Floral Design

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Floral Design

• What is the history of floral design and what are
  some techniques used by florists?

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Key Questions

• How were flowers used in past civilizations?
• How can you increase flower vase life?
• What are the rules that control correct color
  use?
• What are the four major wiring techniques?
• What are the different types of permanent flowers?

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How were flowers used in past civilizations?

• Classical flower arranging
• Egyptians
• Used flowers to beautify homes
• Used flowers as offerings to gods in ceremonies
• Created simple designs
• Used roses, narcissus, water lilies, bachelor
  buttons, violets

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• Greeks
• Scattered petals on ground during festivals
• Made floral wreaths to be worn or carried
• Romans
• Floral garland- a rope-like arrangement, similar
  to a wreath without the circular form

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• European Floral Design
• Rooted in Greek and Roman cultures
• Design periods
• Renaissance
• Baroque
• Flemish
• Victorian

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• Oriental Floral Design
• Buddhist priest used flowering shrub branches in
  ceremonies
• Chinese priests used large pottery urns, rather
  than placing the branches directly on the altar
• Ikenobo design
• Developed by Japanese
• Had specific written rules
• Each flower has a specific meaning and exact
  location in an arrangement

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• American Floral Design
• Victorian design style- pattern of early American
  design style brought from Europe
• Williamsburg design style- American version of
  Victorian style.
• Large round floral arrangements using different
  kinds and colors of flowers
• Corsage- small bouquet for a woman to wear,
  became popular in the 1920s

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How can you increase the vase life of flowers?

• Most cut flowers imported from South America
• Conditioning cut flowers
• 1. Remove excess foliage and thorns
• Remove any leaves below water in bucket
• Bacteria will quickly decompose leaves
• Thorns may damage other flowers
• 2. Re-cutting stems
• Bubbles of air in stem block water uptake
• Make fresh cut removing ½ to 1 of old stem
• Make fresh cut under water to prevent new air
  bubbles

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• 3. Flower preservatives
• Chemicals added to water to increase vase life of
  cut flowers
• Prevent bacterial growth
• Vase life- period of time after cutting flowers
  that they can be held and look good
• Always use plastic buckets
• 4. Water for flowers
• Use warm tap water (100-105 degrees)
• Place in 34-38 degree cooler

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What are the rules that control correct color use?

• Color is the most important element in visual
  arts
• Primary colors
• Red, Yellow, Blue
• Secondary Colors
• Green blue yellow
• Violet blue red
• Orange red yellow

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• Red and yellow
• Warm colors
• Advance to viewer
• Blue and green
• Cold colors
• Move away from viewer
• Hue- pure color without adding black or white
• Tint- white added to hues
• Shade- black added to hues

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• Analogous colors- hues next to each other on the
  color wheel
• Analogous color scheme- combining three touching
  hues
• Complementary colors- hues directly opposite each
  other, one primary the other secondary

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What are the art principles used in floral design?

• Proportion and scale
• Proportion- pleasing relationship in size and
  shape
• Scale- deals with relative size among things
• Height of arrangement to container size-
• Tall containers- 11/2 to 2 times as tall as the
  height of the container
• Low containers- 11/2 to 2 times as tall as the
  width of the container

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• Balance
• Physical balance- actual stability of plant
  materials, will not fall over
• Visual balance- perception of arrangement being
  in balance in appearance
• Symmetrical balance- two equal halves when
  vertical line drawn through center
• Asymmetrical balance- two halves not equal-
  informal

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• Rhythm
• Related, orderly organization of design elements
• Dominance
• One design element is more prevalent than other
  elements

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Ten cardinal design rules

• Create arrangement height with placement of first
  flower
• Work down from top of arrangement to the
  container
• Place small flower or buds at top of the
  arrangement
• Place large flowers near the container
• Use light color flowers near the top of the
  arrangement
• Use dark color flowers near the container

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• 7. Place flowers at the top of arrangements
  farther apart.
• 8. Place flowers near the container closer
  together.
• 9. Start at the back of the arrangement and work
  toward the front.
• 10. Establish the focal point at the top edge of
  the container.

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What are the four major wiring techniques?

• Florist wire is 18 long with diameter fo 18 to
  30
• Smaller larger diameter
• Larger smaller diameter
• Number 18, 20, and 22 wire used for funeral
  bouquets and other floral arrangements
• Number 24 to 30 used for corsage and wedding
  bouquets
• Floral tape- floral stem wrap to cover wires

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• Pierce Method
• Works best on flowers with large calyx
• Ex. Roses and carnation
• Daisy Hook Method
• Works best for corsages and boutonnieres made of
  daisies
• Wrap-around method
• Used to make a small cluster of filler flowers
  for corsages or wedding bouquets
• Splinting method
• Helps support weak flower stems
• Roses and carnation usually need support

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What are the different types of permanent flowers?

• 1950s- manufactured plastic flowers became
  popular
• Silk flower- artificial flowers made of
  polyester, introduced in the 1970s
• Natural material- dried flowers and weeds used in
  arrangements