What Makes a bouquet?

There is a large part of floristry that is just putting pretty things together. We say all the time at Dimples Flowers that it’s very hard to make flowers look ugly. A bundle pieced together from blooms found on the side of the road or a vase full of fresh-cut hydrangeas is simple and beautiful in its own right. But most of the time, bouquets and flower arrangements are carefully crafted using a lot of different colors and flower varieties, and each flower type has its function within the arrangement. I’m going to break down some of those flower types, give you some examples of each one, and show you how we generally use them within our designs! You can also always find these flower types at our Flower Trucks, so keep this info in mind when you visit to build your own bouquet if you want to look like an expert and make something really magical. 

Since floristry is not a strictly regulated industry and there is no technical right-and-wrong when it comes to design, this information is general and doesn’t apply to every florist and their design style. But for the most part, there are about 7 flower types that florists use when designing: Greenery, Mass Flower, Line Flower, Focal Flower, Filler, Secondary/Texture Flower, and Dancer Flower. Let’s break down the role that each one of these plays in the arrangement! 

Greenery

As I’m sure you can guess, this one is the simplest and most straightforward. Greenery often serves as the “canvas” on which we paint our floral picture. It’s the perfect background for all the colors and textures that will eventually make up the arrangement. Some good examples of greenery would be Leatherleaf, Eucalyptus, or Ruscus. Almost anything you could find in your back yard would do the job!

But know, despite the category name, it doesn’t always have to be green! Often when Autumn rolls around and the leaves change, greenery will take on a beautiful orange or red tint - our favorite! - and adds a deeper, richer color palette to the design while also fulfilling its purpose of creating a blank canvas. Examples of this would be Smokebush, Agonis, or Nandina! 

Mass Flower

Mass flowers are typically used as the base for the design, and are labeled as such because they take up most of the space in the bouquet or arrangement. For example, Hydrangeas, Pom Daisies, or Cushion Daisies are generally big and bulky. If I want my arrangements to feel substantial, I’ll start with one of these varieties. It sets the tone, in a way, for the rest of the arrangement and gives me something to build off of. Their primary role is to take up space while contributing to the overall color palette.

Line Flower

Line flowers are experts at creating the shape of an arrangement and drawing the eye to a specific point in the design. They offer height and visual interest to the design, and come in a lot of amazing and unique colors. The line flowers we typically have on-hand at Dimples are Delphinium, Stock, and Snapdragons. My personal favorite is Stock because it comes in almost every color you can think of and it smells like heaven!

Focal Flower

We call them “The Star of the Show” because they typically demand attention. Focal flowers are meant to bring your eye to a specific point in the design and will typically have a big “face.” Think of things like Roses, Sunflowers, or Gerber Daisies for this category.

Filler Flower

We are big fans of filler flowers here! Filler is usually something whimsical and textural that adds a softness and whimsy to the bouquet or arrangement. Typically these types of flowers have a ton of tiny little blooms on one big stem. Our all-time favorites are Caspia, Solidago, and Wax Flower. If a wildflower vibe is ever what we’re going for, these are a must! 

Secondary/Texture Flower

This category is kinda for the outcasts - things that don’t quite fit in as a focal flower or as a filler, but still serve a purpose in the arrangement. Secondary/Texture flowers are simply there to add depth and texture to the design. Things like Carnations, Rice Flower, or Hypericum Berries make great flowers for this category. And while they may be labeled as “Secondary,” they are still an important part of what makes the overall design just right.

Dancer Flower

These delicate little flowers are the perfect finishing touches to an arrangement. Dancer flowers typically have a lot of movement and often their stems come in funky shapes. Anything small, delicate, and flowy would make a great Dancer flower. After designing, the best way we like to test if our bouquets “dance” enough is to give them a good shake. If there’s movement, we know the dancer flowers are doing their jobs. 

All together, these types of flowers working together make the perfect whimsical, colorful, and playful designs. And while these are the flower types that we typically try to stick to, floristry is an art form and flowers are the medium, so these rules can be changed or manipulated depending on the vision and overall vibe of the event. But in general when it comes to floral design, these are the flower types that we use to make beautiful things!