Urban Girl Tip: 5 must-have vases

I’m back and feeling much better today! (Except for my arms that are extremely sore from trying to be a 5.10b climber last night, but that’s a different story for a different post)

After the party on Wednesday, I starting thinking about vases and, particularly, how to slim down my collection. It occurred to me that you really only need five basic kinds of vases:

The bud vase: A small but stylish bud vase is perfect for placing a tiny bouquet in the bathroom when you have guests or on your bedside table when you don’t. Choose one that is narrow enough to accommodate just a few stems.

The huge vase: For dramatic arrangements of sunflowers, lilies and more you’ll need a large glass vase. Use this vase on the dining room table when it’s not in use. The height makes it impractical for dinner parties.

The tulip vase: The rectangular shape of this vase lends itself well to soft-stemmed tulips and more. Your flowers won’t look as droopy and will last longer with this kind of container.

The low vase: Dinner party floral arrangements shouldn’t be over 7-10 inches high. My favorite solution is a 5-inch tall blue china bulb pot that is easily filled with roses or other flowers cut short.

The vase set: A small set of three matching vases can help you turn just a few flowers into a dramatic arrangement. This set of “perfume bottles” from pottery barn is a fun option.