Presented by Details Flowers Software, Ball SB, Society of American Florists, and Allure Farms.
We’re thrilled to kick off Stem Wars, an exciting floral design showdown featuring 16 incredible designers from across the industry! Each contestant will highlight Ball's stunning Ageratum & Didiscus varieties—and create a one-of-a-kind arrangement to compete for the crown.
The chosen contestants will go head-to-head in a March Madness-style bracket—all leading up to one designer being crowned champion and taking home over $3,000 in prizes!
This isn’t just a contest—it’s a celebration of creativity, artistry, and floral excellence. Join us in cheering on these talented designers, discovering new inspiration, and helping decide who will bloom to the top!
Nelson Gonzalez
With over 23 years of experience and 2,400+ events, Nelson Enrique González Prieto is a floral designer and Creative Director of Evolution Eventos. As the founder of Evolution Academy, he specializes in high-impact structural elegance and color mastery, focusing on training Latino professionals in profitable, high-level design. His work blends contemporary technique with sustainability, ensuring technical precision and botanical longevity in every artistic installation.
Sheldon Jensen
Sheldon is a floral designer with over a decade of experience, having refined his craft while managing his family’s flower shop. Known for a modern aesthetic rooted in strong technical foundations, he was crowned the 2025 Duel of the Delphiniums Champion. Sheldon emphasizes thoughtful composition and texture in every piece, striving to elevate floristry as a true discipline while shaping the industry's future through his award-winning artistry.
Jolene Powell AIFD
An AIFD-certified designer with over 17 years of experience, this North Carolina Floral Designer of the Year (2025) has owned a full-service shop for nine years. Now a dedicated educator at a technical career center, Jolene blends professional mastery with a competitive spirit, holding titles from the NCSFA and Florida DOY. Known for incorporating unique techniques, she approaches every competition as an opportunity to grow.
Andrea Sword-Chasse
Andrea is the manager of Exeter Flower Shop. Mentored by Lisa Greene, she blends garden-inspired romance with a signature flair for moody, textured, and highly personalized design. Recently featured in Floral Management, Andrea specializes in translating life stories into one-of-a-kind botanical art. Her work reflects a deep commitment to high-level craftsmanship and the belief that floral design should be as personal as the moments it represents.
Brandy Ferrer AIFD, CFD, TMF
Brandy is the award-winning owner of Simply Beautiful Floral Company and the 2024 Texas Designer of the Year. With a background in educational leadership, she serves on the AIFD Foundation Board and the Texas State Florists’ Association. A national presenter and designer for the New York Botanical Garden’s Orchid Dinner, Brandy blends her passion for teaching with technical mastery, dedicating her career to mentoring florists and advancing innovation within the global floral community.
Brian DeLong-Weismiller
Brian is the designer behind Las Vegas-based Bud Weismiller Flowers, founded on the belief that flowers serve as essential emotional translators. Inspired by the desert landscape and vintage aesthetics, Brian creates lush, expressive arrangements designed to deliver joy during life's most significant moments. Operating 24/7 across the Las Vegas Valley, he ensures that heartfelt, "unexpected" floral connections are available whenever they are needed most, one bouquet at a time.
Shayai Lucero
Shayai (Pueblo of Laguna/Acoma) is an award-winning floral designer and the matriarch of Earth & Sky Floral Designs and Gallery. A biologist and former Miss Indian World, she integrates traditional Pueblo healing and botanical knowledge into her unique, commissioned floral art. Her advocacy for Indigenous justice and entrepreneurship has taken her to the United Nations in Geneva, cementing her reputation as a "Changemaker" in both the creative and tribal communities.
Carol Valderrama
Carol is a Venezuelan floral designer and the owner of The Blooming Floral Cafe in Tampa’s Seminole Heights. With over 25 years of local experience, she created her shop as a "floral paradise" that blends a professional florist studio with a Parisian-inspired coffee house. Carol’s vision for the space focuses on community and beauty, offering a Victorian-style sanctuary where visitors can enjoy fresh blooms alongside specialty lattes.
