A world of industry ideas at the Keukenhof - Floraculture International

Keukenhof Special 2010 • www.floracultureinternational.com‘Concordia res parvae crescunt’SpecialThe business magazine for floriculture worldwideA world of industry ideasat the KeukenhofDAFFODILSGrowers showcaselatestvarieties 14CARNATIONDianthusdiehards onshow 32

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The worldwide market leader in lily breedingGebr. Vletter & Den Haan | Oegstgeesterweg 202A | 2231 BD Rijnsburg | The Netherlands | T. +31 (0)71 4081471 | F. +31 (0)71 4081463 | E. info@vletterdenhaan.nl

PrefaceFrom Russia with Love is the challengingtheme for Keukenhof 2010. With this themethe international flower exhibition in Lisse refersto a “massive, magnificent and mysteriouscountry’. Russia is also an exceptional countrywith an exceptional past. Keukenhof 2010 willhighlight different aspects of Russian society: atthe world’s most famous Spring Garden visitorswill be able to see a spectacular flower mosaicof the famous Saint Basil’s Cathedral in Moscowmade of more than 25,0000 flower bulbs,while this year Keukenhof’s mini zoo will behome to typical Russian animals. Furthermoreevents will be organized with a Russian themeand a special Russian garden including theinevitable dacha and matryoshka dolls will bedesigned.In recent years, Keukenhof has based its eventson a particular theme. China, and in particularBeijing, was the theme in the Olympic year of2008 and last year the chosen theme was ‘USA,New Amsterdam - New York, 400 years’, drawingattention to the fact that four centuries agoHenry Hudson sailed up the river later namedafter him, laying the foundation for what isnow New York. The commemorations of thebirthdays of Dutch Master Rembrandt vanRijn and the Swedish biologist Carolus Linnaeusalso inspired Keukenhof.Keukenhof closed its sixtieth edition last yearwith a record number of visitors. The originof these visitors was perhaps influenced by theworldwide recession: there were more Dutch,Belgian and German visitors and a remarkablenumber from France and China. In contrast,there was significantly less interest from the UKand the USA.At Keukenhof tulips take centre stage, followedby special summer flowers, and then chrysanthemums.Are roses and gerberas your passion?– or maybe carnations and Hydrangeas?Daffodils? These days they come in more andmore varieties, with yellow continuing as thebasic colour, but where white, orange, rose red,cognac and shades of green provide ever-richerdiversity. Every one of these Keukenhof flowershows is a feast for the eyes.The shows are held in three special flowerand plant pavilions: Oranje Nassau, WillemAlexander and Beatrix. Here you will be treatedto superb examples of flower arranging, andgrowers use all their skills and experience tocreate exhibitions of unsurpassed beauty.The official opening of Keukenhof 2010 is on18 March, after which it will be open to thepublic until 16 May.Keukenhof Show Calendar 2010From 18 March to 16 May Keukenhof presents a permanent floral abundance of unprecedented beauty, inthree specially designed pavilions. This year there are about sixteen permanent and varying indoor shows.They promise visitors a genuine ‘spring experience’, with thousands of delightful flowers and colours in classic,contemporary and futuristic arrangements. Thanks to these indoor shows Keukenhof is always attractive:a nine-week long guaranteed sense of spring!The three special flower and plant pavilions, the Oranje Nassau, Willem Alexander, and Beatrix pavilions,are located in different areas of the 32 hectare floral park in Lisse. The royal names reflect the majesticgrandeur of the floral splendour. Internationally renowned arrangers present magnificent examples of highquality flower arrangements, working very familiar flowers and plants in surprising new ways.Oranje Nassau Pavilion19-23 March Amaryllis, Fresias and Tulips25-30 March Chrysanthemums1-6 April Roses8-13 April Gerberas15-20 April Asters, Limonium, Bouvardia, Saintpaulia (African Violet) and Kalanchoe22-27 April Narcissi, Daffodils and unusual bulbs29 April-5 May Alstroemeria, Irises, Lisianthus and Lathyrus7-16 May Carnations, Cut flower Hydrangeas, Zantedeschia and Summer flowers (Peonies)Beatrix Pavilion18 March-16 May Orchids, Anthuriums and BromeliasWillem Alexander Pavilion18-30 March Hyacinths18 March-27 April Tulips, Narcissi and Daffodils18 March-16 April Flowering shrubs (Syringa (Lilac), Viburnum, Prunus and Forsythia)18 March-16 May Cyclamens, Potted Hydrangeas and Begonias16 April-16 May Perennials18 March-16 May Flowering bulbs: Iris, Narcissus, Daffodil, Tulip, Lily, Amaryllis, Zantedeschia, etc.6-16 May LilyColofon‘Flower Industry inspired by Keukenhof’ is a special edition of the Keukenhof Spring Gardens and themonthly business magazine FloraCulture International. All rights reserved. No portion of editorial may bereproduced in any form without written permission of the publisher. Publisher is not liable for advertisementsusing illegally obtained images.Editorial & Administration OfficesFloraCulture International B.V.Vondelstraat 162, 1054 GV Amsterdam, the NetherlandsT (31) 20 618 2 666 F (31) 20 618 1 333Editor-in-chief: Ron van der Ploeg (ron@floracultureinternational.com)Contributing writers: Anabel EvansPhotography: KeukenhofPublisher: FloraCulture International B.V. (jaap@floracultureinternational.com)Printer: Habo DaCostaDesigner: Stadsdrukkerij Amsterdam, Alexis WronaAdvertising Sales OfficesDennis Seriese (dennis@floracultureinternational.com)Angie Duffree (angie@floracultureinternational.com)T. (31) 20 61 82 666 F (31) 20 61 88 333 M (31) 62 21 65 220

