Hobbies And Interests
Styles of Ancient Egypt and Greece
These two cultures represented the first of the European and New World floral styles. Egyptians began creating floral arrangements in 2800 B.C., using flowers in temples for religious ceremonies and at celebratory banquets. Egyptian design styles favored the simple, with small clusters of flowers, leaves and buds repeated throughout container arrangements. Popular flowers included roses, water lilies, violets, narcissus, poppies and lotus blossoms. The ancient Greeks developed their own floral-design styles beginning in 600 B.C., largely avoiding containers and using single flowers and herbs as adornments on the body or to line paths during formal social or religious ceremonies. The main exception to the Greeks' no-container rule was the cornucopia, a Greek invention that consisted of a horn-shaped basket laid on its side and overflowing with flowers. The Greeks used roses, hyacinths, violets, lilies and narcissus, and herbs, leaves and seedpods. White was a favorite floral color.
Ikebana
This Oriental school of floral design, established in the seventh century, downplays color and focuses on lines and asymmetry. Originally used on temple altars and set in low bowls, Ikebana arrangements had three lines of flowers symbolizing heaven, man and earth. Designers placed smaller blooms in clusters at the bottom of the lines to fill in empty spaces and tie together the arrangement's components. Ikebana also stressed the use of native flowers in season to represent harmony with nature. Ikebana remains popular in Japan today, and is found both inside and outside temples. Ikebana designs featured chrysanthemums and cherry blossoms, and flowerless, leafless twigs and branches from pine and cherry trees.
Renaissance Designs
From 1400 to 1600, European and New World floral design incorporated many ancient Greek elements, including roses, lilies, violets and leaves from olive and laurel trees. Because Renaissance Europeans believed that nature reflected divine life, gardens and floral arrangements in the era initially had religious connotations and were common as decorations in churches, monasteries and cloisters. Arrangement styles were simple at the period's beginning, but grew larger and more ornate as the era wore on. The use of floral arrangements spread to nonreligious settings later in the era. Floral designers in the Renaissance introduced fruits and pine cones to their arrangements, and invented the Christmas wreath. Symmetry and bright colors characterized Renaissance floral design.
Modern Era Floral Styles
The modern era of European and New World design began around 1910 as a reaction to the heavy, crowded arrangements of the Victorian period (1820 to1900). The modern era ushered in increasing appreciation for floral design as a pastime, with the formation of flower shows and garden clubs. Dedicated containers such as vases and bowls emerged to hold small bouquets. Designers incorporated styles from around the world, including tropical elements and simple, linear themes from Asia. In the 1950s and 1960s, floral arrangements for the home became widespread in the United States. Styles of the modern period emphasize natural, garden-like designs that group similar types of flowers in arrangements.