'Plants play a big role'
‘Deep red and burgundy are welcome,’ says floral designer Hanneke Frankema, ‘with accents in gold, cream or white tones and surfaces with an oil luster or mother-of-pearl, you make it special. Distinctive color and powerful design: the Lush Natural Elegance theme doesn't need much.’
‘Within this theme, plants and organic shapes play a major role. These can be characteristic strong leaf shapes, but also flowers with special shapes that often match beautifully with each other. Consider the Guzmania, Gloriosa, Phalaenopsis, but also Celosia, with which you as a florist can really make a statement.’
‘Everyone knows it, you have nice vases but a piece is missing or the paint is peeling off. But you don't throw them away either, so they often gather dust in the closet for ages. Yet they offer many possibilities if you think 'out of the box' for a moment and breathe new life into them by sprucing them up. For example, I applied dark red and gold accents to pots and vases with self-adhesive mourning ribbon made of woven fabric. A product for which I see many other applications.’
Happy Dahlia
A certain understatement cannot be denied to the Dahlia. She comes across as simple, happy and not too complicated. But that designation is a bit too modest. Looking at her application and diversity of appearances, you could say she is one of the stars of late summer.
How do you distinguish yourself as a florist?
Do you ever ask yourself this question? The answer is not as simple as the question. In an increasingly transparent world and a supply chain that is getting shorter and shorter, it is becoming increasingly difficult for florists to distinguish themselves. What do you focus on and where are the opportunities?
"Roaming the garden together in search of materials."
Freelance florist and teacher Linda Eising prefers to keep her farewell floral arrangements close to the personal wishes of the customer. ‘It is my challenge and strength to translate those wishes into floral work. Gathering information from the bereaved by visiting, listening, asking the right questions and looking around gives me the right information to get started.’
‘Purchasing materials or, even better, using plants from home or the garden. Strolling together in your own garden for the most beautiful materials. It is often precisely those materials that have been lovingly cared for and admired by the deceased.’
‘When searching for materials together with the bereaved, the most beautiful stories and precious memories emerge. This often immediately serves as a piece of bereavement processing. When you then make an arrangement from all those materials, you see tears of emotion and recognition in the eyes of the relatives when delivering it. That gives me a lot of satisfaction.
'Creativity gives meaning to loss'
Belgian floral designer Sören van Laer considers making funeral arrangements a very important part of his work as a florist. ‘Flowers not only bring comfort, they also express appreciation for the deceased. It is therefore very important to create very personal and creative funeral work because creativity gives meaning to loss.’
‘I am noticing that the demand for urn decorations is increasing. This requires a separate approach but also offers opportunities to create very refined funeral work. For farewell flower arrangements, I prefer to use colorful flowers. Colors soften the grief.’
Working with symbolism also generates many possibilities. 'For example, lavender has the properties of being soothing, calming, softening, uplifting, and balancing. The flower symbolizes balance, dedication, friendly love, admiration, and beauty. Lavender has a subtle color and scent and thus connects body, mind, and soul, making it an excellent flower for farewell floral arrangements.'
Tilting perspectives
The motto for the zeitgeist is Tilting Perspectives. The call for change creates even greater contradictions in society: which way are we going? And what are we willing to give up? We are looking for new perspectives: a hopeful view of the future.