'Compared to nature, I remain a student'

‘Inspiration is everywhere,’ says floral designer Max van de Sluis, ‘but for me, nature remains the most important source. If you look closely, you can learn so much from nature. Not only how plants grow and bloom, but also about their lines, about transparency, or the lack thereof. But above all, you can find special color combinations in nature, often unexpected but actually always in a certain harmony.’

‘You sometimes see flowers in multiple together, but also in a solitary group. I then try to capture and isolate this emotion, sometimes to perfect it. But in the end, I remain a student in relation to nature – no matter how hard I try.’

‘I also use all this inspiration for my bridal work. I often apply it in small portions, for example, in the combinations of form and material or natural movements. All this with the aim of making the bride even more beautiful and completing this special day.’

Shining star

At every wedding, the bride is the radiant star. She is the most beautiful of the day, with festive clothing, a beautiful hairstyle and make-up, and with flowers that seem to tell the story of a long and happy marriage.

Eye-catcher

Sometimes you would like to have a tree in your house, purely because of the beautiful green atmosphere it creates. Look at nature through your eyelashes. In the light of young eyes, a basic fruit trunk full of fresh green ferns and Monstera plants seems to come directly from nature. Truly an eye-catcher for the interior of young people.

Nature at its best

The white bowl is filled with special stones with holes formed by nature. They come from the Normandy coast, where the holes were created by wind and sea. The stones provide support for the branches and flowers that are inserted through the holes and between the stones in a natural line. Nature at its best. Materials used: Magnolia, Tulipa, Ornithogalum thyrsoides, Panicum virgatum, Lunaria annua.

Harbinger of spring

Oasis TerraBrick is used as a base at the bottom of a beautiful earthenware oval pot, in which dried grass (Panicum virgatum) from the winter garden has been inserted and wedged. Withered branches from the garden (Spirea japonica, Solidago, Lunaria annua) have been inserted between the dry grass, creating a beautiful winter silhouette. Spring becomes visible in the subtle shape and color of the dwarf iris bulbs. Seen up close, this delicate soft yellow Iris 'Katharine's Gold' has a beautiful bright yellow with blue markings.

Roots

A dried root system of an old rosemary bush is used upside down as a frame for this natural-looking bouquet in pink, white and green tones. All flowers and grasses have been given their own place and thus come into their own. Materials used: Tulipa, Panicum virgatum fresh and dried, Lunaria annua, Scabiosa BonBon Scoop 'French Vanilla', Alstroemeria florinca 'White Pearls', Ranunculus 'Pon Pon Malva', Ranunculus 'Charm Pink', Agapanthus 'Gletsjer', cherry blossom, Anethum graveolens, Chasmanthium latifolium.