Table of ContentsMarch 2010 Keukenhof SpecialHead to Keukenhof for8 weeks of Daffodil beauty“Participating in the world’s largest Daffodil Show at the Keukenhof offers the grower an excellentopportunity to identify his strong and weak points”, summarizes daffodil breeder and grower JaapLeenen as the importance of the event which is set to be held from April 22 to 27, 2010.by Ron van der Ploeg 14The interviewMr. Piet de Vries, managing director ofKeukenhof, was asked to unveil the details ofthe 2010 edition of Keukenhof.by Ron van der PloegDutch tulips remain irresistibleTulips are a topper in the huge seasonalmarket dominated by the Dutch flower bulbforcers and are a dominant feature of theKeukenhof.by Anabel EvansThe world’s largest lilyshowThe Lily Parade is the most important event ofthe year for the breeders, bulb-producers andmany professional flower growers.by Anabel EvansHead to Keukenhof for6 weeks of Daffodil beauty“Participating in the world’s largest DaffodilShow at the Keukenhof offers the grower anexcellent opportunity to identify his strong andweak points”, summarizes daffodil breeder andgrower Jaap Leenen as the importance of theevent which is set to be held from April 22 to27, 2010.by Ron van der PloegSeeing is buying“The Specialty Flower Bulbs Show showcasesbulbous, cormous and tuberous plants of suchbeauty that it would be a shame if they wouldremain unknown to a larger audience”, saysJohn Boots.by Ron van der Ploeg0609101417SpectacularOrchids DisplayFrom March 18 to May 16, 2010, the BeatrixPavilion at the Keukenhof becomes the homeof a spectacular display of orchids.by Anabel Evans18Alstroemeria Show is setto boost sales worldwideAs breeding and propagation have led tostronger and more colourful Alstroemerias,these exotic flowers are becoming more popularevery year. The Keukenhof Alstroemeriawill take place betweenApril 29 and May 5.by Ron van der PloegAwsome AnthuriumsFrom March 18 to May 16, 2010, membersof the Dutch Cut Anthurium Associationwill participate in the Anthurium IndoorShow being held in the Beatrix Pavilion at theKeukenhof.by Anabel EvansA small but beautiful cropStrongly supported by Dutch breeder HilverdaKooij,the Dutch Limonium industry willrun a high impact Limonium Show from April15 to 20, 2010 at Keukenhof.by Ron van der PloegPerennial popularityPerennial popularity is on the rise as new varieties,different presentations andinventive marketing continue to inspireconsumers.by Anabel Evans21222425The most beautiful Freesiasin the worldSweet Freesia flower scent will fill the rooms,while long-stemmed flowers with soft blue,virgin white, vivid red and cheery yellow willcatch the Keukenhof visitor’s eye.by Ron van der PloegA powerful way to promoteLisianthusWith an estimated 80% of Dutch Lisianthusgrowers participating, Keukenhof’sLisianthus Show is stronglysupported by the sector.by Ron van der PloegRose ShowIf you want to see the richest possible displayof rosy red hues, you must not miss the specialrose show that will be held in the Oranje NassauPavilion from 1 to 6 April.by Ron van der PloegAn absolute must seeCarnation grower Martin Zwinkels along withformer carnation colleagues Rien van Damand Han Wijnands consider the KeukenhofCarnation Show as one of the best ways ofpromotion.by Ron van der PloegNew in KeukenhofNew in Keukenhof: the Discovery Tour. Explorethe park using modern audio and visualcommunication aids. Also new in Keukenhofis the fashion exhibition Gone with the Windtaking place between March 18 to May 162010.by Ron van der PloegFashionableChrysanthemumsThe Keukenhof Chrysanthemum Show helpsto give the Chrysanthemum a new imageamongst national and internationalvisitors.by Ron van der Ploeg262931323334Keukenhof Special 2010 | www.FloraCultureInternational.com 05

The interviewKeukenhof hasfought off the globaleconomic crisis byattracting 870,000visitors last year.Finances have beenincreased by a surgein visitors due toa trend towardsa more naturallife style withmore respect fornature and naturalproducts, and bya trend towards‘staycations’.“With regardsto the weeklyvisitor numbers,Keukenhof ranksas the Netherlandsmost visited paidforattractions”,says Keukenhof’smanaging directorPiet de Vries.by Ron van der Ploeg‘If you didn’t visitKeukenhof, youdidn’t visit Holland’

