Arranging flowers is not something new, but something that has been practiced for hundreds of years, and, in Japan, as long ago as in the sixth century.
How then do we begin? First of all, it must be understood that there is a big difference between just placing flowers in a vase and the act of arranging them. One is casual and quickly done, while the other needs consideration for line, balance, scale, color and unity.
A successful flower arrangement will need wire mesh netting, a needle point (a heavy base with points on which flowers can be impaled), a crushed wire ball or a cage-like holder. Not be to forgotten is the vase itself, which could be anything, from spray-painted bottles or jars to any suitable container picked up in a flea market.
Any authentic flower composition must have line, so have a design or shape in mind before you start. It might be triangular, or a crescent, fan or horizontal arrangement or a radiation effect, and all these are suitable for the novice. The largest blooms should be retained for low placement while small flowers are more effective when they are massed or tied into bunches. It is better to group the same kind of flowers and colors rather than place them indiscriminately.
Next in importance is color. The most satisfying arrangements are those where the colors are carefully blended, perhaps to exploit a certain feature of the room, a picture, a piece of furniture perhaps. Plan for a preponderance of one color, grouped yet meandering into the others.
All compositions are at their best when displayed against a background, such as a curtain or a wall, and its choice, together with the blending of the flower textures, colors and sizes, and the selection of the most appropriate container will all combine to make a harmonious whole.
