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flavours
Capturing the beauty of nature in homes and gardens
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t manifests in earthquakes, volcanoes, thunderstorms and whirling oceans. However, its true force is not found in those brutal displays of power. The true force of nature is found in the result of those destructive winds, quakes and waves; LIFE. It is found in the sheer and quiet beauty of a single flower or a delicate butterfly. In colourful fish, extravagant birds, patterned seashells and voluptuous plants; in the shape of stones and the formation of rocks. In a feather, owing its colours to insects and plants, eaten by its owner. Millions of years of evolution have passed to shape the inhabitants and living organisms on our planet the way we know them today.
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Every individual has its own natural history and purpose. What is more interesting than inspecting all forms, shapes, colours and texture in nature’s kingdom? It seems to be an endless collection of increasingly surprising details and colour combinations. The deeper you study these subjects, the more you will want to know about it; it all just makes you realise that there is more to discover. This book was created to share the passion to closely inspect the ever changing flavours of our earth.
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Capturing the beauty of nature in homes and gardens
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TIME GOES BY SO QUICKLY IN OUR DAILY RUSH. TO SLOW DOWN THIS SPEEDING TRAIN, WE LOVE TO WORK WITH NATURE. FLOWERS IN PARTICULAR SHOW US HOW SHORT LIFE AND HOW PRECIOUS BEAUTY CAN BE. — Ueli Signer 15
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FLOWERS STAY WITH US FOR A MONTH, A WEEK OR ONLY ONE DAY. CAPTURING THEIR BEAUTY IS ONE OF MY MAIN MOTIVATIONS TO MAKE THESE PHOTOS. - Jeannine Govaers
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FLOWERS, SEASHELLS, FEATHERS, ROCKS, FILLED GLASS DOMES, BIRD CAGES, TREES, CANDLES COLLECT NATURAL AND MANMADE UNIKA TO CREATE YOUR PERSONAL TREISURE. - Florian Seyd
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VRAAG OF HIER EEN TEKST GEPLAATST KAN WORDEN. JA DAT KAN.
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AS A CHILD I DREAMT ABOUT BEING A TREASURE HUNTER. LOOK AT ME NOW IT HAS BECOME MY PROFESSION. — Florian Seyd 48
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FLOWERS ARE ALMOST LIKE PEOPLE. EVERY SEASON BRINGS ITS OWN MOOD.
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FLOWERS ARE A GIFT FROM NATURE, SHOWING ALL COLORS WE CAN IMAGINE AND MORE. TAKE IT INTO YOUR HOME TO SHARE ITS JOY AND BEAUTY. — Ueli Signer 74
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FLOWERS SHOW ALL ASPECTS OF LIFE: EXTREME BEAUTY, OUTSTANDING BEHAVIOUR, SURPRISING FORMS, CLEAR SIMPLICITY, OVERWHELMING SENSUALITY, STRANGE INSANITY, TERRIFYING LONELINESS AND DEATHLY DESTRUCTION. — Jeannine Govaers
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TODAY’S TASK TAKE A FLOWER IN YOUR HAND AND LOOK AT IT FOR FIVE MINUTES. NOW THERE’S SOME TRUE BEAUTY.
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WHEN MY SNOWDROP COLLECTION COMES UP IT MAKES MY HEART JUMP. I LOVE IT. —Ueli Signer
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NATURE IN ALL ITS FACETS, NEVER ENDING EXPLORATION OF UNKNOWN FORMS OF LIFE. CAN YOU EVER GET ENOUGH OF IT? — Florian Seyd
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FLORIAN SEYD & UELI SIGNER
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lorian Seyd and Ueli Signer are both florists and decorators from the bottom of their hearts. For different reasons they grew up with a deep love and admiration for nature, especially flowers. Growing up in the small village of Gonten, Switzerland, Ueli was completely engulfed by nature. To him, nature was plentiful, accessible and tranquilising. Florian, on the other hand grew up in the German industrial city of Essen and learned about nature mainly through books and on weekend strolls with his parents. To him, nature seemed scarce, distant but very captivating. Ueli eventually decided to train as a gardener and later found an even greater passion in flower arrangement. His early apprenticeships would lead him to work in 6 different European countries (including The Netherlands), where the young Ueli would learn both the local culture and language. It was clear to Florian at a very
early age that his dream was to become a florist. After school, when other children normally played, he began working at a local flower shop. After graduating from high school, he trained as a florist and later decided to obtain more experience in The Netherlands, where he received his florist master degree. Both of them fell in love with Amsterdam and stayed much longer than they had ever planned, working for a leading florist. After a few years in The Netherlands, they decided to start their own business. They hoped that their creative work with flowers and plants would enable them to realise each client’s dreams and desires. Driven by their enduring passion to explore new ideas and test uncharted limits, their works have taken them all across the world to Europe, North American and as far as Asia and Africa. Although Ueli Signer and Florian Seyd are not involved with the daily running of their own flower shop, they showcase 118
and share their ideas, creations, and objects of interest (collected during their many travels abroad) at the biannual event “the Wunderkammer”. “The Wunderkammer” is a temporary shop set in Amsterdam and opened for only a week at a time - each time at a new venue. Ueli and Florian use this event as a platform to express and share their creative mindsets with the hope of bringing their friends and customers one small step closer to the nature that they both grew to love.
