Floral Design Day was instituted in 1995, in honor of Carl Rittner, founder of the School of Floral Design in Boston. Rittner is considered by many to be the “father of floral design” and was one of the very first to recognize the work done in this industry as a legitimate art form. His legacy and vision have influenced thousands of professionals through the years. On the day he is remembered, we’d like to introduce you to one of our floral designers, Robert, who has been with Billy Heroman’s Flowers since the 1970’s. Although he took breaks over the years, he always returned – and he is here to stay. Also known as Bubba, Robert has fond memories of some of the early years with “Mr. Billy” and the family. “I lived in Mr. Heroman’s garage while working part-time and attending LSU,” Robert says. “We had one van and a station wagon for deliveries and one small cooler.”  When asked if a particular design project came to mind as a favorite, Robert reached back to the early days. ” My very first project outside the shop was in the Assembly Center at LSU. I had to arrange football mums into a double stacked birdbath in the middle of the basketball court, and had to climb a ladder to do it.” With some nostalgia, Robert adds “Mr. Billy was a good teacher.”

Over the years, Robert has designed with nearly every flower imaginable, but he does have several favorites to work with. “I love tropical flowers, because they allow for simple, yet exaggerated design”, Robert says. But he also loves designing compact, complex arrangements with many textures, colors, contrasts, and tones; as well as “weedy, natural looking flower arrangements”.

But what is his favorite flower overall? The exotic orchid.

Robert thrives on the fast pace of the shop, and the ability to be creative on multiple projects. He is the go-to designer for training new employees in design, because of his incredible artistic eye and attention to detail. His floral aesthetic has become a very important part of what makes Billy Heroman’s stand out among others!

We consider ourselves lucky to have his creativity and dedication on our team. Thank you, Robert, for helping Billy Heroman’s Flowers to make Baton Rouge more beautiful every day – one design at a time!