'Beauty lies in the moment'
Florist and master binder Ilona Oostenveld runs her studio with heart and soul. ‘After having a shop for years, I recently chose a new path: no more opening hours, but a studio where work is only done on order. I wanted more freedom and creativity in my work. In a store you are often bound by the clock. Now I work by appointment, I can fully focus on the wishes of my customers and I have more time for freelance work.’
‘I get my inspiration from daily life, a walk through the forest or beautiful art that I come across, those are things that stimulate me. Nature gives me endless ideas, especially in the summer. That is the most beautiful season for me: everything blooms, lives, and sparkles. I like to work with seasonal flowers – Delphinium and peony are the real summer flowers for me.’
Ilona's floral work is an ode to color, seasons and the small happiness of every day. 'In a world that is often rushed, I want to show that beauty lies in the moment - if you have an eye for it. I love the colors and the trend of today: organic shapes and natural tones, which brings nature even more inside!'
Summer power
We've already had a taste of it this spring: summer. And what is particularly striking about those first beautiful summer days is the power that this brings about. Not only in nature, which literally explodes, but also in people. Everyone seems more cheerful, lively, and full of energy.
Vertical herb garden
All fresh herbs at hand in your outdoor kitchen! This 'organizer' is partly made of recycled denim fabric. The bags are filled with basil, fennel, dill, rosemary and lettuce, among other things. The white jasmine vines are decoratively incorporated and give the whole thing a beautiful summery sparkle.
Play of lines
This colorful summer arrangement is centrally arranged on an Oasis Bio block. The lines of the designer vase are extended into the arrangement using a wire frame. Flowers used: Delphinium, Lathyrus, rose, Mandevilla tendrils, Viburnum, Scabiosa, Allium schubertii, and Chasmanthium.
Peony Splendor
The base is covered with trendy metallic denim. This, combined with a wrapping of white sticks, forms the basis of this summery arrangement, in which the peony 'Coral Sunset' is in the spotlight. Tendrils of jasmine and Ceropegia are incorporated through the stick wrapping. Other summer flowers used: Clematis Amazing Vienna and lilies of the valley. The light green Begonia leaf brings tranquility to the arrangement.
Highly flammable
For the base, a found log was used, sawn into sections, further processed, and assembled into a layered arrangement. Sideau was used as the floral foam, primarily incorporating colorful materials in red, orange, and bright green to contrast with the somber black, symbolizing the difficult times we are living in.
Materials used: Kniphofia ‘Alcazar’, Gerbera ‘Great Barones’, Rosa ‘Cherry Brandy’, Dahlia ‘Feline Yvonne’, Hypericum ‘Magical Triumph’, Dianthus ‘Caroline’, Asparagus densiflorus ‘Sprengeri’, Parottia persica. Grasses: Alopecurus, Bromus and Lagurus ovatus red, oranges, Asparagus setaceus, Rhipsalis baccifera, Epimedium koreanum.