Elizabeth & Ruth
Elizabeth and Ruth are the lead design team at Kati Mac Floral Design, bringing 17 years of combined experience to the wedding and event industry. Operating as a unified duo in PA, they work on behalf of a unique nonprofit mission: to employ and train individuals with intellectual disabilities. By prioritizing meaningful employment and a supportive creative environment, Elizabeth and Ruth transform floral artistry into a vehicle for community impact and inclusive growth.
Casey Sims
With a background in art history and interior design, Casey transitioned into floristry to lead Nashville’s Rose Hill Flowers. Serving high-end corporate and music industry clientele, her recent work earned "Best in Show" at the international Fleurs de Ville competition, ranking among the top two in the show's history. She continues to define Nashville’s floral landscape through award-winning masterpieces that transform traditional floristry into fine art.
Anna Dementieva AIFD, CFD, FSMD
An award-winning AIFD designer and founder of Luxury Flowers Miami, she brings over a decade of international experience to luxury installations. Twice named Florida State Designer of the Year, her work merges European tradition with contemporary sculptural forms. From representing Ukraine in global competitions to creating immersive private commissions, she elevates floral design into a temporary form of fine art that explores the dialogue between nature and architecture.
Kat Castagnoli AIFD, CFD, CCF
Kat is an AIFD-certified designer with over 20 years of experience as a freelance artist, instructor, and judge. Having refined her craft under mentors like Phil Rulloda and Hitomi Gilliam, she specializes in high-end retail and large-scale projects, including installations for Art Alive and Fleurs de Villes. Based in Orange County, Kat blends deep technical accreditation with a passion for creative storytelling, transforming decades of professional mastery into vibrant, world-class floral experiences.
Becky Memmo AIFD
Becky is an accredited designer with over 20 years of experience and more than 600 weddings to her credit. Now the Senior Floral Strategy Lead at FiftyFlowers, she has designed high-profile events ranging from the Philadelphia Flower Show to international weddings in Spain. Based near Philadelphia, Becky blends a versatile, client-focused approach with a love for garden party aesthetics, transforming her deep industry expertise into globally recognized botanical art.
Courtney Champagne
Courtney is an agricultural science instructor at Silsbee High School, where she leads a student-run floral shop in Southeast Texas. With over 15 years in education, she blends creative design with real-world business experience. As the founder of Cultivated Blooms, Courtney also supports floral educators nationwide with specialized curriculum and resources, fostering a mission to help both teachers and students grow with professional confidence and artistry.
Martha Aaron AIFD, CFD, AzMF
Martha is an AIFD-certified artist and owner of Mountain High Flowers in Sedona, with over 20 years of experience. A three-time Arizona Designer of the Year and "Best in the West" winner, she holds prestigious CEJ and Texas Master Florist certifications. As a past state association president, Martha blends technical mastery with creative innovation, producing award-winning designs that define the landscape of Southwest floral artistry.
Tanna Victory AIFD, CFD, CF
Tanna is a distinguished freelance designer from Grand Rapids with over 40 years of industry expertise. Known for drawing creative inspiration from everyday objects, she transforms ordinary elements into extraordinary floral art. Beyond her technical mastery, Tanna is deeply committed to the future of the craft, dedicating her time to mentoring the next generation of talent and fostering a legacy of innovation within the professional floral community.
Ball Cut Flowers is dedicated to providing top-quality flowers that inspire floral professionals worldwide. As a trusted breeder and supplier, we offer a diverse selection of innovative and high-performing flower varieties, ensuring florists and event designers have access to the best blooms for their creations. Our commitment to excellence helps growers thrive, enhances floral trends, and strengthens the industry with reliable, standout products.
