Fusion Flowers Magazine

This summer, we are still concerned about our environment despite the credit crunch. Focus continues on all things green - the environment, climate change and wellbeing – bringing flowers and plants indoors is a perfect answer. As a result we will see them feature strongly in interior design from patterned materials and wallpapers to the real thing! This is good news for flowers and plants – plants in particular, for their health benefits. We’ll seek out ways to find space for them including hanging them on walls if necessary. There’s almost a layered look to designs. Flowers within leaves within …. creating truly organic patterns. Designs can be formal or just plain casual. Patterns will be inspired by leaf veining and other elements taken from nature. Green will be the predominant colour with bright highlights of yellow, pink, fuchsia and red. Key flower forms are heart-shaped Anthurium, Freesia, Paeonia, Dill, Dahlia and Zantedeschia. The suggested dates for this trend are 1 May – 31 August but, as always, you don’t have to stick to these dates!

Unfortunately we are no longer able to sell Spray Tack 2000 as this is now on the list of prohibited items by Royal Mail. If you require any further information please contact us on +44 (0)1786 870204 or email This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it  

‘Tiny but tough’ would be a good description of Fittonia Mosaic ‘Kings Cross’. After all, since its launch in the autumn of 2007 more than 100,000 plants have been sold. The mosaic plant, as Fittonia is often known, is only about 5cm higher than the edge of the pot and yet it still manages to stand out among the multitude of mini-sized houseplants on offer. This is probably due to the white and green of its serrated leaves, a combination not often found in the plant world but so very popular in the UK. ‘Kings Cross’ has proved to be a tough little plant and will easily survive for several months indoors. Its hard leaves make the plant fairly ‘idiot proof ’ and easy to work with. The plant is suitable for use as an individual feature and for ground cover e.g. to cover the roots of large plants or as an eyecatcher in a mini-landscape. Fittonia Mosaic Kings Cross (vbn product code 101561) is a member of the Mosaic family, which already comes in twelve colours. The plant is sold in an 8.5cm pot and is available all year round at the Dutch auctions.

Fashion designer Edwin Oudshoorn (winner of the Frans Molenaar Award 2005) is inspired by chrysanthemums. Fifteen haute couture chrysanthemum creations from Oudshoorn were shown at Fashion Week last summer in Amsterdam. Oudshoorn took a different variety of chrysanthemum as the inspiration for each dress. During Fashion Week a new chrysanthemum was named after him, which he subsequently took as the inspiration for three new creations. Both finalists of America’s Next Top Model and the winner of Holland’s Next Top Model were happy to be photographed in these new creations in a bed of chrysanthemums!

Oudshoorn took the time to learn all about chrysanthemums, and selected 15 types from more than 300 varieties. The form, colour and sometimes the name were his source of inspiration. He even paid the flower the compliment of naming all his creations after the chosen varieties. “Although I make clothes, I don’t limit myself to fashion. I am not interested in finding something new every day, because life is not about always keeping up with the latest novelty. I view society with a twinkle in my eye. I take my inspiration from the forgotten and the neglected. My ambition is to make clothes that are a part of life. Your life, my life, everyone’s life!” How ephemeral is fashion and how enduring is the chrysanthemum? Since 2006 the foundation Stichting Chryson (breeders and growers of chrysanthemums) and the Flower Council of Holland have run the international promotion campaign ‘Just Chrysanthemum’ to highlight the versatility of the chrysanthemum. The creative agency 2Dezign in Rijnsburg asked Edwin Oudshoorn to participate in this campaign. For more information about the uses of chrysanthemums go to www.justchrys.com

It’s always exciting when David Austin releases new garden roses. Due for launch this year at The Chelsea Flower show are Rosa ‘The Wedgewood Rose’ to celebrate the 250th anniversary of Wedgewood. This gorgeous specimen should be treated as a climber and can reach up to 3 metres (10 feet) in height. Also new is Rosa ‘The Lady of Shallot’ a fragrant shrub rose destined for great things and Rosa ‘Kew Gardens’ a repeat flowering upright specimen which also produces lovely rose hips. Keep an eye open for them. 

