Looking back in history right across the world you always find there is someone who knows how to arrange flowers and can change a dull room into stunning scenes with very little....JUST Flowers. Flower Shops/ Stalls have been around for many years but the qualified florists of today have a history dating back only 6o years. Floristry is a profession that teaches in many different areas. It covers everything from principals and basics of colours, textures, design, architecture, horticulture, botany, marketing, accounting, customer service and many other practical skills. A Florist apprenticeship takes in average up to 3 years in most of the countries, followed by further education in advanced floristry, floral design, business management, teaching, specialised designs etc. Going back in history floral tributes are found in early days of ancient Rome and in Greece just as one example. Floral designs were used as a gift to gods and goddess, funeral celebration, weddings and other seasonal celebrations. Hunters use to put little branches of greenery on their jackets to keep the bad gods away after they came back from their hunt. Simple bunches of herbs such as Rosemary, Lavender, Buxus, Bay leaves were used for weddings. Hair circlets of flowers and herbs for the brides and tiny branch of Buxus the groom could pin on. Techniques once used, were passed on from generation to generation. These techniques were very simple but in many parts of floristry some of these old skills are still used or modernised to be more efficient. Binding wreathes on a round branch base or bundle of flowers – bouquets arranged in a spiral, hair circlets, binding floral materials on to shaped bases, hay bases, straw bases to arrange specifically shaped floral designs... In the changing view of the world we also could see changes in style of bouquets. A simple bundle of herbs changed into a loose bunch of lilies (symbolic flower in the Middle Ages), a more opened round bouquet through the sensual Renaissance, an opulent and bold colourful and exaggerated bouquet or loosely arranged flowers in a vessel or urn during Baroque, elegant and romantic- more detailed designs of the Rococo....many other forms and shapes followed during Impressionism and Expressionism.....up to present times and periods of changing trends, fashion and lifestyles. It seems times of new trends and fashion are turning over quicker than ever before. Bouquets, arrangements, floral displays are blending in with designs, structures, movements, colours of modern homes, businesses, venues in a way that it delivers always that ‘Extra Touch’. While other occasions can be newborns, to brighten up someone’s day, get well thoughts, weddings, funerals, delivery of a message through the world of flowers. The meaning of all these was, is and always will be, the beauty of living flowers and greenery in a sensual way arranged to deliver pleasure, happiness and bringing you closer to nature. The love of flowers carries one in themselves, to work with flowers is a choice and to become a professional in field of floristry is a combination of love, passion and learning the techniques and tricks of the trade. by Katrin Lilla