Choosing the Right Vase

There’s nothing like having beautiful fresh flowers in your space but when your arrangement fails to come together then the disappointment is real!  By selecting the right type of vase for your fresh flowers, you are on your way to creating a stunning display to be proud of.  

The most common mistake people make is choosing the wrong vase to suit the flower variety.

If you’re like me, over the years you’ll have collected a variety of different vase shapes and sizes, chosen for their decorative aesthetic rather than a practical use of actually holding flowers.

During my years of working in the event industry, we styled floral displays to make the most out of the flowers.  Considering the vase itself was an important part of this – the height of the vessel, its shape and size, the neck opening.

If you enjoy having fresh flowers in your space, below are some tips for choosing the right vase every time.

Once you’ve chosen the perfect vase you’ll be styling like an expert florist every time!

TIP 2: SHAPE

A great vase will provide support to stems and bloom heads where they need it.  A great staple to have in your collection is a tapered vase with a narrow neck to securely support the stems preventing them from flopping over.  The bud shape provides a substantial base for flowers of different shapes with a narrower neck giving support to keep the desired shape. 

A cylinder, or straight-sided vase, with no narrowing suits a full bunch of flowers of similar length.  Another go-to vase to have as it’s hard to go wrong with this sturdy cylindrical vase to give a compact result that is pleasing to the eye.

Once you have created your masterpiece, don’t forget to follow our tips for flower care to gain the maximum life out of your fresh flowers.

TIP 1: HEIGHT

As a general guide cut flowers should be one and a half to two times the height of the vase.  Use this as a rule when cutting your stems to size – a vase that’s too big will swamp the flowers and not provide enough support, while a vase that’s too short will look unbalanced.

For longer stems and larger flower heads, a taller vase will provide structure to help achieve an elegant and contemporary look.

The tall Deco Vase from Zakkia is ideal for creating large floral displays for a welcoming statement in your space.  Here we’ve styled a bunch of Roses, Paper Daisies, Wheat and Thryp.  Perfect for long stemmed flowers like lilies or delphiniums.

TIP 3: TEXTURE

To hide the stems a solid vase is a useful addition to your hardware.  Other containers from around the home like recycled jam jars make an eclectic display for single stem or a smaller bunch, perfect when you cut down your larger bunch to extend the longevity of your flowers.  These handmade bud vases from Zakkia are desgined to hold just one single bloom or cluster of smaller vases.