A few years ago, a friend invited me to learn about creating flower arrangements with low vision and taught me about how to arrange flowers while putting together a bouquet for another friend’s birthday. I was excited to learn something new, and the lessons they taught me about how to arrange flowers helped a lot when I was helping a student with low vision a few years later in a floral arts/floral design class at their high school. Here is a list of tips and strategies for arranging flowers with low vision, which can be used for therapeutic horticulture (or therapeutic floriculture) as well as for describing flowers for low vision and teaching low vision learners how to arrange flowers.
Learning to identify flowers
One of the first steps of learning more about how to describe flowers and the basics of flower arranging is learning how to identify different types of flowers and plants, and understanding how they can be categorized. There are several strategies for identifying flowers with low vision, including:
Smartphone applications
Smartphone applications like Google Lens make it easy for users to take a picture or upload an image to determine what type of flower/plant they are working with. When I visited Texas School for the Blind’s campus garden, I used Google Lens to identify various types of plants in their garden, including the Indian Paintbrush.
Another source for identifying local plants and wildlife is iNaturalist, which is a citizen science application. I have not used this app with a screen reader/text-to-speech, but it does work well with large print.
Taking a photo and zooming in
I have limited sensitivity in my hands, so it can be difficult to tell live flowers apart by touch or examine them closely. A better option for me is to take a photo of a flower or search for an image, and then zoom in to look more closely at different identifying details. Video magnifiers can also be useful for this— a handheld magnifier or microscope can be positioned over flowers, or a desktop video magnifier/distance video magnifier can be used to enlarge multiple flowers at once.
Since artificial flowers are more sturdy and hold their shape, I can examine those by touch more easily than live flowers.
Removing visual clutter from the environment or removing backgrounds from images
Sometimes, cluttered image backgrounds or desktops can make it challenging to identify single flowers due to the large amount of “other” visual information the eyes and brain also have to process in addition to the image of the flower. In these situations, it can be helpful to try one of the following strategies to make it easier to see a specific object:
- Place item against a solid, matte surface, or hold it against a solid background— table glare can impact visual clarity. For the student I worked with, we used a black matte desk cover, which provided increased contrast for light-colored plants.
- When holding up an object, place it in front of a solid colored background, which can serve as a visual landmark for where to look.
- In iOS 15 and later, long press over the subject of a photo in the Photos app to remove the background and copy the image to the clipboard, or save the image with a transparent background and add it to another project.
- Use a background removal tool in a photo editing software, such as Canva.
Asking someone to describe it
My friends are always excited to describe flowers to me, but if I am working alone, I can also reach out to a visual interpreting service such as Aira or Be My Eyes to give me a description of what a flower looks like, which is helpful if I want to know about specific characteristics of the exact flower in front of me. When I ask someone to describe a flower to me, I ask them to include details such as:
- Flower size
- Color(s) of the petals and stem
- Length of the stem and any interesting details (such as thorns or leaves)
- The petal shape and/or general shape of the flower
- How many flowers are in a given area, if we are in an outdoor space
- Any blemishes or imperfections that I should know about before working on a project
Related links
- All About Visual Assistance Apps For Visually Impaired
- How I Use Google Lens With Low Vision
- How To Write Alt Text and Image Descriptions For Flowers
- How To Create High Resolution Images For Low Vision
- iOS Magnifier and Low Vision Accessibility
Considerations for choosing flowers with visual impairment
Once someone is familiar with types of flowers and their characteristics, they can start choosing flowers and planning bouquets or other arrangements. When I was working with a friend to put together a bouquet, some of the questions we thought when planning a design included:
- What color(s) to include or a color palette for inspiration
- Bouquet size or arrangement size— how many different types of flowers should be included?
- Flowers that were in season/local to the area
- The scent(s) of different flowers; it’s fun to create something that not only looks great, but smells great as well!
Many floral design curriculums incorporate lessons on color theory and design— it’s helpful for instructors to provide specific descriptions of concepts instead of using phrases such as “like this” or “as you can see”, and instead specifically calling out what they want students to notice.
What about choosing vases with visual impairment?
Another consideration is the container for holding the finished floral arrangement or plant. This will depend on individual preferences, but I usually find it helpful to choose lightweight vases that can easily be moved or carried to another location independently, or to place vases on a high contrast work space where they can’t accidentally get knocked over. Another option is to position containers on a wall or vertical surface, which is great for artificial flowers/silk flower arrangements, as well as non floral bouquets or arrangements.
When one of my friends got engaged, they received flowers inside a container with a handle on it so it was easier for them to grasp and examine, as well as carry/place on a table. They loved having flowers with a container that has a handle so much that this was the first thing they told me about when they called to announce their engagement!
Related links
- Recording Video Lectures For Visually Impaired Students
- Creating Accessible Crafting Tutorials For Visual Impairment
- Art Classes and Low Vision
- Making Friendship Bracelets With Low Vision
- How To Write Alt Text For Color Palettes
- Organizing Hanging Storage With Vision Loss
Sourcing flowers with low vision
Live flowers
When I was in college, my friend wanted to create a bouquet with live flowers, sourcing flowers from stores close to campus that we could rearrange ourselves, or choosing flowers that were already planted/in a pot that the recipient could keep inside their apartment. Since picking flowers on campus is not an option, some of the stores we considered going to on our small budget included:
- Grocery store floral department or another small grocery store like Trader Joe’s
- Farmer’s market or other local market
- Garden stores and pop-up flower markets
- Costco or similar big box stores sell flowers at some locations
- Florist that would sell low-grade flowers at a discount
For this particular bouquet, we combined two different flower arrangements from a grocery store near campus and rearranged them to make the colors pop more. I’ve also had friends purchase potted plants at home improvement stores like Lowe’s and IKEA, where they would repot the plant or decorate the container to personalize it more.