Since the Keukenhof was firstopened in March 1949, it hasnow welcomed 45 millionvisitors, more than the populationof Canada. Dutch tourismauthorities say tourist figures havestood up well against the recession,with other attractions includingthe Anne Frank House, MadamTusssauds and Madurodam allperforming to budget.Most visited touristattraction in HollandIt’s a great moment for FloraCultureInternational to have this one toone with Keukenhof, Mr De Vries.How is Keukenhof doing?“Very well indeed. Firstly in termsof number of visitors. Keukenhofranks as one of Holland’s top 20tourist attractions. Regarding thenumber of visitors per week weare by far the most visited touristattraction in Holland. Secondly,according to the latest visitor surveyvisitors really enjoy the Keukenhof.Of a total sample of 1,000 visitorsKeukenhof scored an overall scoreof 8.7, where the average Dutchtourist attraction gets normallyan 8.0. We are doing well and areready to develop new business opportunitiesin this park.”In Russian styleAccording to De Vries the 2010edition of Keukenhof will beparticularly exciting with the worldfamous Spring Garden celebratingits 61st anniversary in Russian style.“Since a few years we have developeda thematic approach bringinga new key market and our centraltheme closer together. This generateslots of free publicity. In 2008we focused on the Scandinavianmarket by putting Linnaeus in thespotlight. The year after the themewas China and the Olympic gamesand 2009 marked the fourth centenaryof the historic relationship betweenthe Netherlands and the US,so the US and New York’s founderHenry Hudson were chosen as thetheme. This year we put our focuson Russia with ‘From Russia withLove’, a more general theme whichis not linked to specific people.Literally it refers to the James Bondagent 007 but we don’t like to paytoo much attention to this since thisBond movie didn’t really contributeto the positive image of Russia.”In October 2009, His ExcellencyMr K.G. Gevorgian, Russian ambassadorto the Netherlands, joinedforces with Keukenhof to add thefinal touches to the flower bulb mosaicof St. Basil’s Cathedral. Fromthat moment on approximatelyseven million flower bulbs wereplanted in the park.More to discoverInitially the priority was on bulbflowers, but at Keukenhof there ismore to discover.Aside from the outdoor park,Keukenhof offers no less than 12indoor flower shows showcasingtulips, orchids, roses, daffodils,mums and all other kind of flowersyou could imagine. Each breederor grower is invited to take part inthese exhibitions including a VKC(the permanent judging committee)quality competition. Theseflower shows address a wide audience,from consumer to industrypeers and serve as an importantplatform for the exchange of ideasand research findings. In the fourpavilions breeders, growers andbuyers will find not only the mostbeautiful varieties but also thelatest breeding breakthroughs. TheKeukenhof Lily Show deserves aspecial mention with more than30,000 lilies coming in more than300 varieties. Not only the world’slargest but also the most interestingshow for foreign growers sincemost lily breeders are located in theNetherlands and participate.”Internationalisation ofbulb growing70% of the Keukenhof visitorscome from abroad. As the internationalizationof the world-famousSpring Garden progresses, the internationalizationof bulb growingprogresses at the same pace. China,Chile, New Zealand are new bulbproducers. What will be left for theNetherlands? “Much”, replies DeVries, “We reckon Holland has theright climate and a long tradition inbulb growing. Dutch bulb growingis not all about competition. Thekey question for all entrepreneurstogether is how we can market ourflower bulbs all over the world.There are so many people leftwho still don’t plant bulbs in theirgarden. Not because they are notinterested in it but just because theyare too far away from Holland orthe local weather conditions are notsuitable. But the world market forflower bulbs is so big that there willbe plenty left for Holland.“In the meantime the number ofbulb growers has decreased by 40%since 1990, “But the total productionarea has remained more orless the same. Furthermore, thereis less spacing between the bulbsso the production per square meterincreased”, ensures De Vries.Huge promotionBulb growers supply each year 7million bulbs for free. In returnthey will be assigned a big standat Keukenhof and they can invitetheir customers for free. The largerthe exporter the bigger the stand?“Well, in 1949 some leading bulbgrowers, buyers and the Mayor ofLisse came to an agreement withthe landlord, the Duke Van Linden,and started with the first editionof Keukenhof, covering the samearea of land as today’s exhibition:32 ha. At that time each growerhad his own stand and planted thebulbs by himself. Today, thingsare slightly different althoughthe grower still occupies his ownstand. In the February of the yearpreceding the exhibition we ask thegrower what kind of varieties hewishes to display next season. So,last month we have listed all varietiesfor the 2011 season. Next, ourown landscaper will send a designto the grower. Somewhere in Junehe normally agrees, delivering thebulbs in September. Showcasingyour products at Keukenhof is ahuge promotion, the website of theparticipating companies is linkedwith the Keukenhof site, providingall the necessary informationon displayed varieties and contactdetails”, comments De Vries.The importance ofthe Holland brandThe present day flower industryis a dynamic, fast growing and>>>Piet de Vries’ finest hour welcomingthe Swedish crown princessVictoria at the Keukenhof.Keukenhof Special 2010 | www.FloraCultureInternational.com 07

Floral_85x124.indd 1 25-02-2010 14:28:27KAVB_54x254.indd 1 25-02-2010 14:30:45The interviewabove all global industry. Isn’t itabout time to open Keukenhof toimported flowers? “Keukenhof isthe showcase of the Dutch flowerand flower bulb industry. Talkingabout the Dutch flower industrywe should realize that a large partof flowers are grown by Dutchflower growers running greenhouseoperations in importantproduction countries like Kenya,Ethiopia or Ecuador. It is true thatthe VKC has embarked on a newcourse of action increasing its roleoutside its national boundaries.But I repeat that we are the showcaseof the Dutch flower industryalthough, we are completely independentin that the Keukenhof isnot co-owned by the growers. So,we are able to open our doors forforeign products. But here againa big part of Keukenhof’s successdepends on the Holland brandincluding windmills, clogs andtulips. So we focus on Dutch flow-ers, but there is no reason to saythis will go on forever.”In practice it is rather difficult toconvince flower growers to exhibitat Keukenhof, despite the offeredbenefits. “It depends. For the bulbindustry there is a waiting list,but it is not easy to get the flowergrowers here due to a lack of personneland a traditional businessvision focused on production ofharvested stems. While really theyshould also be thinking in terms ofmarketing.”What is the one thing that youhope visitor’s of Keukenhof gohome with in terms of their experienceat the event? “That Keukenhofhas encouraged them to plant flowerbulbs in their own garden and tobuy more fresh cut flowers. Alsowe hope that they really enjoyed theevent. Then they will act like trueKeukenhof ambassadors statingthat if you didn’t visit Keukenhofyou didn’t visit Holland.“ |||Royal General BulbGrowers’ Association(KAVB)150 years ofpromoting floralinterests, togetherwith our members!In 1860 the KAVB was founded.The main task at that time wasto organize floral exhibitions.Nowadays, the KAVB promotes thenational and international interests ofits members (bulb growers, forcers,breeders and wholesale companies).An important, international focus ofthe KAVB is the registration of flowerbulb cultivars:Specializes in:Flower bulbs; programmed, pre-packed or in bulkOrnamental Plants, Rosebushes & PerennialsHandling & cross docking.We invite you to send us your inquiries on whichwe shall reply with our best quotations.Floral Dispatch B.V.Your Partner!Mailing address:Office & Warehouse:Postbox 58 p/a Achter de Watertoren 112215 ZH Voorhout 2182 DV Hillegom• In the bulb trade business it isessential that a cultivar can beidentified by its description andits unique name. For this reasonthe KAVB gathers and registers allcultivars in its databases.• The KAVB is the internationalcultivar registration authority(ICRA) for most bulbous genera.For the genera Lilium, Narcissus,Dahlia and the large-floweredGladiolus the KAVB is thenational cultivar registrationauthority (NCRA) for theNetherlands.For more information about ourwork go to www.kavb.nlTel: +31 252 231 808Fax: +31 252 220 819E-mail: sales@floraldispatch.nlsite: www.floraldispatch.nlPostbus 175 - 2180 AD HillegomWeeresteinstraat 10aT +31 (0)252 536 950F +31 (0)252 536 951E kavb@kavb.nl | I www.kavb.nl

