- - AGRICULTURAL CORE CURRICULUM - - (CLF6000) Advanced Core Cluster: ORNAMENTAL HORTICULTURE (CLF6650) Unit Title: FLORICULTURE AND FLORAL DESIGN ____________________________________________________________________________ (CLF6657) Topic: SIMPLE FLORAL ARRANGEMENT Time Taught in Year(s) AND CORSAGE CONSTRUCTION 4 hours 3/4 ____________________________________________________________________________ Topic Objectives: Upon completion of this lesson the student will be able to: Learning Outcome #: (L-8) - Identify materials used in corsage construction (e.g., wire, floral tape, ribbon, netting). (L-9) - Construct a simple floral arrangement and corsage. Special Materials and Equipment: For arrangement: Flowers, foliage, container, floral foam, pottery tape, floral shears or knife. For corsage: Flowers, netting or tulle, ribbon, floral tape, corsage pin. References: Anderson, Gary. (1988). FLORAL DESIGN AND MARKETING. Columbus, Ohio: Ohio State University, Agricultural Education Curriculum Materials Service. Cook, Hal. (1985). ARRANGING: THE BASICS OF CONTEMPORARY FLORAL DESIGN. New York: Morrow Publishers. Gordon, Robert. (1972). PROFESSIONAL FLOWER ARRANGING FOR BEGINNERS. San Luis Obispo, CA: California Polytechnic State University, Vocational Education Productions. Hillier, Malcolm. (1988). THE BOOK OF FRESH FLOWERS: A COMPLETE GUIDE TO SELECTING AND ARRANGING. New York: Simon & Schuster. Resources: Floristry Videos: Flower Arranging is for Everyone (Video), Joy of Flower Arranging (Video). Vocational Education Productions. California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo, CA 93407. (800) 235-4146 or (805) 756-2295. Floristry Video: Floral Design: From Concepts to Beauty. Ohio Agricultural Education Curriculum Materials Service, Room 254, 2120 Fyffe Road, Columbus, OH 43210-1099 Evaluation: Quiz by instructor and/or grading of completed arrangement and corsage. TOPIC PRESENTATION: SIMPLE FLORAL ARRANGEMENT AND CORSAGE CONSTRUCTION A. One of the most commonly used floral arrangement shapes is that of a symmetrical design. The following is a basic list of steps to be taken when constructing such a design: 1. Materials used: Low pedestal container Floral foam Waterproof tape 12-14 carnations (or other mass-type flowers) Foliage (leather leaf, huckleberry, etc.) 2. Put the soaked piece of floral foam into the container and secure it with waterproof tape. 3. Establish the height of the arrangement with a fairly straight piece of foliage that has been selected and trimmed. Do not use bushy pieces or pieces that sharply angle in one direction. The height should be about one and one half to two times the height of the container. 4. Establish the width of the arrangement with shorter pieces that are angled slightly downward and back. 5. Establish the depth with a short piece coming straight out toward you just above the rim of the container. 6. Create a triangular shape with pieces of foliage radiating out as if from a central point. There should be no crossing lines. Fill in so that the foam is not visible. Keep a light, airy feeling. The foliage is only a background for the flowers. Place some shorter pieces of foliage in a bit deeper to cover the foam without creating a bulky appearance. 7. Repeat the above steps using carnations or other mass flowers. Establish the height, width, and depth; then fill out the remaining area. The longer linear pieces of foliage will extend slightly beyond the flowers at the points. Most of the other foliage pieces should be behind the flower placements. B. If the flowers are the same size, the focal area or central point of interest will be created by closer spacing and forward facing flowers in that area. If the flowers vary in size, use smaller flowers toward the outer points of the triangle and gradually larger flowers toward the focal area. C. Do not crowd the flowers. Sink some in for depth rather than having them all at the same level. Avoid both irregular groupings of flowers and the appearance of a lineup in the arrangement. D. Check the arrangement, using the following guidelines: 1. Are the three sides of the triangle equal in length? 2. Is there an overall triangular appearance to the design? 3. Are there any crossing lines? 