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I have a patch of native white Asters that I use for filler in arrangements, but I have to weed a lot them out of everywhere... this year I'm hoping to come up with some other flowers for fillers... I have seedlings of Gypsophila muralis and Yarrow but I don't know how well that will work.
Any suggestions? Not just for my zone, post whatever you might be using! Thanks
Mike
In late spring I love Heuchera as a filler, especially with roses. The seed heads of many grasses can give a graceful, flowing effect. In summer I like to use Queen Anne's Lace- it grows wild all over, so no raiding the garden, lol. Astilbe makes a great fluffy filler. Various species and cultivars of Limonium make wonderful, long lasting fillers, many of which dry well. The varieties known as Misty Blue in the floral industry are extra light and airy. I love the look of them, but be forewarned, some varieties stink horribly. Typically only noticable when there is a lot in one confined place, but I always found the odor reminiscent of rotting fish and old sneakers.
Seems like spring, when the bulb flowers are blooming is when fillers are lacking. Lilac and blooming branches fill nicely with them though.
I like the pastel mixes of yarrow, but the standard achillea is too strong of a color...it is too hot here for Gypsophila...wish i could grow statice...love it!!! Oh, gemini sage just mentioned it...One good thing about summer time is we have so many flowers, we don't need too many fillers...
I also use Queen Annes' Lace. I have some plants of ornamental oregano ( Hadleys Hybrid) that I can use in the late summer-tiny purple flowers and small leaves with a hint of blue.
I got my season's mixed up in planting seeds in the fall...now i am tilling the whole garden under except for the hollyhocks as the weeds are starting to get bad...here's my Queen Anne's Lace last week...
I love the Queen Anne's Lace. Don't have it, but I love it. Achillea Albo Anthea is a shorter non- spreading pastel yellow. Great filler. Other favorites here are Artemisia Lactiflora Ghizou ( no good photos on the web) but it has maroon and dark green foliage with 3 ft spires of white flowers similar to astilbe but not so plume-like. Boltonia, asters, coreopsis moonbeam are others.
Solidago!!! My absolutive favorite except for with anything pink as I don't like pink and yellow together-too gaudy. I HATE baby's breath. I hope to never touch another stem of it again. Miilion stars is ok but it takes alot to fill up a rose arrangement nicely and gets pretty pricey. I cannot stand to see an arrangement of anything but roses with babys breath and even them I'd rather have limonium or solidago. I also can't stand monte casino asters. Too cheap looking for me and too rough for use with roses IMO.As far as garden flowers you could try german statice. It grows pretty good here, but only lasts a few seasons then seems to die out. I absolutely love bupleureum and alchemilla. Snow on the mountain (euphorbia) is more of a "green" but can make a nice contrast to standard greens and sub as a filler. I love heather,and its so long lasting. ANother interesting one to try might be wild quinine (parthenium) I have never used it as a cut flower so I don't know how long it lasts. Asclepias tuberosa and its varieties would probably aslo work but watch the sap. Let it soak a good long while after cutting and before arranging and try to avoid recutting it.
Ah, I love solidago too, and like you, can't stand to see it used with pink (I worked with someone who used to do that all the time, drove me nuts, lol). Lots of species of solidago grow wild here (it is the KY state flower) and start blooming in late summer. At the same time the rich purple Ironweed and mauve Joe Pye weed start blooming and make pretty fillers too.
Hi Trillium612 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ waving from Middleton. I am going to try thalictrum as a filler flower this year. I use the fern like leaves in arrangements ,as well as those from astilbe.; but haven't tried the fluffy bloom yet.
Will give it a look see.
Before my hub's killed it all,I use asparagus fronds as a green filler.
I used variegated porcelian berry vine as filler in the bouquets I sold at farmers market yesterday as well as ,queen ann's lace,ostrich fern,boxwood,green and gold euyonmus,forsthyia stems,mini cattail and quacking grass. I like a nice variety of green fillers as well a blooming fillers.
My white blooming/fruiting beautyberry have just started blooming so I'll use those and curly willow. Wildflower blooming along the road are fair game too. Winged elm looks good in fall arrangements,striped of it's leaves
