Nature on the table

The beautiful ceramic colors differently each time in natural light. The combination with a weathered stump, spent grasses and seed pods on Kenzan toothpicks and the beautiful French Tulipa 'Jonquieres' makes it a (table) arrangement that continues to fascinate, and bloom.

Tantalizing

An upright structure made from thorny branches of a rose bush. They are connected with 1.8 mm metal wire drilled through the stems. The whole stands in a bowl, free in the water on a large kenzan. This beautiful transparent form has an unusual interplay of lines. Inserted into the form are Clematis Amazing Kansas flowers. To enhance the interplay of lines, the leaves of the Clematis have been removed.

Naturally fused

Over an open organic form made of black pokes (1.4 mm) is woven a basket form of Clematis tendrils. Attaching elder branches to this will keep this basic form standing by itself. Next, Clematis Amazing Tokyo flowers are attached in a natural growth form over the braided Clematis tendrils, moving with the movement of the object. The stems of the tulips and Ranunculus were inserted through the frame directly into the water. All flower species have their own height so that natural groups are created, giving the whole object a very natural look.

Freestanding

The structure of Cornus branches appears as if floating and very light. To achieve this effect, black pokes (1.8 mm) were drilled into a weathered block of wood, and the Cornus branches were impaled on the pokes. The whole is given strength by connecting each Cornus stem in at least three places with bindwire and pierced with pieces of black pokes. The flowers, Papaver, Clematis Amazing Kansas, Tulipa, Ranunculus, are placed only at the top to show off the structure and make the whole look elegant.

Water source

By connecting branches of elder (Sambucus) with wire, an open branch structure was created in this vase. In the openings, Delphinium 'Guardian Lavender,' Delphinium 'Bella Andes Azure,' Clematis Amazing 'Star River,' Eryngium and Pennisetum were grouped in parallel and inserted directly into the water.

'Vegetative is difficult to execute commercially in the current zeitgeist'

The theme Nature, Naturally! can be approached in different ways, according to floral designer Max van de Sluis. 'For me as a florist, vegetative is the most obvious and perhaps the most ultimate in its beauty. Yet in the current zeitgeist, vegetative is difficult to execute commercially.'

'Reason that I went in a more realistic direction, using as a starting point the materials you can easily obtain at wholesale, and then using them to make arrangements with a natural look.'

'I wanted to achieve that natural look by processing the flowers in a certain way. Think of solutions like processing each species at a more or less distinct height, a more parallel placement, growth forms, movement, finding combinations with old natural flower forms from outside and or by incorporating branches.'

'This expands the possibilities quite a bit and makes it possible to put your style, emotion and feeling into this. This path is more commercial and more realistic in its feasibility.'