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.

Banksia Baxteri: A bloom with a Tropical Twist 🌿🍈

In the sun-drenched landscapes of southwestern Australia, nature has crafted some of its most dazzling Banksia. Among them is baxteri, commonly known as Bird’s-Nest Banksia, Baxter’s Banksia, and in Hawaii, it has the nickname “Summer Lime”.

This banksia turns heads with its bright lime-green cylindrical spikes that bloom in summer. Each inflorescence is composed of thousands of tiny flowers arranged in a compact cluster. Baxteri’s leaves are leathery, deeply serrated, and arranged in whorls around the branches, adding to its full, rounded shape.

Another wonderful attribute is baxteri's incredible longevity as both a cut flower and as part of dried arrangements. Whether you’re arranging a centerpiece or creating a large floral display, the lime-green hue and textured shape of the bloom lends an artistic touch to any design. When used as the focal point, baxteri draws the eye and adds dramatic flair to arrangements.

In addition, you can pair this "Summer Lime" with soft, flowing florals like roses, dahlias, or eucalyptus to balance out the rougher edges of the Banksia. Plus, it’s also a favorite in dried floral arrangements, offering long-lasting color and texture.

For couples looking to include something unique in their wedding florals, baxteri is an inspired choice. It’s often used in wedding bouquets for its ability to create a distinct, natural look with earthy tones as it works particularly well at outdoor weddings, adding a tropical twist to the day. 🌞🍈

To ensure that your baxteri lasts as long as possible in floral arrangements, consider these simple tips: 

• Change the water regularly to prevent bacterial growth. 
• Trim the stems at an angle before placing them in water, allowing better absorption. 
• Remove any excess foliage below the waterline. 
• For dried arrangements, hang the flowers upside down in a dry, cool area to maintain their shape and color. 

If you're inspired to create a stunning arrangement, baxteri is a beautiful choice.

The Delicate Serruria Flower: Nature's Fragile Beauty

When we think of flowers, images of vibrant colors and robust shapes come to mind. Yet, nestled within the world of botanical wonders lies a true gem of fragility and elegance: the Serruria flower. Known commonly as "blushing bride," this remarkable bloom is not just another pretty face, it's a symbol of resilience and beauty in the wild.

Serruria is a genus belonging to the family of proteas, native to the enchanting landscapes of South Africa. With over 20 species, these flowers are primarily found in the fynbos biome, a unique ecosystem embodied by its rich diversity and stunning flora. The Serruria genus is famous for its delicate, intricate flowers that emerge in winter and come in gentle shades of pink and white, resembling the softest of bridal gowns.

The Serruria flower lives up to its nickname. The soft petals gracefully unfurl, showcasing a delicate, ruffled appearance that captures both elegance and fragility. This flower is a fascinating study in contrasts; while it may appear fragile at first glance, it has adapted beautifully to its harsh, natural environment. The Serruria plant thrives in sandy, poor soil and is well-equipped to survive droughts, showcasing nature's resourcefulness.

In addition to their visual allure, Serruria flowers hold cultural significance, particularly in South Africa. They are often used in traditional ceremonies and celebrations, symbolizing love and beauty. The delicate blooms are stunning in arrangements, especially for weddings. Florists have embraced Serruria for its unique charm and delicate look, bringing a touch of nature's grace into events.

The elusive Serruria flower is more than just a visual delight; it embodies the fragile yet resilient beauty of nature. With its soft petals and enchanting allure, it serves as a reminder of the need to protect our natural landscapes. Whether admired in the wild, cultivated on farms, or cherished in floral arrangements, the Serruria flower's charm captivates hearts, making it a lasting symbol of beauty and grace.

Serruria

This delightful genus of forty-four species from South Africa's Cape is a popular member of the Protea family. Serruria has received its connoisseur status among florists, designers and gardeners due to its rarity in nature and cultivation, as well as its exquisite blooms. Papery white and pink bracts surrounding feathery tufts of white to pinkish flowers are produced over winter and spring. Blushing Bride and 'Pretty ‘n’ Pink' are some of the most sought after and well-know varieties currently being grown.

Serruria 'Pretty ‘n’ Pink'

Serruria Blushing Bride

It is thought Serruria Blushing Bride received its name in South Africa because of its traditional use in bridal bouquets and through the custom of young men in the Cape Region wearing the flowers in a buttonhole of their jacket when courting. Unfortunately, Blushing Bride seems to have been over-exploited as the species was near extinction or even believed to be "lost" for 90 years in the wild until conservation measures in the 1960’s and 70's saved it.

