A flower like a butterfly

Dmitry Turcan: floral designer, inspirator, teacher and floral lover talks about one of his favourite flowers: Clematis. The flower that floats over a bouquet like a butterfly flies over a flower meadow.

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mitry Turcan is a one of the most recognizable Russian-speaking floral artists, who lives in St. Petersburg, Russia. He is the founder of the online school of floristics Turcan International Flower School and Turcan Flower Bureau. His social following is big, inspiring hundreds of thousands of followers all over the world.

Dmitry is a floral enthusiast. He not only works with flowers; no, he breaths flowers. Born in a family of florists, Dmitry learned the basics of floristic art - absorbing the culture of flowers - from an early age. His unique style began to emerge in Italy where he was living for 8 years. Western Europe taught him to create minimalistic and concise objects. The style started to evolve when he moved to Azerbaijan: chic and abundance were deeply valued in that culture. This combination of incompatible — luxury and restraint — formed the basis of Dmitry's style in floristics, in which he continues to improve today.

Dmitry Turcan with Clematis Amazing Kyiv und Rome

Dmitry: “Many people know about my love for Clematis. I constantly use it in my work. All my students and those who are attentively following me on social networks believe that my favourite flowers and natural materials are Clematis and Viburnum. These materials are similar to me in terms of character. They give life to a bouquet and maximum naturalness and also create air/space. I always broadcast that you need to know how to work with Clematis. I think the clearest idea of how Clematis should be in a bouquet looks this way: like butterflies that fly over a flower meadow, Clematis should rise above all other flowers. They are bright stars and kind, romantic accents in any work."

Experience the Clematis Amazing® series

Delicate and unusual

Clematis had always been a fascinating flower for Dmitry. “Many years ago, when there were no Clematis from Marginpar, I saw a lot of works of Japanese designers who worked with these flowers. It was very inspiring. I envied them always and wanted to work with Clematis too. And I am really happy that now I can finally work with this flower, with such a wide range. You can find absolutely any shade from more delicate to terry and unusual.”

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A grateful flower, if you know how to use it

Clematis is not a simple flower, but if you learn how to work with it, Clematis is extraordinary...

Dmitry: “Most of all I use Clematis in bouquets. In competitive works, I am careful. There is a fear that Clematis will not survive, because all flowers are installed in tubes or containers with a small amount of water, but Clematis needs a lot of moisture.

I had an experience at a big event (Fleuramour) with Clematis and I used it in large compositions. Clematis in the Oasis does not stand very long usually, but since it was cool and raining weather, the flower showed himself on a very good side and lasted about a week outdoor."

Waiting for a white one

Favourite varieties for Dmitry are the Clematis Amazing® K ibo, Blue Pirouette and Kyiv. He is looking forward to seeing new varieties: “I like Clematis with large buds, and varieties that has several flowers on the branch (Like Clematis Amazing® Tokyo). If we're talking about colour, it would be very interesting to see white, burgundy red and cornflower blue ones.”

Tips from the master

“First of all, it’s critically important to trim Clematis with a clean knife or a sharp secateurs. Second, since a large evaporation of moisture goes through the leaves and not all this moisture reaches the flower itself, I remove almost all the leaves when I put up a showcase in my store. In this form, Clematis lives much longer. But what’s the good point of the leaves? In Russia, we don’t have natural material in the wintertime, but I want to see some bright juicy greenery. And Clematis just has beautiful leaves. And even if you add 1 or 2 stems of Clematis in the middle of a bouquet, you can immediately see how the mood in the bouquet changes. Firstly, due to the flowers (they are light and airy like butterflies) and due to such noble green colour which add a touch of grace and elegance."

A heavy drinker

"I would not recommend using Clematis in risky cases, where it should stand for several days in small containers. Also, you need to remember that the heat and drafts can ruin her mood, be careful. Clematis needs a lot of water, so exclude it from use in small tubes."

New Clematis project

"I wanted to make an installation at Fleuramour 2020, but due to COVID-19, the festival has been postponed. I have prepared a sketch for a large-scale project specifically with Clematis. I think I will realize this project no matter where maybe even in Russia. And I would like to surprise all of you so I will keep it a secret."

About Dmitry

Dmitry Turcan was born and raised in Moldavia, a country with sunny days and excellent climate. Its nature, the fertile lands, orchards and meadows full of blossoming flowers, were the reason he chose to be a floral designer. His love for flowers brought him to many countries, each inspiring him to new technique and styles. In 2018, Dmitry moved to St. Petersburg and founded Turcan Flower Bureau, a multi-level space that was created in order to bring people together and inspire them to creative realization. Dmitry has won several awards, including the Silver medal at Japan Garden Festival 2017; the People’s Choice Award at Florint Europa Cup 2016 and the Grand Prix and Gold medal at Singapore Flower Garden 2018. More about Dmitry on Instagram or at his website.