BYU PWS Floral Design Exam #2 Study Guide

Vocabulary practice flashcards covering plant morphology, color theory, principles and elements of design, container mechanics, flower classifications, and arrangement shapes for BYU PWS Floral Design Exam #2.

Petal

A modified, usually brightly colored floral organ that surrounds the reproductive parts and functions to attract pollinators.

Corolla

The collective botanical term for all the petals of an individual flower.

Sepal

One of the outermost leaflike structures of a flower that encloses, protects, and supports the flower bud prior to opening.

Scapose

Descriptive of a plant bearing flowers on a leafless, elongated floral stalk or peduncle (a scape) arising directly from the crown or ground.

Leaf Margin

The outer boundary, contour, or edge of a leaf blade, which may be entire, serrate, lobed, or wavy.

Color

A visual sensation and property of light produced by the specific wavelengths of light that an object reflects, absorbs, or transmits.

Foundation Colors (Primary Colors)

The three pigment colors—red, yellow, and blue—from which all other colors are created and which cannot be produced by mixing any other pigments together.

Secondary Colors

Colors created by mixing equal proportions of two adjacent primary colors: orange, green, and violet.

Tertiary Colors

Intermediate colors produced by combining a primary color with an adjacent secondary color, such as red-orange or yellow-green.

Tint

A hue or color that has been lightened by the addition of pure white.

Shade

A hue or color that has been darkened by the addition of pure black.

Warm Colors

Hues dominated by red, orange, and yellow that evoke warmth, cheerfulness, and energetic excitement, and visually appear to advance toward the viewer.

Cool Colors

Hues dominated by blue, green, and violet that evoke restfulness, calm, and tranquility, and visually appear to recede away from the viewer.

Neutral Colors (Floral Design)

Achromatic colors such as white, black, gray, and brown, as well as the green stems and foliage of plant material, which can be included in an arrangement without altering the name of the established color scheme.

Physical (Mechanical) Balance

The structural, physical stability of a floral arrangement that ensures it is self-supporting, structurally sound, and will not tip or fall over.

Visual Balance

The optical equilibrium and perceived stability of an arrangement, typically categorized into symmetrical (formal, mirror-image) and asymmetrical (informal, visually balanced without identical halves).

Golden Mean / Golden Section

A classical proportion rule based on the approximate ratio of $1:1.618$ (or $3:5:8$) used to determine aesthetically pleasing divisions of space, container height, and floral scale.

Focal Point

The center of visual interest or primary area of dominance in an arrangement to which the viewer's eye is immediately drawn, traditionally situated low along the rim of the container.

Directional Facing

The deliberate orientation and positioning of flower heads to point in specific directions, guiding the viewer's gaze across the arrangement.

Isolation

A technique used to establish a focal point by setting a unique floral element or distinct flower apart from surrounding groupings.

Framing

A design technique that highlights and encloses a focal area using linear branches, foliage, or structural elements around the perimeter.

Rhythm

The visual movement and uninterrupted flow throughout a floral design, achieved by repetition, radiation, gradation, and transition that leads the eye smoothly.

Actual Line

A continuous, visible physical line formed by long linear stems, branches, ribbons, or structural foliage.

Implied Line

A pathway created not by a solid line, but by a progressive series or repetition of similar materials that the eye naturally connects.

Psychic Line

A line of perceived spatial connection felt between design elements without an actual physical line, frequently created by directional facing of flowers.

Form Flowers

Flowers characterized by unique, distinctive, or exotic silhouettes (such as anthuriums, calla lilies, and birds-of-paradise) that command strong visual attention.

Texture (Floral Design)

The surface quality of floral and foliage materials, perceived both tactilely and visually as fine, coarse, smooth, glossy, rough, or dull.

Mechanics

The technical devices, methods, and foundational materials (including foam, wire, pins, tape, and grids) used to securely hold stems in position within an arrangement.

Floral Foam

A porous phenolic material that absorbs water and physically supports cut stems; it must be soaked by floating freely on the surface of water without being submerged forcefully.

Lacing

A natural mechanics technique in which flower stems are placed crosswise in a container to create an interlocking, self-supporting grid.

Pin Holder (Kenzan / Frog)

A heavy metal foundation studded with sharp, upright brass pins used to secure floral stems firmly at the base of low bowls or shallow containers.

Green Enameled Wire

Floral wire coated with baked green enamel that blends naturally with plant stems, prevents corrosion and rust in water, and provides structural reinforcement.

Satin Acetate Ribbon

A cost-effective, durable, and water-resistant synthetic ribbon commonly used in commercial floral arrangements and corsage construction.

Line Flowers

Tall, slender, or spiky blossoms (such as snapdragons, delphiniums, and gladioli) used to establish the skeletal framework, height, and width of a design.

Mass Flowers

Solitary-headed, rounded flowers on single stems (such as carnations, roses, and standard chrysanthemums) used to add bulk, weight, and color within the framework.

Filler Flowers

Small, branchy sprays or clusters of tiny blooms (such as baby's breath, waxflower, and statice) used to fill voids, soften transitions, and unify a composition.

Order of Arrangement (Four Shapes)

The standard sequence for placing floral forms into a design: line flowers first (to set framework), form flowers second (to establish emphasis), mass flowers third (to provide volume), and filler flowers last (to soften and blend).

American Floral Design (Western Line)

A contemporary floral design tradition resulting from the synthesis of linear, minimalist Oriental design (Ikebana) and full, abundant European mass arrangements.

Framework

The basic perimeter, outline, and structural skeleton of an arrangement established by the initial placement of line stems and foliage.

Fan-Shaped Design (Radiating Design)

A one-sided, symmetrical semicircular arrangement whose linear materials radiate outward from a central focal point like the ribs of an open fan.

Topiary

A formal, tightly clipped or constructed three-dimensional geometric floral design, most commonly a spherical ball or cone elevated on a slender, exposed vertical trunk.

Hogarth Curve (S-Curve)

A rhythmic, curvilinear floral arrangement forming an 'S' shape, named after 18th-century English artist William Hogarth who analyzed it as the 'Line of Beauty.'

Stylized Vertical Design

A modern, formal vertical arrangement characterized by clean, dramatic linear materials and strong architectural forms emphasizing verticality within a tall profile.