Gregor Lersch

About Gregor

Gregor H. Lersch is a Master Florist from Bad Neuenahr-Ahrweiler, Germany. He studied Horticulture and Floristry including successfully completing the Master Examination at the School of Masters in Bonn Bad Godesberg. In 1974, Gregor was the Champion of the States Competition in Rheinland-Pfalz and also awarded the German Championship in floristry. He has competed three times in the World Cup of Floristry and was the Europa Cup Champion in 1978. He has won numerous other competitions in his career including winning the World Competition Body Decoration Golden Tulip in the Netherlands and the Singapore Garden Show Best in Show. He has won 30 Gold Medals in German Garden Shows and seven Best in Show Awards.

Gregor is the author of 27 professional books and a prolific teacher. He has taught in 59 countries including Germany, The Netherlands, Belgium, France, Italy, Greece, Croatia, Russia, Poland, Singapore, Norway, Finland, Hong Kong, China, Taiwan, Indonesia, Japan, Kenya, South Africa, Spain, Portugal, Great Britain, Ireland, United States, Australia, New Zealand, Brazil, Mexico, Guatemala, Austria, and Columbia. He has taught in six languages. Gregor has also presented on the main stage at the AIFD National Symposium six times.

Teaching Style

Gregor’s classes are mostly structured with both theoretical and practical sections. He uses lecture, visualizations, demonstrations, sketches, and handouts to teach. He uses discussion, critique, and hands-on learning to help students practice skills taught in his courses. Typical teaching topics are craftmanship, design methodology, botanical terms, cultural context, and emotional impact of designs. An important part of his teaching is based on his books “Wellsprings of Floristry” which deals with design scheme and “Wellsprings of Inspiration” which is about the creative process and the relationship of contrasts. He has also taught in large group settings and taught large installation design.

Design Aesthetic

The Floristry of Gregor Lersch is a regardless, floral, natural style. He believes that all expressions in a floral design work should be made up of organic material as much as possible. The style can vary from decorative to textural and include bound work and planted work. He sometimes designs with an architectural look, but now tends to work with a more garden-focused, natural, and romantic style.