The Flower + Vessel Conundrum
We asked Denise to show us how a single flower market haul could translate into several different arrangements, depending on the vessel you used. She began with lush, baby-pink peonies, along with armloads of other blooms, grasses, and fragrant foliage in a palette of purples, creamy whites, and pale greens. With this selection as a starting point, she created four very different but equally gorgeous looks.
#1: The Bedside Bouquet
To get this look, cut the stems so that the blooms rest right above the vase. Remove any leaves that will be below the water line to prevent bacterial growth, and keep the water fresh (change it every couple of days). And for the best effect, “stick with odd numbers,” she says. Three blooms or five—not four!
For next to the bed, think simple and sweet. Porcaro tucked a trio of peony blooms, and nothing else, into a low yellow vase for a result that’s calming, fragrant, and just plain lovely—perfect to wake up to.
#2: The Kitchen Sink
Denise started with a wide-mouth pitcher and tucked in some soft, fuzzy lamb’s ears before adding leggy scabiosa blooms. One of her own spring favorites, scabiosas are often found in the market in big, multicolored bunches, and they bring tons of life to a bouquet. Next she added branches of lilac (cutting a vertical slit into the woody stems with shears first, so they can drink), scented geraniums, and feathery ornamental grasses, then ruffly parrot tulips, and of course, peonies.
Denise dubbed this dramatic arrangement—which would be stunning on a kitchen counter but also totally worthy of the center of the dining table—the “kitchen sink” because it’s got some of everything in it.
#3: The Beachy Bundle
Ornamental grasses with feathery purple tops were the starting point here. Easy and fun, they also create architecture to support anything else you want to add. Denise filled in with scabiosas in a range of colors, from light purple to deep, almost black red, and then finished with a single peony. “With clear glass, the stems are visible, and they’ll look better if you limit the arrangement to a couple of types, rather than a kitchen-sink style.”
A transparent container, like this blue-grass vase, evokes a casual, seaside mood. Set this bouquet in an entry as a cheerful welcome for guests.
#4: The Composed Arrangement
For this arrangement Denise removed most of the foliage from the stems and clustered a bunch of a single type of flower in one hand before tucking it into a sleek, Art Deco-style vase. Three peonies were followed by a cluster of lilacs. Next came parrot tulips, a bunch of lavender (the stems well cleaned), and finally some lamb’s ears. The result is a polished arrangement of bloom clusters, each its own mini vignette.
If you’re feeling intimidated by elaborate arrangements, Denise has a no-fail approach you’ll love: Focus only on flowers, in colors that play well together, and arrange them in groups.
Putting a good variety of textures, greenery, and blooms together makes you look like a pro.
