FEAST for the SENSES

TEXAS FLORAL DESIGNER JIMMIE HENSLEE CAPTURES SUMMER'S ABUNDANCE IN VIVID ARRANGEMENTS OF FLOWERS AND FRUIT, VEGETABLES AND HERBS.

- GRACE HAYNES WALL

THERE’S SOMETHING SPECIAL about using what you've grown to create an arrangement and really enjoying that moment of the season,” says interior stylist and floral designer Jimmie Henslee. “As a gardener, I love watching my plants get big enough to cut—I wait all year for these blooms.” At his Dallas-Fort Worth area home, he harvests fruits, vegetables, and herbs with the same aesthetic fervor as the flowers, creating vibrant snapshots of the season's bounty. Zinnias pair with fig branches and tomato vines; rhubarb mingles with roses. A textile fanatic, Henslee finds inspiration in patterns like Bennison Fabric’s classic Rosevine, which is echoed in a centerpiece of English roses, grapes, and Dutch clematis in his courtyard. “The colors are visually cooling for the warmer months,” he says.