When Carl Rittner started his floral design school in Boston, his vision was to prepare industry professionals, by training them the artistic discipline of arranging flowers. Utilizing the classic elements of any good design, he taught generations of students how to create and style floral arrangements that were true works of art. Considered by most to be a pioneer and important visionary, Floral Design Day was established in his honor. Across the country, floral artistry is celebrated by the thousands of professionals who benefit from the legacy of Rittner’s dream.

Design elements include color, shape, space, texture and line. A floral designer will start with a shape in mind, and then use florals to fill in the basic outline. Depending on the design style – a lush, romantic-era bouquet, or a linear, modern contemporary – they will choose the appropriate flowers. They will decide to fill in space or leave wide areas of negative space.

Color schemes are generally chosen using a color wheel. Monochromatic palettes use variations of one color, and complementary palettes use two colors directly across the color wheel from each other in order to produce high contrast – such as blue and orange. When designers choose to use three colors, they often use colors adjacent to each other on the color wheel, which results in vibrant bouquets.

Designs can be horizontal or vertical. No matter the orientation, the designer will seek a sense of balance and symmetry. One obvious departure from seeking balance are modern designs which are sometimes asymmetrical, but in these designs the artist will make sure that the center of gravity is low in order to keep a sense of stability.

Whether you love the dramatic lines of the bird of paradise or the sweeping movement of the orchid and curly willow, there is a design for you. The professionals at Rose Hill Flowers are skilled in the floral artistry that makes Nashville more beautiful every day – come in and let us show you!