Winter Challenge

To move from the colorful fall to winter is a different mindset for many people. Not that the colors completely disappear from the landscape, but it's all a bit more subtle and monochromatic. For florists, especially those who want to work more sustainably, that can be a challenge. Getting into the shell of nature, the bare branches with larch or pine cones, the evergreen greenery, mosses and dried tendrils - it takes some adjusting.

'Funeral arrangements can also be very colorful'

Florist Mélodie Mahin from flower shop La Mélodie des Fleurs in Libin, Belgium, was educated at the Institut Horticole de Gembloux. Together with ten young florists, she participated in the Fleur Talent! training project and regularly takes part in competitions in Alden Biesen and Beloeil. She also decorates weddings and parties and is renowned for her workshops and children's parties.

In addition to the daily colorful arrangements for her customers in the flower shop, farewell floral work also occupies an important place in Mélodie's work. ‘A personal farewell is the birth of a beautiful memory. That's why I would like to help to provide the most beautiful farewell possible.’

‘That can be an arrangement in very neutral colors, white and green, and with classic funeral flowers such as chrysanthemums. But funeral work can and may also be very colorful. There are also various possibilities in terms of shape. A flower cushion remains a classic, but I also like to opt for other shapes or for a combination of different small creations.’

'There is so much more than traditional decorations'

For floral designer Chantal Post, funeral arrangements represent a highly personal tribute to the deceased. 'The choice of flowers is often related to the character of that person. A conversation with the family ensures that you get to know the specific characteristics of the deceased, the sensitivities, the favorite flowers.'

'It is a challenge to make use of more or less known symbolism. As a florist, you can add more depth to your funeral work. For example, a cylinder is open at both ends, which is why this shape symbolizes the communication between two worlds: the physical world and the spiritual world.'

‘In this contribution, I mainly wanted to show different techniques and different forms of coffin decorations. There is so much more possible than traditional decorations. For example, I made a structure with paper coffee filters that gives the impression of a soft pillow. That creates a lot of possibilities. Moreover, the paper structure already has a voluminous effect in itself, so relatively few flowers are needed to create a large arrangement.’

Farewell with flowers: latest trends

With funeral flower arrangements, a florist can create significant added value during a funeral. On the initiative of VBW, Smithers-Oasis, and Groothandelscentrum Plantion, the Funeral Event took place on March 5 in Ede. During the event, attention was focused on various new trends in the funeral industry. For example, the natural burial ground is on the rise, shrouds are increasingly replacing a traditional coffin, and there is an increasing demand for urn decorations.

Gold for Estonian smoke saunas and black bread

As many as sixteen floral designers from around the globe traveled to Singapore at the invitation of the organization to compete from Aug. 3-5 for the Floral Windows to the World Championship (FWWC) competition, part of the Singapore Garden Festival. FWWC, after a six-year hiatus, returned this year in a revamped live format.

'Autumn is full of admiration and amazement'

Florist Willy Pardijs of Vrij Geschikt loves every season, but autumn is her favorite when it comes to the many beautiful materials to work with. She works from the rural Wichmond in the Achterhoek. ‘If you look around carefully in late summer and autumn, you will see so many beautiful materials in nature that it is sometimes difficult to choose what you want to use.’

'Autumn also has something magical, the early morning, the mist that slowly rises and the beautiful warm autumn light that slowly makes its entrance and shows the beautiful colors of nature.'

‘I mainly get my inspiration from nature and I also like to work from my feeling, not thinking but doing. Nature, it provides admiration and wonder. The leaves on the trees get the most beautiful colors and flowers and plants often get the most beautiful fruits and seed pods.