Captivated by Beauty

Chelsea Fritts

Fiore Fine Flowers

Where do you go for inspiration?

I am always inspired by the natural world and often find inspiration in unexpected places. I follow a lot of floral interior and fashion designers and try to stay current with trends and apply those to our designs and the products we carry in the shop.

What structurally hidden things are inside the vase to keep everything in place especially with clear vases?

All our arrangements eventually have to travel. We use many mechanics to keep our stems in place. We swirl sticks in the bottom of vases utilize frogs chicken wire and tape. In 2017 I became a Chapel Designer and was introduced to Holly Chapple’s “egg and “pillow.” This reusable cage rests on top of the vase allowing stems to stay in place stay hydrated and is a greener approach to the use of floral foam.

In composition what would be one or two beginner tips what rules do you follow what are the elements to choose?

If you think about how the flowers relate to each other and how they grow in nature you can’t go wrong. The basic rules of art and composition apply to floral arranging and once you master mechanics my best advice is to find your style and have fun.

Dillon McLamb

Designs by Dillon

How does the floral concept translate from vision to execution?

Just like a cooking recipe I list out every stem I want to see in the design. From there all stems are totaled and the flower order is off to our wholesaler. Once the florals arrive to us everything is unpacked and processed into water. When the flowers are ready to design I use my recipes to design each piece with hopefully little to no flowers left over.

In composition what would be one or two beginner tips what rules do you follow what are the elements to choose?

Two tips I would give any beginner is to keep the stems in your water or foam clean and to be confident in your design. Don’t second-guess yourself but also don’t be afraid to make a mistake. With that said when it comes to choosing elements for your design I recommend looking at what the purpose of your design is and from there making appropriate flower choices for your design. For instance to design an arrangement for your home that you want to last as long as possible you would want to design with product that is known to have longer life spans rather than using delicate blooms that may only last a day or two.

What is your go-to basic assembly you use to create something rapidly?

My go-to for a quick and simple design would most likely be something in a smaller scale watertight vessel that I need no extramechanics for (foam tape wire etc.) and would simply be able to design within the vessel. With my vessel ready to go I would green my vase then add in my desired blooms and thearrangement should be ready to go from there. Other vases or design methods may require other design techniques which often take additional time etc. to where when designing in water your flowers will last longer and it’s typically a much easier and time-friendly design.

Jennifer Rose

Salt Harbor Designs

Where do you go for inspiration?

I love pulling inspiration from interiors gardens and architecture. Using these things to inspire color flower and vessel choice works really well and allows an arrangement to become part of a space rather than just something ornamental.

How does the floral concept translate from vision to execution?

Generally I have an idea of color and general design but the vase and actual flowers dictate much of the finished product. Working with fresh product means we never know exactly what color shape and size the flowers will be. Once they arrive and we begin putting them together the arrangement takes on a life of its own.

In composition what would be one or two beginner tips what rules do you follow what are the elements to choose?

I began working with flowers from the garden. It is the easiest way to teachyourself to design and to this day I still forage and cut for arrangements all of the time. From there a beginner can begin to play with shape texture and design. Really it just takes lots of practice and experimentation.