Arthur Williams has been working with flowers since his childhood growing up on a Colorado farm. He opened Babylon Floral Design Inc. in 2004 and was one of the first seven Coloradans to become a Certified Professional Florist. In 2015, he was inducted into the American Institute of Floral Designers and in 2016, he completed his EMC (a master’s certificate in European Floral Design) in Belgium. Today, Williams brings that expertise to his floral arrangements in Denver.
When did you become a florist?
“Back in 1996. I come from a background in photography and sculpture and also grew up on a farm in Paonia and have always loved gardening. I keep a garden myself, though most of my flowers for arrangements come from South America, California and Holland. I also give talks at art museums, was a Creative-In-Residence at DAM and am always looking for fashion and editorial work as my creative outlets.”
What do you think about when crafting your beautiful arrangements?
“I want my designs to be interesting, unique and always have tension. To create that tension, I mix flowers with harsher, straight lines, like horsetails or gladioluses, with flowers that curve, like calla lilies or vines. The overall shape of the arrangement matters too and depends on its intention. For birthdays and celebrations, I design upright or radiant shapes that exude energy. A wedding bouquet, on the other hand, is a more contained shape.”
How do you build your bouquets?
“First, I build a base out of branches. Then, I line the flowers up to arrange the colors. From there, I start with the lower green elements and then place the bigger flowers and then the smaller flowers. Each time I add something to the arrangement, I am trying to counteract what I just did and balance the bouquet. I finish it off with a spray that seals in moisture.”
How can people order arrangements?
“We have a somewhat abstract way of ordering that caters to people who don’t know much about flowers. They can pick a style like Countrypolitan which is made from local flowers or NeoTropica which is a mix of temperate and tropical plants. People can tell us the intention or main color they want without knowing a single flower’s name and we will take it from there and create something beautiful and unique.”
What’s in season this month?
“October is a great time to go crazy with color. Fall is all about everything giving its last hurrah. The colors are super intense for the last time all year. Try arranging reds, yellows and oranges with a pop of burgundy or purple. Local dahlias and sunflowers are some of my favorite Fall flowers.”
