Livermore-Amador Valley Garden Club: Serving the Tri-Valley Area

Floral Design

Green and Gold

Monochromatic Flowers and container are in the yellows. The Aspidistra leaf is green, white and yellow although the yellow isn't showing up. The plastic tubing is chartreuse connecting the yellow flowers and giving extra depth and rhythm to the strong yellow containers.		Not Monchromatic Green leaves are not monochromatic; the green leaves with pink/red are.

This group is for members who are interested in creating floral designs. We have a demonstration, create and appreciate. We also attend and sometimes participate in flower shows, exhibitions, seminars and symposiums.

Participation

All levels are welcomed! No experience is needed. We start with a presentation on what we will be doing. Then you make. We help each other. At the end we appreciate each other's work. Finally, you bring home your own design. Each month we do something different.

Meeting times

We meet at the leader's home on the 3rd Thursday of the month from 7 PM to 9 PM unless otherwise specified. NOTE IN MARCH we are meeting the 4th Thursday of the month. Please attend the Page Mill Winery fundraiser from 4PM-8PM on March 20. We do not meet in June through August nor in December.
Design members are willing to drive others who do not wish to drive at night. Please contact the leader before the meeting so a carpool can be arranged.

For more information and to be added to the group's mailing list, send email the Floral Design Chairman.

Meeting is cancelled on Tuesday night if 3 or more people do not sign up.

Our designs will follow the Handbook for Flower Shows 2017 updated August 2024, using the Elements of Design and the Principles of Design.

Thursday March 27 at 7-9 PM
Green and Gold or Monochromatic

Lynn will demonstrate a design for St. Patrick's Day (green and yellow).
You create an arrangement and then we will all appreciate our creations.

Please bring

1. Container - easier to create if not clear clear glass. Lynn has a basic black set (square and rectangle) for $20.
2. Mechanics - how to hold the plant material. Kenzan/pin frog; wire mesh; floral foam; branches fitted against the sides, etc.
3. Line material - branches or leaves - think greens
4. Flowers and/or berries - a combination of green, yellow (and white) in different shapes (round, elongated) and textures. For monochromatic, your container should be the color of your chosen color or neutral, i.e., white, grey, black (brown is not neutral in floral design).
5. Bring your imagination and enthusiasm - the rest will follow.

Do not bring artificial flowers or other plant material. Artificial material is never used by National Garden Club.

After we create an arrangement to bring home, we appreciate each other's work based on the elements and principles of design. Words of Appreciation

February "Palm workshop"

Clean and cut palm fronds. Keep as much of the "boot" as you wish. The sheath has thorns/spikes which may be decorative or cut off to protect hands. We used palms that had fallen onto Valley Avenue in January. At the edge of the boot, pull a bit of the dark brown and pull to create the decorative lines.

Decorative palms have 2 small drilled holes and are wired to make an arch.		Palms can be used right side up and upside down.
We used a reciprocal saw to cut down the sheath and make a point as in Lori's design.
Ha, our photographer

January "Winter Designs"

All pictures are small. Click to see full size.

Resources

The National Handbook describes both Creative and Traditional styles. These are not design types, but how you present your plant material. Creative designs use contrast and dominance with plant material and voids to create rhythm (positive and negative space or "plastic organization".) We are going to concentrate on the two elements of design (size and space) and particularly appreciate contrast, dominance and rhythm. All elements of design and all principles of design should be followed. Look at art and apply the principles to your creative designs.

Ikebana has many schools of floral design. For more information see Ikebana International San Francisco . They meet on the 3rd Friday during the day.

 

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