'There are still tremendous opportunities'

After more than two decades at the helm of Smithers-Oasis Benelux, Chris Martens is stepping down as managing director. A great moment for a candid conversation about innovation, sustainability, his love for the flower business and the people who create it.

'Curating down to the smallest detail is essential'

At 's Zomers Flowers - Botanical Warehouse, the Rotterdam company of Michael Swier and René Jongeneel, their world of flowers, objects, fragrances and installations comes together in one spacious store with bindery and a botanical café. 's Zomers has been a household name for more than three decades; on June 3, 2024, they celebrated their 30th anniversary. They started in Van Oldenbarneveltstraat and moved to their current location in De Hofbogen in 2019. The studio organizes and provides decoration projects on location; the store is a daily vibrant place.

The carnation, our age-old friend

It is the current zeitgeist to move toward local, indigenous, original and pure with flowers as well. The picking bouquet and the field bouquet are the product of this. The impression is given that the flowers are from here and we picked them outside. But an expert knows that there are some lies in this. It is about the impression, not the reality. Lurking in the picking bouquet are flowers grown industrially in greenhouses. And they often come originally from other regions.

'Growth begins with a head full of dreams'

During the closing night of the World Cup Floral Art in The Hague, European champion Floral Art Hanneke Frankema presented her spectacular multimedia show "Growth" - a production the likes of which has never before been seen in the floral world. With programmed light and sound, cinematic visuals and live moments, she built her story in themes: from the first fascination with growth and the Passiflora, through craftsmanship and competitive spirit, to sustainability and a finale that elevated 're-use to reduce' to aesthetics. The whole thing was tightly directed "to the second," yet personal, light, and distinctly skilled.

'Floristry is truly multidimensional'

'The whole situation is very unreal, as if victory has not yet been achieved. But it's really me: world champion of Floral Art! A few days after winning his title, Polish participant Tomasz Kuczyński can still hardly believe, that during the World Cup Floral Art 2025 in The Hague he was declared the new world champion.

Professional World Cup Floral Art

The Royal VBW together with Florint organized a World Cup Floral Art. A gigantic spectacle with a complex organization. Colleagues from all parts of the world poured in. A feast of professional fraternization. Participants did their utmost to score well and thus offered the floral profession a feast of beautiful floral art.