Florian Seyd & Ueli Signer Buiksloterdijk 144 1025 WB Amsterdam The Netherlands www.florianseyd.com www.uelisigner.com www.shop-for-a-week.com
Florian Seyd & Ueli Signer
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INDEX
page 8 / 9 Desert rose and marble egg
page 10 Cyclamen europaeum
page 12 Paeonia suffruticosa
page 14 Strelitizia reginae, Gerbera Hybrids, Gloriosa lutea, Aconitum napellus Flower Council of Holland
page 11 Tulipa “Super Parrot”, Taraxacum officinale seedhead
page 16 / 17 Masdevallia “Angel Frost”
page 19 Tulipa Hybrids
page 20 / 21 Lilium Hybrid, Viburnum opulus, Echinops ritro, Rosa multiflora, Gladiolus Hybrid Flower Council of Holland
page 22 / 23 Phalaenopsis, Cattleya, Vanda and Cymbidium Hybrids
page 24 Chaenomeles japonica, Tulipa Hybrids
page 27 Adiantum pedatum, Salix alba
page 28 / 29 Tillandsia dyeriana, Anthurium clarinervium, Aconitum napellus “Bicolor”, Gloriosa lutea, Dianthus “Prado”, Agave americana Flower Council of Holland
page 30 / 31 Private collection
page 34 / 35 Lilium “Gluhwein”, Echinops ritro, Euonymus europaeus, Malus “Red Sentinel” Flower Council of Holland
page 37 Lilium “Souvenir”, Lilium “Shocking”, Aster chinenesis Flower Council of Holland
page 38 Phalaenopsis Hybrids
page 25 Chaenomeles speciosa “Nivalis”, Narcissus “Ziva”
page 33 Chaenomeles japonica
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page 39 Phalaenopsis Hybrids and Cymbidium Hybrids
page 40 / 41 Syringa vulgaris, Tulipa “Angelique”, Tulipa “Webers Parrot”
page 42 Phalaenopsis, Cattleya and Cymbidium Hybrids
page 49 Dianthus Hybrids, Gloriosa rothschildiana, Caladium Hybrid, Gerbera Hybrid; Flower Council of Holland
page 50 Artwork in private residence
page 56 Tacca chantrieri, Banksia grandis seedhead
page 58 Private collection
page 57 Sauromatum venosum
page 59 Lilium “Shocking”, Kniphofia uvaria
page 64 Colchicum autumnale
page 67 Tulipa “Snow Parrot”
page 45 Galanthus nivalis
page 46 / 47 Private collection
page 52 Amorphophallus titanum
page 54 Private collection
page 43 “Dark Blue Magic” Vanda
page 55 Astilboides tabularis
page 51 Angiopteris erecta
page 60 Protea cyranoides “Alba”, Ammi majus
page 62 Taraxacum officinale seedhead page 63 Dianthus “Prado”
page 68 / 69 Private collection
page 65 Amsonia tabernaemontana, Viburnum opulus var. opulus, Cattleya Hybrid
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page 70 / 71 Tulipa “Maureen”, Tulipa “Flaming Parrot”, Prunus avium, Syringa “Madame Lemoine” Flower Council of Holland
page 72 Anthurium “Arrow”
page 74 / 75 Tulipa Hybrids
page 76 Sauromatum venosum, Brugmansia aurea, Beta vulgaris “Bright Lights”
page 73 Private collection
page 80 / 81 Tulipa Hybrids
page 77 Private collection
page 82 Myosotis sylvatica page 83 Aeonium tabuliforme
page 88 Tulipa “Mistress” page 89 Tulipa “Inzell”
page 96 / 97 Cucumis sativus var. sikkimensis, Agave americana
page 78 / 79 Tacca chantrieri
page 90 Tulipa “Mistress”, Narcissus Hybrid, Matthiola incana, Viburnum opulus var. opulus
page 85 Amorphophallus titanum, Agave attenuata, Bombax ellipticum
page 86 Tulipa “Green Wave”
page 92 Private garden
page 95 Private residence
page 93 Anthurium species, Sarracenia leucophylla, Sarracenia flava, Fritillaria species
page 91 Tulipa “Maureen”, Fothergilla major, Fritillaria pallidiflora, Fritillaria pinardii
page 100 / 101 Curcuma zedoaria, Begonia Rex Hybrids Flower Council of Holland
page 98 Poncirus trifoliata page 99 Dianthus Hybrids, Dendrobium Hybrid
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page 103 Galanthus nivalis, G.”Viridapice”, Galanthus elwesii, Galanthus nivalis “Flora Pleno”
page 104 Private garden page 105 Dioscorea elephantipes, Ceropegia fusca, Adenium arabicum
