This cast-iron urn with a weatherworn painted finish has just the right scale, palette, and presence for a riot of velvet-red kangaroo paws. A collar of chrysanthemums in the same autumnal tone provides a tidy transition between the container and the native Australian blooms, which can be ordered year-round from a florist.

With its aged, blue-gray patina, this large metal urn draws out the saturated shades in an arrangement of boxwood-ringed artichokes. Besides being a suitable color match, the container is the perfect size and form, right down to its fluted sidewalls, which reiterate the shape of the artichoke leaves. This waxen, globed vegetable is more appropriate than you might think for an arrangement, considering the edible head of an artichoke is actually an immature flower. Purple ones with long stems may need to be specially ordered through a florist.

Floral Collar How-To
To create the border effect of these arrangements, you'll need floral foam, a knife, and a shallow vase that fits your urn. If the urn is very deep, you may also need a small pot to place beneath the vase.

1. Cut foam to fill vase.

2. Remove and soak in a bucket of water until foam is saturated; fit back in vase. Place vase in urn.

3. Cut stems short on flowers that will serve as collar, and insert them inside perimeter of vase (if stems aren't rigid enough, make holes with a pencil tip). Trim stems on long center flowers, and fill in arrangement.

4. To keep display hydrated, mist every two days.