““My prediction is that edible flowers will be the latest trend in the culinary world. An edible flower as garnish will replace the traditional sprig of parsley.

Flowers and food make a fantastic combination. It’s logical really, since in both cases you’re dealing with natural products. And with two worlds which are all about the experience.

Not everyone realises that flowers and cookery are so closely linked. I found out about it when I was working on the International Food Floral Fashion Show with floral artist Pim van den Akker and fashion designer Aziz Bekkaoui. This is a spectacle of image, light, sound and flavour in which we combine fashion, flowers, plants and food.

I made appetisers to match the most fantastic dresses, including one which incorporated orchids. You can buy edible orchids from culinary wholesalers nowadays. They make a great ingredient – comparable to firm, crispy lettuce.

The show was a great success. There were 250 guests, and a lot of international fashion and food journalists attended. But there were also ambassadors and people from the Ministry of Economic Affairs. The Netherlands is simply a world class player when it comes to flowers and plants.

I find it fun and educational to combine flowers and plants with the world of cookery. Restaurants could still greatly improve the plant and flower arrangements in their premises. This remains a neglected area. You create atmosphere and a fresh experience with plants as well. And the orchid fits perfectly into the culinary world. It still has a lot more to offer.”

Yuri Verbeek
Chef and author of cookery books

www.yuripim.nl

This Christmas we are doing things differently, we’re going all-out. The festive season is the ultimate pleasurable part of the winter. And even more so if your interior enhances the Christmas atmosphere. How do you do this? Be dazzled by orchids! Thanks to their versatility and luxurious appearance, Christmas has never been so atmospheric. To inspire you, we have listed 5 DIY Christmas decorations with orchids. Because making them yourself is even more fun than buying them!

A suitable orchid for every occasion

The dark, chilly days call for warm colours, luxurious prints, details and lush greenery to carry you away. Orchids adapt perfectly to this atmosphere and each different variety can add the finishing touches to any occasion or space. The lush Cymbidium and Cattleya create a fabulous feeling and fill every empty space perfectly. Phalaenopsis, Dendrobium and Paphiopedilum shine majestically on tables and complete the look. Vanda sways festively in every corner and cupboard and pouts with its colourful flowers and aerial roots. The delicate flowers of Cambria, Oncidium and other special varieties take care of the details and fit beautifully anywhere, even by the Christmas tree!

 

 

DIY: 5 Christmas decorations with orchids

To make the holidays even more fun, we came up with 5 festive Christmas decorations with orchids, that you can easily make yourself before or during the holidays (or any other occasion). They’re ideal to make the table, the gifts or your living/dining room even more beautiful.

DIY gift wrapping with orchid

Are you going to give Christmas presents? To make giving extra special, we came up with a cute DIY with pretty paper and the most beautiful flowers. For this DIY project, we used the Vanda, Cambria, Cymbidium Cascade and Oncidium. Read in this article how to make such a beautiful gift box yourself or watch the video for instructions:

 

 

DIY plant arrangement with orchid

We also made a modern version of the Christmas decoration, with the most beautiful green plants combined with a Phalaenopsis as a radiant centerpiece. Read the instructions for this plant arrangement in this article, or watch the video:

 

 

DIY orchid in a bell jar

This orchid in a bell jar will create sparkles in every room! A beautiful bell jar filled with twigs, greenery and the impressive Paphiopedilum. And you can easily make it yourself. We’ll explain how you can do this in no time at all in this article. Too tricky? Watch the video:

 

 

DIY Christmas place cards with orchids

Looking for a fun way to make Christmas place cards? We created a DIY idea especially for a festive holiday table: mugs filled with mini orchids and a golden name tag to make everyone’s place setting extra special. Fancy having a crafty afternoon? Then follow the steps in this article or watch the video for instructions:

 

Thanks to: Home Stock Rotterdam, HAY Rotterdam

 

DIY scented sticks with Cambria and tuberose

Are you ready for compliments on the way your home smells? With these DIY scented sticks with Cambria and tuberose, you can bring the smell of winter into your home in 4 simple steps. This way you don’t only enjoy the lovely smells of this season outside, but also inside. Read the instructions in this article!

 

 

Follow us on Instagram, Facebook, of Pinterest for more inspiration and care tips!