When buying Serruria look for:

1.  Bunches with 1/2 of the flowers open. 
2. Avoid bunches with drooping blooms.

Flower Care:

1. Keep cool when possible. 
2. Split bunches and strip leaves from the bottom half of each stem. 
3. Re-cut at least ¼” off the stems and place in cool water immediately. 
4. Always use a preservative as it will help the buds to open. 
5. Replace water frequently.

February Articles of Interest

Petite Wedding Bouquets That Make a Big Statement

While we'll always be big fans of wild, cascading bouquets, we've noticed that more and more brides are opting for smaller-scale arrangements. This is particularly true for brides affected by the coronavirus pandemic, who have had to adjust their wedding plans for a smaller guest list and new budget. These mini clutches can range from a single stem to a collection of tiny blooms. But don't be fooled by their smaller stature—although minute, these posies still make a big impact down the aisle. In fact, we think their small size is what makes them so eye-catching.

Read more here.
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Rare pink flannel flowers bloom in Australia

The blossoms grow in eastern Australia, from the Blue Mountains to north-eastern Victoria. Their seeds can lay dormant for years, requiring exactly the right conditions to germinate – a year after bushfire followed by rainfall.

Read more here.
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The Flower Fields Will Reopen in March,
With New Guidelines

AROUND THE TIME WHEN THE POPPIES... of the Antelope Valley arrive, but a little after the desert's wildflower show begins, and near the moment when wisteria starts to add a purple-lush beauty to some of California's grandest formal gardens, a petal-packed place in Carlsbad gets colorful. Very, very colorful, thanks to vast carpets composed solely Giant Tecolote Ranunculus flowers, those giant-headed, eye-wowza beauties that pop in an assortment of reds, oranges, yellows, and pinks. It's The Flower Fields we're talking about, the venerable attraction that includes opportunities to stroll by the famous cultivated blooms, as well as other events in years gone by, from sunset dining to live music.

Read more here.

May Articles of Interest

A Blushing Bride on Your Wedding

Protea Blushing Bride is one of the most sought after wedding flowers. These are truly one of a kind. Think of a tropical peony, and you get the protea Blushing Bride, which is actually a member of the Proteaceae, endemic to South Africa. Some call this beauty serruria Florida.

Pointed petals that range from ivory-white to pale green to pale pink, open to reveal a blush center, hint the name, Blushing Bride. Combine with cymbidiums and spider chrysants for a tropical bouquet or combine with ranunculus and orlaya flowers for a romantic bouquet.

Read more here.
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The Prototypical Protea

There are stunning flowers, and there are stunning flowers. The protea, also known as the sugarbush, belongs to the latter category. You’ve probably seen these whimsical flowers in stylish bouquets and centerpieces, where their unusual beauty draws you in for a closer look. There are more than 1,500 species of protea, which is native to New Zealand, Australia, South America, and South Africa (stateside, they’re grown in California and Hawaii). King Protea, the largest, is so bulbous, so heavy, it’s a wonder it doesn’t just tip right over.

Read more here.
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Pick of the Proteas

Proteas have existed for over 300 million years, making them one of the oldest groups of flowering plants in the world. Despite their ancient roots, they look beautifully modern in any garden. They’re also low care, make great cut flowers, are bird attracting and share the same care needs as our own Aussie natives. Discover the most popular protea varieties as well as their South African cousins - leucadendrons, leucospermum and serruria - below.

Read more here.
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Benefits of Having Flowers and Plants at Home

Certainly, we all like to receive flowers and be able to decorate each of our spaces, or even with plants, both for its delicate beauty or for its aroma, but did you know that not only serve as decoration? Having flowers or plants has many benefits, and of course when you know you will try to have them in your home and work more frequently.

Read more here.

Flower News: November’s Stories of Interest from Around the World

5 Ways to Make Your Wedding Flowers More Sustainable

We’re pumped to see businesses and couples alike becoming more conscious of the environmental impact of weddings, and floristry is one area where this has become a real priority. And before you start picturing foraged posies and native-everything (not those things aren’t awesome) let us assure you that sustainable practices can still mean high end floral design.