TulipsTulips are a topperin the huge seasonalmarket dominatedby the Dutch flowerbulb forcers andare a dominantfeature of theKeukenhof withthe outdoor parkarea, which covers32 ha, revealing asuperb showcaseof 4.5 million tulipsin 100 varieties.Additionally, amongthe no less than 12indoor flower shows,tulips will be adefinite eye-catcherinside the WillemAlexander Pavilionfrom 18 March to 27April 2010.by Anabel EvansDutch tulipsremain irresistibleThe tulip is seen as one of theNetherland’s pre-eminentnational symbols and it is,therefore, not a surprise that theindoor show of tulips during theKeukenhof receives a lot of attentionfrom visitors.VKC TrialsThe members of last year’s jury,representing the VKC PermanentJudging Committee, were confrontedwith almost 70 candidatesin the cut tulip category. Thethird prize was taken by the red‘Ile de France’ from B&L Tulips,described to be a nicely colouredtulip with a heavy flower qualitypositioned beautifully at the topof the stem. Second and first placewent to Th.C. Hoogenboom & Znfor the large flowered, cream-yellow‘Cheers’ and the dark red ‘Pallada’,respectively. Over the latter, thejury spoke of a excellent leaf quality,which is in perfect balance with theflowers, and an overall high levelof uniformity across the presentedtulips.QualityQuality and uniformity is a keyobjective of the Dutch tulip forcers,who have not hesitated to applyhigh-technology and the economiesof scale to produce high qualityflowers at a low cost-price, themajority of which are now exportedto Western European and Scandinavianmarkets. The President ofthe Royal General Bulbgrowers Association(KAVB), Sjaak Langeslag,says, “There are forcers who grow75 to 80 million tulip flowers eachyear, mainly from their own bulbproduction. And while the priceforming for cut tulips in recentyears has slowed down the rapidincrease in production apparent inearly 2007, the Dutch flower bulbforcing industry remains in a positionof slight growth.” Commentingon the price expectations forthis season, Langeslag says, “Tulipprices have been up and down thisseason with some weeks better thanothers. In general, and similar toother cut flowers, we are seeing thatformer high market prices havedisappeared; in fact, looking over alonger time period there is a generaldownward trend in average price.”Enthusiastic secondtime exhibitorOne of this year’s participants at theKeukenhof tulip show, Siem Mun-ster, confirms that prices have beenvariable this season with the runup to Valentine’s Day seeing an improvementin demand and thereforeprice forming. His nursery, KwekerijSiem Munster, has proven itssuccess in growing tulips, deliveringaround 8 million tulips each year.Next to the tulips the nursery offerstulip excursions to foreign visitorsand grows flower bulbs on the field,around 20 ha. Siem says, “We usepart of these bulbs to produce tulipsin our own greenhouses, the otherpart we sell all around the world.”Siem participated in the Keukenhoffor the first time in 2009 and,in 2010, will be again presentingup to 15 varieties from a wideselection of single flowered, doubleflowered and parrot tulips grownin the nursery. He says, “Every yearwe carefully make a selection ofdifferent colours, so we can make agood offer for all of our customers.Widely known cultivars as Abba,Viking, Monte Carlo, Prinses Irene,Winterberg and Purple Princecan be chosen, or newer cultivarslike Sunny Prince, Candy Prince,Strong Gold and Escape. We alsoproduce more exclusive cultivars asLucky Parrot and Bright Parrot.”Three of his other favourites, whichhe believes have a strong appealduring the celebrations aroundthe International Women’s Dayon March 8, are Super Parrot, TopParrot and Dynasty. He ends, “Ourfirst year at the Keukenhof resultedin a positive experience with a veryinternational audience and ourmain goal was definitely achieved;namely, a higher degree of namerecognition for Munster Flowers inthe market and a higher number ofvisits to our websites(www.munsterflowers.nl andwww.tulipexcursion.com).” |||Keukenhof Special 2010 | www.FloraCultureInternational.com 09

