Let the jug set the scale
Choose a clean, watertight jug with an opening that suits the number of stems available. Place it where the finished arrangement will stand and notice the height of nearby objects and the direction from which it will be viewed. A table arrangement should leave comfortable sightlines across the table. Set a tray beneath your working area to catch snippets and drips. Choosing the container first prevents a generous armful of flowers from becoming an awkward problem when you finally discover how narrow the opening is.
Give a few stems different jobs
Choose one or two flowers you want the eye to notice first, some lighter material that can carry the shape outward, and a little foliage if it improves the composition. These are design roles, not a requirement to buy three different kinds of plant. Several stems from one branching plant may do the whole job. Lay them beside the jug and remove damaged material. Keep the palette simple for a first attempt so you can concentrate on the position and space around each stem.
Build a shape you can adjust
Begin with a few branching stems crossing naturally inside the opening, then add the main flowers at slightly different heights. Turn the jug a little between additions. Leave some stems longer at first, because you can shorten them after seeing their relationship to the container. Aim for a shape that feels balanced from the useful viewing angles rather than perfectly symmetrical from every direction. If the jug begins to look crowded, remove a stem and reassess before adding another to disguise the problem.
Finish with maintenance in mind
Check that no leaves are submerged and that the stems can reach the water. Leave enough access to top up the jug without dismantling the display. Put unused short stems into a small glass nearby instead of forcing them into the main arrangement. After a day, look again in the room's normal light; a flower may have turned or opened and changed the balance. Adjust one or two stems if needed. A loose arrangement can evolve gracefully, with the container and remaining flowers still making sense as others fade.
A little further reading
Match these general notes to your plant variety, climate and local conditions.
