Washington Flower School

Washington Flower School(affiliated with Park Florist in Takoma Park, Maryland) offers professional floral design courses as well as seasonal workshops perfect for the budding designer or flower enthusiast!

1. Certificate Courses We offer Certificate Courses for those who are considering a career as a florist, as well as those wanting a comprehensive overview of floral design. As a student at Washington Flower School, you'll receive hands-on instruction from an award-winning team of instructors as well as Jeanne Ha, the founder. They have a vast knowledge of design that is proven by their accomplishments. From winning design competitions, operating and running a successful flower shop, teaching at many previous classes and workshops all making them tops in their field in floral design instruction. With our small class sizes, you'll receive individual attention as needed so you can hone your skills that are necessary in becoming a successful career floral designer.

Our main instructor is qualified and experienced in the industry, Jeanne Ha AIFD, CFD, AIFD Certified judge/evaluator (founder, instructor, owner of Park Florist). The school was founded by David Shover AIFD and Jeanne Ha in 2010. Since then it has provided quality career education in the Washington DC Metro area through various hands-on workshops.

2. Workshops We also offer fun seasonal workshops that anybody, any skill level, can join and make beautiful flower arrangements with us with our easy instruction!

Typical evening classes are 1 and a half hours long, Sunday afternoon classes are typically hour and a half in length and are appropriate for all skill levels. Everything is provided - tools, flowers, vases, and instruction. Just bring yourself!

Hope to see you soon in one of our classes!

3. Presentations & Workshops for private groups Jeanne Ha, the founder and president of Washington Flower School, can come to your event and provide quality and fun activities such as flower design presentations or hands-on workshops.

Typically for an hour presentation, she showcase about 3-4 her renowned floral arts which the host can raffle out. For hands-on workshops, we bring all the materials and tools that needed and Jeanne demonstrate and leads the group to finish the projects, which the attendees take home with them.
For more information or schedule Jeanne for your next event, email Jeanne@ParkFlorist.us or call 301-270-1848.

Workshops

Fun seasonal flower design class for anybody with any skill level. Tools, flowers, vases, and instructions are provided and you take your beautiful flower arrangement home!

Monday November 20th 5-6pm $125 (Early Bird ticket till October 30th), $150 (General ticket from November 1st)

Join us at Park Florist for our November Open Studio event! This is your chance to explore our beautiful studio and get a behind-the-scenes look at our creative process. Come meet our talented creative director Jeanne, and learn about the art of flower arranging. Whether you're a flower enthusiast or just curious, this event is perfect for everyone. Design your own Thanksgiving centerpiece with beautiful flowers we bring to you. Don't miss out on this opportunity to immerse yourself in the world of flowers and enjoy a fun-filled evening at Park Florist!

Saturday December 2nd 2pm-3pm $90
Join us for a festive and fun-filled Holiday Wreath Workshop at Park Florist! Get into the holiday spirit and learn how to create your own beautiful wreath. Jeanne will guide you step-by-step, providing all the materials and tools you need. Whether you're a beginner or an experienced crafter, this workshop is perfect for everyone. Bring your friends or come solo - it's a great opportunity to meet new people and enjoy a creative afternoon. Don't miss out on this chance to add a personal touch to your holiday decor. Reserve your spot now and let's get crafty!

Saturday December 16th 2023 2pm-3pm $150
Come join us for a festive and creative gathering at Park Florist! Our December Open Studio event is the perfect opportunity to explore your artistic side and get into the holiday spirit. Whether you've hold a floral knife before or never close to the flower, this event is open to everyone.
At the December Open Studio, you'll have the chance to work with fun holiday accessaries as well as succulents and fresh flowers with Jeanne's step by step guide. Join us at Park Florist on the specified date to discover your inner artist and create something beautiful for the holiday. Don't miss out on this exciting opportunity to unleash your creativity and make lasting memories. See you there!

Register for the November Open Studio

Register for the Holiday Wreath Workshop

Register for the December Open Studio

Certificate Courses

Washington Flower School(Educational Partner of AIFD and affiliated with Park Florist) offers professional certificate floral design courses. Check out the current schedule for your future career!

Our Basic Course is once a week class for 4 weeks' program, which prepares students for entry-level floral design positions. Students who complete our 4-week program and pass both a written and a design examination will receive the Washington Flower School Basic Floral Design Certificate.

Each class will be about two hours long at our Park Florist working bench and will be full of new learning and hands-on practice. Since we meet during weekday evenings, we will offer you simple refreshments to allow you to jump in and start working. We provide all the fresh materials, supplies, and tools. You just bring your busy self!

