Quince is often the first sign of spring at the flower market. I breathe a deep sigh of relief upon the first sighting. You can’t go wrong with a large glass vase full of these architectural blossoms in any room. But I wanted to go beyond the obvious and play with quince as art, by using one stem at a time, pairing it with an unexpected curry-colored vase, and floating a mass of blossoms in a modern frosted bowl. Think: wabi sabi.
Photography and styling by Chelsea Fuss.
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The sheer scale of quince demands that these branches be the star of the show. Even one stem in a small vase will offer an unexpected play on scale, and a surprise to a corner of a room. Adding quince to a color-saturated, angular ceramic piece brings out the bright coral of the petals and lines of the branch.
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When bringing quince inside, trim the stems at an angle, and cut upwards into the stem to make sure the branch can absorb as much water as possible. You can remove the dying blossoms to encourage new ones to open, or enjoy their beautiful decay on the stem.
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Use vases that have different shapes and sizes to create a display with visual interest. All the colors here work together but each vase ofers a contrast, even if ever so slightly, of texture, color, and shape.
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The branches offer interesting architectural lines and when paired with a mass of blossoms, create a quintessential spring flower arrangement.
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Make a grouping of vases, or use a large twig on its own for an artful, textured, display.
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A bowl of quince blossoms is a quick and easy flower arrangement that will bring spring indoors.
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A simple bowl of quince blossoms showcases the gorgeous pale pink and coral petals.
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Pairing a tall branch with a smaller vase is an elegant surprise and enables you to appreciate the scale of the branches. It makes a statement here in a corner of my country cottage.
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Find out how to grow your own in Gardening 101: Flowering Quince.
See more of Chelsea’s arrangements in our Rethinking Flowers series: