Decorating with flowers: 5 casual arrangements using geraniums (2026)

Creating magnificent bouquets or simple, delicate floral displays is all part of the fun. Decorating with flowers is about making arrangements that suit you, not placing them like a professional. This works surprisingly well with geraniums!
Although they don’t last as long as classic cut flowers from the shop, they are impressive in their variety of colours and lightness, not to mention one special advantage: you can cut them fresh from your own garden, balcony or terrace at any time and use them to decorate your home again and again. The floral design experts at Pelargonium for Europe show you how, with five casual arrangement ideas you can recreate yourself.

• Wild and natural décor: geraniums + meadow flowers
• Table arrangements: colourful geraniums as centrepieces
• Space-saving décor: A homemade hanging vase in a picture frame
• Fresh from the garden: a summer bouquet for your windowsill
• Decorating for guests: flowers on a summer table
• Why geraniums are perfect for flower arrangements
• Discover diversity: the best geraniums for arrangements
• How to make your geranium arrangement last longer
• Sustainable arrangements with flowers from your own garden

Wild and natural décor: geraniums + meadow flowers

Delicate flowers and airy grasses – this bouquet looks as if it’s just been picked. The single-flowered trailing geranium blooms in shades of pink, add lightness, while the zonal geraniums in salmon pink add substance to the bouquet. Materials that spill outwards and add movement, such as cow parsley (Anthriscus sylvestris) and wild grasses, complement this arrangement perfectly. Shoots of geranium buds have also been included to give the design that extra fresh, just-picked look.

It’s so simple!
There’s no tying involved. First, take the stems in your hand and roughly arrange them. Then, place them in the vase as a bundle. Finally, gently lift individual stems, turn flowers or fill in small gaps as you see fit. Keep the bouquet loose, with space around all the flowers. Air flow prevents moisture building up, which could cause mould.

Which vase is best?
As this summer bouquet is quite tall, the vase needs to be heavy enough to prevent it tipping over. Here, the decor experts at Pelargonium for Europe have chosen a vase made of faceted glass with a light lustre. It looks glamorous and contrasts beautifully with the wild character of the arrangement. Perfect for special occasions.

Where does the bouquet look best?
Ideally somewhere with space. Try a sideboard, small garden table or console table. In the sunshine, the faceted glass reflects the light and creates a lovely atmospheric effect. This display is too tall for a dining table, unless you want it to be a real focal point.

Table arrangements: colourful geraniums as centrepieces

From bright coral red and rich pink to vibrant violet and a hint of yellow, this arrangement is all about colours and contrasts. Various types of geranium are complemented by delicate orange and apricot geums (Geum coccineum), which add lightness, while the round, yellow heads of the drumsticks (Craspedia) provide an unconventional accent. The combination is bold, fresh and anything but ordinary. Perfect for a characterful table!

How to do it:
You don’t need any classic flower arranging techniques to achieve this look. Simply place the stems loosely in glasses. Create contrasts by varying the heights, shapes, and types of flowers. Important: don’t arrange them too densely. Place individual flower stems in other vases or small bowls to pick up the colour palette and distribute them along the table. Add some simple crockery and a matching tablecloth and your table display is complete.

Which vase is best?
Stemmed glasses, vintage goblets and small coloured drinking glasses all help create a modern look. Arrange them attractively along the table to create a versatile and sociable setting.

Where this display works best:
This design is ideal for long breakfast tables, brunches in the garden and summer parties on the terrace. A display like this looks best when several small vases are spread along the table. A single one can look lost. Several arrangements, on the other hand, create rhythm and bring the flowers, crockery and drinks together to form a harmonious whole.

Space-saving décor: A homemade hanging vase in a picture frame

This combination is colourful yet harmonious, featuring bright red and white speckled trailing geraniums, lilac coloured zonal geraniums and two-tone ornamental geranium foliage. The highlight is that the vase hangs in a frame. It looks like a picture, but with real flowers!

You will need:
• small textured glass vase
• twine
• wooden frame (without a back panel or glass)
• drill
• scissors
• cut geranium flowers (two to three varieties
• a few decorative leaves (e.g. ornamental geraniums)

Step-by-step instructions:

1. Drill two holes through the top of the frame. Wrap the twine around the neck of the vase several times, leaving two long ends. Use these to hang the vase in the frame. Pull the twine through the holes and secure with firm knots.
2. Tie a twine bow around the neck of the vase for a decorative touch.
3. Fill the vase with water. Add the cut geranium flowers and leaves. Your floral picture – Living Flowers – is now complete.

Which vase is best?
The small, bulbous textured glass vase in the pictures is perfect. It looks like a decorative object. The neck of the vase should be funnel-shaped to keep the twine in place.

Where this craft idea works best:
This flower frame looks good indoors or out. A hanging arrangement is best against a plain background. If the frame is deep enough, it can stand on its own. It looks even better when light shines through the water in the vase.

Fresh from the garden: a summer bouquet for your windowsill

Just go outside and pick whatever is in bloom. This bouquet combines classic garden flowers, such as geraniums (Pelargonium), with wild summer flowers, including columbine (Aquilegia), purple loosestrife (Lythrum salicaria) and wild carrot (Daucus carota). It also features ornamental grasses and other perennials you wouldn’t necessarily expect to see as cut flowers. The lushness of the geraniums contrasts with the delicate structure of the wildflowers and leaves.

