Purchase
Area Master Gardener Association
(PAMGA)
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(PAMGA) |
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Floral Design Since the boys were so enthralled with the artistry of bonsai, we decided to give them an opportunity to flex their own creative muscle by designing a floral arrangement - just in time for Mother's Day. After all, some of the most heralded landscape and floral designers are men. On Thursday, May 5, Master Gardeners Carolyn Roof, Pinky Dodson, Shirley Edwards, Betty Park and Carol Ullerich were on hand to lead a basic design session for the class. Both Roof and Dodson are accredited flower show judges. Edwards was recently recognized by The Garden Club of Kentucky, Inc. as having won the most horticulture ribbons in a standard flower show. The Thursday session focused on how to read and interpret a flower show schedule, how to develop a floral design, proper use of oasis, and the basic mechanics of putting together a floral arrangement. Each summer, PAMGA sponsors a standard flower show as part of the McCracken County Fair. The design section of the flower show has two junior divisions. It is hoped that by introducing the Plant a Seed class to the art of flower arranging in a fun atmosphere they will enter the county fair flower show this June. The fact that there is no fee to enter a design and there is prize money for the winning entries got the boys' attention. The students were sent home with a strong suggestion that overnight they come up with an idea for a "massed-line design" evocative of the movie, "The Lord of the Rings" - that happens to be one of the junior division design classes for the 2005 flower show. The boys were encouraged to bring accessories and underlays for use in their designs so they could have their ideas critiqued by an accredited flower show judge and know how to improve them to impress the judges. On Friday, May 6, Master Gardeners took over the cafeteria with buckets of
flowers and tackle boxes filled with tools. In addition to
Roof, Edwards, Park and Ullerich, Master Gardeners
Beth Garey, Annie Broyles and Sally Wilkins lent
hands and encouragement too.
Two boys worked at each table. To even the playing field, each boy received one Fuji mum, one sprig of daisy mums (about 6-7 flowers if separated), one black bowl, oasis, as much filler and line material as desired, and 40 minutes to create a design. The science teachers, Cindy Glisson, Jeannie Miller and Ricki Hicks, were expected to create a design too using the same materials. As a bonus, the teachers were allowed to incorporate Japanese iris into their arrangements.
When time was called, there were plenty of oohs and aahs. Carolyn Roof critiqued each design, starting with arrangements crafted by the teachers. And the proud smiles on the faces of the boys (and the teachers too) was certainly a sight to behold! All agreed it was an impressive feat for just one hour of basic of instruction - and some gentle guidance from Master Gardeners who enjoy sharing their knowledge of and passion for flowers. The designs were displayed in the cafeteria for the remainder of the day with the boys sharing their theories and ideas with other students during the lunch hour. The boys then took their creations home to share with moms, aunts, grandmas and other family members. (Mrs. Miller's husband saw her arrangement and wondered who sent flowers to his wife!) Click on each thumbnail view (outlined in orange) for closer inspection:
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Purchase Area Master Gardener Association, 2705 Olivet Church Road, Paducah, Ky 42001 270/554-9520 FAX 270/554-8283 www.pamga.org |
Forty minutes later, 26 incredible designs had come to life - no two alike,
but all displaying tremendous thought and artistry. Yucca was formed
into shapely curls. Iris blades arched to the sky. Equisetum
represented "the twin towers." 
Roof occasionally added a flower or slightly repositioned another as she
moved along the line. She reminded the class that it is a good practice to
complete your design, step back to admire it and then remove at least one item.
A hallmark of Japanese design is a sparseness of material. Roof cautioned
against the desire to "overwork" a design. Often, designs that simply come
together at the last minute are some of the best. 
