Adhesive. Clay, or Plastic Waterproof clay or plastic adhesive called 'Cling' TM may be used to fasten pinholders, 'frogs', or prong foam holders to a container (right). A double faced tape is also available to serve the same purpose.

Bowl. A bowl is a container in whose height is less than the opening is wide.

 Containers. Containers must be capable of holding water for most floral design uses; customarily containers are made of glass, glazed pottery, metal porcelain , treated paper mache, or plastic. Metal is unsuitable for directly holding flowers because floral preservatives react with most metals. A plastic liner should be used inside metal containers. Any material such as basket, wood, paper, or cloth may be used as a container if a plastic liner is included. (right) The container style should be selected to harmonize with the design it will hold, as well as the area around the arrangement.

Floral Foams. Floral foams provide either a wet or dry media for the placement of plant material. Complete saturation of the foam is important for the longevity of fresh flower arrangements. Some floral foams saturate almost immediately while others may take several minutes to be completely wetted. Foams should be placed on the water surface, and not pushed below the surface of the water (see far left), and allowed to sink as the water is absorbed (see picture, right). For fresh cut flowers foams should be soaked in preservative solution unless these solutions are detrimental to some species to be used in the arrangement e.g. tulips. Some floral foams are meant for dry arrangements and consequently do not take up water.
Floral foams may be used as blocks or as chips in which case the foam is held in place with chickenwire.

Glue, Hot Melt …Florists are often required to fasten or attach numbers of items. One of the quickest ways of gluing is to use hot glue. Hot glue is sold in either sticks, 1/2" diameter and 4 to 12 inches long, for use in glue guns, or else as chips, for melting in pans. Some glues are creamy white, while others are transparent. Glue guns use a trigger action, which feeds the stick into a heated hollow point, where the glue is melted, and forced out of the tip. Glue gun tips are very hot, and if touched, can result in serious burns. Pan Glue chips are usually melted in electric fry pans. Items to be glued are dipped int he melted glue, and joined. Hot glue will set in the few moments it takes the glue to cool. Extreme care should be taken when using glue guns or pans, to prevent the hot glue from touching or dripping on hands. Burning and blistering can result from such accidents.

Glue - Cool-Hot Glue vs. Hot Glue. Use of hot glue may kill floral material on contact, and also may ruin many other heat sensitive things such as plastic or fabrics. Some glues made to melt at lower temperatures , glue most flowers, plastics and fabrics without damaging them.

Knife. A sharp knife is the most important tool of the retail florist. A clean cut with a sharp knife is beneficial in maximizing vase life of flowers, because it allows for rapid maximum uptake of water and or preservative solution. Fixed, as well as folding knives may be used by florists, the most popular florists knives have what is called a 'Sheeps Head' blade, on which the edge is straight, and the back of the blade is curved near the tip. This design was first used in budding and grafting plants, and was easily adapted for floral design. As with all grafting knives, only on side of the blade is bevelled on a sharpening stone. The other side is flat . The blade configuration should be followed in sharpening.

Needlepoint or Pin Holder. Only used occasionally. Consists of invered, closely-spaced pins anchored to a heavy base, usually lead. Usually attached to the container using floral clay or plastic adhesive 'Cling'. Available in many sizes.

Pedestals. Containers which are on pedestals or are footed are referred to as compotes or urns.

Picks, Wooden. Picks are pointed at either one or both ends, and are in most cases green, although some picks are already wired, with a length of thin wire, about 6" attached to one end of the pick . Wooden picks attached to the stem ends will swell when inserted into wet floral foam, and this will help prevent the flowers from falling out of set designs such as wedding bouquets.

Pipe Cleaners. Used either for decoration or for attachment.

Ribbon. Most florist ribbon is sold in 'bolts' on cardboard spools. Ribbon is made of many materials such as satin, velvet, cotton, burlap, gro-grain, etc. Some ribbons have edges that are strengthened by thin wire, so that the ribbon may be bent into any shape. Some ribbon is double-faced , being showy on both surfaces, but most are single-faced, and have only one desirable side. All ribbon is sold in widths by number as outlined below.

Number Width
#1 1/4"
#3 5/8"
#5 7/8"
#9 1 3/8"
#16 2"
#40 2 7/8"

Scotch Tape For attaching and holding.

Shears, Pruning. Use pruning shears to cut heavy, hard woody plant materials which are difficult to cut with knives. (right) Never, never try to cut wire, or any other metals with pruning shears . They will certainly be damaged , since they are only intended to cut wood.

Shears, Floral. Floral shears, or scissors, usually slightly heavier than regular scissors, are used to cut very light wire, cord, paper, and ribbon. They should be kept sharpened. Some floral shears have one serrated edge, so that wire will be cut more easily.

Styrofoam, Shredded . Styrofoam, both white and green, are shredded, to be used as container filler, which functions as an anchor for stems, to prevent them from moving around in vases. Since styrofoam doesn't absorb water, its use results in smaller volume of solution in the container available to the flowers.