Giving is more fun than receiving. Isn’t that right? To make giving extra special, we have come up with a cool DIY idea for gift wrapping with orchids, using beautiful paper and the prettiest orchid flowers. For this DIY project, we used Vanda, Cambria, Cymbidium Cascade and Oncidium. Have a look to find out how you make such beautiful gifts yourself or check the video below for instructions.

DIY: Gift wrapping with orchids

Items needed:

• Different orchids
• Pruning shears
• Water tubes for flower stems
• Wrapping paper
• Ribbon, twine and/or gold wire
• Adhesive tape or glue
• Scissors

 

 

Step 1: Wrap the gifts in nice wrapping paper and cut a couple of flower stems from the orchid of your choice.
Step 2: Wrap the gifts and wrap a festive ribbon around the gift, secure with a dab of glue.
Step 3: Lay the orchid on the gift and fold the ribbon over it. Secure it on the back with glue.
Step 4: Insert the orchid’s stem into a flower test tube with water to make it last longer.
Step 5: Wrap gold wire around the gift and insert the stem.
Step 6: Repeat this with as many gifts as you like! Use different orchid species for variety.

 

 

Read also: How to make orchids rebloom again?

“As a child, I came into contact with the orchid through botanical educational illustrations. They were beautifully drawn and the shapes were breathtaking, and I wanted to draw like that too!

Once I had completed a course at the Design Academy in Eindhoven, I developed an intuitive way of working. Whether I am designing a wooden sideboard, a chair or a lamp, I love simplicity. Honestly designed products appeal to me a great deal, but I loathe sensationalist styles. And despite the industrial appearance of my designs, my aim is to give them a traditional look.

Plants create a positive change in a person’s living and working environment, and have a demonstrable effect on people’s well-being. They release oxygen, keep the air clean and increase productivity — it’s as simple as that. It is for good reason that you will find an enormous vertical wall of plants in my design studio in Den Bosch, which gives the feel of a sheltered courtyard garden. Surrounding yourself with nature is fantastic.

I lived and worked in Indonesia for a long time. In the jungle of Irian Jaya, the tiger orchid, which has a raceme of up to 3 metres in length, left an overwhelming impression on me; as did the fact that over 25.000 species of orchids grow there, and that those plants already existed 80 million years ago. Isn’t it fascinating that we still have descendants of these plants in our offices and living rooms nowadays?

The challenge in my partnership with the Art of Life project was to get the orchids off the table. Diversity of colour and the shape of the flower make the orchid extremely interesting; it is already a painting in itself. But an orchid hanging in a room is when it’s at its most beautiful. Anyway, at home I always hang orchids at eye level, as this simply makes them even more beautiful to look at.”

Roderick Vos

Designs furniture, tables, fabrics and lamps etc. For the Art of Life project, he designed an orchid holder which hangs from the ceiling on three wires (but can also stand on the table).

www.roderickvos.nl

This orchid in a bell jar will create sparkles in every room! And you can easily make it yourself. We’ll explain how you can do this in no time at all. Too tricky? Watch the video.

Items needed:

• Orchid: Paphiopedilum
• Moss
• Twigs
• Bell jar
• Bell jar base or stand
• Pruning shears
• Bowl of water to immerse your orchid
• Waste bin for wood chips

 

 

Step 1: Distribute the moss across the base of the bell jar.
Step 2: Remove the plastic pot from the orchid and remove the loose soil.
Step 3: Immerse the orchid’s roots in a bowl of water.
Step 4: Place the orchid firmly on the moss.
Step 5: Add the branch to the orchid and attach with a piece of wire.
Step 6: Place the bell jar over the orchid. Use a water spray to water the orchid from time to time.
Step 7: Insert a twig between the bell jar and the base so that the glass does not fog up.

 

For more inspiration and care tips follow us on Facebook, Instagram or Pinterest.

Shoes and flowerpots are some of the simple products that roll off 3D printers, but the technology is spreading like wildfire. The first homes are being built using 3D printers and the medical industry is experimenting with the technology. There are even 3D printers that are used to… create 3D printers!

Since the year 2000, Finnish designer Janne Kyttanen has been completely engrossed by this technology, and his work can be seen in galleries and museums all over the world — in Rotterdam, Barcelona, Basel and Vienna, but also in Israel, Miami and the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) in New York. Cutlery, tables, lamps, but also clothes and shoes. All the things he produces using the printer is unbelievable.

