A color mix of yarrow (Achillea), a color mix of statice, (plus specific white statice and specific sky blue), feverfew.

Jeanne

red and green atriplex, buplureum, blueberry

artemesia, lady's mantle, asters

Ladies Mantle, asters,ammi visnaga

forsythia foliage, immature wild solidago, and hosta leaves.

I'm clearly going to have to turn to my hosta leaves as a vase filler. I enjoy them so in the garden, it never occurs to me to cut them off! This year they better watch out for the big snippers.....

Poochella,
the hosta leaves look great especially earlier in the season. Slugs seem to put holes in them later. But I wanted you to know that they do not do well in a cooler.
Ann

I don't have a cooler, but I do have slugs a-plenty. Do the leaves wilt in a cooler situation, just curious?

Hostas are jumping out of the ground right now as we speak. I love Spring! Great colors, great blossoms and leaves springing forth along with hope for a bountiful summer.

Poochella,
Although I don't have a cooler either, when I took some to a florist, they reported that the leaves didn't like the cold. Since my bouquets don't get any refrigeration, I don't worry about it for my farm stand and farmers' market bouquets. You can also use the flowers in bouquets for an airy look, depending on the Hosta variety...Ann

I was planning to buy hosta's this year in addition to many other plants. However, I have heard about the hsx virus and am worried about buying affected plants. Seems that Lowe's is one of the main culprits and I wouldn't be buying there. Anyone have any advise on buying healthy hosta? From what I hear even healthy looking hostas can be infected. Thanks for you advice. Shirley

Just grow for my own use but would like to recommend a silver-white foliage plant for filler: Centaurea gymnocarpa 'Colchester White". It is hardy here in my zone, and I have spent all day admiring it (just received yesterday in mailorder). It looks like silvery-white filligree metal ...very dramatic.

Found a chartreuse-leaved lacy beauty last year: Tanacetum vulgare 'Isla Gold'. Also hardy here...I grew it in a container outside all winter and every time we had a few days sunshine it would put up new frills. The color is a glowing chartreuse/gold...absolutely stunning!

Both these plants grow about 24" tall. They have minute flowers easily trimmed off.

Just to make three I'll add an easy to grow Carex, the 'Sparkler' which the more you cut the more it produces. Green/white striped pinwheels about 4-inches across atop stiff stems about 15-18"tall. Can tuck down into large arrangement and adds a bit of light and also the pinwheels help support the heads of smaller "lazy" flowers. This one's evergreen for me here. josh

The Carex is C. phyllocephala 'Sparkler'. Scroll down on the link for description. I bought mine years ago...don't remember where. The little seedheads shown are easily removed...just there a short time in summer. josh

Here is a link that might be useful: Carex Sparkler

I looked up the first two and thought they were really pretty. Anyone have any experience on how long of a vase life the other two have? Not sure how I like the third one. I guess I would have to see it in person to tell. Thanks for telling me about these plants. They look very useful.

Here is a link that might be useful: look how pretty this one is

Shirley,
Just some friendly advice. Tanacetum vulgare is Tansy. I made the mistake of planting six plants in the field. It is the most invasive plant I have come across. If you plant it, put it in a place where it won't affect your other plantings.
Regards,
Pete

Pete,

Thank you for the warning. I do have places that I can plant invasive plants but probably would have planted in the field and had trouble. Thanks for not making me learn that tidbit from the school of hard knocks. Shirley

I like tansy, though, even though it's even invasive in MY climate, where almost nothing is invasive (due to constant drought)... Or maybe I like it BECAUSE it's invasive even in my climate. But anyway, the flowers are unusual and attractive and the greens show in very early spring when not much else is green. It stinks, though. I'v got a ton of it right by my porch- I'm hoping to move it out to the field this year.

