The Right Vase

One of my favourite places to go early on a Saturday in Toronto is Avenue Road and Davenport.

On the west side, four flower shops all in a row have a large varied array of fresh cut flowers. These shops are open every day early in the morning ready to welcome their devoted customers who are always ready for the challenging task of finding a parking spot to buy a bouquet or two.

If we are entertaining or even for no reason, I like getting a few cut flowers to freshen up the house. In the spring, the special draw is the tulips. I enjoy their faint fresh scent and simple lines.

Last Saturday was a mild day just right for making the trip to buy fresh flowers. Although I planned to buy just a few tulips, my emotions took over when I noticed the cherry blossom branches and the peonies. I purchased a small bunch of pink tulips, two small cherry branches, and two peonies. Because I was not planning to entertain anyone but my family, I never gave a thought to how I was going to display them.

I have a collection of vases. Some are decorative on their own and some are utilitarian. Flowers can go into any container. Sometimes I use a vase of fine porcelain or crystal and sometimes I use a bowl, old jug, or cheap florist’s vase. The style, size and where the flowers are displayed are important. Imagination is important.

Flowers will last at least a week if purchased from a good flower shop. To keep the flowers fresh, a preservative can be added to the water. I always have a bottle of Star Fresh on hand for this purpose. Although cut tulips stay looking fresh, they tend to bend over in a day or two. A teaspoon of gin added to the water will help delay this.