Yesterday I spent a few hours purging my cupboards. I didn’t do so to make room for an influx of Christmas gifts, rather I was trying to find a place to store my griddle. In doing so I came across a cabinet that was stocked with flower vases—-dozens of flower vases–in all shapes and sizes. Until yesterday I had never taken inventory of my vases and wondered how I had accumulated so many. (I always complain that I NEVER get flowers so how could I have amassed such a large collection?) I deduced that many were leftover from birthday, anniversary and new baby bouquets I received years ago (the rest were from the arrangements my husband gave me prior to getting married—ah, the good ol’ days—I received far more flowers prior to our wedding than after), but I digress.
The fact is I have a lot of vases and no real knowledge on how to maximize their potential. I figured the first thing I should learn is what flowers would look best in the specific vases I owned.
Here are some tips I learned that you may find helpful as well:
Glass Cubes
This type of vase is ideal for short, massed arrangements. For example, roses, fluffy balls of hydrangea, dahlias or proteas bunched in groups are best displayed in glass cubes. In addition, flower experts say, foliage, such as pepperberry or seeded eucalyptus that cascades is also a good look for the cube. These types of arrangements look great in a more formal room, either a living room or entryway.
Tall Flared Vase
This is the type of vase I have the most of—it’s the traditional tall, skinny, vase that most florists use. So, what works best in a tall, skinny vase? Experts recommend sticking with one type of flower or flowers with the same color. And, because the vase is tall you want to look for flowers that will match its height. Ideal flower choices include, larkspur, gladiolas or tall snapdragons, but don’t mix-and-match. This arrangement works best on a buffet or an entry or even a bathroom, if you have the space. It is a poor choice for the table, however, because of its height.
Bowl Shape
The ideal flower to display in a bowl vase is the rose. Experts recommend getting a bunch of roses, cutting the bottoms to accommodate the size of your bowl, and varying them by color. Other flowers that would look good in this vase: dahlias, mums and gerbera daisies. You can use this arrangement as a centerpiece or for a bedside table.
Ginger Jar Vase
I didn’t know that “Ginger Jar” was the name of this particular vase until I looked it up. The vase itself has a skinny neck, which opens into a curved circular bottom. (It’s another type of vase used frequently by florists.) The narrow opening of this vase makes it hard to display flowers with thick stems-—stick with blossoms with skinnier stems such as lilies, miniature calla lilies, dahlia, snapdragons, and lisianthus.
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