Wildflowers are currently all the rage due to their playful, unpretentious charm, providing an easy-to-access alternative to conventional floral displays. To cultivate a wildflower style, blend local blossoms, varied textures, and foliage, steering clear of thick stems and glossy filler flowers. Utilize fundamental floral arranging methods, such as defining focal points and structural support, to ensure your display is purposeful.
The charm of fresh blooms in the home remains timeless, yet meticulously arranged bouquets might fade away as the laid-back allure of wildflowers gains popularity. Adorning your dining table with a hodgepodge of mismatched flowers brings the outdoors in and exudes a carefree, playful vibe—a feel that is especially sought-after at the moment.
Instead of meticulously selecting a bouquet of roses or a solitary bloom, play with hues, textures, and heights to craft an eye-catching wildflower centerpiece. Summer is the ideal season to adopt this trend, particularly if you have an abundance of garden flowers to experiment with. Regardless, here are the tips we’ve compiled to help you get started.
Having your own garden can make decorating with wildflowers both more attainable and budget-friendly than visiting a florist. Many grocery stores are also jumping on the wildflower bandwagon by offering eclectic mix-and-match arrangements using seasonal flowers. Wherever you source them, they present a refreshing twist on traditional floral arrangements.
“What’s happening in the floral world is akin to a fashion trend shift—floral styles come and go,” explains Justin Lievano, floral design manager at UrbanStems. “Yet, wildflowers evoke a sense of rebellion and fun in contrast to more conservative floral arrangements.”
Consider wedding flowers: formal events often feature meticulously designed, perfectly matched bouquets.
“I recently came across a fascinating TikTok about how top athletes often have lush, tight floral displays at their weddings,” Lievano continues. “This style reflects the couple’s vision of ‘affluence’ or ‘elegance’ through flowers. More bohemian designs make people feel as if they’re stepping away from these symbols of conventional beauty.”
Wildflower centerpieces are ideal when you desire a more dynamic look for your dinner party tablescape than just a few blooms. And if you find yourself repeatedly using the same flowers, incorporating wildflower decor can inject novelty into your arrangements.
“More diversity is better,” Lievano advises. “A wildflower arrangement thrives on a mix of different floral varieties, not just the usual suspects like roses and carnations. It’s also an excellent opportunity to experiment with less conventional, more rustic blooms like thistle flowers.”
Embracing wildflower designs can make people feel as if they are stepping away from traditional beauty norms.
For an authentic wildflower arrangement, consider what grows locally. And don’t shy away from incorporating greenery—Lievano aims to use two to three types in each design for an organic appearance. Stay away from traditional fillers like baby’s breath and instead use greens like mixed eucalyptus or rosemary branches.
“Avoid thick woody stems and tropical flowers,” Lievano notes. “Heavy stems, such as hydrangeas or roses, can detract from the natural look of a wildflower arrangement. Think about incorporating smaller, more delicate stems like ranunculus, spray roses, veronica, cosmos, and mini gerbera daisies.”
You can bypass the florist shop: Snip flowers from your garden, even if you’re not growing cut flowers, or pick up a diverse selection from your local grocery store. Although Lievano doesn’t always endorse foraging, he acknowledges that it’s a perfect time to do so. Wild-textured stems like goldenrod, Queen Anne’s lace, sea oats, and more can be harvested from the roadside.
“Of course, don’t trespass on anyone’s property, but you can easily gather flowers that others might consider weeds,” he says. “Also, whenever you purchase flowers, challenge yourself to overlook the blooms you might typically favor. Skip the roses and peonies and explore what else your local market or flower shop has to offer. You may discover genuinely unique and beautiful stems you hadn’t noticed before.”
While wildflowers can push you out of your floral comfort zone, once you’ve chosen your blooms, you can still apply traditional bouquet-arranging methods to create a stunning centerpiece rather than a haphazard mix of foliage and petals. Add structure to your bouquet and secure the flowers by using floral foam (or eco-friendly options) or by lining the top of the vase with tape or chicken wire to establish distinct areas.
Select one or two flowers as the focal point and use an odd number to encircle them for balance. Fill in with smaller supporting flowers and greenery, particularly around the vase’s edges to make the arrangement look lush and complete. End with your most delicate flowers to avoid damaging them during the arrangement process.
While using structure may seem to defy the wildflower trend, it imparts the perfect level of refinement to your design, ensuring it appears deliberate.
“Wildflower decor can offer more creative freedom than a static rose arrangement, but you must still adhere to certain artistic principles—like rhythm and balance—to avoid a chaotic look,” Lievano adds. “Nonetheless, this type of wildflower decor enhances our admiration for the diversity and beauty of the natural world, which is something truly worth celebrating.”
