Study Floristry

Floristry

Posted on 23 Mar 2009

Floristry offers an exciting and creative career path with many opportunities. The industry has a significant need for trained staff and employment prospects are excellent at all levels. Florists use their creativity and knowledge of plants and flowers, to design and make up flower arrangements, bouquets and wreaths. They work with all kinds of materials, including cut flowers, pot plants, dried and artificial flowers, gifts and decorations.

What is it like?

As a florist you would:
•   design and make up bouquets and arrangements based on your own ideas, floral design books, and your customers' requirements
•   help customers to choose suitable flowers and plants
•   prepare and wire flowers for formal displays
•   advise customers on how to care for the flowers or plants they buy
•   set up displays, for example at conferences, exhibitions and all kinds of social functions
•   deliver orders to customers.
•   if running your own business, you would also keep accounts and carry out other administrative tasks.

It is a unique industry, one where all day, every day, you are surrounded by great beauty. It offers you the potential to become your own boss and to explore your creative ideas through floral design. A florist can be at the heart of a community, supplying flowers for the milestones in people’s lives; births, deaths, weddings and all types of celebratory occasions. Your design ambitions are endlessly fulfilled, making personal bouquets and organising the layout of your shop. People from all walks of lives enjoy flowers including some high profile fans too. Singer song writer Elton John, admitted to spending £293,000 on flowers in a 20 month period. When questioned on his flower spending spree Elton is reported in responding mildly “Well, I like flowers.”

What qualifications might I need?

The three main routes to becoming a florist are:
• College based training, either full or part-time.
• ‘On the job’ practical training in a floristry business.
• A combination of ‘on the job’ & college training.

Depending on your academic background here are some of the qualifications that are available to you as a florist.

• NPTC Level 1 Certificate in Land-based Studies (Floristry option)
• City & Guilds Certificate/Diploma in Creative Techniques (Floral units)
• NPTC Level 2 Certificate in Floristry (Professional Floristry)
• BTEC Level 2 First Diploma in Floristry
• NPTC Level 3 Advanced National Certificate in Floristry (Professional Floristry)
• BTEC Level 3 National Award in Floristry
• BTEC Level 3 National Certificate/Diploma in Floristry.

If you go straight into a job in floristry at a junior level, you will be trained on the job by an experienced florist. You could also attend college on a day release or part-time basis to work towards NVQ levels 2 and 3 in Floristry. Once you become more experienced, you may be able to gain the following qualifications:

• NPTC Level 4 Higher Diploma in Floristry (HDF)
• NPTC Level 5 Master Diploma in Professional Floristry (MDPF)
• NVQ Level 4 in Floristry Management.

What are popular styles of Floristry?

• Ikebana - Ikebana is a style of floral design that originated in Japan. Most well known for its simplicity of line and form. Contrary to the idea of floral arrangement as a collection of multicolored arrangement of blooms, Ikebana often emphasizes other areas of the plant, such as its stems and leaves, and draws emphasis towards shape, line, form.

• English Garden - English Garden style is traditionally an English form of floral design. Stems are placed in a radial fashion and feature abundant use of seasonal flowers and foliages. These designs are often done as low, tufted mounds, or taller vase arrangements that are all-sided (360°), and incorporate garden flowers like roses, delphinium and peonies.

• High Style - High Style is a catch-all term to describe contemporary, linear designs that highlights unique forms of both individual floral materials and of the designs themselves. Arrangements generally feature negative space and incorporate asymmetric placement of materials. The style stands in direct contrast to traditional radial arrangements such as English Garden. High Style designs often incorporate unique, exotic or tropical flowers such as such as Birds of Paradise, Anthuriums and Proteas but may also employ more common blossoms.