Read more here.
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An Autumnal Boho Wedding with Rust Bridesmaids Dresses, Spicy Fall Florals, and Copper Details

There’s something about Fall color that is just truly magical. Burnished yellows, spicy rust tones, pumpkin orange and coffee really bring the warm and cozies to a wedding day! When Chels and Danté began planning their lavish Fall wedding at Giracci Vineyards, they knew they wanted every detail to represent them. Based on their vibrant and fun personalities, we’d say their color palette choices were spot on!! With the help of Weddings by Cortney Helaine, they planned a boho fête that was full of lush fall florals, macramé decor, copper details and the cutest rust bridesmaids dresses!

Read more here.
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How to Dry Protea

Dried flowers add long-lasting beauty to any decor and can be made into keepsakes for weddings, anniversaries or birthdays. Drying your own flowers at home saves money and allows you to preserve flowers from your garden that otherwise would wither and die. Protea is a large, exotic flower available in many vibrant shades, such as dark pink, blood red, bright yellow and caramel. Once dried, the colors will fade over time, leaving behind tan flowers which look gorgeous in wreaths or bouquets.

Read more here.
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Relieving Stress During the Holidays

While a wonderful season, the holidays can sometimes bring on as much stress as joy. From shopping, to organizing the guest lists, to putting up the decorations, our growing to-do list can add to our feelings of overwhelm and worry about how we are going to get everything done. According to a recent poll, 68 percent of people feel stress on a weekly basis, and 32 percent experience stress daily.

It’s important in these hectic times to step back, breathe, and take opportunities to have a moment of calm, so we can enjoy the holiday festivities, rather than stress over them.

Read more here.

Flower News: March’s Stories of Interest from Around the World

South Africa's Cape Floral Kingdom Has More Diverse Plant Life Than the Rain forest and Must Burn to Survive

South Africa's Cape Floral Region is a group of protected areas that have the highest concentration of plant species on Earth. With triple the number of plant varieties as the Amazon rainforest, the UNESCO World Heritage site is unique in another way — it must burn periodically to survive.

The group of eight protected areas that comprise the Cape Floral Kingdom outside of Cape Town is the smallest of the world's six floral kingdoms. The flammable ecosystem must burn every 10 to 20 years in order for the plants' seed to germinate and to destroy invasive species, BBC.com reported.

Read more here.
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Eruption of color is a rite of spring at
Carlsbad's Flower Fields

After a wet and wild winter, the Flower Fields in Carlsbad are shaping up for one of the best seasons ever.

For 10 weeks each year, the working farm lets the public wander its carefully manicured rows of white, red, yellow, purple, pink, and orange blossoms perched on 50 gently sloping acres overlooking the Pacific Ocean.

The flowers are ranunculuses, a member of the buttercup family. But generations of cultivation have made them unlike any ranunculuses in the world.

Read more here.
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Gardening Matters: Iconic Banksias call Australia home

The banksias are iconic Australian plants and are members of the Proteaceae family in company with the grevilleas, hakeas and South African proteas.

Banksias are almost uniquely Australian.

Banksia dentata, from the Northern Territory, is also found in New Guinea.

Over 70 Banksias call Australia home with the lion’s share of species occurring in the southwest corner of Western Australia.

NSW is well represented with 16 varieties. Until recently there was thought to be 15 NSW species, then a new banksia was discovered on the south coast. This new species is very rare and vulnerable with only 14 plants found so far.

Read more here.
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Certified American Grown Flowers Star
at FTD World Cup 2019

The FTD World Cup 2019, considered the Olympics of floral design, was held last weekend in Philadelphia, marking the first time the competition has been held in the U.S. since 1985. But perhaps even more exciting than its return to the U.S. is the fact that global participants in the competition created some of their designs with over 14,000 Certified American Grown Flowers and Greens donated by American flower farmers!

Read more here.
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10 Spring Wedding Themes That Are in Bloom for 2019

Springtime may call to mind fresh blooms and pastel hues, but those aren’t the only inspiring details for spring weddings. This year, modern couples are combining traditional elements with stark contrasts, including black accents and futuristic details, for their spring wedding celebrations.

For more ideas, top planners and designers are sharing with Brides the biggest spring wedding themes for 2019.

Read more here.

Flower News: January’s Articles of Interest from Around the World

Search the internet today for “proteas wedding flowers,” and you will find an abundance of eye-catching photos—far more than just five years ago. Some will come from trendy bridal magazines and websites. But a good many will have been created or promoted by just one California flower farm.