Kristen

A further note on tansy. My plants do spread a little at their original site, but my biggest problem is that they re-seed prolifically and often at a considerable distance. My advice is to make sure ALL the flowers are cut off before going to seed...Ann

Oops, I didn't think about this chartreuse form of Tansy possibly spreading from seeds. Since I grow it for foliage and cut often I've never seen any blooms. And since I grow in containers it doesn't spread from roots. I really appreciate y'all warning about possibly it being a problem for commercial growers.

I'd think the same warning might apply to the Centaurea I mentioned. I'm growing in pots for the silver-white foliage, but it will produce tiny lavender blooms...member of Aster family.

I visit here often and enjoy all your posts ..wouldn't want to read that I had added to your many aggravations...I admire you all so! josh

My absolute favorite filler is African blue basil (gorgeous; I like it much more than cinnamon basil). I also like mint and solidago.

Kelly

where do you buy seeds for the african blue basil? I looked briefly a couple of times but didn't find the seeds before my mind switched to something else. I would really like to get some. Is the solidago's other name goldenrod? If so, is it different than the weed variety that I already have plenty of. Also wondering what kinds of mint you use in your boquets. I have spearmint and peppermint but usually before long they look a little ratty. I usually win blue ribbons at the fair on mine but I usually pick sections 8 inches or so which wouldn't be long enough for boquets. Anyhow if you would kindly share what varieties you like best, perhaps I could find some to plant. Thanks, Shirley

I do not think that African blue basil is available by seed... At least, I haven't found any. I've read that it's sterile, which is why it keeps blooming and blooming with good stem length (at least for my bouquets). It combines well with just about everything; I especially love it with pink flowers. I also use it as a sort of "value added" element to my bouquets, because it often roots itself (I try to tell this to my customers).

Solidago is goldenrod. I harvest it from a wild spot in my backyard. I personally love bouquets with it, but I make sure that I make up bunches without it. Some people just don't like it, others insist that it aggravates their allergies. At some point I'll probably try some of the named varieties or maybe solidaster.

I have spearmint, which is the primary mint that I cut, plus some chocolate and variegated mints. I tend to cut them earlier in the season. Later in the season I like the ornamental oregano Herrenhausen. It's got lovely deep reddish purple blooms. I just wish that it would rebloom after a stem is cut.

Hope this helps.

Kelly

Scabiosa 'Butterfly Blue', Shasta Daisy, Salvia

Plain old culinary oregano, with or without flower heads, makes a good filler, but watch out! They are perennial and unbelievably invasive, out-competing the native grasses here. I will NEVER plant it in the ground again.

Jeanne

I have oregano in my herb garden just outside my kitchen. I have not noticed it being invasive. It does make a nice big plant. It smells nice tucked in small bouquets. My three favorite fillers are Scabiosa, Salvia, Ammi.

Erin

Salvia f. 'Gruttenblau' (johnny's), agastache, Asclepias 'Red Butterfly'. The last 2 have great foliage to fill out a bunch. The salvia foliage stinks, so I wear vinyl gloves and strip it in field - a pain - but the blooms rising above other flowers in the bunch lend an airy grace.

Hi All,

I was just rereading this thread and just have to laugh when I reread wild solidago. I have one area (probably hubby will mow it when I am not looking) that is just over run with the goldenrod. Some here and there all over the property. We also have wild roses growing all over the place. I assume the roses are the multiflora kind that grow in pastures and such around here. We don't have any mature multiflora roses on our property so I can't be sure that is what they are. Now if anyone has a good use for wild roses, I will go out and start my wild rose farm. Oh that reminds me, does anyone use lily of the valley in boquets. I pulled a stem today to look it over and the stem was over a foot long. I didn't measure but thinking it looked about 15 inches long. I never cut any but always thought they looked really pretty and dainty. Shirley

Brides pay a fortune to florists for lily-of-the-valley for their bouquets, because of the fragrance. They are a pain to grow and harvest because they are so short. If you don't use the stems yourself, you could try calling a florist and find out what he/she would pay you for a bunch. I don't use them because they aren't happy here and stay WAY too short - under 6 inches.

