Placing a colorful nosegay, a grand bouquet, or individual flowers under sparkling glass highlights the distinct beauty of each bloom. It works something like a magnifying glass: "The glass seems to intensify the size and color of the flowers," says floral designer Jon Martinez of Homewood, Alabama, who created each of these delicious visual confections.

You can try this with an ordinary glass cake dome and stand; the clearer the glass, the better the effect. Larger domes and higher stands are available from florists and gift shops. Tall, slender glass cloches, originally made to shelter garden plants, also provide exciting enhancements for your flowers.

These arrangements are a great way to make the most of a small number of blooms. Because each composition will receive increased attention, the flowers should be in superb condition with no evident brown spots or creased petals.

Cluster the glass cloches on a table where the flowers can be viewed from all sides. Finally, add candles for increased drama. The arrangements under the cake domes make ideal centerpieces for a luncheon. And one or two would be spectacular on a tabletop where desserts are served, perhaps from other glass stands of varying heights. Julia Hamilton

STEP-BY-STEP

Under Glass Domes
CUT and saturate a 3-inch cube of florist foam. Center it on a clear glass cake stand. Shorten flower stems to approximately 2 to 3 inches in length, and arrange them in the foam. Cut several slices of a lemon or lime. Insert a toothpick in each one, and use as accents scattered among the blossoms.

FILL any open spaces with small flowers. View the arrangement from all sides to make sure that it looks complete and that toothpicks and foam are not visible. Add the glass cake dome.

In Clay Pots
CUT florist foam to fit a small clay pot. Place saturated foam in pot, and insert one or more long stems of a flower such as the gerbera daisy. Wrap droopy stems with thin-gauge florist wire, if required. Use a few strands of raffia to tie multiple tall stems together or to enhance a single stem.

SHORTEN additional flower stems and insert in florist foam, covering foam completely. Tuck in cuttings of maidenhair fern, and cover the arrangement with a glass cloche.

TOOLS & MATERIALS

• knife
• florist foam
• cake stand
• clippers
• assorted seasonal flowers
• lemon or lime
• toothpicks
• cake dome

• knife
• florist foam
• small clay pot
• assorted long-stem flowers, such as gerberas
• raffia
• maidenhair fern
• glass cloche