If you love receiving or buying flowers, you should know that you can prolong their life by looking after them, including putting them in the right types of vases. Feeding your flowers nutrients, changing their water, and trimming their tails can help you enjoy a gorgeous bouquet for over a week, and make all your coworkers jealous with the beauty and the smell of fresh flowers.
However, choosing the right type of vase for them will also impact their life. If the vase isn’t big or wide enough, your flowers might feel crowded and won’t bloom as much as you want them to. So, if you’re looking to prolong the life of your roses, lilies or sunflowers and brighten your workplace, kitchen or dining room, here is everything you need to know about vases.
The most common materials for vases
Vases come in thousands of shapes, forms, and materials, so there is something that will fit each type of flower, no matter your budget. In terms of materials, the most common ones you’ll come across in stores are glass, crystal, metal, wood, and plastic.
Glass vases are the most popular option available on the market. It is elegant, timeless, and fits all flowers and room decors. Another reason why glass is popular is that it allows light to travel through the vase to the flower’s stem and water, prolonging life. Don’t forget to regularly change the water (at least once every two days) to keep your bouquet fresh for a longer time.
Crystal is similar to glass but it is heavier and significantly more expensive. It is known for holding romantic flowers like roses and crystal vases are mainly used in classic or elegant decors, to accentuate the luxurious bouquet. Since it is transparent, just like glass, you’ll also have to change the water often.
Metal vases are a temporary statement of design and usually fit minimalistic and eclectic decors. Unlike crystal and glass, they won’t break or chip easily, which means they are perfect for households with small children and pets. They are extremely versatile and also represent an interesting choice for outdoor places such as terraces and patios.
Wood is an organic material and its strong point is that it ages beautifully. It fits natural and rustic decors and will keep your flower bouquet the center of attention. If treated carefully, a wood vase can also be placed outside or in rooms with high humidity.
The most common types of vases
Now that you are familiar with the most common materials used to manufacture vases, let’s take a closer look at some popular designs on the market, and understand their use.
Mason jars
Mason jars represent a fun and laid-back way to display your spring flower bouquet. They are extremely affordable and you can purchase them in various prints, colors, and designs, to match the rest of the table decor, room, or desk decor.
Mason jars have wide bodies and slightly narrower ribbed lips. They usually measure around 5-6 inches in height and are perfect for small flowers and plants. Use them for violas, snowdrops, dandelions, daisies, sweet Williams, lilies of the valley, lavender, and your common field flowers.
You can also place larger flowers inside and create unique bouquets, as long as you cut the tails. Therefore, mason jars can be used for roses, carnations, and even sunflowers.
Milk bottles
Another inexpensive choice of vase, a milk bottle will fit great in your living room, bedroom, or on your office table. It is made of glass and has an elongated shape, with a narrow neck, and a slightly wider base.
Despite their taller shape, they are narrow, so you cannot use milk bottles for lush, large bouquets. They fit perfectly in rustic and natural decors and will become a great addition to your dining table or kitchen.
Use them for common flowers like daisies, daffodils, tulips, sweet Williams, and sunflowers. Try combining them with metal, rope, and wood accessories for an organic and unsophisticated look.
Narrow-necked vases, including milk bottles, look beautiful when they are combined with tall thin flowers or flowers with thin stems.
For a romantic and sophisticated look, you can also add roses or opt for a gorgeous bouquet of peonies. Peonies are, in fact, the perfect flowers for this type of vase because they have small stems but are rich in petals and flowers, which will make the vase look wider and more elegant.
Fishbowls
Fishbowls come in all colors and materials, so you can choose one to match the rest of your room or outdoor decor. They can look elegant and edgy at the same time, especially if they come in luxurious shades of dust pink, silver, or rose gold.
If you want to keep things simple, a timeless and classic choice is the transparent glass fishbowl. This type of vase is suitable for top-heavy flowers, including roses, peonies, chrysanthemums, carnations, daisies, and lilies. Just make sure to cut the flowers’ stems to match the height and depth of the fishbowl to prevent them from falling.
The good thing about fishbowls is that their wide necks are perfect for richer, fuller bouquets, so don’t hold back on the luscious greenery to create whimsical flower bouquets.
Cube vases
Small cube vases are usually made of transparent glass and come with a thick bottom that makes them sturdier and heavier at the same time. Because of their rather large dimensions, they are harder to transport and store, not to mention they are prone to breaking or chipping.
However, they also make beautiful statement pieces and can be filled with almost all types of flowers, greenery, and other decorations.
Cube glass vases can be incredibly elegant and are perfect in large, spacious rooms, with little to no decorations. Because they are the center-pieces of any desk or table, try filing them as artistically as possible, creating lush and rich bouquets. Flowers like succulents, violets, frangipanis, and anemones are perfect for this vase shape.
However, similar to fishbowls, the golden rule is to keep the flower stems as short as possible. Pack them tightly together to avoid scattering all over the vase and creating an awkward look.
Perhaps the best thing about small cube glass vases is their versatility, so use your imagination to create unique bouquets and decors. If you feel like the bottom of the vase is empty, you can add anything from seashells to decorative colored pebbles, colored glass, succulents, and aerial plants. Peonies, roses, elephant’s ears, and even orchids or hydrangeas are other great flower choices.
Rectangular vases
If you’re looking for minimalistic or futuristic glass vases, give the rectangular ones a try. They are similar to fish tanks or aquariums, except they are narrower at the base and bottom. They are tall enough to host most common flowers, including tulips, sunflowers, lilies, freesias, and other tall flowers with strong stems.
Rectangular vases are statement pieces and they go perfectly with minimalistic decors and furniture. The easiest way you can make them shine is if you’re placing them in the living room, on a short coffee table, or a wider nightstand.
White and black furniture, geometric patterns for decorative pillows, wallpapers, and rugs will also make any square tank glass vase stand out and become the centerpiece of the room.
How to make your flowers last longer
There are a few tips and tricks to prolong the life of your flower bouquet, but ultimately it depends on various factors, including the temperature and the humidity inside the room, as well as how fresh the flowers were when they were cut.
The first thing you need to do is keep the vase sanitized and clean. Cut the flowers’ stems at 45-degree angles before placing them in the vase as this technique will help with hydration. Don’t forget about hydration mists and food you can buy from any flower shop.
As a general rule, although many flowers prefer light, you shouldn’t keep them exposed to direct sunlight for too long as they can wilt easily. Learn what makes your flowers thrive as they are quite different – some prefer warm and moist environments, while others are better off at temperatures around 65 degrees Fahrenheit.
How to clean vases
Depending on the material of the vase, you can use regular dishwasher soap and water or solutions of vinegar or baking soda. Denture tablets, rice, and aspirin tablets are other ways to ensure your vases remain sparkling clean and provide a welcoming environment for your new bouquet.
Metal vases should only be rinsed and cleaned with a clean piece of cloth carefully to prevent corrosion. Plastic vases are sturdy and affordable but they will get a certain scent after a while, so we don’t recommend using them for a long time.
Finally, don’t forget to store them in cool places, away from the reach of pets and small children, as vases are quite fragile, especially the ones made of crystal or glass.