Heuchera ‘Tiramisu’ is the latest, very tempting addition to the mouth-watering Sweet Delights range of Hillier heucheras, and will be available in garden centres from June 2009. This showy Heuchera is a hybrid of Heuchera villosa raised originally in France. It has the unique ability to change colour with the season. Its chartreuse foliage flushes brick red in spring and autumn, the colour radiating from the midrib of every leaf and fading to pale green by the edges. In summer, the red colouration disappears, and the foliage turns to chartreuse with a silver veil over the leaf surface. It has a compact habit, is excellent in containers and carries small creamy flowers in midsummer.

Gaura lindheimeri ‘Rosyjane’ – Hiller are the only nursery to offer pot-grown plants of this new gaura. Launched by Hardy’s Cottage Garden Plants at Chelsea 2008, this is the first gaura to display bicoloured flowers – white with a picotee edge of cerise-pink on 75cm branched stems – produced freely throughout the summer.

As the sales figures show, a classic, large flowered rose with the mysterious name “Djoena”™ has proved to be a winner with the public.

Djoena™ has virtually everything that might be expected of a romantic rose: a generous bud, a soft pink colour, a traditional flower shape and delectable, long, sturdy and almost thornless stems. Add to this a vase life of 12 to 14 days and you have all the ingredients for successful sales figures.

The name Djoena™ was not chosen randomly. Classic, pastel coloured roses are immensely popular with Russian consumers who were the target group. Of course this does not mean that other European buyers will not also fall for its charms. It is a rose that could have been created specifically for use in traditional wedding flowers and mixes fantastically with white flowers. Rosa Djoena™ (vbn product code 102577) is supplied all year round to the Dutch auctions in stem lengths of 70 to 90cm.

‘Red Beauty’ is the latest ‘super model’ among the Freesias! The secret of her success is her looks and a heady fragrance. The fragrance is hardly there when the flower is closed but as soon as the first buds open ‘Red Beauty’ is transformed into a complete seductress. Freesia is the ideal flower for adding fragrance to a mixed bouquet. When fully open Beauty has a diameter of 5.5 to 6cm.

Other advantages are a good vase life, sturdy stem and the upright comb. It is immediately obvious why more than 300,000 stems were sold in just one year. Freesia ‘Red Beauty’ (vbn product code 102016) has been available at the Dutch auctions since February 2008.

Last year Spathiphyllum ‘Sweet Rocco’ stood out among the other varieties in the successful assortment of air purifying plants produced by the Air So Pure grower’s organisation.

A good year after its launch more than 70,000 of these Spathiphyllum, or peace lilies, have been sold. You could call this a good score! Obviously this cultivar has a great deal to offer; a bushy plant with plenty of deep green foliage on sturdy stems as well as pure white flowers of excellent quality. The plant will flower for several months in the home or in the workplace. On top of all this it also has air purifying properties.

‘Sweet Rocco’ does not owe all these qualities to coincidence. Five cultivars from the Sweet series are already in the Spathiphyllum Top 10 at the Dutch auctions. The plant will grow to a maximum height of 45cm. Spathiphyllum ‘Sweet Rocco’ (vbn product code 102298) is supplied all year round in a 12cm pot. For more information go to www.airsopure.nl

I understand that the Society of Floristry are about to launch their latest publication – Form Linear. This publication has been put together to rationalise the term Form Linear which has, until now, been viewed differently in different countries. The aim is simple – to seek a common definition which will hopefully assist tutors in relaying this to students. The Society is in no way attempting to ‘clone’ European design styles but hopes to establish a rational way forward and to give a clear indication as to what the term actually means! To date, we are still to receive our review copy but, in anticipation of the launch, the Society has agreed to sponsor our latest competition. The prize is a collection of their own excellent publications – Floristry Techniques Definitions Booklet, Foliage for Florists and the latest – Form Linear.

