Spring Ready

In like a lion, out like a lamb, March is a month of change and revival. The days grow longer and lighter and our souls tend to follow suit as well. We ‘spring forward’ on March 12th and then set our sights on the 20th, the first day of spring.

This winter has been one for the record books in California when it comes to rainfall. So far, we’ve broken records for any 22-day period between October to January. Parts of the state have seen over 20 inches of rain to-date (and still growing) but that number has a long way to go to beat 1982-1983 which totaled nearly 43 inches.

The nearby mountain tops are snow packed surrounding our valley in a winter wonderland. While spring may still be a little over three weeks away, we’re ready to begin the seasonal transition into Leucospermum season. With even brighter hues and plenty of texture… we’re 'Spring-Ready' or perhaps better said ‘Pincushion Ready' even though winter is still rampaging through the fields like a lion.

There has rarely been a better time for spring’s arrival. As the 19th-century writer Harriet Ann Jacobs noted “when nature resumes her loveliness, the human soul is apt to revive also.”

For the Love of Waxflower

Waxflower season is upon us, and with it comes an abundance of those beloved fragrant flowers. Belonging to the Chamelaucium genus of shrubs and stemming from the myrtle family, they are related to Leptospermum and Thryptomene. Waxflower includes over 100 varieties of Geraldton wax or Chamelaucium uncinatum and other Chamelaucium species and hybrids. Some of the more common hybrids are classified as Pearlflowers, Gemflowers or Starflowers. These amazing plants typically bloom early winter through spring and are widely grown for their frilly eye-catching blooms.

Discovered in 1819, the waxflower originated from the southwest of Western Australia, where the French botanist Rene Louiche Desfontaines gave the plant its botanical name Chamelaucium. The slight waxy feel of its petals is believed to be the reason for its name. The leaves contain oil glands that have a beautiful lemony fresh fragrance when crushed. The blooms are delicate in style, flaunting five petals, ten stamens and a small, hardened fruit.

Waxflowers have long been associated with good luck and best wishes of lasting love. And it's also a symbol of wealth and riches. In Australia it's believed that the waxflower symbolizes joyful memories and new beginnings and is therefore used in most weddings. These fabulous flowers have an abundance of uses in bouquets and arrangements, as well as in flower crowns and corsages.

Greenery: Encourages New Beginnings

The Pantone Color Institute has announced its Color of the Year for 2017 — and we’re back to just one color this year! It’s called “Greenery” or Pantone 15-0343 – a gorgeous shade of green.

The color is said to be symbolic of “new beginnings” — the reconnection we seek with nature and one another. Greenery is described by the institute as a “fresh and zesty yellow-green shade that evokes the first days of spring when nature’s greens revive, restore and renew.”

This annual color award is supposed to serve as an icon of what’s taking place in the world, an expression of the mood and attitude. And this year that mood and attitude is a yearning for a fresh New Year, healthier food choices, flowers, greens, and the outdoors — in one word, environment.

“There’s a growing desire to reconnect with Nature and what is real, and find ways to disconnect from technology. We need a break. We need to stop and breathe,” states Laurie Pressman, the Pantone Color Institute’s vice president.

So, in 2017 we’re planning to surround ourselves in “Greenery” and here’s some of our favorites!

Berzelia Lanuginosa

Green Boronia

Leucadendron Inca Gold

Leucadendron Nobel

Banksia Media

Banksia Speciosa

Green Kangaroo Paw

Protea Green Apple