Few home accents make a statement quite like a towering floral arrangement in a tall floor vase. The long, graceful stems draw the eye upwards, creating a sense of height and presence in a space. More than just decor, these displays become true focal points, anchoring a room with vibrant botanical style.
Beyond their visual impact, long stem floor vases offer versatility and ease of use. As they sit directly on the ground, they can be positioned in otherwise awkward spaces, like corners and narrow entryways. And for those who wish to skip the work of frequent floral arranging, artificial stems provide a low maintenance solution. With careful selection and placement, it’s simple to incorporate brilliant floral style through every season.
Selecting Long Stems for Your Arrangement
Best Flowers for Length and Strength
Achieving those eye-catching heights starts with choosing flowers and foliage with naturally tall stems. Some top options include:
- Roses: Available in a multitude of varieties, long stem roses offer timeless beauty and the quintessential floral shape.
- Orchids: The exotic blooms of orchids add unique style on durable straight stems.
- Calla Lilies: With thick, firm stalks and striking funnel flowers, callas add architectural intrigue.
- Hydrangeas: Though delicate, hydrangea stems reach upwards of two feet tall when supporting these full, frilly blooms.
Complementary Foliage and Fillers
To complement your flowers, mix in foliage and smaller fillers. Materials like palm fronds and seeded eucalyptus provide lush green texture and tropical appeal. Wispy stems bearing tiny buds or flowers, like baby’s breath and lavender, add lightness and movement throughout arrangements.
Working With Delicate Blooms
Cascades of hanging amaranthus, delicate stems laden with paper-thin ranunculus blooms, and thin branching blooms like bleeding heart offer stunning additions yet pose challenges. Avoid breakage by wire-wrapping fragile sections and weighting stems at the vase bottom for better stability. Use strong focal flowers to draw the eye upwards and distract from bends and curves.
Choosing Floor Vases for Height
Scale Matters
When working with lengthy stems, scale down the rest of the arrangement details. A wide, oversized container competes visually and makes even the tallest blooms look small. Instead, choose narrow-opening vases in simple shapes. Cylinder, trumpet, columnar, and oval silhouettes keep attention on floral heights. Scale vases to complement your room as well. Size down for intimates spaces; dramatically upsize pieces to balance lofty ceilings and make a statement.
Form and Function
A floor vase must stand sturdy, supported by a heavy weighted base, low center of gravity, and broad footprint. Otherwise, top-heavy stems risk tipping the entire display. Choose solid, thick materials like hand-blown glass, ceramic or concrete over thin cheaper metals which dent and warp easily. Seek pieces with proportions and footings that resist accidental nudges without dominating visually.
Material and Style Options
Color, texture and shape offer nearly endless ways to incorporate floor vases into your decor. Metallic silver and gold vessels lend glamour. Hammered metals and frosted glass styles soften hard edges. For tropical or bohemian spaces, woven rattan, natural jute, and coconut planters speak to organic roots. Match interior wood tones and ceramic shapes to adjacent furnishings for cohesion. The options abound to integrate any style.
Crafting Balanced Asymmetrical Shapes
Basic Shaping Guidelines
Professional florists rely on key techniques to build balanced yet dynamic asymmetrical arrangements. The goal is to draw the eye effortlessly through the stems from all angles. Place your tallest focal points at 10, 2 and 6 o’clock, using negative spaces to prevent a cluttered look. Group smaller supporting stems around these anchors, keeping volumes full and evenly distributed.
Building From Largest Stems Down
Begin with thick woody branches, strong structural stems, or your largest statement blooms, situated as focal points. Nestle complementary flowers and foliage of slightly smaller sizes throughout the gaps. Finally, disperse delicate stems, vines, or flower sprays to unite the entire floral assemblage into one harmonious creation.
Drawing the Eye Upward
Use leading lines and layered heights to direct attention vertically up the arrangement. Place pinnate leaves like palms so they point towards top focal flowers. Alternate bloom heights front to back in diagonal lines. This adds depth while preventing awkward gapping. Let gravity help too – hanging stems, powered by arching branches, create intriguing negative spaces you can see through.
Displaying for Dramatic Impact
Entryways and Foyers
Welcome guests with brilliant botanical style by flanking front doors with matching floor vases. Drawing the eye upwards, these towering stems make small spaces feel grand. Place arrangements across from one another to frame entries or position solo against plain neutral walls. Just avoid walkways to prevent unwanted collisions.
Living Rooms and Bedrooms
When working with double height ceilings, anchor expansive vertical space with floral from the floor up. Site arrangements near seating nooks to balance visual weight. Or tuck into corners to soften hard edges and blank walls. For intimacy, add arrangements to master bedrooms. Draw the eye to peaceful blooms upon waking and drifting off to sleep.
Mixing Multiple Arrangements
Build off a single showstopping floor vase by incorporating smaller floral accents throughout nearby spaces. Repeat colors, textures and specific botanicals to reinforce connections. Try a series of coordinating ceramic vessels along a mantle, houseplant trio on an adjacent table, or even printed pillows and textiles carrying flower motifs. Harmonize all with graceful stems stretching skyward.
Achieving Longevity
Proper Care
Live displays require attentive care to reach their full potential. Check stem water levels daily. Refresh room temperature water plus floral nutrients every few days. Diligently trim stems by two inches every week to restore water uptake abilities. Rotate the entire vase occasionally towards naturally illuminated windows. Supplement with grow lights during darker winter months or in low light rooms.
Troubleshooting Issues
Catch drooping and drop sooner than later. Drooping often results from depleted water and aging foliage. Snip off endangered stems right below the wilt point to prevent spread. If water cultures cloud or stems discolor, replace the entire contents immediately to stop bacteria growth.
Refreshing Displays
Properly cared for arrangements can last upwards of three weeks or more. To maintain visual impact, replace older frontal stems with new long stem bunches week by week. Or start anew with entirely fresh flowers to celebrate the changing seasons with beautiful blooms.
Utilizing lengthy stems sets floor vases apart, commanding attention in any interior space with eye-catching vertical displays. Select strong anchor blooms first, drawing the eye upwards through layered complementary flowers and foliage. Contain arrangements within tall narrow opening vases, sized and sited to harmonize beautifully with intended rooms. Maintained with care and refreshed regularly, these lively botanical spectacles promise enduring and striking style.