How to do it:
Gather the stems together and place them in a glass vase or carafe. When arranging them, ensure the flowers can fan out. Longer stems can stick out a little.

Which vase is best?
Any transparent container with enough space for stems of different lengths is ideal. Simple glass vases, large preserving jars and bulbous carafes are ideal. As shown in the picture, a vintage-style glass urn vase makes the bouquet look light and airy because the wide neck allows the flowers to fall loosely.

Where the bouquet looks best:
It looks great on a windowsill, where you can enjoy the view of the greenery outside. Or perhaps in your kitchen? There, it will sit naturally among the everyday items of the room, providing a fresh touch between the breakfast table, herb pots and coffee cups.

Decorating for guests: flowers on a summer table

This table arrangement features lush geranium blooms alongside playful summer flowers and grasses in a large vase. Bistort (Persicaria bistorta ‘Superba’), purple mullein (Verbascum phoeniceum), yellow iris (Iris pseudacorus), dusky cranesbill (Geranium phaeum ‘Samobor’) and columbine (Aquilegia vulgaris) come together to create an informal, cottage-style arrangement. For an added decorative touch and subtle aroma, a scented geranium in a pot can also be placed on the table.

Here’s how to do it:
Arrange the main flowers directly in a jug, then fill old preserving jars and simple bottles with additional flowers and grasses. Pick up on the floral theme with tableware featuring a millefleur design, matching napkins and a patterned table runner (often available as a decorative set).

Which vase is best?
The more natural, the better. A large stoneware vase or jug is perfect for the main bouquet. Smaller arrangements can be placed in drinking glasses or preserving jars. This combination creates a lovingly and uniquely decorated table.

Where the arrangement looks best:
Whether it’s a summer party, brunch or a coffee to celebrate a birthday, this floral display brings a touch of lightness to any garden party. A lush bouquet in the centre accompanied by smaller arrangements in glasses or vases makes the celebration extra special. Perfect for social gatherings with family or friends.

Why geraniums are perfect for flower arrangements

Geraniums are rightly considered timeless classics for balconies and patios. They look just as good on a modern city balcony as they do in a traditional country garden. As cut flowers, they reveal a new side to themselves. They can be used to complement any aesthetic, looking great in a designer vase or a rustic jug. Whether single or double, upright zonal varieties or trailing, geraniums can be combined and displayed in countless surprising ways. If you like experimenting with decorating, you’ll love geraniums. You can grow them in your own garden; they are easy to cut; and they often last longer in a vase than you might expect.

Discover diversity: the best geraniums for arrangements

The diverse growth habits, flower types and colours of geraniums provide endless opportunities for creating unique arrangements. Zonal geraniums (Pelargonium zonale) are ideal for medium-to-large bouquets. Their sturdy stems provide structure and support. Trailing varieties (Pelargonium peltatum), on the other hand, add lightness and movement. They look perfect when their stems are allowed to cascade over the edge of the vase. Double blooms look lush and romantic but usually require more space to develop their shape fully. Single varieties are more delicate and work well with other flowers to make the arrangement appear airier.

Geraniums come in white, pale and bright pink, salmon, red and purple, and are often found with gradients or markings. To achieve a natural look, tone-on-tone arrangements (e.g. different shades of pink) work well. If you love contrasts, combine salmony-orange with purple or white with deep red. It’s precisely these small, handmade details that brighten your everyday life and create countless moments of happiness.

How to make your geranium arrangement last longer

• The best time to cut geraniums is shortly after watering.
• Use a sharp knife or clean scissors for this task.
• Remove the lower leaves so they don’t sit in the water – this prevents them rotting.
• Change the water every two days, and clean the vase thoroughly with hot, soapy water and bleach to kill bacteria. Place the flowers in fresh, cold water, as this also inhibits bacterial growth.
• Don’t leave any arrangement in direct sunlight for too long. A partially shaded spot is ideal.

How cut flowers absorb water

Tiny tubes called xylem are located in the stem. These vascular bundles transport water up the stem to the flowers and leaves. What makes these tubes special is that they consist of dead, hollow cells. This creates a fine vascular system through which water can flow upwards, like very thin drinking straws.

Why cutting flowers freshly is important

For the plant, every cut is a wound. If a stem is left without water for a while (about 10–15 minutes), the flower closes its vascular bundles to protect itself from bacteria. The problem is that water can then no longer flow through these closed bundles. The flower wilts, even if it is placed in a vase later.
Cut the stems just before placing them in water. This reopens the vascular bundles, enabling the flower to absorb water.

Sustainable arrangements with flowers from your own garden

In terms of sustainability, floral arrangements from your own garden are unbeatable. They don’t need transportation or refrigeration and produce no packaging waste. As they’re also high-quality and fresh, these flowers are climate-friendly and good for the environment. The ideal flowers for cutting should be able to bloom abundantly, regrow quickly and tolerate being cut well. Geraniums fulfil all these criteria: They bloom continuously from May until the first frost, grow reliably – even for beginners – and will grow back after every cut. You can enjoy fresh arrangements all summer long without harming the plants – a single geranium can provide dozens of blooms!

A bonus for the plant: Regularly cutting flowers for a vase is beneficial for geraniums. This encourages them to produce new blooms, in a similar way to deadheading spent flowers. Geraniums are sustainable, beautiful and practical all at once.

💡 Want more? Find tips on caring for geraniums, as well as other craft and upcycling ideas to inspire your creativity.