Late Summer Wedding at Avalon Coastal Retreat

Late Summer Wedding at Avalon Coastal Retreat

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In late February, I provided flowers for a wedding at Avalon Coastal Retreat at Swansea on Tasmania's east coast.  Its a stunning  location with views of some of Tassie's most picturesque coastline.  The bride loved flowering gum and wattle, and February delivered on both counts.  

I created a bouquet for the bride using three different shades of Corymbia Ficifolia, a popular flowering gum that blooms in late summer here in Tasmania.  A rich, hot pink, candy pink and baby pink formed the bulk of the bouquet.  Acacia Retinodes is a wattle native to the southern states of Australia that flowers periodically throughout the year.  Some long arching branches from a local tree provided the wattle blooms.  Acacia Retinodes keeps its form quite well when picked, unlike some species of wattle which last only a short time.  I also love the foliage of the Acacia Retinodes, which falls happily.

The pastel tones of the bouquet included a Protea Pink Cream, an orange Pincushion Cordifolium, and a touch of blue with a Nigella flower from the garden.  The olive-green berries are a pittosporum berry. I also used Leucadendron Pisa which at the end of summer has large silvery white cones surrounded by yellow and lime green bracts.  

Other bouquet ingredients include Brunia Albiflora, Leucadendron Silver Tree, Bronze Fennel flowers, Eucalyptus Cordata foliage, and Irish Juniper foliage.

For the groom's boutonniere, I used Corymbia Ficifolia in hot pink, with a large Corymbia leaf at the back.  A sprig of eucalyptus, some Acacia Retinodes, Leucadendron Pisa and a Nigella bud where the other flowers used.  

The bride wanted a floral crown to match her bouquet.  Local coastal tea-tree foliage dotted with Brunia balls made the circlet.  

Flowering gum, wattle, L. Pisa cones, eucalyptus and Nigella were added as a focal point.

The design of the other boutonnieres was a simpler version of the groom's, showcasing the just the wattle.  

I loved using the Acacia Retinodes.  

The bride ordered wholesale flowers for some DIY fun, to make up the bridesmaid's bouquets.  What she saved on costs, she used to order wrist corsages.

They were a lot of fun to make, using tea tree foliage, eucalyptus, different shades of flowering gum with a Leucadendron Pisa cone.  I also popped in some sprigs of wattle, and some of the olive green pittosporum berries.  

I think they were a great alternative to the traditional pin-on corsage.  This was a great wedding to be involved in.  I really loved the colours the I got to play with and was really happy with the results, particularly the brides bouquet.  

February Wedding at Stewarts Bay Lodge

February Wedding at Stewarts Bay Lodge

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Island 26 Photography

"I love all foliages"  said the bride.  Great for a wedding at Stewarts Bay Lodge, set in the bush right next to Stewarts Bay on the Tasman Peninsula, a gorgeous natural setting!

The lovely bride was after pinks and softer tones to compliment the "nude" colouring of the bridesmaids dresses.  Protea Compacta, Protea White Ice and Protea Pink Ice were the main flowers used.  Secondary flowers were Banksia Marginata, a local native in soft creamy lemon, Brunia Albiflora and some rich pink Corymbia Ficifolia or Flowering Gum.  More difficult to see is Leucadendron Pisa with its silvery cones, Poppy pods, and some soft pink wax flower.

Foliages used include Myrtle Beech, a native Tasmanian foliage, 2 different types of Eucalyptus, one in bud.  Native, locally growing coral fern is also used.  Beautiful Leucadendron Silver Tree foliage is also used, giving shiny highlights.  There is also some Eucalyptus Crenulata, a blue foliage with a slight purple tinge to the tips.  

Island 26 Photography

Big cascading bouquets full of foliage can be tricky to package for transport!  

Island 26 Photography

The colours worked well with the bridesmaids dresses.

Island 26 Photography

I love candid wedding shots! They really show the emotion of the day.  

For the boutonnieres I used the native coral fern, wax flowers, some deconstructed Brunia and for the groom, some of the pink flowering gum.  

