Designed to replicate exotic blooming trees, this poetic display is an illusion contrived by securing green blossoms to buckthorn branches. Bursts of color electrify the wood and its surrounding space, making an ideal -- if ephemeral -- setting for entertaining.

Late January and February is the time of year when the arrival of spring flowers such as hyacinths, daffodils, and tulips can be seen at flower shops, markets, and grocery stores. Pair these spring blooms with unusual leaves to make beautiful one-of-a-kind arrangements for your home.

Create an arrangement of lush green hosta leaves and lavender hydrangeas, fitted into a tree-trunk-inspired vase.

Combining different shades of green, these floral arrangements demonstrate that the color is truly worthy of its own display. The small vase holds a bouquet of green hydrangeas; behind it is a mix of euphorbias, hydrangeas, and bells of Ireland (available almost year-round through florists).

Red tulips join their spring garden companions in a display by Tineke Geerlings, a Dutch floral arranger. ‘Cairo,’ ‘Apricot Parrot,’ ‘Princess Unique,’ ‘Sensual Touch,’ ‘Teletubbie,’ and green viburnum, apple blossoms, hosta leaves, and hellebores fill a vase by designer Hella Jongerius.

Make waves with this unique flower arrangement set in a shell. We used variegated hosta leaves and frilly ferns to cup a green-and-white cluster of Queen Anne's lace.

At Skylands, in Maine, Fitzhugh vases, a type of Chinese export porcelain, are filled with the foliage of caladium, kiwi, Swiss chard, and amaranth, and the seed heads of aruncus, clematis, and lilies.