Tasmanian Native Wedding in March

Tasmania is a place known for its pristine wilderness and many people come here to experience that. For this wedding, the bride was a tour guide for the new Three Capes Track wilderness walk that shows off some of the spectacular coastline of the Tasman Peninsula.  Being a tour guide she wanted plants that were native to the Tasmanian bush that she worked in.

In spring there are a multitude of wildflowers available in the local landscape, but in March not so many.  I was able to use some gorgeous native coral fern, and the beautiful Tasmanian Myrtle Beech foliage to create the structure of the bouquet.  I also used some lovely wattle that flowers throughout the year in our local area.  I love using wattle in bud, when its little flowers are still little green balls that sit at great angles along the stems.  

The other two local native ingredients were creamy pale yellow Banksia Marginata.  These grow all around the local area and will flower at different stages throughout the year, given the right conditions.  The real standout, colour-wise, was the Pink Mountain Berry which grows profusely in patches around the Tasman Peninsula.  

Pink Mountain Berry or Leptecophylla Juniperina is native to New Zealand, Tasmania and Victoria.  It is not often used as a cut flower because its very prickly!  But I was lured in by the amazing hot pink colour so I got out the rose de-thorner tool and handled it carefully.  

The remaining ingredients were some red Banksia Occidentalis, a Birdsnest Banksia or Banksia Baxterii, and two different coloured flowering gums.  The result was a bright, native bouquet designed to go with the brides dress which had red Nothofagus leaves embroidered over it.    

For the groom, some myrtle beech, coral fern, wattle, Pink Mountain Berry, flowering gum and a red Leucadendron.  

I enjoyed the challenge of coming up with something "local" and "native" for this special wedding.

  

Do yourself a favour and check out the Three Capes Track website for some truly amazing Tasmanian Peninsula Wilderness.  (I'm not biased at all!)