Chapter 10 Types of Floral Design 261
fl owers, leaves, stem angles, and material qualities
of texture and color. This type of design is sometimes
referred to as high style design.
Vegetative
In vegetative designs, fl owers and foliage appear as
they would in nature. Zoning is used to position like fl owers
and foliage together, as if they have grown there naturally,
Figure 10-17. They seem to be growing, as if live plants have
been transplanted into the container. The fl owers used in an
arrangement should be naturally compatible and include
stages of development from bud to fully open fl owers. That
is, they should be from a similar climate and region. Some
designers may use only what would be growing in a garden
at a particular time or season.
American Design Styles
Traditional styles developed in colonial America, and
later the United States, were heavily infl uenced by European
design styles. However, they used locally available
materials, which resulted in different overall effects.
Early Colonial
Early American colonists (1600–1699) developed a
style known today as early colonial design, or simply
colonial. This is a round style that has elements in common
with the European styles of its time. However, many of the plant materials
used in the European arrangements were not available in the colonies. The
early colonial style is less formal and includes native fl owers and grasses.
Pro Tip
The word tropical
means that a plant
material is related to or
situated in areas near
the geographic equator.
Plants in these regions
thrive in warm and
humid environments.
Hurst Photo/Shutterstock.com
Figure 10-16. The English garden design style is
reminiscent of the beauty and variety of fl owers used
in gardens on English estates.
Zigzag Mountain Art/Shutterstock.com; nata-lunata/Shutterstock.com
Figure 10-17. Vegetative designs mimic the way plants grow in nature and are grouped within
the arrangement like this European garden basket. Tightly massed bouquets of today have
been referred to as colonial.