Floriculture

Course Description:

This course will introduce students to the career possibilities in the floral industry. Topics of study will include careers, design, selection and storage of plant materials, corsages, arrangements, holiday and wedding arrangements, drying flowers, pricing and marketing and customer service. Students will also participate in FFA activities and maintain an SAE.  This is a full year course.

The text used for this course is:

Floriculture Design and Merchandising, Griner, published by ITP.

Instructional Philosophy:

Agricultural Education enables students to learn facts, analyze problems, and have an opportunity to gain self-confidence.  This confidence is a gradually developing process.  Each student is given the opportunity to achieve individual accomplishments while working in small groups and on individual projects.  The self-confidence that students acquire helps them in all phases of their lives.  With confidence in themselves, they are able to make wiser decisions that have been reasoned out.

The relevant skills taught in Agricultural Education are of vital importance to students of both sexes and of all academic and economic levels.  Every student is involved in some phase of agriculture, regardless of his or her paid occupation.  Students are given the opportunity to acquire facts and develop competencies and apply these facts through their own Supervised Agricultural Experience and to develop themselves into competent community leaders through their involvement in the National FFA Organization.

Course Goals

1. Exploring Careers in the Retail Flower Business

1. Explore interest into pursuing floristry as a career area
2. Identify jobs available in the retail flower business
3. Describe duties of various jobs in the retail flower  business
4. Identify two types of florists
5. Describe the training requirements for a job in the retail flower shop

1. Principles of Design

1. List and define the principles of design
2. Identify the basic designs used in flower arranging
3. Use a color wheel to determine combinations for various color schemes
4. Critique an arrangement using a rating scale based on the principles of design

1. Selection of Cut Flowers and Greens

1. Classify flowers according to four groups based on form and shape
2. Identify the most commonly used cut flowers
3. Identify the most commonly used foliages
4. Identify the availability of flowers and foliages
5. Describe the method of pricing and packaging of the most commonly used flowers and foliages
6. Identify the colors in which flowers are available
7. Identify the keeping quality of flowers

1. Conditioning and Storing Cut Flowers and Greens

1. Identify the causes of premature flower deterioration
2. Identify the steps in handling a shipment of flowers
3. Demonstrate proper stem treatment
4. Describe the benefits of floral preservatives
5. Identify storing requirements of flowers and greens
6. Identify how flowers should be handled in the home

1. Mechanics and Supplies used in Floral Design

1. Select containers for floral designs
2. Identify the different types of floral foam
3. Prepare a block of floral foam for a design
4. Identify adhesive materials used in floral design
5. Select cutting tools to be used in floral design work
6. Identify the types of picks used in floral design

1. Selecting  Wire and Wiring Flowers

1. Select wire of appropriate size for specific flowers and foliage
2. Select the correct wiring procedure for different flowers and foliage
3. Wire a given flower using the correct wiring method
4. Tape a flower stem  using florist tape

1. Selecting Ribbons and Tying Bows

1. Select ribbon of appropriate size for a specific design
2. Identify materials from which ribbons are made
3. Construct a florist bow from several sizes of ribbon

1. Boutonnieres and Corsages

1. Design a single or multiple flower boutonniere
2. Design a single bloom carnation corsage
3. Design a single spray mini carnation corsage
4. Design a double spray mini carnation corsage
5. Design a corsage using net tufts and artificial leaves
6. Design a football chrysanthemum corsage
7. Design a carnation corsage using hot glue

1. Bud Vases

1. Design a one bloom bud vase
2. Design a two bloom bud vase
3. Design a bud vase for special occasions

1. Circular Arrangements

1. Identify four types of circular arrangements
2. Construct a circular mound arrangement
3. Construct a conical arrangement
4. Construct an oval arrangement
5. Construct a fan arrangement

1. Triangular Arrangements

1. Construct an equilateral triangle arrangement
2. Construct an isosceles triangle arrangement
3. Construct a centerpiece arrangement
4. Construct a scalene triangle arrangement
5. Construct an asymmetrical triangle arrangement
6. Construct a right triangle arrangement

1. Line Arrangements

1. Construct an inverted T arrangement
2. Construct an l pattern arrangement
3. Construct a vertical arrangement
4. Construct a crescent arrangement
5. Construct a Hogarth curve arrangement
6. Construct a contemporary freestyle arrangement

1. Wedding Flowers

1. Identify types and styles of wedding flowers
2. Identify areas decorated for a wedding
3. Identify decorations used for the reception and rehearsal
4. Discuss the role of the florist and wedding flower planning

1. Sympathy Flowers

1. Identify the different types of sympathy flowers
2. Construct a standing spray
3. Construct a sympathy wreath

1. Drying Flowers

1. Select and dry flowers by the hanging method
2. Select and dry flowers by the desiccant drying method
3. Preserve flowers and foliage using the glycerin method
4. Bleach and dye dried flowers and foliage

1. Arranging Permanent Flowers

1. Identify the different types of permanent flowers
2. State two methods of making silk flowers
3. Identify paper flowers
4. Identify a number of dried and preserved flowers
5. Make a permanent flower arrangement

1. Selecting Indoor Plants

1. Identify the most common indoor flowering and foliage plants
2. Distinguish between temporary and permanent indoor plants
3. Match plants’ light requirements with the proper environment.

1. Decorating Potted Plants

1. Decorate potted plants using florist foil
2. Decorate dish gardens

1. Pricing Strategies

1. Calculate the cost of goods for floral items
2. Use three pricing strategies to calculate the retail value of floral items
3. Define leader pricing

1. Selling in the Flower Shop

1. Identify characteristics of a professional salesperson
2. List the steps a salesperson goes through in helping a customer make a purchase
3. Demonstrate effective selling skills
4. Demonstrate telephone sales techniques
5. Identify procedures for handling wire orders

1. Displays

1. Distinguish between visual merchandising and display
2. List the four primary purposes of a display
3. List the secondary purposes of a display
4. State the purpose of artistic displays
5. List the two categories of display and give examples of each
6. List five display arrangements

1. Delivery

1. Identify the job requirements for a delivery person
2. Discuss the training needed to be a delivery person
3. Identify delivery categories
4. Explain the delivery process
5. Tell how to load the delivery vehicle
6. Plot a delivery route
7. Role play a delivery

Major Course Projects:

Projects in this course will include:

Numerous arrangements of various types – outlined within the competencies and goals of this course.  Each arrangement is critiqued by the instructor as well as the class members.  Some arrangements will include but not be limited to:

Bud Vases

Circular Arrangements

Triangular Arrangements

Sympathy Arrangements

Line Arrangements

Dried Arrangements

Corsages and Boutonnieres

Course Assessment

This course will follow the district wide grading scale which is mandated by the West Central School Board:

92-100% A

83-91%   B

74-82%  C

65-73%  D

Below 64%  F

The total points for the grading period will be used to determine the letter grade received by the student.  Students will have the opportunity to earn Bonus Points through involvement in FFA activities. Bonus points are added to their daily classroom grade.  Students are required to keep a notebook for each Ag Ed class in which they are enrolled.  The notebooks are collected and graded each nine weeks.