Florists sidelined by Topbloemen.nl

Online flower delivery service Topbloemen.nl is discontinuing the network of local florists for the distribution of online-ordered bouquets. The permanent collaboration with 83 local florists in the Netherlands will be terminated no later than June 30, 2025, preferably even earlier. A letter with this announcement was delivered to the affiliated florists on June 3.

Botanica Cup: 4x gold for Gerrit

On August 16, Gerrit van Aalst, together with expert Linda Eising and teacher Rita van Ramshorst, left for Hungary to represent the Netherlands at the Botanica Cup International Florist Championship during the Flower Carnival in Debrecen. Gerrit participated with the aim of practicing and building up competition experience for the upcoming WorldSkills Lyon 2024. The fact that he then wins all assignments – and is therefore the overall winner – is really a pleasant result and a boost for WorldSkills Lyon.

Tilting perspectives

The motto for the zeitgeist is Tilting Perspectives. The call for change creates even greater contradictions in society: which way are we going? And what are we willing to give up? We are looking for new perspectives: a hopeful view of the future.

'Bridal work remains my favorite!'

'It's not a question,' says floral designer Hanneke Frankema, 'bridal work remains my favorite! With bridal work you go just that step further and you can really dive into the techniques and go for refinement, perfection and details. The bridal flower arrangement is almost in every photo so there is no room for mistakes.'

'I myself am very fond of a strong, pronounced shape; to show it off well, I glue many of the flowers. This is, by the way, a technique with many possibilities, and much stronger than you might think. Many types of flowers hold up fine for a while after gluing. I glue the sensitive, most vulnerable flower types on the day itself, but strong flowers and greenery often a day in advance.'

'Many florists find that very exciting, but test the gluing with some old leftover flowers. This way you build more and more confidence and you know better what you can ask of certain types of flowers. I always use Smithers Oasis cold glue for gluing.'

Floral Boho Bridal Party

Mention a bridal party, wedding, or marriage, and a beautiful, festive, and dreamy image appears: a stylish, rural event location, a lush green environment, and excellent decoration with the most beautiful flowers and greenery. The bridal bouquet is elegant, carefully made in a
distinctive shape with special materials and flowers. There are so many possibilities; it is not without reason that creating bridal floral work is and remains a favorite for many floral designers.

'My strength is that I truly believe in the floral profession'

Ivan Bergh also combines nature and art when working with flowers. As a teacher, the Italian floral designer has developed a personal teaching approach for his renowned floral design training in Italy. This incorporates the principles of German floral design as well as Northern European traditions. 'The process of idea, concept and development is crucial to guide students toward their own personal vision as florists.'