Whether scooped up by the armful at the farmer’s market, snipped from the garden or shopping at Trader Joe’s, cut flowers can bring life and beauty into your home.
The joy you get from looking at a bouquet on your desk or bedside table is well worth the cost. Try these simple ideas for where to tuck blooms of spring flowers.
Place blooms where you will see them first thing in the morning to start your day with a smile. Try a small florist’s bucket filled with garden clippings, a posy of roses on the bedside table, or a single long stem in a bud vase on your breakfast nook.
A vase of flowers in a dressing area is a lovely touch - and really, couldn’t we all use a bit of the movie star treatment while getting ready to face the day?
A few small blooms tucked into a cupboard or among books on a shelf is a delightful surprise. This is not the place for full-size vases, but just about any other vessel will do - try teacups, old votive holders, small water glasses, tea tins and jelly jars.
On the coffee table, short arrangements work best so not to get knocked over or interfere with conversation. A small, squat, round or square container is ideal. Keep it simple with one type of bloom per vessel, but be generous with the amount of flowers.
Tie the bunch together with a twist tie, and then plunk them into the vase before untying. They should be trimmed so that just the flower heads and about half an inch of stem poke up over the rim of the vase. No vase? A teapot or soup tureen would work brilliantly.
A tall glass cylinder is the most versatile for tall flowers, but galvanized metal florist’s buckets and big enamelware pitchers are great to add to your arsenal as well. Just one or two stems or branches are enough.
Keep it simple and don’t worry too much about arranging — just let the stems fall naturally to the side. Consider the water a design element — keep it clean and clear, and don’t fill the vase to the top. One third to one half filled is all you need.
On the dining table, a bunch of small bud vases lined up down the center of the table is much less intimidating to arrange than one large bouquet, and far more practical because you can actually see the other diners.
On a round dining table, cluster bud vases of different sizes; an odd number like three or five will look most natural and give your home a touch of elegance.
Adriana Donofrio Podley Properties Glendora 626 926-9700 adrianad@podley.com