Shape Up Your Arrangement by Choosing the Right One

Who knew that eight basic flower shapes could hold a world of difference? Use shape to achieve your design goal, whether the simple or dramatic result of using one shape en masse, or creating a particular effect in mixed arrangements.

Excerpted from Fresh Flower Arranging
Filed under: Decorating, Flowers, Vases, Color, Wildflowers

Spear

These tall, spear-shaped flowers add drama and often height to traditional and contemporary designs alike.

Delphiniums and Hydrangeas in Blue
The tall delphiniums in this modern vase display add height and drama to the short-stemmed hydrangeas (image 1).

Lilac Garden Pitcher
This is an example of how to use a shorter spear flower, such as garden lilac, to add texture and interest to this simple vase design (image 2).

Towering Liatris
An arrangement such as this uses just one variety of spear-shaped flower to make a strong statement in a tall column vase (image 3).

Enlarge Photo+Shrink Photo-DK - Fresh Flower Arranging © 2011 Dorling Kindersley Limited
Enlarge Photo+Shrink Photo-DK - Fresh Flower Arranging © 2011 Dorling Kindersley Limited
Enlarge Photo+Shrink Photo-DK - Fresh Flower Arranging © 2011 Dorling Kindersley Limited

Globe

Proteas, alliums and tulips are all flowers that retain their inherent round shape well in an arrangement once their petals have opened.

Gelatin Mold Mix
The tulips in this mixed arrangement show off their globe shape beautifully against the other small, spire-shaped flowers (image 1).

Tulips in a Bowl
A fishbowl display is a lovely way to enjoy these glamorous French parrot tulips. Their round heads contrast well with the long, razor-sharp grasses (image 2).

Autumn Bouquet
Globe-shaped varieties of the exotic protea flower look spectacular in a compact hand-tied bouquet, as they echo the rounded shape of the arrangement (image 3).

Enlarge Photo+Shrink Photo-DK - Fresh Flower Arranging © 2011 Dorling Kindersley Limited
Enlarge Photo+Shrink Photo-DK - Fresh Flower Arranging © 2011 Dorling Kindersley Limited
Enlarge Photo+Shrink Photo-DK - Fresh Flower Arranging © 2011 Dorling Kindersley Limited

Spray

The great thing about spray flowers is that they are versatile; they work well in many designs, including hand-tied bouquets and floral foam.

Country Summer Wedding Table Centerpiece
In this floral foam design the spray roses are ideal as a filler and add interest to the arrangement (image 1).

Winter Bridal Bouquet
The white spray roses in this bouquet blend well with a mass of white freesias to provide a backdrop for the large single roses that are the main feature (image 2).

Asian Fan
In this modern design, spray rose stems are cut short to echo the shape created by tall calla lilies, and provide an intense burst of color at the heart of the design (image 3).