This September I returned to Belgium for my fifth consecutive year as a designer for Hoogstraten in groenten & bloemen.
The annual event turns the center of Hoogstraten into an open-air exhibition filled with large-scale designs created with flowers, plants, vegetables and fruit. This year marked the 27th edition, with 30 installations placed throughout the city center.
My design was titled Innerlijke Groei, which translates to Inner Growth.
The idea
The design began with three tall forms covered in bark. I saw them almost as figures, each one standing separately but still connected to the others.
Each structure measured 3 meters high, 1 meter wide and 51 centimeters deep—approximately 9 feet 10 inches high, 3 feet 3 inches wide and 1 foot 8 inches deep. Working at that scale allowed the forms to hold their own in the street and created space for the botanical elements to move between them.
The story was about the growth that happens quietly inside us before anyone else can see it. The rough bark created a protective outer surface, while the materials moving through and around the forms suggested something beginning to emerge.
I used bamboo, moss, grasses, rose hips and tomatoes to create movement and connections across the design. I was especially interested in the contrast between the strength of the upright forms and the lighter, more open lines of the bamboo.
Letting the design develop
I arrived with a plan, but the design changed once I began building it at full scale.
My original idea was too symmetrical for me. It felt predictable and did not have the movement I wanted. I repositioned the forms and began working more freely with the bamboo and botanical materials. That created a more dynamic composition and allowed the negative space to become an important part of the design.
This is often how I work. The structure gives me a starting point, but I also need to respond to the materials and to what is happening in front of me. Sometimes the best decision is to move away from the original plan.
The finished piece was still connected to my first idea, but it became stronger as I worked through it.
The people behind the event
Hoogstraten in groenten & bloemen is a large international exhibition, but it is also a true community effort. The designers are supported by the City of Hoogstraten, students from VITO Hoogstraten and more than 100 volunteers.
The volunteers are what make this event happen. They help prepare materials, construct the designs, transport the finished work and handle countless details throughout the week. Their energy and generosity make Hoogstraten a very special experience.
Thank you to Tom De Houwer for his leadership and support, and to all the volunteers and floral friends who helped me bring Innerlijke Groei to life.
I am also grateful to the event sponsors and supporters, including Den Berk Délice, Crauwels-Peers/CP Deco, FloraLife, OASIS Floral Products and De Kleine Boerderij Plantentuin Merksplas.
Coming home ready to create
It was exciting to see my work in this international setting and to be surrounded by so many designers and ideas. I am proud of what I created, but the experience also reminded me that I still want more.
I know I can continue to grow and get better. I came home inspired, but also knowing that the most important thing I can do now is return to my studio and create new work.
Innerlijke Groei (Inner Growth)
Hoogstraten in groenten & bloemen 2026
Hoogstraten, Belgium