Published: July 01. 2010 2:00AM

By Kate Tierney

The summer floral dilemma is a constant tug-of-war between wanting your garden flowers indoors and also wanting to keep a full petticoat of color outside. Something has to give, and I suggest picking your oldest flowers and showcasing them individually or in small clusters and leaving your outdoor beds full and luscious. In order to give a single stem more presence, check out some of the clever floral helpers that can add color, texture and movement to your designs.

Here, There, Everywhere

These copper mesh spheres fill up a larger vessel and support shorter stems to give them a more impressive look. Rolling a few around on the table will definitely catch the sports enthusiast’s eye.

Twisted

A light, thin-gauge wire lets you go wild with creativity. Use in taller and wider vessels to provide support for your stems from the inside and a whimsical twist on the outside.

Beaded

Small beads of gravel and larger rocks in a multitude of vibrant colors are simply dropped into the bottom of clear vases or candle holders. This is a simple and effective way to reinforce a color scheme or party invitation. Take special care to move some of the gravel outside of the vessel onto your surface to pull the eye to the next focal point.

Braided

Take two to three strands of sheer, 1-inch wide ribbon and weave a “ballerina” tie on the outside of a clear or opaque cylindrical container. Start at the top and work your way down, leaving a few ribbon trailers to cascade onto the surface.

And Spaghetti!

Batch-dyed reeds are flexible enough to twirl in a vase or tie around a vase. In addition to adding color and line to a design, wrapped reeds also help divide the vessel mouth into smaller spaces.