The New Rose Bowl

The classic bouquet of long-stemmed roses will never go out of style. But another trend in rose arranging is just as dramatic: lush roses in full bloom, stems trimmed, packed into a small teacup or low decorative bowl.

The look is soft, full and romantic, says gardening expert Kathy Renwald. And it doesn't have to be big to be beautiful.

"I like to make small arrangements. Place any odd number — say three or five of your favorite — roses into a small terra-cotta pot," she says. Then fill the pots with floral foam and display the roses so they're just above the rim. "You've created a little treasure."

Small, low arrangements can also provide more beauty for the buck, she says. "Roses are expensive, especially in the colder months when you're getting them from the florist," Kathy points out, "so I always look for the economical way of showing them off."

Making small arrangements is less expensive but no less dramatic. There are also new ways to play up the drama even more, says Kathy. She recently admired an arrangement that was in a clear-glass, square bowl. "They'd cut the stems off where you still have a little bit of foliage," she says, "and put the roses into the water so they were just beneath the rim level. The roses were jammed in, opened up and it was just gorgeous." It was unusual and interesting to see the flowers at the height of the container rim, she says. "I've also seen a display where foliage, such as iris leaves, was submerged in the glass container with the roses. The leaves played beautifully against the floral arrangement."