CONSTRUCTING AN ASYMMETRICAL TRIANGLE ARRANGEMENT Written by: Holli Bowman & David Lynn Hall County Board of Education April 2003 Modified by Georgia Agriculture Education Curriculum Office September 2005

This presentation is designed to supplement the textbook, Floriculture: Designing & Merchandising, Unit 11, “Triangular Arrangements”. The author is Charles Griner and it is published by Delmar Publishers.

Step 1: Selecting Materials  A pedestal or cylinder container  5 gladioli or other line flowers  4 to 5 stems of mini- carnations  6 stems of leatherleaf fern  1/3 block of floral foam  Waterproof anchor tape  Floral preservative

Step 2: Preparing the Container  Cut ½ to 1/3 block of floral foam.  Soak the foam in warm preservative solution.  Trim bottom half of the foam so that it will fit into the tall vase.

Step 3: Taping the Foam into Place  Using the flat part of your palm, push the foam firmly into the vase.  The foam should extend about two inches above the rim of the container.  Secure the foam with two pieces of waterproof tape.

Step 3: Continued  The foam should be taped off center so that a stem can be inserted into the center of the foam.  The tape shouldn’t extend more than ½ inch down onto the rim of the container.  The container rim should be dry before applying the waterproof tape.

Step 4: Place the Skeleton Flowers  Flower #1 will establish the design height and should be offset to the left and rear of the foam.  Flower #1 should be two times the height of the container.  Flower #2 should be approximately two-thirds the length of flower #1.  Place flower #2 to create an L-form with flower #1. 1 2

Step 4: Continued  Cut flower #3 two-thirds the length of flower #2.  Place this flower at the left edge of the foam at a 45 o angle.  The flower stem of flower #3 is inserted into the foam just above the rim of the container.  Although flowers #2 and #3 don’t form a continuous line, they are parallel

Step 5: Finishing the Skeleton  Flower #4 should be the tallest and placed on the high side of the skeleton.  Flower #5 should be shorter and to the right of the center.  Use a line drawn from the tips of flowers #1-3 as the boundaries to keep the asymmetrical shape of the arrangement

Step 6:Greening the Foam  Use the leatherleaf fern to cover the foam.  Be sure o retain the triangle shape with the fern.  Cover the back of the foam also.  Do not pack the fern too close together.

Step 7: Adding Secondary Flowers  Add the mini-carnations in the spaces between the gladioli but not extending beyond the boundaries.  Follow the triangular form of the skeleton with the mini-carnations.  Cut individual blossoms of gladiolus on short stems and place these in the focal area.

Step 8: Adding Filler Flowers  Add filler flowers to the arrangement (the flowers shouldn’t touch).  Take care not to put too much filler in the arrangement.  Statice or other fillers can be used.

Step 9: Evaluating the Arrangement  Check your work.  Step back from the arrangement, and observe it from all sides.  Move flowers as needed, but remember to make a new hole in the floral foam each time.  Remember to move the flowers only if absolutely necessary.