Floristry is an art form that concerns the production and commerce in flowers. Within the trade are included a number of disciplines, including floral design and display and flower arranging. Although you do not necessarily need a formal education in floristry to become a florist, taking florist courses can certainly enhance your chances of landing a job. However, if you are just interested in learning the basics for your own pleasure, there are a few areas that you will need to read up on to maximise your floristry skills.

Production

Cut flower growers will make use of a range of store-bought and home-made tools and structures to grow their crops. Growing large numbers of flowers require setting up a structure of nets supported by fibreglass stakes in order to support the plants. You will need to know the exact amount of water and nutrients with which to feed the plants to make the crop as productive and visually appealing as possible. More exotic flowers require a warmer temperature and will often require the use of polytunnels, which can be more expensive. There are also various techniques that seasoned florists employ to enhance the colour, shape and size of flowers, including altering light conditions and adding colours to the water that feeds the plants.

Principles of Flower Arrangement

Once you have grown a crop, there are certain easy-to-follow principles that can help you excel at arranging the flowers. Proportion refers to achieving a visually pleasing relationship between the shapes and sizes of the different elements of your arrangement. Balance refers to the way in which flowers should be arranged so that equilibrium in both physical and visual weight is achieved. Dominance is the design principle by which a flower arranger will purposefully ensure that certain elements are more prevalent than others to attract the interest of whoever is viewing the piece. Rhythm describes the creation of visual pathways through the organization of elements of design. Any experienced florist should design their arrangement based on finding a pleasing balance between these four principles.

Meaning of Different Flowers

Once you have a rough design in mind, it is now time to think about which flowers will fit best with the shape and overall meaning that you want the arrangement to have. Different flowers and the colours they embody convey different emotions and symbols. Most people are aware that roses are a symbol of romantic love, but did you know that daffodils symbolise chivalry and rebirth, or that daisies symbolise innocence and purity. Among the many other flowers that have symbolic meanings are irises (eloquence), lilacs (youthful confidence), orchids (exotic beauty), and sunflowers (pure thoughts). However, while the flowers mentioned above are associated with positive attributes, there are various others that are associated with more sinister themes. Yellow carnations signify disdain, snapdragons stand for deception, and red salvia conveys the message “forever mine”. Your eventual choice of the combination will depend on the person or occasion for which you are arranging the flowers!