4. Do flowers and foliage appear to radiate out from a common point within the foam? 5. Is the overall size of the arrangement proportionate to the size of the container? E. The following is a list of general guidelines used in floral design for many years. These guidelines may be especially beneficial to beginners in helping them avoid certain common mistakes. The advanced designer knows when and how to use exceptions to these guidelines in specialized design styles. Guidelines 1. An arrangement should be at least one and a half times the height of a tall container or one and a half times as tall as the width of a low, elongated container. 2. Use odd numbers of flowers if you are using less than ten of one kind in an arrangement. This will avoid the lining up of flowers in awkward geometric shapes. 3. Avoid crossing lines and lines that abruptly change direction. 4. Use smaller flowers away from the focal area and gradually increase the flower size as you move toward the focal area. 5. Flowers farthest from the focal area should be farthest apart, gradually getting closer together as you move toward the focal area. Try to avoid equal spacing of flowers. 6. Flowers should not crowd or touch each other. Sink some flowers in for depth and leave some space around the flowers. 7. The focal point should be prominent, standing out closest to the viewer. Don't push in the focal point by overshadowing it with other flowers. 8. Any filler or secondary flowers used should repeat the shape of the design in a rhythmic way. If you look at just the filler, it should reveal the design shape, with closer spacing near the focal area. 9. Try to keep flowers from lining up in distracting patterns. 10. Gradually face backward some of the flowers near the edge of the design to increase the depth of the arrangement. 11. Don't use too many colors when you are first starting out. Save that until later when you're more comfortable with designing. 12. Hide the mechanics, such as floral foams and waterproof tape, that are used to support the flowers. F. CORSAGES Flowers can be worn by either men or women. Such flowers worn on the person are collectively called body flowers. Those designed for women are referred to as corsages. Flowers worn by men, usually pinned on the lapels, are called boutonnieres. 1. Corsages are most commonly worn on a women's left shoulder; however, they may be modified for attachment to the wrist, hair, waist, neck, or ankle. 2. Individual preferences of the wearer, formality of the occasion, and clothing to be worn will all influence the style, size, and materials chosen to make a corsage. The present trend is toward smaller, more stylized corsages. 3. A corsage should never be heavy or bulky. Natural stems are removed from flowers or foliage pieces and replaced by wires that are as light as possible yet sturdy enough to control the position of the flower. 4. Floratape, a stretchy, non-sticky tape, usually 1/4 inch in width, is used to bind the wire to flowers or foliage and also to bind tape materials together into a unit. Tape should completely cover the wires, but must be used sparingly so it does not add unnecessary bulk and weight. 5. Shoulder corsages are worn on the left shoulder. They should be pinned relatively high and may curve slightly over the shoulder. This will allow them to show to maximum advantage and be partially visible from behind. Since the shoulder is curved, the back of the corsage should conform to this curve instead of being perfectly flat. 6. While the direction the corsage is worn is the wearer's choice, it is usually designed to be worn upright, so most of the flowers are in a position similar to that in which they grew. If the corsage is designed to have taped stems showing, the stems should be at the bottom. 7. At least two corsage pins should be included with each corsage. If it is attached to the clothing at two points, the corsage should not rock or pivot. Corsage pins have pearl heads to make them look attractive and keep them from slipping through the stems. 8. Corsages can be packaged in lightweight cardboard boxes, plastic boxes, or cellophane bags. When cellophane bags are used, the pins may serve double duty. They seal the bag and then can be used to pin the flowers on the wearer. When boxes are used, the pins are placed directly on the back of the corsage so they are readily available. G. THE PARTS OF A CORSAGE 1. THE BOW: Corsages are usually accented with a bow. Depending on the style of corsage, the bow may be placed in the middle or it may be toward the bottom. The bow should always be integrated as part of the total corsage design, not appearing to be stuck on as an afterthought. The bow color can either harmonize with the flower color or provide a striking contrast. a. Number 1 1/2, 2, or 3 satin ribbon, 5/8" wide, is usually used in corsages. Ribbon may be velvet, lace, cotton, burlap, or metallic (lame). It is available printed with dots, plaid, stripes, gingham, and hundreds of other patterns. 