Designer Martyn Lawrence Bullard Delights at The 18th Annual Writer’s Garden at Dallas Arboretum

The Women’s Council of the Dallas Arboretum and Botanical Garden hosted its 18th annual “A Writer’s Garden” on Wednesday, November 13. Themed “Star Style: Glamour for the Home & Garden,” the literary symposium and luncheon featured keynote presentations from landscape designer Stefani Bittner and interior designer Martyn Lawrence Bullard.

Chaired by Joni Krieg, with Garry Weber serving as honorary chair, the event benefits A Woman’s Garden. Therese Rourk currently serves as president of the Women’s Council. Last year’s “A Writer’s Garden” also included a morning of stunning interiors from fabulous British men. As the name suggests, the annual event’s format includes lectures from two authors on the topic of homes and gardens, followed by lunch.

For an event that started at 9:30 am, the ladies dressed to impress, many donning floral frocks. When in Rome!

A champagne welcome reception in Rosine Hall (which featured beautiful floral projections on the walls) offered guests itsy muffins and bitsy quiches as they mixed and mingled prior to the program. To pair with their popovers, pastel pink strawberry butter rosettes reminded guests that, at the Dallas Arboretum, it’s all about the flowers.

Bittner spoke first, and her presentation included a robust slideshow of gardens all over the world that her San Francisco Bay Area-based firm designed. Focused on “beautiful gardens that provide harvest,” Bittner’s gardens “emphasize the seasonal splendor of nature in a way that can be enjoyed in a base or on your plate year-round.” Offering practical advice (e.g. what plants attract pollinators, what plants are drought-tolerant for the Texas climate), Bittner certainly inspired the audience of green thumbs.

Effervescent mistress of ceremonies Calvert Collins Bratton next introduced Bullard, whose bio described his style as “Hollywood glamour meets ethnic exotics and electric, luxurious, comfortable and fearless.” Allow me to translate: Bullard decorates all the Kardashians’ homes. Got it? Got it.

Like his personality, Bullard’s designs are bold and a bit cheeky. He won the audience over with his charming British accent and inside scoop about his celebrity clients. A few highlights:

– The Kardashians have specially designed lighting in their homes so that, when they’re filming, their skin looks perfect on camera.

– Bullard designed supermodel Winnie Harlow’s first home, saying, “It was done on a budget, which is a word I HATE to use.”

– Custom-dyed, Kylie Jenner’s dining room chairs perfectly matched different shades of pink lipstick from Kylie Cosmetics.

– Joan Collins told Bullard she “swam naked in [his] pool.”

– RuPaul’s living room includes 26 custom-designed disco balls, which are up to six feet wide.

At the Arboretum for the fabulous lunch and learn, guests included Fonda Arbetter, Cindy Avroch-Rosenthal, Allison Brodnax, Claire Catrino, JoJo Fleiss, Dorothea Meltzer, Regina Montoya, Catherine Payne, Lisa “Lele” Sadoughi, Tricia Sims, JoAnn Terrill, Mary Ellen Winborn, Anne Seanor, Donna Arp Weitzman.

After Bullard concluded, guests enjoyed a decadent lunch and the opportunity to chit-chat about the holiday season — parties, who’s going, what’s growing, etc. You know, timeless home and garden things.