You might have noticed that an arrangement that starts out looking okay, gradually shifts, and the flowers tilt, or fall over in the vase. This is a very common problem in the beginning, because the internal structure of the arrangement is not being considered. You might be placing flowers in the vase and they look good for a minute or two, but then they start to spread out. Learning how to create a solid base in your arrangements is one of the most useful things you can master as a floral designer, and you can practice it with the simplest of elements.
First, select a vase that will help guide the stems instead of work against them. A vase with a narrow neck will naturally keep flowers from moving as much and will make practicing in the beginning much easier. Start by placing a single stem off to one side. This stem will serve as the guide for the entire arrangement. Next, place a stem into the vase that crosses over the first stem at a gentle angle, inside the neck of the vase. This will create a small structure inside the vase that will prevent stems from falling over. Keep adding flowers, always paying attention to how they sit on top of each other.
One of the biggest mistakes I see is when stems are inserted straight down into the vase without any thought to the angle. When all of the flowers are placed straight up and down, they are all competing for the same space and will quickly start to fall apart. Instead, allow the stems to angle slightly and cross over each other. This will create a sort of netting that will support the stems. If you find that things are starting to get wobbly, remove one or two stems and reinsert them so that they cross over the others more dramatically. Sometimes, a small fix will completely change the stability of an arrangement.
Practicing for just a few minutes a day will dramatically help improve this skill. Take about 15 minutes a day and practice with just 4 or 5 stems and a simple vase. Create your anchor stem and then place a second stem into the vase, crossing over the first one inside the vase. Stop for a second and feel if the stems are secure before adding the next one. If when you touch a flower it seems to wobble, remove it and try again at a different angle. Repeat this process a few times and you will start training your hands to understand how stems support each other.
With consistent practice, you will begin to anticipate what the internal structure of an arrangement will look like. Your eye will start to understand when a piece needs one more stem that crosses over, and when it’s balanced. Instead of constantly going back and adjusting stems after you’ve placed them, the arrangement will hold its shape from the outset. Once this underlying structure is solid, you can start thinking about the color, texture, and movement in an arrangement, which is when designing really starts to get fun!
