Flower Arrangement Fillers from the Vegetable Garden

Learn about some surprising flower arrangement fillers you might have growing in your vegetable garden. Who knew that flower arrangement fillers could be so inexpensive and easy to source? Get easy ideas for greenery fillers for flower arrangements that you might never have thought of before. They might be growing in your garden right now!

My Last-Minute Flower Arrangement Fillers Backstory

We once had friends over for a barbeque, and at the last minute, I decided I wanted to have some fresh flower arrangements on the table. I ran around the yard to see what we had, and we didn’t have much. There were a few sad-looking dahlias, nearly past their prime. A few wildflowers were still tenaciously blooming, although most had already gone to seed, and that was about it. I needed to use some vegetable garden creativity!

My eyes strayed over to the carefully planned vegetable garden. Something feathery was swaying gracefully in the gentle breeze. I slowly approached the delicate fronds, realizing that the answer to my dilemma was right in front of me. Vegetable garden creativity to the rescue!

 

This was just what I needed for my casual Mason jar arrangements. The asparagus, which had been cut back in the spring, had sprouted lovely-looking greenery. Maybe I could find other arrangement-fillers elsewhere in amongst the veggies.

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Radishes to the Rescue

Nearby, the radish row beckoned. Only one person in my family likes to eat radishes, so there are always leftover plants that stay in the ground long enough to develop tall stems with pink or white blossoms. This might horrify some people, but I like the way the blooms look in the vegetable garden after the root is no longer good to eat. Some people might pull them out right away, but I like to let them go through the flowering cycle, then go to seed. If I had needed to fill larger jars or vases with my arrangement, I might have used the radish blossoms, but I ended up just leaving them to continue adding color to their row.

Just Dill With It (Sorry, silly pun!)

If you have ever planted dill, you probably never had to buy seeds again. Dill is a prolific self-seeder, at least in my garden. After rototilling in the spring, somehow the seeds still manage to sprout all over the vegetable garden. I treat most of the sprouts like weeds, pulling them up and discarding them. I do leave a few plants to grow to maturity if they are located in places that don’t interfere with the growth of anything else. Dill would have been a good choice for a tall flower arrangement filler, but my little Mason jars were only the one-pint variety, so I left the dill for another day.

Asparagus for the Garden Creativity Win

In the end, I chose to use just the asparagus fronds in my arrangements. They fit the casual summer barbeque mood, along with a few dahlias, bachelor buttons, and yellow poppies. Thank you, vegetable garden! The arrangements made the table look festive in a laid-back sort of way.

How Do You Make Flower Arrangements Look Fuller?

As an artistically challenged gardener, I am always looking for easy ways to make flower arrangements look fuller and more visually appealing. Here are some simple tips to help you create lush and abundant floral arrangements:

Choose a vase. This is a basic one that goes with many types of decor.

Choose the Right Flowers: Start with a variety of flowers that have different shapes, sizes, and textures. That is why I like dahlias so much. They come is such a wide variety of shapes, colors, and sizes. Mixing blooms with various petal sizes and foliage types will create a more dynamic and full look.

Use Inexpensive Filler Flowers and Greens: Incorporate filler flowers like the small radish blooms. These can help fill in gaps and add volume. Greenery, such as asparagus and dill, can also provide texture and make the arrangement look fuller.

Layer the Flowers: Start by placing some greenery and filler flowers in the container first to create a base. Then, layer your main flowers on top of this foundation. This layering technique will give the arrangement depth and fullness.

There, now you will be able to design flower arrangements like a pro using inexpensive, home-grown cut flowers and DIY flower arrangement fillers from your vegetable garden. 

My Favorite Garden Mentor

Before I conclude this post, I must give accolades to the person who inspired, and continues to inspire, my gardening efforts. Her name was Dulcy Mahar. For over 22 years she wrote a  newspaper column for the gardening section of The Oregonian. She passed away in 2011. Although I never met her, I felt as though I could relate to her. She confessed, “As a gardener, I learn by trial and error, and error, and error.” She was never afraid to share her mistakes. I was happy to learn that her witticisms live on in two collections of her columns. The first one, is called Back in the Garden With Dulcy. It’s a compilation of some of her favorite newspaper columns and is a very entertaining read.

The second volume, Through the Seasons with Dulcy: More Favorite Columns by the Oregonian Garden Writer Dulcy Mahar, is a further collection of her humorous and informative writing.

If you have never read one of Dulcy Mahar’s columns, you are in for a treat. I often think of her when I try something new, such as growing ornamental scarlet runner beans, as described in my post about guilt-free gardening. 

Used Garden Creativity Lately?

Do you have any unconventional favorite flower arrangement fillers?  Did you have to resort to using vegetable garden creativity as I did? If you are fond of using vegetable garden produce as part of your decor, you might like to learn how to use a pumpkin as a flower arrangement container.

Free Garden Planner Notebook

During the past few years, our vegetable garden has become kind of a cutting garden as well, with dahlias planted in amongst the vegetables. Now it’s even more convenient to use flower arrangement fillers from the vegetable garden because many of the cut flowers for arrangments grow there as well. It does take planning, though, and I like to keep track of my monthly garden tasks with a free garden planner notebook. 

Get the garden planner!

Free Online Garden Planner Layout Template

Now that you know about using flower arrangement fillers from your vegetable garden, you might need a way to plan your vegetable garden layout strategically. This online garden planner can help you visualize your design and bring it to life. With garden tasks that need your attention, this is one way to save time.

It’s fully customizable when you make your own copy and includes two editable chart pages for noting planting specifications.

Get my free online garden layout planner template!

Other Gardening Posts You Might Enjoy

Do you struggle with knowing what to plant in flower containers? Get some great flower container ideas you can use, even if you’re artistically challenged. Learn about easy-care perennials and fabulous flowering shrubs. Get some easy tips for growing fragrant old garden roses or make your own DIY pole bean tower. If you are looking for simple, low-maintenance gardening tips, I’m here for you!

Have a wonderful week, and may all of your flower arrangement filler endeavors meet with success!

 

 

Lisa Mitchell is a wife, mom, and school librarian who likes to grow fruit, vegetables, and flowers on her family’s small Pacific Northwest farm. To learn more about what this website has to offer gardeners, click on over to the Garden page.

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