I have been to various flower exhibitions before, in London, New York and other places, but I have to admit – there’s no comparison. When it comes to flower creations, the Dutch are a league on their own.
The moment we entered the church, we were swallowed by a corridor-like passage full of flowers, fruits and artfully arranged greenery. Starting with the virgin white, through warmer yellows and reds, we continued the journey through the magical forests into chambers with flowers in all kinds of pink, purple and finally blue. Flower compositions of all kinds, shapes and sizes were displayed everywhere. In the main hall the compositions prepared for the main contest were showcased – this year the theme was “there’s always sun after the rain” and majority of the contestants created intricate flower umbrellas, in a rainbow of colours and an amazing variety of materials. (see the photo gallery below)
The Dutch can do amazing things with the flowers, that’s a fact. Their compositions are bold in both colour and form, with surprising, often geometric, architecture and an incredibly wide spectrum of materials used, from mosses and grasses, through flowers and leaves of all kind, to fruits and vegetables. I have never seen decorative pumpkins showcased in such an aesthetically pleasing and eye-catching way (see the pumpkin collage below). And only in Holland they know how to hang a bunch of kohlrabi, with a bunch of grapes and bean pods, in a way which makes it an artistic display.
The choice of the venue was also far from coincidental - the church interior, together with the live piano-music background, provided an atmospheric and in places dramatic backdrop for the showcased flower creations.
In other words, if you ever have a chance to see a flower exhibition while in the Netherlands, be sure to make time for it – you’ll love it, even if in your everyday life you can hardly distinguish a rose from a gerbera.