150 unique pots

On Orchids Day 2014, this versatile artist created the ‘3D Orchid Cloud’ — a reflective display that is several metres tall and contains 150 unique flowerpots that were created using 3D technology. Those pots were filled with 150 different types of orchids, in honour of the vast wealth of colour provided by the orchid. Janne himself expressed it even more pointedly: “I wanted to create something which would reflect all the varieties of orchids in a powerful colour explosion.”

Three questions

The busy designer didn’t have time to write a column himself, but Art of Life was able to ask him three pressing questions:

What is the effect of 3D printing on our daily lives now and what will the effect be in the next five years?
“It affects most industrially produced products on the planet at some stage of their development, so the effect is huge. And it is only expected to grow about 30% per year.”

When developing the 3D Orchid Cloud, you visited an orchid grower. What was the most interesting thing he showed you?
“How scientifically everything was monitored was very intriguing.”

If you had to choose, would you choose natural flowers or 3D flowers?

“I see everything as a wireframe anyway so there is no difference :-)”

Janne Kyttanen
Janne Kyttanen, born in 1974 in Finland, commenced his design studies at the Escola De Disseny, Elisave in Barcelona in 1996. He moved to the Netherlands to further his studies, graduating from The Gerrit Rietveld Academy in the year 2000. As a pioneer in design for 3D printing, Janne has created award-winning collaborations with brands including Hyundai, Asics, Nivea, NIKE, Philips and L’Oréal. He is now Creative Director for 3D Systems, the largest specialist 3D printing company in the world.

www.jannekyttanen.com

3D designs for orchid pots
Below you will find several links to the orchid pots designed by Janne Kyttanen. If you possess a 3D printer or have access to a 3D printer, you can print and use these models yourself.

Link 1
Link 2
Link 3

Different technologies and materials for 3D printing
Several 3D printing technologies have been developed, all of which have a slightly different way of building up an object layer by layer. The material that the printer is able to run on also differs depending on the technology. For example, there are machines that are able to print both chocolate and plastic, and others that are only able to build out of a special ceramic powder. The most frequently used materials and technologies are listed below:

Materials:
nylon (polyamide), recycled wood and polymer, ABS (the material from which Lego is also made), PLA (cornstarch-based biodegradable plastic), gold, silver (lost-wax technology), titanium, stainless steel, bronze, brass (lost-wax technology), ceramic

Technologies:

Stereolithography
Stereolithography is a technology that was invented in 1986 by Charles Hull. A laser beam (synthetic resin) hardens the surface of a liquid plastic layer by layer. The hardening takes effect where the laser beam comes into contact with the liquid. Once a layer has been completed, the platform on which the object is standing drops a fraction of a millimetre deeper into the basin. The three-dimensional object is formed by hardening the ultra-thin layers on top of each other.

Fused Deposition Modeling
FDM is a technology where a movable nozzle sprays long, thin lines of thermoplastic material on top of each other. A three-dimensional object is created layer by layer. Most “home” printers use this technology. The company Stratasys develops FDM 3D printers for industrial use.

Selective Laser Sintering
SLS is a technology that builds up plastic objects layer by layer by fusing together a thermoplastic (or metal) powder. A layer of powder is laid on top of another layer of powder each time. After each layer, the powder is melted (sintered) there and then by a laser, hardening it and mixing it with the other layers of powder. This is repeated until an entire 3D object has been created.

ZCorp 
The technology of a ZCorp printer is similar to that of SLS. The particles of powder are not fused together by a laser, but bonded together using a binding agent. The difference is that the material used is significantly less strong (it can best be compared to plaster), but the benefit of ZCorp’s 3D printing technology is that you can print in full colour.

Multi Jet Modeling
MJM is a technology where droplets of molten wax are sprayed on top of each other. Designers’ main use of these rather flimsy models is to visualise complex shapes. A wax plotter builds up the object layer by layer. The head of the plotter may consist of 100 individual wax needles.

Polyjet 
Polyjet sprays minuscule droplets of liquid polymer material onto a platform, layer by layer. Each layer is set by UV light as soon as it has been laid. As a result, it bonds to other layers and hardens immediately. Where necessary, the product is supported by a plastic support material.

Looking for a fun way to make Christmas place cards? We have created a DIY idea, especially for a festive holiday table: mugs filled with mini orchids and a golden name tag to make everyone’s place setting extra special. Fancy having a crafty afternoon? Then follow the steps below or watch the video below, to make Christmas place cards with orchids!

