You Can Grow The Loveliest Bouquet Filler From Chickpeas – It's So Simple To Do
The chickpeas in the back of your kitchen cupboard may be the answer to bulking out your beautiful bouquets. A flower pro helps to explain the process.
Who doesn't love a bouquet of flowers? They're an incredibly thoughtful gesture to give or receive as a gift, they make for an amazing centerpiece, and they instantly invite a pop of nature into any room.
If you're looking to spruce up your store-bought bunches or make your own bouquets using flowers from your yard, adding filler foliage is a great way to go the extra mile in terms of visuals. All you need to have the perfect foliage for the job, according to Donna of Busy B Blooms on Instagram, are some chickpeas. They grow into the loveliest greenery!
To learn more about this nifty hack I spoke to a flower pro. Here we delve into the the beauty sprigs of greenery add to a bouquet, why this hack works, and more.
Article continues belowWhat is the chickpea hack?
Donna's chickpea hack is an amazing solution that's cheap and quick to execute for anyone looking to bulk out their floral bouquets. It's also an ideal project for anyone wishing to try their hand at growing something for the first time.
You simply sow any dried chickpeas into soil and water them to keep them moist. Then within 10 to 12 weeks you will have a lush, leafy plant perfect for pruning to obtain foliage for your bouquets.
If you're hoping for a consistent supply of foliage, Donna recommends sowing some more chickpeas every few weeks.
Is there anything I need to be careful of when trying the hack out?
Though Donna's chickpea hack is pretty easy to do, there is one major thing gardeners need to be aware of according to Genia - not all of your chickpeas will successfully sprout, especially if you're using ones from a grocery store.
Genia explains: "Chickpeas purchased in bag at the grocery store are intended as food, not seeds for planting. Although some of them will sprout when planted, the germination rate or yield is likely to be much lower than if you purchase a packet of certified seeds. On the seed packet, you will find listings that read “Certified Organic” or “Non-GMO” or “Heirloom” proving that those seeds are intended for planting rather than cooking."
Genia also recommends using some chickpea-specific inoculant on soil where you intend to start your seeds. An inoculant is designed to help prevent diseases and bacteria for your plants, as well as to boost their potential yield.
The MicroLife Bio Inoculant from Amazon is a good choice, plus its slow-release for long-lasting impact.
Why do people add greenery to their floral arrangements?
There are so many reasons why people enjoy adding sprigs of greenery to their bouquets of flowers, from enhancing visuals to bulking out their arrangements.
Genia Silva, the founder and creative director of Lush Petals, shares: "Greenery from the foliage adds extra texture and colour to the bouquet and creates an opportunity for intended negative space and air in a bouquet."
Foliage can also help to strengthen the structural integrity of your bouquets, protecting flowers from drooping. This is especially important for flowers with heavier heads, which can be prone to snapping.
Genia continues: "Heavier-headed blooms can be rested on the foliage and use it as support as well. The leaves could be totally stripped or hidden if the designer just wants to use foliage for its structural function, but it can look amazing too."
What other foliage looks fabulous with flowers?
The foliage that suits your flower bouquet will largely depend on your preferences as well as what flowers are in the arrangement. Though these are Genia's top four foliage recommendations aside from greenery grown from chickpeas:
- Eucalyptus: With its silvery green leaves and clean fragrance, eucalyptus adds both volume and graceful drape to the bouquet. Eucalyptus is extremely long lasting and exists in many varieties, each with leaves in a unique variety of shapes.
- Lemon Leaf: Glossy and deep green, its tear shaped leaves provide a polished backdrop and a very long vase life.
- Dusty Miller: Its soft, frosty, pale-green foliage introduces unique velvety texture and it dries beautifully in arrangements.
- Ferns: Arching fronds create an elegant, natural structure with varieties suited to nearly every floral style.
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This super simple vase will suit all kinds of floral arrangements, while keeping the stems tucked out of sight.
Keep your floral arrangements in place with this trade secret. Place it on the bottom of your vase, and stems will stay exactly where you put them.
This tray is so clever and ideal for starting off lots of chickpea plants. Simpy sow, grow and then pop out the plants to transfer them into the ground.
