Gregor Lersch

Bad Neuenahr-Ahrweiler has been home for decades to one of the most decorated florists in the world: Gregor Lersch. He grew up in a family of nursery growers. He trained at the Meisterschule in Bonn. That foundation eventually took him to more than thirty countries.

His breakthrough came in the 1970s. In 1976 he claimed the Golden Rose as winner of the German championship. Two years later he took the European Cup for florists in Rome, the first German ever to do so. That success was followed in 1979 by another milestone: he received the Golden State Prize for floristry at the Bundesgartenschau in Bonn. In the decades that followed, he built an impressive record. Seven grand gold medals, more than thirty gold, twenty-two silver and several bronze awards followed. The later highlight came with the Grand Gold Medal at the Singapore Garden Festival in 2006.

Lersch is regarded as a founding figure of contemporary floral design. He combines classic techniques with organic, natural shapes. Besides his work as a designer, he is a sought-after teacher. He gives seminars and demonstrations around the world. He also welcomes students from every corner of the globe at his own “Alte Gärtnerei” in Bad Neuenahr. Together with his wife Gabriele, he still runs the family business on Telegrafenstraße. That is the address where his reputation first began. As an author, too, he has left his mark. Books such as Quellen meiner Floristik and the Sketchbook series remain reference works for floral designers to this day.

Anyone who wants to follow his work can find current projects and images on his Instagram. Gregor Lersch embodies the bridge between tradition and innovation in floristry, a legacy he has passed on with just as much passion as he once received it.