Choosing the Right Vase for your Flowers

We are lucky enough to be surrounded by vases and urns of all shapes and sizes in our lovely interiors store and - for those of you that have visited us - you will have seen the beautiful array of faux foliage we sell. That puts us in a pretty strong position to see which vases work with what type of floral arrangement.

Granted, it has sometimes been trial and error - and some stems (nice greenery with spaced out leaves  such a Eucalyptus Silver Dollar), will look great in any shape vase - but we hope the following will help you choose the right flowers for the right vase, or vice versa.

We’re also really happy for our customers to bring their favourite vase into us and we can help put an arrangement together that suits it perfectly!

In the meantime, here are our thoughts on choosing the perfect for vessel for your stems, whether they are real or faux…

Proportions First

One of the golden rules to help you choose the right vase for your flowers is to get the proportions right. As a general rule, your flowers should be between one and a half to two times taller than the height of your chosen vase or container.

Urn or Hourglass Shape

Ideal for large branches, sturdy greenery and large or big, wild floral arrangements with drooping foliage.

The bulbous body shape of the vase  combined with a small opening allows stems to spread out inside the vase for a good “lean” outside of the vase  - making it  perfect for a large, slightly wild, arrangement of flowers or branches.  This style of vase is also good for stems without a lot of flexibility - like cherry blossom or magnolia branches for example.

It is definitely one of our most used shapes of vase in the store - we can get super creative!

The vases themselves make great statement pieces for a kitchen island or console, or depending on the size, down on the floor or in a hallway.

Cylinder Vases

Ideal for large floral arrangements or droopy florals and greenery.

This is a vase that can work with so many varieties of arrangements and it’s well worth keeping one in the cupboard  “just in case” you receive a gorgeous bouquet of flowers (one can hope…). The long profile also works well for stems with heavier heads and gives a bouquet more structure.

A variation on the cylinder vase is a rustic jug or pitcher, and definitely a go to for us.

It works best if the vase (or jug) is about half the height of the arrangement inside.

Fish Bowl Vase

These work well for single flower arrangements (e.g tulips, roses, peonies and hydrangeas) with a larger bowl better for larger flower heads. Any flower that doesn’t flop too much works well.  These types of vases are great on a dining table too - that you actually use to dine at - as the body is low and allows for conversation across the table,

Bottle-Necked Vase

Less is more with this type of vase.  Just a few stems work well, especially thin leggy stems.

The neck on a bottleneck vase can be long and skinny or just short but the important thing to remember is the contrast to the body of the vase.  It just doesn’t work with a big bouquet or arrangement.

The bottleneck shape works brilliantly for 2 or 3 stems of branches, especially with an asymmetrical lean. Really architectural - but remember to trim of any excess leaves near the neck of the vase to keep a cleaner profile. Smaller bottle-neck vases look lovely on a bedside table with just a single stem.

Bud Vase

Use a bud vase to display a single cut stem like a rose from the garden, a whisp of leaves on a stem (such as eucalyptus) or mini arrangements of wild flowers. Bud vases look fabulous grouped together, or scattered through the house with pretty little spring or summer flowers. They are ideal for smaller spaces like bedside tables, window sills or tablescapes, adding a delicate touch to any area.

If you need any help choosing a vase, please do pop in and see us in store. We also love putting together a flower display from our beautiful selection of faux foliage so just ask!

Kara and Mark

Vases, Pots and Planters  |  Artificial Flowers and Plants