Berzelia Flowers: A Unique Element in Floral Designs

Floral design is a captivating art that allows creativity and individual expression through the means of nature. When it comes to adding a unique touch to bouquets and arrangements, few flowers can rival the allure of Berzelia, commonly known as button bush. With its distinctive spherical blooms and textured foliage, Berzelia is the perfect choice for flower lovers looking to create something unique.

Berzilia Lanuginosa and Red Jelly

Berzelia is native to South Africa and is part of the Restionaceae family. It’s recognized for its flower heads, which are comprised of tiny, round florets. The flowers bloom in clusters, creating a beautiful button-like appearance hence its common name. Berzelia flowers come in a range of colors, from soft whites to vibrant greens, making them an excellent addition to diverse palettes.

One of Berzelia’s standout features is its texture. The round, fluffy flower heads add a playful and soft touch to arrangements. This textural variety can complement many flower types, from the delicate petals of serruria to the sleek bracts of protea.

When it comes to floral designs, longevity is also key. Berzelia is a durable flower that can last for weeks when properly cared for, maintaining its charm and structure long after other more delicate blooms have wilted. This makes it a fantastic option for arrangements that require a shelf life, such as event displays.

To ensure that Berzelia remains vibrant and fresh in your arrangements, here are a few care tips: 

1. Keep the stems submerged in clean, cool water. Change the water every few days to prolong life. 
2. Trim stems at an angle before placing them in water to enhance absorption. 
3. Keep arrangements away from direct sunlight and heat sources.
   
4. Adding floral food may help extend the life of your arrangements further by providing essential nutrients.

In the world of floral design, Berzelia stands out as a unique and versatile botanical. Its striking appearance, durability, and ability to adapt to a range of styles makes it a favorite choice among designers. Berzelia reminds us of the intricate, often overlooked beauty that exists in the natural world, waiting to be admired.

How to Care for Your Protea Wreath

It feels only right that we look for fresh, exciting ways to celebrate the season after another year that has been anything but ordinary. As holiday wreaths go up, we love the idea of replacing the faux with fresh protea and greens. A bountiful protea wreath enhances festive décor and adds a sense of luxury and organic authenticity to a home. Our wreaths are crafted using fresh-cut proteas and seasonal foliage to ensure longevity. 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.

Moisturized 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.

Dry and Enjoy

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.

Horn of Plenty

It's time for another glimpse at our favorite symbol of abundance and nourishment… the Cornucopia or also called horn of plenty. It was traditionally made of a goat's horn overflowing with fruits and grains of the harvest.

At what time the cornucopia made its way into our country's consciousness as a Thanksgiving holiday icon is difficult to say. But with its meaning of abundance, prosperity and good fortune, the horn of plenty embodies all those things and is a symbol of Americans’ thoughts of thankfulness.

Cornucopias have become customary fall centerpieces and usually feature a horn-like basket or container. There are no rules when it comes to designing cornucopias. But we're partial to organic, fall-vibes and a horn of plenty that's brimming with fresh flowers (protea preferred), fabulous foliage and fruit. Plus, arranging them to flow out of the horn and onto your table, delivers a look that's as graceful and natural as it is beautiful.

Simply Gourd-geous Designs

There’s a bounty of pumpkins being harvested this time of year, so why not use them as inspiration for your autumn designs? Plus, there are so many types of pumpkins—why stick to the basic orange pumpkin associated with Halloween? White ones, green ones, speckled ones, tall ones and squat ones... hundreds of pumpkin varieties exist making them ideal containers.

Pair them with an array of gorgeous blooms (like proteas), fruited branches and other interesting foliage + botanicals to make a festive arrangement. A beautifully fashioned pumpkin creates a charming way to greet visitors and delivers a festive yet elegant take on fall decorating. They’re simply gourd-geous!

Here is what you need to make your own:

• Fresh pumpkin 
• Knife 
• Clear plastic sheet or container 
• Chicken wire or Floral foam (optional) 
• Flowers, foliage, berries, cones, fruit 
• Clippers 
• Spray paint (optional)

Make it!

