STYLE: GARDENS : LOVE IN BLOOMS

Rethinking floral displays, designers are taking flowers out of their vases and adding small keepsakes that will linger long after the flowers fade. To wit: Brentwood designer Wayne Woods’ fanciful wire forms. Bustiers are dressed in rose petals and sweet William, and pumps are filled with baby roses. Both may be kept on the night table indefinitely.

At Secret Garden in Beverly Hills, David Williams Yeh’s double-bowl arrangement (the large container holds potpourri and is swagged with fake pearls) will endure for years--just replace the flowers with trailing ivy. And “Smoldering Love,” by Rob Smith of Laurels in Los Angeles, combines dried roses and hydrangea with a long-lasting candle. Says Woods: “Flowers are so momentary. This becomes more than a gift of flowers because there’s something left afterward.”