Materials

Flowers and Foliage
2 pink sweet peas
2 dark pink sweet peas
2 purple sweet peas
2 light purple sweet peas
2 lilac sweet peas
3 hosta leaves

Peonies or spray roses make good alternatives if you don't have sweet peas handy.

Other Materials
tall glass tumbler (6 1/2 inch) or small straight-sided vase
raffia
florist's scissors

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How to Arrange

Place a length of raffia on a flat surface. Lay a hosta leaf over it so that the raffia runs under the middle of the leaf.

Lay a tall glass tumbler or small straight-sided vase on its side on top of a hosta leaf. Cover the surface of the vase with the other hosta leaves so that they slightly overlap each other. Wrap the two ends of raffia around the leaves and tie them in a knot. You may need to add a second raffia tie if the vase is tall. Trim the bottom of the leaves and stalk ends so that they align with the base of the vase. These leaves give the vase a slightly quirky look that makes an interesting contrast with the endless curves of the sweet peas.

Fill two-thirds of the vase with water and arrange the sweet pea stems in an informal style to give an all-around display. The blooms won’t last long - two or three days, only - so replace the stems with fresh flowers and new water every few days.

Simple Alternative

If you have no time to cover a vase, arrange the stems in several old-fashioned wine glasses. Place them in a row on a table or along a shelf. This display looks exquisite in a bedroom or on a dressing table.

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