Showing posts with label Inspiration. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Inspiration. Show all posts

Friday, May 2, 2025

Self-care is Just a Bouquet Away


When we think about self-care, it’s easy to get caught up in ideas like bubble baths or massages. But the truth is, self-care can take many shapes and sometimes, it’s as simple as surrounding yourself with the beauty of nature.

Flowers aren’t just pretty; they have a deep, therapeutic power. The sight of a vibrant bouquet can immediately brighten your mood, help you feel more connected to the world around you, and even reduce stress.

How can flowers boost your self-care routine?

  1. A Feast for the Eyes: Surrounding yourself with fresh flowers or even floral patterns can instantly lift your spirits. Whether it’s a simple vase on your kitchen table or a floral print on your clothes, a burst of color and life can make a difference in your environment... and in your mood. 
  2. Aromatherapy: Flowers, like waxflower or lavender, are known for their calming effects. A simple floral-scented candle, essential oil, or bath soak can help you unwind after a long day and create a peaceful atmosphere. 
  3. Nature’s Healing: There’s something truly special about spending time with flowers… whether that means gardening, walking through a botanical garden, or simply noticing the flowers in your neighborhood. Nature has a way of grounding us, and flowers are the perfect reminder to slow down and appreciate the small, beautiful things around us. 
  4. Creative Inspiration: Flowers have inspired art, fashion, and design for centuries. Whether you’re creating a floral arrangement or incorporating flower motifs into your daily life, the process can spark creativity and bring a sense of calm focus to your day. 
Self-care isn’t just about what you do for yourself… it’s about surrounding yourself with things that make you feel whole, joyful + connected!



Wednesday, April 23, 2025

Designing with the Boldest Blooms: A Spring Protea Trio


If you're anything like me, spring isn't just about soft, dainty blooms. It’s time to lean into bold forms and rich textures, and few botanicals deliver like Proteas. This season, I’m designing a beautiful, sculptural arrangement using three favorites: Protea, Leucospermum "pincushions", and Leucadendron.

This trio offers a perfect balance: the architectural weight of proteas, the dynamic energy of pincushions, and the drama of flowering leucadendron. Whether you're creating for a special occasion, a gift, or just want something gorgeous to enjoy at home, here's a composition to inspire your next seasonal piece.

The Ingredients
  • 2 King Protea + 1 Protea Venus - Choose open blooms with strong color. Pink is classic, but reds or even blush-toned varieties can shift the mood instantly. 
  • 7 -10 Leucospermum - Bright orange, red, or even peach hues work well here. Look for large, open flowers… these will give you the best shape and longevity. 
  • 10 - 12 Leucadendron - White Tulip is a go-to for rich color, but Crown Jubilee and Galpinii add interest with their cone-like textures. These act as both line and filler, making them indispensable.
For More Texture + Fillers
  • Eucalyptus parvifolia and silver dollar plus, my favorite: grevillea Ivanhoe foliage.
  • A weighty ceramic pastel blue container (5-6” opening minimum).
Design Strategy
  1. Build Your Form - Start by inserting your eucalyptus and grevillea foliage to establish height and shape. Think of them as the scaffolding of your arrangement. Let a few reach out asymmetrically to create movement and let them drape naturally over the vessel’s edge to ground the composition. 
  2. Anchor with the Protea - Insert your protea as these are your focal anchors, so space them to lead the eye naturally. 
  3. Add in the Leucospermum - Pincushions are your texture bombs. Use them to bridge the form around the proteas and the foliage. Tuck them close to the base or float them out slightly. 
  4. Soften and Layer - Use Leucadendron to fill in transitions and add softness.
Design Notes
  • Color: While the natural hues of proteas are rich enough to stand alone, don’t be afraid to play with tonal layering—deep red, soft peach, dusty pink, and creamy-yellow all play beautifully together in a spring palette. 
  • Texture: These blooms are inherently sculptural. The goal here isn’t volume, it’s form and contrast. 
  • Vase Mechanics: Floral foam or chicken wire… whatever your go-to method, these stems are woody and top-heavy, so stability is key.

