arrangement fashioned with gorgeous proteas and array of other fabulous flowers and foliage. The good old red, white and blue is a classic color combination that will never go out of style, especially if you're gathering is on the 4th of July. Take the arrangement pictured above, for instance: The patriotic color scheme is vibrant and cheerful and the basket conveys a picnic vibe which is perfect for the occasion.

One of the best ways to get inspiration for centerpieces is to look to your table settings and consider the food you plan to serve… they can all kindle great ideas. You could echo the blue in a tablecloth or incorporate the same fruit you use as a garnish on desert.

Scroll down for a little more red, white and blue inspiration.

Leucadendron Harvest

We cheerfully brave the frigid start to winter knowing the promise of bright, colorful Leucadendron are on the way. Each year, this hardy, long-lasting foliage puts on quite a spectacular winter display. Day by day, the show gets better and better as the plants take on warm hues of white, cream, yellow, orange and red. Over 80 known varieties of Leucadendron exist, and all share the same emphasis: the beauty of their foliage. Today’s inspiration: Leucadendron Harvest!

Harvest is an Australian-raised cultivar that originated from an ‘accidental seedling’ of L. stelligerum. And it is obvious why this Leucadendron is reveled for its colorful ‘daisy-like’ blooms that are so flamboyantly displayed. The sheer volume of the flowers makes for a delightful winter show. Harvest’s colorful petals or bracts take on soft creamy-yellow and white hues with a splash of rusty-orange on the edges surrounding the rich yellow, orange + green cone that is nestled among the bracts.

Leucadendron Harvest has a way of eliciting oohs and aahs not only in the field but in floral designs as well!

Simply Gorgeous!

Holiday Wreaths

It's that time of year when life comes full circle. We reunite with family and friends to reminisce about old memories and slowly… those memories give way to new ones. As guests arrive at your door, there's one captivating way to welcome them: a wreath. Early civilizations used wreaths, symbols of the circle of life, to celebrate special occasions. They were creative in their materials using a variety of evergreens, which survive harsh winters and signify immortality as well as the strength of life. And there’s no reason you shouldn't be creative as well. These days, a wreath can live throughout the year, bringing welcoming cheer to any door, wall, hearth or gate.

The wreaths we craft are typically made of protea, banksia, grevillea, leucadendron, eucalyptus and cones or pods but any material from the store, farmers market or garden will work. Even a few flourishes (like stems of protea) can easily enhance a nursery-bought wreath into a personalized creation. They are beautiful to hang indoors or out, and most will dry beautifully, so you can keep them on display long after the holidays.

Create a new tradition this year by crafting your own holiday wreath… you'll enjoy it for months or possibly even years to come. Here are a few of our favorites from the year nearly past…2022!

How to Make Your Protea Wreath Last

As holiday wreaths go up, we love the idea of replacing the faux with fresh protea and greens. But what can you do to help ensure the longevity of your wreath once you’ve placed it in that special place? Follow these simple steps:

Soak to Hydrate

Whether you decide to hang the wreath in the heat of your house or the chilly air outside, these winter environments are dry, and the flowers have no source of moisture. If you have a large enough container or tub place the wreath in a couple inches of water to allow it to 'drink' from the back where the stems are. Let it soak for a few of hours, or if you want optimal results, your wreath should stay in the water for a full day.

Moisturize Often

You will need to adjust the amount of water your wreath requires based on where you put it. A wreath displayed outside in a cool climate will require misting once a day. A wreath kept outside in a warm climate or displayed indoors will need frequent watering or misting. This helps the wreath retain moisture by sealing the pores on the proteas and foliage.

Avoid Direct Sunlight and Heat

It can be tempting to place the wreath in a spot where it gets direct sunlight. But direct light can dry out the flowers and foliage, whether you place them indoors or outdoors! If you decide to hang your wreath indoors in a heated room, keep in mind that it probably won’t last as long because they favor a colder climate to thrive.

Enjoy – Happy Holidays...

After the flowers begin to fade, cease spraying, and let the wreath dry naturally. Protea don’t die, they dry Beautifully and will continue to spruce up your home for months.

Festive Fall Designs

When it comes to the changing of the seasons, there's nothing more stirring than when summer fades into fall. We transition into the cooler weather with rich, saturated colors and riveting textures. These warmer hues often play up the excitement of the season; plus, falling temps means we all have an excuse to bring ‘more’ of nature indoors. Fall is a time for all of these things, and for Protea (especially Pink Ice), making it the ideal time to let the autumn vibes flow with captivating festive designs.

Turning an ordinary arrangement into a ‘seasonal gathering’ is as easy as focusing on the accents you're bringing into it. Are you adding colors into your design that creates a warm and inviting aura? Concentrate, on the elements needed to achieve the look from Protea, Banksia and Grevillea, to Leucadendron and other fabulous fall foliage. How can you add an extra texture to the centerpiece?

In this season of abundance, there are so many wonderful options. You’ll also want to be sure to make full use of those richly colored fruit that flourish during this time of the year. Persimmons, pomegranates, apples or any other produce can be added to the arrangement or simply displayed off to the side to deliver more of an autumnal ambiance, while bringing even more nature inside to enjoy.

Fabulous Foliage: Eucalyptus

Native to down under, there are over 900 species of eucalyptus trees. The name eucalyptus comes from the ancient Greek words eu meaning “good” and kalypto meaning “cover”. And besides being known as a koala bear’s favorite treat, the foliage is also loved for its soothing scent and interesting shapes and textures. Ranging from silver dollar sized, to slender, to long and oval-shaped, eucalyptus foliage is instantly recognizable. The leaves can be blue to green and silver, and often have a waxy coating that makes them appear frosted.

Eucalyptus, with a calming quality that evokes nature, optimism, and growth, is popping up just about everywhere (displays, centerpieces, bouquets, garlands, and wreaths). This wonderful foliage adds so much volume, texture and height to décor while emitting its own kind of botanical magic.

Here are a few of our fall favorites.

Blue Gum

Willow or Feather

Silver Dollar

Big Star Seeded

Diamond

Silver Dollar Seeded