Bunch of rainbow tulips in brown paper wrap — Getty

If the ubiquitously blooming jasmine, magnolia and gardenias don’t literally have you stopping to smell the flowers, I don’t think this post is for you. Now is that lovely little sliver of time when the spring blooms are peaking and summer blooms are just weeks ahead. I don’t know about you, but all of the lush fecund landscapes in my neighborhood have me demanding to see color and greenery wherever I go. Case in point, I have more potted plants and cut flowers in my home right now than I have had in months. I somehow feel it’s my right to be surrounded by nature’s bounty as a tradeoff for the sweltering humidity to come.

When looking for a vase or pot to park your bounty, try to find a piece that offers double duty. A planter from somewhere like Sud, Sotre or Hazelnut doubles as art and can be kept on your mantel all year long. Some of the vessels are so beautiful you might want to design your entire space around them! Another great double- duty piece is a basket. You can arrange colorful fruit, fresh flowers from your garden or layer in sculptural plants like an Alocasia Stingray or Xanadu from Fait Nola. Another recent discovery I’m excited about is the purse planter! Why not allow an oversized bucket bag to show off a plant and justify your fashion splurge simultaneously? New Orleans is teeming with natural delights to pick and arrange in a vase. Patronize a local plant shop for chic, minimal maintenance plants to keep your home pumped full of oxygen, and of course beauty, all summer long.