I’m a Garden Editor. I Swear by the 3-5-8 Flower Arranging Rule

I love to entertain—cooking a big meal, making delicious cocktails, and picking out a great bottle of wine (okay, a few bottles of wine)! Just as important as the meal is setting a welcoming table with a beautiful flower arrangement at the center.

While I have plenty of pretty napkins and beautiful dishes and glassware to use, historically I’ve found that arranging centerpieces can be expensive and difficult to get right. To help save money and frustration, I’ve learned to follow the simple 3-5-8 flower arranging rule.

The 3-5-8 rule (it’s related to the Fibonacci sequence in which each number is the sum of the two preceding ones…aka math) recommends using a specific ratio of flowers and greenery in an arrangement to help achieve a balanced and harmonious look. Specifically, the rule calls for using three types of dominant flowers, five greenery stems, and eight stems of an accent flower.

Here’s How the 3-5-8 Flower Arranging Rule Works

The 3

Start by choosing three main types of flowers. These are considered the focal flowers as they will be the central focus of your arrangement. They should vary in shape, size, and color. These flowers should be large (like hydrangea and roses) and draw the eye. I prefer to stay within the same color family when choosing my focal flowers, e.g. white hydrangea, dusty pink roses, and dark purple calla lilies. While this isn’t a hard-and-fast rule, I think it makes the arrangement look more cohesive and sophisticated.

Begin by placing your three types of focal flowers. I used white hydrangea, dusty pink roses, and dark purple calla lilies. (Hand Pruners: Burgon & Ball by Sophie Conran)

The 5

Once you have arranged your focal flowers, fill in and around them with five stems of foliage or greenery. These add depth, texture, and color to an arrangement. These can be cut from your yard—think fern stems, rosemary sprigs, or olive or citrus tree branches—or bought from the market. When choosing greenery, consider whether it will hang down and loose or stand upright and pert. For visual interest, it’s best to have a mix of both types. Keep the branches long when first placing them; you can always trim them later if need be.

Next, tuck in five stems of greenery. See how it’s already coming together?

The 8

The last step of the 3-5-8 rule is to add eight stems of filler flowers. These flowers should be small, delicate, and complement the focal flowers. Distribute the filler flowers evenly throughout the arrangement, using them to fill in any gaps or holes. A few easy-to-find filler flowers would be flowering eucalyptus, cosmos, and heather.

Eight stems of small, delicate filler flowers are just enough to fill gaps.

A Few Final Tips

• Be sure to distribute all the elements evenly through the arrangement to ensure symmetry.
• Vary the heights of the focal flowers, greenery, and filler flowers to add dimension and visual interest.
• Save $$$ by foraging from your yard. Beyond snipping greenery from shrubs, consider planting a perennial cutting garden that will yield at least some of the flowers you need for your arrangments year after year.