Top 8 Filler Flowers for Garden Style Bouquets
When we admire a bouquet, our eyes are often drawn to the largest, statement flowers.
But behind every balanced and beautifully finished arrangement or bouquet is another often overlooked group of flowers doing essential work: these are the filler flowers.
I often see photographs of arrangements and bouquets absolutely stuffed with round focal Flowers, and although these designs are pleasant to look at and often sell well! for me personally, I always feel as if there is something missing.
I love roses but I always much prefer a bouquet with the roses nestled in amongst other flowers, to a bouquet entirely filled with roses, but that might just be me.
Filler flowers may not be as eye catching as those main focal flowers, but their impact is significant. They connect the focal flowers, fill empty spaces and help the arrangement feel complete. Without them, a bouquet can look incomplete and in some cases less expensive, despite the fact bouquets filled with focals often have the higher wholesale value.
One of their most important roles is to create balance. Filler flowers bridge the difference in size between focal flowers and delicate smaller flowers, distributing colour and shape throughout the design. They can also guide the eye around an arrangement, adding movement rather than allowing the focal flowers to become crowded.
They bring texture too, airy varieties can create softness and romance, while denser varieties add structure and definition. Popular choices such as gypsophila, feverfew, limonium, solidago and astrantia each introduce a different character.
One of the most important roles of Filler flowers is that they add volume without overwhelming the focal blooms.
They make a bouquet feel fuller and more generous while preserving space for every flower to be seen. This is especially valuable when working within a budget, because a thoughtful amount of filler can increase visual impact without relying entirely on premium statement flowers.
When choosing filler flowers, consider colour, scale and overall style. A filler in a similar colour to the rest of the design creates harmony, while a contrasting colour adds energy. Fine, branching stems suit loose garden-style designs, whereas compact clusters work well in more structured arrangements.
The key is restraint, filler flowers should support the focal flowers, not compete with them. Add them in small groups, vary their height and angle, and leave enough breathing room for the arrangement to feel natural. Place them where they can connect the larger blooms and soften the outer edges.
I grow various different examples of filler flowers, some are annuals but many of my favorites are perennials that will flower every year. Not all of the fillers that I grow are available to me all season so I have selected a selection for spring, summer and Autumn.
Early Spring
I always find very early spring the most difficult time to find a good selection of filler flowers and often use fruit tree blossom or lilac, Wallflowers are also incredibly useful at this time of the year.
But two fillers that I rely on the most in the very earliest part of spring are number one, Lunaria also known as honesty which is a lovely bright purple, and complements early focals so well.
And it is worth growing lots of this filler, as any that you do not get around to cutting will produce the most wonderful seed heads perfect for use in the autumn and winter.
It is worth mentioning that Lunaria is a biennial so you want to sow your seeds in May and June for flowers the following spring.
My second choice for very early spring may seem a little strange, but it so useful to me at multiple times of year, and early spring is often where I rely on it most and it is limmoium or Statice, that had been dried from the previous summer, sometimes in the summer I have so many other fillers available that the Statice can often be overlooked, but as it is so incredibly easy to dry, I like to store some ready to fill the gaps in my early spring designs.
Statice is a half hardy annual so I always sow mine in the spring ready to flower in mid to late summer.
Late Spring and Early Summer
So now we move onto the late spring and early summer where the garden really starts to come to life and there are so many more flowers to choose from, and my first choice seems to compliment everything, and while it is available to me for cutting it goes in nearly every arrangement that I make and this is Alchemillia mollis or ladies mantle it is a mainstay of early summer floristry and works equally well with bright or muted pallets and its soft and fluufy form seems compliment so many designs.
This filler has a fantastic vase life of 10 the 14 days and as a bonus can be dried too for use in any winter projects. This is another perennial variety that is very easy to grow and readily sets seed, if grown in the shade or in the sun and will happily flower in either location, although the flowers tend to be more yellow where more sun is available. I cut mine right back after flowering for a useful second flush in early autumn.
I propagate my Alchemilla through division of plants in the Autumn
My second choice for late spring and early summer is a classic English cottage garden variety that also boasts longevity in the vase especially when cut and arranged with buds waiting to open and this is Dianthus Barbatus or Sweet William, well known for its scent and easily grown from seed or from cutttings from existing plants, it is another Biennial or short lived perennial, sow the seed in the summer along with your honesty, ready for flowering next season.
Summer
Now we move into summer and there are so many fillers available to cut, making choosing two a difficult task but the two I have opted need no real introduction and are one of the two most popular choices for many growers.
Number one, Is Achillea or Yarrow, it produces flat topped or slightly domed flower heads. These emerge on branching stems above clumps of Fern textured foliage. The flower heads are made-up of hundreds of florets that look like tiny daisies. As the flowers age they fade and their colours become softer and more muted. This is another filler with a good vase life of 10 to 14 days, but a note to those with sensitive skin, Achillea can cause some irritation. It is a hardy perennial, that grows well in full sun and poorer soils.
My second choice is Phlox, now the great thing about phlox is that there are both annual and perennial varieties, and one of my favourite cut flowers is the annual Phlox drummondii, it can be a bit of a diva, but is well worth the effort, as the colours available are just brilliant. I have also added some perennial phlox to the garden, but as the plants are young are yet to be very productive, that is where annual cut flowers really shine as the more you cut them the more they will flower for you.
Late Summer and Early Autumn
So now we arrive at late summer and early autumn and although many of the filler flowers already mentioned can still be producing flowers and are often giving a second flush There are some varieties that wait until this time of year to get going, and my first choice is Sedum or stonecrop this garden classic provides, a wonderful textural finish to floral designs this flower can be cut in bud to give it a longer life in the vase. This is another perennial, and it is incredibly easy to grow from cuttings.
My second choice for the later part of the year is the perennial Aster It is an invaluable frothy filler for autumnal displays. The rich pinks and purples match the season's palette well, it has a good vase life and it provides volume and texture amongst larger focal flowers. I have been taking lots of cuttings to make sure that I have this wonderful filler in abundance.
So, the next time you create a bouquet or arrangement, do not treat filler flowers as an afterthought. Think of them as the finishing detail that brings cohesion to the design. They may not always be the first flowers people notice, but they are often the reason the whole arrangement feels beautifully complete.
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