252 Principles of Floral Design
Equilateral Triangle
When creating a design, you must of course fi rst fi ll the customer’s requests. This is easier when the customer
knows exactly what he or she wants and can clearly explain his or her wishes. However, as the designer, you
must still make some subjective decisions. They key to making the correct decisions, is applying the correct
design principles. Does the container match the occasion or does it convey a different intention or a different
meaning? Are the fl owers formal enough for a ceremonial dinner or do they look childish? If it is not 100% to
the customer’s liking, can it be easily modifi ed? Will my cost exceed the profi t?
step-by-step
To create this arrangement you will need the
following plant materials: nine red carnations,
seven white spray Chrysanthemums, purple
statice, limonium, and leatherleaf. You will also
need a utility container, 1/3 a block of fl oral
foam, water, and anchor tape. The meaning
and intent of this arrangement could easily
be changed by using different colors and/or
different plant materials.
Place 1/3 of a block of soaked floral foam into the
container, secure with anchor tape and place the
dish with the long length front to back.
Beginning with the red carnations, place the tallest
carnation in the back third, not the center, of the
floral foam. Make sure the stems are inserted at
least 1″ into the foam. The tallest flower should be
about twice the width of the container. Next, add
two carnations in the back half of the floral foam,
angled slightly forward to outline the triangle.
Remember, the height should be the same as the
width. Next place a carnation in the front of the
arrangement, resting on the lip of the front of the
container. Add two carnations halfway between
the top carnation and the side carnations. Add one
carnation on the top of the foam, halfway between
the tallest carnation and the one in the front of
the container. The final two carnations are added
on the two front corners of the foam. Look at the
arrangement noting the triangle formed by the
bottom front, bottom side and the middle carnation.
Directly in the middle of that triangle is where you
will place these two carnations.
1
2