How to get foliage for natural-looking bouquets
When you start planning a cutting garden, it’s tempting to focus just on the flowers. After all, they’re the stars of any bouquet. But if you’re dreaming of creating natural-looking arrangements reminiscent of an English country garden, you’ll need foliage too – and plenty of it.
Foliage provides the perfect backdrop for flowers, adding texture, shape, and depth to your bouquets. Whether you want airy, delicate greens or striking stems, foliage is what makes a bouquet feel lush and abundant.
If you’re lucky, you might already have shrubs and bushes in your garden that you can cut from. If not, don’t worry – you can grow your own. But here’s the catch: shrubs don’t become cuttable overnight. When you plant a young shrub, it will take at least a couple of years to become established enough for regular cutting.
So, what can you do while you’re waiting? Here are some ideas to help you get the greenery you need, now and in the longer term.
1. Buy foliage in
The simplest (though most expensive) solution is to buy foliage.
For British-grown foliage, you can order from wholesalers like:
If you’re happy to use imported foliage, suppliers like Triangle Nursery and Flowers for Florists offer a wide range, and you don’t need a trade account to buy from them.
2. Plant fast-growing foliage
Luckily, there are some fast-growing plants you can add to your cutting garden in spring and start harvesting from within just a few months.
Raspberry canes
Last year, I planted some thornless raspberry canes (I chose ‘Autumn Treasure’) in early March. By late June (I think), I was cutting lovely bright green stems with a surprisingly long vase life. Around July, the canes started producing green berries, which looked fabulous in bouquets.
If you leave the stems with berries on the plant, you’ll get ripe raspberries later in the season – delicious, even if they’re no good for arranging.
Persian cress or pennycress
These are brilliant filler plants for bouquets. Their airy, branching stems are adorned with delicate green seed pods, giving your arrangements a light, whimsical feel.
The best part? They germinate and grow quickly. I sow a batch every couple of weeks (when I remember!) and usually start cutting 8–12 weeks later, once the seed pods have formed. If you cut too early, they can wilt, so patience is key.
Monarda (bee balm)
Monarda, also known as bee balm, is a wonderful dual-purpose plant. Its spiky, crown-like flowers are unusual and eye-catching, and the plant has a lovely herbal scent.
But before it blooms, the foliage is lush and green – perfect for adding texture to your bouquets. I often cut it at this stage, as the leaves can turn a bit straggly and brown once the plant starts flowering. If you sow Monarda in early spring, you can usually start cutting from it in the same year.
Sunflower - Sunfill Green
This variety of sunflower is cultivated specifically for its ornamental green calyx. Unlike traditional sunflowers prized for their flowers, Sunfill Green is harvested just before blooming, for its distinctive green, geometric flower heads. Not tevchnically foliage, but it does add wonderful green interest and texture to bouquets. And of course, sunflowers bloom in just three months.
3. Plant herbs for greenery and texture
Herbs aren’t just for cooking – they can also add greenery, fragrance, and texture to your arrangements.
You can sow your own herbs from seed, but they’re usually inexpensive to buy as small plants. Some of my favourites for bouquets are:
Greek oregano – for its small, aromatic leaves and pretty white flowers
Apple mint – for its fresh, bright green stems
Rosemary – for its upright, silvery foliage
And if you have space, consider planting a bay tree. It’s slow-growing, but once it’s established, its glossy leaves will add structure and depth to your arrangements.
Final thoughts
Building up a good supply of foliage takes time, but with a mix of fast-growing plants and long-term shrub investments, you’ll soon have plenty to cut from – and your bouquets will be all the more beautiful for it.
In the meantime, don’t be afraid to buy in foliage when you need to. After all, the goal is to enjoy arranging flowers and to create something that makes you smile.
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