Floral Design & Management

2/21/2022
Elements of Design
● Color
○ Visible spectrum of light
○ Hue (adding white (tint) or black (shade))
○ Subtractive Color System (paint absorbs more light and reflects less color, dark)
○ Additive Color System (mixing colors of light results in lighter color)
○ Partitive Color (primary, secondary, tertiary…)
○ Color Harmonies (schemes: monochromatic, analogous, complementary)
○ Tinting and Dying (Grown varieties/bred for color, or floral dye)
● Form
○ Closed-Form Arrangements (overall shape of arrangement, mass)
○ Open-Form Arrangement (emphasis on the open space and individual materials)
○ Line Flowers: long stem and spike or linear form
○ Mass Flowers: closed-form, single flowers, dense, rounded
○ Filler Flowers: open-form inflorenscence, often clustered or branched
○ Form Flowers: distinctive or unusual shape, often exotic and costly
○ Fragrance: specific aroma, memories or sensitivity
● Line
○ Parth that creates foundation for arrangement’s style and form
○ Static lines appear rigid (horizontal and vertical)
○ Dynamic lines formed by bending, controting, cascading, and zigzagging
○ Actual and Implied lines (visual connection or actual connections)
● Pattern
○ Element repeated to form decorative design
○ Repetition of pattern sets up rhythm in design
○ Can refer to overall shape or silhouette
● Space
○ Three dimensional area occupied by floral design
○ Positive space (taken up by material) vs negative space (intentionally empty)
● Size
○ Physical dimensions of arrangement
○ Container, Location, Materials
● Texture
○ Visual and tactile surface quality of material
○ Interest, Contrast, Pleasing Design,
○ Choosing Foliage
 ■ Adds three distinct colors, shapes, tecture to arrangement
■ More pattern, shape, and texture within leaves
○ Use of materials in moderation makes an arrangement successful
○ Each flower in a design should have a different texture
○

2/14/2022
Flowers to Wear
● Packaging Flowers to Wear
○ Mist with Antitranspirant
○ Humidity
○ Cushion of air
○ Package with label of recipient
○ Advertise company name on bag
● Flowers to Carry
○ Bouquet shapes
■ Hemispherical
■ Cascade
■ Diamond
■ Composite
○ Pomanders
■ Small globes of flowers to carry or decoration
■ Flower girls often carry these
● Need good mechanics to carry
○ Bouquet Mechanics
■ Handtied (we will make a hand tied)
■ Hand-wired
■ Wired-and-taped
■ Holder, fresh floral foam (often for cascade arrangements)
■ Holder, dried floral foam (often for cascade arrangements)
■ Armatures
● Step-by-step: Simple Boutonnieres and Corsages
○ Leave stem 3/4 “ to 1” long for balance
○ Do not remove sepals
○ Wire through calyx (carnations or delicate flowers: criss-cross X)
○ Poke through base of stem and down
○ Cover with floral tape so no wire is exposed
○ Wiring foliage from the back over mid-vein
○ Wrapping filler flowers: wrap wire around the stem
2/7/2022
Postharvest Conditioning and Care
● Harvesting
○ Proper irrigation, fertilization, and pest control produce healthier flowers
○ Early-morning harvest preferred
■ Higher carbohydrates in the mornings
○ Harvest stage depends on type of flower and market (bud, break, open)
■ Bud stage for flowers shipped to distant locations
○ Foliage harvested after all leaves fully formed (at maturity)
● Pretreatments
○ Extend the life of cut flowers
○ Pulsing (warm water to encourage nutrient uptake)
○ Citric acid solution (lower pH to discourage bacteria)
○ Cooling
● Grading
○ Stem length
○ Flower size
○ Petal count
○ Stem straightness
○ Uniformity
○ Foliage quality
○ Defects
○ Expected vase life
● Packing and Transportation
○ Specially designed boxes
○ Protect blooms
○ Precoolings
○ Water packs
● Purchasing
○ Quality checks at every stage of transport
○ Determine expected base life of flower (can determine what you buy)
● Post-Shipment Processing
○ Check for problems (immediately)
■ Freezing, browning tips, pale color, wilting
