Basic Design "At Home With Flowers"         download notes pdf

What to Bring to Class for
Unit 1  Line and Line-Mass Design   

containers, plant material, floral foam, needlepoint
notebook and pencil, camera to record your achievements

Suggested General Supplies

small plant clippers,
needlepoints,
scissors,
a few wired 4-6" picks,
floral putty,
floral tape,
a knife to cut floral foam,
a bit of nylon stocking,
floral foam,
floral wire

 

Conditioning*

Plants cut from your garden should be cut with a knife or sharp pruners and immediately placed in warm water.

All foliage beneath the water line should be removed.

Cut the night before class or early in the morning when the plants are more fully hydrated.

 

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Containers - low or tall. The neck should be no more than about 4 inches. Of course, a flat, open container will not have a neck but may be used with a needlepoint (floral frog). Your container may be a large ash tray that will hold some water (at least 2"), or a painted or covered tuna can.  Bring at least two different containers.

Bring one low container, 10-14 inches in diameter. If you don't have one, look in the kitchen for a casserole dish or even a cake pan. For the Line-Mass, a round, oblong or cylinder type, the size of a large juice can, or something more slender, may be used.  Compotes are also good.

Plant Material - Designs may be all foliage is you wish.  Bring material, well conditioned*, from your garden, or purchase appropriate material. Bring about 5 branches of small leaves and 8 to 10 blooms of whatever you choose to go with your linear material.   For this class, suggested plant materials include:

  • branches without heavy leaves (slender), 24-36" long, with or w/o blooms
  • sanseveria
  • scotch broom
  • curly willow, euonymous, yew
  • grasses
  • cattails
  • dock
  • wheat
  • yucca or very thin leaves
  • very thin sprigs of pampas grass
  • azalea or camellia branches with flowing, interesting shape

FLOWERS

  • liatris
  • larkspur
  • tritome
  • salvia 'May Night'
  • gladiolus, in several stages of bloom
  • any spike type

FILLER

  • small leaf branches
  • buds, clusters
  • leaves such as holly, boxwood, camellia, nandina, euonymous
To add to mass, small round flowers of any kind or foliage with rosette shapes. Mums or  carnations work well.

You may bring some pebbles or small rocks, small amount of moss or ground bark to cover needlepoints if desired.

Extra foliage of various texture, form and size may prove helpful.
Floral Foam - If using a tall container for line-mass, floral foam (often referred to by the brand name of OASIS®) will be suitable. It must be new. Old foam will be broken down and contain harmful bacteria. Styrofoam® is not suitable for fresh materials. Floral tape may be needed to secure foam in container. Foam may need to extend an inch or two above the lip of the container and may be raised on sand or other filler in a tall container.   A bit of foam on a needlepoint, separated by a small scrap of stocking material, will help secure small stems. The nylon stocking material will assist in removing the foam after use.

Needlepoint -  Also called a frog, or a pin cup (a needled round in a small cup). This is essential for a line design and should be no less than 2.5" in diameter.

 

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