Principles of
Design 
In floristry a good design not only combines
design elements contained within the construction of the work but also takes
into consideration external factors such as the setting and the purpose for
which the display is intended. Clean lines and economical use of flowers in
an abstract or modern-style room or reception area but perhaps would look
out of place with a traditional or country style room. Here an informal arrangement
of garden flowers in a basket or pottery container would be more suitable.
Effective floral design therefore involves ensuring that the materials, style
and location complement on another and work together to form an overall harmonious
picture.
Balance
There
are two kinds of balance which can be applied to a piece of floristry work:
Actual and Visual. Actual balance simply means that the object is physically
stable and will not fall over or tilt t one side. Visual balance is slightly
more complexed but generally speaking, an arrangement will appear to be visually
unbalanced if it is top heavy, bottom heavy or lop sided. Although perfectly
stable, the design will look unbalanced because it contains visual elements
which are too dominant and draw the eye away from the rest of the design.
Actual Balance
To
achieve actual balance within a design the plant material must be placed with
the weight evenly spread over the entire area of foam for an arrangement or
throughout the design for a bouquet. To achieve actual balance smaller slender
materials are used to form an outline and larger heavier flowers are placed
towards the centre.
Visual Balance
The
materials in a visually balanced design will be arranged around an imaginary
vertical or horizontal axis so the eye is drawn equally to both sides. Both
sides of the axis should have the same visual weight. For example, a group
of three roses on one side of a design could be counter balanced with one
gebera on the other side. Although the quantity and type of flower differ,
the larger size and repetitive circular shape of the gebera visually balance
the three roses. Visual balance has been created even though the placement
of the materials is not symmetrical.
Scale and Proportion
Scale
and proportion play an important part in creating a successful floral display.
Careful choice and use of sizes and quantities of materials should ensure
that one type of flower or colour does not dominate or overshadow the display.
Generally the style of the arrangement will determine the quantities of flowers
needed. An all-round arrangement for a table centre will require roughly the
same amount of materials as a symmetrical display. A modern linear style sould
always consist of odd numbers of flowers: three, five, seven or nine blooms
of the same type.