■ Broken stems, crushed flowers
○ Contact grower or wholesale florist immediately
● Rehydration
○ Cut stems at an angle 2-3” above cut end
○ Placed in water that contains hydrating solution (Floralife)
○ Clean tools and buckets
● Clogged Xylem
 ○ Bacteria can clog
○ Air embolism
○ Clogged xylem blocks column of water and causes wilting
○ Clean tools and buckets (Clorox)
● Water Quality
○ Affects vase life
○ Pure, clean water needed
■ Tap water has fluoride and sodium - must be filtered
○ Hard water has minerals, careful
● Preservatives
○ Prolong life of cut flowers
■ Sugar is source of food/nutrients
■ Biocide kills bacteria, fungi, yeast, and mold
■ Acidifier reduces the pH of water
● Storage Considerations
○ Temperature
■ Maximize life span (not regular refrigerators)
■ Relative humidity between 95 and 99%
■ Air circulation
○ Ideal temperatures
■ 33-35F Cut Flowers
■ 33-35F Foliage
■ above 50F Tropicals
■ above 50F Orchids
● Ethylene Sensitivity
○ Produced by aging flowers, fruit, heater fumes, cig smoke, vehicle exhaust
○ Triggers senescence (cell death, wilting)
○ Remove diseased and dying plant material
○ Good sanitation, air circulation, ventilation
○ Store separate from fruits and vegetables
○ Gas heaters working properly
○ Ethylene scrubbers or filtration systems in cold storage
○ Ethylene inhibitors in closed spaces
● Working with roses
○ Thorns complicate foliage removal
○ Pull leaves off in a downward motion
○ Rose thorn and leaf strippers protect your hand
● Dealing with tropisms
○ Growth curvatures
○ Geotropic bend away from gravity/ground (store vertically)
○ Phototropic bend towards light/sun (plastic covers)
● Storing Foliage
 ○ Preservatives may or may not be used
○ Increase relative humidity
○ Storage temperature
○ Air circulation
● Step-by-step: Proper Hydration
○ Clean buckets with product that removes bacteria from last bunch of flowers
○ Buckets 1/3 full with warm water
○ Floral food solution to manufacturing specs
○ Enhances water uptake in 24 hours

2/4/2022
Parts of a Flower
● Anatomy of a Flower
○ Sepal - green stuff or sometimes look like modified petals
■ covers the flower as it’s developing
○ Pistil - female
■ Ovary, Ovule
■ Style (part where pollen tube comes in), Stigma (sticky to attract pollen)
○ Stamen - male
■ Anther, Filament (produces pollen)
○ Both female and male parts: complete flower, else incomplete
● Infloresence
○ Development and arrangement of flowers on a stem
Flower Identification
● Calla Lilly - more expensive lilly, white often,
○ Zantedeschia
● Button Pom distintegrates and is normally hardier
○ Chrysanthemum
● Hydrangea (french) - blue for lower PH soil, higher PH is purple
○ Expensive per stem, but huge flower
○ Many hybridizations and antique varieties
○ Hydrangea macrophylla
● Queen Anne’s lace
○ Daucus carota (wild carrot flower)
○ White small delicate flowers, need to be very hydrated, don’t last long, filler
● Spray rose
○ Pretty, small roses - can have buds on the same branch as open flowers
○ Rosa sp.
● Sunflower
○ Helianthus sp.
 ○ Many varieties and sizes and colors of petals and center
● Carnations
○ Similar texture and color to peonies to disguise expensive
○ Cheap, bang for your buck, hardy
○ Many many varieties, last a long long time
○ Sturdy stems but break at the nodes easily
○ Dianthus caryophyllus
● Spray carnation, mini carnation
○ Like a spray rose but carnation
○ Dianthus sp.
● Matsumoto, china aster
○ Callistephus chinensis
○ Number of different colors, sturdy, good stem structure
○ Cute when dried
● Kalanchoe, Flaming Katy
○ Kalanchoe blossfeldiana
○ Succulent flowers, can be propagated via leaf
○ Sturdy if not crushed, good for flower jewelry, corsages, rings, etc
○ small orange flowers
● Statice
○ Limonium sinuatum
○ Small papery purple or white flowers (hold color without sun)
○ Often dried and crinkly, lasts well without water
● Tea Rose, Standard Rose
○ Rosa sp.
