Artistic Beauty: Flower Arrangements
Flower arrangement requires creativity and a love for flowers. It also requires many aspects to be taken into consideration. The container or vase in which the flowers are to be placed should be chosen according to the space where the arrangement is to be kept. If it is a large area then placing only a few flowers would make the flower arrangement look lost. Similarly, a small corner table in a room would look over crowded with a large vase and lots of flowers.
For a good display you should use flowers along with buds and half open flowers. Buds should be placed at the edges and top of the arrangement while half open flowers can be placed anywhere in between the two.
Traditional flower arrangements require certain principles like balance, proportion, harmony and colour. When the flower arrangements embody these principles the designs are said to be decorative and appealing to one's senses with the variety of colour, texture and fragrance. Flower arranging is an art. These beautiful flower displays can be made with different kinds of materials such as dried flowers, fresh flowers, paper flowers and silk flowers.
The use of foliage of different colors, shapes and textures enhance an arrangement and make the design interesting. The foliage however, should be incorporated according to the colour scheme if possible. This would make the design more interesting. However, the colors should also be evenly balanced and not too much of only one particular colour. Flowers should never be arranged only facing forward, but rather open flowers such as Daffodils, Gerbera and Roses etc. should be placed at different angles in order to give an appearance of a different shape. Space in between the flowers is very important to prevent a crowded effect.
When using Lilies in an arrangement the stamen should always be removed in order to avoid the pollen from staining the flower if not the clothing or furnishing. Removal of the stamen will also make the flower last a little longer-since once pollination has taken place a flower dies fairly soon after. Cutting off the stamen with a scissors causes discolorization, it should therefore be pulled off with your finger.
The right type of foam should be chosen for the flowers being used in a flower arrangement. Green water-retaining foam should be used for fresh flowers and foliage and brown stiffer foam for artificial or dried flowers.
Flower arrangement particularly for a dining table, should be kept low to enable the guests to be able to converse with one another comfortably without having to strain their necks! However, flower arrangement for a buffet table should be made in a tall vase or on a pedestal in order to keep the flowers up and out off the food.