| The Spirit of Christmas in Germany |
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What does the Spirit of Christmas mean to you? There will, of course, be people amongst our readers who don’t celebrate Christmas but, once a year, in a small town in Germany, people come together, whether they believe in Christmas or not to see an extravaganza of contemporary floral design. This event attracts literally thousands of visitors from all over the world to the old garden nursery in Bad Neuenahr where torchère light the way into a wonderland of gorgeous designs that lift the heart, the soul and, dare I say it – the spirit.
Several years ago, Gregor Lersch, the legendary German floristry guru, came up with the idea of decorating his garden, work sheds, former greenhouses, outbuildings and award-winning glasshouse to show contemporary winter designs. The concept grew and each year finds something new on display together with a completely different theme. The event now attracts other artisans who also display their work. The aroma of traditional Glühwein fills the air mingling as it does with hot sausages and other local delicacies for people to buy. It’s magical and, if you’re really lucky, snowflakes fall as you wander through the garden looking not only at the outdoor designs but the floral arrangement competition too. We have visited this event before but something always draws us back. Yes, we want to see the latest ideas and trends but there’s something more. Perhaps it’s this bringing together of different people from vastly different backgrounds and beliefs with one thing in common – a love of seasonal flowers. Locals mingle with international designers all speaking different languages, yet each managing to communicate. It’s wonderful and we just had to take another look so that our readers could see the impossible made possible when all prejudices are laid to rest for a short time and all made possible by an individual who believes in the spirit of flowers. You can find the full story and see detailed images in Issue 51 of Fusion Flowers magazine. |