○ Classic rose - many many colors or varieties, hardy, cheaper these days but still $
○ Bred smell away from commercial roses to avoid wafting smells and hardier
● Alstroemeria, Peruvian lily
○ Alstroemeria sp.
○ Smaller cheaper lily, 3 or 5 flowers on a single whorl (stem)
○ tighter when bought, open up later
● Gerbera, African Daisy
○ Gerbera jamesonii sp.
○ Colorful, many varieties, basic daisy shape, common but expensive per flower
○ Phototropic (grow towards light), plastic cover to prevent stem bends
● Speedwell, Veronica
○ Veronica sp.
○ Wildflower, pink/white/purple on head, don’t last very long, water sensitive
● Cushion mum
○ Chrystantemum sp.
○ Small pincushion part in middle as opposed to “button” shaped flower
○ Super cheap, white ones are often dyed (take up dye easily), many colors
 ○ Informal
● seeded Eucalyptus
○ Eucalyptus sp.
○ Super popular recently, good filler with seeds and foliage
○ Classy and simple filler (eucalyptus in general is popular too)
● Dianthus, Pinks, Sweet William
○ Dianthus sp.
○ Short lived packed cluster flowers, dark pink
● Delphinium
○ Delphinium sp.
○ Light blueish purply blooms, delicate, hates life
● St. John’s Wort
○ Hypericum sp.
○ Often seen at Christmas (red and green and other shades too)
○ Sturdy, used in bouttonieres (masculine), berry similar to holly
● Flowering stock
○ Matthiola incana
○ Also hates life, not much better than delphinium, pretty and delicate, susceptible
to disease - tiny bit sturdier is in good condition. Better in airflow/isolation
○ Similar colors to delphinium but more pink than blue
● Kangaroo paw
○ Anigozanthos sp.
○ Fuzzy/furry on top, not very often used, exotic - even when dried it looks okay

1/31/2022
Principles of Design
● Laws of Beauty
○ Balance
■ Sense of stability
■ Physically balanced design stands on its own
■ Poor balance: Unstable footing, excessive force, lack of anchor,
inadequate support, poor mechanics
● Stability and Mechanics
○ Top heavy materials above mechanics
○ Specific insertion points help maintain physical balance
○ Consider weather when designing outdoor arrangements
○ Visual Balance
■ Optical stability of design
■ Visual weight of design
■ Perceived heaviness/lightness based on: color, shape, size, pattern
● Dark colors appear heavier than light colors
 ○ May use light colors outside and dark colors toward center
● Large dark flowers with bold shapes placed lower in arrangement
● Strong patterns seem heavier
■ Central Vertical Axis (CVA)
● Divides design into balanced parts
● Avoid placing flowers in same position on either side of CVA
● Negative space allows materials to be seen
● Balance can be symmetrical or asymmetrical
■ Symmetrical Floral Designs
● Equal visual weight on both sides of CVA
○ Repetition of elements on either side
● Formal arrangements
■ Asymmetrical Designs
● Weight equal on both sides of CVA
● Distribution of materials is different
● Materials vary in size, but still proportionate
● Counterbalance materials
● Simple Japanese arrangements
● Informal arrangements
○ Proportion
■ Amount of each material
■ Size of each material
■ Container, Foliage, Flowers, Accessories: all should be proportionate
■ Consider display location
■ Plant material 1.5 to 2 times the height, length, or width of container
■ Applies to design principles and design elements
● Rule of Thirds
○ Scale
○ Divide space
○ Two-thirds: dominant
○ One-third: subordinate
○ Elements of design
● The Golden Ratio
○ 1:1.618
○ Creates division that is pleasing to the eye
○ Golden section
○ Golden mean
○ Golden rule
○ Art, architecture, humans, floral design
○ Scale
■ Understanding size relationships
■ Designer must consider arrangement and setting
 ● Bride and bouquet
● Arrangement and table
■ Adjust scale to customer’s expectations
■ Designs scaled to cost
■ Scale vs. Proportion: Closely related
○ Dominance
■ Emphasis
■ One element is dominant, others subordinate
■ Form, fragrance, texture, color, space
■ Focal point
● Area of dominance
● Darker color vs. lighter color
● Closer placement
● Concentration of plant material
○ Accents
■ Interesting details
■ Add interest
■ Should not overpower design
