Winter Florals

Demystifying the art of floral arranging with The Flower Guy Bron

Text by JASMINE BIBLE + Photography by TOM DALY

When you need jaw-droppingly stunning florals, there’s only one place to go: The Flower Guy Bron. From lavish multi-day weddings to intimate events, Bron Hansboro has become the go-to floral designer for Virginia and beyond. We were lucky enough to visit his shop in the Brookland Park neighborhood of Richmond, Virginia, to get expert advice on creating your own winter floral arrangement.

Bron’s energetic, witty, passionate, and magnetic personality shines through in all his work, and we were delighted to witness his artistry in action. A former teacher, Bron was eager to “demystify the process” for our readers. To create a stunning centerpiece, follow along with Bron’s tried and true tips.

#1 – CHOOSE YOUR FLOWERS

During the winter months, Bron loves using various white blooms arranged among lush greenery for a bold and beautiful statement. The flowers he used are readily available any time of year, and he suggests Trader Joe’s as an affordable source.

As a general rule, you’ll want to use a mix of focal blooms, filler blooms, and greenery. For this example arrangement, Bron used approximately 18 focal blooms (white hydrangea and tea roses), six stems of filler (freesia), and three bunches of greenery (silver dollar eucalyptus, lemon leaf, and dusty miller).

#2 – CHOOSE YOUR LOCATION

The location where your arrangement will be displayed dictates its overall size and layout. If it will be a table centerpiece, the highest flower should be no taller than 16”, so as to not impede conversation across the table. The arrangement will also need to be lovely from all angles—360 degrees. If it will live on a sideboard or buffet table, it can be any height you choose, and you’ll want to focus on the front and side views. No need to waste stunners on the unseen back side.

#3 – GATHER YOUR TOOLS

Begin by choosing your vessel—a low, wide-mouthed bowl will work best for a centerpiece. Snip chicken wire with wire cutters, mold it into a ball, and place it at the bottom of the vessel, providing a foundation for the stems.

Use floral tape in a criss-cross pattern to keep the chicken wire in place. You’ll also need sharp floral snips for tending to the flowers. If you have a lazy Susan, you can rotate your arrangement to make sure it looks lovely from all angles. If not, try to arrange your flowers at a table or island where you can walk around to check in without moving the vase.

#4 – PREP YOUR FLOWERS

Prepping your greenery and blooms first makes the actual arranging faster and more fluid. Using your hands and floral snips, pluck away any straggly or wilted pieces. Remove any sad buds from the flowers. Separate the freesia’s stems with white blooms from those with only bright green buds, keeping both sections. To allow your flowers to absorb the most water, wait to snip their ends until the next step—then snip one at a time, at a 45 degree angle when possible.

#5 – ARRANGE YOUR FLOWERS

Now comes the real fun! Bron builds his arrangements in layers, beginning with the greenery. “The first placement defines the overall shape. Let the greenery speak to you. If it wants to flop, let it flop!” laughs Bron. His artistic, loose, organic style results in effortlessly chic arrangements, so we’re trusting this approach.

Snipping the ends as you go, place the greenery one variety at a time, beginning with the eucalyptus, allowing it to drape elegantly. Next, move onto the lemon leaf. Add enough to cover the “mechanics”—the floral wire, tape, and even the edge of the vessel. Finally, insert the dusty miller, spaced evenly throughout the arrangement. At this point, it should look like a lovely green pillow—soft and full.

Next, you’ll move onto the focal blooms, beginning with the hydrangeas. “Since they are such large blooms, you’ll want to break them down and separate them. If you placed the entire bloom in one clump, it would feel too heavy,” advises Bron. Instead, place approximately one third of the head low and deep into the arrangement, then pull some leaves of greenery through the white petals to further separate the bunch. Place the remaining two thirds of the head into other sides of the arrangement.

If at this point you’re starting to doubt yourself, don’t! In what could also be a life motto, Bron encourages, “You don’t have to love it at every stage.” Allow yourself the space to enjoy the process and trust that it will come together in the end.

Time for the roses! The length that you trim your roses will begin to establish the arrangement’s overall shape and form. So start long, place one, then stand back and see. To create depth and drama, the roses should hover above the crest of the greenery by two to three inches. Place the roses throughout, delicately opening the exterior petals. Let your roses do double duty by employing a technique called “reflexing”: fold down the outer two layers of petals, keeping the center petals tightly facing upward in the center. The result is a completely different looking bloom.

Last, place the freesia, starting with the white petal stems. Place them in clusters to replicate a natural growth pattern. “The shape of the freesia adds fluid movement to the piece. Placing them at high and low points on either side of the arrangement creates a beautiful optical illusion—almost an elegant S-curve shape,” shares Bron. For the finishing touch, add in the freesia stems with green buds, standing back periodically to assess and fill any empty spaces. Et voilà! You’ve created a masterpiece!

#6 – DISPLAY

For a longer life, Bron suggests no additives in the water. Instead, change out the water daily using a turkey baster. Now that you’ve created a magazine-worthy centerpiece, give yourself a hug. You made that—a beautiful, fragrant, and affordable centerpiece to enjoy during the holidays or any season.

Follow Bron for inspiring event florals and behind-the-scenes glimpses at how the magic happens!

We shared this Winter Florals article with you in the fall/winter 2021 issue of NEST Magazine. To view the full issue, click here.