Fibonacci.
The Sequence & Floral Design Principles
Design is rarely random.
Even when it looks organic, intuitive, or instinctive, there is usually a hidden structure beneath it; A logic that guides balance, flow, and proportion.
One of the oldest and most enduring of these structures is the Fibonacci sequence.
You see it in nature constantly.
In the spiral of a shell. In the unfurling of a fern. In the way petals arrange themselves around a flower’s centre. In the growth pattern of leaves along a stem.
It is a mathematical ratio that governs how things grow, expand, and feel right.
And it has quietly informed how we design floral compositions at Strawberry Maple for a long time, whether consciously or instinctively.
Why This Matters in Floral Design
Most floral work is built around symmetry, fullness, and central balance.
It is designed to look “nice” first.
We approach it differently.
Floral design, for us, is spatial composition rather than ornament. It is about where mass is placed, how weight is distributed, where the eye lands first, and how it is guided through a piece.
The Fibonacci sequence provides a quiet framework for that.
Not as a formula. Not as a gimmick. But as a proportional logic that helps compositions feel intentional rather than accidental.
When a focal mass is placed slightly off-centre — not randomly, but deliberately — the piece gains tension.
When height follows an expanding curve rather than a straight vertical axis, the piece gains movement.
When negative space mirrors the outer expansion of the spiral, the composition breathes instead of collapsing inward.
The result is a design that feels balanced without being obvious.
You don’t see the maths. You feel the harmony.
An Example in Practice
In the floral composition pictured here, the densest visual mass; A concentrated cluster of yellow texture and dark foliage, sits at the nucleus of the spiral.
From that anchor point, the design ascends along an expanding curve:
heavier forms near the base
sharper disruptions offset laterally
softer white blooms releasing tension at the top
lighter green stems extending the visual exit
Negative space on the left-hand side is not empty. It is deliberate.
It creates lateral tension against the vertical lift of the stems. It allows the thistle to interrupt the composition without overcrowding it. It prevents the design from collapsing inward.
When the Fibonacci spiral is overlaid onto the piece, it doesn’t distort the design. It confirms it.
That is the difference between structure revealing intelligence, and structure being forced for effect.
This way of thinking doesn’t just apply to a single arrangement.
It governs how we design rooms, installations, and environments.
When proportion is controlled:
spaces feel calmer
focal moments feel inevitable
restraint feels intentional rather than sparse
excess feels unnecessary rather than tempting
People often say a room “just feels right” without being able to explain why.
This is why.
It is not decoration.
It is spatial authorship.
