'Plants play a big role'

'Deep reds and bordeaux may be seen,' says floral designer Hanneke Frankema, 'with accents in gold, cream or white tones and undergrounds with an oil lustre or mother of pearl you make it special. Pronounced color and powerful design: the Lush Natural Elegance theme doesn't need much.'

'Within this theme, plants and organic forms play a major role. These can be distinctive strong leaf shapes but also flowers with special special shapes that often match each other beautifully. Think of the Guzmania, Gloriosa, Phalaenopsis but also certainly Celosia, with which as a florist you can really make a statement.'

Everyone knows it: you have nice vases but they are missing a corner or the paint is peeling off. But you don't want to throw them away, so they often sit gathering dust in the cupboard. Yet they offer many possibilities if you think out of the box and give them new life by pimping them up. For example, I have applied dark red and gold accents to pots and vases with self-adhesive mourning ribbon made of woven fabric. A product for which I see many other uses.' 

On discovery

Oasis TerraBrick Floral Media was placed in a beautiful handmade bowl. All processed flowers were first carefully cleaned after which all flower heads were processed at one height and only by stitching technique. Many beautiful varieties in colors to match the theme have been incorporated into the spherical disk shape. Discover chrysanthemums, Zantedeschia, Sanguisorba, Guzmania, dill, Talinum, Dianthus, lisianthus, Rudbeckia, grasses and Clematis fluff.

Extra special

A handmade base with oil chandelier in which six beautiful specimens of Guzmania are planted. A lilac branch is sprayed in gold color and 'grows' as it were through the plants. Beautiful leaf shapes have also been made 'freehand' from 2mm thick gold aluminum wire: a beautiful decorative technique to make a plant arrangement even more special. 

Surprise Bouquet

The base of this surprise bouquet is a bowl made of salmon-colored aluminum wire (2 mm) using the chicken wire technique. The flowers, in bordeaux, deep red and lighter shades, are incorporated into the bowl shape of the frame along the sides, the stems also holding up the frame. Some of the flowers have special shapes such as Guzmania, Phalaenopsis, Chrysanthemum, Gloriosa and Celosia. In between and along the outside are incorporated Sanguisorba, Talinum, Scabiosa, Clematis Amazing Kibo, lisianthus, Zantedeschia and grasses.

Plant Vases

Two vases with a strong shape were pimped up by sticking them with angelwings seeds - this goes well (and quite quickly) with hot glue. Next, two Guzmania specimens were planted in the vases and self-adhesive woven mourning ribbon, in the color of the Guzmania plants, was used to give the whole thing an extra accent. Because of the color and powerful design, this pair fit perfectly within the Lush Natural Elegance theme.

Fragrance and gold

This beautiful set is something everyone would want in their home; each pot incorporates three beautiful salmon-colored mini Phalaenopsis plants that are also wonderfully fragrant. Gold aluminum wire is used to replace the plant stems that were removed. Decorative as well as technical because the stems are attached to this and can be placed where you want them. Self-adhesive woven gold colored mourning ribbon creates a nice detail which also makes the background just a little different.