We will work on different subjects and practice materials for each session (spring, summer, fall). You may want to take each of the spring, summer, fall sessions to cover all different areas of designs.

We don't offer make-up days or refunds if you miss classes. You can pick up your materials on the same day or until the day after if you let us know in advance that you'll be missing a class.

As you progress through your lessons, you will learn the skills and develop the proficiency necessary for a career in the floral world. You will be amazed at how quickly you master the art of floral design. Our proven teaching methods will have you ready to step into a job upon completion of the program. You will learn and understand the elements and principles, forms, styles and techniques of floral design. You will also learn all about the most common flower varieties, the latest techniques for the care and handling of flowers. Each day is packed full with fabulous information that you will utilize throughout your career as a professional floral designer.

It may sound serious and complicated. But don't worry, we'll make it fun and easy! Each day, everything you need will be in our classroom. Please take some time to find parking and settle yourself as we promptly start at 5 pm.

Curriculum:

Basic supplies and equipmentCutting and insertionCare and handling of fresh productsContainer optionsElements and principles of designColor theoryFlower IDFoliage IDBasic techniquesCenterpieceHand-tied gift bouquetCorsageBasic line designsDuplicate designs

Total Cost for the Course $990.00 (including materials)

Current Sessions Scheduled: Thursdays February 29th, March 7th, March 14th, March 21st 2024 5pm-7pm

This is course for someone who has some experience with basic floral designs whether in flower shop, or floral guild, or who took Basic Course with us, or from other floral design institutions. We designed this course for those who wants to pursue the accredited status in floral industry to make career, or simply to enrich the learning experience. With the completion of both our Basic and Master Courses(at any time), if the students are interested and the instructors agree that the students are at the level, we can invite them to apply CFD(Certified Floral Designers) by AIFD.Each class is about two hours long at our Park Florist studio and is choc full of new concepts and interactive learning. Since we meet during weekday evenings, we will offer you simple refreshments to allow you to jump in and start working. We provide fresh floral materials, supplies, and tools.Each session focuses on different subjects depending on the season—covering topics relating to each season as well as using relevant flowers. You may want to take each of the spring, summer, fall sessions in order to cover all different areas of design.We don't offer make-up days or refunds if you miss classes. You can pick up your materials on the same day or the day after class if you let us know in advance that you'll be missing a class.Throughout the course, you will increase your knowledge and skill set, helping you master floral design under our proven teaching methods. We will closely study the principles of design laid out in the Basic Course, spending more time mastering each element, form and technique. Every class is full of relevant and important information to aid you in your career as a professional floral designer. Class starts promptly at 5 pm, so take time to find parking around back or on the street out front, and be ready to learn while having fun. Curriculum includes care and handling of fresh products, Choosing containers, Elements and principles of design, Color theory, Flower ID and Foliage ID, Advanced techniques, Centerpiece, Hand-tied gift bouquet, Corsage, Line designs.

Cost:MASTER COURSE consists of: 8 total clock hours (4 classes) of instruction and materials. Total Cost for the Course $1200.00

Current Sessions Scheduled: Master Course 2024 Spring: Tuesdays April 9th, April 16th, April 23rd, April 30th 2024 5pm-7pm

Register for the Spring Basic Course

Register for the Spring Master Course

Jeanne Ha

AIFD CFD Certificate Judge/Evalutator

Owner

Jeanne has the job of her dreams: florist and owner of a retail shop! Born and raised in Seoul, South Korea, she has a strong foundation in art and music (has too many degrees in music from Seoul National University and University of Maryland). She was inducted as a member of the American Institute of Floral Designers in 2010 and is currently a proud member of the Society of American Florists, The Independent Floral Designers Association, and Old Town Takoma Park Business Association. She also served two terms as a Teleflora unit president. She has won numerous floral design competitions and been featured in many publications. Jeanne lives in Takoma Park with her husband and co-owner, Dennis; her three children; her mom, Sunny; Taffy, her orange tabby, and Mizu, her Shiba Inu dog.

Rosana Cruz

Senior Designer

With us since 2015, Rosana's design style has developed over the years. A hard worker, she powers through, even on tough busy days, and produces beautiful arrangements every time. Rosana has a polished design style, creating clean and refined designs, her signature style being lush and compact. A native of El Salvador, Rosana is our go-to for Spanish translation.

Elise Liguori

Customer Relations Coordinator

Elise came to Park Florist after a long career as a lobbyist. Don't let her past fool you, she is one of the kindest, most thoughtful people you will meet! As Customer Relations Coordinator, Elise's goal is to make the customer happy by listening to their needs and translating them to the design team. Elise is always on top of all the details and makes sure the best product goes out the doors. A resident of Takoma Park, Elise lives with her husband, Bob; their cats, Homer and Mia; and their sweet puppy, Baley.

