This time of year, pussy willow branches.

flowering quince or forsythia.

Thank you!

A few words of advise, be careful in filling it with water if you really love the jug and don't want any "water marks" on the inside. You will have a hard time cleaning the inside as the mouth of the bottle is small. I had a similar situation and when I removed the branches and water you could see the water line fog on the inside and after many attempts of getting rid of the marks, I could still see them. Not to be a downer but wanting you to be aware. :)

Preventing water line by adding drops of clorox or cleaning with the use of a bottle brush.

Denture cleaning tabs are supposed to work too. They can also be used for lime stains in the toilet. Don't know how well it works however! Maybe test on another old bottle before staining that one.

Thanks for the tips on cleaning it.

Dried branches with no water. Look at this site. I think the light colored ones would work best and open and airy too.

Here is a link that might be useful: dried branches.

Hmm, the dried branches with no water would prevent the possible cleaning issue. I hadn't really thought of them, although I used branches (just collected off the ground) in a red ware pitcher at our last house. Thanks for the idea!

Please post a pic of whatever you do. I am anxious to see how the branches will look with such a tiny mouth on the big base.

I'm thinking that since you won't be able to spread the branches out wide enough to balance the bottom of the jug, maybe you can find something that is a very narrow stalk with a wide top. An Orchid would work.

I will try to come back and post a picture--I am a bit picture posting challenged. And it will undoubtedly take me a week or two to think it through and act on whatever I decide to try.

I was thinking perhaps one long arching flowering branch might fit and balance the big bottom. On my other thread with the typo, someone kindly posted pictures of similar jugs with flowering branches and they looked quite nice. I seem to remember a trend a few years ago with green blades/leaves or something. I just have this vague memory. Perhaps something like that would work. But both would have the potential water line issue. . . .

This post was edited by crl_ on Wed, Feb 6, 13 at 20:26

Here's a link that's a bit like the green leaf idea.

Also, maybe in summer cosmos? Wonder if I could get some to grow here from seed. Will have to think about whether I have enough sun in the back.

Here is a link that might be useful: Green leaf in vase

You might try branches from a shrub with an interesting growth pattern, like Harry Lauder's Walking Stick. I have one large and two shorter/narrower branches of it in a very large vase without water. I love its crazy twists and turns. The plants get huge, so anyone who has one would probably be glad to cut some branches.

Cosmos is not going to hold up very well and will cause a very foul odor in the water quickly secondary to the pH. The lady appears to be holding a leaf of corn or corn plant. I have rooted a corn plant in water before with charcoal for odor absorption.

Here is a Houzz link.

Thanks for the ideas and advice.

Here is a link that might be useful: [Houzz link to French wine jug[(https://www.houzz.com/photos/cypress-point-eclectic-bedroom-charleston-phvw-vp~1230484)

Browse thru the Pottery Barn web site. They have several pictures of skinny topped vases and I think I have even seen a jug similar to yours. They show tall, branchy type flowers - I know I have seen forsythia, something in pink tht was perhaps cherry blossoms, etc. Their dried florals are kind of pricey, but you might try Michaels or Garden Ridge.

Don't just look at accessories - look at their rooms of furniture - I think that is where I notice florals and pottery.

I would do artificial when you don't have anything fresh. But I love good artificial florals.

Edited to add an example

Here is a link that might be useful: PB room with forsythia

This post was edited by tuesday_2008 on Thu, Feb 7, 13 at 9:17

Wow! Those are simply stunning! I would use some tree branches. All of the other ideas are fab too.

I would leave it alone.

They are beautiful as they are, and its simplicity is lovely on the dining room table.

Instead of putting something in it, how about putting it on a fine piece of heavy antique linen? Also very French.

I have read, on a website about art glass, that it may be impossible to remove water marks, which are actually mineral marks. Rather than chance it, I'd use branches without water or go with bronwynsmom's suggestion of placing it on some beautiful fabric.

Hmm, I really like bare wood. We have a reclaimed wood dining table and I don't generally cover it at all. Partly because I do like the bare wood and partly because it is where we eat all meals and with a two year old at the table, keeping up with any kind of cloth just is not going to happen. So much easier to just wipe the wood off.

Interesting about the cleaning. I googled and found a suggestion to clean things like this with water, rice and dish soap. I guess I will have to decide whether it is worth the risk to use it with water. I mean it's hardly one of a kind and I paid only $45 for it. Not that I want to throw my money away or anything, but there is something to be said for using things the way you want to as well.

Thank you all!

I like bare wood, too, and meant only that you might set it on a square of heavy linen - an old napkin, or dresser scarf, or some such thing.

Oh, Good Lord, go to Michael's and buy seasonal stems. Right now the forsythia is in bright golden posies, blooming in preparation of pruning the roses. if you cannot find flowering quince, it is because the buyer at your craft store lacks common sense, and on it goes, you can buy a single stem of a silk until you get to a rose and then you might want to expose how much you love them growing as floribunda and buy a stem that has an abundance.

Brownysmom, that would be a lovely effect. Maybe down the road when the two year old's fingers aren't quite so grubby.

Thank you all for the wonderful suggestions and tips!

I have to admit, I didn't think of this myself. They had something similar where I get my hair cut. My husband cut some sticks for me, and I hot glued flowers on the sticks. This way, you can have any color you want.

Very clever jeane!

Jeanne, lovely! Thank you!

Looks good, looks like flowering quince.

Here is another PB photo with wine jugs: