Much like the best flowers to use for your wedding day (see my previous blog post), I won’t be promising any certain greens. There are a variety of greens that can be used to create depth and dimension in a bouquet and the recipe isn’t always the same every season. Just like with flowers, there are inconsistencies due to climate and weather issues, bug issues, labor issues, etc. Usually all greens are available all year, however some look better than others at certain times.
Eucalyptus is the long running bridal favorite, and for good reason! It has great movement, great texture, and comes in a variety of leaf shapes and sizes. Eucalyptus grows pretty rapidly, so it is usually available, but it is very tender during times of new growth. Typically farmers will alternate tree cuttings so that the new growth isn’t happening all at the same time, but it never fails, sometimes I get the young and tender eucalyptus and it just doesn’t live up to its expectations. Spring time brings some very tender shoots in Gunni Eucalyptus, which is my favorite for bouquet work due to its delicate nature. Silver Dollar Eucalyptus tends to be the most consistent year round. Willow Eucalyptus is a favorite of mine for more weepy and flowy work, but it’s harder to come by in the summer. Baby Blue Eucalyptus is the really fragrant kind that sits up straight. I like it for vase work and accessory work the most, but if it’s in a bouquet it needs to be hidden in the middle, because the stem is very sticky.
Other favorite greeneries are:
-Italian ruscus and Smilax for vine like greenery
-Mini Italian pittosporum
-Olive
-Knifeblade and Feather Acacia have the same light color as eucalyptus and aren’t as hardy, but they are delicate and flowy.
-Fruitless plum for a soft touch of deep colorful dimension
-Israili ruscus
-Leather leaf fern
-Salal
-Sword Fern
-Dyed Plumosa Fern, this is the most fun pop of color
-Nagi
While we are on the subject of greenery, let’s chat real quick about garland. The table garland trend comes and goes but the commonality is that it isn’t ever cheap. It is very labor intensive and it takes a lot of product to make a nice thick garland. Usually the more flowy greens, like Eucalyptus, are what you’d use to make a garland, and Eucalyptus isn’t cheap either just on its own. More popular lately has been a “deconstructed” or “flat lay garland” where greenery is layered by hand on the tables. Bear in mind, this is less labor intensive than garland (usually), but it does still take time to execute and the skill to order the right greens, and the right amount of greens.
You really can’t go wrong with greens, no matter what greens are used, it creates great depth and dimension in any bouquet or arrangement. Take a look at these stunning pieces from past BLOOM events that have a fun mix of tinted greenery and traditional greenery!
