Fleurie: Flowers for Life's Moments

MagnoliaRouge featured blog post- Almond Blossom Inspiration

"This shoot all came together over Instagram!  I know, hard to imagine such beauty could come of such a simple little square photo and a hashtag.  DianaMcGregor contacted me about doing a photo shoot in the almond orchard early this spring.  We got the date scheduled, and then time to figure out who and where." - Laurie Garza, Fleurie

Laurie later explained to me that this opportunity came up solely because of an Instagram picture she posted of a bouquet she created using protea, roses and a mixture of other flowers and greens.  In this up-coming  shoot with Diana McGregor,  Laurie was planning to use flowers in very pale colors - mostly white, ivory and light blues and grays.  She thought cream colored grevillea flowers and protea in shades of light pink and ivory would work best.  In addition, she was hoping to include acacia, berzelia, saxicola, calycina, serruria and any other amazing blossoms we could find.

The photo shoot was a success and seeing our flowers so beautifully displayed was truly inspiring!  

 

Thank you Laurie and Diana for your fabulous work!

Phylica Pubescens – Featherhead

"Walking on Sunshine! 

Just as the sun replenishes our souls, 

the feathery bristles on the leaves of the featherhead capture the sunlight, 

in the early mornings and late afternoons it glows like magic." 
- Petra Vandecasteele 

The first time I heard the name Pubescens I thought it must be the name of some feathery animal or bird. However, Pubescens actually refers to the short hairs on the leaves and stems of this wonderful plant which at sunrise and sunset seems to gather sunlight and even glow. 

The common name Featherhead refers to the slightly cinnamon scented white flowers with gold overtones and dense feathery bristles that appear on top of the branches from mid to late spring. 

Featherhead certainly adds a special 'glow' and unique texture to any bouquet, they're long-lasting and dry very well.

Fleurs de Roy

Fleurs de Roy

Swallows Nest Farm

Happy Easter

"Happiness is the setting of the soul into its most appropriate spot." - Aristotle

Pretty Popular: Pincushions

‘PRETTY POPULAR’ was the title of last month’s Floral Management Magazine Fresh Choices section which featured many of our favorite Proteas. This Trend-Setting Tips segment began by saying, “In flower shops around the county, proteas have been in high demand.” Georgianne Vinicombe, owner of Monday Morning Flower and Balloon Company, also shared that, “Even brides are requesting them especially the pincushion varieties.” This is definitely ‘Great News’ for us and ‘Perfect Timing’ too! Here in California spring is the time of year we harvest our Leucospermum or Pincushions in shades of red, orange, peach, yellow and even tow-tones. These amazing flowers add so much texture to bouquets and arrangements, and they look fabulous mixed with just about any other spring blooms. Pincushion popularity has become contagious among bloggers, florists and designers who have fashioned some gorgeous works of art – just take a look at these creations!

  Sorture.com

Elizabethannedesigns.com

Better Homes and Gardens

Oncewed.com

Botanicalbrouhaha.blogspot.com

Stylemepretty.com

Botanicalbrouhaha.blogspot.com

Weddingchicks.com

Elizabethannedesigns.com

Spring is in the Air - Harvesting Boronia

Did you know Boronias and Citrus are both part of the Rutaceae family? Here on the farm we definitely know 'spring is in the air' when Boronia is being harvested. This amazing flower has such a wonderful, lemony fragrance which is sought after for the vase as well as the garden. Its small, bell-like flowers are attached to each stem, along with delicate deep green leaves. There are currently over 95 species in the Boronia genus, but only a few are being grown and harvested for cut flowers. 

Boronia blooms in a rainbow of colors ranging from: hot pink to purple, brown, green, yellow and white and they have interesting names like: Purple Jared, Moonglow, Lutea, Magastigma, Aussie Rose and Lipstick. 

Here's what to look for when selecting Boronia:

1. Buy when at lest 1/2 the flowers in a bunch are open and brightly colored.  
2. Choose bunches with a strong scent. 
3. Avoid bunches with wilted tips, yellow leaves or signs of flower drop.

