A joy to give as a gift

In the spring, there are many special days in which flowers play an important role. Valentine's Day is not over yet or the florist is already responding to International Women's Day, Easter and Mother's Day. Birthdays, births and weddings also ask for a festive flowery gift.

Shelter, Freeze, Fight, Pioneer

‘How not to waste a good crisis’ has been chosen as the motto for the zeitgeist of 2024. People have very different reactions to this turbulent time full of changes and crises. They fight, take cover, freeze, or pioneer. Or a combination of these. A Green Sector style trend is linked to each of these four value trends.

‘Floral art can be ready-to-wear, but also haute couture’

Danish florist Dan Xavier lives in Skanderborg in the lake district of Central Jutland. In September, his store Fuldt Flor moved to a new, larger location, also in Skanderborg. 'My dream for the near future is actually to 'simply' be successful with my store.'

‘The magic I feel between the walls of Chaumont Castle’

In the castle halls of Domaine de Chaumont-sur-Loire, a number of renowned florists have created and presented beautiful arrangements on the spot, ranging from very classic to very daring. In addition to the French floral designers Frédéric Dupré, Charline Pritscaloff, Julian Paris, Dylan Decamp and students from the École Nationale des Fleuristes de Paris, the Danish Berit Skjøttgaard Laursen was invited to participate. We spoke with her and with Dylan Decamp and Julian Paris about how the special history of the castle inspired atmospheric arrangements.

Winter tinted

In November, the transition from autumn to winter begins. Yet autumn does not give way so easily, it seems as if the leaves on trees and shrubs color later every year. But at the end of November, winter really makes its entrance.

‘All the cogs are turning again’

Florist Franka Roenhorst always practices her work with extreme passion. ‘From this passion I also participate in competitions, so I am currently in the run-up to the Dutch Floral Art Championship that will take place in January.’

‘I find the real challenge for myself in the preparation for a competition or, as now, in making winter-tinted arrangements for this magazine. In it I can completely let myself go, come up with new things, test materials, look for new techniques and create something special with them. I get new inspiration from this, all the gears start running again.’

‘In my search for colors that suit winter but are not standard, I worked with materials in red, salmon, orange, and pink in three arrangements. These colors clearly show the warmth of autumn and also that the transition to the winter and Christmas period is now beginning.’

'For example, in my arrangements, I have already used the poinsettia, Euphorbia 'Autumn Leaves', which has a beautiful salmon hue. And, as a nod to Christmas, I have added accents with Nobilis branches.'