After making bouquets for seven months this year, I came to rely upon and depend on certain foliage to complement the flowers each week. I am listing the tried and true foliage that performed week after week and enhanced every bouquet and arrangement.
Many of the following foliage is edible, which is a bonus when space is limited.
Sage
The silvery soft leaves of sage are a perennial addition to any bouquet. This foliage served me well and was a great addition to soft colors. Plus, it smells great.
Basil
I grew six different varieties of basil. Each was a different color from bright green to dark purple. I highly recommend basil as it grows quickly, is easy to start from seed, comes in different colors, and gets really big when pinched.
Dill
I let dill reseed itself every year on the farm. It grows in walkways and random beds. I let it grow because it is a great foliage that adds whimsy to any bouquet. I can't get enough of it.
Hibiscus
Mahogany Splendor was a great addition to the farm this year. I only grew one plant, but that one plant took off and grew like crazy after pinching. The mahogany leaves were added to every bouquet this fall and are a great fall color.
Shiso
The dark foliage in the above bouquets is shiso. Another herb, shiso is edible but works well in bouquets as a dark foliage with green highlights. It has a unique smell.
Oregano
A perennial herb, oregano works well as a green foliage and then as a flowering foliage. It is extremely low maintenance.
Cress
The green foliage on the right side of the bouquet is cress. Cress is a foliage that you cut once, and then it is done. It is best to plant this foliage in successions. I planted cress among baby foxgloves for a great intercropping setup.
This post is part of the "My Favorites 2022" series. Check out other posts in this series.