A Guide to Keeping Your Holiday Wreath Merry and Bright

As the season’s wreaths start appearing on doors and mantels, we’re swooning over the idea of swapping the faux for fresh, festive proteas and greens. Want to help your holiday wreath stay lush and lovely for as long as possible? Just follow these simple tips:

✨ Give It a Holiday Soak

Whether your wreath is destined for the cozy warmth of your home or the crisp chill outdoors, winter air is dry… and fresh flowers need a drink. If you have a large enough container, rest the wreath in a few inches of water so it can hydrate from the back where the stems are. Let it soak for a few hours—or, for the merriest results, give it a full 24-hour bath.

✨ Keep the Cheer (and Moisture) Coming

Your wreath’s thirst level depends on its holiday home. Outdoors in cool climates, a daily misting will do. Outdoors in warm climates or displayed indoors, it will need more frequent misting or watering. Regular moisture helps seal the pores on protea and foliage, keeping your wreath supple and sparkling.

✨ Steer Clear of Santa’s Spotlight

Direct sunlight may make a space feel festive, but it can quickly dry out your wreath… inside or outside. And while a wreath can look magical above a fireplace or in a warm room, heat shortens its lifespan. These beauties prefer the chill!

✨ Enjoy & Celebrate

When the blooms begin to fade, simply stop misting and let the wreath dry naturally. Protea don’t die… they dry beautifully, transforming into a long-lasting winter keepsake that will continue to bring joy for months to come.

Happy Holidays from our home to yours!

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.

Mingling Proteas into Your Holiday Décor

When you think of holiday décor, your mind may immediately conjure images of traditional red and green poinsettias and wreaths of pine. But what if you could break the mold and bring a more unique, exotic touch to your festive atmosphere? Mingling proteas into your holiday décor can provide a fresh, modern twist that elevates the typical seasonal look while still embracing the magic of the holidays.

Proteas, with their striking shape and vibrant hues, naturally draw the eye, making them the perfect focal point for holiday decor. You can go with few large protea blooms mixed with greenery like eucalyptus and pine to bring a festive flair. Add in some cones, perhaps in gold or silver to tie in with traditional holiday sparkle, and you have an eye-catching centerpiece that feels fresh and modern.

For a more traditional look touch, you can pair proteas effervesce glow of hot pink poinsettias in a wicker basket, blending nature and holiday elegance.

By incorporating proteas into your holiday décor, you add a striking, exotic flair that transforms your space into a vibrant, contemporary holiday haven. Whether used as a bold centerpiece, beautiful gift basket or a unique addition to wreath, proteas are the perfect way to break away from the traditional holiday look and infuse some fresh style into your celebrations. Their timeless beauty and diverse color palette ensure that they fit seamlessly into both modern and traditional décor, giving you the opportunity to craft a holiday atmosphere that’s full of love and truly one-of-a-kind.

Easter Inspiration: Proteaceae

Spring is here and Easter is just days away! Out of all the holidays, Easter has the most vibrant seasonal proteas to choose from. There's just something about this stunning family of flowers that makes my heart swoon and skip a beat.

So, get ready! After filling Easter baskets and planning the ultimate egg hunt, you'll want to create a festive protea centerpiece of your own. And springtime offers the most abundant array of proteaceae like Leucospermum, Leucadendron, Banksia, Isopogon, Protea and textural Grevillea flowers + foliage. Some of my favorite designs don't require fancy containers, utilizing a galvanized bucket, wicker basket, ceramic bowl or wooden box will suffice when you have such eye-catching blooms to showcase. And you can use your centerpiece as inspiration for your table settings and other floral arrangements on display around your home.

The best part? Proteas make great ‘leftovers’ as they will last for weeks after the celebration, and many will dry beautifully... so they can be enjoyed for years. To fully round out your Easter decor, get inspired by these arrangements.

Protea Ceres

Looking for stems of beautiful red protea for the holidays? How about using Ceres? This queen-size bloom or what we call a ‘Hybrid Queen’ is a superb blend of magnifica and obtusifolia. Simply stunning with crimson-red bracts and white feathery tips, Ceres is extremely hardy and opens slowly over days providing an exceptional long vase-life And, when fully open, the bloom is quite spectacular at 5 to 6 inches in diameter… making it an eye-catching feature in an design!

Divine green foliage and sturdy long stems makes Ceres a prized protea for any flower lover. Plus, because its main flowering period is through fall into winter, there’s a bounty of beauty, love and joy to spread through the holiday season and right into Valentine’s Day.

Ceres’ captivating bloom will surely steal the spotlight in any bouquet or arrangement.

