Autumn's Protea Harvest

There is no place I would rather be in autumn than in my protea fields. I always enjoy the amazing display of pink, red and white protea, the sound of bees hard at work and the warmth from the sun as it slowly sets over my fields.

Protea plants line the fields with flowers that have burst into bloom, looking like splendid candles on a Christmas tree.

As the protea harvest begins, each flower is a pleasant reminder of this special season.

And as the sun warms my body, these beautiful flowers feed my soul.

Monday through Sunday we fill up bucket after bucket with vibrant protea.

Never forgetting, it’s always important to take a moment and enjoy the fruits of our labor!

Finally, with each truck load of protea, I’m reminded of how lucky I am to be a flower farmer!!!

"More than anything I must have flowers always, always". – Claude Monet

Creating a Fabulous Fall Arrangement

Just like the childhood draw of a box of 68 crayons, a field full of colorful protea and foliage stirs emotions and encourages the imagination.  Warm and cool colors combine to make beautiful statements, some powerful, and others tranquil.  Rich reds, deep pinks, and cool greens can come together to make stunning arrangements that remind us of the season. Watch as Susan takes fresh flowers from our fields and create this fabulous fall arrangement…....

We begin with an interesting rustic container.

Add two banksia menziesii, some grevillea red hooks and hakea foliage.

Insert two beautiful protea eximia.

Add a protea pink ice.

Spice it up with a few protea red baron, bankisia occidentalis and pomegranate.

Mix in some jacaranda leaves, kangaroo paws and australian pine.

Finally, relax and enjoy the pleasure that flowers add to your life!!!

Banksia Menziesii

Ruby is the color of love, blood, passion, wine, fire and Menziesii, a fabulous fall banksia! Menziesii is also referred to as Menzies' banksia, firewood banksia, port wine banksia or 'Raspberry Frost' – all very suitable nicknames. 

Menziesii blooms in the fall when the reddish flowers begin to open from the base. Gradually taking their time, sometimes taking weeks, row after row of flowers open until the flowering reaches the top of the cone, looking like splendid candles on a Christmas tree. When this beautiful bloom has finished the flower spikes into an interesting seed cone that lasts for an eternity!

It has been said that Menziesii also has a special flower essence - the essential healing energy of a flower, a distinctive dynamic inner life force that differentiates it from other flowers. Aboriginal People from all over the world have used flowers in their rituals and ceremonies, aware of their subtle healing properties. Menziesii’s special healing power is “Courage” – the courage to release pain and to move ahead triumphantly, and that “Triumph” over disaster leads to renewed energy.

This banksia’s essence certainly seems to parallel with The Language of Flowers and the symbol of Protea - Diversity and Courage!  Menziesii, not only is a beautiful flower, but strong and powerful one as well; and looks fabulous mixed with other flowers in arrangements and bouquets (more to come on this design by Susan)!.

120 Minutes…Top Designers…A Mystery Assignment

The Sylvia Cup Design Competition is the longest running, live, national annual floral design competition. Sponsored by the California Cut Flower Commission (CCFC), the Sylvia Cup tested the skills of 22 designers. Among them were winners of state and regional floral industry design contests, serial design competitors, designers of the year and members of the American Institute of Floral Designers (AIFD).

John Hosek, AIFD, PFCI, CAFA, CF, of the Design Circle, in Verona, Wis., won the grand prize in this year's 44th Competition held on Sept. 15th during SAF Palm Springs 2011 - Congratulations to John and all the contestants!

It was exciting to see all the wonderful bouquets and designs that were created using the same product assortment of beautiful California Grown flowers and foliage, including our very own Protea Fiesta and Leucadendron Safari Sunset!  Here's a glimpse of some of these creative designs - Enjoy!!!



The Protea Attraction

The ability of protea to attract nectar-seeking birds is one of their greatest advantages. In South Africa’s Cape Floral Kingdom protea are primarily bird-pollinated, and it is common to see the beaks and heads of birds covered in pollen that is being efficiently transferred between flowers.

In addition, protea are an excellent food source, especially over the long winter months. In the Cape Floral Region, Cape Sugarbirds are seldom found far from the Proteaceae, especially in the early morning when nectar flows in abundance attracting a multitude of insects which in turn attract the Sugarbirds. Each bird has its own personal bush which it guards jealously from the other Sugarbirds. For the artist or photographer, these birds are a welcome subject since they do not flee at the sight of a human being.

Here are a few of my favorite bird and protea photographs - Enjoy!!!

A Passion for Farming and The Earth

I have always had a passion for farming! I’ve harvested cotton, cut sugarcane, planted tomatoes and now, I’m a flower farmer (with a small vegetable garden and some fruit trees in between), and I absolutely love it!

As a flower farmer, I have come to realize how important it is to take good care of my land by preventing erosion and mulching to enrich and protect the soil from dehydration or loss of water. Water is precious here in S. California, without it there would be no locally grown flowers to enjoy, and that is why I use a drip system to irrigate my plants. This type of system conserves water by dripping just enough water around each plant to feed only its roots.



In addition, Resendiz Brothers has become Veriflora certified; and I am always looking for new and creative ways to conserve and protect my land and the environment, so my family can keep growing high quality flowers and foliage for years to come!

Rainbow

What’s the first thought that comes to your mind when someone mentions the word Rainbow? Most often, it’s a beautiful arc of colors formed by sunshine on rain! However, for me, Rainbow is much more then sunshine on rain, it’s the place where I grow my flowers, my protea – Rainbow, California.

A rainbow over Rainbow

Rainbow is a quaint and very colorful agricultural community. It seems like there’s a greenhouse full of gorgeous plants or a nursery with a rainbow of color packs ready for planting on every corner. This small community of nearly 1900 neighbors has one restaurant, gas station, school, florist and two country markets. On any given day, it’s not uncommon to see my pickups loaded with flowers navigating though the windy roads. Sometimes it looks like I have yanked a fireworks display out of the sky and tossed it in the back on my truck – almost a one pickup parade. But funny enough nobody gives it a second glance – it’s just another day in Rainbow or as I see it, another day in paradise!

Then, there’s that place “Somewhere over Rainbow way up high” where my proteaceae grow! Yes, these little known Southern Hemisphere Natives flourish in this particular area of S. California, bless with warm days, cool nights, dry summers and cool ocean breezes - the perfect Mediterranean climate for my special flowers. My protea plants are constant reminders that earthly life is both powerful and glorious. The earth itself produced these amazing blooms, using simple materials such as crumbed granite, lots of sun, and an occasional drink of water – my flower fields in these hills above Rainbow is where I’ve found my barrels of gold, my happiness, my life!