Styrofoam, Block. This closed-cell plastic foam material does not absorb water. It is manufactured in white or green, and is cut in 2 X 12 X 36 inch boards, packed in cases. Styrofoam is also cut into various shapes, such as cones, balls, wreaths, hearts, etc., so that general shapes are readily available.

Tape, Floral (stretch). Taping is a skill that requires practice. Care should be taken to maintain the proper tension to stretch the tape the correct amount, and also to overlap the previous wind of tape just enough to adhere.

1.Stretchable tape, widely known by the trade name 'FLORATAPE', that is used for wrapping stems. It will stick to itself but not to other objects. Comes wrapped on plastic spools in 1" or 1/2" widths, and in numerous colors, the most popular of which are green and white. The tape mus t be stretched as it is applied around the stem to make it adhere securely. ~

2.'PARAFILM' is another translucent stretchable tape, available in several colors. It is used similarly to Floratape.

Tape, Waterproof, Adhesive. Commonly used to hold floral foam in place. Available in clear, green, and white, in 1/2" and 1/4" widths. care should be taken to see that the surface which the tape is to be anchored to is dry for the tape to remain secure. Since these tapes may leave a mark when removed they should be used judiciously.

Twistems. For attaching pieces together.

Vase. A vase is a container whose height is greater than the opening or top is broad.

Vermiculite. Was used in the past to anchor stems in containers, but no longer used for this purpose, because it caused staining when spilled, and produced slippery spots.

Water Picks and Tubes. Useful wherever flower stems are not in the vase water. These tubes provide a miniature water supply for each flower stem.

Wire Snips or Cutters. Snips or wire cutters should be used to cut wire in general. However, some special serrated scissors are designed to cut light or medium gauge wires, as well as ribbon. Pruning shears should never! be used to cut wire of any gauge.

Wire. Some years ago, florist wire was sold in continuously wound rings in a 12-pound quantity called a 'stone'. The wire was cut to any convenient length. Today wire is available in enameled green or as regular plain bright metal in cut straight lengths of 'stones' or on spools. The enameled wire is preferred, since it does not rust easily, and is less conspicuous among the flower stems. Florists wire is not springy. Instead it is annealed, so that it can be easily bent, and will remain in the bent position. The wire is sold in various sizes or thicknesses called 'gauges'. The thicker or heavier the wire is the lower its gauge number. Usual gauges for florist work range from heavy large diameter #16 wire to very fine thin diameter #36 gauge wire. Most florists use a few gauges of heavy wire (16 to 18 ), a medium gauge wire (20 to 22) , and a couple of gauges of fine wire (24 to 36).

Wire sizes - Most frequent uses
16 and 18 - Heavy wire used to support large floral stems or heavy flowers such as lilies , gladiolus, or heliconia
20 and 22 - Medium-weight wire used to support such f lowers as roses, carnations and chrysanthemums
24 and 26 - Lightweight wire used for replacing flowers stems in corsages and wedding bouquets
28 and 30 - Very fine wire used for delicate corsage work and for reinforcing stems already supported with a heavier wire
32 and 36 - Ultrafine wire used in constructing glamellias, dainty corsages and wedding bouquets.

Wiring Techniques

1. Insertion Method
Used for thicker, fleshy, or hollow stemmed flowers such as daffodils, amaryllis, and gerbera. Wire is inserted into the base, up through the center of the stem of the flower head. Excess wire below the stem is removed before the flower is placed in the arrangement. Fairly heavy wires are needed to support flower stems in this manner.
2. Pierce Method
Used with flowers such as roses, carnations, asters, etc. One end of the wire is fully or partially inserted into the calyx or a substantial thickness of stem. The end (or both wire ends, if fully inserted through the stem) is bent do wnward toward the stem base, and the longer end is wound loosely and as straight down the stem as possible. , being as careful as possible to avoid wiring in leaves. Wire remain ing below the flower base is removed before inserting the f lower into the arrangement. In some cases, where the flowers are used as bouquets without a container or water, the wire end may be taped with florists' tape which best matches the color of the stem. Most of the wire should be concealed by the foliage.
3. Hook Method
Used for flowers with flattened heads on weak stems, such as daisy pompons, marguerite daisies, gerbera, and aster. The wire is pushed upward through the flower head from the base to the top, and the end at the top is bent to form a hook . The wire is then pulled down so that the hook is pulled down through the top of the flower head. The longer end is then either wound around the stem, or else it is attached to the stem with floral tape.
4. Wrap-around Method
Smaller flowers may have their stems strengthened by this method. Place the middle of the wire just under the flower, and bring half of the wire down parallel with the stem. The other half is wrapped a few times around the flower base, and down around the stem and other half of the wire. A modification of this method can be used with very delicate flowers with fragile stems. Here the wire is bent to form a 'U' with equal length ends. One end is passed through the lower leaflets or florets, and brought down together with the stem and other end of the wire.

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