Flower Arrangements in Vases

Spring

• Spring brings a colorful array of flowers to your garden that make stunning arrangements in vases. You can cut two dozen daffodils and trim the stems to the same length. Place them in a tall, narrow glass vase so that the tops of the flowers form a yellow dome at the mouth of the vase. Add a few tall blooming branches to the center of the daffodils for a dramatic effect. You can also arrange a beautiful mound of tulips in a short, rounded vase by cutting all of the stems to about 8 inches. For a simple look, place a few stems of iris in a slender silver vase.

Summer

• Peonies bloom in early summer and are impressive as a cut flower. Try floating a single peony in a bowl-shaped glass vase. Cut several blossoms and hosta leaves to arrange in a low, square, clear glass vase. Add marbles to the vase to hide the stems. You can make an impressive centerpiece by gathering several stems of blue hydrangeas and placing them in a plain white vase. Summer roses are a favorite to display indoors. An open bloom can be floated in a bowl. A single stem in a small vase is beautiful on its own, or you can cut a dozen roses and pair them with spikes of purple delphiniums. Daisies or Queen Anne's lace can be added for filler.

Autumn

• Autumn gardens offer a blaze of warm, brilliant colors with mums, sunflowers and zinnias. A crockery vase is the perfect setting for sunflowers. Place three stems in your vase and tie raffia around the center of the vase for a country look. You can make an impressive arrangement by mounding mums in a tall vase. Cut stocks of delphiniums that are still in bloom and place them in the center of the mums. Another approach is to cut a mixture of mums and asters and place them in a short, wide vase. Include several twigs of colored fall leaves with the arrangement.

Winter

• During the winter months, visit your local florist for cut flowers. White or red roses are appropriate for all seasons. Mix them with sprigs of pine and red berries. Use floral picks to eliminate the problem of dropped needles. Holly berries make an attractive filler for your floral arrangements, or they can be displayed by themselves in a vase. Carnations are long-lived and look beautiful when mixed with seasonal greens in a vase. During the holidays, the flowers and pines can be sprayed with a clear glitter and berries can be sprayed gold before adding them to a vase.