BRINGING THE OUTDOORS IN

Working as a maitre d' at Thomas Keller's French Laundry in Yountville, California, Clover Chadwick's interest in floral design took root. Inspired by Keller's intense focus in procuring the best herbs and ingredients, along w i f i periodic vineyard visits to witness viticulture — the cultivation of grapevines — her enthusiasm flourished. A few years later, living in Los Angeles, she realized many local eateries neglected to consider floral design as a form of interior design, so she set out to help them and began creating flower arrangements for their tables. Today at Dandelion Ranch — her studio based in a barn in Los Angeles — Chadwick designs for weddings, events and L.A. hot spots including Cafe Pinot, BLD, Sona and Lucques. Her process begins by selecting a container. "It's like the shoes in the outfit — it totally changes the look of the arrangement," says Chadwick. Returning flora back to a naturelike state is her mantta. She consults the natural growth direction of each piece before building a "nest" for the flowers. "If they have a natural line, those are the ones coming out and spilling. I want the arrangements to be like nature — they reach up for the sun, and they spill down when they get old and heavy." Here, dahlias, ranunculus, eucalyptus seedpods, blue thistle and chrysanthemums are incorporated into this summer arrangement. The outside is brought indoors, just the way it should be. dandelionranch.com