Master florist Alexander Spek is happy with what he can and may do within the floral profession. 'There are always challenging assignments coming my way and over the years I have built up a clientele that gives me the confidence to make what I am good at - and where I can put my creativity.'
'Inspiration I get from forest, jungle and desert. I love to travel, but not just untouched nature: a city has a lot of beauty to offer, too. It's fantastic to see how plants manage to survive there in difficult conditions or in bizarre places. Sometimes you can see little bonsai-like shapes emerging from walls, for example. No city trip without a visit to a park or botanical garden.'
'During the year I like to experiment with grasses, ferns and mosses. I also really like tropical plants like Bromelia, Heliconia, ginger and all kinds of leaf shapes. I myself have several Asparagus species and Anthurium from which I can cut. I also work with non-organic materials such as copper.'
'During autumn, I like to be outside. The subdued light, the scents and the robust forms - more pronounced by the falling leaves - combined with fruit and seed forms. I also collect basic materials from the garden during this season to use in my arrangements during the winter.'