Floriculture, Design & Management

Floriculture, Design & Management Original Power Point Created by Andy Harrison Modified by the GA Agriculture Education Curriculum Office July 2002

History of Floral Design • Occidental style – evolved during Egyptian and Middle East cultures; further developed by European cultures • Oriental style – began in China and later explored by the Japanese

Egyptian Period • 2800 BC – 28 BC • Arranged different colored flowers in separate rows in shallow bowls • Used fruits and vegetables piled in low baskets • Several flowers were considered sacred • Water lilies • Lotus flowers

Ancient Greeks • 600 BC – 146 BC • Limited by rituals; did not arrange flowers in vases • Flowers were scattered on tables • For special occasions flowers were arranged into garlands and wreaths and presented to athletes • Cornucopia (horn of plenty)

Roman Period • 28 BC – 325 AD • Continuation of Greek customs but more elaborate • Scattered rose petals on banquet tables and floors • Scarves filled with blossoms were offered at alters as part of Roman religious ceremonies

Byzantine Period • 320 AD – 600 AD • Cut flowers were re-used • Formal conical designs with clusters of blossoms were used

Middle Ages • 476 AD – 1400 AD • Not much known

Renaissance • 1400 AD - 1600 AD • Designs were tall, large, pyramidal, and symmetrically balanced • Arrangements were loose, un-crowded, and airy • The important flower was located centrally at the top of the bouquet with its flower heads turned out

Baroque • 1600 AD – 1775 AD • Began as oval, symmetrical designs • Later asymmetrical curves in shape of “S” or crescent were adopted • Abundance of flower types and colors were used • Variety of accessories utilized

Flemish • 1600 AD – 1750 AD • Not as loose and open as Baroque • Better proportioned and more compact • Rich colors and massed oval-shaped bouquets

Baroque - Flemish • 1600 AD – 1750 AD • Massed, compact, oval bouquets

Baroque - French • Lighter, airier versions of Flemish designs

English Georgian • Refers to reigns of King George I & II • 1714 AD – 1760 AD • Influenced by Chinese arts • Symmetrical and triangular shaped • Usually only one flower type used • Small nosegay-type bouquet placed in small bowls were stylish

English Georgian • Also influenced by colonial America • Williamsburg, VA • Created fan-shaped and triangular arrangements • Arrangements of boxwood, magnolia, and ivy

Victorian Period • 1820 AD - 1914 AD • Designs were unappealing • Improperly proportioned, contained large amounts of flowers crammed into compact arrangements • Appeared unplanned

Chinese • Large symmetrical arrangements • Used one or two types of foliage and flowers placed around a central axis • Bright colors contrasted with the urn

Japanese • Minimum use of plant material with careful placement of branches and flowers • Each placement has meaning as does the angle of placement (line arrangement) • Ikenabo (Buddhist priests) began the first school of floral design in Japan

Mass Arrangements • From the European style • Large round or oval masses of flowers • Placement not as rigid as Oriental

Line Mass • Mostly used in the United States • Uses more material than Oriental but less than Europeans • Often built around a linear pattern

Design Principles • Balance • Proportion and scale • Focal point • Emphasis • Rhythm • Harmony • Unity

Balance • Actual Balance – refers to the physical or mechanical balance; equal weight on both sides of central axis • Prevents arrangements from toppling over

Balance • The stability of the arrangement • Visual – ways the arrangement appears to the eye, proper use of color, and placement of materials by size • Visual also refers to color weight – darker colors and coarser textures appear heavier

Symmetrical Balance • Formal balance on both sides of vertical line • Can be different but similar materials • Presents dignity and formality • Should display against a symmetrical background • Alter of church or head table

Asymmetrical Balance • Sometimes referred to as informal arranging • Describes equal visual weight on both sides, but each side is made of a different material and a different arrangement • Arrangement is active and suggests movement of the eye

Proportion & Scale • How the arrangements fit to a particular location • Example: dining room table

Proportion • Interrelationship of all parts of arrangements • Flowers • Foliage • Accessories • Container • Should be 1 ½ times the height of a tall container or 1 ½ times the width of low a container

Scale • Relationship of the arrangement and the area where it is to be displayed

Focal Point • The area that attracts and holds the interest of the viewer • Dominates the design • Also called the center of interest • Location where stems or main lines meet

Strength of Focal Point • Dictated by style of arrangement • Round arrangements generally do not have a focal point – viewed from all sides • Modern arrangements – strong focal points; lines should dominate

One Focal Point in A Design • Bring the main lines of the design to a point • Place largest flower at this point • Concentrate the plant material at this point • Place darkest or brightest color at this point • Contrast colors around this point • Place unusually shaped flower at this point

Emphasis • Closely related to the focal point • Focuses the attention on one feature and keeps everything else secondary • Focal point can create an emphasis in a arrangement • Can be achieved by use of one color, texture, or kind of flower

Rhythm • Movement of the eye through the design toward or away from the focal point • Flow of lines, textures, and colors that evokes sense of emotion • Stimulates eye moments on the arrangement • Created by repetition, radiation, progression, and transition

Repetition • Repetition of leading color, strongest line, or dominant form • Colors or texture of container may be repeated • Crystal works well with delicate flowers • Heavy pottery works well with coarse flowers

Radiation • Attempting to make all stems appear as though originating from a central axis • Point of origin is focal point of design • Creates a strong sense of unity in the arrangement

Progression • Involves a gradual change by increasing or decreasing one or more qualities • Size • Color • Texture of material used • Creates movement in a certain direction

Progression in Size • Using flowers of increasing size • Placing buds and small flowers at the edge of the arrangement, large flowers at the bottom and the center, and medium flowers in between • Flowers of the same size can be faced in different directions to alter its “visual weight”

Transition • Making gradual change to harmonize unlike things • Blending of colors, line patterns, and textures • Helps to avoid a sectioning design • Should also exist between container and arrangement • Edge of container should be covered

Harmony • Blending of the components of the design • Should be a pleasing blend of color, texture, shape, size, and line

Unity • All parts of design achieve a oneness in idea or impression • Establishment of a central focal point • Can repeat colors in the design but do not layer flowers of similar color or texture

Design Elements • Line • Form • Texture

Line • Provides a visual path for the eye to follow • Creates motion in the design • Is the framework that holds the arrangement together

To Create Lines • Use linear materials • Branches • Line flowers- long spikes of blossoms with florets blooming along them • Long slender stems

Line Sets Emotional Tone • Can imply swift motion, repose, reverence, or gentleness • Vertical lines can imply strength, dignity, or formality • Curved lines can imply a feminine dimension • Horizontal lines can imply informality • Makes people feel restful • Usually used for table arrangements

Lines (Cont.) • To maintain movement – never break lines • Lines should appear to originate from one point

Form • Shape or silhouette of arrangement • Circular • Triangular • Number of curved lines • Geometric shapes, circles, triangles all have a European influence • Linear arrangements have an Asian influence

Texture • Surface appearance of flowers, foliage, container, and accessories (ribbons, balloons, etc.) • Textures • Fine or course • Smooth or rough • Shiny or dull • Satiny or velvety

Texture • Generally referred to as • fine • medium • coarse • Rose: fine and smooth • Zinnia: coarse and rough

Texture and its Emotional Response • Fine textures and smooth shiny surfaces elicit elegance and formality • Coarse textures and rough or dull surfaces elicit informality and casualness • Contrasting textures can call attention to themselves

Floriculture, Design & Management