The Principles and Elements of great design in floral art and flower arranging is finally now available in an exclusive CD, " Principles and Elements in Floral Design" with Ngaire Clarke. Try a lesson on each element and principle with a floral project to try, read more here. The feature illustrated here is rhythm

Rhythm is achieved in a design if you have managed to move the viewers focus from one point to another. This can be done , as the definition states, by graduation. Graduation is achieved when you grade the flowers from the smallest at the edges of the arrangement and the larger flowers are at the bottom or in the area of prominance.You can also grade the colours in a design with strong colours at the focal area and lighter colours further out. In this way the viewers focus moves from the stronger colours to the weaker ones.

Contrast is the basis of all good floral design and this is true too with rhythm, as the eye needs to rest for a while on a design, before it takes off again following another path you have set for it. Therefore you need to also create  calm spots and this can be achieved with round forms or flat smooth leaves.

Line material such as reeds, rope, branches, twigs, grasses,  and ribbon can also create rhythm. As Poppy's design on the right shows, repeating several line forms with variation has created strong visual movement.
Several curves lines have a strong rhythm. If all lines are the same, regular rhythm can be created by shortening or lengthening some of the material.