Since I don’t know what stage you are at in your floral design career, I will provide you with a general overview.

If you’re in the early, exploratory stage of thinking about a career in floral design, I recommend you sign up for our Basic Course in Floral Design at the Washington Flower School. This is a four-week (one night a week) comprehensive introduction to floral design. Each week you will receive instruction on different design concepts, and each week you will make - and go home with - a beautiful arrangement. There is a written test at the end of the course and you will receive a certificate in Basic Floral Design from the Washington Flower School.

For those students who have completed the Basic Course in Floral Design and are ready for more advanced instruction, we offer a Master Course in Floral Design. This is a more in depth study of floral design concepts to increase your skill level. The Master Course is also a four-week (one night a week) course where - upon completion - you will receive a certificate in Master Floral Design from the Washington Flower School.

You can find more detailed information about the Washington Flower School’s certificate courses on our website:

https://www.washingtonflowerschool.com/certificate-courses

After taking one (or both) of these courses, I highly recommend you apply to work at a florist. The experience you will gain working day in and day out and learning from experienced designers will be invaluable to your development as a floral designer. When you feel you are prepared and ready to strive for the American Institute of Floral Designers' (AIFD) Certified Floral Designer (CFD) accreditation, you will find the steps you need to follow on their website:

https://aifd.org/membership/becoming-a-cfd/

Note that their first step to becoming a CFD is to take a course at an AIFD Education Partner like that of the Washington Flower School.

For those students who completed our Basic and Master Courses(at any time), we can invite them to apply for CFD process if the instructors agreed that they are ready to take the next steps.

Yes and no. For our certificate Basic Course, you need to register for the whole course, which is 4 weeks. When we name the classes as "course", it means it is a series of classes that should be registered as one. You can choose any individual class you would like to attend, when we offer it as "workshop". We designed the workshops as one day or two-day classes to focus on specific topics.

We strongly recommend you register for our Basic Course. It is the perfect start for you! We will cover all of the basic principles, elements, and techniques of floral design, so you understand how they are used in your arrangements. We only ask you to have a passion to learn!

Yes! The Basic Course is designed for you. We are sure you will find yourself learning quite a lot! We're not just teaching skills that you can pick up anywhere, we are teaching you the principles, elements and techniques of design, so that you feel confident about what you're doing. This may reaffirm what you already know and do.

Yes, especially if you are planning to do this as your own business and help brides with flowers, we strongly recommend taking our Basic Course as well as our workshops that are related to wedding work. There will not be an emphasis on large wedding designs such as altar pieces, arch decor, tall centerpieces, etc. However, you will definitely need to be familiar with the principles, elements and techniques of floral design to apply them to your designs, even your wedding creations. These workshops will provide you with a solid foundation that will better enable you to explore your own creativity. We encourage you to check out our other, non-wedding related workshops too; e.g., holiday centerpieces, wreath-making, seasonal arrangements, etc.!

Yes, the fee includes all the floral materials you will need for the projects. This includes containers, accessories, flowers and foliage. For the Basic course, you will also get a free school apron and light refreshments and snacks. A pretty good deal! For some special workshops we will also provide light refreshments and set a table for us to sit and enjoy as well.

Of course! You can register online by clicking the “Register” button next to the course descriptions.

Yes. We accept cash, check (payable to Park Florist), or credit card. Payment using a credit card can be taken over the phone. It will show as "Park Florist" on your statement. However, all payments are required in advance of the class so that we can prepare your materials and guarantee you a design station.

Hmm... Not really, except for your tools if you have your own. If you do not have them or are not sure of what to bring, we have tools you can borrow for the class. You may also purchase a basic toolkit from us. The basic toolkit includes a pair of lightweight pruners, a floral knife, a spool of floral tape and a tube of floral adhesive.

Convenient parking spaces are available directly behind the Park Florist shop.

If you prefer to pay the cost of the Certificate Course in installments, we CAN offer that option. Since online registration via the Eventbrite website does not accommodate installments, please CALL 301-270-1848 or EMAIL us jeanne@parkflorist.us if you want to pay in installments. We will manually set up a payment plan (please know that none of these payments are refundable) for you consisting of THREE invoices:

The first invoice would be for $300 to hold your spot in class (our certificate courses usually fill to capacity)
The second invoice for $300 would be sent in the middle.
The third and final invoice for $390 would be sent and DUE a week before the first class begins.

Washington Flower School