LilyThe Keukenhof LilyParade (6th -16 thMay 2010) is themost importantevent of the yearfor the breeders,bulb-producers andmany professionalflower growers. Itis a special eventwhere the lily sectorcomes togetherto show its latestintroductions andshare experiencesin an inspirationaland attractiveenvironment. Manyforeign growers arepresent, taking theopportunity to meetthe breeders andtheir bulb-suppliers.by Anabel EvansWorld’s LargestLily ShowLast year the VKC PermanentJudging Committee was fullof praise over the 14 exhibitingcompanies, which included theworldwide market leader in the fieldof lily breeding, Gebr. Vletter &Den Haan. Together with the standof Royal van Zanten Flowerbulbs,Vletter & Den Haan received closeto the highest number of pointsfrom the VKC jury for their showcaseof top quality lilies in a wideassortment. Another company, theLily Company was praised for itsunusual and unique assortment ofhistoric lilies.The trend of recent years at the LilyParade to have a lower number ofnew varieties in the asiatics groupis seen as a consequence of theintroduction of the LA-hybrids.Compared to the more than a hundrednew varieties judged by theVKC in earlier years, from amongthe seven candidates in 2009 theorange ‘Caluroso’ from De JongLelies received the VKC Award forBest Asiatic, noted in particularfor its shape and beautiful, brightcoloured flowers.In the orientals, the white ‘Signum’from Royal van Zanten catched theeye of many show-goer, while in thelongiflorum group, ‘White Heaven’from Mak Breeding is seen as themost important market leader withother varieties having so good asdisappeared.Breeding breakthroughs in the LAhybridsconcentrate on the creationof varieties with less coarse leavesand a good balance between flowersand leaves. Vletter & Den Haanwere commended in last year’s juryrounds by the VKC for developmentsin this group, and had theirname against the top three varieties.The white ‘Richmond’ received thefinal Award with close runner up beingthe orange variety ‘Hyde Park’.Similar to Vletter & Den Haan inthe LA-hybrids, Mak Breeding washighly praised for its OT-hybrids. Inthe LO-hybrid group, where breedersare also highly concentrated onnew developments, the jury chose‘White Triumph’ from Royal VanZanten Flowerbulbs as the winnerfor the second year in a row.The KeukenhofLily Show is anevent where thelily sector comestogether to showits latest introductions.High level again in 2010In 2010 visitors can expect the samehigh level of lily presentations withthe 14 companies again participatingin the Lily Parade. In the weeksbefore the event FCI asked NicoVletter about the current marketsituation and their own breedingdevelopments. “After the worstyear ever for the bulb trade in 2009and a subsequent reduction in thehectarage of lily bulb production,at the end of last year we saw animprovement in the price forming,which is directly related to thehigher demand for bulbs in thecoming season – in particular fromAsia and South America. Meanwhile,the price forming for the cutflowers in Europe remains underpressure. This makes it increasinglydifficult for the flower growers –facing the predicament of sourcing(expensive) bulbs while the price forcut lilies can only be described as“cheap”.”Vletter & Den Haan startedimporting new lily varieties andcrossings (hybrid material) fromthe United States at the end of the1960s. These were used for forcing(production) and it was some timelater, Nico Vletter explains, thatthey began selecting, breeding andmultiplying lilies themselves.The four main groups making upthe market for lilies are orientals,asiatics, longiflorums and thecrossings between the longiflorumsand asiatics (LA and OT hybrids).The latter group is a prominentfield of development for Vletter &Den Haan. Nico summarises thekey characteristics of the individualgroups: “Oriental hybridshave either pink/purple or whiteflowers, or are bicoloured. Theasiatics are frequently yellow ororange. Longiflorums are generally10 www.FloraCultureInternational.com | Keukenhof Special 2010

‘Nashville’ ‘Eremo’ ‘Burlesca’white in colour and are renownedfor their long, classical cup-shape.LA-hybrids are mostly apricot orsalmon-coloured. The light scentedOT-hybrids are a crossing betweenthe orientals and trumpet lilies.”“Our most important activities involvethe multiplication, selectionand breeding of lilies along withthe multiplication and sales of lilybulbs.” In the field of breeding,Nico emphasises that quality isthe main priority. He says, “In theselection programs our intuitionrelating to grandeur, when we talkabout lilies, results in the creationof splendid, intensively colouredlilies, which with their pleasantscent, ensure an irresistible pleasure.Life at its best!”Gebr. Vletter & Den Haan is notonly busy with breeding within themain groups, they also combinethe powerful characteristics of thedifferent groups. Crossings madein a careful manner across groupstarget improvements or supplementsto the current assortment.“We use the newest techniquesin breeding and biotechnologicalareas for this,” says Nico. Togetherwith their rich genetic pool, thecompany thus has sufficient possibilitiesto regularly provide themarket with new varieties. Thebreeding process not only seeksto unveil new forms and strikingcolours, but there is also a lot ofattention directed towards diseaseresistance, productivity, multipleusepotential and long shelf life.Following on from the VKCAwards received in 2009, Nico hassimilar high hopes for several oftheir newest varieties during theVKC judging this year. He mentions,for example, the LA-hybrids‘Nashville’ and ‘Eremo’ withtheir yellow and orange flowers,respectively. Among the orientalshis enthusiasm points towards thesoft pink ‘Burlesca’.The new varieties are always firsttested in-house in cooperationwith a number of prominent bulband flower growers in the Netherlandsbut also Italy, France, Japanand the USA. Their own productionis currently based in theNetherlands and Chile. Further,more than 300 bulb growers in theNetherlands and foreign countriesare growing the company’s liliesunder license. |||Unique flowering trialOnings Holland is a renowned exporter of bulbs and tubers. TheOnings family business was established over 60 years ago andenjoys a strong reputation for quality and reliability. Besidesbeing a top supplier of lily bulbs, Onings Holland is also a valuedsupplier of other bulbs and tubers such as tulips, irises, freesias,hyacinths, gladioli and a wide range of miscellaneous bulbs forboth growers as well as dry sale purposes. The company sourcesthe bulbs and tubers from carefully selected growers from aroundthe world. Before the product finds its way to customers in over50 countries, the bulbs are strictly inspected at the facilities inPoeldijk. Additionally, from all lot numbers that lily bulb growersdeliver to Onings, 30 bulbs are selected and planted in the testinggreenhouse. Hans Onings says, “For more than eight years nowwe have organized Open Days for our clients from the Netherlandsand abroad to allow them to see this flowering trial in our testgreenhouse located in Poeldijk. With more than 3,000 lot numbersin all possible bulb sizes of over 500 different varieties, the OpenDays from 6 to 16 May present the industry with the world’s biggestcollection of flowering lilies.”Hans adds, “The annual Bulb-in-Bloom Days at the Onings testinggreenhouse have long been a highlight for bulb growers, flowergrowers, exporters and flower traders to judge and compare allavailable lots and varieties (listed by growing location and harvestdate) in one complete planting. We see the number of Dutch and foreignguests increase each year. Growth and flowering performanceof each lot number is monitored and recorded in a detailed test report.The results are freely available from our website: www.onings.com.Inside the testing greenhouses we also make sections available forbreeders to show their newer varieties.” The Open Days are timed tocoincide with the Keukenhof Lily Show where Onings Holland willalso be present with a wide assortment of lilies, which are availableto the trade, including the newest varieties.Keukenhof Special 2010 | www.FloraCultureInternational.com 11

