Foliage is an important aspect of a wedding bouquet.  Foliage not only gives a bouquet shape & texture, it acts like a canvas for the flowers to shine from.  Greenery in a wedding bouquet is also a symbol of nature and new beginnings.

When a bride is choosing the type of wedding bouquet they might want, there are so many incredible flowers species, shapes textures and colours and often the foliage is overlooked and just doesn’t get the attention it deserves.

The use of Flowers and herbs in wedding bouquets dates back a long time in history.   

During the Victorian era, a bride would carry a herb bouquet with each herb having its own meaning.  The “language of flowers,” was a nonverbal way of  communication in code.

This trend is definitely coming back and more popular than ever as herbs have become more and more used by florists in wedding floral designs with many adding them for their beautiful scent to bouquets.  A bouquet that includes herbs might calm the anxious Bride as she walks up the aisle.

Another very much on trend is a bouquet made entirely of foliage.  Floral designers use different shaped and textured foliage to create a wedding bouquet bespoke to the bride.

 In this blog we are going to look at seven different favoured wedding foliage’s that can be used as your ‘go to’ foliage for wedding bouquets.

We will explain the symbolism each plant and give you the top tips on how to grow wedding bouquet foliage in your garden.

 

Myrtle ‘The Bridal Flower’

Myrtle is an incredibly popular type of greenery used in Wedding Bouquets because of the variety of ways that it can be used.  It is extremely versatile and also a great foliage to work with.

Myrtle Symbolizes:  Love, Beauty, Fertility & Innocence.

Myrtle has featured in the bouquets of several generations of royal brides from Queen Victoria in 1839 to Queen Elizabeth II in 1947, Princess Diana in1981, Duchess Kate Middleton 2011, and of course Meghan Markle in 2018 making it very much a royal tradition.

Typically, we would use Myrtle as a filler in a wedding bouquet. It has lush, dense foliage, which covers its long vertical stem. Myrtle has a dark green colour

Typically, it is available all year from your wholesaler and lasts approx. 7-9 days in a vase.  

Because of its shape I prefer to use Myrtle with the likes of Roses, Ranunculus, Peonies etc or heavy petaled round shape flowers

If you grow Myrtle in your garden

• Myrtle is an evergreen shrub with thick, lustrous leaves.

• It has a fragrance in Summer,

• Myrtle bears a white flower that usually last from June to October.

• The flowers turn into dark berries later in the year.

• Prefer locations with high exposure to sunlight.

• It flowers best rich and well-drained soil

• Add soil conditioner when planting.

• Water well during the first 2 years after planting

• Can be damaged by cold drying wind, so plant in a sheltered area.

• Myrtle will actually grow in a container using a soil-based compost.

  

Italian Ruscus For Wedding Designs

‘Butcher's Broom, Box Holly, Jew's Myrtle’

Soft Ruscus is a favourite in all kinds of floral arrangements especially wedding bouquets because of its long, trailing, sturdy, dark green leaves giving a classy look and adds length to cascading bouquet.  It’s a simple foliage yet beautiful.

Ruscus Symbolizes: Thoughtfulness and Humility.

Ruscus is an evergreen perennial that is distantly related to lilies. Ruscus can also grow well in a pot in the garden, on a shady veranda or even indoors.

Ruscus has deep green “leaves” that are flattened stems with needle-like points.

• Best to be planted in part to full shade

• Thrives in well-drained soil.

• Tolerates drought, it hates wet roots but it does grow better when watered during the summer

• Prune off any brown leaves or branches 

 

Lavender For Wedding Flowers

 The purple palette is a very popular choice for weddings there are so many flowers to choose from orchids, roses, tulips, hydrangeas, irises to name just some. Lavender is an additional floral option to give the element of a rustic country wedding, also a solely lavender bouquet is also very on trend at present.

Lavender Symbolizes: purity, peace, devotion, serenity, grace, calmness, and happiness.

Lavender is a perennial, herb most often associated with its amazing scent its blooms provide colour from early summer into autumn, Lavender comes in shades of purple, some white and there are some varieties are pink also.

• Lavender Blooms late June through August

• It Requires a well-drained soil.

• Water deeply, but infrequently (drought tolerant)

• Lavender thrives in full sun.

 

Rosemary In Wedding Bouquets

Rosemary is a real traditional herb to be used in bridal bouquets.  Rosemary adds great texture to a wedding bouquet or arrangement, but it is also another foliage that is full of history and scent

Symbolizes: friendship, loyalty, love, and remembrance

Rosemary is a perennial evergreen shrub which produces blue flowers. It is an aromatic and distinctive herb.

• Rosemary loves well-drained, sandy soil.

• It prefers at least six to eight hours of sunlight.

• Rosemary hates wet roots in winter.

• It cannot take extremely cold temperature so cover if frost expected.

• Rosemary plants in containers can be easily moved indoors during winter.

• If in the ground apply thick mulch around plants in the ground and cover the branches with sheets of horticultural fleece.

 

Ivy Hedera For Using In Weddings

Ivy is another favourite for many florists, due to its variegated green leaves, attractive shape and romantically trailing stems which add length to cascading bouquets.

Green Ivy is popular too but the ‘go to’ variegated variety for most florist is ‘gold heart’

Ivy symbolises: fidelity, friendship, affection and eternity

Ivy as a woody evergreen climbing plant.  It typically has shiny, dark green or variegated five-pointed leaves. There are hundreds of varieties of Ivy. 

• Ivy Flowers in late autumn, then produces seed heads which add beautiful texture in floral designs.

• Ivy loves a Moist well-drained soil.

• It is a very hardy plant.

• It is very easy to grow and sometimes needs to be controlled.

• Ivy will grow in any aspect.

  
  

Eucalyptus As A Wedding Foliage

Eucalyptus is one of the most popular foliage that is used by florists because of its beautiful grey-green colours. Eucalyptus fits perfectly into a rustic cottage wild wedding bouquet or a classic waterfall bouquet. It is one of the most flexible greenery.

Eucalyptus Symbolises: Endurance because whatever life’s challenges it faces it gets it always pushes through and rises again.

Eucalyptus is a large group of fast-growing evergreen trees and ornamental shrubs. Originating from Australia but they can now be found growing in gardens all over the world. Their leaves are full of oils which go in fire during bush fires in Australia, but they’ve adapted that they grow again from the roots.

• Eucalyptus is very fast growing.

• It’s best to pruned hard every 2-3 years in February to produce lots of new growth.

• Can be damaged by cold drying wind so a sheltered site is best.

• Plant it away from your house or a wall as they have a big root system.

• Eucalyptus prefers a well-drained moist soil.

• To restrict its growth plant, it in a small garden planter or in a container

 

Sage For Wedding Work

Sage has beautiful greyish-green tone and with its soft texture makes it an ideal accompaniment in a wedding bouquet. Their dusted leaves create a soft elegance in the arrangement.  The fresh mint aroma cools down the senses.  

 Sage Symbolizes: Wisdom, Long Life and Esteem

Sage is a fantastic herb which works great on an ornamental border. It also tastes good.  There are many of different varieties of sage. 

• Sage prefers to be planted in full sun.

• It prefers a well-draining soil.

• Sage is an easy to grow plant.

• It doesn’t like wet roots.

• Sage thrives best if pruned after flowering.

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