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Flowers are delicate, beautiful, and fragrant. But they are also powerful at evoking emotions and bringing back long-lasting memories from peoples’ happiest times.
In fact, Dr. Jeannette M. Haviland-Jones spearheaded a study to determine the true emotional impact of flowers. According to the Society of American Florists, “The research adds a scientific foundation to what many consider to be common knowledge—that flowers have a strong, beneficial impact on those who receive them.”
The study uncovered three key findings. First, flowers have an instantaneous effect on happiness. When receiving a surprise flower delivery, all study participants exhibited “true” or “excited” behaviors. Second, this positive effect on the mood isn’t fleeting. According to the Society of American Florists, “Study participants reported feeling less depressed, anxious and agitated after receiving flowers, and demonstrated a higher sense of enjoyment and life satisfaction.” Finally, flowers can initiate an intimate connection by increasing contact with family, friends, and other loved ones.
Judi Gevara, owner of Bloomsake Floral Preservation in Houston, Texas, takes her flowers one step beyond beautiful. Gevara understands the power of a well-arranged bouquet and offers floral re-creations.
These unique arrangements are re-created designs of past bouquets. Customers ask for everything from re-creating their wedding bouquets to those of their grandparents, developing a bouquet that matches an old, sentimental image, or designing arrangements that use only florals from a child’s birthday month. Gevara and her customers get creative when taking their inspiration from the past.
Considering the emotionally impactful effect of flower arrangements on those who receive them, you can only imagine how re-creations of meaningful bouquets make the gift receiver feel! Gevara recognizes the power of her work, and she encourages amateur floral designers to try re-creating a historical bouquet at home. Here are the steps she takes.
How to Design a Floral Re-Creation
- Conduct Baseline Research
Right off the bat, you’ll need to identify the types of flowers depicted in your source material. Google Lens can help you identify certain flowers, or you can manually identify them. Note the climate and region they would have been picked in, the leaf shape and size, any barbs, hair, or thorns, the stem and its color, and, of course, the bloom or fruit. Then, use a key like this one to narrow down what you’re looking at.
- Gather Your Blooms
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The best-looking bouquets will use locally sourced, in-season blooms. Consider what’s available in your area by researching online, consulting the National Wildlife Federation’s Native Plant Finder, or chatting with your local plant shop employees. Some inexpensive places to source blooms include your local grocery store or Trader Joe’s, bulk stores like Costco, or wholesale flower shops.
In this step, pay special attention to the look and smell of the blooms. To invoke an emotional response, you’ll want to replicate at least 50% of the florals included in the original design. Feel free to take liberties with the greenery and elements that aren’t focal points to save money and shop seasonally.
- Get Sketchy
Now that you have secured your blooms, you’ll need to do a little planning before you can begin arranging. Some florists sketch diagrams to help guide their work. Others might use online programs like Flower Buddy. Whatever you do, be sure to create a list of the materials you’ll need to achieve the desired effect. For example, you might need plant foam to help certain stems stay upright, tape to support stems, and scissors to trim blooms and leaves.
- Follow the 3:5:8 Rule of Design
Once your materials have been assembled and you have a clear action plan, it’s time to begin arranging. Don’t forget to take the 3:5:8 rule into account. Otherwise known as the Form Linear, this mathematical floristry equation guides arranging into three main focal groups. This “golden ratio” ensures the arrangement is about 2.5 times the size of the container in which it’s held, which creates a reliably stunning arrangement.
- Add Dimension
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You might be drawn to the vibrant colors and enticing smells of focal point blooms, but no arrangement is complete without some greenery or other elements of interest! Look closely at your source material to see if you can identify what types of filler were used in the original. If you can’t figure it out, get creative with wild branches, grasses, and other neutral plants.
According to Leatrice Eiseman, Executive Director of the Pantone Color Institute and international color expert, “Our response to color is intensely emotional, and flowers can be a catalyst for feelings that stimulate more than just our senses of sight and smell. An artful floral arrangement has the ability to convey a feeling or create a mood without using words, just color.” The next time you or someone you love needs a mood boost, try this impactful project!