Why It Works for Spring
 

Proteas are available year-round, but spring is when they shine in a design context as they aren’t just statement blooms—they’re sculptural tools too. So, if you're craving a break from predictable spring arrangements, lean into the attitude of this stunning trio.


Saturday, November 30, 2024

Embracing the Beauty of Proteas with Our 2025 Resendiz Brothers Calendar


As we gear up for a new year, there’s an unmistakable excitement that comes with imagining all the beauty and inspiration the months ahead will bring. This is especially true for nature enthusiasts, flower lovers, and anyone captivated by the extraordinary vibrancy of proteas. I am thrilled to reveal our 2025 Resendiz Brothers Calendar, which celebrates these stunning flowers. The cover is typically a photograph that reminds me of a particular season, and the remaining twelve photos are thoughtfully placed in the calendar to represent the months when the proteas pictured are typically in bloom.

Proteas, with their striking shapes and diverse textures, are symbolic of resilience and beauty. Native to the southern hemisphere, particularly South Africa and Australia, these extraordinary flowers thrive in conditions that are less than hospitable, making them a symbol of strength and resilience. By featuring them in our calendar, I aim to inspire not just an appreciation for their alluring qualities but also an admiration for their unwavering spirit in the face of adversity.

As we embark on this new year together, let's indulge in the beauty of nature and celebrate the spirit of proteas. Our 2025 Protea Calendar is more than just a way to mark the days; it’s a source of inspiration that encourages us to appreciate life’s delicate moments and the strength within us all. Join me in honoring these incredible flowers and start your journey into a year filled with beauty, creativity, and connection with the natural world.

Scroll on down and have a sneak peek at this year’s picks!


January


February


March


April


May


June


July


August


September


October


November


December

Sometimes good things come to an end, so that better and greater things can begin. Bring on 2025!

Monday, October 28, 2024

The Allure of Sugarbush in Floral Designs


When it comes to creating floral arrangements, few flowers capture the imagination quite like the Protea repens or more commonly called Sugarbush. With its unique open, funnel-shaped blooms, vibrant colors, and textured foliage, this striking flower is a chic choice for floral fans and designers alike. Originating from the fynbos region of South Africa, the Sugarbush is more than just a beautiful protea; it embodies a spirit of natural elegance that can elevate any arrangement.


Sugarbush is named for its sweet nectar that attracts a wide array of pollinators. The flowers come in shades of pink, red, white, and even bicolor, making them a perfect addition to any color palette. Whether you are going for formal event arrangements or casual gatherings, the striking shape of the flower serves as a focal point that draws the eye.


When mixing Sugarbush into your designs, consider pairing them with other blooms that have complementary shapes and colors. Flowers such as banksia, grevillea, and even other protea varieties can enhance the overall visual impact while maintaining balance. The combination of textures can elevate your floral arrangements. Pairing the rough textures of banksia with the smooth and strong presence of protea adds depth and interest to your designs. Don’t shy away from experimenting with color palettes. A vibrant white Sugarbush can be beautifully contrasted with soft pink, yellow, cream and brown flowers and foliage for a stunning visual effect.



The beauty of Sugarbush makes it an alluring choice for floral designs. Let this versatile protea inspire your next creation. Happy designing!

Wednesday, March 29, 2023

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.

Saturday, February 25, 2023

Winter State of Mind


When the weather is cold and blustery, my strategy for creating a stunning arrangement is simple… make it colorful, textural, and seasonal. Starting with a few stems of vibrant protea like Ceres and Brenda plus, Leucadendron Tricolor and Salignum Pink my inspiration starts flowing. As I mingle in a few stems of textural Grevillea blooms and some bristly bottlebrush, winter really start showing off.



For a bit of a whimsical feel, weave in some frilly yellow wattle and fragrant eucalyptus Parvifolia with lovely heart shaped leaves.

With these fabulous florals, it's easily to create a design that takes the chill out of the season while providing an instant cold-weather pick-me-up. There’s no doubt, the best remedy for beating the ‘Winter Blues’ is to surround yourself with vivid color, lots of texture and seasonal bliss.


From December to March… happy hour is infinite with blooms this luminous.