Carve your pumpkin so that you have a wide opening near the center of the pumpkin. Scoop out the seeds and pulp. Line the inside of the pumpkin with a sheet of plastic or container. If desired, cut a piece of floral foam with the knife to fit inside the pumpkin. Choose flowers and foliage with strong straight stems (proteas are perfect)! Insert the chicken wire or pre-soaked floral foam into the pumpkin and create your arrangement. Start with foliage, then add flowers, fruit, and other embellishments to create a full and interesting centerpiece.

Autumn Bliss

When it comes to the changing of the seasons, there's nothing more stirring than when summer dwindles into fall. We transition into the cooler autumn weather with soothing 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 harvesting protea (especially Pink Ice), making it the ideal time to let the autumn vibes begin with festive floral 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’s so many wonderful options. You’ll also want to be sure to make full use of those richly colored fruit that flourish during this transition from autumn into winter. 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.

A Season of Abundance

In a season of abundance, make full use of those richly colored flowers and foliage that flourish in the transition from summer into fall. Protea and Leucadendron come an array of hues, and when paired with other seasonal blooms, they add character to your design. Pictured here, I used a mix of botanicals, including dahlias, zinnias, amaranths, yarrow, Australian pine, fruited branches, and banksia integrifolia with cones - placed in a rustic ceramic container.

Not all crops come in the traditional fall hues of reds, oranges, and yellows. Bring in new colors and textures with fruit, whether tucked amongst the floral centerpiece or displayed off to the side to polish off the vignette. In this design, I used a mix of protea, a banksia, grevillea blooms and Leucadendron, Amaryllis Belladonna, dahlias, hydrangea, eucalyptus, and passion fruit.

When autumn calls for an extra special arrangement, a cornucopia brimming with fresh flowers and fruit will surely do the trick.

So, gather up your favorite fruit, flowers + foliage and create something beautiful!

Leucadendron Argenteum

Did you know Leucadendron Argenteum or more commonly called Silver Tree has given its name to an entire genus of Proteaceae? The tree also divulges the obvious allure of this unique group – the splendor of its foliage. The name Leucadendron is derived from the Greek leukas meaning ‘white’ and dendron meaning ‘tree’.

Referred to as Silver Tree because its soft, elliptical leaves (which remain on the trees for years giving it evergreen status) are covered with hairs that look amazingly like silver in the sunlight and they shimmer in the wind. These trees can reach up to forty feet in height.

You don't know whether it is a male or a female until the day it flowers and shows off with large, pure silver egg-like cones (female) or yellow pollen surrounding small silver buds (male). The Silver Tree relies on wind for dispersing its seeds instead of having to attract birds or other dispersers. Each fruit looks like a small nut and is equipped with a "parachute". Once the seed is freed by strong winds, it can travel a considerable distance thanks to its design.

Silver Tree branches are stunning when used in arrangements and its individual leaves are ideal in corsages and boutonnieres.

Spirited Floral Décor

Bring on the red, white and blue!

Although the New Year officially begins in January, here on the farm we can’t help but think that July deserves a little tribute too. There’s something about the month, perhaps it’s the fact we’ve reached the year’s halfway mark or maybe because it's the time to celebrate America… that seems to muster up a little nostalgia. With that in mind, these ‘dog days of summer’ aren’t always easy to shake off.

Whether you’re planning your next get-together or simply spending more time outdoors, we’ve created a spirited summer-inspired arrangement. This festive red, white and blue design includes several of our seasonal faves: protea, grevillea, banksia, dahlias, lily of the nile, hydrangea, crocosmia, with the foliage choices as a nod to the ‘summer essentials’ trend, as well as some blackberries for an extra splash of color and texture.

Cheers to summer bliss!

Mingling Flowers & 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. Vines with berries, grapes and passion fruit, or even lemons, oranges, peaches 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:

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