1. Line your vase with flexible leaves so the flower stems don’t show,or use marbles or flower-shop river rocks to anchor stems.(Remember that beach rocks will be too salty).
2. A rule of thumb is to keep arrangements no higher than the distance from your elbow to your palm. But rules are made to be broken.
3. Try limited color palletes of all yellows or reds — then throw in a bit of purple or dusty miller for texture. Or go the other way and use fun color combinations like coreopsis with Nikko blue hydrangea or cottage roses with Queen Anne’s lace.
4. Experiment, it’s a party! Consider the flowers of hosta (if the deer haven’t ravaged them) and daisies. Don’t be afraid of Mason jars full of field flowers or low bundles of old-fashioned roses with goldenrod. Zinnias with roses and annuals with perennials can be surprising as well as attractive.
5. And, finally, rely on odd numbers of the flowers you select. One is okay, two is dull, but three is better. It’s more satisfying and effective than other numbers of things. That goes for plants and shrubs, too. You can look it up.