After five amazing days in Amsterdam we next headed to France to experience the compelling, innovative and inspirational Parisian design style.  

During our time in Paris we worked closely with Christian Tortu learning his design style and methods. Completing two workshops in total, we began where most designers begin their day, at the Rungis Flower Market thirty minutes outside of Paris.

 

After discovering the Aalsmeer auction and Hilverda de Boer, we travelled to the city of Aalsmeer where we visited one of the oldest lilac and viburnum growers in Holland. With five generations before them, growing flowers is a largely a family tradition in Aalsmeer.

With only seven employees this farm tends to 120,000 plants and produces over a million stems each season. Much of the process cannot be automated, so each farmer is personally responsible for the growth and production of the plants. The grounds include…

 

First morning in Amsterdam, our group was off at 6:00am to the town of Aalsmeer where the world's largest flower auction has been lactated for over 100 years. From this building (which is also the largest indoor facility in the world and can actually be seen from space) over 22 million stems are sold on a daily basis. With these numbers the efficiency and logistical prowess of the auction was remarkable. 

Starting with the Clock, this is where each flower from every grower is presented to the buyers for purchase. Hundreds of Dutch men sit in this room ready to bid on the right flowers…

Last Thursday Matthew Robbins celebrated his passion for spring flowers with a great group of FlowerSchool New York students in his March Master Class. Inspired by a Martha Stewart photo shoot he did many years ago, Matthew gathered the most beautiful palette of intricate, petite flowers giving his design a detailed and exquisite quality.

On Saturday, April 6th leading artist-turned-florist Emily Thompson, whose winter wreath graced the December 2012 cover of Martha Stewart Living, returns to Japan Society to lead a 2-hour floral design workshop inspired by the colorful, complex compositions of works in Edo Pop. For more information, please call (212) 715-1224…

Last month Lewis Miller of LMD brought a breath of fresh air to FlowerSchool NY with a simple, chic and elegant design of French anemones. Beginning with the vase Lewis chose a glamourous scalloped edge container to give the design a visual texture, which became an extension of the design itself. Lewis spends a lot of time selecting his containers as it is what transforms an arrangement into a full composition. Since his recent return from Maison Objet in Paris, Lewis has a revitalized…

Chrysanthemums, 1897

In April 1883 the village of Giverny was changed forever when a new tenant moved into the striking pink house with blue green shutters. After falling in love with the location, house and especially the gardens, Claude Monet quickly settled into the village where he would reside until his death in 1926. After many years in his garden, it is said that Monet, perhaps like our modern designers and florists, had a "pourtraiture" sense of the landscape;…

This winter when it is cold, wet and rainy, treat yourself to a beautiful getaway with Ariella Chezar! She is giving a three day workshop in Maui from Feb 27th - March 1st. Learn Ariella's unique style from color pairing and selecting the right flowers, to creating her signature style, the compote design. Students will explore their surroundings, using local, tropical flowers and take a field trip to a local cut flower grower.

When you think of autumn what usually comes to mind first? For many it is oranges and reds with seasonal fruits and berries. To Lewis Miller's creative eye, autumn can be something entirely different. Instead of the bright and bold tones of the season, Lewis is drawn to the pastels and mauves that remind him of the autumnal dusk, the light of the summer sun fading into the…