Basic Floral Design Studies

Those of us who love flowers can never find too many ways to indulge our floral fantasies. Many of us enjoy growing our own flowers, but others routinely pick up a bundle of fresh posies at the supermarket. Just putting these flowers in a vase can brighten a room, but arranging them skillfully can offer us a great deal of satisfaction and make our homes even more inviting.

“Oh, I could never do that,” you may be thinking. But you’d be wrong. One of the most exciting programs offered by the Florida Federation of Garden Clubs (FFGC) is being offered this fall for just such folks as you. Called Floral Design Studies, it offers an opportunity for participants to learn the basics of floral design.

What Is Involved?

Basic Floral Design Studies is a six-unit course in floral design. Classes are taught by FFGC certified Floral Design Instructors who are also nationally accredited Flower Show Judges. The course is not intended to make you qualified to work in a florist or retail floral business. It will, however, teach you some skills that will be useful in making floral designs for your home, place of worship, and for special occasions. Simply put, participants will learn skills that could provide the foundation for a lifetime of enjoyment.

In this course of study, students learn the basic tools, mechanics, and components of a floral design. In Unit I, students watch as the instructor demonstrates several line or line mass designs. That afternoon, they make their own. Unit II goes more in depth, teaching conditioning of plant materials and the principles and elements of design. In the afternoon, students learn to construct a design based on the asymmetrical triangle. Unit III deals with using curved plant materials, and students learn to bend, tape, or wire plants into the desired shapes. In the afternoon, each student constructs a crescent design.

Perhaps the greatest fun comes in Unit IV. By then, students have mastered some basic techniques, and they can turn their thoughts toward more creative endeavors. Each student will assemble a place setting with table appointments and a compatible floral design. What fun! Unit V teaches the use of accessories or featured objects in combination with a floral design. Unit VI is challenging and fun at the same time, as students construct a design in which they interpret “Florida.”

How Can I Be a Part?

Valparaiso Garden Club and the Valparaiso Community Library are teaming up to offer this exciting course of study. Classes will be scheduled for this fall and will be announced in my article in the Northwest Florida Daily News. Watch my articles to learn more about this program.