page 112 / 113 Paphiopedilum” American Hybrids”, Anthurium hookeri
page 108 / 109 Lilium “Casablanca”, Symphoricarpus albus, Scabiosa caucasia, Scabiosa atropurpurea, Virburnum opulus Flower Council of Holland
page 106 / 107 Lilium “Casablanca”, Symphoricarpus albus, Scabiosa caucasia, Scabiosa atropurpurea, Virburnum opulus Flower Council of Holland
page 115 Sea Urchin
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page 110 / 111 Gerbera Hybrids, Gloriosa lutea, Dianthus Hybrid, Cucumis species Flower Council of Holland
CREDITS
PHOTOGRAPHY BY JEANNINE GOVAERS Jeannine Govaers is a photographer with strong imaging abilities. She is fascinated by the predictability and force of autonomous worlds or the current state of the Indian tribes in the Amazon area or flowers in the market. She is amazed and surprised at the power of the individual, animal or plant that remains pure in the world as chaotic organism. The beauty and autonomous force of humans and nature that are used in all facets by people to retain a wonderful unique identity. Her photos are powerful images with a subtle twist; when it is studied in detail, the true implication of the image becomes clear and the photos appear to be a collection of minute subtle details that illustrate a powerful personal search for meaning. (Herman Lamers)
Jeannine Govaers photography Ruyschstraat 39 II 1091 BS Amsterdam The Netherlands jgovaers@wxs.nl www.jeanninegovaers.com
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CONCEPT AND DESIGN BY MENDO MENDO in Amsterdam is a graphic design agency and a bookshop. This unusual combination adds value to both disciplines. The design background enables MENDO to make a critical selection from the large supply of creative books on architecture, interior design, fashion, photography, graphic design and XL-books. At the same time, the unique design of the shop, with the actual selection of creative books, is an inspirational work environment for the design agency. MENDO then also feels that it is only natural that it starts creating books with the concept and design of Flavours.
MENDO Berenstraat 11 1016 GG Amsterdam The Netherlands www.mendo.nl
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THANKS TO... ... all the Dutch horticulturists who spent enormous effort to grow some of the world’s finest flowers, to the Flower Council of Holland for letting us create some of their visual output, to MENDO for creating this book, to Mr Alex Lau / Hong Kong for great support, to Jan Wolters and Magnus Martinsson for their appearance in the book, and last, but not least, to all of our friends and families that made and shaped us to what we are. Best regards, Ueli Signer, Jeannine Govaers and Florian Seyd
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ARRANGEMENTS & COMPOSITIONS Florian Seyd & Ueli Signer Buiksloterdijk 144 1025 WB Amsterdam The Netherlands www.florianseyd.com www.uelisigner.com www.shop-for-a-week.com © Florian Seyd & Ueli Signer, Amsterdam PHOTOGRAPHY Jeannine Govaers photography Ruyschstraat 39 II 1091 BS Amsterdam The Netherlands www.jeanninegovaers.com © Jeannine Govaers, Amsterdam CONCEPT & DESIGN MENDO Berenstraat 11 1016 GG Amsterdam The Netherlands www.mendo.nl © MENDO BV, Amsterdam PRINTING Spinhex & Industrie Strekkerweg 41 1033 DA Amsterdam The Netherlands www.spinhex-industrie.nl Pictures and text rights all reserved for all countries. No part of this publication may be reproduced in any manner whatsoever. All right reserved. While we strive for utmost precision in every detail, we cannot be held responsible for any inaccuracies or any subsequent loss or damage arising from this. 127
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