Grow the flowers for your arrangements

The flowers to fill your vases need not be limited to the carnations and chrysanthemums found at the grocery store. You can grow an assortment of flowers, foliage plants and grasses to enjoy all year long. Here are some suggestions you may not have considered.

Lenten roses are one of spring's earliest bloomers. It lasts in a vase easily up to two weeks. The plant grows 15 to 18 inches tall and boasts nodding pink, purple or cream-colored flowers with leathery, evergreen leaves. It prefers protection from the hot afternoon sun.

Bergenia, another early-blooming perennial, produces spikes of pink, white or rose flowers that last up to a week in a vase. The shiny evergreen foliage lasts even longer. Bergenia is a shorter plant - barely a foot tall - that also loves a shady spot in the garden.

For small arrangements, grow lily of the valley. Their delicate flowers last more than a week when cut and will fill the room with their heavenly fragrance. Give this perennial ground cover some room in the garden - it spreads quickly!

For a large, unique bouquet, cut the branches of Harry Lauder's walking stick. Plants produce dangling green catkins in early spring. Cut them just as they begin to bloom and they will last up to a week. The shrub's contorted branches last indefinitely.

You can also cut some branches from your crabapple, mock orange, and spirea. All last a long time in spring bouquets. Slit and peel the bark from the ends of woody plant stems and stand them in deep water for several hours before arranging.

Blooming from mid-spring into early summer, Jacob's ladder is a shade-loving perennial with pretty green or variegated fern-like foliage and clusters of blue flowers on 1 to 2 foot stems. Harvest flowers just as they begin to open, and they'll last more than a week in a vase.

Lady's mantle is a long-blooming perennial with delicate yellow-green flowers that grows beautifully in part shade. Flowers last two weeks when cut. They are a beautiful filler - use instead of the expected baby's breath.

In mid-spring, alliums begin to bloom. Plant several different varieties to extend bloom through late summer. Alliums show off globular flower heads in pink, purple, rose and white that vary from small to quite large. Their stem heights also vary from as short as 12 inches to as tall as 40 inches. Use these as focal points in arrangements. They last up to two weeks, and then dry beautifully.

Agapanthus, or Lily of the Nile, is a summer-flowering bulb that produces spectacular, periwinkle blue flowers on stems from 18 to 30 inches tall. They last two weeks.

Gerbera daisies have been a florist favorite because of their long vase life and because they boast cheerful, brightly colored flowers. Grown as annuals, they are available in just about every color from white and pink, yellow and red, and the colors in between.

Some plants are worth growing for their beautiful foliage. Coleus, with their striking foliage, can make a bouquet all by themselves. Or add them to an arrangement with other bright blooming annuals. Split the ends of stems after cutting and the leaves will stay fresh in a vase for at least a week.

Cut some stems from beds of ground cover. Both English ivy and perennial vinca last a long time and add a trailing element to your design.

Don't forget about flowering shrubs in summer. Hydrangea flowers last almost two weeks in an arrangement and then dry beautifully.

Ornamental grasses can be utilized as well. The showy plumes of Japanese silver grass add a vertical element to an arrangement. The blades of grasses add coarse texture to your design.

Vegetables and herbs can be used, too. The flowers of dill bloom on long, strong stems and add soft texture to bouquets. Ornamental peppers are unique accents that will last up to two weeks.

You can also grow some flowers for drying. Strawflowers, statice, celosia, gomphrena, artemisia, yarrow and globe thistle are just of the few you may want to try.

Don't settle for making ordinary, expected arrangements for your home. With a little planning, you can grow all the plants you need for unique and beautiful floral arrangements all year long.

&#376; <i>Diana Stoll is a horticulturist and the garden center manager at The Planter's Palette, 28W571 Roosevelt Road, Winfield. Call (630) 293-1040 or visit planterspalette.com.</i>