One year ago this month my niece’s wedding took place on a perfect August day in Laguna Beach. I had the honor of assisting with many of the arrangements for the wedding, including overseeing the floral design, and I chose to feature two of my favorite cut flowers – both members of the ancient plant family, Proteaceae. These plants are the magnificent King Protea (Protea cynaroides), the blush pink plant at the center of the bouquet that resembles an artichoke in form, and the aptly-named Pincushion Flower (Leucospermum cordifolium), the bright orange plant appearing at the top of the bouquet. Plants in the Proteaceae family have diverse and astonishing forms – hence it is named after the Greek God Proteus who was able to assume different shapes at will. Another intriguing feature of Proteaceae is its wide range throughout the continents of the Southern Hemisphere suggesting these plants spanned the prehistoric mega-continent Gondwana, gracing it with their bold beauty. According to plate tectonic theory, Gondwana began breaking apart about 170-180 million years ago and may be the primary reason for the far-flung dispersal of these plants to Australia, South Africa and South America. Plants in this family are also as rugged as they are beautiful – with adaptations allowing them to thrive in nutrient-poor soils as well as survive raging fires.
We have memories of my niece’s wedding in the many photos distilling that beautiful day. In hindsight, it seems resonant that a celebration in which two people commit to a lifetime of loving includes the presence of a flowering plant that has survived the millenia, even the upheaval and rearrangement of the earth’s landmasses.
Photo Credit: Intuitive Images
http://www.intuitiveimagesphotography.com
Flowers by French Buckets
French Design & Fine Gardening 