And, some special care tips too:

1. Keep cool at all times. 
2. Strip leaves from the bottom half of each stem and wash stems thoroughly. 
3. Re-Cut at least 1/2 of each stem and place in cold water. 
4. Always use a preservative as this will help keep open flowers looking fresh. 
5. Replace water with preservative enhanced water every day. 
6. Misting is a great idea, Boronia absorbs water through the leaves and flowers. 
7. Wilted bunches can be revived by submerging the whole bunch in cold water for 2 hours.

When Boronia's are mixed with other colorful flowers and foliage it certainly 'Looks' and 'Smells' a lot like springtime!

Launching the Congressional Flower Caucus

Last month I was part of a 16 member delegation of American Flower Farmers that gathered in Washington DC to lobby for stronger advocacy for our country’s flower farmers. Many of the farmers were from the California, but there were representatives from Alaska, Washington (the state), Oregon, Maryland and Virginia, as well. This was the second year we assembled as a national group of cut flower and greens farmers to take our issues to Capitol Hill.

This year our efforts really came to fruition when Representatives Lois Capps and Duncan Hunter launched the Congressional Cut Flower Caucus. That’s something we have been working on for more than a year. We’d been planting seeds – building relationships with legislators, educating them about our issues and persuading them that the American public wants to know more about their flowers’ origin, just as they do the foods they eat. We told representatives the caucus would be a great opportunity for representatives to connect with their constituents to better understand what goes into flower farming in our country, the jobs it creates and the rewards involved with supplying local flowers to local retailers, florists and consumers. It became clear that the growing interest in the “buy local” movement was going to help us, but it was still very exciting to come home knowing we’d secured a team of congressional champions dedicated to our cause. 
 

And there’s even more. The White House administration recently used all American grown flowers in a state dinner with French president Francoise Hollande. “The dinner celebrated the ‘best of American cuisine’ and featured dry aged rib eye beef from Colorado, trout from Maine, cheese from Vermont, chocolate from Hawaii, and potatoes from New York, Idaho, and California.  The wines served at the dinner included excellent selections featuring California, Washington State, and Virginia offerings,” shared USDA Deputy Secretary Harden on the Department’s blog. “However, beyond the menu itself an equally impressive feature was the visible presence of American cut flowers.”
  

A Book Review of Fun with Flowers by J Schwanke

A Guide to Selecting, Arranging & Enjoying Beautiful Flowers

All of us here at Resendiz Brothers are big J Schwanke fans! Over the years J has become a part of our team and a very special flower friend. We’ve had the pleasure to work together on four videos featuring our farm and the flowers we grow here in Rainbow. J has traveled across the country and Canada sharing his passion for flowers, telling his stories and those of the flower farmers he's met along the way. Now, J has written this wonderful book which in his words is an "incredible" collection of favorite flowers and friends, creative tips and ideas, fun flower projects and best of all: stories from his flower-filled world. Throughout the pages of this book and you’ll discover over 40 Fun with Flowers Projects and their easy to follow recipes. Here's just a few of our favorite pages:

'Fun with Pin Cushion Protea' page 41 - these amazing flowers are currently in season, and here you'll find some very useful care and design tips.

'Flower Friends' page 42 - Friends truly are flowers in the garden of life.

 

‘Fun with Protea and Texture’ page 113 – Here J uses King Protea to create a fashion forward Wedding Bouquet and Event Centerpiece. This particular project was also captured on video and can be viewed by clicking here: http://vimeo.com/76913823. 

Whether you’d like to use freshly picked blooms from your garden or ones you purchased, J's book will show you how to arrange your flowers with ease and enjoy the experience of adding a special floral touch to your home or office. It really is one of those ‘fun’ books that will inspire everyone…from the home gardener to the professional floral designer. Fun with Flowers is available on-line at http://www.ubloom.com/funwithflowers.