In the case of the student in the floral arts class, flowers were sourced by their instructor, so this was not something they had to consider. In the advanced classes, students could grow their own flowers in raised beds and use them for arrangements or browse wholesale flower distributors, but this was not something this particular student participated in.
Artificial flowers
Since real flowers are an allergy trigger for me, I created a bouquet for my room with artificial/fabric flowers (sometimes sold as silk flowers) that have bright, vivid colors and that can be explored by touch. I prefer these to real flowers because they offer more flexibility with the types of containers they can be placed in, and also because they last a long time. Sources that I’ve used for artificial flowers include:
- Craft stores, especially when they have sales
- Dollar stores often have a large selection of artificial flowers, as do some big-box stores like Walmart.
- Lego’s Botanical Collection features several beautiful flowers— these were an awesome gift from my brother!
- Thrift stores or secondhand sales, which often have silk flowers
Some florists will create arrangements with artificial flowers by request, though some places require the customer to buy specific flowers and bring them in. My prom date enlisted a florist to create a beautiful artificial flower corsage, including a white rose and purple Veronica flowers, since I was worried about crushing real flowers since I often bump into things— they had bought the artificial flowers at a nearby craft store and brought them to the florist.
Related links
- Using GPS Apps On College Campuses: College O&M
- Accessible Maps and Wayfinding Tools For Low Vision
- How I Set Up My College Desk With Low Vision
- Tips For Going To Prom With Chronic Illness
Arranging flowers with low vision
Resources for floral arts
There are a lot of different resources for flower arranging and learning floral arts. Some of the most helpful ones that I have used include:
- Articles shared on Pinterest, which is a visual search engine. This is also a great way to find blogs that share resources on floral arts and flower arranging, as well as magazines and inspiration boards.
- Downloading books on this topic from Bookshare— note that many Bookshare books do not include alt text or image descriptions
- Searching for high resolution images online that include specific flowers, e.g. “sunflower arrangement”
- Downloading floral magazines and other educational materials with the Libby app, which is free with a library card
- Videos and social media hashtags, which can be paused or enlarged with zoom/pinch-to-zoom
Another option is to check out floral arranging or floral arts classes that are held online or in-person, which can provide guidance on arranging specific types of bouquets or arrangements. I personally find online classes easier to access because I can zoom in and see details that would be otherwise challenging for me to see at an in-person class, but many of my other friends with low vision prefer in-person classes so they can work with the instructor in real time.
Trimming flowers
For the majority of floral arrangements and bouquets, floral scissors (for live flowers) or other craft scissors (for artificial flowers) are used to trim stems to size or to enhance the longevity of flowers. The biggest tip I can offer for trimming flowers with low vision is to ensure that the scissors are a different color than the work surface, and when in doubt, it is better to cut flowers so they are longer than expected instead of shorter than expected.
Secure flowers with a grid
The grid tape method for flower arranging involves creating horizontal and vertical lines of tape on top of a vessel, which can help to hold flowers in place so that they don’t move around in a large vase or get moved out of place easily. For artificial flowers or for arrangements that require additional support, a sturdier grid surface can be used such as mesh.
When I had to arrange artificial flowers for a decoration, I placed the flowers in an upside-down colander, which serves as a grid surface and can hold individual stems in place. I had to cut some of the stems to accommodate the colander’s height, but this arrangement was something I could do independently and that created a really cool arrangement. I got this idea from an activity designed for preschoolers or seniors who have limited motor skills, and I have used it a few times since.
Try alternative bouquets or arrangements
Want to make a bouquet or arrangement that doesn’t involve flowers? There are several options for alternative bouquets or arrangements that incorporate other items, such as:
- Wool flowers
- Candy on a stick
- Pinwheels
- Paper flowers or origami
- Vintage jewelry (e.g. brooches)
- Other items attached to a stick or rod
These non floral bouquet options can be helpful when first learning floral arts because they are often sturdier than traditional flowers and can incorporate high-contrast colors or simplified designs. One student I worked with created a bouquet of wool flowers, which look like large orbs or balls on a stick, which was a fun decor option for their room.
Related links
- How I Use Pinterest For Studying In College
- Mainstream eReader Apps and Low Vision Accessibility
- Ten Cool Things You Didn’t Know About Bookshare
- Reading Magazines With The Libby App And Low Vision
- Creating Accessible Crafting Tutorials For Visual Impairment
- How I Decorate A Bedroom For CVI
More tips for creating flower arrangements with low vision
- Interested in learning more about how to describe flowers and write alt text/image descriptions for flowers and plants? Read How To Write Alt Text and Image Descriptions For Flowers
- Creating tutorials on flower arranging? Learn how to make them accessible at Creating Accessible Crafting Tutorials For Visual Impairment
- Chicago Botanic Garden has partnered with the Hadley Institute to provide information about therapeutic horticulture for low vision and accessible gardening, which is available at Chicago Botanic Garden’s Horticultural Therapy Services
Published March 21, 2025. Updated May 2025