Anatomy of a Floral Arrangement

It’s easy to put a few fresh flowers in a vase, but there are a few simple steps you can take to get that great professional look in your own home.  Everyone knows to play with proportions, and to not leave any holes, but what about the specific flowers to pair together, and their colors? 

Start with the vase you want to use.  This brings your focus to what the arrangement will eventually look like. 

In a traditional floral arrangement, there are three basic elements: greens, the main flower you’d like to use, and a softer element to tie it all together.  Using different textures adds to the design and theme of the arrangement.

For a shorter vase, use a voluminous flower.  Hydrangeas are perfect, and don’t require a softer element.

Taller, narrower vases call for height and volume.  This is where those three elements will come in handy.  Use a larger-faced flower to add volume, and narrow leaves of greens and a softer element for height.

I especially love using tall, round vases and whimsically shaped branches with accent vases.  It’s all about whatever fits where you want to put the arrangement, and what you want to put it in.  It takes some trial and error, but once you’ve figured that out, everything else falls right into place (provided you don’t get distracted by other beautiful flowers)!