Spring Flower Arrangements

The flowers of spring and early summer burst onto the scene with brilliant colors and heady fragrances. If you cultivate a cutting garden, take a stroll to pluck a few of your favorites, or carry blossoms home by the armful from a farmers' market or florist's shop.

No matter where you get your flowers, arranging them is as simple as the blooms are beautiful. Choose one or several kinds of flowers, cut the stems, then put them immediately into lukewarm water.

Enjoy these fragile beauties while they last, then replace the bouquet with another. Their fragrance will linger in your memory long after the blooms have faded.

Browse our six fresh flower arrangements and choose your favorite!

Ruffly flowers in a clean-lined vase present a beautiful study in contrast. Pink peonies and orange tulips harmonize softly with green hosta leaves, and the whole arrangement whispers coolness and serenity. Gently folding back the outer petals of the tulips shows off their inner petals, giving them an exotic look.

Tulips shine with their own personality, and because they continue to grow after cutting, they'll even rearrange themselves in a vase. Here, the stems have been cut short to gather the flowers tightly into a mass of colorful ruffles.

Not all garden colors are bold and brilliant. A green-and-white scheme is easy on the eye and soothing to the spirit. After cutting viburnum, crush the ends of the woody stems to help them better absorb water.

An abundance of fragrant blooms fills a pair of shapely vases. The exuberance of the large bouquet comes from the way its brilliant colors splash against one another, just as they might in the garden. For longer life, cut lilacs from the bush just as the flowers begin to open. Sweet peas make an impact on their own.

Pink hydrangeas and grape hyacinths clustered in a crystal compote make for a supremely simple arrangement. A hidden grid of floral or transparent tape across the top of the bowl supports the cloud of blooms.

A bouquet composed using a single type of flower can make a strong statement. Poppies, one of the most joyful of flowers, beg to be smiled at. It's amazing to watch the dark, hairy pods become bright orange, red, and yellow flowers. This tall, slender vase gathers the stems tightly, allowing the blooms to burst into fireworks above. Cauterize freshly cut poppy stems in a flame to seal in their milky sap; these most fragile of cut flowers last only a couple of days.

Here's when you can expect to see the flowers we used in our arrangements blooming naturally. If one of them isn't in season, have a florist order it for you.

French Tulips
Spring

Grape Hyacinths
Early to mid spring

Hostas
Spring, summer, and fall

Hydrangeas
Summer

Lilacs
Spring to early summer

Lisianthus
Summer

Parrot Tulips
Early spring

Peonies
Spring to early summer

Poppies
Summer

Roses
Summer to fall

Siberian Iris
Spring to early summer

Sweet Peas
Early summer

Tulips
Early spring

Viburnum
Mid to late summer

• Use scissors or shears to cut flowers in the garden, then immediately put the stems into a bucket of lukewarm water. When you take the flowers indoors for arranging, lay them on a cutting board, recut the stems at an angle with a sharp knife, remove any leaves that will be underwater, then put the flowers into a vase of tepid water immediately. Change the water daily for a longer-lasting bouquet.
• Gather extra blooms, more than you think your vase can possibly hold. The secret to a lush arrangement is using plenty of flowers so they'll support each other in the container.
• Think about the colors, textures, and shapes of the flowers and their effects. A monochromatic scheme is restful, while vivid pinks and purples or oranges and reds can stimulate the spirit. Experiment with combinations, and remember to include interesting foliage, such as hostas or ferns.
• Begin with garden flowers, then fill in with favorites from the florist. Not all of your flowers will bloom at once, so if you love the look of certain blossoms gathered into a bouquet, splurge to purchase the ones that are not blooming in your garden at the moment.
• Consider stem length and bloom size when choosing a vase. Long stems will flop over the top of a vase that is too short, and tiny flowers are dwarfed by a vase that's too tall or too wide. Many early-spring flowers, such as violets and lilies-of-the-valley, look best in delicate bud vases.
• Select a clear glass vase, or one with colored glass, to allow the beauty of the flowers to shine and the shape and color of the stems to contribute to the arrangement.
• Keep an assortment of vases on hand so you always have one to suit the flowers in bloom. Pitchers, crocks, wide-mouth jars, salt and pepper shakers, cream pitchers, stemware, and serving bowls can all hold flowers.
• Make a grid of floral or transparent tape across the neck of the vase, or loosely gather the flowers with a rubber band before putting them into the vase. Many spring flowers have delicate stems; using florist's foam may damage them.

Flower Bouquet Basics