○ Contrast
■ Difference or opposition
● Characteristics of flowers
● Characteristics of foliage
■ Creates tension, energy
■ Variation to a design
○ Rhythm
■ Sense of movement in a design
■ Ordered movement
■ Leads the eye
■ Transition
○ Unity
■ Celebration of similarities
■ Elements appear to belong together, as a whole
■ Proximity
■ Repetition
■ Transition
■ Features:
● Unity and Proximity
○ Appear to build a relationship
○ Perceive Elements as a Unified Design
● Unity and Repetition
○ Irregular or regular
○ Even or uneven
 ○ Radiation
○ Gradation
○ Similar elements
● Unity and Transition
○ Gradual change
○ Both arrangements and store displays
○ Plant material to complement container
○ Harmony
■ Pleasing interaction of design elements
■ Similarity
● Grouping like items
● Flowers in the same family
● Shades of the same color
■ Theme
■ Harmony and simplicity
● Keeping elements to a minimum
● Less is more
● Simple, uncluttered design

1/28/2022
Structures for Floral Design
● Containers
○ Water vessel
○ Sturdy
○ Keepsake
● Glass Containers
○ Stems and water part of the design
○ Foliage should not fall below water line
○ Objects added to enhance beauty
● Mechanics for Glass Containers
○ Grid keeps stems from falling to side
○ Form grid with tape or use premade grid
○ Interlacing stems
○ Flower frogs are like shaped and do the same thing
● Handling Glass Containers
○ Dry hands and surface container
○ Do not pick up by rim
○ One hand under the container
○ Other hand near neck, sides, opening
● Plastic Containers
 ○ Lightweight
○ Inexpensive
○ Variety of colors, textures, styles
● Ceramic Containers
○ Versatile
○ Add visual weight
○ May add character
○ Variety of colors, sizes, shapes
● Metal Containers
○ Support variety of themes, effects
○ Warm copper and golden brass
○ Cool silver
○ Could be very intricate designs
● Types of Ribbon
○ Acetate satin (most common)
○ Nylon ribbon
○ Double faced satin
○ Sheer nylon ribbon (organza-esque)
○ Velvet ribbon
● Floral Knives
○ Used for cutting stems
○ Make clean cuts
○ Do not pinch stems
○ Save time in designing
● Box cutters and shears
○ Box cutters - open cardboard boxes
○ Floral shears - flower stems
○ Multipurpose shears (serrations) - light wire gauges and others
○ Ribbon shears - ribbon only
○ Floral snips - lightweight wire
● Underwater cutters
○ Similar to paper cutter blade
○ Mounted withing large sink
○ Flowers plunged below water line, cut
○ Stem, leaf, debris cause bacteria
● Pruners
○ Pruning shears - good quality
○ Hasami used for ikebana
● Wire cutters
○ Cut wire, silk flower stems, premade garland
○ Not for fresh flowers or foliage
● Pins
 ○ Anchor arrangements
○ Secure corsages and boutonnieres
○ Greening pins used to pin moss to foam
● Tape Products
○ Stem wrap - paraffin coated crepe paper to cover floral wire
○ Bowl tape - cloth based adhesive, holds foam in container
● Glue guns and glue skillets
○ Glue guns - melt glue sticks, dispense line or bead
○ Glue skillets - melt chunks of solid glue, pan glue moisture/cold resistant
● Floral Adhesive
○ Takes several minutes to cure
■ Slower than hot glue but preferred
○ Increases holding power as it cures
○ Double sided adhesive
○ Stem adhesive locks stem in place
● Mechanics
○ Fix materials in place
■ Stable, Hidden, Part of Design, From simple to complex
● Floral Foam
○ One time use, crushes easy
○ Hydrophilic (absorb, phenolic) vs hydrophobic (for silk or plastic or dried florals)
● Taping Floral Foam in Containers
○ Stabilize and hold stems
○ Maintain design integrity
○ Enable transport
○ Dry outside of container
○ Tape will not stick to wet surfaces
● Wire mechanics
○ Chicken wire and decorative wire
○ Don’t expose unless it’s highly intentional
● Bouquet and corsage holders
○ Made of foam holders
○ Not as popular now
● Indispensables
○ Water tubes and water picks
■ Hold water
■ Snug fitting cap
○ Wood picks
■ Wire attached
● Ergonomics
○ Equipment, furniture should fit body (not cause physical stress or injury)
○ Counter height
 ○ Floor surface
○ Tool size

1/24/2022
Plant Structures and Functions
● Floral materials are living, growing, and changing (and once picked, dying!)
