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ruralpa

Need Ideas for greens

busylizzy
15 years ago

What do you use for greens in bouquets to sell roadside or at market?

I am pretty sure I will have enough to start selling this year, but stumped on a nice green that holds up.

Comments (12)

  • kayoo
    15 years ago

    How about Artemisia "Limelight".
    You get masses of it from just one plant. I am forever cutting it back - yet it still looks good in the garden. You have to be a bit brutal with it though - as it can take over and swamp nicer things!

  • busylizzy
    Original Author
    15 years ago

    Good idea, I have some, but I have kept in in check for the past season, never really got large on the West facing side.

    I can move it where it can spread with no problems, nice to have invasive, not to tall colorful plants when you have 33 acres!

    I really like varigated plants, love Salix intregra "Harkuro Nishiki" taking cuttings to make more of them this year. The deer walked right by those this past winter.
    Unlike so many other shrubs or plants that were above ground/snow pack.

  • all_bout_flowers
    15 years ago

    What flowers do you intend on using in your bouquets? The reason I ask is sometimes you don't necesarily need greens. The customers I have at my roadside stand just like dahlias nothing else in with them.

  • budb
    15 years ago

    busy
    You might try cinnamon basil, anise hyssop or kong coleus.
    All add something of interest.
    Just as all bout noted, filler or greens are not absolutely
    necessary. Do not use them as stretchers to make your flowers
    go further.
    Good Luck!
    Bud

  • flower_farmer
    15 years ago

    Making up bouquets from various types of flowers and foliage is an excellent way to add value to your product at market. In a competitive market, bouquets sell better than straight bunches. Bouquets also let you stretch the use of a special flower that may be in short supply. For example, at the beginning of the market season, you may have only 150 calla lilies ready to pick for market. If you bunch them in 10s, you will have only 15 bunches. However, if you put three in each bouquet (utilizing filler flowers and greenery such as your Artemisia, Limelight), you can make 50 bouquets that will help satisfy the demand for the early calla lilies. The Salix integra Harkuro Nishiki, Dappled Willow is simply beautiful. Everyone has used cinnamon basil. Don't use what others have saturated the market with. Your goal is to find your niche; and, you will be the vendor from whom customers want to purchase their locally grown fresh cut flower. It is my belief that making beautiful bouquets with dahlias for example as the feature flowers, and accenting with filler flowers and greenery is one of the most satisfying aspects of flower farming. Our bouquets tend to be whimsical; therefore, we always like to take them over the top with an unusual color of flower that Sarah Raven refers to as the Gatecrasher. They are bold; and, they are bright. And they are our market niche.

    I think you are off to a good start, and headed in the right direction. Best of luck to you with your growing season.

  • budb
    15 years ago

    All markets are different....most of my sales are straight
    field bunches. Lots of customers will buy multiple bunches
    to make their own arrangements. I offer pre-made bouquets and also custom made while-you-wait, but straight bunches are the
    most profitable.

  • nckvilledudes
    15 years ago

    What about the foliage of perennial geraniums or pelargoniums? Some of them are very light, airy, and ferny looking. Wax myrtle is an attractive bush that grows like crazy and has good foliage that is fragrant on it. Cypress vine is very ferny and airy looking. Coleus leaves would look great considering the different colors that exist in their foliage depending on variety you grow. Colocasia or elephant ears leaves would go great with some flowers and how about sweet potato vine branches in both the chartruese and dark almost black varieties. Mind you, I am not one who grows flowers for sale anywhere and don't know if they would hold up as well as more conventional greenery but thought I would throw a few ideas out there.

  • flowers4u
    15 years ago

    Busy,
    I use more fillers, seasonal such as Lady's Mantle in the early summer and solidaster varieties in the fall. By fall, I'm usually out of "greens" and relying on solidaster, perennial asters, buddlea, millet, amaranthus, and a nice mix.

    In the spring I use native wild cherry, snowberry foliage, elderberries, and whatever else I can find! I don't buy greens, but offer what I have.

    Also, if you grow glads or crocosmia, use their foliage, its great as an accent! If you're not sure about something, make sure you test it before putting it in bouquets to sell.

    I sell straight bunches of sunflowers, glads, annual and perennial scabiosa, and tulips. But generally at my market, most people want bouquets as well.

    Good luck,
    Wendy

  • Fundybayfarm
    15 years ago

    I also sell bouquets at our market, but a gentleman that was there before I started selling only sold growers bunches. I was amazed how well he did at selling 5 flowers to a bunch for $5.00! I wouldn't have the nerve. LOL. But I'm sure there is more money to be made selling that way given how quick it would be to get ready for market. You could bundle the flowers right in the field, cool, condition, and load em up! As for the greenery (that was the question, wasn't it?)I hardly ever use it. But when I do, I like sweet annie, buplurem, snow on the mountain euphorbia, and some shrubs. A filler I really liked that I grew last year was blue cloud larkspur. For those of you who haven't grown it, it comes in white or blue (purple) and is kind of like bablies breath. It's light and airy and the blue looks so nice with many different bouquets. Especially if you have some lime green flowers somewhere in the bouquet.
    Cheryl

  • Patty_WI
    15 years ago

    I use amur maple, hosta leaves, Weigela, American cranberrybush, pin oak, baptisia foliage, Euphorbia marginata 'Kilimanjaro', peony foliage in the fall, and this year i'm giving Cerinthe major purpurascens another try.

    Patty

  • flowers4u
    15 years ago

    Patty - what stage due you cut your Cerinthe? I grew it last year and loved how it held up, but I think I cut it really late! The flower heads were purplish pink.

    I also use peony leaves, mock orange, Euphorbia, and weigela. Forgot about those!

    Cheryl - do you have pictures of the blue cloud larkspur? I'd love to see it in your bouquets.

    And, also wish I could see straight bunches (other than lilies or sunflowers or glads!) I think I'm going to try it and see...one of our grocery stores does a "mix and match" approach - the Arnosky's wrote about it in Growing for Market a few years ago.

    Wendy

  • Patty_WI
    15 years ago

    I think I tried the Cerinthe 4yrs ago before I started using any solutions or had a fridge. I also cut them later when they had nice color yet but the first seeds were forming. Some held up fine others wilted. I think I can do better now that I know more, so I am trying them again.
    Patty

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