Flowers are a crowd-pleasing gift; a burst of colour exploding into your home and unleashing the smell of spring with every gust of fresh air. And while they are always and inevitably fleeting, a bit of nurturing and the right vessel can certainly help them last longer.
“Different flowers have different needs,” says Emily Bayliss, founder of the Notting Hill-based floral art studio June in March. “The amount of water required isn’t the same for every stem. For example, seasonal flowers like anemones, ranunculus and tulips do best with only a little water, as too much can shorten their life. So choosing the right vessel is both about what feels right visually and what helps the flowers live beautifully for as long as possible.”
Trimming the stems of your flowers is an essential step in keeping your flowers perky. Lucy Hook, floral expert at Bloom & Wild, explains. “Over time, the ends dry out and form a seal that prevents the flower from drinking. I like to cut 3 to 5cm off at a 45 degree angle; this creates a larger surface area so the flower can drink freely.”
Swapping old water for fresh regularly is also key. “Ideally, you should change the water every two days,” advises Bayliss. “Clean water is one of the simplest ways to extend the life of your bouquet, and it can genuinely add several extra days to your flowers.” As such — and especially if you are in the habit of forgetting — it can be helpful to choose a glass vase, which will give you a strong visual reminder that the water could do with a refresh.
In terms of vase shape, Hook has some great advice. For a full, round arrangement, she recommends a vase with a narrow neck and a wide base. This style supports the stems while leaving enough room for the flowers to open up and bloom. For textured arrangements (grasses and seedheads, say), she suggests a wide-necked vase, which will allow for a more natural sense of movement. “If you find the stems are flopping, a few strips of tape in a grid formation across the neck of the vase can provide the support they need to stay in place.”
Practically speaking, it’s worth considering where the flowers are going to live before you house them. “If they are going on a dining table, choose a lower vessel,” Hook says. “You want to ensure guests can still see and speak to each other over the display.”
With this smattering of expert guidance, I’ve rounded up some gorgeous vases that will help you best display your prize blooms.
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HAY Blue Splash Roll Neck Medium Vase
This handmade confetti glass vase from HAY feels both timeless and contemporary. Made with a glassblowing technique that sees multiple layers of glass dots melded together, each vase is as unique as it is beautiful. Use it for monochromatic bouquets to make the vase’s palette pop.
Buy now £59.00, Liberty
Jonathan Adler Portofino Bud Vase
At just 12cm tall, this gorgeous striped vase from Jonathan Adler is designed to play host to just one or two buds. In this case, the vessel makes the statement while the flowers can be a little nod to sentimentality. Made with high-fired porcelain and finished with real gold, this is a showy little beauty that will flatter your inner maximalist.
Buy now £98.00, Jonathan Adler
Anthropologie Mari Stoneware Wall Vase
This adorable, wall-mounted stoneware wall vase from Anthropologie has a truly vintage, cottage core charm to it. Though small enough that it will only fit a couple of stems, when filled, it will add an organic flair that you’d never really expect from a space as neutral as a wall.
It’s a permanent presence on your wall that does sort of demand the presence of flowers in your home at all times, but you could switch to dried bouquets when fresh flowers are scarce.
£36.00, Anthropologie
Casa by JJ Maroon Coloured Cabbage Leaf Vase
There's something poetic about placing organic forms in an organic form-inspired vessel. Shaped like a leaf of cabbage, this maroon vase brings a sense of the garden indoors. With a wide neck, it's a great fit for lush, bushy grasses.
Buy now £35.00, Casa by JJ
Oliver Bonas Llenya Yellow Striped Glass Vase
The hand-finished nature of this piece makes it a very individual item, with each coming out different to the next. The marbled pattern makes this look a lot more expensive than it actually is, and its rounded shape allows for some flexibility in your arrangements. Best of all, it’s interesting enough to keep on display whether or not you have flowers in, so it won’t be taking up any cupboard space
£26.50, Oliver Bonas
Ferm Living Sculptural Stoneware Vase
There’s something so nostalgic about this stoneware vase from Ferm Living. It’s simple and elegant, but the fountain shape is evocative of expensive, paper-wrapped bouquets, and the wide neck allows room for your flowers to catch some movement.
Buy now £59.00, Ferm Living
H&M Large Textured Glass Vase
Proving a glass vase needn’t be boring, H&M Home offers this sculptural take on a classic. It’s transparent enough to let you monitor the freshness of the water, but the crimped surface plays with light and shadow, so it will look slightly different at various times of the day. As a bonus, the melted texture gets in on the surrealism interiors trend. It also comes in a gorgeous shade of smoky brown.
Buy now £49.99, H&M
John Lewis Half Dip Earthenware Vase
Half dipped in a rich teal, this glossy, Portuguese-made Earthenware vase is simple, but commanding. It has a natural, unshowy look about it, complementing simple arrangements. Short and squat, this is perfect for a high-traffic area, as it’s sturdy enough to withstand a bump or two without toppling over.
It’s worth noting that earthenware isn’t always 100 per cent watertight, so it would be a good idea to stick this on a plate to avoid damage.
Buy now £35.00, John Lewis
La Redoute Olia Glass Vase
This 70s-inspired vase has a truly striking silhouette, and while it’s off-white tone leaves plenty of room for your flowers to show off, there’s something really playful about its curved shape. It has an old school futuristic look — as if this is how everyone in 1970 expected our houses to look by now.
Buy now £29.99, La Redoute
Bloom & Wild Pink Striped Jug
We’ve been appropriating jugs as vases forever, so buying one intended for flowers is a little novel. Hand-painted with pink stripes and a yellow flourish, this vase is sent with The Yu, a 23-stem bouquet from Bloom & Wild that counts stocks, carnations, pistache and limonium among its roster. Beautiful and useful, the vase will do double duty as a carafe when you’re out of blossoms.
Buy now £69.00, Bloom & Wild
