Selecting what greenery and filler to use in your arrangements can be difficult. Whether you are just getting your floral business started or if you are a seasoned pro who has their favorite go-tos but wants to be able to experiment with more variety, the following suggestions should help you feel more at ease!
While the sola wood flowers tend to be the star of the show, the foliage you use plays a major supporting role and should be as well planned as the colors you choose to dye your flowers.
Below there are 5 different categories of greenery/filler. To make your arrangements eye-catching, I recommend using at least 3 of them when creating a piece. One thing to note - some greenery and filler can fall into multiple categories!
Flat Leafy Greenery
This type of greenery generally consists of large, flatter leaves and is perfect for covering a lot of space, especially in flat back or cascading bouquets, arch swag pieces, wreaths and/or signage. You can use it as a base greenery and build the rest of your arrangement on top or in front of it but since it is flat, you can also easily incorporate the leaves among the other greenery types and styles you use.
Examples:
- Artificial Ficus
- Artificial Eucalyptus - Basics Collection - Single Stems
- Medium Magnolia Leaves
- Seeded Eucalyptus** (The seeds from this greenery can be used to fill the Pop of Colors Filler category!)
Voluminous Greens
This category of greens is for greenery that is full of volume and can take up a lot of space. The leaves tend to be medium to large in size and are great for filling up vessels for centerpieces, adding mass to bouquets, filling in large gaps on wreaths, etc. As it tends to be the bulkiest greenery you’re working with on an arrangement, it will likely be the greenery style you use the most for larger pieces.
Examples:
- Artificial Eucalyptus**
- Spiral Eucalyptus Mix (Can also be used as a Texture Green)
- Blush Eucalyptus Bush (Can also be used as a Color Contrast Foliage)
- Blush Eucalyptus (Can also be used as a Color Contrast Foliage)
Color Contrast Foliage
This type of greenery is used to bring a contrasting color into your piece. If you are working with a dark and moody color story, brighten it up just a touch with lighter color greenery. If the vibe is sage greens, bring in a darker eucalyptus. Or, if you’re feeling daring, you could bring in a non-green foliage like Fall Leaves - Burgundy. The idea with color contrast foliage is to bring more dimension and intrigue to the piece and can be seen more frequently in seasonal arrangements or to bring in other parts of the overall color palette when using cream flowers.
Examples:
- Olive Branch** (Can also be used as a Texture Green)
- Smilax** (Can also be used as a Texture Green)
- Ginkgo**
Texture Greens
The goal of using multiple greenery/fillers is to build texture into your arrangements and these are a quick and easy way to do so! The leaves on this type of foliage are generally smaller in size and have an interesting shape to them. When building a bouquet, centerpiece or other arrangement with them, add them towards the end of building your greenery base (or even after you have added your flowers) to ensure they pop in the arrangement.
Examples:
- Italian Ruscus**
- Sage Greenery**
- Large Ruscus Leaves**
- New England Boxwood Bush Greenery**
- Willow Eucalyptus
Pop of Color Fillers
These filler types bring in that final pop of color that can really set off an arrangement! These are primarily added in the very last step of building your wedding or home decor pieces as just a few small sprigs can really make a big difference.
Examples:
- Astilbe
- Fuzzy Wuzzy
- Mini Eucalyptus Spring Greenery with cream berries
- Mini Eucalyptus Spring Greenery with pink berries - faux
As a small business owner, it is important to have your staples, your greenery go-to’s that you can order in bulk to use for a good portion of your arrangements. Not only will that help to build your brand and make your pieces more identifiable as YOURS, but it also helps to cut costs and reduce the amount of greenery orders you need to place. Start with your staples and then you can be as adventurous as you’d like by adding other foliage from different categories!
With these tips, your pieces can be richer and have a greater aesthetic depth. Be inspired to mix and match filler from the categories above – you’ll be surprised at what you can come up with!
**This greenery/filler is available to purchase by the case using our wholesale case order form.