Floral Design

Floral Design is the intentional organisation of plant materials, and associated materials, toward a resolved and harmonious visual outcome, where all elements and principles are working in agreement with one another to produce a unified whole. It is neither decoration nor instinct, but structured thinking applied to visual ingredients.

This framework, based primarily on the work of Gregor Lersch and the German Floral Design tradition (Assman) has two major components:

The Elements are the properties inherent in materials: Form, Space, Colour, Texture, and Line. They are what you work with — the ingredients that exist before any organisational decision is made. They give freedom and flexibility to express, and are more artistic than rigid concepts.

The Principles are the organisational laws that govern how those ingredients must be handled: Balance, Rhythm, Proportion, Scale, Contrast, Dominance, and Harmony. They are the method. Together, the elements and principles constitute a complete design language — a recipe in which the elements are the ingredients and the principles are the instructions for using them.

Floral Design Theory as a discipline offers an intentional way of amplifying the beauty and unique qualities of natural materials, and inviting a deeper emotional or visual response.