A trade built around an auction

The Dutch flower trade is organised around the auction. The Bloemenlust auction was founded in Aalsmeer at the end of December 1911, and the Central Aalsmeer Auction followed on 5 January 1912. The two merged on 6 March 1968 as Verenigde Bloemenveilingen Aalsmeer, and in 1972 the auction moved into a new complex on the Legmeerdijk. The Aalsmeer building is now the largest in Europe by floor area. Since 1 January 2008 the auctions of Aalsmeer and FloraHolland have operated together as Royal FloraHolland.

A group at a flower workshop among hanging plants

From the auction to your own table

Our masterclass starts where the trade ends: at the table, with the flowers themselves. An experienced florist guides the group through working with seasonal flowers and greenery, and everyone builds a bouquet or an arrangement of their own. Timeless techniques meet a modern eye, and along the way participants learn how colour, form and balance work together, in a craft rooted in centuries of Dutch floral tradition.

Making bouquets in a greenhouse

It suits a first-time flower lover as well as someone with a green thumb. The workshop is hands-on, and it is as much about calm as it is about creativity. At the end, each guest takes home a handcrafted floral design and a few new skills.

A moss ball plant, made by hand

Practical

• Format: a hands-on workshop, led by an experienced florist.

• Material: seasonal flowers and greenery.

• Result: every guest makes their own bouquet or arrangement and takes it home.

• Good for: groups who want a creative, quiet counterpart to a busy programme, at any level of experience.

Sources

• Wikipedia, Royal FloraHolland: the founding of the Aalsmeer auctions in 1911 and 1912, the merger of 1968, the complex of 1972, the building and the formation of Royal FloraHolland in 2008.

• Endless Minds programme description: Flower Arrangement Masterclass.