Armed with dainty flower shears, Jaclyn Williams bends down to snip off a dew-sheened yellow poppy.

“She’ll be a ‘whimsy,’” Williams says, revealing a tendency to humanize her flowers while explaining the poppy’s role in today’s arrangement. Each stem plays a part, she says, and a whimsy is a final pop of personality.

Williams opened her micro-flower farm Mist & Mallow in 2022, creating loosely elegant designs for brides and flower fans while spreading the word about the relevance of preservative-free blooms. Operations take place in her sunny Mid City backyard, where she plants a curated list of about seven species that perform well in south Louisiana’s climate. They also provide the shapes and sizes that befit her airy, uncluttered style.

“I don’t like things too tight,” Williams says. “Maybe because I grow them and I’m very emotionally connected to them, I want each flower to have a moment.”

A research scientist at the Pennington Biomedical Research Center by day, Williams’ desk job is replete with precision. Flowers give her a chance to bend the rules. She follows a few principles to achieve her signature look, the most important of which is to let the flowers speak for themselves.

Rise and shine

Williams harvests in the morning when flowers are at the peak of hydration. Stripping leaves from the bottom half of each stem, she places the flowers in a bucket of water to rest.

Assemble the base

Gathering stems between her fingers, Williams starts with greenery like sweet pea, or other large, prominent options, to frame the arrangement. “I think in terms of forming a V or W,” she says.

Add line flowers

Next, Williams chooses elongated blooms, like colorful snapdragons, to act as line flowers, which further defines the overall shape.

Build up with filler

Williams relies on so-called filler flowers like larkspur, corncockle, daffodils and nigella to fill large gaps while also maintaining a freeform look.

Bring in a focal 

With the base, line and filler flowers established, pop in focal flowers to make a statement. In the spring, Williams uses ranunculus, cheerful blooms that resemble small peonies.

Don’t forget the whimsy

“Finish things off with a flower that just kind of pops,” William says. Red and yellow poppies are her go-to choice this time of year.

Know when to stop

Negative space is your friend. The goal is to highlight the flowers, not crowd them. “When you’re looking at the arrangement,” Williams says, “I want you to catch a little bit of everybody.”

Save the date

Mist & Mallow will host “An Evening in the Garden” floral workshop at 6 p.m. on May 5 at The Modern Munchkin Co. The event will include a floral design demonstration and hands-on arrangement making. Space is limited; register at mistandmallow.com.

This article was originally published in the May 2026 issue of 225 Magazine.