To me : Orchids, Roses and Calla Lillies...
Calla Lily is very easy, Roses you need a lot of petals, Orchids, it is a bit fragile and you need a lot of cotton balls to help hold the petals and the "Throat" standing up until it dries.
These are the one I make all the time.
The new rose cutters that Wilton have make the roses simple. Basically...a teardrop shape on a toothpick and then cut with the cookie cutters and do some shaping and then poke then on the toothpick and use some vanilla to make it stick. The Wilton Course 3 teaches this technique. If you need more details let me know and I'll post them.
The Wilton cutters and book set are order # 1907-P-1003 and is $7.99 plus shipping and all that stuff.
basically...you take a toothpick (I use the more *upscale* thicker ones instead of the cheapy wooden ones - know what I mean?) Then take a toothpick and dip it in crisco (just the tip) and then take a small amount of your fondant and roll it into a teardrop shape and then push the toothpick through the bottom of the teardrop (the big end). I like to let these dry before I do the petals - it's just easier. So...get yourself some styrofoam to put a whole lot of toothpicks with flowers on them in. 
Thin roll out your fondant REAL thin - it's best to add a bit of gumtex to it for pliablity (is that a word?). Then use the largest cutter to cut the fondant place a small cut where the petals *divide* then you place it on the foam that you get and give the edge of the petals a little rub and the center with the ball tool. Then you paint some vanilla on the bud and fold the petals fold it up around the *bud* that you made. This makes a rose bud! All petals will be attached from the bottom of the toothpick and then slid up.
To made a medium size rose you add another blossom shape but, you will press it differently with the ball tool and then paint the last *blossom* you did with vanilla and stick the next one on.
To make a full size rose you add another blossom. So...it's all basically the same just each layer gets pressed a different direction to make it fan out like a rose. On p. 21 of the Course 3 book it has pictures and explains it. But..if you are buying the cutter set then no reason to have both books.
Then you add your calyx/sepal in green and let it dry. 
The hardest part is getting the fondant thin enough to make it look real nice. If it's too thick...it looks nice but...not as nice as the really thin ones.
Does that help any? It really is easy with the right tools.
You know...I did my first freehand fondant rose today (The MMF is Absolutely tops in taste in my book BTW...tastes like circus peanuts), and while it was fun, I was wondering what people thought of that Wiltons flower cutter set. She, do you use it, and if so, what is your overall opinion?
I'm still real new to cake decorating but...my course 3 final cake turned out nice and everyone was amazed that I made all the roses. I thought it was easy to make the roses using it. I'm not sure how to make them freehand out of fondant so...I can't compare. 
Well, I use Royal glue to adhere the bud to the toothpick - 1 tsp. water to 1 tsp. meringue powder ratio. I let the bud dry overnight, then I do one row of petals at a time, let the row dry for several hours, usually in a sideways or upside down position to stop the petals from drooping. Don't find that you need to add anything to the fondant.
I usually have my styrofoam sheet on top of a large pot and use the underneath part of the sheet to hang the flowers upside down, sometimes I stick them sideways from the sides of the styrofoam sheet. I buy the builder's styrofoam insulation sheets that come in 4 ft by 8 ft sheets and cut them down to managable size and wash them off with a mild solution of bleach and warm water before using them.
These cutters work very well as do the individual petal cutters that many manufacturers make.
Hugs Squirrelly Cakes
Yes, the centre bud just covers it.
Haha, sorry never took the courses, just got some cutters and followed the book and figured out a few ways of doing things. It is actually really easy to make gumpaste flowers, they just take time. The best advice I can give anyone is to purchase a couple of real flowers and when you are making your fondant or gumpaste ones, take one flower apart to see the construction of the flower, each individual petal. Then look at your other flower to see how the petals fall away from the centre, how they are all a little differently angled. This makes it easier to make a more natural looking flower.
Oh yes and when you make your leaves, use a balling tool to really thin out the edges of the leaves. I roll my fondant out very thin for leaves. I vein it using a vein pad, also a toothpick placed horizontally on the leave to get more defined lines and also pinch the end of the leaves where they would naturally attach to the stem of a flower. I find a lot of people make these really thick cookie cutter like leaves that don't look realistic. Dry them on flower formers at different angles. I use an inner tube from Saran Wrap, covered with plastic. That way you can dry a lot of leaves at different angles and they will look more natural.
Hugs Squirrelly Cakes
If you have trouble with drooping petals, you can use candy cups (like mini muffin cups). Stick the toothpick through the middle of the cup and push the cup up to the rose and it will help support the petals until they dry. Then stick the whole thing into your styrofoam.
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