Greenery for Altar Flowers

On this Solemnity of St. Joseph, I thought I would write a bit about one of the colors associated with our beloved St. Joseph, green.

In God's perfectly-ordered creation, this color serves as a backdrop to both the rose and the lily. Perhaps greenery is a sort of metaphor for St. Joseph: always present and right behind, highlighting the splendor and perfection of Our Lady and Our Lord.

This reflection leads me into more practical considerations for the use of greenery in my arrangements. Greenery is, for me, what "makes" an arrangement and adds your personal touch. It is also a way to stretch your flower budget, and make one dozen roses look like two.

I live in a Pacific coastal climate where there is an abundance of greenery available throughout the year. This eliminates the need to purchase greenery for my arrangements and affords me a lot of flexibility in choosing greens.

However, if you live in the desert or in an area with extreme temperatures, take inventory of what you have available. On a recent trip to Arizona, I saw an abundance of citrus trees and bushes. The greenery on these plants is beautiful, and could be very useful for arrangements. Olive and palm are also good fillers.

If you are in an extreme winter region, take a drive and scout around for a free source of evergreens. Large branches of evergreens can be trimmed to fill out your arrangement and add a nice regional and seasonal feel. Consider planting some hardy perennials in your own home garden that can be a quick and dependable source for greens.

When choosing greens I consider: the color and size of the flowers, the feast or liturgical season, the symbolic value of the greens (if any), the desired impact, the necessary height and width of the arrangement, any blossoms the greenery may have that compliment the colors in the arrangement.

An important note: Ask your priest if he has any allergies. We don't want our dear priests to be sneezing through the sacred liturgy!

Here is list of my favorite foraged greens for use in altar arrangements.

Foundation greens:

These are the greens I use as the foundation of the arrangement. I choose one or more and usually position them in the oasis first. After placing the flowers I use them as filler.

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