Flower Vases & Containers

Types of Vases for Flowers

• Flower vases come in an array of shapes, sizes, materials and colors. Bud vases are narrow, elongated vessels made to hold just one stem, such as a single rose. Rose vases are tall, cylindrical structures with mouths wide enough to hold a dozen roses and greenery. Ginger jars have wide, cylindrical bodies that taper down to smaller bases. Bubble bowls are perfectly spherical vases similar to old-fashioned goldfish bowls. Vases may be as short as a few inches or as tall as a few feet. They are most commonly made of glass, which comes in an assortment of hues, ranging from crystal clear to cobalt blue. Some vases are made of ceramic or porcelain, which may be glazed in a variety of colors or painted with all sorts of embellishments.

Other Types of Containers for Flowers

• Potted flowers are generally placed in containers other than vases, such as pots; these same containers, however, are also used to hold arrangements of fresh-cut flowers, especially if they are lined with plastic and filled with wet floral foam, a supportive material in which cut flowers are inserted. These other types of containers include: clay or ceramic flower pots, metal cans, metal watering cans, glass jars, glass test tubes and wooden boxes. Virtually any type of vessel can be converted into a container for flowers if it is lined and filled with floral foam, or lined and filled with potting soil.

Choosing the Right Vase for Flowers

• To choose an appropriate vase for flowers, consider the following: length, width of opening and color. Choose a vase that is long enough to contain the stems of your flowers. For example, if you have a bouquet of long-stemmed roses, you should select a vase that is at least half as long as the roses' stems. Select a vase with a mouth that is the appropriate size for the bouquet of flowers; if the mouth is too wide, the flowers will flop around in the vase in a loose, unstructured way; conversely, if the mouth is too small, the flowers will be crammed together and look squished. Finally, pick a vase in a color that complements the hues of your flowers. Clear glass is always a safe bet, but opting for a purple vase to hold a bouquet of yellow tulips is also a fine choice, as purple and yellow are complementary colors. For a monochromatic look, use a vase in the same color as the flowers.

Choosing Other Types of Containers for Flowers

• When choosing another type of container for flowers, you should still consider its length, the width of its opening and its color. Also consider its overall style and judge how well that corresponds to the flowers. For example, if you have an informal assortment of hand-picked wildflowers, a simple jelly jar or tin can might be an ideal container; both the container and the flowers will have a rustic, country look. If you have a collection of sleek, bold gerbera daisies, consider using a vintage test tube set to display them; the individual clear glass test tubes will echo the simple look of the gerbera daisies.

Where to Obtain Vases and Containers for Flowers

• Find vases and other containers for flowers at craft supply stores, floral supply retailers, garage and yard sales, flea markets, thrift stores, antique stores, plant nurseries and garden centers. Don't be afraid to think outside the box when hunting for flower containers; something you may not normally think of as a vessel for flowers can be the most charming type of container.