There are some flowers and greenery that we try to consistently carry in our shop. Some are the ‘staples’ that we couldn’t live without!

As much as flowers are so important to an arrangement, we find that greenery is equally as important.

Here are some of our favourites!

Seeded Eucalyptus is a beautiful sage green with lots of texture from the seeds. The stems work perfectly in bouquets as well as in vase arrangements. It is also very popular in bridal flowers and particularly in long trailing garlands as table centrepieces. In the winter months, the seeds are a lighter colour and a smaller size. In the summer months, the seeds are darker in colour and the leaves are more angled.

Silver Dollar Eucalyptus is the same colour as the seeded eucalyptus with rounder leaves and without the seeds. The Silver dollar has a long vase life and is usable in bouquets as well as vase arrangements.

Baby Blue eucalyptus is the traditional eucalyptus used in oils, soaps and shampoos, etc. Baby Blue has the strongest menthol fragrance out of all of the eucalyptus. It looks great in a vase or in a hand-tied bouquet. Another use for the blue eucalyptus is to hang a bundle in the shower and the steam releases the menthol fragrance that aides with the relief of chest congestion.

Parvifolia seems to be the new kid on the block when it comes to eucalyptus. It has a much smaller leaf and same sage green colour.

Italian ruscus has long been a favourite for sympathy work and larger scale floral arrangements. It has multiple dark green leaves on long stems.

Aralia and monstera leaves are fun, large leaves with a tropical feel. They look great with a couple of simple blooms or on their own. Aralia leaves look almost like a maple leaf and they come solid or variegated. Monstera leaves have become quite popular recently, displayed nicely by themselves in a vase.

Israeli Ruscus is our last go-to greenery. It is much shorter than the other greens, but works well in hand-tied bouquets and smaller vase arrangements. Its nice dark green colour contrasts beautifully against white flowers.

Tips for designing with greenery

When creating an arrangement with greenery, it is important to make sure that all greenery that will be below the water line is stripped off. If leaves are left below the water line, the water will become murky and grow bacteria, and this shortens the life span of your arrangement.

Start off with a clean vase or container filled halfway with water. Make sure to give all of your greenery stems a good sharp cut on an angle before placing in the vase. Even if you have just picked up your greenery from the flower shop, the stems will still need a fresh cut before going in lukewarm water.

Keeping your arrangement away from a sunny location will have it last much longer as well. Change the water every couple of days and give the greenery stems a new cut before placing them back into your cleaned container.

Which of the above greenery is your favorite? Let us know in the comments!