Topiaries date back to ancient Egypt, when rows of date palm were force-cut into shapes of cones. They returned in medieval times as a way of training fruit plants, and then again during the Italian Renaissance. In the 15th century, the Dutch became intrigued with creating topiary that resembled animals while the French preferred creating topiary into geometric shapes. Topiaries have continued to evolve, they’re not only restricted to formal landscaping structures, some are crafted from potted plants, like ivy or rosemary.
Designing a topiary no longer requires that you adhere to live plants, floral topiaries have become quite popular as well. Crating a floral topiary is a simple way to bring a touch of nature indoors. All you need are the flowers and foliage of your choice, floral foam, as well as a tree branch (or stick) and container to act as the support and showcase for your design. For my first topiary, I gathered Serruria, Leucadendron, Phylica, Berzelia, Calycina and waxflower.
As the spring season’s floral options transitioned from soft mute colors to more vibrant hues, I mixed Leucospermum, Isopogon, Leucadendron and sprigs of lavender and Jasmine Vine.
Many of the botanicals I gathered for these toparies will retain their structural design and to some extent their color long after they’re vase-life. Simply put… they don’t die, they dry… Beautifully!
We ask a lot of our CAGrown flowers and foliage. It’s not enough to just see them while they’re in the fields or harvested and ready for shipping - we want to see them in festive displays, bouquets and centerpieces, too! That’s why we were so excited to partner with thefeedfeed and cagrownofficial to celebrate the launch of Adam Merrin and Ryan Alvarez’s new cookbook, “Husbands that Cook,” featuring 120 irresistible recipes that use fresh California grown produce!
High in the hills of Eagle Rock, CA, the day greeted over 35 guests from thefeedfeed’s Instagram Community of Cooks with blue skies and warm temperatures, making for a perfect afternoon to savor some of the recipes from the cookbook and while enjoying a feast of CAGrown flowers from our farm and Mellano & Company. As an extra treat during dessert, guests were also invited to create their own special bouquet to enjoy at home.
Thanks to everyone who joined us at Adam and Ryan’s home in Eagle Rock to celebrate the launch—we’re so proud to share CAGrown Flowers with you!
The most abundant and colorful time of the year is upon us, and there’s no better way to celebrate the season than by bringing nature’s wonder and beauty indoors. Yep, we’re talking about another festive Floral Topiary! Again this month, we’re challenging you to dream beyond traditional arrangements, and try something fun and fabulous.
We’d be remiss not to include the seasonal flowers that mark so many of the spring holidays and events. You can start off simple with just four or five different flowers, but don’t stop there! There are a lot more interesting ways to use nature’s bounty and create a beautiful topiary.
- Leucadendron Red Eye
- Purple and Yellow Isopogon
- Leucospermum Eurbescenes – Fruit Salad
- Lavender
- Jasmine Vine
Topiaries date back to ancient Egypt, when rows of date palm were force-cut into shapes of cones. They returned in medieval times as a way of training fruit plants, and then again during the Italian Renaissance. In the 15th century, the Dutch became intrigued with creating topiary that resembled animals while the French preferred creating topiary into geometric shapes. Topiaries have continued to evolve, they’re not only restricted to formal landscaping structures, some are crafted from potted plants, like ivy or rosemary.
Today, creating a topiary no longer requires that you adhere to live plants, floral topiaries have become quite popular as well. Designing a floral topiary is a simple way to bring a touch of nature indoors… winter, spring, summer or fall. All you need are the flowers and foliage of your choice, floral foam, as well as a tree branch (or stick) and container to act as the support and showcase for your design. For our topiary, we’ve selected Serruria, Leucadendron, Phylica, Berzelia, Calycina and waxflower, blooms that can last two to three weeks with the proper care. Many of these botanicals will retain their structural design and to some extent their color long after their vase-life. They don’t die, they dry… Beautifully!
Did you know Proteas are ever-flowers? With proper post-harvest care blooms can last two to three weeks in the vase. Then they don’t die – they dry! Many Proteas retain their structural design and to some extent their color. When mixed in arrangements, they are as permanent as almost anything the botanical world provides.
Is there a second life? According to Martha Stewart Living Magazine Nov. 2015, “It’s a Perfect Union - There’s no rule against combining dried plants with fresh blooms; the effect. In fact, can be unexpectedly striking.” We couldn’t agree more, dried flowers can add unique texture and color to designs.
A Protea Pod or sometimes called “Protea Flat” is the wood-like base and stem of the flower that’s left after the long bracts and center dome is removed. They are great when added to arrangements, bouquets, wreaths and topiaries.
Feeling creative and enjoy crafts? Use dried flowers as raw materials for sculptural inventions. By themselves or in combination with other natural materials, proteas make fascinating ornaments, dolls and other creations.
