Grevillea Ivanhoe: A Fall Favorite

Autumn is the perfect time of the year to rediscover one the season's fabulous foliage, Grevillea Ivanhoe, bursting with color, volume and texture!

The Australian species of Grevillea consists of approximately 313 different varieties and 200 cultivars, and the numbers continues to grow.  Named in honor of the British patron of botany Charles Francis Greville, one of the founders of the Royal Horticulture Society in 1804.

Grevillea Ivanhoe is a hybrid cultivar derived from combination of G. Longifolia and G. Caleyi.  It has very attractive serrated and deeply cut foliage with deep green leaves and silver undersides, while new growth is a reddish bronze color.

The little cone-like buds and red tooth brush-like flowers, which seem to turn this foliage into a 'filler flower', are prominently displayed over the late winter and early spring.  Ivanhoe adds a distinctive 'spice' of texture and color to designs and it has a long vase life of 14 days and longer.

In addition, when Ivanhoe is color enhanced it's silvery undertone takes on festive colors beautifully! 

Still not convinced Ivanhoe's a fall favorite?  If not, these wonderful creations will certainly inspire you! 

Swallowsnestfarm.blogspot.com

Flirty Fleurs

swallowsnestfarm.blogspot.com

Dominiqueflowers.com

Enjoy this wonderful season and make it a time to rediscover Ivanhoe!

Persimmon - A Divine Fruit

Did you know America's Native Americans, the Algonquin are responsible for the word "persimmon"?  The Algonquin were quite fond of the fruit, collecting it totally ripe after it fell to the ground and enjoying it immediately.  They also dried the ripe fruit into bricks to create vitamin rich nutrition for the long winter.

Persimmon or also called 'kaki' is part of the Diospyros genus of over 700 species of trees and shrubs.  The name Diospyros literally translates to "divine fruit" or "divine food" and is an appropriate description for the wonderful persimmon.

Persimmon season is in full swing, which brings a wonderful opportunity to explore all the decorative possibilities of this vibrant fruit, and that's exactly what we decided to do!  First, we created two stunning fall arrangements which included a mixture of protea, pincushions, banksia, leucadendron, grevillea and agonis.  And, of course we couldn't leave out one of our favorite autumn accessories - the Wreath!  Persimmon, banksia integrifolia, olive and seeded eucalyptus branches were all weaved into that seasonal symbol of 'welcome'.

Then, we took our exploration of persimmon possibilities one step further and discovered more creative ways to use them.

Garden Fresh Centerpieces - The Gardenist

How to Make a Gorgeous Herb and Olive-Leaf Table Garland

Autumn Fruit Centerpiece 

Finally, when it's time to replace that fall creation with a Christmas decoration take those soft squishy persimmons and make Spiced Persimmon Cakes - Enjoy!

Fynbos: A Treasured Natural Heritage

In the early 1600’s when Dutch settlers first landed on the shores of South Africa they hoped to find wood to use for building ships, but instead what they found was short flowering shrubs. “What are we supposed to do with this?  There is nothing here but fine bush”.  This is the tale of how ‘fynbos’ got its name.

Fynbos is derived from the Dutch word fijnbosch meaning fine leaf bush. It is the name given to the special vegetation growing in the Cape that accounts for more than 80 percent of the plant species in this region of South Africa. 

These shrubby bushes were obviously not suitable for building ships, but they exhibited such an amazing diversity and rareness that this region was eventually declared one the six floral kingdoms of the world!  Although by far the world’s smallest Floral Kingdom, it is the most diverse with more than triple the floral species of the Amazon Jungle.  Within this 55900 mile area there are over 100 different fynbos plant families and approximately 9000 different species.  In addition, nearly 70% of these plant species are not found growing naturally anywhere else on the planet. 

Fynbos plants can be grouped into four major families:

1. Protea shrubs with large leaves

2. Flowering shrubs like heathers and erickas

3. Restoids or wiry grassy like plants

4. Geophytes or bulbous flowers and herbs

Another amazing and inspiring thing about fynbos is how it flourishes in such harsh and poor conditions.  It endures sweltering droughts, heavy winter downpours, fierce windstorms, nutrient-poor soils and wildfires and yet these cruel conditions are the nuts and bolts of its survival.

Fynbos’ fragile beauty and awesome diversity is truly a treasured natural heritage!

Flannel Flowers: A Symbol of Purity

Did you know Flannel Flowers, a popular Australian native wildflower, has became sought after as a symbol of purity in many festival and religious ceremonies?

These dainty flowers have a daisy-like appearance with a raised textured center.  Each bloom has 10 or more floppy petals that are soft and feel just like 'flannel'.  Some varieties of flannel flowers have petals with light grey-green tips, but for the most part, the flowers are white.  The leaves are silver-grey and velvety in texture as well. 

When these fabulous flowers are mixed into bouquets or designs along with protea, grevillea, fillers flowers, leucadendron or eucalyptus they add a unique touch of sophistication, elegance and purity.

i-do.com.au

Polka Dot Bride - Fetching Flannel Flowers

Butterfly Philosophy

What to look for:

• Buy when flowers are half to fully open and have a fluffy appearance.
• Avoid bunches with droopy brown tips.
  

Flower Care:

1. Keep cool at all times.
2. Strip leaves from the bottom half of each stem and wash thoroughly.
3. Re-cut at lest 1/4" off each stem and place in cold water.
4. Always use a preservative as this will help the buds to open.
5. Replace water every 1 to 2 days.
6. To dry, hang upside down in a well ventilated room.

Interesting Facts: 

The 'flannel-like' texture of this flower is due to a film of fine hairs that cover the whole plant. The hairs reduce the loss of water from the plant, protecting it during times of drought.

The Flannel Flower has been chosen as Australia's national symbol to promote mental health awareness because of its inherent beauty and strength.  Several varieties are commonly found growing wild in the bush throughout Australia.  The Flannel Flower, as with all native Australian plants, needs to be adaptable and enduring in order to survive.

The flowering heads can be cut off and placed in a bowl of water.  Treated in this way these 'floaters' will last considerably longer.

Flower Trends: Confetti

What comes to mind when you think of 'Confetti'?  Small pieces or streamers of paper, plastic, mylar or metallic material which are usually thrown at parades, New Year's celebrations or weddings? 

Did you know this year Confetti is also a flower trend?  Yes, according to the Flower Trends Forecast: A Publication from of International Floral Distributors, Inc (IFD), "The Confetti event is colorful and joyful.  The expressiveness of bright hues and bold patterns create unending unique combinations that shout fun!  Tangerine, fuchsia, bright green and sunshine yellow are all part of the colors of Confetti and reflect the playful, fun personality of the event's host.  Gerbera daisies, poppies, dahlias, carnations, mums, pincushion protea and gloriosa lilies in bright colors create the expressive explosion of Confetti." 

With that colorful, joyful and fun description in mind, I felt inspired to share some of our favorite flowers and foliage that definitely create 'an expression of explosion' in any bouquet or design!

So, as they say at IFD, "Make it bright, make it playful, make it confetti." Enjoy!

Protea Attraction

Despite being our favorite flower, proteas have never received the same amount of love and attention as they have in recent years - this 'protea attraction' has become particularly evident when it comes to weddings. 

However, they're not only catching the attention of brides, 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. 

Protea have not only caught the eye of wedding photographers - check out these great nature shots! 

Blue Mountains Botanic Garden

Tinus Lamperecht

Travel.nationalgeographics

Ismael Resendiz

Franswanpoel.com

Diana Roy

www.iol.co.za

Andi Wolfe

Greg Miles

Australian Plant Society