Want fuller, more romantic bouquets? These 10 easy-to-grow filler flowers add plenty of texture, charm, and volume to garden flower arrangements.
You know those wild, fresh picked bouquets that seem like they came straight from a storybook cottage garden? The kind that feel charming and magical and so effortlessly put together?
These are the ones I drool over when I’m scrolling Pinterest or Instagram and I always wonder, how do I get my arrangements to look like that?
Here’s the secret: filler flowers.
What are Filler Flowers?
Filler flowers are the unsung heroes of the cut flower garden. They add softness, texture, and airiness that helps to fill space in a bouquet while at the same time giving your showy blooms a little breathing room.
And don’t worry, the best filler flowers are just as easy to grow as focal flowers!
I’ve tried growing a number of different filler flowers over the last three years, and these are the seven that I enjoy growing and using the most.
These easy-to-grow filler flowers are perfect for beginner and backyard gardeners alike.
Looking for more tips and ideas for growing and arranging cut flowers? Find all my cut flower gardening resources on this page.
Affiliate Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links. By purchasing through my links, I may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you.
7 Easy Filler Flowers to Grow for the Vase
1. Feverfew (Tanacetum parthenium)
Feverfew is prolific, cold-hardy, and lasts a long time in the vase. It adds a delicate, cottagecore vibe to bouquets and pairs well with just about everything.
Grow tip: Start from seed indoors or direct sow in early spring. Cut often to keep it blooming.
Harvest tip: Pick stems when about ¾ of the flowers on a spray are open. Strip leaves and place immediately in water.
Looks great with: Zinnias, snapdragons, cosmos
Favorite Varieties:
- Magic Single: tiny, daisy-like flowers with bright yellow centers
- Magic Lime Green: soft, lemon-lime puffs with pale green tones
2. Basil (Ocimum basilicum)
That’s right, basil is not just for the kitchen! Basil is a surprisingly beautiful and fragrant, spiky bouquet filler. I love growing basil for this dual purpose. I get to harvest leaves from the young plants for the kitchen, and once it starts blooming, I can use it for bouquets.
Grow tip: Start from seed after danger of frost. Do not place basil in a cooler or flower fridge or the leaves will turn black.
Harvest tip: Wait until stems feel firm and slightly woody for better vase life.
Looks great with: Dahlias, marigolds, calendula
Favorite Varieties:
- Cinnamon Basil: tall with deep purple flowers and dark stems
- Lemon Basil: bright green leaves that smell lemony fresh
- Cardinal Basil: fluffy, deep reddish purple flower head unlike regular basil
See this post for more herbs for flower arranging.
3. Orlaya (Orlaya grandiflora)
Lacy, elegant, and just the right amount of wild, orlaya adds a soft, feminine element to bouquets that makes everything feel a little more romantic. It looks delicate, but grows well in cold spring and can withstand light frosts.
Grow tip: Prefers cool temps, so direct sow early or late in the season.
Harvest tip: Keep picking flower to keep plant productive and delay seed production.
Looks great with: Sweet peas, cosmos, snapdragons
Favorite Variety:
- White Finch: uniform, long-stemmed blooms in lacy white
4. Yarrow (Achillea millefolium)
Easy to grow, drought-tolerant, long lasting in the vase, and hardy from zones 3-9, yarrow fills a lot of space in a bouquet and comes in an array of colors.
I love growing yarrow as an ornamental plant and a cut flower.
Grow tip: Plant in full sun and do not overwater.
Harvest tip: Pick once all the little flowers are open but before it goes brown.
Looks great with: Zinnias, sunflowers, celosia, and other brightly colored flowers
Favorite Varieties:
- Colorado Mix: mix of bright reds, yellows, pinks
- Summer Berries Mix: shades of pink, white, and red
5. Plume Celosia (Celosia argentea plumosa)
Feathery, bold, and eye-catching, plume celosia is a late-summer superstar. It adds volume, texture, height, and a pop of late-summer color that makes bouquets feel full and festive, plus it dries really well.
Grow tip: Start indoors and transplant out after frost. Loves heat and sun.
Harvest tip: Harvest when the flowers are fully developed, and stems are firm at the base of the bloom.
Looks great with: Zinnias, sunflowers, rudbeckia
Favorite Varieties:
- Pampas Plume Tall Blend: vibrant mix of summery colors
- Shimmer: shimmery pastel colors
6. Bachelor’s Buttons (Centaurea cyanus)
Also known as cornflower, this charming filler flower produces tons of small blooms atop silvery gray foliage. These wildflowers reseed easily in my garden each summer and come back full force every spring.
One of the only true blue flowers out there, cornflower also comes in a few different colors like pink, purple, and dark burgundy.
Grow tip: Direct sow seeds in the fall to overwinter, or plant very early in spring. Plants are cold hardy and can tolerate light frosts.
Harvest tip: Harvest from late spring to early summer and leave some flowers to set seed for next year.
