Flower decorations
Garlands, wreaths, carpets, arrangements and the customs of decorating with flowers. 155 decorations so far, best known first.
Arrangements and bouquetsFlowers composed in a vase, a bowl or the hand: ikebana, bouquets, centrepieces.39Garlands and wreathsFlowers strung, woven or bound into a line or a ring.17Flowers that are wornIn the hair, round the neck, on the lapel and on the head.21Carpets and floor patternsPetals laid on the ground: pookalam, infiorata, flower carpets.15Parades, floats and big displaysFlower parades, floats, floral clocks, shows and installations.24Offerings and ritesFlowers given to gods, guests and the dead.33Flower craftsPressed, dried, preserved, distilled and made by hand.29Flowers in art and designPainted, woven, carved and printed flowers, and what they stand for.43Garden stylesWays of laying out a garden, from the charbagh to the cottage border.9Customs, festivals and the tradeFlower festivals, the language of flowers, markets and the flower trade.113
Decoration
Nageirebana抛入花
A free-form ikebana style using tall vases and no flower holders
Arrangement
Decoration
Bonsai盆栽
The Japanese art of shaping miniature trees in shallow pots
🇯🇵 Japan and 7 more · Art or design
Decoration
Tokonoma床の間
A Japanese alcove for displaying scrolls and flower arrangements
🇯🇵 Japan · Arrangement
Decoration
Hanami花見
The Japanese tradition of gathering to enjoy cherry blossoms in spring
🇯🇵 Japan and 7 more · Custom, Jan to May
Decoration
Bouquet
A creative arrangement of flowers, given or displayed for many occasions
🇨🇳 China and 1 more · Arrangement
Decoration
Garland
A string or braid of flowers, leaves, or other materials for decoration or ceremony
🇮🇳 India and 3 more · Garland or wreath
Decoration
Vase
An open container for holding and displaying cut flowers
Arrangement
Decoration
Floriculture
The science and business of growing flowers and ornamental plants
Arrangement
Decoration
Corn dolly
Straw figures shaped for harvest customs across Europe
🇮🇪 Ireland and 3 more · Flower craft
Decoration
Varamalaवरमाला
A flower garland exchanged by bride and groom in Hindu weddings
🇮🇳 India · Garland or wreath
Decoration
Rangoliरंगोली
Indian floor art made with coloured powders, rice, or petals for festivals and daily welcome
🇮🇳 India and 1 more · Carpet or floor pattern
Decoration
Pushpanjaliपुष्पाञ्जलि
A flower offering in Hindu worship and classical dance
Offering or rite
Decoration
Onam
Kerala’s ten-day harvest festival with flower carpets, feasts and boat races
🇮🇳 India and 1 more · Custom, Aug to Sep
Decoration
Pohela Boishakhপহেলা বৈশাখ
Bengali New Year marked by processions, fairs, and flower-adorned gatherings
🇧🇩 Bangladesh and 1 more · Custom, April
Decoration
Ashtamangalaअष्टमङ्गल
A sacred set of eight auspicious symbols in Indian religions
🇮🇳 India and 1 more · Art or design
Decoration
Paisleyبته
A curved teardrop motif from Iran and India, now used worldwide on textiles
🇮🇷 Iran and 8 more · Art or design
Decoration
Butaبوته
A curved floral motif found in Persian, Indian, and Central Asian art and textiles
🇮🇷 Iran and 5 more · Art or design
Decoration
Day of the DeadDía de (los) Muertos
Mexico’s festival of remembrance with altars, marigolds, and sugar skulls
🇲🇽 Mexico · Custom, November
Decoration
May devotions to the Blessed Virgin Mary
Month-long Catholic customs honouring Mary with flowers, altars, and processions
🇮🇹 Italy and 7 more · Custom, May
Decoration
Well dressing
Decorating wells with flower petal pictures in rural England
🇬🇧 United Kingdom · Carpet or floor pattern
Decoration
May Day Festival
A spring festival with flowers, greenery, maypoles and bonfires on the first of May
🇮🇪 Ireland and 5 more · Custom, May
Decoration
BeltaneBealtaine / Là Bealltainn / Boaltinn
The Gaelic May Day festival with bonfires and yellow flower decorations
🇮🇪 Ireland and 1 more · Custom, May
Decoration
MidsummerMidsommar
Europe’s summer solstice festival with bonfires, flowers and outdoor gatherings
🇸🇪 Sweden and 5 more · Custom, June
Decoration
Jack in the Green
A May Day folk figure made of greenery, worn in English spring parades
🇦🇺 Australia · Custom, May
Decoration
International Women's Day
A global day on 8 March celebrating women’s rights and equality
🇮🇳 India and 1 more · Custom, March
Decoration
TếtTết Nguyên Đán
Vietnam's spring new year festival with flowers, family, and lucky customs
🇻🇳 Vietnam · Custom, Jan to Feb
Decoration
Pomander
A scented ball or container worn or carried to perfume the air
Worn flowers
Decoration
Cake decorating
The craft of adorning cakes with icing, fondant, and edible decorations
🇺🇸 United States · Art or design
Decoration
Sugar sculpture
Artistic centerpieces and figures made entirely from cooked sugar
🇨🇳 China and 1 more · Flower craft
Decoration
Quilling
Decorative art made by rolling and shaping strips of paper
🇺🇸 United States and 1 more · Flower craft
Decoration
Kusudama薬玉
A Japanese paper sphere made from folded flowers or units, often hung as decoration
🇯🇵 Japan · Flower craft
Decoration
Shellcraft
Decorative art made by arranging and using seashells
🇦🇺 Australia and 1 more · Flower craft
Decoration
Herbarium
A scientific collection of preserved plant specimens for study and reference