Friday, August 26, 2022

Pretty Pink Protea Designs


Pink is elegant and romantic. Brighter pinks are youthful, feminine, and playful; vivid pinks are more passionate, affectionate and sensual. Pink makes a room feel inviting and warm. Love and beauty are associated with pink.

Pink is versatile, so versatile, that it is sometimes considered a neutral color! In turn, the possibilities are virtually endless when it comes to creating pink bouquets and arrangements. The scope of the color palette is surprisingly diverse, containing everything from soft peachy pink to bright fuchsia. Whether you're considering something light or dark, you can almost always find a hue that satisfies you. Equally, there’s a bounty of pink flowers to choose from. You can design with something exotic like protea (which obviously tops our list), or experiment with an array of fabulous blooms. Some of my go to favorites are dahlias, amaranths, everlastings and alstroemerias – which are available in pink, as are many other beautiful flowers. Simply choose a season and a style and watch as all the possibilities start to unfold right in front of you. As you learn what blooms in shades of pink + what plant and color combos work best with it, you'll definitely be tickled pink.

Ready to find your muse? We've gathered up some beautiful designs to inspire you.


Start with this bright, cheery arrangement, which features a beautiful Protea King, Grevillea Misty Pink, everlastings, Brunia Albiflora, Leucadendron and lush greenery.


This sweet pink to fuschia mix features protea Brenda, ranunculus, calycina, Grevillea with Leucadendron Maui Sunset and eucalyptus rounding out the design.


Here's a fabulous bouquet that proves peachy pink and rose-pink work in harmony especially when you mix in some dainty waxflower, textural coned Leucadendron and green myrtle.


Coral and light pink are the primary colors in this design that blends exotic Bronze Haze, Leucospermum, kangaroo paw, Grevillea blooms, Christmas Bush, oregano and eucalyptus. The stunning Protea King adds a spring inspired touch.


Stems of eucalyptus Baby Blue give this pink bouquet a whimsical look. The assorted array of Protea and spiky Grevillea Misty Pink blooms deliver a full, textural appeal.


The brightly-colored spikes of the Grevillea and sweet mini King featured in this design provide the perfect pop of color. Combined with the coral Leucospermum and peach & green ranunculus, plus, the sprigs of greenery this arrangement provides a mini-illustration of spring’s eternal elegance.


Here we chose a winter- spring bloom (Waratah!) to add drama to this arrangement. The peach hued Leucospermum, and wild berry everlastings blend well with the petite flowering Leucadendron and buffy-white Berzelia bobbles.

Thursday, June 30, 2022

July: American Grown Flowers Month


July. There’s something about the month, perhaps it’s the fact we’ve reached the year’s halfway mark or maybe because it’s American Grown Flowers Month… that seems to muster up a little nostalgia. With that in mind, these ‘dog days of summer’ aren’t easy to shake off. Whether you’re planning a cozy outdoor rendezvous, catching up on the latest floral trends or simply spending more time relaxing at home, we’ve created a summer inspired arrangement. A few of our favorite proteas are included, like Banksia, Grevillea, Leucadendron and Leucospermum, with the foliage choices as a nod to the ‘summer essentials’ trend, as well as some dahlias, lion's tail, zinnias and kangaroo paw for an extra splash of color.

Scroll down for a glimpse at our American Grown Flowers Month recipe, as we hope it will inspire you to create your own seasonal bliss!






Monday, June 14, 2021

June Bliss


We all love the laid-back days of June. The sounds, smells, textures and sights of the onset of summer fill the days and nights with feelings of delight and excitement.

If you are lucky enough to have a garden, potential flower arrangements to boost those 'blissful feelings' are just footsteps from your door. Otherwise, roadside stands and farmers' markets are brimming with seasonal flowers to take home and enjoy.

Selecting and gathering your own flowers not only allows you to express your creative style, but they also bring the freshness and beauty of nature into your home. When you decorate with fresh flowers and foliage that reflect your unique personality, it makes for unforgettable gatherings that your friends and family will reminisce about for weeks.

To show how I've expressed my floral creativity during these early summer days, I created several arrangemnts with seasonal flowers and foliage that will hopefully inspire you to create your own. Cheers to June… California Grown Flowers Month!