2. NET OR TULLE: A traditional addition to a corsage is tufts of nylon net. Squares of net tulle are cut, gathered in the center, wrapped with a wire, and secured by floratape. Not only are the net tufts decorative, but they also perform a function in orchid corsages of helping support the delicate petals. Net has larger holes than tulle, and both come in many colors. 3. FOLIAGE: Foliage used in corsages must be of a type that does not wilt easily. It also must be of a relatively small size and with a shape that will work into most corsage designs. a. Commonly used foliages include camellia, ivy, leatherleaf fern, and huckleberry. b. Artificial leaves are often used to save time and eliminate any chance of wilting. Some silk leaves are very realistic, closely resembling rose leaves and ivy. 4. FLOWERS a. Flowers used in corsages should be able to hold up well out of water in the finished corsages. Flowers commonly used in corsages include carnations, chrysanthemums, statice, roses, orchids, gardenias, alstroemeria lilies, and stephanotis. b. Some flowers can be taken apart and reassembled into smaller, larger, or different looking flowers. Carnations are a good choice for this technique, as they can be broken apart into smaller units of various sizes. Two large carnations used full-size in a corsage would be very chunky. Splitting them into units of various sizes gives the designer a chance to create a more pleasing design. 5. WIRE a. Green enamel-coated wire of various sizes is used for corsage work. It will not rust and does not usually show. b. As was mentioned in the unit on tools and equipment, (CLF6654), wire comes in different even-number diameters called gauges. Thin wires have higher gauge numbers and thick wires have lower gauge numbers. Florists commonly have on hand #18, #20, #22, #24, #26, #28, and #30 wire. Most corsage work requires only the thinner wires, #22 and up. c. The goal in corsage work is to use the lightest possible wire that will still give adequate support and control of the flowers and foliage. d. Wires 6 to 9 inches long are adequate for most corsage work. Using longer pieces is wasteful, since much of the length will be cut off. 6. TAPE: Floratape is a stretchy, non-sticky tape that is widely used for corsage work. a. The tape covers stems, binds wires to flower stems, and binds wired and taped flowers together when used in making a formal corsage. The tape must be stretched while it is being applied so that it adheres securely. b. Light and dark green are the floraltape colors most frequently used, as they are least conspicuous among naturally green stems and leaves. White tape can be used with white flowers, especially in wedding work. 7. The following are the basic steps in making a corsage bow: a. Cut a piece of #1 1/2, #2, or #3 satin ribbon approximately 1 1/2 yards long. Cut a 9-inch piece of #28 florist wire. b. Wrap the end of the ribbon around your left thumb to form a loose loop over the thumb with the shiny side up. The remainder of the ribbon will be coming toward you with the dull side up. Hold the loop between thumb and forefinger. c. Pinch the ribbon together under your thumb using thumb and forefinger so that the length of ribbon coming toward you narrows into a crease where it comes off the loop. d. Make a sharp twist in the ribbon so that the shiny side is up. Use the forefinger to hold ribbon in this position. e. Form a 2-inch loop by bringing the ribbon back to and under the thumb. f. Lift your thumb enough to let the ribbon in under it. The ribbon length is now going away from you with the dull side up. g. Again pinch the ribbon under your thumb and twist it so the shiny side is up. Make another 2-inch loop on the opposite side from the first loop. Open your thumb and forefinger just enough to hold this loop as you did the first one. h. Continue making loops on opposite sides by first twisting the ribbon so that the shiny side is up, holding all loops between the thumb and forefinger. Loops can vary in size (the smaller ones should be made first), and you can twist them as they are made so that they fan out slightly. i. Without letting go of the loops, slide the #28 wire under your thumb and over all the gathered