Native flowers

We often have the misconception that Protea are native to Australia but are native to South Africa. Maybe we ‘claim’ they are native to Australia because our weather and growing conditions are so similar resulting in an abundance of blooms available in the flower markets.

Native flowers, I think whether Australian or South African are quite difficult to work with due to several factors. Firstly, I find the flower heads tend to be very heavy and often have very short stems making placement challenging. The flowers are very ‘architectural’ in form, so your arrangement needs to be strong and convincing, not soft and pretty. Another misconception with ‘native’ flowers we often think they will last a long time due to their sturdy feel and appearance, but I have found the leaves and flowers tend to brown quite quickly.

I have arranged three Protea in a metal hanging moon container. I have been informed this style of container is an Ikenobo container not Sogetsu. I added the red cane loops to lighten the form plus give movement to the flowers.