Inspiring the FleurEx audience
Hanneke Frankema took to the FleurEx Main Stage this October with her show, 'Evolving in Craftsmanship'. During the demonstration, she captivated the audience with impressive designs, innovative techniques, sustainable structures and plenty of practical tips for both competition and commercial work.
Along the way, she shared personal anecdotes and plenty of on-stage banter with FleurEx host Morgan-Douglas Nuth, giving the audience a glimpse into the life and work of a leading floral designer. The show was as dynamic as it was educational, leaving visitors inspired and full of ideas to take back to their own work. And we had a surprise in store: our brand-new Clematis Amazing® Amsterdam made its stage debut at FleurEx with Hanneke!
From floral art to commercial work
Hanneke is known around the world for her competition work, shows and demonstrations. But did you know that she also used to run her own flower shop? This combination gives Hanneke a broad perspective on floral design. She knows how to translate large, showstopping designs into pieces that work in a commercial setting. Her advice? Don’t shy away from more intricate designs or larger pieces.
"If you don’t have it in your shop, it won’t sell," she explained. Customers need to see what’s possible before they can fall in love with it. For example, create one large showpiece for your window or display, then make several smaller arrangements in the same style to sell in your shop. Chances are you’ll sell plenty of the smaller designs and, who knows, someone might buy the large one too. And even if they don’t, they’ll remember what you can do. When they need something bigger for an event or special occasion, they’ll know who to ask.
Marginpar flowers: Clematis Amazing® Sevilla, Clematis Amazing® Kibo, Scabiosa Bon Bon Scoop™ Ube, Talinum 'Long John', Chasmanthium 'Mantis'
Hanneke’s tip: Prepare labour-intensive elements, such as structures, during quieter hours and keep them ready in your stockroom. Then, when the shop gets busy, all you need to do is add the flowers.
Discovering 3D printing
Hanneke loves working with wire techniques, but she also discovered something new: 3D printing. It gives her the freedom to create almost any element or structure she can imagine.
And you don’t necessarily have to design everything from scratch. There are plenty of 3D designs readily available online. With a little imagination, almost anything can become the basis for a floral structure. Hanneke has used templates for lampshades and even an enlarged design of a sink drain to hold flowers.
For her 3D-printed materials, Hanneke uses biodegradable filament made from natural materials such as corn starch or sugar cane. The material is strong yet slightly flexible and comes in almost every colour, including Hanneke's favourite golden shades.
Marginpar flowers: Gloriosa Superba Simba Fifty Shades
Practice makes perfect
Hanneke also created a couple of stunning structures with a 3D pen, with a circular pattern. Some of these techniques might seem daunting at first, but Hanneke reassured the audience that it simply takes practice.
Some repetitive jobs can happily be done in front of the television, she joked, but working with a 3D pen isn’t one of them. It requires focus and attention. The good news is that mistakes are easy to fix: simply let the material set, cut away the section you’re not happy with and try again. As Hanneke put it, it’s a bit like making pancakes: the first one never quite works out. Keep practising and you’ll soon get the hang of it.
Marginpar flowers: Clematis Amazing® Amsterdam, Clematis Amazing® Kibo, Scabiosa Bon Bon Scoop™ Maraschino, Gloriosa Superba Simba Fifty Shades
Craspedia crumbles
As a florist, it's important to keep your eyes open for interesting materials, whether you’re in a charity shop, a craft store or simply looking around your own studio. While replacing some dried Craspedia Paintball™ Pop on her World Cup design, Hanneke noticed how the flower heads broke apart into tiny pieces. She immediately saw the potential in the unusual texture and began using the crumbled Craspedia to cover structures, including several designs she showed at FleurEx.
If you want to try this technique yourself, Hanneke recommends first spraying the surface in a similar colour. That way, any tiny gaps between the botanical material will be far less noticeable. She then glues the Craspedia pieces onto the surface before finishing it with lacquer. And why stop at Craspedia? The same idea could be explored with all kinds of botanical materials. It’s all about experimenting and seeing where it takes you.
Marginpar flowers: Gloriosa Superba Simba Fifty Shades, Craspedia Paintball™ Pop
A design tells a story
Why are Hanneke’s designs so intriguing? We may have found part of the answer.
Hanneke compares a floral design to a book. The overall shape is the cover: it catches your attention and draws you in. Inside that shape is the story, told through the combination of flowers, glass tubes, techniques and fine details waiting to be discovered. It’s the composition of all these different elements that keeps the eye moving through the design and makes you want to take a closer look.
Marginpar flowers: Clematis Amazing® Amsterdam, Clematis Amazing® Kibo, Scabiosa Bon Bon Scoop™ Ube
One shape Hanneke returns to time and again is the fan shape. She particularly likes using flexible stems with plenty of movement for this type of design, with Clematis Amazing® Sevilla, Talinum 'Long John' and Gloriosa Superba Simba Fifty Shades among her favourites.
At FleurEx, she had something new to work with. Our brand-new Clematis Amazing® Amsterdam made its stage debut during Hanneke’s show. Its rich, burgundy pink colour works beautifully with Hanneke’s distinctive style and, judging by her reaction, it may well become a new favourite.
Marginpar flowers: Clematis Amazing® Amsterdam, Talinum 'Long John', Gloriosa Superba Simba Fifty Shades
Looking back at FleurEx
FleurEx 2026 brought together florists, students, growers, wholesalers and other industry professionals from the UK and beyond. It was a weekend full of creativity, with Hanneke’s show, florist competitions, Flower Lab workshops and plenty of stands to explore.
The annual BFA Industry Awards were also presented during FleurEx. Anja Norris of Norris Floristry was named UK Florist of the Year and also received the People’s Choice Award. Congratulations to Anja and to all the winners and nominees.
It was wonderful to see so much talent in one place and to experience the creativity, knowledge-sharing and support within the UK floristry industry. We'd like to thank the British Florist Association for organising this spectacular event!
