Fusion Flowers Magazine

 
The theme for Summer 2008 from the Flower Council of Holland is Let’s Talk Flowers. In a world of instant communications they, as is to be expected, say flowers can do the talking for you! Talking Flowers tells a story, can send a message or whatever you want them to do! The rose is well known as a messenger – after all we send thousands on Valentine’s day to express our love. So this summer the rose in all its many colours will play the leading role in this inspiration. It will be about making your message personal – far from the easy digital communication we are all too familiar with which some people feel is too impersonal. Flowers can change all this! Shapes of bouquets and arrangements will be compact and often carried – or worn - on the body! As you can see from some of their images – it’s a really upbeat theme and lots of fun!

Grow your own cucumbers? No problem with Snacker. This simple and agreeable cucumber concept for the windowsill gardener makes things easy for the consumer. The wrapper and label bear details of Snacker’s uses. The website www.snacker.nl gives recipes (in four languages) and tips on how to achieve maximum production.
The fruits can be harvested when they are as thick as a thumb and about 9 cm long, as long as the label in fact! The plant is intended for the windowsill but will thrive outdoors in any well-lit, draughtfree spot. Since Snacker will grow rapidly with the right care, it is an ideal product for children. Cucumis sativus Snacker is available from the Dutch auctions until the end of August. In 2007 it won the Aalsmeer Market public award in the Added Value category and it looks like a real, fun winner to us

Slivers of coconut husk are cut on the curve, drilled, dried and then hand sewn onto a frame to make this stunning range of truly original natural products. They produce standard lamps in two sizes 107 x 40cm and 160 x 48cm and their pillar style base is made from a stone and resin composite. Table lamps are also available in two sizes 30cm diameter x 28cm and 42cm diameter x 35cm. Hanging shades complete the range and these are 26 x 45cm and 28 x 30cm. These exciting artefacts certainly attract the eye. For further information check out the website at www.objecthavoc.co.uk

We are delighted to announce the winners of the ARS/Victorinox competiton in Issue 41. The 10 winners of the Fruit Snips and Pruning Knives are: Gillian Fraser, Sturminster Newton; Alison Thompson, Wooton; Janette Ashworth, Oldham; Judy Burstow, Perranporth; David Pitcher, Totnes; Rita Windscheffel, Montrose; Diane Cornforth, Rochdale; Mrs J Taylor, Preston; Veronica Southern, Blackpool and Sylvia Kernohan, Ballymena.
We are certain that you’ll be delighted with these precision tools and hope that they inspire you to bigger and better projects. We send a sincere thank you to Horticultural tools and Horticultural knives for their support and sponsorship of the competition.

 
We were fascinated to learn of a new product that is on the market – tea! Yes – that’s right, tea – redbush tea which has been developed to use as a decorative dressing/mechanic for dried or silk flowers. It’s also ideal for top dressing outdoor or indoor plants and is a very attractive colour. We were also interested to learn that if used in conjunction with, say, wet floral foam, the natural colour from the tea filters through the osmotic system to give naturally, coloured flowers! Of course, this is not actual tea leaves but the residue left after processing but it does give an interesting spin on the prevalent desire for natural products. For more information on this great new product contact Fine Naturals on +44 (0)845 272 2389 or check out their website at www.finenaturals.co.uk

Well you’ve certainly got into the swing of things as far as entering our competitions is concerned – so here goes with the latest one! We have two bags packed with exciting things courtesy of the Flower Council of Holland. The two prizes vary but each includes a specialist pack on the subject of colour which is not generally available and is being presented as something very special for our readers. All you need to do to take part is send in your name and address to us at Fusion Flowers, Flower Council of Holland Competition 3, 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 telling us how many issues of Fusion Flowers magazine you receive in a year. Entries close on 10th July 2008.

Earlier this year when we visited IPM Essen I was struck by a couple of displays using ribbons and decorative, textural braids as a backdrop. On further investigation is transpired that these products came from a company called Halbach. In the last issue of Fusion Flowers we included one of their brochures and subsequently have received a selection of ribbons to experiment with. They are wonderful. The range is quite literally HUGE and some of the brocades in particular can be gathered up to make specialist decor for bridal work. They also supply those wonderful ribbons so popular in Europe for funeral work. Several readers have contacted us for a list of outlets in the UK and Ireland and Halbach have kindly supplied the following: J van Vliet Ltd, Peter Harvey, Britannia Floral Sundries, St. Mellion Flowers and Westflor. In Northern Ireland contact Peake Blooms and Mahood Floral and in the Republic of Ireland Eirflowers, H.Elmes Ltd and Seamus Florist Sundries. 

At our recent marathon photo shoot we asked various suppliers to send us some of their latest products. OASIS® Floral Products sent, among other things, two of their latest ideas for displaying bouquets – acrylic bouquet stands and they’re gorgeous. Our designers loved them for all sorts of possibilities – in fact they became so carried away, they actually incorporated them into designs but the principal idea is to use them for bouquet displays. Because the stands are acrylic it lets the bouquet appear as if it’s floating in air. These would be ideal for shop displays, wedding fairs etc or, as our designers found out, for corporate work too!

It looks as if there will be a lot of very fashion conscious designers at this year’s Hampton Court Palace Flower Show, particularly in the Floral Art competition. With titles like Fashion Icon, Designer Shades, Window Dressing and Heads will Turn it looks as if the Surrey Area of NAFAS are certainly pushing the boat out! To see the results of the competition and to judge for yourselves, it’s best to visit between the 10 – 13 July as the competition is not for the duration of the show. For further information and a schedule telephone +44 (0)1483 771893 or +44 (0)1252 782477. 

We have just received information about an exciting international floristry event taking place at the Grünberg School in Germany. Apparently Tomas De Bruyne, that jet-setting Belgian florist who is part of Life3, and Manfred Hoffman the German representative at the last Interflora World Cup in Australia and in the World Flowers Show in Nagoya, Japan, are the tutors/demonstrators at the seminar. Also included are international gatherings, dinners and events. So all in all – it sounds pretty interesting and an opportunity to learn from others. The course is multi lingual and will be in German, English and Japanese. For further information telephone 0049 6401 91010 or email This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it or website www.bildungsstatte-gartenbau.de

For the first time since 2003, a new body of work will be on show at the studio of Gillies Jones located in the heart of the North York Moors National Park between 14th June and 20th July. Gillies Jones is a partnership between glassmaker and artist; their internationally renowned work is in several public collections, including the V&A. All of the work is vessel based. The ‘Aesculus’ is a representation of the husk of the annually abundant horse chestnut seed. The core and recurrent theme is the connection between patterns of the natural world.
The technique of each piece in overlay blown glass creates layers, which are ultimately eroded to reveal the ‘patterns’. This challenging technical process makes a complex piece, which uses the inherent qualities of glass to the full. Stephen Gillies is an accomplished glassmaker. For him, hot glass is about the physical act of making. It is demanding, difficult, strenuous and a lifetime’s work in order to achieve the highest technical standards. Kate Jones is an artist, whose observations of small components of the natural world has been the source of her art for many years, through drawing and print making to glass. She is driven to communicate a passionate interest in the world around us, and how, as individuals we are also part of ‘larger patterns’ of life.
The exhibition opens on June 14th at 10.00 am. For further information check out their website at www.gilliesjonesglass.co.uk