Indian summer

Dried sunflower stems of various lengths are glued around an Oasis wreath. These stems are a harbinger of autumn. The whole is covered with orange candle wax. Various flowers are inserted into the floral foam wreath, including Dianthus ‘Green Trick’, nutans (Leucospermum cordifolium), Dahlia, Freesia, Tillandsia, Heliopsis, Stipa grasses, Crocosmia and Begonia leaf. Glass test tubes have been placed in some sunflower stems, in which flowers have also been placed. The Indian summer color scheme emphasizes the autumn period.

Layered Bulbs

A stack of nuts and polystyrene balls in various sizes is glued onto an iron pin. The polystyrene balls are coated with terracotta-colored clay. Bromelia plants are placed in some of the nuts. Glass vials are clamped in the remaining openings, in which Dahlia flowers and spotted leaves of Begonia maculata are inserted. The conscious choice was made for one type of flower with a round shape. To reinforce the design of the arrangement, the round shapes are reflected in all materials used. As a finishing touch, seed pods of Eucalyptus ‘Bellgum’ and mossy twigs are glued between the round shapes.

Autumn Tide

The approach of autumn is already announcing itself in mid-August. The wind sounds different, there is more moisture in the air, and the spiders diligently create more and more silver air bridges between plants and flowers. Foggy gray days alternate with sunny warm late summer days. And the outdoor scent, too, is more prominent, more earthy.

'Enjoying the sunshine and colors in the garden'

In her flower shop in Apeldoorn, florist Erika Oldenhof creates beautiful, colorful arrangements in various themes every day. 'Every season is unique with the beautiful materials,
that makes our profession so extra beautiful!'

'For inspiration, I look around me carefully; what is happening in fashion, architecture, shop windows and home magazines, and from that I often get ideas for materials, shapes and colors. The many floral prints in fashion are also striking now.'

'Summer, for me, is being outside as much as possible and spending time in the garden with friends, BBQ, drinks, enjoying the sun and the colors in the garden. I like to use materials from the season, beautiful peonies, Passiflora, Ginkgo, Delphinium, Lathyrus, et cetera. The trend is flowers from the picking garden. There is also
in the store more demand for (organic) field flowers.'

'Striving to balance sustainability, uniqueness creativity'

Student florist Gerrit van Aalst won a gold medal at Skills The Finals for the second year in a row. The new Dutch Student Champion in Floral Design will represent the Netherlands at the Worldskills in France.

‘I lovingly work with beautiful materials directly from the nursery – this enables me to always find that one special flower with a unique color, length, or a special variety that distinguishes and embellishes my work.’

‘I strive for a balance between sustainability and maintaining uniqueness and creativity. I am currently focusing on designing frames and surfaces that can be reused multiple times – but each time in a different way so that the flower arrangements always have a unique character. I am also working on creating large constructions that take up little space for storage after disassembly. That also makes it easier to transport or store the frames.’

'In my spacious garden I grow lots of flowers and plants'

Master florist Birgit Davids-Schuurman owns a vocational flower school for adults, Floral Academy, in Ede. ‘I teach students who want to deepen or (further) develop their skills as florists. Summer means a slightly quieter time for me, spending a lot of time outside in the garden, enjoying family and friends.’

‘In my own spacious garden, I grow many flowers and plants that are suitable for floral work. In the summer, there are many types of flowers available. I also love to go through the garden with my knife and collect all kinds of materials for a summer bouquet or arrangement.’

‘My floral work is characterized by versatility; I love variety: sometimes very minimalist and sleek, then natural, excessive kitsch, or classic. In terms of color, I often opt for ton-sur-ton, although I can certainly appreciate a colorful creation.’