Floral Arranging Program Notes by Jane Johnson on November 21, 2025

 

Arranging flowers is an art and art is a personal expression of the artist.   Flowers are actually works of art.   They make us feel good and make our guests feel welcome in our homes.

Flowers give us joy, happiness, calmness and an inner peace.  The designer’s challenge is to create a work of art using materials that nature provides.   When planting your gardens choose plants and flowers that you can use in designs.  Select plants with different shapes so that your designs have forms – round, spikes, variety in texture and color.

As you look at magazines, keep a notebook of designs that appeal to you and when you go to flower shows study the mechanics and how the design was organized and the judges’ comments.

For most designs you would not want to use more than three colors and when making a design for your home always use at least one color in the design that is in the room where the design will be placed.   Consider the place the design will be used in order to determine the size.

Fresh plant material suffers from the same problems as we humans:   thirst, hunger, and age.   If flowers and foliage are deprived from water they will wilt.   It is very important to place material in water as quickly as possible after cutting.   Then recut the stems before placing in the design.   Most stems need to be cut at an angle to take in more water.   If you are using a needlepoint a straight cut will make the stem more secure.   Always remove any foliage that would be under water because that can cause bacteria to develop in the water.   If the stem is thick slit the stem at the bottom to take in more water.   Some plants like hydrangea need to be dipped in boiling water after cutting for approximately 20 seconds.

We are very fortunate to have such varieties of plant material year round.   If we don’t grow it, we can buy it at many of our grocery stores or florists.   You can also purchase plants to have cuttings for your designs.  Besides the different forms of flowers you can also use branches which may be straight or curved.   Branches may be bare or have leaves.   Also consider the different textures of plant material as a rose is a completely different texture from a marigold.

When purchasing flowers, recut stems immediately after arriving at home and place in tepid water overnight to condition them.   Check leaves on stems before purchasing to make sure they have not begun to droop or brown and that petals are not falling from the flowers.

Even if your arrangement is an all foliage one you can select different textures:  smooth, glossy, variegated, different colors.   There are many options.

Tools for arranging.  (Show examples of mechanics)needlepoint holders, oasis, wire, picks, clippers, water tubes, tape (green and clear), floral tape, etc.

Selection of container.  (examples and suggestions including household items)

Baskets, bowls, trays, pitchers, vases, etc.

Principles of Design:

Balance –  Visual stability that you achieve through mechanics.

Dominance – Greater force of one element to provide control.

Contrast –  Can be achieved through color, placement ,size, form.  One outstanding feature or element.

Rhythm – Design will have a dominant visual path of line or color to create interest – eye can follow .   This gives life to the design.

Proportion – Ratio between areas and amounts to each other as to height relative to width.  Design is usually 1 ½ times taller that the container.   This does not apply for table designs.   Table designs are usually 1 ½ times the length of the container, but you can judge this.  In table designs, your guests should be able to see across the table.

Scale – Size relationship of one object in design compared to another object in the design.  Scale differs from proportion in that it deals with individual parts to each other as blooms and leaves whereas proportion deals with the overall space.

The Principles of Design are like a recipe.  Easy way to remember Principles.  (First letter of each word)

POSTER. (Review)

Elements of Design:   Like the ingredients in a recipe.

Space – The area in and around the design.  Also consider the space within the design.

Line – Basically the foundation of the design.   Line materials carry the rhythm through the design.   Curved or straight.

Size – Size is related to scale and proportion.   It is a visual dimension rather than an actual dimension.

Form – Objects that have three dimensions as fruits, flowers while most leaves have a flat form.

Pattern – the placement of the plant material form the solids and spaces between them.   This is the pattern of the design.  Some plant materials have pattern as large leaves with  evident veins  have patterns within the leaf.  The container and plant material form an overall pattern.

Texture –   the surface quality.  Course textures are heavy and appear rough while smooth and shiny textures appear larger and reflect light.

Color – Visual impact from the eye.  Blues and greens are peaceful while reds and oranges are exciting and yellows are cheerful.

Light – We must have light.   Natural light is what we see outdoors and artificial light is what we see indoors.  We have to decide where the design will be place as light can change color, forms, create shadows and with a dull light lose the effect of the design.

Easy way to remember:   So live slowly for peace, tranquility, calmness and love.

Create a design.   Show placement of oasis and having oasis extend above top of container to allow plant material to enter from side.  Secure oasis with tape.  Illustrate manipulation of plant material such as cutting and clipping of leaves.