Looks great with: Peonies, snapdragons, roses
Favorite Varieties:
- Blue Boy: classic, blue bachelor’s button
- Black Magic: deep, dark burgundy purple flowers
7. Amaranth (Amaranthus)
Amaranth is one of my favorite filler flowers to grow. It gets huge if you don’t pinch it (which sometimes I don’t) and produces gorgeous spikes or trails of burgundy, gold, lime green, or pink.
Very easy to grow from seed, and the leaves and seeds are also edible!
Grow tip: Direct sow seeds in early summer or start indoors in cells. Plants prefer warm soil.
Harvest tip: Pinch for smaller, more abundant blooms. Pick when seedheads are big and lush.
Looks great with: Sunflowers, large-flowered dahlias
Favorite varieties:
- Hot Biscuits: deep golden-brown color that’s perfect for fall
- Burgundy: burgundy red spikes that arch gracefully
- Coral Fountain: beautiful, long pink trails that add a lot of drama in the garden and vase
8. Strawflower (Xerochrysum bracteatum)
Strawflowers are vibrant, long-lasting, and one of the best flowers for drying. They grow nice, long stems, and dry really well. You can find them in a bunch of different colors as well.
Because they dry so well, you use them fresh or dried in flower crowns, boutonnieres, or other applications where they’ll be out of the vase.
Grow tip: Use fresh seed each year for best germination. Try to save your own seed year after year.
Harvest tip: Pick when the bloom is just starting to open before the center is fully visible. Use the “wiggle test” to check stem firmness.
Looks Great with: zinnias, dahlias, rudbeckia
Favorite varietes:
- King Size Silvery Rose: pale pink
- Apricot Peach Mix: orangey, peachy tones
- Cranberry Rose: deep, purply pink
- Vintage White: pearly white blooms
9. Cosmos (Cosmos bipinnatus)
Cosmos are cheerful, airy blooms that come in white and a myriad of pink and burgundy shades. Cosmos sulphureus is another type of cosmos flower in glowing yellow and orange colors.
They’re easy to grow in poor soil and produce tons of long, strong stems.
Cosmos are one of my favorites to use in filling out a bouquet because they’re so abundant and colorful.
Grow tip: Direct sow in spring. Can be transplanted with care. Easy to save seeds from.
Harvest tip: Pick before the bud blooms.
Looks Great with: zinnias, dahlias, sunflowers
Favorite varieties:
- Rubenza: deep red wine-colored blooms
- Apricotta: peachy pink flowers with flecks of gold
- Double Dutch Pink: cool pink flowers that are ruffled and fully double
10. Snapdragons (Antirrhinum majus)
Snapdragons are an absolute dream in the vase. Always gorgeous, always stunning, and almost always the thing that is missing when a bouquet just feels “off.”
These flowers can be a little bit tricky to grow. If they’re not sown at the right time, you’ll have short stems. If they’re not the right variety, they’ll have short stems.
Here’s what I’ve learned about these flowers: 1) not all snapdragons are bred for cutting and 2) Group 3 & 4 varieties grow best for me.
Some snapdragons, typically the ones sold as bedding plants at big box stores, are bred to be super short. They’ll never work for cutting. You need varieties that get over 20″ tall.
Another quirk about growing snapdragons is that they’re split into groups based on when they bloom best.
Groups 1 and 2 are best for short days and low light. Think fall through early spring in mild climates.
Groups 3 and 4 bloom best with long days and warm temperatures, but grow more slowly.
Personally, I find groups 3 and 4 to be more reliable when planted in spring in my zone 6 garden.
More on snapdragon groups at Johnny’s Selected Seeds.
Grow tip: Transplant in spring.
Harvest tip: Harvest when the bottom third of flowers on the spike are open but the top buds are closed.
Looks Great with: zinnias, dahlias, sunflowers
Favorite varieties:
- Madame Butterfly series: an azalea type snapdragon with open flowers
- Potomac series: classic snapdragon look in a variety of gorgeous colors
How to Use Filler Flowers in Bouquets
Once you start harvesting your filler flowers, here are a few tips to make the most of them:
- Cut in the morning or evening for best vase life
- Remove lower leaves before putting stems in water
- Let them condition in cool water for a few hours before arranging
- Use them to create the shape and structure of the bouquet, then layer in focal flowers and accents
Don’t be afraid to use two or more different filler flowers in arrangements!
Your Turn To Grow
If you’re already growing showy blooms like dahlias and sunflowers, adding a few filler flowers will take bouquets to the next level.
Start with just one or two from this list, and you’ll immediately see the difference they make in your arrangements.
My Magic 7 Cut Flower Garden Plan includes basil and other easy-to-grow foliage, filler, and focal flowers in 5 gorgeous color palettes to show you how to grow a perfectly balanced bouquet right in your backyard.
Take a peek at my garden plan here if you’ve been looking for an easy plan to follow from start to finish.
As always, grow what you love and enjoy what you grow!