Falling for Pink Ice

Fields bursting with these vibrant, pink blooms is one of the best things about fall. Pink Ice is autumn to a 'T' and simply stunning! The goblet shaped flower is surrounded by fuzzy silvery-pink bracts that overlap and a beautiful rose-colored central dome with a splash of wine at the tip.

Pink Ice (a mix of P. Neriifolia x Susannae) is one of the hardiest and most abundant plants here on the farm! And… the bloom? It’s fabulous no matter how you arrange it. You'll love combining Pink Ice with an array of other seasonal flowers like amaranths, dahlias, zinnias plus, foliage like leucadendron, grevillea and eucalyptus. So, to celebrate the arrival of these beauties, I’m sharing a few of my pairings that will hopefully stir your creativity and get you 'falling' for Pink Ice too.

A shift in season = your reason to indulge in Pink Ice and set the TONE for Autumn!

CGCI Floral Design Forum

As a protea lover and passionate flower farmer, whenever I have the time, I enjoy sharing my knowledge of this amazing family of flowers and foliage with floral enthusiasts and gardeners. There’s so much to learn about the 73 genera and more than 1500 species in the Protea family. Plus, the cultivation of proteas is always an important and fascinating topic.

I’m equally excited to show flower lovers and gardeners how you can create stunning works of art with proteas. During this month’s California Garden Club (CGCI) Floral Design Forum, I had the opportunity to immerse their members in the beauty of designing with proteas. I created six seasonal arrangements using an array of proteas, plus some eucalyptus foliage, fruited branches, and Australian wildflowers along with a few bunches of ranunculus and anemone from our local farmer’s market. I love demonstrating how beautiful proteas are when displayed alone or mixed with more traditional florals.

Enjoy the photos I took - it was a fun and inspiring forum!

This simple hand-tied bouquet is a lovely mix of proteas, berzelia, waxflower and eucalyptus foliage.

Mixing fruit branches into designs is alway a hit. The kumquats in this arrangement added texture and a pop of color. The ranunculus provide a delicate spring feel, and the proteas take the design to the next level.

A foam wreath frame is the base of this peach hued candle centerpiece with pincushions, ranunculus, calycina, Grevillea, Leucadendron, berzelia and eucalyptus.

My version of a floral Easter basket filled with plenty of colorful proteas, eucalyptus, calycina and blue anemone plus a grapevine handle to top it off.

Door décor provides a ‘cheery welcome’ especially during spring holidays. The grapevine frame is lined with moss and a piece of floral foam. Camellia leaves surround the base and proteas, eucalyptus + peach blossoms adorn the basket.

Art in a French galvanized container. Overflowing with plenty of proteas, berzelia and eucalyptus… simple yet stunning!

Country Blooms

The word ‘Country’ means different things to different people. For some, it is a place. To others, it is a state of mind. For flower farmers like us, it means a little of both. Flowers that look as if they’d been freshly picked from the field or garden are reminders of a special time or place, even if it’s simply a place you remember from a trip out of town. For my design, I mixed a few different Proteaceae, including Leucadendron, Leucospermum, Grevillea, Isopogon and even some twigs from my garden.

A container such as a watering can is a cherished emblem of the 'country style', a way of decorating that is cozy and informal and easy to live with. Another might be a milk churn or perhaps, a small wine barrel. So, why not forage a bit around your yard or garden and bring the spirit of the country indoors? It’s a great way to celebrate spring.

Leucospermum Cornocarpadendron

Leucospermum High Gold

Leucadendron Discolor Cream

Leucadendron Pisa

Leucadendron Galpinii

Grevillea Flowers – Moonlight

Grevillea Ivanhoe

Isopogon Yellow

Fennel Flower

Mulberries

Flower News: January’s Articles of Interest from Around the World

Search the internet today for “proteas wedding flowers,” and you will find an abundance of eye-catching photos—far more than just five years ago. Some will come from trendy bridal magazines and websites. But a good many will have been created or promoted by just one California flower farm.

Read more here
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Gardening: Five of the best gardens to visit around the world when you're on holiday

If you're planning your holidays and fancy taking in some gardens while you're away, here are five to savour and inspire:

Kirstenbosch Botanical Garden, South Africa: Anyone lucky enough to get to Cape Town shouldn't miss a trip to these stunning botanical gardens on the lower eastern slopes of Table Mountain. The 36-hectare nature reserve supports fynbos (shrub and heathland), forest and a variety of animals. It was the first national garden in the world devoted to a country's indigenous plants and is home to many collections, including cycads, proteas, ericas, pelargoniums and succulents. Best time to visit: January (summer), when the agapanthus are in bloom, May to October when the Protea Garden is in flower, or September and October when wild flowers bring a riot of colour (sanbi.org/gardens/kirstenbosch).

Read more here.
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Allsup: Updated weddings start with florals

It may be hard to predict what a bride will want for her wedding day, but it is likely to include gorgeous flowers. Barn weddings with rustic materials have been popular for years, but now are shifting toward 1970s bohemian styles and elegant industrial styles. Here are some specific trends brides are asking their floral designers for this year.

