Key Concepts in Floral Design and Arrangement

STUDY GUIDE !!!

Filler

Floral material that has an "airy" look to create the finishing touch.

Dry Pack

The storage or shipment of flowers out of water.

Processing

Cutting flower stems properly and providing the appropriate treatment at any stage of the distribution process.

Mechanics

Supplies, methods and materials that designers use to place and hold flowers and foliage in an arrangement.

Retail Florist

Sells floral goods and services to consumers.

Vase Life

The length of the useful life of cut floral materials after being received by the customer.

Bundling

Firmly wrapping or tying similar materials together to form a larger, individual unit.

Photosynthesis

The process of converting nutrients, water, carbon, dioxide and sunlight into food for plants.

Light Intensity

The level of light received on a plant's surface.

Framing

A design technique in which branches of flowers are used around the perimeter of a floral arrangement to direct attention to the materials in the center of the arrangement.

Pillowing

The tight positioning of flower clusters at the base of an arrangement forming rounded hills.

Terracing and Layering

Similar design techniques to place similar materials horizontally on top of each other.

Ikebana

The Japanese style of floral arrangements characterized by their linear forms.

Corsages

Number 3 ribbon is the appropriate size for a corsage bow. The appropriate wire gauge for corsages is #24 to #28, depending on the weight of the flower. Construct a corsage so it is as lightweight as possible.

Bent Neck in Flowers

This is due to the inability of water to enter the stem.

Pavè Arrangements

Flower arrangement heights should not vary in pavè arrangements. The pavè design is a technique characterized by parallel or surface-contoured insertions that create a uniform area with little or no variation in depth.

Abstract Designs

Contain more than one single focal point.

Vegetative Design

A feature of this design style is the seasonal compatibility of the plant materials in the design.

Stair-step Manner Design Placement

This is the placement of cut material in a parallel design in each group to create depth.

Waterfall Design

Shorter stems of mass flowers provide a color and focal point near the container's rim.

Customer Education

Florists must educate the customer to help them enjoy their flowers to the fullest extent.

Processing Flowers

Growers, wholesalers and retail florists must process their flowers.

Floral Preservative

A chemical consisting of a mixture of ingredients that when added to water extends the vase life of cut flowers by lowering the water PH.

Hydrating Solution

A citric acid solution that causes flowers to take up water rapidly to prevent dehydration after flowers are dry-packed.

Respiration

Cell process in which stored food reserves are converted into useful energy for the plant.

Transpiration

The process of plants losing water through stomata in their leaves.

Interpretive Design

A combination of natural and man-made materials in an unnatural manner to create new images.

Formal-Linear Design

An asymmetrically balanced design of few materials usually placed in groups that emphasize forms and lines.

Parallel Design

Design that consists of clusters or groups of flowers and foliage that strengthen the element of line moving the eye through the arrangement.

Line Flowers

Used as primary flowers to establish the skeleton outline height or width of an arrangement.

Form Flowers

Used to create focal point with unusual and distinctive shapes.

Mass Flowers

Usually a single stem with large rounded heads used inside or along the arrangement to fill in.

Cascade Design

The design consists of several layers of materials, varying in size and texture to create a flowering effect.

Focal Point

The location within a design that attracts the most attention; the center of interest. In a corsage, the focal point is where the largest flower is placed.

Primary Colors

Red, yellow and blue are primary colors.

Scale

The relationship between the completed arrangement and its location.

Secondary Colors

Two primary colors combined in equal amounts.

Proportion

The relationship between the flowers, foliage and container.

Skeleton Flowers

Primary or line flowers used in a design to establish the outline of the arrangement.

Balance

The impression of the design being stable and self-supported.

Conditioning

The process in which cut flowers and foliages have been tested to extend their freshness.

Piercing Method

Corsage wiring technique in which a wire is inserted through the calyx and bent downward along the stem.

Asymmetrical Design

A triangular pattern with a strong 'L-line'.

Symmetrical Design

A formal, equilateral triangular design.

Round Designs

Designs that are round do not require a focal point.

Hook Method

Wiring technique in which the wire is inserted through the flower and a small hook is formed in the wire before it is pulled back into the flower.

Hairpin Method

Corsage wiring technique in which the wire is shaped into a hairpin.

Intermediate Colors

Combination of equal amounts of primary color and an adjacent secondary color.

Filler Flower

A type of flower used to complete a design.

Wedding Flowers

Bride's bouquet, bridesmaid's bouquet, corsages, boutonnieres, alter flowers, pew flowers, on the candelabra, bride's throw bouquet, table decorations and on the wedding cake.

Foliages

One purpose of foliage is to hide the mechanics in a flower arrangement.

Line Element

The element of the line in a floral arrangement is the visual path the eye follows as it proceeds through the arrangement.

Form

This is the geometric shape or line design that forms the outline of the flower arrangement.

Color

The color spectrum is made up of 12 major colors. Using color properly is just one important design element essential in creating a well-designed floral arrangement.

Bacterial Growth

Removing all foliage from the stem that is below the water level in an arrangement helps prevent bacterial growth.

Wire

Remember that #28 gauge wire is a finer (thinner) wire than #16 wire. Also note that #20 and #22 gauge wire are best suited to support roses, carnations and chrysanthemums.

Intensity

The brightness or darkness of a hue.

Tone

The measure of color intensity when gray is added to a hue.

Shade

A hue darkened by adding black forms a shade of the hue.

Value

This term describes the lightness or darkness of a hue.

Tint

Adding white to a color lightens its tint.

Re-cutting Stems

Re-cutting stems of fresh product helps prevent stem blockage, increase water uptake, maximize the freshness of the product and keeps the stem from sealing to the bottom of the container, if the cut is slanted.

Refrigeration of Fresh Product

Refrigerating fresh product with a combination of low temperature and high humidity helps slow down respiration, reduce water lost by transpiration, slow down maturity and reduce microbial growth and development. An ideal temperature range for your refrigerator is 38 to 40 degrees.

Ficus Benjamina

Weeping fig.

Aglaonema

Chinese evergreen.

Spathiphyllum

Peace lily.

Aspidistra Elatior

Cast iron plant.

Dracaena Fragans

Corn plant.

Ficus Elastica

Rubber plant.

Dieffenbachia

Dumb cane.