Botanical sculpting with Eryngium

The story behind the cover
- by Krisztián Kövér

ometimes, a creative idea lingers in your mind and simply refuses to go away. That’s exactly what happened with our magazine cover. We had kaleidoscopic dreams of Eryngiums in a spectrum of forms, colours, and dimensions. And at Marginpar, dreams can become reality.

Renowned floral designer Krisztián Kövér was inspired to bring that vision to life using our Eryngium Questar® series. He got to try the new Eryngium Scorpius Questar® and even a few varieties that will be brought to market soon: Eryngium Perseus Questar®, Gemini Questar® and Artemis Questar®. The result? A bespoke collection of floral masterpieces that showcases just how versatile these spiky beauties can be.

The story you’re about to read comes straight from the source, master florist Krisztián Kövér himself. And as it turns out, this multi-talented designer is just as skilled with words as he is with flowers. Let’s dive in!

About Krisztián Kövér

Krisztián Kövér is a celebrated Hungarian master florist, entrepreneur and educator. His company, Botanic Art, focuses on event decoration, workshops, and online training, and has become an internationally recognised name.

Krisztián began his floristry journey in his mother’s flower shop, knowing from a young age that he wanted to hone his skills further. He later opened several flower shops in Budapest and earned numerous accolades, including 1st place at the Hungarian Championship in 2018 and 3rd place in 2019.

Krisztián’s work is marked by a harmonious blend of wild nature and refined design. As he describes:

“I am totally in love with nature and colours; I always use them consciously. Whenever I make a composition, the aim is not to simply put together some flowers but to create visual compositions that tell stories.”

Floral headpieces

These floral headpieces are not merely accessories, they are characters. Imaginary personas expressed through botanical form, each representing not just a style, but an entire world. Sculptural in their construction yet wearable in nature, one design resembles a voluminous crown, while the other evokes the shape of a wide, soft-brimmed hat. These creations exist on the boundary between classical headwear and contemporary body art, where form leads and meaning follows.

The botanical materials, primarily the new Eryngium Scorpius Questar®, accompanied by small berries, seed pods, and fresh greens, create a surface resembling textile. The hues are dusty, deep, and rich, conveying both modernity and something ancient. Colours shift gradually from one to the next, mimicking the gentle fade of hand-painted silk.

The Eastern influence goes beyond aesthetic: there is a sense of ceremonial restraint, a pursuit of symmetry, and a deep respect for detail. These headpieces are not loud, they do not demand attention but invite observation. The presence and posture of the model enhances this atmosphere, evoking a contemporary Japanese fashion editorial or a character from an imagined stage world.

The structures are built on lightweight but stable bases, covered with blooms using cold glue techniques. During construction, I focused on balancing the curve that hugs the head with the expanded outer edge, ensuring the pieces are both wearable and striking.

Technical tips from Krisztián Kövér’s studio

Few flowers possess such a distinctive structure and visual power as Eryngium. Its texture, longevity and wide range of tones make it not only ideal for classic compositions but also for unique, contemporary installations.

Krisztián made 7 more designs using our well-known and new varieties of the Eryngium Questar® series. He explores the relationship between form, rhythm, and layering.

Ready to be inspired and learn innovative techniques? Head on over to part 2 of botanical sculpting with Eryngium.