Porcelain Christmas in Chenonceau Castle

In the heart of Paris, we meet master binder Jean-François Boucher-Odent in the Bernardaud porcelain shop. Jean-François has been the floral scenographer of the special French Loire castle Chenonceau for more than ten years, which is built over the water of the river Cher and is famous for its beautiful gardens.

Sustainability is more than just a buzzword

There is no doubt that our sector has come under heavy fire lately in terms of sustainability. At the beginning of October, the news broke: 'Florist's work in France proves fatal: first link between pesticides and child's death demonstrated'. Shortly afterwards, the municipality of Zutphen appeared in the press: 'On the initiative of the Party for the Animals, the municipality no longer gives flowers as gifts because a majority of the municipal council believes they are not sustainable.'

New Beginnings

The floral industry breathed a sigh of relief when Be-Florist, the Belgian trade association, decided to breathe new life into the major flower event in Alden Biesen: New Beginnings was born. Those who could be there enjoyed it. For those who could not be there or want to reminisce, we bring a short review of a first successful edition.

‘My favorite flower is the dandelion’

We meet Gábor Nagy during Férie Florale in the Landcommanderij of Alden Biesen in Belgium, where he is busy preparing for his demonstration. 'I am in Alden Biesen for the first time. But Belgium has a very special place in my heart because I won my first international competition here in 2017, Eurofleurs, the European Championships for Juniors.'

'Funeral arrangements can also be very colorful'

Florist Mélodie Mahin from flower shop La Mélodie des Fleurs in Libin, Belgium, was educated at the Institut Horticole de Gembloux. Together with ten young florists, she participated in the Fleur Talent! training project and regularly takes part in competitions in Alden Biesen and Beloeil. She also decorates weddings and parties and is renowned for her workshops and children's parties.

In addition to the daily colorful arrangements for her customers in the flower shop, farewell floral work also occupies an important place in Mélodie's work. ‘A personal farewell is the birth of a beautiful memory. That's why I would like to help to provide the most beautiful farewell possible.’

‘That can be an arrangement in very neutral colors, white and green, and with classic funeral flowers such as chrysanthemums. But funeral work can and may also be very colorful. There are also various possibilities in terms of shape. A flower cushion remains a classic, but I also like to opt for other shapes or for a combination of different small creations.’

'There is so much more than traditional decorations'

For floral designer Chantal Post, funeral arrangements represent a highly personal tribute to the deceased. 'The choice of flowers is often related to the character of that person. A conversation with the family ensures that you get to know the specific characteristics of the deceased, the sensitivities, the favorite flowers.'

'It is a challenge to make use of more or less known symbolism. As a florist, you can add more depth to your funeral work. For example, a cylinder is open at both ends, which is why this shape symbolizes the communication between two worlds: the physical world and the spiritual world.'

‘In this contribution, I mainly wanted to show different techniques and different forms of coffin decorations. There is so much more possible than traditional decorations. For example, I made a structure with paper coffee filters that gives the impression of a soft pillow. That creates a lot of possibilities. Moreover, the paper structure already has a voluminous effect in itself, so relatively few flowers are needed to create a large arrangement.’