Vase, horticultural display and method of preparing a horticultural display
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention relates to a vase and to a method for making a display of horticultural items such as cut flowers or greenery. 
     Various types of vessels have been used to display horticultural items such as flowers to achieve pleasing, decorative effects. Indeed flower vases as a general matter have probably been known since prehistoric times. Other than providing a decorative appearance, a suitable flower vase should provide a basin for holding water or nutrients needed to maintain the flowers in an attractive condition and support their stems at a generally upstanding orientation. Nearly all of the conventional devices known to the inventor have achieved this support function by means of physical support elements other than the flowers to be supported. In other words, these devices have supported the flowers with the neck of the vase or an independent support element which is not a flower itself. Examples of such devices are shown in Schmidt German Pat. No. 478,221; Davidson British Pat. No. 344,022; Cheesewright U.S. Pat. No. 1,860,405; and Osterlund U.S. Pat. No. 2,050,893. Pearson U.S. Pat. No. 3,778,929 discloses a structure which prevents flowers from drooping by means of a collar which maintains the tops of the flowers within the periphery of the pot edge. In the Pearson structure, embedded roots retain the lower ends of the flower stems, and the adjacent stems are not connected to provide mutual support. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     According to the present invention, a vase assembly for displaying stemmed horticultural items includes a base for supporting the lower ends of stems at locations spaced from the vertical central axis of the vase assembly, and a retainer supportable exclusively on the stems for holding the stems together in intersecting relationship. The retainer holds the stems together in an area which is centered above the base and is substantially smaller than the area of the base. The lower portions of the stems converge upwardly to form a tripod made of stems which support each other and the retainer. The upper portions of the stems diverge upwardly away from the retainer. The present invention also includes the method of displaying horticultural items, including the steps of binding the stems together by placing a ring around the stems at their medians, inclining the stems relative to each other so that the stems diverge from each other in directions leading away from the ring, and inserting the lower ends of the stems into a vessel which prevents them from splaying. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING 
     The drawing shows a typical flower arrangement employing the apparatus of a preferred embodiment of the present invention, along with interchangeable accessory elements of the apparatus. 
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF A PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
     As shown in the drawings, the apparatus includes a vessel 2 and a retainer ring 8 which cooperate to support the stems of a group of flowers 40, 42, 44, 46 and 48. The stems 140, 142, 144, 146 and 148 converge upwardly to an area of intersection within the ring 8, and they diverge upwardly above the ring 8 as shown. 
     The vessel 2 provides a base for supporting the lower ends of the stems. It includes a bottom wall 4 and a frustoconical sidewall 6 inclined upwardly and inwardly toward the vertical central axis of the device. The height of sidewall 6 is preferably less than one-half the maximum internal dimension of the vessel 2. The vessel 2 holds the lower ends of the stems in spaced relationship to the central axis of the apparatus, and sidewall 6 prevents the splaying of the stems beyond a desired limit. The sidewall 6 may be at a right angle to the bottom wall 4, or it may have other configurations. Preferably it is inwardly inclined as illustrated. Vessel 2 may be formed from a wide variety of materials, preferably those which can retain water without being deteriorated, such materials including glass, wood, metal, ceramics and plastics. 
     The retainer ring 8, preferably made of a material which is the same as or complementary to the vessel 2, is floating in the sense that it is supported only by the flower stems 140, 142, 144, 146 and 148. Ring 8 holds the stems together in an area which is smaller than the vessel 2 and is centrally located above the vessel 2. Its horizontal internal diameter is no greater than about one-fourth the maximum horizontal inside diameter of the vessel 2. The ring 8 may be sold with a set of interchangeable rings 8a, 8b, 8c, 8d and 8e of various sizes, shapes, weights and colors. Providing different sizes and weights of rings enables the user to select a ring which is physically capable of holding the stems together while being supported thereby. The rings may also be selected on the basis of their appearance to provide visual compatibility with the vessel 2 and the horticultural items displayed in the apparatus. Ring 8b is sufficiently thin to render it substantially invisible. 
     To prepare a display of flowers or other horticultural stems, three or more stems are held generally parallel with the cut lower ends thereof laterally aligned with each other. The stems are inserted, cut end first, through one of the retainer rings 8, 8a, 8b, 8c, 8d or 8e until the ring is substantially at the longitudinal midportion of the flowers. The stems may be inserted one at a time through the ring if desired. The size and number of stems should be such that the ring will frictionally contact them without damaging them. This, of course, may require the selection of a retainer ring which has an appropriate internal diameter for the items to be displayed. 
     When all stems are in the ring 8, the ends of the stems are moved apart radially to an orientation where they are inclined relative to each other, diverging from each other in directions leading away from the ring. The lower ends of the stems are then inserted in the vessel 2, the sidewall 6 of which prevent splaying of the stems. Three or more stems are distributed, preferably at equal circumferential spacings, to form a tripod which supports the flowers and the retainer ring. The tops of the flowers may be arranged into a desired grouping if care is taken not to disturb the relative positioning of the lower ends of the stems. The ring 8 when finally positioned should be substantially centered on the vertical central axis of the vessel 2. Water may be added to the vessel 2 to prolong the life of the floral display. 
     Those skilled in the art will appreciate that many modifications of the invention may be made without departing from its spirit and scope. This description has been full and complete, including a description of the best mode, and is to be in no way limitative of the scope of patent protection afforded.