Shape Shifters

Secondary focal flowers and their dual roles in design

Secondary focal flowers, one of my six elements of floral design, are shape shifters. The same flower could be either a focal or a secondary focal depending on the arrangement. Making the decision if a flower should be the lead or takes a supporting role depends on two factors: relative size and color.

Ranunculus is a good example. It definitely has the characteristics to be a focal flower. However, next to a peony, ranunculus has to take a backseat. It is a smaller flower that won’t create as much visual impact. That doesn’t make ranunculus a lesser bloom. It just has a different job in a design with peonies.

Secondary focals bridge the gap between focal flowers and smaller accent flowers. They add rhythm, interest and additional color to your designs. In this video I show you how secondary focal flowers create flow, support color palettes using the 60-30-10 rule and how repetition creates professional looking designs.

Just for Flower Nerds: My list of favorite secondary focal flowers (or are they focals).