"Nature as an example"

'Nature'. When freelance arranger Jan Aartsen (born 1951) talks about his work, the word 'nature' crops up with great regularity. He has been involved with flowers for over forty years and in all that time his guiding principle has been to use the materials as naturally as possible. He had already adopted that approach in his own shop, which he ran for over 25 years. When he could no longer cope with the combination of shop and freelance assignments ("I wasn’t able to concentrate 100% on both jobs ") he chose freelancing. But the predilection for nature remained. Whether he is making a small corsage or dressing an enormous parade float, his approach remains the same. "Look how magnificently it grows in nature, and then try to get as close to that as possible."

Organic material

The fact that Jan Aartsen lives in a heavily-wooded area undoubtedly plays a role. Nature is his source of inspiration. And he maintains close contacts with the foresters in his area. He often drags a cart with wood, trunks, branches and bark that he has gathered himself along to many of his shows and demonstrations. He is a great lover of organic material and does not shy away from dead material. "Exporters send us off with the most beautiful products. I find the contrast with that natural material fascinating."

Keen to learn

Jan’s field of work consists mainly of flower shops and garden centres throughout Europe, with the emphasis on Russia and the Baltic states. That is also where he got one of his most prestigious assignments to date, to dress various events in St Petersburg for the 300th anniversary. A host of leading heads of state with his arrangements in the background - that did give him a kick. But he also gets that kick when he arranges a demonstration for Russian florists. "They are years behind the West there, but they are so keen to learn that every year they close the gap by about 5 years."

Between the lines