‘Floral art can be ready-to-wear, but also haute couture’

Danish florist Dan Xavier lives in Skanderborg in the lake district of Central Jutland. In September, his store Fuldt Flor moved to a new, larger location, also in Skanderborg. 'My dream for the near future is actually to 'simply' be successful with my store.'

‘The magic I feel between the walls of Chaumont Castle’

In the castle halls of Domaine de Chaumont-sur-Loire, a number of renowned florists have created and presented beautiful arrangements on the spot, ranging from very classic to very daring. In addition to the French floral designers Frédéric Dupré, Charline Pritscaloff, Julian Paris, Dylan Decamp and students from the École Nationale des Fleuristes de Paris, the Danish Berit Skjøttgaard Laursen was invited to participate. We spoke with her and with Dylan Decamp and Julian Paris about how the special history of the castle inspired atmospheric arrangements.

Winter tinted

In November, the transition from autumn to winter begins. Yet autumn does not give way so easily, it seems as if the leaves on trees and shrubs color later every year. But at the end of November, winter really makes its entrance.

‘All the cogs are turning again’

Florist Franka Roenhorst always practices her work with extreme passion. ‘From this passion I also participate in competitions, so I am currently in the run-up to the Dutch Floral Art Championship that will take place in January.’

‘I find the real challenge for myself in the preparation for a competition or, as now, in making winter-tinted arrangements for this magazine. In it I can completely let myself go, come up with new things, test materials, look for new techniques and create something special with them. I get new inspiration from this, all the gears start running again.’

‘In my search for colors that suit winter but are not standard, I worked with materials in red, salmon, orange, and pink in three arrangements. These colors clearly show the warmth of autumn and also that the transition to the winter and Christmas period is now beginning.’

'For example, in my arrangements, I have already used the poinsettia, Euphorbia 'Autumn Leaves', which has a beautiful salmon hue. And, as a nod to Christmas, I have added accents with Nobilis branches.'

'Challenges inspire me'

What characterizes master binder Sören Van Laer is his ability to try new things with existing materials, to experiment and to give it his own signature. ‘I followed a horticultural education and completed it with a specialization year in floristry. At school I mastered the most important basic techniques, but the complete perfection in floristry was at my internship at Geert Pattyn in Geluwe. Here I learned a lot of new techniques, I could ‘steal a lot with my eyes’.’

Through his participation in the Fleur Talent project, Sören became acquainted with the entire floral chain and was able to expand his network. ‘I get my inspiration from my environment, from nature, from vegetative materials, but also other materials from, for example, the construction sector can be a source of inspiration.’

‘I love challenges. For example, Cymbidium is not immediately the most obvious flower to work with, but this is precisely what encourages me to get creative. The exotic nature of this flower appeals to me a lot.’

‘Searching for flowers that match the treasures found outside’

Moniek Vanden Berghe is an authority in the field of floral art. After training in various art disciplines, Moniek found her true passion in floral art. Her natural feeling for form and colour, contrast, texture and structure resulted in a highly personal, elegant and contemporary arrangement style. Moniek is known for her trend-setting bridal work, which resulted in the book series Flowers in Love, but also very refined funeral arrangements and nature-inspired creations are part of her repertoire.

‘I mainly find inspiration in the season and in the natural surprises that each season brings. Different weather conditions bring different colors to the leaves, for example. Dry and sunny weather causes the plumes to dry out and fan out earlier, while humidity brings earlier decay and skeletonization. Finding matching flowers and surfaces for the treasures found outside is very fascinating.’