Between dream and reality: An Italian Dream

An Italian Dream. That is the latest Masterpieces video by Kim Bücholdt, Björn Kroner, and FM Group. This episode, which is less than ten minutes long, takes us on a journey through the Italian lifestyle.

Trends in floral art

Every year, Marginpar asks a leading designer to compile a Floral Trend Report to inspire fellow professionals. For 2026, that designer is Mike Boerma. His work takes him all over the world, while international influences converge in Aalsmeer through the Boerma Institute. This constant interaction forms the basis of his trend overview.

‘I enjoy working with seasonal flowers.’

Erika Oldenhof is a certified master florist and owns a flower shop. "I also enjoy working as a freelancer. It allows me to showcase work that is different from what I do every day in the shop. And, very importantly, you don't have to calculate every single stem. 

I draw my inspiration mainly from everyday life and home and fashion magazines. I also always look around me carefully, especially in nature!

For me, spring means: the trees are sprouting leaves again, flower bulbs are blooming, the days are getting longer, and there is more room for the sun. We're going outside again!

I enjoy working with seasonal flowers, such as (French) tulips, anemones, viburnum, and blossom branches. My customers are also increasingly opting for seasonal flowers, partly because of their soft colors.

‘Line play and movement are essential to me’

The work of floral designer Max van de Sluis often arises from the moment. ‘A single flower, a special texture, or a striking shape can be enough to spark an idea. From there, one or two elements are deliberately emphasized or developed further. You can see this in my compositions: sometimes I work with a very limited palette of species, sometimes with an abundance. This is always a conscious design choice.

The natural properties of the material form the starting point. The length and line of the stems are retained; removing the leaves creates focus and brings out the shape of the flower more strongly. The interplay of lines and movement are essential and give the work tension and direction.

I am constantly searching for new ways of arranging flowers, preferably with them standing directly in water: by developing a construction, preferably with a botanical character, or by making clever use of natural materials. This gives me energy. Experimenting, researching, and continuing to challenge myself are an important part of my process. Here, too, simplicity prevails: one technique or action per design. This creates tranquility and a powerful end result. Everything revolves around balance—too many different "flavors" detract from the essence. The result counts, but it is the journey that gives the work meaning.

Spring outlook

During each Floral Fundamentals photo shoot, ambassadors are invited to create seasonal arrangements that reflect their daily practice. For this series, the focus was on spring work that is commercially applicable to a variety of markets. In doing so, we deliberately looked at differences in approach between countries. These differences are not only visible in the choice of materials and use of color, but also in form, structure, and decorativeness. The arrangements show how diverse the interpretation of "spring" can be.

Finally... Spring

After weeks of dark days, cold, and snow, clear blue skies and sunshine are returning. You can feel that spring is about to reveal itself. Tree buds are about to burst, and here and there the first spring flowers, such as Hamamelis and Galanthus, are already appearing.