🇩🇪 Germany and 1 more · Parade or display
Decoration
Attarअत्तर, عطر
Traditional natural perfume oil distilled from flowers, herbs, and spices
🇮🇳 India and 2 more · Flower craft
Decoration
rose oil
Essential oil distilled from rose petals, prized in perfume and tradition
🇧🇬 Bulgaria and 4 more · Flower craft
Decoration
Rose waterگلاب
Flavoured water made by steeping or distilling rose petals
🇮🇷 Iran and 2 more · Offering or rite
Decoration
Enfleurage
A traditional French method for capturing flower fragrance in fat
🇫🇷 France · Flower craft
Decoration
Absolute
A concentrated aromatic plant extract used in perfumery
Flower craft
Decoration
Essential oil
Fragrant plant oils used for scent, flavour, and traditional remedies
🇵🇪 Peru · Flower craft
Decoration
Concrete (perfumery)
A waxy extract from flowers used to make perfume absolutes
Flower craft
Decoration
Heraldic rose
A stylized five-petaled rose used as a symbol in coats of arms and badges
🇬🇧 United Kingdom and 3 more · Art or design
Decoration
Palmette
A fan-shaped floral motif from ancient Egypt and Greece, used in art and architecture
🇪🇬 Egypt and 2 more · Art or design
Decoration
Ikebana華道
The Japanese art of arranging flowers with form and meaning
🇯🇵 Japan · Arrangement
Decoration
Chintzछींट
Indian floral-printed cotton fabric with a glossy or painted finish
🇮🇳 India and 2 more · Art or design
Decoration
Ohara-ryū小原流
A Japanese school of ikebana known for its moribana and landscape styles
🇯🇵 Japan · Arrangement
Decoration
Pichhwai
Large painted cloths showing Krishna, hung in temples for worship and festivals
🇮🇳 India · Art or design
Decoration
Rikka立花
A formal Japanese ikebana style with upright, symbolic floral arrangements
Arrangement
Decoration
Moribana盛り花
A Japanese ikebana style using shallow containers and natural shapes
🇯🇵 Japan · Arrangement
Photo credits on this page
The small pictures above come from Wikimedia Commons under free licences. Some are cropped to fit.
- Nageirebana: GustavoReinoso7777, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Bonsai: Ragesoss, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Tokonoma: 663highland, CC BY 2.5, source
- Hanami: Unknown author, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Bouquet: James Vick's Sons (Rochester, N.Y.); Henry G. Gilbert Nursery and Seed, No restrictions, source
- Garland: No machine-readable author provided. Piotrus assumed (based on copyrig, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Vase: André Karwath aka Aka, CC BY-SA 2.5, source
- Floriculture: James Locke, Public domain, source
- Corn dolly: Renata ( talk ), Public domain, source
- Varamala: Sumita Roy Dutta, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Rangoli: SreeramKalyan, CC0, source
- Pushpanjali: Yosarian, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Onam: Jiteshgt, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Pohela Boishakh: Abidhasan00, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Ashtamangala: Redtigerxyz, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Paisley: Unknown author, Public domain, source
- Buta: Thomas Watier, Public domain, source
- Day of the Dead: RubeHM, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- May devotions to the Blessed Virgin Mary: Žemaitijos kelias, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Well dressing: User:WhaleyTim, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- May Day Festival: Bryan Ledgard, CC BY 2.0, source
- Beltane: Stefan Schäfer, Lich, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Midsummer: Kora27, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Jack in the Green: SiGarb, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- International Women's Day: Karl Maria Stadler (1888 – nach 1943), Public domain, source
- Tết: vi:Lưu Ly, Public domain, source
- Pomander: Unknown author, CC BY 4.0, source
- Sugar sculpture: kirstenjolanda, CC BY 2.0, source
- Cake decorating: Michael Prudhomme, CakesMadeEasy.com, CC BY 2.5, source
- Quilling: Inna Dorman, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Kusudama: Angie, CC BY 2.0, source
- Shellcraft: Verne Equinox, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Herbarium: DIST Lyon1, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Attar: Kerina yin, CC0, source
- rose oil: Itineranttrader, Public domain, source
- Rose water: E4024, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Absolute: Itineranttrader, Public domain, source
- Essential oil: JJ Georges, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Concrete (perfumery): Kurt Stüber [1], CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Heraldic rose: Gliwi, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Palmette: Lameiro, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Ikebana: Joe Mabel, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
- Chintz: Karun Thakar Collection photo. Work by unknown Coromandel artisans. Ph, Public domain, source
- Ohara-ryū: Gryffindor, CC0, source
- Pichhwai: Unknown artist, Public domain, source
- Rikka: Gryffindor, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Moribana: Gryffindor, CC0, source