Ask Ella: The Best Flowers For Making Easy Boutonnieres

Ask Ella is a recurring Garden Collage feature where we ask our in-house florist, Ella Stavonsky, about floral design– including the history of, origin, and maintenance that goes into some of the most intriguing flowers on the market today. This column is dedicated exclusively to common and rare varieties of flowers you’re likely to find at your local market. This week, we spotlight to how make your own classy boutonnieres without breaking the bank.

Love the idea of boutonnieres but not into the standard baby’s breath + red rose combo? No fear.

When it comes to boutonnieres, the most important thing to remember is to look for plants that will that will hold their shape and won’t wilt in warmer temperatures– even if the room is cool, the plants are sitting right next to your body heat. (Which sadly means bidding adieu to hellebores.) The other key is to avoid pollen heavy or sticky plants, for obvious reasons.

Fortunately, there are plenty of flowers out there up to the job.

Photo: Andreana Bitsis

Find A Focus

You’ll want to pick one “statement” flower to act as the anchor for your boutonniere, and you can work your palette out from there. For your star bloom, consider one with extra petals, in case a few fall off over the course of the evening. We recommend: blushing bride protea, glory lilies, daisies, and, of course, roses.

Fill It Out

In addition to your main bloom, you’ll want to opt for at least two other elements: either a green and a filler, or (if you’re looking to save extra) two varied greens. For fillers, we advise sapphire berries, billy buttons, astilbe, speedwells, or dusty miller. You can also incorporate fiddlehead ferns for an architectural flare. For greens, keep an eye for delicate sprigs like rosemary, lavender, small ferns.

Take Care

If you’re doing your own prep, plan to pick up the flowers and make the boutonnieres one to two days in advance. You’ll want to store the flowers in the coldest part of your refrigerator, and spray the stems of the flowers with cool water twice a day.