FLOWERS A-Z: W IS FOR WAX FLOWER

Welcome to fall - okay okay... lets imagine its 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.

Adorable wax blooms settled into a teacup.

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.

The full post continues after the jump…

Clockwise: brown sunflower, purple ageratum, mauve scabiosa, scabiosa buds, yellow wax flower, chamomile, lavender, purple freesia, mimosa leaves and pink zinnia

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  when “x” (the end of the alphabet is rather a challenge!) will be for . . .