The Best Vase for Every Kind of Bouquet

The right vase can make even the most humble bunch of flowers look all the more amazing. Here’s Liberty’s pick of the best

By: Charlotte Olby

Shot on location at Le Manoir

A beautiful bunch of flowers taking pride of place in your living room needs to live its best vase life to boost the mood. However, it can be tricky to pick a vase shape that perfectly complements your chosen (or gifted) blooms. With so many shapes, styles and materials, selecting a vase that best sets off your arrangement can be a bit of a minefield. Take for instance, the opposing needs of a joy-sparking sunflower versus the mellow, pillowy hydrangea. Tall or squat? Printed or plain? Flowers can help remind you to prioritise the small moments of delight when life gets busy, so we want to help you get this right.

We spoke with the experts at Wild At Heart (famously located at the main entrance to Liberty) to get founder Nikki Tibbles’ top tips on selecting the best vases for every type of bouquet.

Read More: Floriography: The Secret Language of Flowers

Best for Tall Stems

Pottery & Poetry Painted Porcelain Tall Vase, £170

“Some of the key things to think about when considering the relationship between flower and vase are proportions, scale, mood and vessel,” says Tibbles. Choosing a vase with height (and whimsy) allows you to play to proportions while sticking to the Wild At Heart rule of thumb: “the vase should be one third and the flowers two thirds in height of the overall design”. Sunflowers, for example, require a vase to support their height and weight, so opting for a sturdy ceramic container rather than glass delivers on function and style.

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Best for Minimal Displays

Hay Large Bottoms Up Vase, £99

If you’re a fan of tall flowers, balance is vital. Tibbles agrees. “In terms of scale, delphiniums and lilies look great in taller vases while peonies, roses and ranunculus work best in smaller options”. Create impact in your home with towering stems of vibrant delphiniums, arranged in a large vessel like Hay's Large Bottoms Up Vase, £99 – just the thing to finish off your mantel display.

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Best for Summer Bouquets

Anna + Nina Magical Flowers Ceramic Vase, £109.95

Anna + Ninna's hand-painted pottery will be the perfect centrepiece to your tablescape this summer (be that indoors or an al fresco garden party). “If you’re looking to create a more wholesome feel, then a jug filled with an array of blooms in complementary colours will add some warmth” adds Tibbles. A seasonal bouquet of brightly-coloured pom-pom dahlias will add atmosphere to your table top.

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Read More: Come Rain or Shine: How to Bring the Outdoors In

Best for Single Stems

1882 Ltd. Bethan Grey Seven Sisters Large Vase, £600

“When it comes to bottles or bud vases, steer away from anything too top heavy” advises Tibbles. The newly landed Bethan Grey's Seven Sisters Large Vase fuses form and function, which we recommend filling with a single stem each to effortlessly transform your living space. “It’s important to consider the mood you’re trying to create,” she adds, for a more austere feel try pairing a single Cafe Latte Rose with dried flowers like bleached rascus, wheat and bunny tails. They'll add a dash of charm to your table at your next dinner party.

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Best for Mixed Bunches

Vaisselle Amphora Floral Watercolour Vase, £195

Reflecting your personality and style through your surroundings is key when selecting decorative ornaments like vases. Vaisselle's Amphora Floral Watercolour Vase is a playful take on Roman archeologic remains, and will add a touch of Liberty-approved maximalism to your home. “If you have a really abstract vase, a minimalist arrangement might be more dramatic,” says Tibbles or you could (and perhaps should) go all out by artfully arranging a large mixed bouquet.

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A final note? “Be creative and remember – anything can be a vase; a candle jar, a milk bottle or even an old oil can!”

Wild At Heart flowers are available to purchase every day from the Liberty store front.