Having a steady supply of foliage is key to successfully making bouquets throughout the season—in spring, during the long months of summer, and into early fall. In this post, I’ll share the best staple foliages and foliage-like fillers, along with several of my favorite new varieties for 2020.
Most of the varieties here can be grown from seed (the exceptions are raspberry greens, scented geranium, and ninebark). For more great fillers, like amaranth, millet, and cress, check out my recent post on Grasses, Grains, and Pods.
Scent is a bonus with many of these varieties. Some are culinary herbs with a magnetic fragrance (that might make you hungry), and others, like bells of Ireland and the eucalyptus varieties, have a fresh, clean scent. A few stems of any of these fragrant-leaved varieties will add perfume to your arrangements and bouquets.
SPRING
Bells of Ireland (pictured above) is a cutting garden staple and one of the finest annual foliage plants you can grow for mixed bouquets. Plants are heavily branched, producing a bumper crop of tall, lime green spires adorned with bell-shaped blooms. They have a lovely, subtle, springlike scent.
Harvest once the green bells start to form along the stem. Remove leaves from the lower half of the stem because they often yellow. Expect a vase life of up to 2 weeks with the use of floral preservative.
Bupleurum (pictured above): The bright, chartreuse green blooms of this easy-to-grow flower add sparkle and interest to early summer arrangements. I love to combine the airy stems with brilliant jewel tones or simple clean whites and greens.
For an extended harvest, sow seeds every 2 to 3 weeks. In mild areas, seeds can be sown directly into the garden in fall. Everywhere else, direct seed into the garden 6 weeks before the last frost.
Harvest when flowers are fully open, otherwise they have a tendency to wilt. Fresh flowers last an incredibly long time in the vase, 7 to 10 days, with or without flower food.
Euphorbia: Hands down, this is one of the most versatile and productive early season foliage plants you can grow. Its bright, chartreuse green umbels combine with nearly every color palette and are perfect for mixed bouquets. A must-grow.
Harvest when flowers are fully colored but not completely open. Sear stem ends for 7 to 10 seconds in boiling water. Use caution and wear gloves when harvesting, as the sap is irritating to the skin and eyes. Expect a vase life of 7 days.
I would love to hear your experience with foliage and fillers. Do you grow them or plan to add them to your garden this coming season? If so, what are your favorite varieties?
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