As I sit here staring at the flowers which grace the soul of my little marble vase, I begin to wonder about the vase itself. A functional item, designed to house flowers, and yet while the plant is the centerpiece, the vase itself has to be decorative as well. Otherwise we would simply stick our flowers in a tin can, or a cut off milk carton.

Some people choose to hide their vases away when plants and flowers aren’t present, sticking them in a cabinet or hiding them on the top shelf of a book case. Then when a plant arrives in their life, they are forced to clear away space, hustling to find a spot appropriate and free for the vase to rest upon.

Others choose to leave the vase itself out, acting as a decorative marker in the room. Generally this is done with fancier pieces, such as marble or onyx vases, or those which are hand carved or sculpted from exotic materials. In this way the vase itself becomes a piece of the decorative nature of the space, a permanent fixture, which changes only with the rotation of the flowers it holds.

A third option is to leave the vase out, but to adorn it with sticks, or branches, or bamboo shoots, anything which is interesting and can make the piece feel more lively and less empty when without flower companions.

One of the interesting things about these decorative pieces is the way they interact with living organisms. The vase is a home to the plant, but what does it do when no greenery is present? Some vases look lonely when empty, prompting you to put them away or at least run out and buy a daffodil to stick in its snout.

However there are some pieces that are unique enough to stand on their own. These are usually either artistic pieces, adorned with some pattern or scene created from the mind of an artist, or else are natural works of art, sporting a variety of unique combinations and recombination’s of color, hue, tone, and demeanor.

One of the most important things to consider when purchasing a vase is how it will look in conjunction with flowers. Every flower is a little different, and there are a wide variety of flowers available in a range of colors, and patterns. A simple vase will blend in with most of these quite easily; however a more advanced piece will not only tolerate the flowers, but will actually compliment them, enhancing both their beauty and their vibrancy.