Aviva Directory » Arts & Literature » Crafts » Floral

Floral design, flower arrangement, and other floral crafts are the main emphasis of this section of our web guide.

Cultivated floral art dates back more than 5,000 years to Ancient Egypt, where lotus blossoms, palms, papyrus, and garlands adorned temples and funerary offerings. To Ancient Egyptians, flowers like the lotus symbolized rebirth.

The Greeks and Romans expanded floral art into civic life, weaving wreaths and garlands for various religious ceremonies, athletic games, and celebrations. Vase paintings and mosaics from Hadrian's villa at Tivoli reveal the first mixed cut-flower containers dating to the 2nd century AD.

In East Asia, Chinese and Korean arrangements were, and still are, based on the Confucian idea of reflection, Buddhist principles of preservation, and Taoist symbolism. Arrangements often utilize containers of varying heights and shapes, incorporating natural elements such as rocks. Ikebana, the Japanese style of floral design, includes the three prominent line placements that correspond with heaven, humans, and the earth.

Floral arrangements combine three flower roles (line, mass, and filler) to achieve shape, depth, and unity. Line flowers (gladiolus) establish structure, mass flowers (roses) provide volume, and filler blooms (baby's breath) fill gaps for texture and continuity.

In basket arrangements, flowers are set in floral foam inside a woven basket and are often used as gifts or centerpieces. In a bud vase display, a single stem or small bunch is arranged in a narrow vase, perfect for accent pieces and clusters on mantels. In crescent arrangements, blooms form a graceful C-shape, blending asymmetry with movement for weddings and receptions. Tall stems add height and drama in a vertical arrangement, making them suitable for entryways and contemporary interiors. Horizontal arrangements, on the other hand, are low, wide designs across tables, lending balance to banquets and conference settings. In triangular arrangements, flowers are arranged in three unequal sides for a structured, classical silhouette. In compact (dome) arrangements, mass flowers form a tight, rounded dome. These are common in bridal bouquets and spherical centerpieces. Loose (naturalistic) arrangements are relaxed, garden-style displays featuring overflowing branches and a mix of blooms, ideal for informal gatherings.

Creating harmonious arrangements requires mastering design principles, which are rules that govern visual organization, and elements, which are the raw components used in compositions.

The seven principles of floral design are balance, proportion, scale, rhythm, emphasis, harmony, and contrast, while the seven elements are color, line, form, texture, space, scale, and fragrance.

Several non-profits, trade associations, and schools are engaged in various aspects of floral design, including education, research, and community. These include, but are not at all limited to, the Society of American Florists, American Floral Endowment, American Institute of Floral Designers, National Association of Flower Arrangement Societies, and Royal Horticultural Society. You may find others listed below.

Beyond tradition and technique, floral design is evolving toward sustainable floristry (sourcing local, seasonal blooms and eco-friendly containers), floral therapy (using arrangements to support mental health and well-being), digital design tools (3D software and virtual workshops expanding global collaboration), and urban flower farming (bringing cultivation into city environments for fresher, traceable materials).

 

 

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