To take part all you have to do is send in your name and address together with the answer to the following question – What is the title of the latest publication from the Society of Floristry to Fusion Flowers, Competition 9, Hillcroft, Fore Road, Kippen, Stirlingshire FK8 3DT, UK or email This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it with the answer. Entries close on 10th July 2009. Good luck! 

Thank you for the remarkable number of entries we received for the signed copy of the new book by David Austin entitled The Rose. The response to this competition was unprecedented! We are delighted to announce that the winner is Alison Motley, Chelmsford, England. Congratulations and we hope you enjoy the book which will be sent to you direct by David Austin Roses. We would like to thank David Austin for his support for this competition.

Serax, the Belgian manufacturers of all those wonderful Moniek Vanden Berghe containers, invites designers, upcoming artists and creative people to develop a new product in the categories of flower vase/bowl or solifleur. Serax organises this design competition to discover both new designs and talent. This provides artists with an international platform for their new designs. As a well established European player on the decorative and interior design market, Serax is always on the look-out for the new and innovative. The design competition kicked off on March 1, and will end with the announcement of the winner on
October 15 2009.

Submission details

When planning the design, you should take the following measurements into account:
in the category flower vase/ bowl: maximum 100cm x 20cm x 20cm
in the category solifleur: maximum 40cm x 30cm

Possible materials for the design include wood, glass, metal, synthetic materials or terracotta and your proposed design should be submitted on paper (by post or digital) or a first prototype/model by 30th June 2009.

Please send the design, prototype or model to:
Serax Maison D’être
Attn of Marc Lust
Veldkant 21
2550 Kontich
Belgium

How can you participate?

Simply fill in the online form on the Serax website or send your contact information (name, address, phone number, email address) and digital design to This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it The winning design will be produced and distributed worldwide by Serax. UK Distributor - Telephone +44 (0)156 564 08 99

Contact – Marc Lust

This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it  

You can now create your very own custom styled candelabra. The Zara candle holder features nine individual candle holders which can be separated, stacked and positioned in an infinite number of designs...it’s your choice.

www.stylishlife.co.uk or telephone +44 (0)1269 822 288 

We have been contacted by New Covent Garden Flower Market in London to advise us of their latest promotion – a Summer Wedding Show. This will allow the many florists who use the wholesalers of flowers, foliage, plants and sundries at New Covent Garden to reveal their special bridal flowers to, for the first time at this venue, the National Wedding Show brides! The partnership will welcome florists and brides alike to London’s famous Flower Market for a one-morning only extravaganza of bridal flowers. Summer Wedding Inspiration
Wednesday 3 June 2009 will see the launch of the event and in October the ‘Flower Market Florists’ hospitality will be reciprocated by the National Wedding Show, where their displays and demonstrations will raise the profile of professional wedding floristry.

There will be a distinctly ‘Meet the Designer’ feel as apparently up to twenty top names in the world of wedding flowers - including Amanda Austin, Blooms the Florist, Jamie Aston, Paula Pryke, Rebel Rebel, Robbie Honey, Sophie Hanna and Zita Elze - will be staging installations, creating wedding themed pieces in mini-demos and discussing ideas with brides and florists who are expected to flock to New Covent Garden Market in the first ever wedding flowers event of its kind.

At the same time there will be talks by the Flowers & Plants Association and designers on topics such as seasonal wedding flowers, how to brief your florist, green wedding flowers and style guides for wedding bouquets. Each ‘bride’ will be able to take home free a copy of the new brochure ‘The Flower Market Florists’, which lists loyal Flower Market Florists supporters. As if all of that was not enough, The Flower Market will also be host to the London heat of the World UK Skills competition on bridal work – oh and Fusion Flowers will be there to launch the latest Fusion Flowers – Weddings magazine and you can meet some of our team!

The event takes place at New Covent Garden Flower Market, London SW8 5NX, England from 8.00am until 12.00noon. Entrance is free. 

www.newcoventgardenmarket.com