Island 26 Photography

The boutonniere for the Father of the Bride was slightly different using a poppy pod, myrtle, gum and flowering gum.

The floral comb for the bride used similar ingredients - native coral fern, wax flower, flowering gum, deconstructed bruina, Eucalyptus Crenulata, and some eucalyptus buds.

Wax flower is such a popular filler flower and you can see why in this hair piece.  It is so delicate but it also lasts well.  

Island 26 Photography

I love making hair pieces and its always wonderful to be able to see how they're used.  

Island 26 Photography

This one sat so well into the hairstyle.  

Island 26 Photography

The combination of a great hair stylist  (Ben O'Brien) and a great photographer (Island 26 Photography) gives great results!  Its such a privilege to work with talented people.  The beautiful bride looked amazing!

Simple aisle decorations were the only ceremony flowers - a simple mix of foliages and leucadendrons.

Island 26 Photography

Table decorations included rustic log rounds with a trio of vases filled with proteas, foliage and flowering gum.

Island 26 Photography

Twisted willow gave the centrepieces a lift.  

Island 26 Photography

Its always a pleasure to be involved in a couple's big day, especially when there are so many other great providers to work alongside.  This beautiful shot of the lovely bride just goes to show the results that can be achieved when you have great people to work with.

February Flowers

February Flowers

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What's flowering in February?

February is a bridge between seasons, with availability of some late summer flowers as well as some early autumn blooms.  The first thing I notice as a grower is that the Protea Pink Ice begin to bloom again in larger numbers.  They look fresh and clean as their autumn flush begins towards the end of February.  

Protea Pink Ice available in good quantities in February

They are a great flower adding colour with their pink outer bracts and purple centres, but also providing highlights with their icy white tips which catch the light when used in bouquets.

Banksia Occidentalis

Banksia Occidentalis begins to flower in late summer.  It is at its best when the days are still long and full of sunshine to intensify the colour while the flowers are on the bush.  I grow 2 different colour types.  The one pictured above is a rich pinky red with a red central core and red pins.  Not pictured are a more orangey red which have a warm yellow central core with rich red pins, that gives the flower a warmer look overall.

Banksia Occidentalis

They're a great long-lasting flower providing intense colour and fabulous texture.

February Bouquet by Swallows Nest Farm

This February bouquet teamed Protea Pink Ice and Banksia Occidentalis in a texture rich Australian Native design.  I used a lovely light pink shade of Corymbia Ficifolia, a summer flowering gum that comes in many shades.  It is available in Summer over a period of a couple of months, depending on weather conditions.  I also used the Corymbia gum nuts, still green from the previous years flowering.  

Bouquets for a February Wedding by Swallows Nest Farm

You can also see late flowering Pincushions called Leucospermum Fountain.  In the mix is some red Kangaroo Paw, and new season Leucadendron Safari Sunset which are beginning to be available in small numbers in February. 

Clockwise from left:  Leucospermum (Pincushion) Fountain,  Risdon Peppermint Foliage,  Leucadendron Silvan Red, Banksia Occindentalis, Protea Pink Ice

This collection of flowers are all available and looking great in February.

 

Leucospermum (Pincushion) Fountain

The Pincushion, L. Fountain are a great late flowering variety that start to bloom around Christmas and keep going until February and even March.  When they first begin to flower they are a lighter apricot orange.  As the flowers age they deepen in colour to a pinky red in the centre with rich orange "pins".

February Wedding by Swallows Nest Farm

This February bride's bouquet uses Pink Ice Proteas,  Fountain Pincushions, Brunia Albiflora and rich pink Kangaroo Paw called Bush Pearl.  

Peachy February Bouquet by Swallows Nest Farm

This peachy bouquet from February uses the same main flowers - Protea Pink Ice and Fountain Pincushions, but in a different style.  I grouped the Pincushions together for that intense peachy colouring to be the main focus.