Daffodil“Participating inthe world’s largestDaffodil Show at theKeukenhof offers thegrower an excellentopportunity toidentify his strongand weak points”,summarizes Daffodilbreeder and growerJaap Leenen asthe importance ofthe event whichis set to be heldfrom April 22 to 27,2010. Jaap Leenenruns together withhis sons Jaco andDirk a Daffodilbreeding andproduction companyin Sassenheim, theNetherlands.by Ron van der PloegA kid in acandy storeThe forerunner of today’sofficial Daffodil Showfirst appeared in the 70sin Hillegom at the weekly flowerbulb performance trials with thebrothers Leenen and the companyLemmers putting up a modest DaffodilShowcase. This show was notimmediately recognized by the bulbindustry as it received little responsefrom the exporters. Then, in 1980Keukenhof director Henk Kosterinvited daffodil grower Jaap Leenento set up a daffodil stand in Keukenhof’shothouse. Jaap’s wife Trucecontributed largely to the success ofthis show by realizing revolutionarydaffodil arrangements. Followingthe Leenen’s success, Keukenhofinaugurated in 1983 the first editionof Keukenhof’s Daffodil Showwhich at that time still carried thename of Daffodil Parade. “The dealwas simple, Keukenhof paid for theflower arrangers, while we daffodilgrowers had to look for participants.That’s how we started withfour growers from the province ofSouth Holland and four growersfrom the province of North Holland.The show, being held in theQueen Juliana Pavilion, immediatelyreported a massive success. Inthe second year the event was heldduring the weekend of the region’sannual flower parade attracting arecord number of visitors. Sadlyenough it was extremely hot onthose days and all the flowerscompletely wilted. So, in 1985 theDutch daffodil growers were thefirst to exhibit in the brand new BeatrixPavilion”, recalls Jaap Leenen,one of the driving forces behind theKeukenhof Daffodil Show.Growinginternational reputationToday, the Keukenhof DaffodilShow has an established and growinginternational reputation, bringingtogether industry professionalsfrom all over the world. “Every twoyears the World Daffodil Conventionis being held somewhere in theworld. In 2008 the Netherlandshosted the event making membersof the international daffodilsocieties more acquainted withthe Dutch daffodil industry. Itwas good to experience how somemisconceptions about the Dutchdaffodil growers, which wrongly arebelieved to pursue only quick massproduction and sales to the detrimentof quality, were replaced by amore realistic view and a tremendousoverall appreciation.”An unique showcaseEighteen growers of the in total 400Dutch daffodil growers participatein the Keukenhof Daffodil Showand although the participants onlyrepresents 4.5% of all growers, the14 www.FloraCultureInternational.com | Keukenhof Special 2010

Left to right: Jaco, Jaap and Dirk Leenen.show perfectly reflects the currentdevelopments in breeding and marketingconcepts. And although it ispretty common for people to thinkthat daffodils are always yellow, theshow will feature a wide array ofcolours and shapes ranging fromthe well-known trumpet daffodils,large cupped daffodils, smallcuppedvarieties and double cultivars.“We do know that Keukenhofis an unique showcase attractingmore than 700,000 visitors, neverthelesswe merely exhibit for our 25customers: Dutch bulb exportingcompanies supplying mail ordercompanies and garden centres allover the world. Exports accountfor up to 90% of our business withJapan having a 25% market share,followed by the US with 50%and Europe 25%. Regarding thedomestic market we mainly sell tomunicipal park departments usingour daffodil bulbs for landscapingpurposes”, says Leenen.Trial gardenAccording to the 63-year oldLeenen, show participants are offeredan unique opportunity to discovertheir strong and weak points.“It’s very useful in terms of developinga business strategy. Establishedin 1954, W. F Leenen & Zn, hasbeen active in different market segments.We too have been growingand trading retail cultivars like‘Tête à Tête’ and ‘Bridal Crown’,On Friday February19 old internationals Arnold Mühren and Pier Tol christened Leenen’snew daffodil ‘Volendam’ at the centre spot on the pitch of the Volendam stadium.but some years ago we decided togrow only our own, protected varieties.Dating from 1850, our daffodilcollection is one of the oldest inHolland. Today we focus on specialtyvarieties: coloured trumpetand double flowered daffodils, andthe group of green flowered Narcissusviridiflora. I have to say, in allmodesty, that we’re currently one ofthe world’s trend setting companiesfor daffodils: big firms in Japan andthe US are preparing their offeringlists and catalogues based on ournew assortment.”Leenen has no idea what proportionof their annual sales are likelyto be generated at the KeukenhofDaffodil Show. “We consider it ourtrial garden”, says Leenen, “a veryphotogenic garden, because duringand right after the show the bulbexport companies receive plentyof pictures from their customersasking if they can supply this orthat special variety. Thanks to theDaffodil Show we can also achievedramatic rises in our website’straffic. When asked about the disillusionof a Keukenhof visitor whendiscovering that the displayed daffodilsare not for sale at Keukenhof,Leenen concludes, “Our goal is toprovide as much entertainment aspossible. Some daffodil show goersat Keukenhof feel like a child in acandy shop. But some candies willsimply never be for sale and arejust meant to raise the consumer’sappetite.” |||Keukenhof Special 2010 | www.FloraCultureInternational.com 15

