Height Of Flowers In Relation To Vase

The art of floral design takes a practice to perfect. Good floral arrangements follow basic principals of design, including focal point, balance, proportion, rhythm and harmony. The principal most relevant to vases is proportion, including the height of flowers in a vase.

Traditional floral arrangements most decorate a given area using traditional containers and common garden materials. They follow the natural growth patterns of plants, which is why the flowers sit upward in the container. Creative designs are based on a designer's vision and combine several flower-arranging styles with differing juxtapositions of the design's various components.

For traditional designs, cut the tallest stem or flower in the arrangement so that it extends beyond the vase's rim 1 1/2 to 2 times the width of a flat, long vase or the height of a tall vase. For example, for design purposes, a vase that is six inches high accommodates a floral arrangement that is between nine and 12 inches high. (Reference 2, page 7)

For traditional designs, cut the tallest stem or flower in the arrangement so that it extends beyond the vase's rim one-and-a-half to two times the width of a flat, long vase or the height of a tall vase. For example, for design purposes, a vase that is 6 inches high accommodates a floral arrangement that is between 9 and 12 inches high.