A feast to give as a gift

In spring there are many special days when flowers play an important role. Valentine's Day is not yet over and florists are already responding to International Women's Day, Easter and Mother's Day. Also, birthdays, births and weddings require festive floral gifts.

Winter tinted

November marks the transition from autumn to winter. Still, autumn does not let itself be driven away so easily; it seems as if the leaves on trees and shrubs color later every year. But at the end of November, winter really does make its appearance.

'All the cogs are starting to turn again'

Florist Franka Roenhorst always practices her work with extreme passion. 'From this passion I also participate in competitions, for example, I am currently in the run-up to the Dutch Floral Art Championships that will take place in January.'

'Really that big challenge for myself, I find in preparing for a competition or, as now, in making winter arrangements for this magazine. In this I can let myself go completely wild, think up new things, test materials, look for new techniques and create something special with them. This gives me new inspiration, all the cogs start turning again.

'In my search for colors that suit winter but are not standard, I worked with materials in red, salmon, orange, pink in three arrangements. These colors show well the warmth of the fall season and also that now the transition is being started to the winter and Christmas season.'

'For example, I have already used the poinsettia, Euphorbia 'Autumn Leaves,' which has a beautiful salmon hue, in my arrangements. And, as a nod to Christmas, I have used Nobilis branches to add accents.'

Sparkling Christmas

Whether you go for an expressive eye-catcher or a rustic and subdued Christmas arrangement: Christmas anno 2023 sparkles! Perhaps it has to do with the zeitgeist that makes people feel the need for coziness, a beautifully decorated table, a warm home. A spectacular eye-catcher in the store is therefore really recommended. The enchantment that comes with Christmas then already starts with a few eye-catchers in the flower store.

'This time we must 'seize' in full'

Florist Alex Aalders runs a flower store in Assen. 'I grew up with a father who was into 'gardens', so flowers came my way at an early age. In terms of inspiration I get a lot from creative colleagues, I like to visit trade events, and look at trade magazines, but also architecture, fashion and vacations, bring inspiration. A regular comment I hear is that there are too big and too expensive arrangements in trade magazines - but I always think, you have to get inspiration from them, don't want to copy them.'

'Due to circumstances, Christmas doesn't mean that much to me privately. But, for the store it is of course a super creative and especially colorful time. This is a time we have to 'grab' in full - but on Christmas Eve I'm going to cocoon again.'

'It's hard to say which trends emerge, actually sustainability should be a trend, but yes, this time you sell a lot the wax amaryllis and colored branches. Personally I like Simplicity as a trend - simple in terms of layout and color, on the other hand I can also appreciate something super furry.'

'The floral profession remains one big voyage of discovery'

What passion for the profession, what young enthusiasm. At 25 years old, Esther Weijenberg has already built an impressive resume. And continues to push the envelope, with surprising arrangements and challenging competitions. Including the title Dutch Champion Floristry for juniors and soon the participation in the European Championships. Dutch glory.