Erin Benzakein’s Floret Flower Arranging Workshop

By fioralab

April 28, 2026

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What I Learned (After Taking Both Floret & Bouquet Bootcamp)

Floret Flower Arranging Workshop

What I Learned (After Taking Both Floret & Bouquet Bootcamp)

I took both the Floret Flower Arranging Workshop and Bouquet Bootcamp because I wanted to understand why some arrangements look professional while others feel chaotic—even with beautiful flowers.

 

What I realized surprised me:

👉 Floret is NOT random, emotional, or purely artistic.
👉 It is an extremely structured system designed to look effortless.

 

The difference is that the structure is hidden.

1-Minute Summary (Read This First)

  • Floret uses a structured 6-ingredient system
  • Strong focus on floral mechanics (cages, pins, structure)
  • Designs follow a hidden asymmetrical formula similar to Ikebana

  • You will want to plant: 
    • ninebark
    • viburnum

  • You will likely buy:
    • floral pins
    • floral cages
Most valuable lesson:

👉 Being the face of your business

Least valuable section:
👉 Designer profiles (more storytelling than teaching)
Biggest realization:

Floret is not random or “feeling-based.”
It is a controlled system built to appear natural.

Why This Post Is Different

I took BOTH:

  • Bouquet Bootcamp
  • Floret Flower Arranging Workshop

👉 They are NOT teaching the same thing.

 

Most people simplify it as:

  • Bootcamp = structure
  • Floret = art

👉 That’s not actually true.Both are systems.

 

They simply organize flowers differently.

The Real Difference (Important)

Bouquet Bootcamp

Bouquet Bootcamp teaches:

  • clear formulas
  • ratios (3/5/8)
  • mass / line / form / filler
  • very explicit structure

👉 You can follow it step-by-step.

It feels almost architectural.

Floret

Floret teaches:

 

  • fundamental ingredients
  • asymmetrical placement
  • controlled color palettes
  • mechanics + layering

👉 Less obvious… but still highly structured.

 

The truth:

👉 Bootcamp = visible system
👉 Floret = hidden system

The 6 Fundamental Ingredients (Floret Method)

One thing Floret explains very differently from traditional floral design is the idea of using 6 fundamental ingredients when building natural garden-style arrangements.

 

At first glance, the arrangements look loose and organic.

 

👉 But underneath, the structure is extremely intentional.

 

Floret organizes arrangements into two major layers.

Foundation Layer (The Structure)

The first 3 ingredients build the framework of the arrangement.

These are usually placed lower and closer to the base of the bouquet or vessel.

1. Structural Foliage

This creates the overall shape and movement.

Examples:

👉 This acts like the skeleton of the arrangement.
2. Supporting Ingredient

These bridge transitions between flowers and foliage.

 

They help connect movement throughout the arrangement.

 

👉 Without this layer, arrangements can feel disconnected.

3. Textural Ingredient

This creates variation and complexity.

 

Examples:

👉 This prevents arrangements from feeling flat.

Floral Layer (The Visual Focus)

The next 3 ingredients create the actual floral movement and focal impact.
4. Supporting Flowers

These connect focal flowers throughout the arrangement.

 

👉 They distribute color and rhythm evenly.

5. Focal Flowers

These are the flowers your eye notices first.

 

Examples:

👉 These create visual anchors.

6. Airy Accents

This is one of the most recognizable parts of Floret’s style.

 

Examples:

👉 These soften the arrangement and create movement.

 

Without airy accents, arrangements can feel stiff and overly dense.

The Real Goal

The goal is NOT randomness.

The goal is controlled naturalism.

 

👉 Every ingredient has a purpose.

The arrangement is designed to feel:

  • loose
  • effortless
  • garden-inspired

…but underneath, it is carefully structured.

That was one of the biggest realizations I had after taking the course.

Color Is Highly Controlled (Not Random)

This was another major realization.

 

Floret is NOT:

👉 “use whatever looks pretty”

 

It is actually:

👉 stay within a controlled color family.

 

You see:

  • layered tones
  • subtle shifts
  • restrained palettes
  • intentional repetition

👉 This is why arrangements still feel cohesive even with many flower types.

The Hidden Geometry (This Is the Real System)

This was probably the biggest realization of the workshop.

Floret arrangements consistently follow asymmetrical placement:

 

  • one taller side (usually left)
  • one slightly lower side (right)
  • shortest point near center

👉 This is NOT random.

It strongly resembles Ikebana principles:

  • Heaven = tallest
  • Human = middle
  • Earth = lowest

Once I noticed this, everything changed.

👉 I realized every arrangement is intentionally shaped.

This Course Is Really About Mechanics

This is where Floret separates itself from most floral courses.

Not spiral technique.

👉 Mechanics.

What you actually learn:

  • floral cages
  • pin frogs
  • structural anchoring
  • vessel-based design

Translation:

You learn how to:

  • build arrangements that hold properly
  • control placement
  • create intentional movement
  • manipulate shape without foam

👉 This completely changed how I see arranging.

What You Will Buy After This Course

Let’s be honest.

This course changes how you shop.

Plants You Will Suddenly Want

You will probably want to grow:

  • ninebark
  • viburnum

👉 Because Floret uses them constantly.

Why?

  • movement
  • branching structure
  • natural shape
  • transitional layering

These are not just “filler.”

👉 They are structural ingredients.

Tools You Will Buy

You will also likely buy:

  • floral pins
  • floral cages
  • mechanics supplies
  • compote vessels

👉 If you follow this style, mechanics become unavoidable.

Most Valuable Lesson (Applies To Any Business)

“Being the Face of Your Business”

This was the strongest section in the course for me.

 

Not arranging.

Not flowers.

👉 Branding.

 

The lesson teaches:

  • show your face
  • share your story
  • connect with people directly

This applies far beyond flowers.

👉 It applies to:

  • Fiora Lab
  • blogging
  • social media
  • any creative business

Biggest realization:

People don’t just buy flowers.

👉 They buy YOU.

Least Valuable Section (Honest Take)

MODULE 10 — Designer Profiles

My personal experience:

  • mostly storytelling
  • minimal instruction
  • not highly actionable

It felt more like:

  • interviews
  • personal journeys
  • showing work

👉 Beautiful to watch.
👉 But not something I could directly apply.

What Floret Does Better

1. Teaches structure disguised as “natural”

This is the magic of the course.

 

You learn control without making arrangements feel rigid.

2. Emphasizes mechanics

This is one of the biggest gaps in most floral education.

 

Floret fills that gap extremely well.

3. Connects design with branding

Very few floral courses teach this.

 

Floret understands that:

 

👉 aesthetic + identity + storytelling = business

What It Does NOT Do Well

👉 Some people may struggle if they need rigid formulas.

My Personal Take (After Taking Both)

Bouquet Bootcamp gave me:
Floret gave me:
If I simplify everything:

👉 Bootcamp = framework
👉 Floret = refinement

Biggest Realizations

1. Floret is NOT “just art”

👉 It is a structured system.

2. Placement matters more than flowers

👉 height + asymmetry = everything

3. Color discipline is critical

👉 too many colors = chaos

4. Mechanics change everything

👉 this is what makes arrangements hold properly

Final Thought

I used to think floral design was mostly creativity.

 

Now I realize:

👉 it’s structure + control.

 

Floret simply hides the structure extremely well.

 

That’s why the arrangements feel effortless.

If You’re Choosing Between Courses

Take Bouquet Bootcamp if you want:
Take Floret if you want:
Best Option

Take both.

 

One teaches the framework.

The other teaches refinement.

 

Together, they completely changed how I see flowers.

From the same field journal