Flower decorating arrangements

There’s nothing better than a vase of flowers to brighten your surroundings, so adorn your home with fresh blooms and enjoy trying out unique, quirky containers to display them – the more whimsical the better. With a little imagination you can use anything from old bottles to trophies. Almost any watertight vessel will do, as long as it’s the right shape and size. Experimenting helps and it’s a good reason to buy flowers – any excuse will do.

1.' - Whether they’re yours, your kids’ or you’ve salvaged them, trophies deserve to be put on display! They also make ideal, and somewhat intriguing, containers for cut flowers, especially the homegrown type. Trophies come in all sorts of interesting shapes that allow you to create soft, loose displays.

2. - Tightly pack the stems of tulips into a bowl-shaped vase so they stand up initially. That way, they’ll still look good when they begin to droop. For a one-of-a-kind container, search second-hand shops, garage sales and the like for an alternative to the clear goldfish bowls you see everywhere.

3. - Quirky containers, like this top hat with the flower falling at a casual angle, inject fun into any arrangement. Rest a smaller vase or jar inside any interesting hat to hold water, then display big, blowsy flowers – think hydrangeas and peonies – for their huge showy heads.

4. - You don’t need specialist materials to create striking arrangements. A tin can, shaped like a tank vase, can be the starting point of your display, particularly if you want to conceal flowers with not-so-pretty stems, not unlike the ornamental cabbages here! Anchor a glass jar inside for the water and stems.

5. - Bottles are ideal for long-stemmed flowers like orchids. Look for gorgeous vintage pieces at op-shops or, for another eco-friendly option, rummage around your home for olive oil, water and even perfume bottles, as these work just as well as traditional vases.

6. - Flowers usually dictate the vase shape but, on occasion, a striking container provides the inspiration for the arrangement itself. This acid-yellow vase is spectacular and supports the stems of tall flowers, such as agapanthus or alliums. Its curvaceous base helps balance the large, fluffy heads.

7. - A ceramic mug or glass tumbler proves you don’t need a special bud vase to display your rosebuds or small snippets of carnations.

8. - Hand-tied bouquets look great resting on wide-mouthed vases of a scale to balance the bunch. As for colour, choose it to complement or contrast with the flowers. If you’re unsure, work with clear glass or neutral colours, which allow the flowers to be the star attraction. Here, vibrant pink is drawn from the blooms for a chic, modern edge.

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For added interest, try partnering a larger vase of flowers with a smaller vase accompanying it at its base.