• Old watering cans, enamelware pitchers, cast iron kettles, antique coal hods and teapots make great bases for doorstep arrangements, country kitchens or baths.

• Ready for a fun and creative project? Collect an assortment of plain bottles, vases or containers and decorate them with fabric, ribbons, paint, sequins or even gift wrap. Make each design unique, or come up with a special motif.

• A row of champagne glasses with a large blossom in each make any dinner an elegant occasion. Soda bottles, wine bottles, mason jars or colored glass bottles are great for a more casual affair and are also attractive clustered on a coffee table.

• Use bowls and shallow dishes for floating flower heads and add floating candles for a bright and shining effect.

• Here's the great cover-up. Use flowers to hide unsightly flaws. A ding on your living room wall? Put a table in front and a container of flowers to mask it until you have the time to repair and paint. A water stain on your mahogany side table? Cover it with a container of your favorite cut stems.

The possibilities are as many and varied as there are flowers.