Details Flowers Software is an all-in-one platform built exclusively for florists to simplify and elevate event planning. The platform offers intuitive tools for creating proposals, building recipes, tracking costs and inventory, and processing payments. Through Details Direct, florists can source premium fresh flowers with transparent pricing, making it easier to order confidently and plan with accuracy. Details also supports the floral industry through education, mentorship, and national leadership, and was named a 2025 U.S. Chamber of Commerce Top 100 Small Business, recognized as a Culture Champion.
The Society of American Florists (SAF) is the premier trade association representing the floral industry. Committed to helping florists, wholesalers, growers, and suppliers thrive, SAF provides essential advocacy, education, and networking opportunities. Through industry events, business resources, and consumer outreach, SAF supports floral professionals in growing their businesses and elevating the impact of flowers in everyday life.
Allure Farms is a premier importer and distributor of high-quality fresh-cut flowers, specializing in sourcing the finest blooms from top growers in Colombia and Ecuador. With a focus on reliability and exceptional customer service, Allure Farms provides wholesalers and floral professionals with a consistent supply of premium roses, hydrangeas, and seasonal varieties. By combining strict quality control with efficient logistics, they ensure that every stem arrives in peak condition, helping floral businesses across the country flourish with vibrant, long-lasting products.
OVERVIEW:
It’s a floral showdown with Ageratum and Didiscus! Who will bloom brightest and take home the grand prize? Step into the ring and let your creativity shine!
The Stem Wars contest is open to professional florists and floral designers aged 18 or older who reside in locations where participation in such contests is legally allowed. Employees and immediate family members of Ball SB, Society of American Florists, Allure Farms, or Details Flowers Software are not eligible to participate, ensuring a fair and unbiased competition.
Interested participants must submit an online entry form that includes their professional background and motivation for joining the contest. From these submissions, 16 participants will be selected to compete. Each chosen participant will receive a surprise box containing various stems of Ageratum and Didiscus to create their floral design.
By entering, participants grant Ball SB, Society of American Florists, Allure Farms, and Details Flowers Software permission to use their designs for promotional purposes, including but not limited to social media, websites, and advertising. Participants retain ownership of their design images but allow the organizers to use the images without additional compensation.
Designs must be original and comply with the contest’s guidelines. Any designs containing offensive, plagiarized, or unsuitable material will be disqualified at the organizers' discretion. Participants must adhere to deadlines and requirements or risk disqualification.
Design & Submission Rules
Use Ageratum and Didiscus as the Star of Your Design-
Your arrangement should prominently feature Ageratum and Didiscus as the focal flower. Other blooms and elements can be included, but Ageratum and Didiscus must take center stage.
Submit Your Design Recipe-
All participants are required to submit a detailed recipe that includes a list of the flowers and materials used in their design, along with the quantity and stem count for each item.
Create an Original, Fresh Floral Design-
All entries must be original works created specifically for this contest. Designs should be made with fresh flowers—no permanent or artificial elements allowed.
Capture High-Quality Photos of Your Design-
Submissions must include at least one high-resolution, well-lit photo of the final design.
Behind-the-scenes photos and videos are encouraged to showcase your creative process.
Stay Within the Submission Deadline-
To be considered, all designs must be submitted by 11:59 PM EST on March 16th. Late submissions will not be accepted.
Ball SB, The Society of American Florists, Allure Farms, and Details Flowers Software are not responsible for technical issues, lost submissions, or unauthorized use of participant materials. By entering, participants acknowledge and accept the risks involved and release the organizers from any liability for damages or losses during the competition.
Personal information will be used only for administrative purposes related to the contest and will not be shared with third parties. Participants agree to have their names, location, and designs showcased for promotional activities related to the contest.
This contest is governed by the laws of Florida. Any disputes will be resolved in the courts of Volusia County. The organizers reserve the right to modify, cancel, or suspend the contest if unforeseen circumstances arise.
For any questions or assistance, participants can contact the contest organizers at hello@detailsflowers.com.
