Green Academy Belgium is an initiative created by Gudrun Cottenier and Isabel Gilbert Palmer to promote at the highest-level possible, Belgian foral design and where appropriate whats considered as European floral design. and to share it with the world.
To acheive this they embarked on a project to create a series of workshops and seminars
which began with their first Annual International Floral Seminar in January 2009 and their second in January 2010.
International interest in the Seminar concept leads them to believe that their vision is a shared one .
This is good news for those Professional Florists and Flower Lovers, alike as they plan to create two forms of Seminars which will cater for both focus groups.
The Seminars for florists are created for those who want
*to work with some of the worlds leading floral designers
*refresh their skills,
*find inspiration
*who want to be part of a vibrant movement of high level floral designers
*want to network with like minded talented creatives
combine all of the above, experienced in a European cultural setting .
Where possible the Seminars will include
city and museum visits
great and gem like gardens
some superb window and real shopping possibilities
memorable foodie moments,
from chocolate tasting to cafe and brasserie a la mode
and some to never forget ,cuisine memories .
information about the Garden and Flower Lovers trails will appear shortly.
Gudrun Cottenier
has had her own successful Flower School for Flower Lovers, de Groene Verbeelding ( Green Imagination) since 1993.
She is plays a central part in the Belgian floral world with her involvements in the Floral Media as a permanent member of Sanoma Magazines Floral publications designers’ team,
is invited to demonstrate widely beyond her classroom programmes
and collaborates for Belgian televisions, Green programmes.
Gudrun is author of two successful books on Floristry, is a marketer in the Floral sector appearing at Belgium’s leading Garden Fair at Park Beervelde twice a year (where she usually scoops a prize or two for her booth displays) and is an important key member of the prestigious Floralien organization of Belgium.
She has a wide following of Students both past and present,her Open Door Day Exhibitions each Spring are one of the hIghlights of the Flower World and her regular themed workshops she oganises besides her normal class schedules are always fully subscribed.
She has just embarked on an interesting themed workshops project with a collegue and a magazine series in a glossy Belgian home and interiors magazine, Tijdloos combining Lifestyle cameos with good food, flowers in the house and outdoors, with decorations and ideas through the year of seasons and festivities.
She also organises small events and garden trails to private gardens in Spring and Summer in Belgium
Isabel Gilbert Palmer
is a transplanted New Zealander and has been active in promoting Belgian Floral design since 2000 when she bravely invited Belgian florists Geert Pattyn and Ivan Poelman Down under to demonstrate and workshop.
Her involvement remained there until 2004 subsequently inviting Erik Lockley and Aad Van Uffelen to visit and do likewise .
She moved to USA and now lives in Belgium..(when she is not in the USA. Japan or New Zealand at sometime in each year.)
She is a small events organizer like Gudrun and has a website in the USA specializing in floral world information www.editotofloris.com ( created from her personal choice rather than commercially driven)where she recommends books and publications she feels are important for designers.
She is a Freelance floral magazine writer having written for
Flower Magazine USA
Garden Design USA
Fantazy Magazine Russia
Gardeners magazine New Zealand
Fleur Creatif Belgium
Fleur Belgium
and collaborates closely with Flowers & in USA.
She has close connections with the American Institute of Floral Design as a Business partner,
Sponsor and with Green Academy Belgium as an Education Partner.
Shes been involved in AIFD Symposiums with her “found in… .. flanders” series since 2006 having brought Belgium floral designers Geert Pattyn, Moniek van den Berghe and Ivan Poelman to the stage and in 2009 and students from the January 2009 Winter international Seminar who were joined on satge by Tomas de Bruyne at Kansas City.
In 2010 she brings “found in…france " to Boston Symposium.
Both Gudrun and Isabel with edito floris and edito consult in the USA, worked to offer Florists a Winter Seminar in January 2010. They have since invited Haruko Noda to join them . She shares their passion,values. transparent and open way of working,respect and honour for the strengths they share as creatives and importantly their global vision .
Haruko Noda pleased her parents in the early part of her professional career and did a degee in Economics at University in Tokyo. Once done she followed her heart where she always wanted to go, into Floristry. She trained in Tokyo but had a a bigger view ahead of which led her to Europe.She moved to Germany and took lessons , worked in Aachen and later in Vienna, Austria . Stiill wishing for more and having decided that Belgiums Floral Designers were her cup of tea she found her way to Moniek Vanden Berghes studios in the countryside ..a feat of its own, and has since 2005 and continues to be, a loyal and charming part time assistant to Moniek . She has imbuded the very best of Belgian design and happily and cleverly combined it with her own natural aesthetic. She is also Free lance Florist in her own time , with her own little initiataive Wisteria and is now a member of the Green Academy Belgium Collective and our Japanese advocate . She is married (they have an adorable little Flower Prince of their own) and lives in Belgium (when she too, is not in Japan.)