Weddings: Growing in Love

Though a bride could carry spring peonies in the dead of winter or delicate irises on a sweltering August day, Karin Purvis, owner of The Houseplant-The Art of the Garden, advises using locally grown, seasonal plants for bouquets and centerpieces. Not only is it less expensive and better for the environment, but Purvis points out, “It is very original, and much more interesting.”

With fingers plunged into a twiggy basket, Purvis notes the plants she’s currently arranging—delicate maidenhair fern surrounded by sturdy white cyclamen and variegated ivy—would make a lovely (and sustainable) centerpiece for a dinner table. The addition of a sparkly ribbon, or two decorative birds could add a festive touch, but the best part she says, is that each piece can be replanted in the newlyweds’ garden, or given as gifts for their guests to grow themselves.

Another, practical reason to use plants: our long, steamy summers are tough on delicate petals. Succulents such as sedum or the diminutive thorny crowns of hen and chicks can stand up to high temperatures. These tough plants are easily rearranged into window boxes or border gardens to enjoy long after the ceremony is over. Purvis also recommends using boxwood topiaries to line the aisle, indoors or out, supplemented with moss or twigs. Forced bulbs and flowering branches are options in late winter when many plants are still dormant. No matter what the choice, Purvis says with confidence, “You are much more successful using plants.”