Here Comes the Bride

Growing flowers to use at a wedding is a fun way to help keep expenses down. It does take pre-planning and cooperation between the bride and gardener.

Not all wedding seasons will have an ample supply of flowers but there are always things you can garner from outside and then add a few store bought flowers and accessories.

Spring:

A few choices are tulips, daffodils, violets, pussy willow branches, Lily of the Valley, iris, peonies, lilac and forsythia branches. Spring flowers often require planting bulbs in the previous fall to get the desired colors and bloom times.

Summer:

Choices here can be perennials and annuals. Asian lilies, roses, hydrangea, daisies, yarrow, ornamental grass leaves, cosmos, ivy, sunflowers and hosta leaves.

Early Autumn:

Cone flower, liatris, Oriental lilies, zinnia, hosta flowers, coreopsis and asters.

Late Autumn:

Sedum, leaves, ornamental grass seed heads, mums, wheat, and hard-type berry bushes.

Winter:

Pine cones, evergreen branches, grape vines, holly and bittersweet.

If you have the opportunity, experiment the year before. Flowers have definite personalities once they're picked. An unhappy bride walks down the aisle with drooping flowers.

Realize weather conditions can effect the bloom times.

Fragile flowers will need those little florist water containers if used in carried bouquets. Speaking of fragile, some flowers don't remain fresh looking when picked no matter what you do to them. Others, loose petals at a steady rate once picked.

Flowers in vases are easier to manage for the non-professional. Wrapping mayonnaise jars in material and ribbons in the wedding colors is inexpensive and beautiful. Fall containers and accessories are plentiful with pumpkins, gourds and dried flowers. Pressing leaves or coating in wax is an easy process that can be accomplished early in the planning.

Bought poinsettias and other typically Christmas season flowers can be bought potted for much less than a bouquet. Poinsettias cut well or entire pots can be surrounded by evergreens for table decorations.

Whether all or a portion of the wedding flowers are from the garden, it will save the wedding party money while still providing fresh arrangements.

The list is almost endless and the bride can find her colors in any season.