Brides, do try this at home. Making your own wedding flowers is eco (nomical).
As I thought of how to be gentle to the environment and stretch a wedding budget, many options came to mind. Purchasing flowers from local growers, supporting companies that import organic flowers, or growing your own are all ways to make a difference to the environment. To be kind to your budget, use what you have at hand.
To that end, I wandered into my mother’s overflowing yard and cut a little of this and a little of that. I like a gathered look; it seems more natural. I had my staples, things I knew would hold up well, like holly fern (most ferns don’t), hosta and fatsia leaves, aspidistra (iron plant), liriope (known as border grass), rosemary (most herbs last, especially mint and basil), Solomon’s Seal, and Pokeweed berries.
Cut whatever looks good to you from your yard or your neighbor’s yard. Put your cuttings in water, and if it holds up for more than a few hours, it should be good for at least a few days.
I started with large pieces the variegated pittosporum for this bouquet. I chose the biggest piece first then added two smaller ones on either side to make the shape of the bouquet. I put in smaller fatsia leaves for a different shade of green and a larger size leaf.- To get the lines going, I slipped in the holly fern and the Solomon’s Seal and a piece of Japanese painted fern. Don’t be afraid to use just a piece of something. Pull the lower shoots off the fern stems first. The two stems of green dangly pods are agapanthus without the blooms, and I added these next, mixing up the texture.
- I chose the Salvia, rosemary, and Pokeweed berries next, spreading the stems throughout. Before inserting, I cut all the leaves off the Pokeweed and pulled off the lower tufts of rosemary. As always, it’s important to clean your stems and remove lower shoots of greenery.
Materials:
Holly fern, variegated pittosporum, aspidistra leaves, liriope, Aztec grass (variegated lily grass), salvia, coleus, rosemary, agapanthus, shrimp plant (Justicia brandegeana), Pokeweed berries, fatsia leaves, Solomon’s seal, mulla mulla (Ptilotus exaltatus), Black-eyed Susans, hosta leaves, vinca vine, Japanese painted fern, Crème de la Crème and Eskimo roses, and Porcelana spray roses
Tools:
Stem tape, snips, Oasis binding wire, satin ribbon, pearl-headed pins