bases of the loops. Pull wire to its midpoint and then bend it so the two halves come together. j. You may need to turn your left hand over for the next step so you can see what you are doing. Pinch the wires together tightly, close to the ribbon, and twist sharply several times so that the loops are firmly held. If the wire is not tight enough, the loops will come undone. A tight wire will cause the loops to stand up giving a fullness to the bow. About four loops on one side and five on the other will make a very good corsage bow. 8. The following are basic steps taken when constructing a double carnation corsage: a. Make one bow from #1 1/2, #2 or #3 satin ribbon. The longest of the loops should be about 2 inches long. b. Wire and tape two standard carnations using #24 wire and the pierce method. This is done by inserting a wire through the flower stem, calyx or ovary just below the petals at a 90 degree angle to the stem. The wire is pushed through to the midpoint of its length, then both ends of it are bent down parallel to the flower stem and taped. If additional support is needed, a second wire can be pierced through just above or below the other wire. c. Make 2 tufts of net or tulle by taking two individual 4 to 5 inch squares, gathering it in the center, holding on to the bottom end of it, wrapping it tightly with a #26 or #28 wire, and taping it. d. Wire three small pieces of leatherleaf using the modified wrap-around method. This is done by bending the wire in half first. Then the hairpin-shaped wire can be passed through the lower leaflets or florets and wrapped around to secure the lower part of the stem. When wiring leatherleaf fern, it is often helpful to press firmly on the bend of wire against the foliage piece with one hand while wrapping one half of the wire around the remaining wire and stem with the other hand. The bottom two leaflets will keep the wire from slipping down. Finish by securely taping wires and stem together. e. Place the smallest piece of leatherleaf behind the carnation so that it extends about 1/2 inch above the flower. f. Use floratape to bind the foliage and the flower itself together. Use only a couple of turns of the floratape as each new piece is added. g. Add the bow just in front of the top flower, and just above it, securing the wire to the bows stems with several turns of floratape. h. Add the second carnation just below the bow and secure it with floratape. i. Add the third piece of leatherleaf between the ribbon loops on the other side. j. Place one tuft of tulle behind the top flower and one behind the lower flower so they show only slightly. k. Cut all the wires off about 2-2 1/2 inches below the flower and tape down the wires and over the cut end. l. Bend ribbon loops and foliage pieces, arranging them into a pleasing design. m. Twist the taped wires upward to the right so they show only slightly beneath the corsage. n. Mist the corsage lightly with water. o. Add two corsage pins, place in corsage bog or box, and store in cooler. __________________________________________________________ ACTIVITY: 1. Demonstrate and then have the students make a corsage and a floral arrangement as discussed here. __________________________________________________________ SUPPLEMENTAL WORKSHEET #1 This can also be utilized as a unit test if desired. 1. Define the following floriculture terms: a. Annual - b. Perennial - c. Disbud - 2. List the four main categories of flowers used in flower arranging. After each, name two flowers in that category. 3. What are five common tools and materials used in floral design? Explain how each one is used, or what it is used for. 4. Draw a sketch and label each of the following shapes of flower arrangements: symmetrical, asymmetrical, horizontal, L-shape, round, and vertical. 5. List the numbers for the various gauges of wire used in floral design. Start with the heaviest wire and end with the lightest wire. 6. Name four seasonal potted plants along with the season they are identified with. 7. What are four steps a florist can take to help maximize the life of the flowers and foliage he/she works with? 8. Briefly explain how each of the following is used in a corsage: a. Wire - - b. Floral tape - c. Net or tulle - d. Corsage pin - 9. Briefly explain how the following items are used in a flower arrangement: a. Container - b. Floral foam - c. Waterproof tape - 10. What are five general guidelines to remember when making a flower arrangement? 1/7/91 CH/clh #%&C