Tulip Arrangements

The holidays may be over, but with this arrangement you can extend the season's charms -- and its fragrant greenery. Just snip some branches off the Christmas tree before it heads to the compost heap, and place them in a vase. To offset the fir's stiffness, add cedar and seeded eucalyptus. Finally, the luxurious touch: a few dozen white tulips from your florist. Voila: a fresh display to welcome the New Year.

This arrangement speaks for itself. To create it, cut out paper conversation hearts and, using string, attach them to an 11-inch piece of wire bent into a curve. Tuck into a bouquet (we used parrot tulips and nerine lilies).

Let your china inspire you. Here, 'White Parrot' tulips and 'Saphir' muscari echo the hues of a willowware bowl. 'Weber's Parrot' tulips add joyous bursts of pink.

Use a floral frog to support the tulips (first line the bowl with cellophane to protect it). Tuck muscari among tulips.

Floral expert Emily Weaver, owner of Chestnut in the Tuileries, shares her step-by-step instructions on how to create this beautiful tulip centerpiece.

With their long, bending stems and graceful single blooms, French tulips are ideal for creating striking seasonal displays. In this enchanting arrangement, the flowers are accompanied by quince branches and encased in an elegant pale-blue vase. Keep in mind that you should never combine tulips with any member of the Narcissus genus, including paperwhites, daffodils, and jonquils, which emit a substance into water that will shorten the lives of the tulips.

This rustic arrangement features pussy willow branches and bright, vibrant tulips. 

A brunch gets a splash of orange with baskets of French tulips -- when closed, the flowers evoke eggs.

Flowers and candy are the touchstones of courtship and romance. But handing over a bouquet and a box of chocolates isn't the only way to show you're sweet on someone. The intense reds of tulips such as 'Red Nova' and 'Pallada' will prove that your affection has not waned. And the profusion of spicy cinnamon candies lining the vase is an elegant display of your heartfelt emotion.

Enliven your next buffet with an arrangement of eggcup bouquets displayed on cake stands. Choose small-budded flowers in similar hues, such as the tulips, lily of the valley, paperwhites, and daffodils we used. Trim the stems so the blossoms will peek over the rims of the eggcups. Place a small round metal floral frog in each eggcup to help shape and weight the arrangements. Fill the cups three-quarters of the way with water, and then add the blooms. Arrange the mini bouquets on and around stands. Water daily for a long-lasting centerpiece.

This arrangement created by Martha features hot-pink, magenta, fuchsia, deep-purple and vibrant red tones: anemones, sweet peas, ranunculus, calla lilies, parrot tulips, garden roses, spray roses, nerines, peonies, jasmine, and vine orchids.

Occasions such as Mother's Day call for the floral equivalent of a big hug. Candy colors, mixed textures, and varied sizes radiate homey spontaneity, especially when the "vase" is endearingly improvised from a flea market find. A yellow teapot, with ample room for water below a narrow opening, becomes the perfect vessel for clasping a generous bunch of tulips, hyacinths, peonies, and, of course, forget-me-nots.

Create a striking flower arrangement using a simple palette of green and white flowers and plants including Tulipa 'Francoise', Tulipa 'Schoonoord', Summer Snowflake, White bleeding heart, and Ostrich fern.

Begin by conditioning the flowers: Cut the stems at a 45-degree angle, and remove any foliage that will fall below the waterline. Place the flowers in a deep container filled with room-temperature water and cut-flower preservative. Store in a cool location overnight. (Once conditioned, blooms will be stronger, stiffer, and better able to withstand the stresses of arranging.) Fill a clean vase one-third with water, add flower food, and arrange flowers. To keep your arrangement fresh, change the water daily.