DIY: Christmas place cards with Orchids

These place cards with orchids are perfect for a festive holiday table! They look stunning but are easy to make.

 

Necessities

• Mini Phalaenopsis orchid
• Mugs
• Orchid potting soil
• Bowl of water to immerse your orchid
• Beautiful thick paper
• Printer and nice font (or handwritten)
• Scissors
• Satay stick
• Glue / Pritt stick
• Tassel
• Gold foil
• Gold foil glue

 

 

Step 1: Fill the jars or mugs with orchid potting soil.
Step 2: Remove the plastic pot from the orchid and immerse it in a bowl of water.
Step 3: Place the orchid in the jar and press it down with orchid potting soil.
Step 4: Distribute a few strands of Tillandsia or moss across the pot to fill it up.
Step 5: Write or print the guests’ names on a rectangular piece of paper. Make sure you can fold the paper around a skewer and secure it like a flag.
Step 6: Cut a triangle off the corner of the flag that you’ve made.
Step 7: Spread a little glue on the end of the flag with a brush and apply the gold leaf.
Step 8: Brush over the gold foil so that only the tip of the flag remains gold and the rest of the gold foil comes off.
Step 9: Insert your name flag in the pot with the orchid.

 

 

Looking for more Christmas DIY inspiration? Have a look at 5 Christmas decorations with orchids

Help! My orchid is suffering from aphids. How do I get a Dendrobium to bloom again? What should I do if my Cymbidium’s leaves are drooping? Our growers are happy to answer these and other questions!

 

My orchid is pestered by mealybug or aphids

Mealybug or aphids. There are definitely beasties that are not welcome on orchids. Unfortunately, they are a common pest in many plants. Mealybugs and aphids often appear in the winter months when the humidity indoors is too dry and the pot and roots are too wet. Draughts can also contribute. Alongside the products that you can buy at garden centres, there is also a home remedy: mix green soap with methylated spirit in a 1:1 ratio and spray this on the plant. You usually need to repeat this a couple of times, because these pests are stubborn. And be careful of the flowers, because it can cause staining on them.

 

 

My orchid is drooping

Oh no! My orchid’s leaves are drooping. Don’t panic! The most common cause of this is watering. First look at the roots. If they’re nice and green, your orchid has enough water. So don’t give it any more water now. If the roots look a bit greyish, that means that your orchid is too dry. The best thing is to soak your orchid. Ideally, you should immerse your plant in a bucket of water for a few minutes (5-10 mins). Note: don’t take the plant out of its inner pot. The roots will now fill themselves with water. Leave the orchid to drain thoroughly after soaking it. Now it can go back into its cachepot. Orchids need less water in winter.

 

Don’t catch a cold!

One essential tip from the grower: when you buy an orchid, make sure that it isn’t left in the cold car too long. And make sure that the orchid is wrapped up well when you buy it in order to take it outside. Orchids don’t like the cold. It’s a good idea to bear this in mind, particularly in the winter months. The cold causes the buds to dry out more rapidly and flowers to fall from the branch. When you get it home place your orchid in a light spot, but not in direct sunlight. And don’t place an orchid directly over a radiator.

 

 

My orchid has shoots

You might find that there is a new plant growing from your orchid. You can leave the new shoot to develop as a plant in its own right. But if you don’t want to do that, you can take the gamble of cutting the plant away from the mother plant. Wait as long as possible to do this. Allow the root to develop a bit more first. You then place your new plant in a pot with orchid soil, called bark. This is available from most garden centres.

 

How do I get my orchid to flower again?

If your orchid is no longer producing any new flowers on the stem, it’s time for a trim. To get your Phalaenopsis to flower again, you need to cut the branch above the second ‘node’. These are thickenings on the branch. Start counting from the bottom. If you have a Cattleya, Cambria, Cymbidium, Dendrobrium, Miltonia, Oncidium, Paphiopedilum, Vanda or Zygopetalum you can also cut the entire branch off, so that a new branch can grow from a leaf joint. Once you’ve cut the branch off, put the plant away in a cool and light spot. Water once a month. After two months replace the plant in its normal spot. Now water once a week again. After about six months the plant will form new attractive long branches with stronger blooming. This varies according to the species.

 

You can find more care tips at Care tips.

You often see the phalaenopsis or dendrobium, which is not surprising because you can buy them at many shops! Yet many people don’t dare, because there is a big misconception that orchids are difficult to care for. A great pity, because it is super easy! With a little time and these 4 general tips, your orchid will last for years!