W H O L E S A L E - N U R S E R Y - I M P O R T - E X P O R TMac2Leidsestraat 1002182 DR Hillegom (Holland)Telephone +31 (0)252 516 541Fax +31 (0)252 520 940Internet:E-mail:www.csweijers.nlinfo@csweijers.nlsales@csweijers.nlF L O W E R B U L B S P E C I A L I S T S S I N C E 1 9 2 6Weijers_178x124.indd 1 25-02-2010 14:37:02Advertentie FloraCulture.indd 1 12-2-10 8:49Photo Credit: www.visionspictures.comThe mostpicturesqueDaffodils and Sonatini’sin the world!Leenen_178x124.indd 1 25-02-2010 14:32:14

Specialty Flower Bulbs“Running throughthe Keukenhof’smost busiest FlowerParade weekend, the SpecialtyFlower Bulbs Showshowcases bulbous,cormous andtuberous plants ofsuch beauty that itwould be a shame ifthey would remainunknown to a largeraudience”, saysmanaging directorJohn Boots of bulbwholesaler C.SWeijers & ZonenB.V. headquarteredin Hillegom, theNetherlands.by Ron van der PloegSeeing is buyingC.S. Weijers & Zonen B.V.began breeding and producingDahlias in 1926. Sincethat time the company has evolvedinto the Netherlands premierwholesale supplier of specialitybulbs to the high profile bulbexport business. “My definition ofspecialty bulbs are all flower bulbs,except Hyacinthus, Narcissus andTulipa, says Boots, “Specialty bulbscomprise a wide array of extravagantspecies like Muscari, Corydalis,Iris reticulata, Leucojeum andCrocus. They are not only differentin the way they look but also howand when they bloom. One goodexample would be Galanthus, morecommonly known as snowdrops,which start to flower in Februarywhile the bluish Camassia unveilsits blooms only in the late Springwhen most tulips have wilted.”Two distinct audiencesThe Specialty Flower Bulb event atKeukenhof addresses two distinctaudiences. Cees van Roon, salesmanager C. S Weijers, says, “Hereyou have the general public lookingfor the lavish flower arrangementsand beautiful blooms and on theother hand industry professionalsmuch more focused on shelf life,sturdy stems, bud presentationand product transportability. Thismeans you’ll always have to makeconcessions. In 1990 we strengthenedour position by joining forceswith the Daffodil Show combiningthe best of both worlds. Daffodilsand specialty flower bulbs are aperfect match requiring more or lessthe same temperature conditions.”No small jobIn nature, specialty bulbs bloom atdifferent times. A successful flowershow requires that all partiesinvolved communicate and workaccording to a shared time line.Around 10,000 bulbs have to beforced to bloom indoors. This isno small job. “We have outsourcedCees van Roon (left) and John Boots.the forcing of the bulbs to theZwaagdijk bulb research centre”,explains John Boots. “Some cropslike Galanthus and Crocus arequite difficult to force into bloomat the right moment. So we preferto leave this to the Zwaagdijkspecialists. Two days before theshow all plants are brought toour premises in Hillegom. “Wetransplant them into another potand water them. Then they arestored in the cooler overnight.Once conditioned, the bloomswill be stronger, stiffer, and betterable to withstand the stresses ofarranging.”For many years arranging the flowerswas the job of Dutch flowerarranger Truus van Lierop who,due to some health problems, willhand over the arranger’s baton toHeleen Valstar this year. |||For further information look on theirwebsite: www.csweijers.nlKeukenhof Special 2010 | www.FloraCultureInternational.com 17

OrchidsFrom March 18 toMay 16, 2010, theBeatrix Pavilionat the Keukenhofbecomes the homeof a spectaculardisplay of orchids.More than 40 Dutchorchid growers usethis indoor show topresent the visitingaudience with acouple of hundredof the best cultivarsin the sector’sassortment.by Anabel EvansPhalaenopsis AmadeusSpectacularOrchids DisplayThe Association of DutchOrchid Producers (KNOP)work closely with theKeukenhof to create a spectaculardisplay of orchids in the Beatrix Pavilion.KNOP coordinates with themany participating orchid growersto ensure that the Beatrix Pavilion’sorchid decorations are continuallyrenewed with in total three refreshingmoments for the flower displaysand two for the potted orchids.The Keukenhof, on its part, makesthe building and décor available,along with a number of dedicatedflower arrangers. The end result isone of the most attractive shows atthe Keukenhof, whose showcase ofa wide range of orchids is always apoint of amazement to the attendingpublic.The Netherlands is Europe’s leadingproducer of pot orchids, a productwhich has long been seen as anexclusive product for privilegedflorists and garden centres, butmore recently has seen sales expandinto DIY and retail stores and evenat gas stations. The grower suppliersof pot orchids have reacted to theproduct’s market popularity withauction statistics indicating a morethan 135% increase in volumeover the last five years and a 172%growth in orchid turnover: Expectationsfor further increases inproduction continue into 2010.Numerous categoriesVisitors to the Keukenhof can expectto see a leading array of orchidvarieties from this famous Dutchorchid sector, from pot Cymbidiumsincluding large and smallflowered assortments, to Dendrobiums,Onidium/Odontoglossum,Paphiopedilum, Vanda, Mitoniaand other hybrids, Phalaenopsisand Phalaenopsis Multiflora.Apart from these different orchidcategories, which are each carefullyjudged by the VKC PermanentJudging Committee, all the individualwinners go forward to competefor the top prize – The KeukenhofOrchid 2010. In 2009 the winnerwas Cymbidium Candy from Sanfiero,whose many flowering stemsbecame increasingly impressiveduring the Keukenhof period, accordingto the VKC jury. The closerunner up was Vanda Exotic Purplefrom Anco Orchideeën, noted forits highly appealing flower colour.With a résumé of the individualcategory highlights from 2009, wecan begin to imagine the spectacularshowcase of orchids awaiting toinspire all the 2010 visitors:• Theo Ammerlaan Orchideeënwon the award for largeflowered Cymbidium with hisfavourite, deep red ‘Ferr-Ari’.From among ten candidates ofmixed, large flowered Cymbidiums,where the individual presentationscontain four stems, eachof a different colour, the winnerwas Arie van Daalen & Zn.The highest honours for the smallflowered Cymbidium went toFrench Mustard from NurseryLeekade. The jury spoke of anunusual and bright green cultivarwith flowers positioned nicelyaround the stem.In the small flowered CymbidiumMix, Paauwe Orchideeenwas the winner of the challengeto present a beautiful mix ofdistinct colours with stems andflowers of uniform quality.• The Dendrobium Award went toDe Hoog Orchideeën for white‘Apollon’ with its very rich floweringand uniform appearance.• Burrageara Nelly Isler from GeestOrchideeën qualified as the bestplant in the Onidium/Odontoglossumcategory with the colourof the large flowers standingbeautifully against the leaves.• Paphiopedilum ‘Delenati’ van P.P. Orchideeën was the outrightwinner in the remaining hybridselections in pot. The jury spokeof a superb growing achievement,to grow such a plant in an 8 cmpot; the dark leaves and pinkflowers being of perfect quality.Among the orchids displayed ascut flowers Pulcher Potculturestook the prize for the large whiteflowered cut-Phalaenopsis Kobe,which was commended for thefloriferous form and length ofthe stem.• In the Unusual Creation categoryusing a single stem, the Paphiopedilum-creationof a naturalheart shape from PP Orchideeënreceived the top prize.18 www.FloraCultureInternational.com | Keukenhof Special 2010

