Flowers add a special touch to any occasion. But they would be considerably less special were it not for the floral designers who work at most retail florist shops. These are the people who combine their innate creativity and color sense with a knowledge of flowers and foliage to create pleasing arrangements.

Sometimes, a standard nationally advertised design will be called for - but often designers listen carefully to a customer's needs, suggest possible approaches, and create custom arrangement.

Most individuals learn floral design on the job, or through training programs available from technical schools and junior colleges. It is not at all uncommon for successful floral designers to build up a clientele of satisfied customers and eventually open a florist shop of their own.