1.      Keep an eye on the sun
A phalaenopsis or dendrobium should be placed in a place where there is enough light, but avoid the bright sun, especially in the summer months.
Are the leaves turning yellow? This could be a sign of too much direct sunlight. On the other hand, dropping flower buds or dark green leaves indicate a possible lack of light.

2.     Temperature
A phalaenopsis or dendrobium does not like draughts and should not be placed near the central heating. An orchid feels best at a temperature between 20°C and 22°C.

3.     Immerse
Immerse the pot in a bucket for a minute. Allow the plant to drain thoroughly after immersing, this will allow the excess water to run off. The orchid can then easily go seven days without water.

Rainwater is better than tap water which contains (too) much lime. It is best to water early in the day. In the winter months when the heating is on, it is a good idea to spray the orchid with water regularly to ensure that the humidity does not drop too low.

No time to immerse your orchid? Pour the water on the soil in the pot, not in the heart of the plant. Always use water that is at room temperature.

4.     Nutrition
Orchid nutrition can be bought at the garden center or DIY store. A phalaenopsis or dendrobium does not need much nutrition, once a month is enough. Read the packaging carefully to see what quantities have to be given each time.

Do you have another type of orchid? Or would you like to read more tips about each orchid? Then take a look here.

Today, Dutch fashion designer Jan Taminiau presented his new collection in the residence of the Dutch Embassy as part of the Couture Week in Paris. This time, the designer consciously chose a different approach which was more personal and intimate and in direct contact with his audience. In addition, a new interactive web application experience was launched during the show that allowed the audience to see the smallest details in close-up on their phones or tablets. Guests were welcomed with the letter below.

I am honoured to present you my new collection today.

In July of this year, I will be celebrating my tenth anniversary as a fashion designer. After almost ten years of traditional catwalk shows, I opted for a more intimate salon presentation, one that allows me to take you on an explorative expedition. It is a personal journey in which I show my passions, like my love for the crafts, and how I enjoy the way everything comes together in a modern couture collection.

The starting points for this collection are a photograph that is very dear to me, an antique scarf, and an orchid. In the photograph from the forties, my grandmother poses as the refined woman she was, in a tough looking biker jacket, ready to conquer the world. The old scarf from India moves me with its modest and simple embroidery. The orchid managed to inspire me with its fragile nerve pattern, which can be recognized in the fine embroidery and craquele leather in some of the dresses of my collection. As you will see, couture is about details.

My world exists as a mix of past and present, technique, and craft. I translate all these elements, including my emotions, in to shapes and materials. That is how I layer my collection, and create a force field between materials: shine versus matte, and hard versus soft. 

Jan Taminiau 

In the new collection, an important role was reserved for the orchid. One can find so many characters in this plant, some are powerful and abundant, others are refined and modest, but all are royal.

While working on his new collection, Jan Taminiau found himself inspired by the orchid. The shapes, the fragile nerve pattern, and the colours were all sources of inspiration. The collection, including two dresses and other pieces inspired by orchids, was presented on 20 January during the Paris Haute Couture fashion show. The dresses symbolise the orchid’s status in the plant kingdom. Not only is the orchid the Queen of Plants; it is also the perfect living fashion and home accessory.

The dress was inspired by the Phalaenopsis, an orchid with a name derived from the Greek words ‘Phalaina’ (moth) and ‘opsis’ (resembling).  The story goes that during one of his trips, Dutch botanist, Dr C.L. Blume, saw a group of butterflies floating almost motionless beside a tree. These turned out to be Phalaenopsis orchids. Jan Taminiau was also inspired by the Vanda Orchid. The Vanda is a rare orchid that does not need any earth to survive. Its roots hang loose in the air or wrap themselves around  trees. Several other pieces in Jan Taminiau’s 2014 collection were inspired by orchids.

Jan Taminiau on the orchid as a muse: “I wanted to discover the possibilities that the orchid has to offer, and be guided by the orchid’s colours, its vein-like structures, and its variegated shades. The orchid not only inspired me, it surprised me. Orchids are every bit as fascinating as the women who walk into my studio.”

Jan Taminiau on the orchid’s beauty as a living accessory: “As with people, an orchid is a living thing that grows more beautiful with time.”

Images JANTAMINIAU
Credits: Duy Vo