Featuring floral artist and designer Bruno Duarte

The Shreveport Garden Study Club will host its biennial floral design symposium, “Bouquets,” beginning at 10 a.m. on Tuesday, March 15, at Shreveport’s East Ridge Country Club. Admission to the event is $75, with limited seating. This year’s speaker will be the highly entertaining and talented floral designer Bruno Duarte.

The Garden Shop opens at 10 a.m., with the demonstration starting at 11 a.m. Coffee and a mimosa or Bloody Mary cash bar will be available while Bruno designs and constructs eight to 10 arrangements, concluding with a light lunch after the presentation. Bruno’s florals will be available for purchase, along with raffle tickets for locally donated items.

Bruno grew up surrounded by flowers on his family’s farm in Madeira. The island paradise off the coast of Morocco is known as the floating garden and is home to rare flowers from around the world. It’s here where Bruno’s passion for orchids and all things floral began.

Much like his Belgian contemporaries, Bruno’s approach to floral design is both sculptural and emotional, blending organic materials and found objects together to create works of art. His floral studio in Toronto is often mistaken for an art gallery, where weekly window displays are designed to showcase his artistry.

His exceptional craftsmanship and innovative design techniques have captured the attention of socialites and A-list celebrities in Canada and international glitterati like Rene Zellweger, Patti LaBelle and Elton John.

When Bruno’s not in his studio, he can be found designing in front of a live audience. He frequently appears on local and national television programs and gives floral demonstrations at home and garden shows. He is also a regular contributor to magazines, where his seasonal décor and wedding work are prominently featured.

For tickets, send a check to Shreveport Garden Study Club, 924 Oneonta, Shreveport, LA 71106. Include name, address, phone number and the number of tickets requested. For more information, email Judy Chidlow at jchidlow@gmail.com.

Proceeds benefit the projects of the Shreveport Garden Study Club, a member club of The Garden Clubs of America. One of the main projects of the SGSC is the restoration and maintenance of The Greenwood Cemetery, including the new educational pavilion, pond, and fountain and student field trips to study this historic cemetery.