Well, it really seems official now, with the crisp weather and the
pumpkins cropping up everywhere. Welcome to fall! The flowers at the
market seem to be changing faster than the leaves on the trees. Along
with the great bounty of deep magentas, rich browns and warm oranges, I
found this sunny yellow wax flower, just in time for the letter “w.” “W”
is for wax flower! Wax flower grows on the Chamelaucium shrub, which is
native to Western Australia (and is now cultivated in similar semi-arid
climates, like California and Israel).
Wax flower gets its name from the tough, waxy feel of the tiny
flowers. It smells pine-y fresh and wonderful, especially when the stems
are broken or the petals are crushed. Wax flower comes in basic white
and pink colors, and the yellow I have selected here is — horrors —
actually dyed! Although I typically shy away from dyed flowers (I tend
to think they look tragic), these happy little wax branches made me
smile. So I broke one of my own cardinal rules. I do this sometimes.
As you can see, wax can absolutely stand alone as a fabulous bouquet
plunked in a galvanized tin or a bronze pot or frankly any vessel that
suits you. As we transition into the cooler months, I envision cozy
nesting and bringing people into the home. A sweet idea would be to use
wax flower in wildflower bouquets, which can become a gift for your
dinner guests, a favor for a luncheon or bridal shower or special
additions to jars and containers distributed throughout your home.
Follow along with me after the jump as I demonstrate some easy, breezy wildflower bouquets. — Sarah
I selected a range of seasonal purple and pink wildflowers with pops of white and brown for texture.
Gathering together a wildflower bouquet means using a few strong
elements (such as the woody wax flowers) to create a structure and
building from there. Grab a few wax flowers and hold them in your
non-dominant hand. Hold them firmly, but allow some room to maneuver.
Begin adding more delicate blooms to the mix.
To create a round shape, continually twist the bouquet around in your
hand. As you rotate the bouquet, fill in each space that opens up. To
create a one-sided look, simply arrange blooms to peek slightly higher
in the back and gradually scale down in the front. No need to rotate the
bouquet for a one-sided look.
A lovely abundance of autumn wildflowers!
Tie each bouquet with a little raffia or a similarly casual wrap.
.
You can create several of these little beauties in no time.
Choose a long and low tin or similar container to display your designs.
All together, the bouquets look like a glorious field of wildflowers.
This would be great in the center of a buffet table or placed by the
door as a little take-home treat for guests.
Enjoy the first sights and fragrances of fall, and join me back here in
two weeks when “x” (the end of the alphabet is rather a challenge!) will
be for . . .Via
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