A simple idea–using multicolored winter citrus fruits to anchor the first blossoms of spring–is all it takes to make an inventive centerpiece. You can reproduce it throughout the year with the hard fruits and flowers of other seasons.

Choose a wide, low, clear glass vase or container, so that the arrangement will be stable and will allow guests to see one another across the table.

Insert one type of flower–the largest variety first and a single stem at a time–pushing the stems between the fruits to firmly anchor them.

Fill the vase two-thirds full with a variety of citrus fruits, such as oranges, lemons, limes and kumquats. Add water to come halfway up the sides of the vase.

Add two or three other types of flowers in the same way at random intervals to round out the arrangement, creating a pleasing shape and a balance of color.