flower arrangements

Floristry or flower arranging is the art of creating bouquets and compositions from flowers, foliages, herbs, ornamental grasses and other botanical materials into floral designs; often the terms "floral design" and "floristry" are considered synonymous. A person who designs flower arrangements is known as a florist.

A notable example is ikebana. The latter term actually became an informal synonym for this type of art, nevertheless many nations have their own distinctive traditions of flower arrangement. Ikebana represents the Oriental style of floral design, which features simplicity and purity of lines and colors. In contrast, European style features mass and color richness and variety.

Floristry is most often understood as referring to the cultivation of flowers as well as their arrangement, rather than to the business of selling them. However, the floral industry is the basic drive behind floristry. Florists are people who work with flowers, generally at the retail level. Florist shops, along with telephone sales and online stores, are the main flower-only outlets, but supermarkets and garden supply stores have gotten into the business, selling flowers as one of their large range of products.

The World Wide Web has had a significant impact on traditional florists within the North American market; experiencing a more than 20% decline in traditional independently owned flower shops since 1998. Brick and mortar retail arrangement purchases for gift giving are slowly being overtaken by online flower delivery ordering and floral wire services.

Generally, a florist shop will contain a large array of flowers, often spilling out into the street, or will have a large plate glass window to display the flowers. To keep them fresh, the flowers will likely be kept in water, generally in plastic bulbs, sleeves, or other containers.

The craft of floristry involves various skills. These include selecting flowers that will look good together (based on principles of design or general instinct), knowing how to cut, treat, and arrange flowers and other stock plants so they will remain fresh as long as possible, and (as explained above) selling them, which involves knowledge of customer requirements and expectations. Knowing how to form wreaths, bouquets, and other more complicated arrangements is also important. The flowers sold in florist shops typically represent the varieties abundantly available in the season but also include blossoms flown in from around the world. Basic varieties include roses, tulips, irises, and lilies.

Fashion plays a very major role in floristry; what is considered the flower that everyone needs to have today can change very quickly.

The floral market is seasonal and is heavily influenced by the following holidays and events: Christmas, Valentine's Day, Mothers' Day, weddings and funerals. ^[1] These occasions make up the largest part of the business, with the sale of house plants and home decor being a much smaller, but more constant, part. Flowers for personal enjoyment as well as those selected to celebrate birthdays, anniversaries, thank-you's and to send get well wishes are also a significant portion of a florist's business.

Another basic requirement of florist shops is the purchasing of flowers to replenish their stock. The flower market, like other agriculture markets, is subject to many fluctuations due to natural factors, supply and demand, and fashion. Learning how to buy in such a way as to continue to make a profit is not a simple skill.

Wreaths can be made out of many different types of flowers and plants. Typically, a florist will organize flowers by season and holiday. Most shops branch out into gift baskets, fruit, and chocolates as well as flowers and wreaths.

Flowers have various different meanings in different cultures. The holidays and events for which flowers are used vary. Poppies are used to remember fallen soldiers only in England and the Commonwealth countries. The cultural meaning of colors also strongly affects the choice and use of flowers. People often prefer flowers that are associated with their ethnic group or country, and various colors may have special meanings of luck or death or love or other basic human traits. A flower such as a red rose might to some mean love, but to others it might be considered indecent or simply puzzling. The vastly divergent views on the color white can lead to major flower issues. White is viewed as standing for death in many Asian cultures but is considered a symbol of purity and innocence in many European and American cultures. Such differences can lead to difficult issues when a bouquet of white lilies, for example, is delivered.

The term is not to be confused with floristics.

See also

• Cut flower industry, the cultivation of flowers for use in floristry.
• Ikebana
• Korean flower arrangement
• Language of flowers
• Choosing a Florist
• Floral Design Schools
• Florists Associations
• The Flower Industry - How the industry operates
• How Florist Wire Services Work

References

1. ↑  This list of five primary floral events is from Teagasc – Advisory – Factsheet 29: Floristry, Irish Agriculture and Food Development Authority, page reviewed on August 30, 2005