From the Backyard to the Bouquet

Gather ’round, green thumbs. If you can grow flowers, you can arrange your big-day florals

By Morgan McMillan

With the economy the way it is, you’re probably wracked your brain numerous times to stretch your budget as best you can. Stitching together a couture gown might be beyond your capabilities, but tending to the flowers that become your bouquet certainly is doable.

And there’s something unique and sentimental about throwing personal touches from your own garden into your wedding.

Not a green thumb? Georgeanne Brennan, co-author of “Backyard Bouquets: Growing Great Flowers for Simple Arrangements” (Chronicle Books, 1998), suggests giving yourself plenty of time. “It depends on the season of the wedding,” she says. “You would need to plan a good six months ahead for bulbs – they have to be ordered at a certain time and are only available then. For quick annuals like sunflowers, plan on three months.”

Depending on when your wedding is, it might be a problem to grow springtime lilies you love if your wedding is in November. And, if you’re thinking of growing them in pots inside, think again. Brennan recommends growing them outside and sticking to the basics. Here are some of her seasonal suggestions for what flowers you can grow when:

Summer

• Cosmos

• Zinnias

• Early sweet peas

• Blooming sunflowers (for a June wedding you could plant these in March)

Late Summer/Fall

• Annuals and bulbs, such as dahlias, rudbeckia and late sunflowers. For a September wedding, order bulbs in March and plant dahlias in May.

Winter

• Flowering quince works well for this time of year.

Late Winter/Early Spring

• Plant bulbs in fall for daffodils, narcissus, hyacinths, tulips

• Perennials: Roses, lilacs, peonies and lilies – they take close to two years to produce full blooms. Think about gathering these from friends’ or neighbors’ gardens if you don’t have that long to plant them yourself.

So, you’ve planted, watered and waited; and the flowers are coming up beautifully … When do you pick them to start readying your bouquet?

“In the morning, one to two days before the wedding,” says Brennan. “Stand them in water in a cool place to harden off. Specific flowers have specific needs, such as crushing, woody stems.”

Overall, don’t try to spruce it up too much, especially if you’ve never done it before – that includes color, the number of flowers you put into the bouquet and the way you dress it. It can be very difficult to deal with fancy bouquets. Ethel Brennan, Georgeanne’s daughter and “Backyard Bouquets” co-author, says, “For someone who has never done a wedding bouquet, I recommend choosing flowers that are not too delicate.”

Arranging can also be difficult once you have the flowers in front of you ready to be put into one bouquet. “Floral tape is essential,” says Ethel. “It comes in white, soft green and dark green. Wrap the stems with a 10-inch or longer piece or floral tape. Don’t hesitate to wrap tightly. Working in a circle, add flowers from the center of an arrangement out. The final circle will be leaves, other greenery or flowers.”

As far as filler plants go, if you have the timing right, you can grow just about anything, Georgeanne says. But, with common fillers like baby’s breath, “It would be a shame to mix it with beautiful home-grown flowers, which are special,” she adds.