Round Design
One of the first arrangements that we designed in our HORT201 class was a basic round arrangement. This is a great arrangement to start with in a floral design unit or class. It is a simple display of flowers that still allows the designer to begin to understand the mechanics behind floral arrangements- an art that I have yet to master at this point!

Details

 My own rendition of a round design is above. As I mentioned, this is great design for beginners because it combines several critical design aspects. Designers become aware of the overall shape of their design; this round design should display an even level of flowers throughout the arrangement. As Mrs. Hammond explains it, "you do not want dents in your helmet." It is easy for students to visualize a helmet or turtle shell to begin to understand what is means for bits of the design to appear "sunken in" or "protruding." Be sure to keep shape in mind when creating a round design. Also be aware of the spacing of mass and filler flowers- you should see a nice even display.

Critique

I have to remind myself as I look back at this design, that this was my FIRST one. And also with a little more experience under my belt, I begin to see details that I skipped right over as a novice floral designer. 

• Shape: This design is a nice attempt at a round arrangement, it is easy to see the dome shape that I desired. A few of my mums appear to have fallen in, causing a "dent in my helmet effect."
• Color: I do enjoy the color scheme of this design- the lighter tinted green, shades of purple and crisp white blend together well for a clean "spring" design. 
• Mechanics: I used floral foam to hold my flowers in place for this arrangement. I used leather leaf fern to hide the foam (it's not the most attractive stuff) and attempted to create an even display of my mass and filler flowers. I will practice my teacher powers and give myself a letter grade on mechanics: B-. The more I look at this design the more I see holes and spaces left throughout the design.

Price Sheet

 LIST OF MATERIALS                                           PRICE           MARK UP PRICE

                                                                           Price X3 Equals Mark Up Price
FLOWERS
     Carnations (8 Carnations @ $0.36/stem)         $2.88                  $8.64
     Daisy Mums (1/4 bunch @ $3.25/bunch)          $0.81                  $2.43
     Leather Leaf (1 stem @ $0.65/stem)              $0.65                  $1.95
     Misty Blue (1/3 bunch @ $1.95/bunch)           $0.65                  $1.95

Additional Materials
     Container (1 bowl - $24/carton - 72 containers/carton           $0.33
     Foam Oasis (1 Block)                                                               $1.76
                                                                                                                  
                                                                            Total Price: $17.06

"Petal"-ing through an Arrangement of Classes

As an Agricultural Education major at Kansas State University I have the opportunity to take an incredible variety of classes. Our curriculum ranges from Animal Sciences, Agronomy Horticulture, Agricultural Economics, and Agricultural Mechanics. You name it, we probably have a class in our degree program that relates to it. This semester at K-State I have the pleasure of taking Concepts of Floral Design with Mrs. Danielle Hammond. As I take this class I am happy to share my creations and arrangement we are doing in laboratory. As I continue to learn the concepts of floral arranging, I hope that my posts will clearly explain my process of making these designs as well as the process of becoming a proficient florist. I hope you will continue viewing my journey as a future Agricultural Educator, as I continue to satisfy my creative mind with the colors, designs, and aesthetics the world of Floriculture has to offer me!