July 2021 “Best in Blooms” Winner
Meet the winner and other finalists in FR’s new bimonthly flower design contest.
Florists’ Review is excited to present the finalists in the second installment of our new “Best in Blooms” contest series—the theme of which is “The Great Gatsby.” More than 70 floral designers from across the country submitted photos of their floral design work for our jury’s consideration.
The four designers featured on these pages were selected as finalists. To create these designs, each of them received cut flowers and foliages from Certified American Grown– member farms—Mellano & Company, Sun Valley Floral Farms, Len Busch Roses and Continental Floral Greens (AmericanGrownFlowers.org). Each contestant also selected a stunning crystal vase from Oasis Floral Products’ “Nachtmann Fine Bavarian Crystal Collection” (check them out at OasisFloralProducts.com/Pages/Nachtmann-Glass-Design- Inspiration, or ask you favorite wholesaler about the collection).
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“For this ‘Great Gatsby’/Art Deco-inspired arrangement, I drew inspiration from the symmetrical, geometric shapes and patterns of the era, particularly the fan pattern. I love the look of modern Art Deco wallpaper, in particular. I chose to create my own fan pattern with the flowers and foliages provided by Certifed American Grown, and I selected botanicals that reflected the saturated jewel tones of modern Art Deco. For the tablescape, I gathered some goodies from local Seattle vendors to amplify the luxury and decadence of Gatsbytheme parties: lots of gold metal elements and decadent desserts like macarons and chocolate.“For my mechanics, I formed chicken wire into a sphere, to ft atop the mouth of the vase, and I secured it in place with waterproof tape. I wanted the vase to look clear and stemless, to show off its beauty, so I cut the stems short, just barely submerged into the water.”
Winner
Pack receives a $500 credit with Certified American Grown and Oasis Floral Products, and a feature in Florists’ Review in an upcoming issue.
*Be sure to watch her video tutorial.
Melissa Pack
Anthera Floral
Normandy Park, Wash.
@antherafloral | antherafloral.com
Photography by Beauclair Photography
Venue: Helios Studios
Rentals: Balancing Balloons
Macaroons: Missy Lee Cakes
- Rosa spp. (spray rose)
- Tulipa spp. (tulip)
- Paeonia lactiflora (Chinese peony, garden peony)
- Alstroemeria aurea/A. aurantiaca
(Peruvian lily, lily-of-the-Incas) - Zantedeschia rehmannii hybrid (miniature calla)
- Veronica spp. (speedwell, brooklime)
- Agonis flexuosa
(peppermint willow, Australian willow myrtle) - Cotinus coggygria (smokebush, smoke tree, Venetian sumac)
- Camellia japonica (common Camellia, Japanese Camellia)
CRYSTAL VASE FROM OASIS FLORAL PRODUCTS
- Saphir Vase from the Nachtmann Fine Bavarian
Crystal Collection
Mibellarosa; Houston, Texas
@mibellarosa | mibellarosa.com
“I drew my inspiration from Jay Gatsby’s mansion. I thought about what Daisy would have in her home—or what Jay might send to Daisy’s home. I wanted to make sure the glitz, glamour and gilt of the Art Deco era was there, so I spray- painted a dried fan palm gold, and then I hand-painted wisps of pinks and gray, for drama. The fan palm mirrors the lines of the vase and adds height to the design. For the fresh flowers, I chose lush pink blooms to represent Jay and Daisy’s blossoming youth, love and affair; the gold represents their wealth and high society; and the darker hues foreshadow the impending doom they eventually met. For the mechanics, I used only a 2-inch-by-5-inch piece of chicken wire across the mouth of the vase and folded it over the rim of the vase to keep it in place.”
- Lilium (Roselily, double-flowered Oriental lily)
- Tulipa (parrot tulip)
- Tulipa (double-flowered tulip)
- Paeonia lactiflora (Chinese peony, garden peony)
- Eustoma grandiflorum/Lisianthus russellianus (double-flowered prairie gentian)
- Zantedeschia rehmannii ‘Picasso’ (miniature calla)
- Veronica (speedwell, brooklime)
- Astilbe japonica (false goat’s beard, false spirea, florist’s spirea)
- Agonis flexuosa (peppermint willow, Australian willow myrtle)
- Cotinus coggygria (smokebush, smoke tree, Venetian sumac)
- Buxus (boxwood)
- Lagerstroemia indica foliage (crape myrtle)
- Dried fan palm
VASE FROM OASIS FLORAL PRODUCTS
- Saphir Vase from the Nachtmann Fine Bavarian Crystal Collection
Beholden Blooms; Frankfort, Ky.
@beholdenblooms | beholdenblooms.com
Photography by Jennifer Chang Photography
Venue: Bodley-Bullock House; Lexington, Ky.
“I’ve always loved the Art Deco movement and designs from the 1920s, and for this arrangement, I wanted to do something that felt historically plausible. As soon as I had the dramatic vase in my hands and the floral product arrived, I knew my options were limitless. Often, I choose one or two elements to focus on and ground the arrangement, and then I build out from there. I love the Continus for its color variation between green and burgundy; the Agonis added, in an organic way, the feel of feathers that is often associated with the flappers of the 1920s; and the parrot tulips had all of the luxury and movement I needed to create drama. To add a glamorous metallic touch that was so much a part of Art Deco design, I spray painted the fresh Veronica gold.”
- Lilium (Roselily, double-flowered Oriental lily)
- Tulipa (parrot tulip)
- Tulipa (double-flowered tulip)
- Zantedeschia rehmannii hybrid (miniature calla)
- Veronica (speedwell, brooklime)
- Agonis flexuosa (peppermint willow, peppermint tree, Western Australian peppermint, willow myrtle, Australian willow myrtle)
- Cotinus coggygria (smokebush, smoke tree, Venetian sumac)
- Pittosporum tenuifolium ‘Variegatum’ (tawhiwhi, kohuhu, variegated Italian Pittosporum, variegated New Zealand Pittosporum)
- Buxus (boxwood)
CRYSTAL VASE FROM OASIS FLORAL PRODUCTS
Quartz Oval Vase from the Nachtmann Fine Bavarian Crystal Collection
AIFD, CFD, PFCI, TMF
Fulshear Floral Design; Fulshear (Houston), Texas
@aceberryaifd | fulshearfloraldesign.com
“I grew up in a Southern state where grand entrance foyers are common in homes; that was my inspiration for this design. I wanted to create a classic design that would be appropriate for the foyer of a grand old Victorian-style home but that would be modern enough to speak to every generation that enters the space. Flowers do not know ages, and they’re meant for everyone to enjoy.”
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