Calhoun County, AL – What began as a teenage hobby has grown into a lifelong passion for one local floral designer, whose journey from working in a florist shop during football season to cultivating vibrant cottage-style gardens continues to inspire creativity and connection through flowers.
Her introduction to floral design started early, when she was hired to work for a florist during the busy football season. During that formative year, she learned the foundations of the craft, including banquet corsages, centerpiece tablescapes, funeral sprays, and general container flower design. These early experiences not only shaped her technical skills but also sparked a deep appreciation for the beauty and meaning flowers can bring to life’s most memorable moments.
In 1998, she expanded her passion into organic gardening, laying the groundwork for what would become her signature “Country Cottage” floral design approach. The philosophy begins with planting traditional bulbs, corms, tubers, and rhizomes — such as lilies, irises, gladiolus, and dahlias — to establish a dependable base of classic blooms.
From there, the next step is incorporating a wide range of perennials that provide color, texture, and seasonal continuity. Favorites include Shasta daisies, bee balm, swamp sunflowers, coxcomb, blanket flowers, and rose campion. These perennials create a strong backbone for ongoing floral design, ensuring that gardens remain productive and visually engaging throughout the growing season.
Seasonal annuals are then added to bring variety and freshness to each bouquet. Tickseed, sunflowers, hibiscus, coleus, and caladiums are just a few examples of annuals that can enhance the diversity and visual interest of floral arrangements. The goal, she explains, is to cultivate a garden rich in blooming options, allowing for unique, personalized bouquets throughout the year.
Gardeners in Calhoun County, typically located within USDA planting zones 8a and 8b, benefit from long periods of hot sunshine. With approximately four months of intense summer heat, planting blooming varieties in early spring is essential to ensure a steady flow of flowers for cutting and arranging.
In addition to blooms, shrub stems can provide valuable texture and filler for bouquets during transitional periods between flowering cycles. Sunshine shrubs, known for their waxy yellow leaves, are a favorite choice, though nearly any shrub or bush can serve as an effective bouquet accent.
As the seasons progress, gardeners can gather whatever is blooming to create arrangements for birthdays, anniversaries, and special events. She also encourages floral enthusiasts to photograph their bouquets regularly, using those images as a tool for learning and artistic growth. Reviewing past arrangements can help refine design techniques and inspire new creative directions.
Through thoughtful planting and a love for traditional cottage-style blooms, she continues to share her passion for floral design — one bouquet at a time — celebrating both the beauty of Southern gardens and the joy of creating something meaningful from the soil.
Betty Clark is a contributing writer. She has been an organic gardener since 1998. The signature flower she grows is Dahlias. She has a straw bale garden, a raised bed garden, and an in-ground garden. Both her surnames are from agricultural farming families (8 generations). Her hobbies include ancestry research, antiques, continued education classes, and workshops. She also has a background in marketing & promotions, including expos. To contact Betty Clark with gardening questions: bettyclark2151959@gmail.com
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