The Floral Arrangement Trend That Allows You To Play With No Rules

Decorating your home with cut flowers can make it look inviting and sophisticated. Whether you're building a centerpiece for your dining table or filling a giant vase for your entryway, using a variety of arranging techniques can help your decor feel fresh. If you enjoy experimentation, the eclectic arranging trend is definitely worth a try. This approach showcases flowers' wild side, elevating untamed beauty and unconventional plant pairings. Many eclectic bouquets have a bucolic or bohemian feel, and most showcase vibrant colors. Frequently used flowers in eclectic arrangements include chrysanthemums, hyacinths, hydrangeas, and Icelandic poppies. Wildflowers often make an appearance, too, as do statement-making blooms like birds of paradise.

One of the best aspects of eclectic arranging is that there are no true rules to follow. Fans of this style often arrange their flowers asymmetrically, but it's not required. Contrasting shapes and hues celebrate diversity rather than meeting a particular aesthetic expectation. Twisted stems, fading blooms, and other flaws are even allowed to shine. In a way, each eclectic arrangement is a living sculpture about welcoming differences and embracing imperfections.

Ready to attempt an eclectic floral arrangement? Before you dive in, gather some essential materials. These include a vase, floral tape like Beadnova ½-inch dark green floral tape stem wrap, and a stem-cutting tool such as Gerossi premium bypass pruning shears. Also round up flowers and greenery to incorporate into your design. There are a few types of blooms that can help your arrangement radiate the uninhibited vibes that define eclectic design.

If you're new to flower arranging, choose one type of flower to be the star of the show and use the rest of your blossoms as supporting actors. Eclectic arrangements tend to feature wildflowers, native blooms, dramatic tropical blossoms, and flowers with billowy petals. You might make a flower from one of these categories your star. For example, if you're drawn to billowy yellow roses, they could take the spotlight in your arrangement. Then choose the rest of the cast from the other categories, aiming for specimens that bring other colors, heights, and shapes into the mix. For the wildflower category, you might select bright red poppies for their contrasting hue. A graceful orchid would provide height and tropical flair. Oakleaf hydrangeas, which are native to North America, offer a contrasting shape with their ball-like clusters of tiny blooms. Plus, hydrangeas pair perfectly with roses in vases.

Billowy alternatives to consider include showy peonies and romantic ranunculus. There are all kinds of wildflower choices, from cheery purple coneflowers to tiny yellow buttercups. Many wildflowers are native plants, too. In the tropicals category, anthuriums provide a pop of red and an intriguing heart-shaped spathes. If your access to tropical flowers is limited, try other sculptural blossoms such as cyclamen and waterlilies.

Consider growing native wildflowers to use in eclectic bouquets. Many are easy to care for and will give your arrangements the bohemian character that makes eclectic design so charming. Plus, cultivating your own can help you decorate your home on a budget. You could even use some of the money you save to splurge on pricier plants occasionally — king protea and phalaenopsis orchids, for example.

Easy-to-grow scarlet bee balm (Monarda didyma) can add vibrant color and spiky textures to your bouquets. Ideal for USDA growing zones 4 through 9, this wildflower thrives almost anywhere, including clay soil, and accepts full or partial sun. The blooms will also attract bees and hummingbirds before you gather them for your bouquets. This bee balm species is native to the Northeast, the Midwest, and much of the South in the United States. California poppy (Eschscholzia californica) is a colorful alternative that's native to several western states. Suitable for zones 6 through 10, this orange-petaled wildflower can handle hot, dry weather and low-quality soil as long as it gets at least six hours of daily direct sunlight. When harvesting the plant's delicate flowers, shield them from wind and place their stems in water.

Want tall, elegant flower stalks that look terrific in vases? Try beard tongue (Penstemon spp.), whose tube-like blooms come in yellow, purple, pink, and more. Over 250 species of this perennial are native to North America. They'll deliver blooms for months thanks to their lengthy growing season in zones 5 through 8.

No matter what style you're trying to achieve when arranging flowers, keep in mind how you plan to display the final product. If you'd like your eclectic arrangement to spill over the sides of its container, avoid placing it in a cramped or crowded area. Do you think you'll put your floral arrangement on a bookshelf or kitchen counter? If so, at least one side of it will probably face a wall. In this case, turn each flower forward. This can stretch your budget while helping your arrangement look as attractive as possible. 

Select your vase with care, too. Shorter vessels work well on dinner tables. Taller ones tend to look best on desks, dressers, and entryway consoles. Also choose the best types of flowers for the size of your vase. For eclectic arrangements, which highlight variety and contrast, make sure there's enough space for a range of stem lengths and blossom shapes. Peonies, hydrangeas, and other billowing flowers used in eclectic floral designs prefer larger vases that don't constrict their petals. Traditional arrangements feature flowers that are twice the height of their vessel, but don't be afraid to bend this rule when arranging eclectically. A little rebellion can give your creation the wild look you seek. Do, however, cut flower stems diagonally when shortening them to their desired length. This encourages them to stay fresh for as long as possible.