Floral design is the art of using flowers and other compositions to build a floral arrangement that is pleasing to the eye. As it is said, the beauty is in the eye of the beholder. Students at Tompkins High School have perfected floral design to please the eye of other high school classmates. Thanks to the Floral Design teacher, Katy Sheffield, the Floral Design department has flourished since 2013.   Due to the small class sizes in 2013, the floral design department started off with only three class periods. Due to their success, the floral design class has grown to four class periods with more than 30 students.

“I think that people are really liking that you have a product that comes out of it and that you get these arrangements that you get to take home with you,” said Sheffield. “Of course we also do to Homecoming mums and that’s kind of an opportunity to learn how to do those so some people could potentially make money on the side if they wanted to do their friends designs.”

Students take the Floral Design class not only for a fine arts credit, but also to learn how to professionally put flowers together. There are multiple units of activities lined up throughout the year from Homecoming mums to cornucopias and each section has the background classroom instruction. Around the time for Homecoming, students purchase mums from the floral design class to wear around school during the week and to the Homecoming football game. This year, there will be the options to purchase a corsage along with mum and boutonnieres for the guys.

“I would say the most common flower would be roses because they are timeless and classic so we use a lot of roses in Floral Design here at Tompkins. However I also try to bring in a lot of different types of flowers so that people can be aware of the other types of flowers that are out there,” said Sheffield.

There are a lot of hands on flower arrangement and activities, but knowing the history behind floral design is a key factor. Roses were discovered in the 13th century. According to Sheffield, when roses are used in the modern day there is a warm classic feeling every time they are used. The first florist shop opened up in the late 1800’s and has been around and thriving up to date. Floristry has been part of planning big events like weddings, quinceaneras, and funerals for many years and is continuing to grow each year.