Floral arranging takes just a little more than sticking flowers in a vase.

Athough it seems to be an easy profession, floral arranging can be and is considered an art form by those in the business. Hours are needed to coordinate color, and make the shape pleasing to the eye.

"You have to turn stems of flowers into something that someone else would see as beauty," said Stephanie W. Schreffler, manager at Woodring's Floral Garden, 145 S. Allen St.

Floral arranging requires perseverance and an ability to work under strict time limits. Often customers will place an order at 2 p.m. and want it ready by 3 p.m. "You need to be concise," Schreffler said.

Most floral designers learn by experience in stores, others learn in schools, at universities, and at classes given in floral shops. Or, some use a natural talent and experiment with different patterns and textures.

The business of floral arranging is international. Flowers come from all over the world. "We get chrysanthemums and carnations from South America, iris, tulips and daffodils from Holland, and roses from Israel," said Bob Shirk, owner of the State College Floral Shoppe, 127 W. Beaver Ave. He also said that even though florists are generally small, independent, family owned businesses, they're probably one of the most international businesses in the country. Flowers are bought from nearly every area of the world and can be sent almost anywhere through the various wire services, such as Floral Transworld Delivery, Teleflora, and American Floral Society.

The amount of work which goes into floral arranging is not always appreciated. For the average wedding, about four consultations are neccesary to make sure that the client is completely satisfied with the work being done. "Every single person has their own taste," Schreffler said.

After the consulting visits, the real hard work begins. The day before the ceremony, a florist will spend hours preparing the flowers. The staff at Woodring's prefers to hand wire and tape each bloom in place. Although this method is more "old fashioned" Schreffler says that it is the most reliable.

According to Amy Wallick of Davidson's Florists and Gifts, 130 E. College Ave., trends in flowers will always include red roses, short or long stem. At the moment, spring arrangments are coming into vogue. Another floral trend is the Biedermeir bouquet, an arrangement of closely set, dense flowers. Although it hasn't been popular in several years, some florists are trying to reintroduce the bouquet.

Trends are also determined by the changing seasons, "People expect to see certain things at certain times of the year," Schreffler said. Examples include daffodils and lillies at Easter, traditional poinsettias at Christmas and, of course, long-stemmed red roses for St. Valentine's Day. Floral trends are ". . .just like clothing, changing all the time," Shirk said.

What it all boils down to, in the eyes of those who know it best, a floral shop is "a pretty nice place to work, but be prepared to work lots of hours," Schreffler said.

Amy Wallick agreed, but added, "You know you make people happy when you send flowers."