Floristry, flower arranging, Floral Arrangement, or
Floral Arts is the art of creating flower arrangements in
vases, bowls or making bouquets and compositions from cut
flowers, foliages, herbs, ornamental grasses and other
botanical materials into floral designs; often the terms
"floral design" and "floristry" are considered synonymous. A
person who designs flower arrangements is known as a florist
in Europe, Australia, New Zealand but in the US they are
knows as floral designers. The term is not to be confused
with floristics.
Many nations have their own distinctive traditions of flower
arrangement. A notable example is ikebana, an Oriental style
of floral design, noted for its simplicity and purity of
lines and colors.
Floristry is most often understood as referring to the
cultivation of flowers as well as their arrangement, rather
than to the business of selling them. However, the floral
industry is the basic drive behind floristry. Florists are
people who work with flowers, and on the Continent with
plants, generally at the retail level. Florist shops, along
with telephone sales and online stores, are the main
flower-only outlets, but supermarkets, garden supply stores
and many filling stations also sell flowers.
The World Wide Web has had a significant impact on
traditional florists, with the North American market
experiencing a more than 20% decline in traditional,
independently owned flower shops since 1998. Purchases from
shops are slowly being overtaken by online flower delivery
ordering and floral wire services.
Generally, a florist's shop will contain a large array of
flowers, often spilling out into the street, or will have a
large plate glass window to display the flowers. To keep
them fresh, the flowers will likely be kept in water,
generally in plastic bulbs, sleeves, or other containers.
The craft of floristry involves various skills. These
include selecting flowers that will look good together
(based on principles of design or general instinct), knowing
how to cut, treat, and arrange flowers and other stock
plants so they will remain fresh as long as possible, and
(as explained above) selling them, which involves knowledge
of customer requirements and expectations. Knowing how to
form wreaths, bouquets, and other more complicated
arrangements is also important. Wreaths can be made out of
many different types of flowers and plants.
Another basic requirement of florist shops is the purchasing
of flowers to replenish their stock. The flower market, like
other agriculture markets, is subject to many fluctuations
due to natural factors, supply and demand, and fashion.
Learning how to buy in such a way as to continue to make a
profit is not a simple skill.
The flowers sold in florist shops typically represent the
varieties abundantly available in the season but also
include blossoms flown in from around the world. Basic
varieties include roses, tulips, irises, and lilies. Fashion
plays a very major role in floristry; what is considered the
flower that everyone needs to have today can change very
quickly.
Typically, a florist will organize flowers by season and
holiday. Most shops also stock gift baskets, fruit, and
chocolates as well as flowers and wreaths.
The floral market is seasonal and is heavily influenced by
the following holidays and events: Christmas, Valentine's
Day, Mothers' Day, All Souls Day, Advent, Easter, weddings
and funerals. [1] These occasions make up the largest part
of the business, with the sale of house plants and home
decor being a much smaller, but more constant, part. Flowers
for personal enjoyment as well as those selected to
celebrate birthdays, anniversaries, thank-you's and to send
get well wishes are also a significant portion of a
florist's business.