Read more here
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Gardening: Five of the best gardens to visit around the world when you're on holiday

If you're planning your holidays and fancy taking in some gardens while you're away, here are five to savour and inspire:

Kirstenbosch Botanical Garden, South Africa: Anyone lucky enough to get to Cape Town shouldn't miss a trip to these stunning botanical gardens on the lower eastern slopes of Table Mountain. The 36-hectare nature reserve supports fynbos (shrub and heathland), forest and a variety of animals. It was the first national garden in the world devoted to a country's indigenous plants and is home to many collections, including cycads, proteas, ericas, pelargoniums and succulents. Best time to visit: January (summer), when the agapanthus are in bloom, May to October when the Protea Garden is in flower, or September and October when wild flowers bring a riot of colour (sanbi.org/gardens/kirstenbosch).

Read more here.
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Allsup: Updated weddings start with florals

It may be hard to predict what a bride will want for her wedding day, but it is likely to include gorgeous flowers. Barn weddings with rustic materials have been popular for years, but now are shifting toward 1970s bohemian styles and elegant industrial styles. Here are some specific trends brides are asking their floral designers for this year.

Read more here.
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Gardening Matters: Native plants of the Blue Mountains

The Blue Mountains National Park (BMNP), west of Sydney is one of a number of national parks that virtually surround the NSW capital in the north and south as well as west. BMNP has an area of 270,000 hectares and provides a sanctuary for a wide range of native plants. As an example, over 90 species of eucalyptus are found in the park.

This time we will concentrate on plants that have horticultural potential. Some are already in favour with local gardeners whilst others are waiting to come into local cultivation. In spring probably the most visible plant is the Telopea speciosissima, the Waratah. The large, beautiful red flower is in fact a number of individual blooms supported by red floral bracts.

Read more here.

Serruria Florida Blushing Bride

Without a doubt one the most sought after and best-known of the South African Proteas. Lost to cultivation and believed to be extinct for nearly ninety years, Serruria florida was rediscovered in 1891. The common name, Blushing Bride, was embraced because of its traditional use in bridal bouquets and through the custom of young men wearing the flowers in their buttonholes when courting. Breathtaking blush flower heads about 1 ½” long with papery-white bracts flushed with pink develop during winter through spring. The blooms grow in clusters of up to eight on long stems with soft needle-shaped foliage which gives each branch a light, feathery appearance. 1997

Blushing Bride has become quite popular with designers and florists, particularly in view of their illustrious vase life. They also dry beautifully, which extends their life for an infinite period of time.

Pictures taken in Citrusdal, Western Cape, S. Africa

Protea News: May’s Articles and Blogs of Interest from Around the World

Changing the landscape

He bet the farm on an unfamiliar flower—now protea is a breakout star

On a patchwork of some 15 parcels of hilly land with rocky, dry soil in northern San Diego County, Ismael "Mel" Resendiz has carved out a floral paradise. His farm, clinging to steep, remote hillsides and linked to civilization with narrow dirt roads, many of which Resendiz himself built, defies convention. So does its signature product, the otherworldly but undeniably lovely protea. Read more here.
                                                                                                                                                             

SA wins gold at Chelsea Flower Show

London - South Africa won gold at the prestigious Royal Horticultural Society Chelsea Flower Show in London on Tuesday. SA has won gold 36 times in the 43 years it has exhibited at the international flower show.

Designer and gardener Leon Kluge of the Kirstenbosch National Botanical Garden an his team presented a culturally oriented display featuring not only SA’s unique flora, but also the Cape Flats. Read more here. 
                                                                                                                                                         

Although they may just recently have been swarming social media in shots of floral designs, proteas have been around for a very long time. The large and extremely diverse family is known to have originated at a time when much of the Earth’s landmass had amalgamated into one supercontinent. Later, sections of the supercontinent drifted apart and formed the continents we know today—which is why we find members of the wide-ranging protea family native to regions as far apart as Australia, South America and South Africa. Read more here.
                                                                                                                                                                  

Colourful Native Wedding at the Palais Theatre, Franklin

For a February wedding, the brief was "colourful" and "native" with the bride's dress in a dark bottle green. What fun! A beautiful White King Protea formed the centrepiece of the bride's bouquet, making sure there was a real contrast with the dark green of the dress. The King Protea was surrounded by lots of colour and fabulous foliage. Read more here.