Several weeks ago The Star introduced the belles of the S.C. Debutante Ball held at the Forest Lake Country Club. The beauty of the occasion was accentuated by the floral arrangements for the dinner dance, the debutantes, their escorts, and guests. The fastidious fingers of Sandra Chastain, 18-year veteran of the floral industry and awardwinning designer, created simple elegance with flowers and foliage.

Plans for the floral display were months in the making. On the morning of the event, Chastain arrived in her truck filled with flowers, greenery, and vases. One thousand red freedom roses, three hundred white hydrangeas, one hundred plus poinsettias, and masses of smilax vine answered for the roll call.

Most of the flowers came from much farther away than the debutantes. The roses arrived from Equator and were ordered last summer.

The timing of the arrival of fresh imported flowers is crucial. The roses are cut in Equator and transported by air from Quito to Miami. In Miami the imports undergo inspections by humans and detection dogs that are looking for diseases and drugs.

Sandra Chastain designed and arranged the floral fantasy for the South Carolina Debutante Ball. Once roses clear inspections and customs, they are loaded onto refrigerated trucks and travel by interstate highway directly to Chastain’s Floral in southeast Columbia. Chastain estimates that it takes four days from when the roses are cut in Equator to when they arrive at her doorstep.

The hydrangea blooms are California grown and shipped.

Whenever possible, Chastain purchases flowers from local growers. The poinsettias came from Bruce’s Greenhouses in Blythewood where staff propagates them from cuttings starting in August.

Smilax, the lightweight evergreen native vine growing luxuriantly throughout the south, has been used for garlands and wreaths for generations. Chastain harvests smilax from her woods.

Globes of red freedom roses and white hydrangeas atop clear fluted vases at each dining table. With raw materials onsite, Chastain begins her magic of transforming a dining room into a floral fantasy. For the centerpiece on 32 round tables, a globe of white hydrangeas and red freedom roses sets atop a 36-inch tall clear fluted vase. Seated guests are able to see each other across the table but also lift their eyes to a floral globe that echoes the bouquets held by the debutantes. Chastain creates matching globe bouquets of roses and hydrangeas for each of the debutantes. Escorts will wear red rose boutonnieres.

The head table has a smilax motif and overhead by the windows are hanging arrangements of white hydrangeas and dark glossy green smilax.

The bandstand is framed in red and white poinsettias. The dance floor is decorated from floor to ceiling with brilliant red poinsettias formed into a cone-shaped tree.

Hanging arrangement of white hydrangeas and evergreen smilax. As work proceeds, flowers are misted to retain freshness. By 4 p.m. Chastain puts the finishing touches on the floral fantasy. The Cinderellas arrive in the next hour.

Flowers form the backdrop for many of life’s special occasions— weddings, anniversaries, birthdays, wakes, holiday parties, and debutante balls.

Chastain presents a glimpse of her floral arrangements on her website at www.chastainsfloral.com/or visit her shop at 853 Universal Drive in Columbia.

Bouquets of roses and hydrangeas for each debutante.

Head table has a smilax motif.