Jeanne

RobRoy, good idea on the salvia foliage because I think the flowers are so pretty, but I've heard others say that it smells pretty bad. Any ideas for cleome? (smells like skunk, but such an eye catching flower.)
Cheryl

Jeanne,

I am going to be rich, lol. I don't know how long these have been in bloom so don't know as I could be selling them this year. You can bet next year I will find out in advance if the florists want them. As for them to being hard to grow, I had to snicker a little on that one. Mine are growing heartily under the stairs on the deck. I don't know why hubby thought he could build stairs right over the plants but that is what he did. We also have some growing wild in the woods. The ones under the stairs look nicer than ever and the ones in the woods look healthy too. So I guess if you want nice lilies of the valley, you must neglect them. It hailed last night (hubby said it was butter bean size) so they are probably pretty happy to be under the stairs today. I haven't gone out to look and see if there was any damage. It is raining now. I hope it stops soon. The top couple of inches were dry but was very moist down a couple of inches so we didn't need much rain. Thanks for letting me know that lilies of the valley are desirable. Shirley

Lily of the Valley was popular in bridal bouquets in the 60s. It symbolized innocence. That's not so much the case these days. The modern bride wants a bouquet such as pictured in the post by LizaLily. That bouquet was what I would call simple elegance. It was a beautiful bouquet.

Lily of the Valley is really used as a ground cover growing only to a height of 6-8." All parts of the plant are poisonous. The reason you are probably seeing height in your plant, Shirley, is most likely due to the fact they are growing under stairs and stretching for the light. Fifteen inches would be very unusual.

Regarding the salvia, Gruttenblau, we haven't noticed any type of funky smell. Salvia is, after all, an herb. As far as stripping leaves in the field, we have always read that isn't a really good practice. The flower continues the process of photosynthesis after being cut. We strip leaves when making bouquets--both here on the farm and at the market.

Flowerfarmer,

You are probably right about mine being taller because they are reaching for the sun. However the stems are strong, the flowers very pretty and the plants very healthy looking. Perhaps, I will be able to make good use of the flowers I get next year. My sister was in the hospital yesterday so I picked her a boquet of a purple wildflower (probably actually a weed but a very pretty one) mixed with the lily of the valley. It turned out very nice. I think the lily of the valley adds quite a bit of interest. I went to look at the plants in the woods but the flowers were already spent. The height was pretty decent on the ones in the woods too. I am concerned if the flowers are poisonous though. I would hate to learn a boquet I made poisoned a child. What other flowers are poisonous besides the lily of the valley? Shirley

I would hate to learn a boquet I made poisoned a child. How do you feel about litigation?

Digitalis is also on the list.

Snapdragons (Madame Butterfly if you can find them, I had to grow mine from seed this year)

Seashell Cosmos

godetia

Flowerfarmer,

I would feel better about litagation than the poisoning. However, are boquets different than plants in some way that one would assume that they are nonpoisonous? I know plants like poinsettias are supposed to be poisonous but they are everywhere at Christmas. Are the vendors liable if someone eats them? If not, are cutflower vendors held to a different standard? I don't plan on using the lily of the valley myself now but would still like to know. Apparently the florists do use the lily of the valley. Maybe I can line up a florist to sell them to before they bloom next year. Here is a link of interest. They list what they consider as the expensive flowers and lily of the valley made the list. Shirley

Here is a link that might be useful: expensive flowers

I only read through E and see so many from the cutflower garden. If anyone is interested in which ones, you can click on the link below.

Here is a link that might be useful: list of some poisonous plants

whew! Long list. I got to China lily and decided to read it some other time.

I think that poisonous plant list needs to be taken with a grain of salt. I only got as far as the A's and still found apple and apricot. They don't differentiate between something as horribly poisonous as foxgloves and relatively harmless fruit trees. The only part of an apricot tree that I know is poisonous is the nut meat inside the kernel. You have to try really hard just to find it, and even so, it's only mildly poisonous.

Jeanne