● Understand the characteristics of flowers, leaves, and stems
● Plant Morphology
○ External plant structure
○ Color
○ Leaf size, shape, edges
● Taxonomy
○ Classification of organisms
■ Nowadays less visual, more genetic/molecular level
■ Genus and species = exact plant (scientific name)
○ Carl Linnaeus
● Plant Families
○ One main characteristic links plants together
○ Family name always ends in ‘ae’
○ Care and handling of plants with similar needs
○ Similar characteristics (plant structure, leaf and stem shapes, flower similarities,
fragrance similarities)
● Genus and Species
○ Subgroup of families
○ Genus + species = Binomial Nomenclature
○ Common names vary widely; scientific names are universal
● Common Name
○ Varies across regions
■ (Queen Anne’s Lace? Bird’s Lace? Wild Carrot?)
○ Can cause confusion
○ Easier to remember
○ Larger audience
● Anatomy of a Flower
○ “Male” - Stamen
■ Anther
■ Filament
○ “Female” - Pistil
■ Sigma
■ Style
■ Ovule
■ Ovary
 ○ Pollen tube, Petal (attract pollinators), Receptacle, Sepal, Pedicel
● Reproductive Structures
○ Stamen, Pistil
○ Complete flowers have both
○ Incomplete flowers only have one
● Life Cycle of a Plant
○ Seed planting, Germination, Sprout, Seedling, Plant with buds, Plant with flowers,
Plant with fruit, Fruit with seeds
● Corolla Variations
○ How the flower organs are shaped
■ Tepals, Bilabiate, Coronate, Campanulate, Ligulate, Tubular, Carinate, etc.
● Leaf Shape and Arrangement
○ Patterns and texture
■ Venation
■ Shapes
■ Stem attachment
■ Surface quality (waxy, rough, slick, fluffy, etc.)
○ Epidermis = skin
○ Chloroplast
○ Phloem and xylem
● Stems
○ Vascular system
○ Vascular bundle
○ Large variations in stems
■ Woody, soft, pore size, etc.
■ ex: Daffodils have large pores that suck up and ooze a protectant slime
○ Must have leaves or buds
○ Stem functions
■ Brings up water and nutrients from soil
○ Framework to support flowers and leaves
■ ex: Roses have a very sturdy and strong stem, good for arrangements
● Stems
○ Nodes
■ Growth point
■ Bulbous
■ Very visible in ex: carnations
○ Internodes
■ Space in between the nodes
■ Cutting
○ Rhizome
■ Grows horizontally underground
● Leaf Functions
 ○ Photosynthesis (light, water, carbon dioxide)
○ Respiration
○ Transpiration
■ Water evaporates at the stomata
■ Often kills the plant (if xylem and phloem is clogged, dehydration)
○ Chlorophyll produces carbohydrates, releases oxygen
● Roots
○ Support and anchor a plant in the ground
○ Absorb and carry water and minerals through root hairs
○ Store food and minerals
○ Store carbohydrates
○ Source of vegetative reproduction (potatoes-tuber, ginger-rhizome, etc.)
○ Propagation
○ Types: Bulb, Corm, Tuber, Tuberous, Rhizome, Tap Root, Fibrous Root
■ Bulbs are layered with modified leaves, Corm is more solid.
