Holiday Wreath Workshop

From front doors to fireplace mantels and festive tabletops, our protea wreaths and garlands extend far beyond Christmas greens. One of our favorite holiday traditions? Helping old and new friends create fresh, unique holiday decor that they can display in and around their homes. This month, we hosted the UCCE Master Gardeners and several neighbors from the community for a fun filled morning of wreath and garland making.

By the time the workshop wrapped up we viewed over 40 beautiful wreaths and three festive garlands. Guests departed with their creation in one arm, and protea bouquets and plants in the other.

Eucalyptus Foliage

Eucalyptus foliage is very popular this spring, from leafy garlands, to lush wreaths and verdant displays. We love the remarkable array of shapes and sizes that are found in nature, from long, thin, oval, round, feathery and diamond. 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. Matching the right eucalyptus to colorful flowers can have a subtle but very powerful impact.

Here are some of the varieties we’re harvesting.

Eucalyptus pyriformia

Eucalyptus mimiata

Eucalyptus blue gum

Eucalyptus rudis

Eucalyptus sideroxylon

Eucalyptus leucoxylon

Eucalyptus willow

Flowering Gums

This summer, we're embracing familiar yet often overlooked blooms in the field: flowering Gums. The lush evergreen leaves of the Corymbia ficifolia or Gum Tree are harvested year-round and have become a popular foliage for garlands and wreaths. However, did you know that many varieties of gum produce a profusion of bright flower clusters during the summer? These flowers are not typical flowers though, as these showy blooms are made up mostly of anthers and styles, rather than petals. And in most species, the buds appear in masses on a single stem that develops on the axil of the leaves. These nectar-rich flowers can be found in hues of white, yellow, cream, red, pink, salmon, orange or even bi-colors and the stamens are held in small cup-like bases.

Flowering Gum Bouquet

Apricot Delight

Summer Snow

Calypso Queen

Summer Glory

Fairy Floss

Little Sweetie

Summer Beauty

Summer Essentials: Foliage

Foliage is trending this summer, from leafy garlands, to lush wreaths and verdant displays. 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 summer essentials.

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