Designing from the Heart: A Floral Tale
- Dottie McKenzie
- Jul 13
- 2 min read
For me, floral design has always come naturally—as long as I’m free to be myself and not confined to a box. But when you are in the world of professional floral design, you must learn to love the box, to understand it, and to know when and how to gracefully step outside of it.
The truth is, to truly serve a client, you have to understand their vision—and sometimes, that means translating a wild, whimsical idea into something that feels comfortable for them. I often get requests for the sort of messy, organic, slightly wonky urn arrangements that flow right out of my head, through my heart, and into my hands. Voilà! Magic. ✨
But here’s the thing: while many clients say they want that free-spirited, garden-grown look, deep down, some are a little afraid of it. It’s unfamiliar, untamed. That’s where the real artistry comes in—creating their version of wild beauty. That takes skill, intuition, and a deep understanding of color and form. (Luckily, my daughter absolutely shines in this department—her sense of people and petals is a gift.)
Of course, every now and then, someone will say the sweetest words: "Do your thing." That kind of trust? It makes my heart soar.
Pulling off this effortless-looking design is anything but accidental. You need to know your colors. Imagine this piece without that splash of tomato red—wouldn’t it feel a bit flat? That unexpected brightness wakes the whole arrangement up. But it’s the soft, peachy-pink bloom tucked beside it that whispers the whole palette into harmony. That gentle balance? It’s everything.
And let’s not forget the vessel. A statement like this needs the right urn—one that grounds it with grace and timeless texture. I chose this particular one for its wide, low shape and delicate embossed florals. It’s a piece that tells its own story.
I can’t wait to share more floral tales with you—more musings from the garden studio where color meets feeling, and blooms become poetry.
~ Dottie
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