I just love using herbs for flower arrangements. They are so elegant, simple, and really go with the seasonal and natural theme inside my home. Plus, if you grow them yourself… they are free!
Over the last few years, I have started growing more and more herbs for flower arranging in addition to my usual culinary herbs.
The term herb can mean many things, and a lot of people may not realize some of the unique herbs out there. Most of us think of the traditional herbs for cooking like basil, parsley, and chives.
I enjoy growing things in my garden that have multiple uses. I have been incorporating herbs into my flowerbeds and backyard landscape for years.
This way you get a beautiful landscape that can also be used for decorating your home, or eating… or both!
9 Herbs for Flower Arrangements:
There are so many more herb varieties out there for decorating and crafting. Once you start to think outside the box a bit, you just see more and more opportunities.
Here are the herbs that I am most excited to grow in my garden this summer for creating some beautiful DIY summer flower arrangements.
Yarrow:
Yarrow is great for dried or cut flowers. It has long, sturdy stems with feathery foliage, so you easily add some height to your arrangements.
The flat top flowers are also great as a focal flower in your floral design work. They have such a delicate, whimsical vibe, and can really evoke that cottage or farmhouse style.
Yarrow flowers remind me of when I was little and would make my mom wildflower bouquets with Queen Anne’s Lace. But the bonus is that yarrow can come in many more colours than the white flowers of Queen Anne’s Lace.
I found a “summer pastel” mix from Hawthorn Seeds, or if you are in the US Johnny’s Seeds that is just lovely. This mix has pastel shades including cream, yellow, salmon, lilac, purple, red, and many bi-colours.
Yarrow is a great herb to get going in your garden as it is perennial in most zones, drought tolerant, and attracts butterflies, bees, and hummingbirds too!
Sage:
I have used sage as a filler in past flower arrangements. I love the velvety texture of the leaves, the colour, and of course the lovely scent.
Traditional garden sage is great with its subtle silvery-green leaves to pair with a wide variety of colours. Or you can choose to go with a tri-colour sage that is purple, pink, green, and white, and pairs with softer pastel or white focal flowers.
I have found that sage holds up very well in cut flower arrangements with its thicker leaves and sturdy stems. I even had mine start growing roots in the vase! (Free plants are never a bad thing)
Lavender:
I could not create a list of herbs for flower arrangements and not include lavender.
Lavender has a classic look, and a beautiful, calming fragrance. It is good for fresh or dried flower arrangements.
Lavender has very slender stems and small blooms that can come in purple (most common), pink, and white.
Lavender can make a great accent flower, or will also be beautiful as one large bunch. You can dress it up in a fancy vase for a more formal, modern look, or dress them down in an antique water pitcher for that farmhouse charm.
Lavender is very hardy and a perennial in most zones. If you prune it at the right time, you may be able to get two or even three rounds of blooms in one growing season. It is also great for pollinators.
Echinacea:
Echinacea is such a stately focal point in the garden. It is a perennial and attracts butterflies and other pollinators with its large pink to purple blossoms.
When left to go to seed I found that the Gold Finches really love them too.
Echinacea blooms have a very long vase life, so you can enjoy them for quite a while before you need to freshen up your arrangement. The stems are quite strong and can be cut very long, so you can get some taller height from them.
I think Echinacea look like big beautiful daisies, so you can easily achieve that “summer wildflower” natural look with them.
Mint:
Mint is an incredible filler for any floral arrangement with its bright green leaves and refreshing fragrance. It provides a good backdrop for other more vibrant flowers to really shine.
It grows very well in water, and like sage, I have had it root in the vase. So you will not need to worry too much about vase life on this one.
I had my mint start to go to seed last year and it produced tiny light purple flowers which was a wonderful addition too.
I would suggest that if you are going to start growing mint, that you do so in a pot. It can become quite invasive and really take over your garden if left to its own devices.
Basil:
Nothing says sunny, warm, summer days like fresh basil. The smell is just so invigorating and makes me think of happy times in the garden or a fun backyard BBQ.
Basil is a perfect filler in fresh arrangements with its lush round leaves and sturdy stems. It will provide structure to your arrangements and help to support some of the other flowers.
If you let basil go to flower you will also get nice spikes of white or purple flowers depending on the variety. Thai basil is particularly nice as it has dark purple stems as well.
Basil is such a great herb to grow because it can be used in so many recipes. If you are pruning it correctly you usually end up with a lot of it, so why not throw some in with your next arrangement?
Bee Balm:
Bee Balm has such a uniquely shaped flower and just adds a fun pop of colour and texture to any floral design.
It can come in bright red, purple, pink, or white, however; most commonly you will find red and purple. Bee balm also has long stems so it can add good height and structure to your arrangement.
Bee balm is perennial, so you can plant it once and then enjoy it for years. And of course, as the name would imply bee balm is great for pollinators as it attracts bees, butterflies, and hummingbirds. One of my favourites in the garden for sure.
Chamomile:
Chamomile is such a lovely dainty flower – the kind of flower that just makes you smile. I started growing it for chamomile tea and found the smell of walking past the chamomile patch is so soothing.
One day I was at my local flower market and saw they had it in a bouquet. Why did I never think of this?! So, I have since started adding it to my summer flower arrangements.
I love that chamomile starts flowering so early and can continue well throughout the growing season. These daisy-like flowers and feathery foliage really bring a whimsical feel to any arrangement.
Since the flowers are white with yellow centers, you can pair them with any other colours from bright vibrant reds, to comforting warm peach tones.
Although chamomile is not a perennial, it re-seeds very easily. My patch has come back now for four years in a row. Another great addition to the garden, as I found it is great for beneficial bugs like green lacewings and ladybugs.
Rosemary:
Rosemary may be one of the strongest-smelling herbs on this list, so you may want to keep that in mind if you do not like very strong fragrances.
It also has a very different look when compared to other herbs on this list with its needle-like leaves. Rosemary can offer more of a forest vibe to your herbal bouquets.
It is excellent for providing support to other flowers and is a great filler with its neutral green colour. It can also add extra height and volume to your floral design.
If you live in an area where it is perennial, you will be able to get some pretty blue flowers from it after the first year.
Rosemary is great for the garden because it is said to deter pests, and we can enjoy it for many culinary uses as well.
In Conclusion:
These herbs are not only great to be used in flower arrangements, but they are also great for your garden, and some in the kitchen as well.
You will find that they really enhance the beauty of your floral designs by adding a variety of colours, gorgeous texture, fragrance, and structure that you just can’t get elsewhere.
And, by growing them yourself you can have beautiful fresh cut flowers each week for free.
They are so versatile that you can achieve a lovely whimsical arrangement or a completely modern look. They work in hand-tied bouquets, wedding bouquets, or even in a small arrangement on the kitchen counter. The sky is the limit!
I hope that I have helped you to get inspired and think outside the box a bit when it comes to ingredients in flower arrangements.
And, perhaps the next time you are out in your garden cutting flowers for the kitchen table, you will throw a few herbs in there as well.
Until next time!
PS – Don’t forget to save this post for later!
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