Use Long Lasting Greenery To Make Your Flower Dollars Go Further

As winter approaches and the days become shorter and darker it’s more important than ever to add bits of joy to our lives. A great way to do this is with flowers, and it doesn’t have to be expensive. A great money-saving tip is to use long-lasting greenery along with your flowers in bouquets and arrangements. If treated correctly the greenery can be reused for weeks so all you need to do is replace the flowers. 

In today’s post, I’ll list the important role greenery plays in flower arrangements, tips on properly caring for greenery, and suggestions for hardy greenery that has a long vase life.

Five ways greenery plays an important role in a flower arrangement:

1 - Provides a backdrop to highlight the flowers.

2 - Adds a rich texture.

3 - Fills space to create a fuller look

4 - Holds the flowers in place.

5 - Creates a more “garden-esque” look.

Six tips on how to properly care for greenery:

1 - Use mature growth. New growth has not had time to get robust and won’t last as long.

2 - Make sure your vases are clean and have fresh water.

3 - Clean the stems so any leaves that would be below the waterline are removed.

4 - Cut the stems at an angle so they have the largest surface for absorbing water.

5 - Keep out of direct heat sources and away from open flames.

6 - Replace the water and recut the stems every two days.

Top Tip:  You may have heard that it’s a good idea to bash wooden stems. I suggest you don’t. Bashing them prevents the water from flowing freely up the stem.

Four long-lasting greenery suggestions: There are a number of greens available all year long that are easily accessible and will last a minimum of 3-4 weeks.

1 - Eucalyptus

2 - Salal

3 - Ivy

4 - Ruscus

Ten suggestions for winter greens: Since we are heading into the winter months, I thought I’d make a special note about winter greens. Their fragrance is something that will instantly make your home feel cozy and put you in the holiday spirit. As with all greens, treat them properly to make them last longer. 

1 - Noble fir 

2 - Holly

3 - Rosemary 

4 - Cedar 

5 - Hemlock 

6 - Pine 

7 - Magnolia 

8 - Blue spruce 

9 - Juniper  

10 -Carolina sapphire  

Final words: 

The colour green symbolizes life, renewal, energy, growth, harmony, and good fortune. To learn more about the colour green read my previous blog post, ‘Yes, There are Green Flowers’.

If you have a favourite long-lasting greenery that you recommend, please add it in the comment section below.