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.

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.

A Perfect Match: Protea and Peonies

Pink protea are definitely a personal passion. The velvety, bell-shaped blooms contrast beautifully with the soft petals of most flowers. They are standouts. A full-grown protea plant can produce 65 or more stems. There will be plenty of blooms to cut and enjoy indoors, and still some left in the garden for added pleasure. When left to dry in your home, protea deliver pleasure long after the plant’s season ends.

Another pink standout is the peony or also known as “Polish Poses”. They’re outrageously beautiful in bloom with lush foliage all summer long. Peonies are perennials that come back every year to take your breath away. In fact, some plants have been known to thrive for at least 100 years. For best results, the stems should be cut in the morning when the buds are still fairly tight. Peonies make wonderful cut flowers, lasting more than a week in a vase and they dry beautifully as well.

On days that call for a little extra bliss or magic, candy hues, mixed textures, and varied shapes emit homey spontaneity. A rustic French floral container, with ample room for plenty of blooms, becomes the perfect vessel for embracing an array of protea, peonies, grevillea flowers and, of course, fabulous foliage.

Bringing flowers into your home breaks the barrier between inside and out. It opens a window on nature’s astonishing world and conveys a special wisdom that increases the more you do it.

Spring Faves: Leucospermum

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Leucospermum are the eye candy of our spring protea harvest, and if you’re not already reveling in their splendor, we’re betting you will be soon. Who can resist all the beautiful flowering heads with masses of styles that look like pins bristling from a pincushion? Fanciful blooms atop long sturdy stems create colorful focal points not only in the field (or garden) but when displayed in floral designs. It’s magic time! And now it seems every year, we get to enjoy a new variety or cultivar as many of the Hawaiian Hybrids are becoming more readily available.

You see, back in the 1970's the University of Hawaii started working on an exclusive collection of new and improved cultivars of pincushions. The goals were aimed at improved color, increased vase life and good stem length. The results - some amazing hybrids, many of which have quite complex ancestry, some with even ten species parents.

The Allure of FYNBOS

Fynbos is one of the earth’s hot spots because of its exceptional biodiversity. It’s little wonder that Fynbos which literally means ‘fine bush’ has been touted for its unique type of vegetation that accounts for more than 80 percent of the plant species in the Cape Floral Kingdom. And, more than two-thirds of these plant species are not found growing naturally anywhere else in the world. Many of these amazing plants have been used for their decorative and gardening purposes, medicinal purposes and even their magical powers. Despite the growing interest in fynbos, it still remains a mystery to many people. Some species can be found growing right under their noses and they don’t even realize it.
 
Fynbos is composed of approximately 100 families with the three largest and most well known families being: the ericas, proteas and restos. With that in mind, there are plenty more families to get to know – Here are just a few of our favorites:

Agapanthus means ‘Flower of Love’ and is derived from the Greek agape’ meaning ‘love’ and anthos meaning ‘flower’. They are also known as the ‘lily of the Nile’ and the ‘African lily’ even though they are not a lily. Did you know in the world of magic the agapanthus is a highly respected plant? The roots can be used to make a love charm and their magical powers even ward off thunder. And, agapanthus can serve as a fire-break if you plant it close enough to the house.

Egyptians called the aloe vera plant “plant of immortality,” 6,000 years ago. Cleopatra applied the moist middle of the spiky plant to her body as part of her beauty regimen. Greeks used it to cure everything from baldness to insomnia and the Native Americans called it the “Wand of the Heaven.”

Leonotis leonurus is also known as wild dagga and lion's tail. Wild dagga flowers and leaves were smoked by the Hottentot tribe of southern Africa because of its euphoric effect. In traditional healing, wild dagga is used to treat fevers, headaches, coughs and skin rashes. It's also used as a charm to keep snakes at bay, and has been used to treat snake bites.

Tulbaghia Violacea or wild garlic is also called Society Garlic because Dutch settlers thought it was a more polite spice to use for flavoring dishes than true garlic particularly for social events. And, the Zulu used both the flowers and the leaves to make hot seasoning with meat and potatoes. Tulbaghia is a disinfectant, and the bulb has been used to treat cough and colds.

Cinco de Mayo – A Floral Fiesta

Did you know Cinco de Mayo marks May 5, 1862, when the Mexican army won the Battle of Puebla?  The holiday has become a celebration of Mexican heritage and culture in the United States, particularly in communities with large Mexican-American populations.

The energy and sheer magic of Mexican flair is often expressed through the spirited and lively use of joyful color.  Sizzling red, orange, blue, turquoise, purple, lemon, lime and pink – these passionate colors are applied to everything and are often offset with earthly shades and whites.  Mexican celebrations are an invitation to show off colorful flowers, which are an integral part of Mexico’s culture.

And for some couples, Cinco de Mayo is the perfect day to tie the knot. Take a look at these colorful wedding blogs from Style Me Pretty: 

Spanish Style Wedding Inspiration

Dallas Photo Shoot by Greg Blomberg Photography + Bows and Arrows