Read more here.
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Gardening Matters: Native plants of the Blue Mountains

The Blue Mountains National Park (BMNP), west of Sydney is one of a number of national parks that virtually surround the NSW capital in the north and south as well as west. BMNP has an area of 270,000 hectares and provides a sanctuary for a wide range of native plants. As an example, over 90 species of eucalyptus are found in the park.

This time we will concentrate on plants that have horticultural potential. Some are already in favour with local gardeners whilst others are waiting to come into local cultivation. In spring probably the most visible plant is the Telopea speciosissima, the Waratah. The large, beautiful red flower is in fact a number of individual blooms supported by red floral bracts.

Read more here.

Flower News: December’s Stories of Interest from Around the World

Mel Resendiz: A Protea Evangelist

The Resendiz Brothers Protea Growers supply the fresh blossoms sold at the “Festival of Trees” at the San Diego Floral Association’s December Nights celebration, in Room 101 of the Casa del Prado. Ismael “Mel” Resendiz began his career in agriculture as a young man picking cotton and harvesting sugar cane in the hot, dirt of Sinaloa, Mexico. He and his brothers, Profirio, Raul and Ramon farmed in various regions of Mexico until Mel stumbled upon an opportunity to work temporarily at Zorro Protea Farm in Vista in March 1978. The farm was growing protea from seed on 40 acres in the hills east of Rancho Santa Fe.

Read more here.
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Petals on Parade

Floral growers have a national stage to show off their best blooms.

June and her husband, Rene now own Ocean Breeze Farms in Carpinteria on California’s central coast. They grow gerbera daisies in greenhouses on 27 acres, and field-grown mums, avocados and cucumber on a few more. About an hour away, their son grows for Ocean Breeze on another 12 acres in Nipomo.

Read more here.
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North County farm grows exotic proteas

To get to the very top parcels of land in Rainbow owned by Ismael “Mel” Resendiz, you have to drive up a long, narrow road, much of it paved, some — oy — not, with more hairpin curves than the Grand Corniche above Monte Carlo. If Resendiz, who owns Resendiz Brothers Protea Growers and makes this drive up and down the mountain multiple times in the course of a day, is taking you up in his pickup truck, you’ll do it at a brisk speed that will swipe your breath away. Unconsciously, you’ll be clenching the seat and armrest while averting your eyes from the steep drop just below your window.

Read more here.
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Waratah: 4 things you didn’t know
about the iconic flower

THE WARATAH is one of Australia’s most iconic flowers, and while it comes in many different forms, Telopea speciosissima, more commonly known as the New South Wales waratah, is the most well-recognisable. With its bulbous, crimson flower head, green, razored leaves and long stem, it’s possible the waratah has adorned more Australian paraphernalia than any other flower: from stamps, all the way through to tea towels and belts.

Read more here.

Protea News: May’s Articles and Blogs of Interest from Around the World

Changing the landscape

He bet the farm on an unfamiliar flower—now protea is a breakout star

On a patchwork of some 15 parcels of hilly land with rocky, dry soil in northern San Diego County, Ismael "Mel" Resendiz has carved out a floral paradise. His farm, clinging to steep, remote hillsides and linked to civilization with narrow dirt roads, many of which Resendiz himself built, defies convention. So does its signature product, the otherworldly but undeniably lovely protea. Read more here.
                                                                                                                                                             

SA wins gold at Chelsea Flower Show

London - South Africa won gold at the prestigious Royal Horticultural Society Chelsea Flower Show in London on Tuesday. SA has won gold 36 times in the 43 years it has exhibited at the international flower show.

Designer and gardener Leon Kluge of the Kirstenbosch National Botanical Garden an his team presented a culturally oriented display featuring not only SA’s unique flora, but also the Cape Flats. Read more here. 
                                                                                                                                                         

Although they may just recently have been swarming social media in shots of floral designs, proteas have been around for a very long time. The large and extremely diverse family is known to have originated at a time when much of the Earth’s landmass had amalgamated into one supercontinent. Later, sections of the supercontinent drifted apart and formed the continents we know today—which is why we find members of the wide-ranging protea family native to regions as far apart as Australia, South America and South Africa. Read more here.
                                                                                                                                                                  

Colourful Native Wedding at the Palais Theatre, Franklin

For a February wedding, the brief was "colourful" and "native" with the bride's dress in a dark bottle green. What fun! A beautiful White King Protea formed the centrepiece of the bride's bouquet, making sure there was a real contrast with the dark green of the dress. The King Protea was surrounded by lots of colour and fabulous foliage. Read more here.

Resendiz Brothers’ Wreath Workshop

Our kind of welcome… Protea Wreaths! Clear skies and warm autumn temperatures greeted guests as they enjoyed a wreath making workshop, along with a tour of the nursery, a peak in the packing house and some tasty treats. Our favorite flower farmer, Mel and Cenovia demonstrated the art of wreath making, while participants joyfully contemplated what flowers and foliage they would select for their special wreath.

By the time the workshop wrapped up we viewed 27 beautiful and unique fall wreaths. Guests departed with a wreath in one arm and protea bouquets and plants in the other.