Peachy February Bouquet by Swallows Nest Farm

The foliage used is a gorgeous eucalyptus called E. Crenulata.  It has lovely blue green foliage with a purple tinge to the tips.  Its the details that make a great bouquet, and in these I used blackberries. Blackberries are a great colour in February before they start to ripen, and they are the epitome of "local" and "seasonal" in late summer in Tasmania.

Leucadendron Silver Tree

Also available in February is Leucadendron Argenteum, called Silver Tree.  It has the most shimmering, silvery texture to the leaves and it just perfect in bouquets.  

Brunia Albiflora

Brunia Albiflora is available in large quantities in February.  It has a lovely textural effect in bouquets with its glowing balls in neutral tones.  Great in silvery, leafy designs but equally brilliant in colourful bouquets where it adds textural depth.

Protea Varieties Clockwise from top left:  Protea Pink Cream,  Protea White Ice,  Protea Compacta Red

At Swallows Nest Farm, we grow a range of protea varieties, many of which flower in late summer and autumn.  The Protea Compacta are a rich pink, with warm red centres.  The Protea White Ice are a creamy protea with a blush centre.

Cascading Bouquet from a February Wedding

In this cascading bouquet from a February wedding, you can see both Protea Compacta Red and Protea White Ice used.  Brunia Albiflora also features, with some hot pink flowering gum, Banksia Marginata, and Protea Pink Ice.

Protea Pink Cream 

Protea Pink Cream are a soft pink protea with a central mass that is creamy and pointed. They are available in late autumn and winter in larger quantities but will sometimes begin flowering in February.

Clockwise from left:  Wattle, Corymbia Ficifolia in soft pink, Eucalyptus Crenulata

Beautiful Eucalyptus Crenulata foliage, soft pink flowering gum (Corymbia ficifolia) and flowering wattle - beautiful Australian pastels all available in February.

Corymbia Ficifolia - flowering gum in hot pink

 Corymbia Ficifolia is the botanical name for what is commonly called flowering gum or Red Flowering Gum.  It has been reclassified and is no longer part of the Eucalyptus family.  Despite its name, it flowers in a range of colours from white through a the shades of pink and orange and red.  It is a stunning colour and texture flower for use in February.

Floral Hair Comb from a February wedding

Corymbia Ficifolia features in this floral comb for a February bride.  I used some flowering tea tree, wax flower and a gorgeous soft shade of pink flowering gum.  Simple and stunning

Colourful February Bouquet

This colourful bouquet from a February wedding used 3 different shades of pink flowering gum as the main flower.  Also in this bouquet is a Protea Pink Cream, a Pincushion Fountain some yellow Leucadendron Pisa with its silvery white central cone,  and some olive green Pittosporum berries.  Branches of flowering wattle are also used.

February Leuacdendrons - L. Maui Sunset left, L. Pisa right

Leucadendrons available in February include Leucadendron Pisa, a leuco which flowers yellow in spring.  Its central cone then grows and swells, becoming a beautiful silvery white centre, often with a purple blush.  The outer bracts turn from yellow to a yellowy lime in February.  They look great in bouquets and boutonnieres too.  Maui Sunset is a more sage coloured leuco with a pink tinge to the tips.  

Banksia Baxteri

Beautiful Banksia Baxteri is available in February.  It is a summer flowering banksia with a creamy lemon colouring with silvery highlights.  It is commonly called the Birdsnest Banksia due to it's shape.  The leaves of Banksia Baxteri are wonderful too, with a striking zig zag shape.

February Bouquet in rich colours

This February bouquet used Banksia Baxteri as its main flower.  Richly colour Banksia Occidentalis also feature, and you can see Brunia Albiflora too.  I loved using a beautiful native Coral Fern here too.  The fronds soften the edge of the bouquet.

It can be tricky to predict what will flower when, especially when you factor in the weather. Because February marks the end of summer and beginning of autumn, it can be more difficult to predict but on the whole, the flowers pictured here are end of summer blooms.  If you have any queries about February flowers,  just contact Grace via the blogger contact form on the right side-bar.