- - AGRICULTURAL CORE CURRICULUM - - (CLF6000) Advanced Core Cluster: ORNAMENTAL HORTICULTURE (CLF6650) Unit Title: FLORICULTURE AND FLORAL DESIGN ____________________________________________________________________________ (CLF6654) Topic: IDENTIFICATION AND USE OF Time Taught in Year(s) DESIGN TOOLS AND MATERIALS 3 hours 3/4 ____________________________________________________________________________ Topic Objectives: Upon completion of this lesson the student will be able to: Learning Outcome #: (L-5) - Identify, use, and maintain common floristry tools and equipment. (L-6) - Identify and describe the common mechanical methods used to secure flowers into arrangements (e.g., floral foam, frogs, pin holders, and chicken wire). Special Materials and Equipment: Samples, slides, or photographs of tools and materials listed. References: Anderson, Gary. (1988). FLORAL DESIGN AND MARKETING. Columbus, OH: Ohio State University, Agricultural Education Curriculum Materials Service. (pp. 78-95) Cook, Hal. (1985). ARRANGING: THE BASICS OF CONTEMPORARY FLORAL DESIGN. New York: Morrow. (pp. 58-67) Gordon, Robert. (1972). PROFESSIONAL FLOWER ARRANGING FOR BEGINNERS. San Luis Obispo, CA: California Polytechnic State University, Vocational Education Productions. (pp. 15-21) Hillier, Malcolm. (1988). THE BOOK OF FRESH FLOWERS: A COMPLETE GUIDE TO SELECTING AND ARRANGING. New York: Simon & Schuster. (pp. 34-35) Resources: Floral Supply Syndicate Catalog, P.O. Box 15837, Los Angeles, CA 90015. (800) 347-9994. Basic Floral Design Task Sheets, Ohio Agricultural Education Curriculum Materials Service, Room 254, 2120 Fyffe Road, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio 43210-1099. (614) 292-4848. Vocational Education Productions. Floristry Videos. California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo, CA 93407. (800) 235-4146 or (805)756-2295. Evaluation: Identification quiz by instructor TOPIC PRESENTATION: IDENTIFICATION AND USE OF DESIGN TOOLS AND MATERIALS A. Before you begin to arrange cut flowers, acquiring basic information, tools, and materials can increase the design possibilities open to you and ensure that the flowers look their best. 1. Knowledge of few simple materials and methods lets you place flowers and leaves precisely where you want them in a vase, wreath, garland, or corsage, with the assurance that they will stay in place and in prime condition. B. Professional florists choose their tools and materials from a large assortment of available products. The following are the major types of tools and materials used in professional floristry: 1. Cutting Tools a. Knife: It's best to use a short-bladed knife that is made of quality steel that holds an edge. A short blade helps prevent cut fingers. b. Florist shears: These have short blades with serrated edges and are used for cutting stems and wire. c. Pruning shears: These are most often used for cutting woody materials; the best ones have two blades of quality steel. d. Ribbon shears: These are the same as regular scissors and are used for cutting ribbon and tulle. e. Styrofoam cutter: It has a widely serrated cutting edge that heats up to cut and shape blocks of styrofoam. 2. Wiring Materials a. Florist wire: Wire is used to help support weak flower stems, to hold curved lines in arrangements, and in corsages. 1) It comes in 12" and 18" lengths, and in silver (galvanized) and green (covered wire). 2) It varies in thickness (gauge) with number 18 being the heaviest and number 32 being the finest, with the gauges in between being 20, 22, 24, 26, 28, and 30. 3) As the weight of the flowers and foliage increases, so does the need for the use of a heavier wire. b Wooden picks: Green wooden picks of different lengths with a short length of thin wire connected to them; they can be fastened to stems and other materials and inserted into a holding substance such as styrofoam or floral foam. c. Metal picks: These are used in the same way as wooden picks but are dispensed from a machine. They have very sharp, serrated edges and should be handled carefully. d. Spool wire: A heavy gauge wire on a wooden spool used to wire arrangements such as wreaths and door swags. e. Chenille stems: These are similar to pipe cleaners, but with extra flocking. They are most often used to provide water to corsage flowers. 3. Adhesive Materials a. Floral tape: This tape has the consistency of waxed crepe paper. It stretches and is used to wrap flower stems when wire is needed to support them, and to cover the wire used in corsages. It is available in many colors, the most commonly used being white, light green, and dark green. b. Waterproof or pottery tape: It is available in white and green and is used to hold floral foam in the container; one end is attached to the lip of one side of the vase, and the other end on the other lip. It is important that the tape does not show in the arrangement, and is not attached too far down the side of the container. White tape should be used with white and clear containers; green should be used with most other colored containers. c. Floral clay: It is waterproof, and is used on the bottom of pinpoint stem holders to hold them in place inside the container. d. Hot glue gun: The glue is placed into the gun in the form of a solid stick. The gun is electrically heated and the glue is dispensed in a liquid form that cools and hardens quickly. It is used to glue pine cones, ribbons, and accessories to wreaths and door swags, and dry flowers to baskets, etc. e. Styrofoam glue: It is used to glue ribbon and other accessories onto styrofoam. It does not dissolve the styrofoam yet is a strong adhesive. 4. Stem Support Materials a. Floral foams: They are sold shredded and as dry, pressed, rectangular blocks or roundish plugs. After being soaked in water, they support flower and foliage stems that are inserted into them while providing the water needed for freshness. There are also types of floral foam that are not soaked in water; these are used when arranging dried and silk flowers. b. Block styrofoam: Used as a dry base for dried and permanent arrangements; it cannot be used with fresh flowers. The styrofoam can be cut into particular shapes with a styrofoam cutter or it can be purchased already formed in different shapes. c. Shredded styrofoam: It is sometimes used to hold dried, silk, and plastic flowers and foliage, especially in tall containers. Water can be added to the styrofoam if fresh flowers are used, i.e., for long-stemmed roses in a tall vase. d. Chicken wire: This type of wire has up to a one-inch mesh and can be rolled into a ball and placed into a container. Stems are then inserted into the folded mesh. This is usually utilized only with larger containers. e. Pinpoint holders: Also known as "frogs" or "pin holders," these are constructed out of metal or heavy plastic and held in a container with florist clay, with stems being pressed onto the pins. These are used more often by consumers than by professional florists, and they are reusable. 5. Containers a. The use of containers has become very imaginative and almost anything that holds water is now "fair game" for creative florists. Containers that do not hold water can be used with permanent materials. b. Containers should not detract from the overall arrangement and the plant materials in it. They should be selected carefully as one element of the total arrangement. c. Containers should serve the functional needs of the arrangement, be appropriate for the shape of the desired design, and be able to hold the proper stem support material. d. Containers come in many shapes and sizes. The following is a list of the types most commonly used: 1) Vases - They are taller than they are wide. They do not have a pedestal, and are used mostly for vertical arrangements. 2) Pedestals - The container is elevated on a short- or long-stemmed base. They can be used when a tall arrangement is needed, but when the mass of a vase container is not desired. 3) Bowls - They are wider than they are tall, and are often used for table arrangements. 4) Baskets - They are usually informal, with numerous styles and materials. Both horizontal and vertical designs are constructed in them. 5) Novelty - There are hundreds of different kinds of containers that can be used. It is important that they do not overpower the arrangement. __________________________________________________________ ACTIVITY: 1. Have students identify and price various tools and materials in a floral supply catalog available from Floral Supply Syndicate as listed in the beginning of this unit. They can also figure individual costs of items that are sold in bulk, i.e., floral foam, floral tape, and containers. __________________________________________________________ 1/7/90 CH/clh #%&C