Using Herbs in Flower Bouquets

When I began arranging bouquets with my backyard flowers, I always seemed to come up short when it came to the greens. I could harvest buckets of beautiful blooms, but I never seemed to have enough textural, unique foliages to balance out the designs that first summer. Ever since then, I’ve been far more intentional about growing a proportionate amount of greenery, and much of it is in the form of fresh herbs.

Pictured: Cinnamon Basil

Not only are these varieties useful for a home gardener’s kitchen, but they also tend to be easy to grow, productive, and they smell heavenly - a welcome, fresh addition to a posy during the heat of summer, when few of the garden’s flowers have any scent at all.

Our favorite herbs aren’t anything too fancy - but many of them are best to start from seed yourself, since you typically won’t find these specific varieties at garden centers.

~ Basil, especially Mrs. Burns’ Lemon Basil, a bright, citrus-y green shade that complements lighter-colored flowers well, and Cinnamon Basil, a richer purple variety that is perfect for tucking into fall bouquets. Basil is very easy to grow from seed in the spring time and thrives during the hot summers. It’s notably wilt-prone, however, so harvesting it must be done late in the evening or very first thing in the morning; it’s also best to place the stems immediately in water and let them cool off indoors for a bit before using them.

~ Mint, especially Apple Mint. I like this variety because of it’s height, and supple, creamy green leaves. As I’m sure you’ve heard, mint grows - and spreads - quickly in the garden, and can quickly overtake the area where it’s grown. For our purposes, this is a fantastic thing (we’re cutting it often) but home gardeners will prefer to keep it in a large container or in a small raised bed where its growth is more restricted.

~ Dill, especially Bouquet Dill. This tall-growing, wispy herb adds height, whimsy, and texture to your arrangements. It’s vivid green and yellow colors are a perfect complement for colorful summertime flowers; be sure to sow multiple successions of this fast, easy-to-grow variety, as it has a relatively short “harvestable” window compared to some of these other varieties.

~ Thyme. I’m a sucker for the dainty textures and tiny leaf clusters on thyme - especially when it flowers! While it tends to be more petite in size, it’s a perfect choice to tuck into bud vases or have cascading out the side of smaller arrangements.

Pictured: An up-close look at flowering thyme

~ Lavender. My new favorite variety is Ellagance White, although I love the classic dusty purple shades, too. Its popular scent blends beautifully with other herbs, and it’s ideal for any romantic, cottage-style bouquets - and to add as a garnish to desserts and cocktails!