Flower Arranging Basics
Flower arrangements include many types such as bouquets, corsages, vase arrangements and basket arrangements; they can be used as decoration for all kinds of social occasions as well as everyday occasions. Beginners should be knowledgeable in all kinds of containers, tools and materials, the classification of flowers materials, the familiar geometric forms and the principles of design.
Containers, tools and other materials
Containers
Containers must be capable of holding water for most floral design uses; containers that do not hold water can be used with permanent materials. Customarily containers are made of glass, glazed pottery, metal porcelain or plastic. Metal is unsuitable for directly holding flowers because floral preservatives react with most metals.
Containers come in many shapes and sizes. The most commonly used types include vases, bowls, baskets, dishes, bowls and many more creative containers.
Cutting tools
Floral knife: This is used for cleanly cutting flower stems. The blade should be rigid and unbending.
Florist shears: These are used for cutting light wire, cord, paper and ribbon.
Pruning shears: These are used to cut heavy, hard woody plant materials that are difficult to cut with knives.
Materials for anchoring
Pin holders: These are made up of staggered, closely spaced pins anchored to a heavy base, usually lead. They are usually attached to the container with floral clay, with stems being pressed on to the pins.
Foams: These are kinds of sponge like material. There are two categories: moisture holding foams and non-moisture holding foams. Moisture holding foams are used for a variety of fresh floral arrangement, while non-moisture holding foams are used for arrangement with dry flowers or artificial materials. They are manufactured in various shapes, such as cones, balls, wreaths, hearts, etc.
Styrofoam: This closed-cell plastic foam material does not absorb water. It functions as an anchor for stems of dry flowers or artificial flowers, to prevent them from moving around.
Chicken wire: This type of wire can be rolled into a ball and placed into a container. Stems are then inserted into the folded mesh. This is usually utilized only with larger containers.
Other tools and materials
Florist tape and waterproof tape: florist tape is used for wrapping stems when wire is needed
to support them, while waterproof tape is commonly used for binding and fixing wet foam to containers.
Florist wire: It varies in thickness (gauge) with number 18 being the heaviest and number 32 being the finest, with the gauges in between being 20, 22, 24, 26, 28, and 30. Heavy wire used to support large floral stems or heavy flowers such as lilies and gladiolus; medium-weight wire used to support such flowers as roses, carnations and chrysanthemums; lightweight wire used for replacing flowers stems in corsages and wedding bouquets.
Electric glue gun: The gun is electrically heated and the glue is dispensed in a liquid form that cools and hardens quickly. It is used to glue pinecones, ribbons, and accessories to wreaths and door swags, and dry flowers to baskets, etc.
Ribbon: Most florist ribbon is sold in ‘bolts’ on cardboard spools. Ribbon is made of many materials such as satin, velvet, cotton, burlap, etc. Some ribbon is double-faced, but most are single-faced, and have only one desirable side.
Classification of flowers using in flower arrangement
There are four basic categories of floral materials: line materials, mass materials, form materials, spray and fillers.
Line materials are those in which the florets, the individual blossoms, grow along the main stem to create a line. Some examples of these flowers are: gladiolus, snapdragon, cattails, delphinium and lupine. Besides, Branching types that have a linear effect such as curly willow and eucalyptus are also under this category.
Mass materials may be single stems with one solid flower head-like carnation; a single stem with a cluster of ball-shaped florets-like thistle; or a compact spray-like lilac. Other examples of mass flowers include: roses, chrysanthemums, gerbera, tulip, dahlia, daisy, camellia, geranium, peony and hydrangea.
Form materials include those that have a precise and distinctive form, and are usually used at the focal point (center of interest) in an arrangement. Examples of form materials include bird-of-paradise, anthurium, orchids, iris and protea.
Spray and fillers include those loose flowers that grow with a cluster of florets. They are used to fill in arrangements and give them solidity. Examples of filler materials include baby’s breath, aster, ageratum and limonium.
No matter how many of the categories of flowers are used, the materials should be placed in appropriate way according to their role in the arrangement. (1) Line materials are used to establish the main lines, to form the silhouette, and to determine the size of the composition; (2) Mass materials give the arrangement body and weight. Note: Buds and smallest flowers should be placed at the outer edges, and growing larger as they approach the focal point;(3)Form materials are the ‘eye-catchers’, generally used to help create a focal point. Each form flower should be handled in such a way as to display its individual form; (4)Spray and fillers are useful in the
