Just as foliage is an important part of your garden, adding depth and volume, it’s just as important in flower arranging. It’s an essential part of any arrangement offering a backdrop for a beautiful bouquet that is full and luscious. Foliage can be simple or ornate, white or bright, and comes in a variety of shapes and sizes. Sometimes it’s scented, sometimes it’s there simply for show. Trusting an expert florist like Belles Fleurs flower shop in Dublin means your bouquet will be a perfect combination of gorgeous flowers and the right amount of foliage.
Scented Foliage
It’s common to use scented foliage, especially when your arrangement contains less sweet smelling flowers. Thyme, rosemary, mint, & eucalyptus give the bouquet a gorgeous delicate scent adding depth to the arrangement. You could include basil for a wonderful liquorice smell, cinnamon for a Christmas feel or lemon balm for a fresh scent all year round. You wouldn’t include scented foliage when you include a sweet scented flower like a rose or jasmine as it would mask the already beautiful smell.
Baby’s Breath
Possible one of the best-known bouquet fillers, Baby’s breath is a gorgeous addition to a floral arrangement or as a bouquet on its own. These gorgeous cloud-like bundles of blooms are set against blue/green foliage. They offer a gorgeous delicate texture and suit most types of flower arrangements. Its often used as a baby shower gift, hence the pretty name. It’s said to symbolise everlasting love and innocence and often used to make wedding bouquets or simple centrepieces.
Queen Annes Lace
This bright white filler is one of the most versatile and productive types of foliage and is used widely in the floristry world. The lacy flower heads and crisp green-and-white colour suit almost every type of arrangement and act as a stiff backbone to more delicate bouquets. The flower itself has feathery leaves and clusters of tiny white flowers that bloom in summer. Believe it or not, Queen Annes Lace is a member of the carrot family despite its lack of orange or green colour.
Sweet Pea Vines
It’s good to choose foliage that adds bold shapes, textures and colour to your flowers and sweet pea vines add all three. These gorgeous climbing plants bear clusters of flowers in a variety of colours, ideal to add contrast to a plain bouquet. You’ll most often find them in red, pink, blue, white, and pale purple. Sweet pea symbolises pleasure and kind-heartedness - possibly why they are often used in thank-you bouquets.
Bells of Ireland
This unusual, vertically flowering plant creates striking green lines and fullness to an arrangement as well as being an eye-catcher. They symbolise good luck, pretty obvious when you think of the Irish reputation abroad for being a good luck charm and the luck of the Irish. They’re often used in bouquets given as a gift for a graduation, a new job or just to send some well wishes. Surprisingly, they do not originate on the Emerald Isle, being a native of Syria and Turkey.
Flower deliveries are an ideal way to celebrate an anniversary, birthday, new baby or to let someone know you’re thinking of them. Our nationwide flower delivery service from our Dublin florist is a perfect way to send some love. Use code BELLES10 for 10% off our entire website and enjoy a bouquet made for you.