'Longing for the next lesson like craving delicious food'

Japanese-Canadian floral designer Hitomi Gilliam calls herself an "open scource floral educator. All the knowledge and skills she has, she wants to share with others who are interested. She lives on Bowen Island, near Vancouver, Canada. But travels all over the world to teach, both in person and virtually. "Education should be energizing to follow.

'For the finals, I stepped up my game'

On Jan. 15, Franka Roenhorst won the Dutch Floral Art Championship. Together with her partner Hans Zijlstra, she owns flower store Floral Stylist Hans Zijlstra in Groningen. Franka is also the Dutch candidate of the World Cup Floral Art in 2025. Enough reason for an interview with the new Dutch Champion Floral Art!

'One and all emotion captured in a span of time'

For florist Max van de Sluis, spring is one of the most beautiful times of the year. "A lot is happening. Different plants and flowers come up, everything gets color in the garden and nature, and above all, life gets warmer and more pleasant.'

'All of this is all emotion, and moreover captured in a time period. That is what I try to incorporate in my flower arrangements. Sometimes that means working with lots of color, so that an explosion is depicted in an arrangement, as it were. And another time I will choose for the modest transformation of dead nature into the new and young green as it sprouts in spring'.

'It is particularly intriguing and inspiring every year. The spring season has so much to offer. Just think in colors from warm to cold - each color palette depicts its own emotions and pure beauty in the process.'

'Ranunculus really gives the feeling of spring'

Floral designer Marcel van der Haar likes to work with parrot and French tulips in spring. "I also find ranunculus really gives the feeling of spring.

'What I like to show in my arrangements is the changing of seasons. I then incorporate dead winter materials such as dried grasses. These are then slowly displaced in my arrangements, as it were, by the colorful spring flowers that herald the next season.'

Apart from the fact that I enjoy working stylistically, my preference in my arrangements is to put down products as naturally as possible. Nature is my biggest source of inspiration. Even at trade fairs I see that slowly many honest materials in natural colors are being used again - although there are always colorful counterparts to be found as well'.

'Also, as a car enthusiast, I can become very inspired by a beautifully designed car, piece of furniture or building. The important thing is to take a good look around you, wherever you are - then inspiration comes naturally.'

'The ideal client gives me all the freedom'

Florist Églantine Blanckaert loves to decorate weddings with flowers and create bridal bouquets. Her company Xanadu Flowers is not only a flower store (in Floreffe in Belgium), but also a total concept with its own flower garden and event flower arrangements.

'For me, the ideal client is the one who has confidence in my ability and gives me all the freedom to be creative. I try to work as ecologically and sustainably as possible. Reason I love field bouquets and also the loose character of the 'bohemian' style, both also look very lively and natural. I therefore find my inspiration mostly in nature and in everything that surrounds it.'

'As a young florist, I am not only targeting a younger audience but more importantly those who share my values, ideology and taste. Every florist dreams of customers who love beautiful things without immediately looking at the price.'

'The mission to translate emotions into flowers'

The combination of creativity, technical knowledge and organizational skills makes floral designer Chantal Post an ideal partner to dress weddings and grand events. Chantal is always looking for creative challenges and new knowledge, which she also likes to share. In 2020, she won silver at the Belgian championships.

'As a floral artist, I am constantly looking for elements that can form a new source of inspiration and this can be very diverse: an individual, painting, place, building, plant, flower, emotion or an event. Piece by piece, these are seeds about to germinate.'

Chantal is a master at creating (reusable) structures that she dresses with great precision and respect for flowers and color combinations. 'It is our mission to translate emotions through flowers every day, but especially at important life events. The color, shape and texture of flowers are powerful tools to convey a message.'