Exploring the Darkside - Leucadendron Ebony

Step into the shadows with us as we explore a fabulous fall Leucadendron, that boosts captivating deep, dark purple-black leaves.

It’s no shock it’s called Ebony or Burgundy Sunset, as its wickedly dark leaves are a distinct feature when compared to the basic green foliage of ‘Safari Sunset’, the species from which it evolved. Dark foliage appears to be all the rage now, so you can’t go wrong with this spectacular variety!

As Ebony’s foliage ages, the bracts that surround the ‘true flower’ turn a deep wine-red delivering stunning sprays of blooms! The best part? Aside from the splendor and outstanding hues, Ebony has real lasting power too. It can last up to a month in a flower arrangement. When paired with protea, banksia and other fabulous florals, Ebony is sure to add an extra touch of pizzazz to any autumn design.

Creating a Festive Easter Arrangement

Creating a festive Easter arrangement is simple when you gear up for the holiday with spring’s best textures and tones - like Proteas, Australian wildflowers, and lush, greens. Your design should act as inspiration for your table settings and other floral arrangements on display in your home.

Some of my favorite Easter design ideas don't require a fancy vase— utilizing a clear glass container works just fine, especially when you add a whimsical touch by including some fresh produce or sweet treats from your local market or grocery store. These extra touches bring in a fresh element of color, texture and shape, and they’re often the recipe needed to transform designs from beautiful to festive, eye-catching and unique.

No matter how you pay homage to spring, these simple Easter arrangements will give you plenty of inspiration for your own holiday display.

This centerpiece plays up the vivid colors of heirloom carrots. You'll need them with their stems still attached and a clear vase to show off the roots. Pair the carrots with yellow and orange pincushions, leucadendron, and lush green foliage. Wash the carrots thoroughly (but don't peel them) so that the water in the vase stays clear.

Create a fresh spring bouquet by bundling asparagus stalks around a vase full of proteas and ranunculus.

Bring fresh fruit to your table with this dazzling centerpiece of protea, tulips and kumquats. Place a clear drinking glass or thin vase into the center of a large-mouth vase and stack the kumquats around the glass.

Celebrate the sweetness of spring with an Easter centerpiece that features seasonal proteas, boronia and leafy greens. Fill a large glass container with jellybeans, insert a small vase in the center, add water and your flowers.

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!

Creating Magical Holiday Ambience: Proteas & Candles

What do you get when you pair seasonal proteas and the warm glow of candles? The perfect holiday ambience, of course. Together, they evoke not just elegance and romance, but they unite the powers of the mind, body and spirit. The proteas’ textural styles and colorful bracts add an interesting contrast to the subtle lighting created by candles. There's definitely a seasonal seduction, too. When you use an array of winter proteaceae, like Serruria, Leucadendron, Protea, Grevillea and Banksia, you're celebrating the glories of nature. Plus, festive scented candles provide winter-like aromas (cinnamon, gingerbread, vanilla and pine) that enhance your mood and feelings of calm and tranquility.

No matter what the occasion… Christmas, Hanukkah or Just Because, striking centerpieces adorned with candles cast a lovely light over the table and deliver all the merry-makings for a magical day.

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.

Thanksgiving Décor: The Horn of Plenty

When it comes to Thanksgiving, we can’t think of a more iconic symbol of the holiday… called the Horn of Plenty because it comes from the Latin word cornus which means horn and copia which means plenty. They’re often brimming with a bounty of fruits and grains, but our favorites are, you guessed it, mostly proteas.

Thanksgiving has always been epic to harvest time, and it's always taken place in the autumn… so, naturally this holiday would include the cornucopia, which represents all of those things. Beyond that assumption though, at what time the cornucopia made its way into our country's consciousness as a Thanksgiving symbol is difficult to say. But with its meaning of abundance, prosperity and good fortune, the horn of plenty now embodies Americans’ thoughts of thankfulness. Whether referred to as a cornucopia or horn of plenty… the meaning of this ancient symbol still resonates today.

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

Fall Must-Have: Grandicolor

Grandicolor. This unique and alluring Protea is a mix of grandiceps and aurea, a rare combo to say the least. Shades of cream play across the bracts as they deepen to peach at the base. Bi-color pink and white lashes provide a delicate edging to the rusty-red center. Silvery-green egg-shape foliage with a leathery feel vigorously adorn the long and straight stem.

Just when you think your fall floral collection is complete, Grandicolor blooms. Designs rich in these early-autumn blooms reflect the spirit and joy of the upcoming holiday season. Plus, these exquisite, medium sized blooms can be tucked in and added to just about any fall arrangements — they’re chic, colorful, and just in time.