Flower Arranging Part 2: Basic Bouquets

In this article I will explain how to build a basic bouquet as well as color theory and bridging colors. Another key aspect I will look at is different types of textures in an arrangement.

Types Of Flowers

Flowers are all different! That’s fairly obvious, but each flower plays a different role in an arrangement. Although you can subcategories to your hearts content, there are five different major types of flowers. I suggest you have multiple of each kind in your bouquet, except the focal flower. You only want one kind of focal flower.

Focal Flowers: These flowers are the main attraction of the bouquet. Now the whole bouquet is important, but these flowers are the focus point. It gives a looker on something to focus their attention on instead of a jumble of everything. These are usually front and center and larger then the other flowers.

Filler Flowers/Foliage: These flowers add berth to a bouquet and give depth. I usually have these either stick out more or fill in gaps, they are not usually at the same height as the focal flower. They add an extra little pang of flower in the bouquet and fill in any bald spots.

Supporting Flowers/Foliage: These really back up the focal point. Help in fit in the bouquet and really make it stand out. They usually are similar shape/color/size as the focal flower and build out a bouquet. You are going to want a lot of supporting flowers, these will be the main flower of your bouquet, though it might not be realized when the arrangement is looked at.

Foliage: This is the green of the bouquet. Your flowers should be stripped of all leaves leaving the bouquet naturally leafless, so you need to build some in. This will be the step one of the arranging process, and will set the tone for the shape of the bouquet. You want foliage that will complement you colors and flowers. You don’t need a lot of this, just enough to fill bald spots in the vase.

Texture Flowers: This type of flower adds interest to the bouquet. It is the little, final touch that makes the arrangement pop. These flowers should just flow out of the bouquet. I like to have them dangle off the sides or have pour out of the top.

Color Theory & Bridging

When picking your colors, you want flowers that are the same tones. There are warm and cold tones. You could have a plethora of yellow, bu they could each be a slightly different tone. Having different toned flowers in a bouquet could really mess up the cohesiveness of an arrangement and can actually make a huge difference. There are two solutions for this. 1# Carefully match each flower with similarly shaded ones. Or 2# Use bridging flowers. I usually go with 2#. What are bridging flowers? Well, I’ll tell you. Bridging flowers are flowers that have two different shades or tones in them. They can be used to bring two different shaded flowers together. In the picture below there are multiple different shades of yellow, but they are brought together with flowers like the daisies, and multi colored roses. Bridging flowers is a handy technique to bring together bouquets. When picking your flowers check each color with the flower before you cut it.

Step-By-Step

Step 1#: Picking/Cutting Flowers

To ensure a good and healthy bouquet, you need to start off strong. I suggest picking your flowers in the cool of the day, so either in the morning or the evening (morning is preferable). This way they won’t be heat fatigued when you arrange them. As soon as you pick the flowers, place them in a bucket of cool water. I like to carry around two little bouquets with me as a cut, one full of water for the flowers and one fore the leaves I shave off. That brings me to my second note. You’ll want to shave off the leaves once you pick the flower. It is best to do that at this step, so the rest of the arranging process will be smooth.

When you cut the flowers, cut them at an angle. This allows the flowers to drink the water easier than just a straight cut. If your arranging the flowers later, leave the flowers int he bouquet of water until you start the rest of the process.

Step 2#: Organize

One of the best things to do when arranging, is staying organized. When the flowers get all jumbled up when you arranging, the bouquet will be disorganized. I like to place each kind of flower in its own separate pile so that I can easily see what and how much I have of everything. It is also good to scrape any cut stems and leaves onto the floor so that they don’t clutter the workspace.

Step 3#: Build

Now it’s time to build. Start your arrangement by laying out the foliage to the shape of your bouquet. If you want a tall bouquet, then place the foliage in a way as to give it height, etc. Next add in the focal flowers, these should be front and center. Throw in the some of the supporting flowers filling in most the space. Leave some of the supporting flowers out to add in at the end. Intermix the filler flowers, and textural flowers giving the arrangement an airy feeling. Give the bouquet a step back and turn it around a couple times to see if there are any bald spots. Add in the rest of the supporting flowers. Cut down any flowers that are sticking out too much or are hanging down too low.

Step 4#: Enjoy It

Place your bouquet in a spot where you can best enjoy it. The skill of of floral arranging comes from hands on, real, experience. The more you work at it the better you’ll get. Some of my first arranging attempts are embarrassing to look back at, but I have slowly progressed. Th key is to arrange it how you like it.