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Take into account the degree of formality of the flowers and the containers you might use. An antique vase in a French-country room would look better filled with roses than with tropical flowers, says Tyler Sweatman, owner of the Dallas floral store Stems. Similarly, wildflowers look great in a basket because both are rustic.
The colors of the flowers and contain-ers should also be factored in. They can contrast or coordinate; the choice is yours. For dramatic effect, there’s nothing more smashing than an arrangement with just one hue, including all white. One rule, however: Don’t match the colors of flowers to a room’s décor. “You’re not upholstering a chair; everything doesn’t have to match,” Sweatman says. Instead, choose your favorite colors or go with seasonal hues. The container should contrast or let the flowers star.
 The type of container will also affect the flowers’ life span. Baskets, for instance, tend to curtail longevity, says Patrick George of Hereford Andrew Design, a flower shop in St. Louis, Missouri. Metal may also cause problems because the floral food may react with it and make flowers droop, he says. To extend the life of forsythia branches, Sweatman removes dead blooms and glues silk versions to the branches. “Nobody can tell the difference,” he says. •
3. A vintage pitcher gives these mums an unexpected jolt. 4. If the flowers are elegant and simple, take your cue from them and let the vase follow suit. |
 5. Make sure your flowers always take center stage. Place a cheery mixture in an old pewter pitcher and watch the colors burst!
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photos: (1,3,4) mark lohman; stylist: sunday hendrickson (2) mark robbins from seasons of flowers,
by the editors of florists’ review magazine; (5) philip clayton-thompson
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