● Methods of Plant Propagation
○ Suckers (airplane plants)
○ Division
○ Seeds
○ Stem cuttings
○ Root cuttings
○ Tissue culture (horticulture, sciency)
● Growing plants
○ Basic needs: water, air, nutrients, lights
○ Preferred environment different for every type of plant (temperature, humidity)
○ Good ventilation, proper fertilization, and bright indirect light
○ Life cycles of blooming materials
■ Annuals, Biennials, Perennials

1/21/2022
History of Flowers
● Middle Ages
○ 500-1500 CE, “Dark Ages”
○ Plant cultivation
○ Medicinal uses
○ Art and symbolism
○ Exotic species
● Renaissance
○ 1300 to 1600 CE
○ Physic Gardens
○ Silk Road
 ○ Geometric designs
○ Exotic flowers (status symbols)
○ Culinary (windowbox gardens, herbs and spices in everyday cooking)
○ Medical (varieties of medicinal plants)
● Tulipmania
○ 1630s
○ Netherlands
○ Economic period (trading hyperinflated the tulip market, then bubble collapses)
○ Charles de l’Ecluse
○ Tulip breaking
○ Mosaic virus (variegated/multicolored tulips, virus prevented bulbs/reproduction)
● Colonial Period
○ 1620 to 1720
○ Flower vessels
■ Everyday crockery to decorative vases
○ Flower types
■ Wildflowers to locally grown
○ Colonial Williamsburg
● Classical Revival
○ 1762 to 1830
○ Neoclassic period
○ Orangeries: precursor to modern greenhouses, not fully glass but warm indoors
■ Citrus became a status symbol but didn’t naturally grow in England
○ Decor for elegant dining
● Victorian Era
○ 1837 to 1901
○ Elaborate art movements
○ Hair and dress adornments
○ Development of middle class
○ Floral gardening as a pastime
○ Floriography: The Language of Flowers
● Victorian London
○ Royal Horticultural Society
■ 1861, first table floral competition
■ Very prestigious, used to be invite-only but now you can buy your way in
○ Convent Garden Market
■ Diverse selection of floriculture
● Victorian Era in the United States
○ Early 19th Century
○ Society of American Florists (SAF) 1884
○ Stove houses
○ Conservatories
 ○ Tussie Mussies - precursors to bouquets
■ Accessories for special occasions
■ Elaborate holders
● Art Nouveau and Art Deco
○ Movement into the 20th century, 1920s
○ Abundance of flowers
○ Traditional mass-pattern form
○ Less plant material and more graceful lines (emphasis of vase/holder)
○ Came to a halt due to Great Depression
● Modern Period
○ 1930 to 1960
○ Floriculture declined, fruit and vegetable production increased
○ After WWII
■ Study of floral design grew
■ Garden clubs increased
○ 1954: Wet floral foam introduced
● 1960s to Today
○ Postmodernism
■ Natural themes and elements, less formal designs
○ Pop Culture and Classicism
■ Nesting: homey and comfortable
○ Environmentalism
■ “Green” floristry
■ Sustainable growth, packaging, etc.
■ Green roofs (require a lot of planning and engineering)
○ COVID
■ Changed the market - supply and demand got weird
■ Houseplant boom, especially with Gen Z/Millenials
■ Mixed bouquets are more popular
● Orchids
○ Orchidmania and orchid hunters (caused a lot of destruction)
■ Still crazy, but in smaller circles now
■ The Orchid Thief

1/14/2022
coming up: valentine’s carnations, corsages, boutonierres, hand-tie bouquet, resin pressed
flowers, floral foam, flower wreath,

Careers in Floriculture
○ Growing decorative plants
 ○ Designing and marketing floral arrangements
○ Also referred to as ornamental horticulture
○ Greenhouse industry - many decorative flowers grown under protection
● Commerical Growers
○ Produce plants, cut flowers, and foliage
○ Plants grown in greenhouses or open fields
■ ex: Netherlands grows tulips under glasshouses
● Protection is common for high-dollar or pest-prone flowers
■ But growing tulips for bulbs can be done in open fields, because top not
necessary to look nice
○ Background in plant science
■ Horticulture majors, etc.
○ Propagation and hybridization
● Farmer Florists
○ Grow own materials for floral arrangements
■ Growing local movement = slow flowers
○ Using own materials increases profits, but smaller operations overall
○ Floral design and business skills
● Wholesale Florists
○ Buy from commercial growers
■ Where you would buy flowers in bulk (many florists)
○ Sell to retail shops
○ Also sell hard goods
○ Know floral varieties, availability
● Retail Florists
○ Sell directly to customers
■ Where you might buy specific smaller arrangements for events, etc.
