Perfect Spring Flowers And Floral Centerpieces

Floral centerpieces: so beautiful but such a pain, right?

Well, not necessarily.

We asked Kelly Cobb of Manhattan's 2h Flowers, whose unfussy, organically beautiful stems we fell in love with during a recent Tasting Table dinner at NYC's The Fat Radish, to share a couple of easy floral ideas for spring parties.

Turns out that it's the perfect season to experiment with flowers: "Right now, you can get what are usually considered 'luxury flowers' like peonies and ranunculus just about anywhere." Here, Cobb's blooming good ideas for three occasions:

Casual dinner party
The elements: Ranunculus, hyacinth, kumquats in an antique tin
Tip: "Use elements from your kitchen to bring everything together, like the kumquats in this arrangement. I love the ginger tin; a different vessel can really elevate the look of the flowers."

Hostess gift
The elements: Peonies (or ranunculus and jasmine, pictured) in a green fleur-de-lis glass
Tip: "Party hosts often have too much to do to have time to cut flowers. Give them flowers in a pretty vessel that could be a keepsake. Also, a trick is to let one variety of flowers speak for itself."

Brunch
The elements: Ranunculus, clematis, thlaspi ferns in a small, clear apothecary vase
Tip: "A mini vase is great for brunch, because there are so many dishes on the table. Keep the flowers low, simple and slightly wild looking."