Natural Selection

With plentiful rainfall and mild year-round temperatures, the Pacific Northwest is a great garden for wildflowers. Here, two of the region’s experts give tips for incorporating these earthy elements into big day floral choices. For the Table Wildflower-inspired centerpieces are a natural fit for weddings that take place in Arcadian orchards, fields or gardens. However, when carefully selected and arranged, they can also lend a dainty elegance to even the most formal affairs. Either way, Liza Lubell, co-owner of Portland, Ore.-based Quince Flowers and Events, loves the lacy whimsy of scabiosa and the delicate nature of poppies, sweet peas and chocolate cosmos. Ellen Ohashi, owner of Herban Floral in Redmond, Wash., also is a fan of using romantic blooms like hellebores, heather, wild jasmine, wild geranium and cottage garden roses. For Her Ohashi suggests turning a bridal bouquet into a showstopper with wild irises - which boast a rare purple-blue color - or anemones, stunning flowers that come in a wide range of vibrant hues with a black or deep blue center. But if you’d rather fill your hands with good cheer, look to sunny-colored gloriosa daisies, small sunflowers, black-eyed Susans and marigolds for a look that is both timeless and sweet. For Him Because boutonnières will spend the entire evening front and center, it’s important to select plants that won’t easily wilt. “Miniature sunflowers work really well, as do coneflowers or zinnias,” says Ohashi. But for a understated, masculine aesthetic, she also recommends pairing accent herbs like lavender and mint with organic details that are more geometric in shape, such as berries, twigs and seed pods. Lubell specifically loves building bouts out of natural components like viburnum berries, blackberries, blueberry branches and pods from scabiosa, Echinacea and poppies. “They’re really hearty and won’t droop like other flowers could.”