○ Many run by entrepreneurs
■ Combine business and art
■ Need good displays to bring in foot traffic
● Full-Service Flower Shops
○ Delivery service
○ Wire service
■ Internet-only is an option
○ Weddings, funerals, celebrations (baby showers, receptions, business events)
● Limited Service Flower Shops
○ Focus on specialty service
■ ex: Wildflowers only
○ Do not deliver of offer wire services
○ Sell to targeted clientele
● Bucket shops
○ Provide only cut flowers by stem or in bunches
 ○ Cash-and-carry sales
● Specialty shops
○ Focus on a single specialized area
■ ex: Wedding florists or caterers
● Online and Wire Service Florists
○ Fill online orders
■ Revolutionary concept: Ordering for someone not in your immediate area
■ FTD: Florists Transworld Delivery (First company to do this)
○ Website development skills
○ Wholesale florists offer online ordering
○ Wire services help reach larger audience
■ Must meet organizational/industry standards
● Owners or Managers
○ Must be able to help customers choose flowers
■ Know the situation, what’s appropriate for that situation
○ Create bouquets and personalized designs
○ Select and condition flowers
○ Advise customers on flower care
○ Responsible for all aspects of business, including other employees
● Floral Designers
○ Produce everyday designs
○ Must be creative
○ Knowledge of floral material
■ Design styles, techniques, mechanics
■ ex: All the different ways to do corsages (stable, practical, etc.)
● Freelance Designers
○ Highly-skilled with flexible schedule
○ Able to set hours, choose jobs - Makes as little or as much money as can handle
○ Lack of company benefits - Self-employed
○ Responsible for all business decisions
● Event Florists
○ Coordinate overall design
○ Typically have studio
○ Understand environmental settings
○ Floral decorations for tables, buffets, trays
● Wedding Florists
○ Excellent communication skills and people skills
■ Appease both bridezillas and parent-zillas
○ Develop theme with client
○ Manage floral design for ceremony, reception
● Salesperson
○ Good customer relation skills
 ○ Understands needs of customers
○ Knows products and services
● Movie and TV Set Designers
○ Must know history of floral design
■ Create arrangements true to time period
○ Responsible for gardens, landscaping
○ Often work on freelance basis, hired by project
● Interiorscape Designers
○ Enhance indoor environments - think Bellagio
○ Create interiorscapres to complement architecture
○ Live and artificial plants
○ Understand current and near-future interior design trends
○ Good sense of scale
● Product Developers
○ Design accessories and peripherals to the floral industry
■ Hard goods, floralife, etc.
○ Develop product lines
■ Research and development is constant
○ Keep track of color trends (Pantone)
● Logistics
○ Must be able to ship a perishable product all over the world
○ Storage and damage prevention
○ Infrastructure management
○ Reduction of shrinkage and death
● Education and Research
○ Instructor
○ Flower research, plant research, market research
○ Behavioral therapy
● Training and Education
○ High school programs
○ Associate’s degree - Junior and community college programs
○ Bachelor’s degree - Fine arts, floral management, or floral design

Floral Design in the Past

● Ancient Civilizations
○ Floral use depicted in art work
○ Personal adornment
○ Found evidence in tombs - respect for the dead
○ Expression of emotion
● Egypt
○ 3000 BCE to 30 BCE
○ Plants used for food and beauty
 ○ Professions of love
○ Symbolic flowers, lotus, papyrus
○ Scent of flowers used as perfumes
○ Garlands of flowers
● Greece
○ 600 BCE to 146 BCE
○ Use of vessels to keep arrangements
○ Fragrance of flowers and herbs
○ Flowers for achievements (Laurel wreath for Olympics)
● Rome
○ 27 BCE to 395 CE
○ Formal, organized gardens
○ Interior uses
○ Addition of color (not just greenery)
○ Table decorations
○ Wreaths and garlands
● China
○ 207 BCE to 220 CE
○ Religious teachings and medicine (medicinal herbal and floral gardens)
○ Buddhism forbids taking a life - more commonly potted flowers
○ Flowers had meanings (ex: Lotus symbolism was prized)
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