New CallaKapiteyn reportssuccess withCalla breeding• From the 30 candidates for thePhalaenopsis pot category the yellowcultivar Piko 108 from Piko Plantwas the award winner, scoring highpoints for the very good balancebetween flowers, stem and leaves.The colour that in particular caughtthe jury’s attention was yellow withan orange lip.In the newer category for smallerflowered Phalaenopsis there were 25candidates, also of excellent quality.The lemon yellow ‘Amadeus’ fromVan Der Hoorn Orchideeën receivedthe award, noted for a minimum ofthree stems, full of flowers.Stands set to inspireFor the more than 40 participating orchidgrowers, who collectively present acouple of hundred varieties, the KeukenhofOrchid Show is not only aboutthe VKC judging. Steef van Adrichemhas been an exhibitor at the KeukenhofOrchid Show for 18 years. Hiscompany Anco Orchideeën has beengrowing Vanda orchids, imported fromThailand, since 1998 and is the biggestnursery in the Netherlands. Besides themain breed Vanda Blue Magic, Ancogrows a wide variety of Vanda breedsunder 25,000 m2 of greenhouse. Hesays, “We always display more than20 varieties at the Keukenhof with thestand arrangements primarily aimingto attract the attention of both thegeneral public and the trade visitors toour inspirational Vanda assortment.Our breeding objective is to provideperfect bright colours, large flowers andbeautiful stripes or spots; all of whicheasily grow new branches, especially atthe homes of our clients!” |||Kapiteyn was able once again to present a new Calla varietyat the international Horti Fair, held in Amsterdam in 2009.This time the variety presented was ‘Captain Ventura’®,with its beautiful white flowers. It is just one of the manyexcellent products that has come out of the intensivebreeding programme that the company, located in Breezand,the Netherlands, initiated almost twenty years ago.Kapiteyn regularly lives up to its reputation of being ‘Innovators in flowerbulbs’. This isparticularly the case with respect to breeding Callas. In addition to being a grower, traderand exporter, breeding bulbs and tubers has become a core activity for the company; it isconducted under the name Kapiteyn Breeding B.V. The breeding process takes time andis very intensive. It has already resulted in a striking number of impressive Calla varieties.These stand out with respect to their flower shape, colour, growing power, high diseaseresistance and good forcing properties. These Callas are suitable for growing in pots andfor producing cut flowers. One of Kapiteyn's first successes was ‘Captain Safari’®. This wasfollowed by a series of other successes, including the ‘Captain Cupido’®, ‘Captain Palermo’®,‘Captain Promise’®, ‘Captain Reno’® for growing in pots, and the cut flower variants‘Captain Chelsea’® and ‘Captain Romance’®. The presentation at Horti Fair 2007 of thepot variety ‘Captain Eskimo’® even resulted in Kapiteyn being awarded a prestigious prizeby an expert jury. And at Horti Fair 2009, the cut flower variety ‘Captain Ventura’® inparticular received high praise. In short, a nice boost for the breeding team that saw theirefforts of the last years rewarded. Kapiteyn Breeding is continually expanding its productrange with the new Calla varieties being launched onto the market via the Captain Selectcooperative growers association.Thanks to its years of experience, Kapiteyn can support its clients in many areas. Withrespect to growing Callas, the company has its own production facilities where all of itsproducts are first thoroughly treated before being delivered to professional cut flowerand pot plant growers. And the Calla Team can always be relied on to supply technicalsupport related to establishing planting and forcing schedules. This makes Kapiteyn areliable partner both at home and abroad. For more information: www.captaincalla.nlA wide array of Calla’s will be on display during the Keukenhof Calla Show takingplace between May 7 to 16 in the Orange Nassau Pavilion at Keukenhof.The presentation of the new Calla variety CaptainVentura® received high praise.Keukenhof Special 2010 | www.FloraCultureInternational.com 19

Freesia Maxima(al) ®Nowadays you can buy very large and heavy Freesias invarious colours. The name under which these Freesias aresold is Freesia Maxima(al) ® . These beautiful and nicesmelling Freesias are available year round. This unique andpurely Dutch product is cultivated with utmost care anddistributed through the flower auctions in the Netherlands.www.freesiamaximaal.comLTO_Groeiservice_178x124.indd 1 25-02-2010 14:33:48BW_178x124.indd 1 25-02-2010 14:27:15

AlstroemeriaAs breeding andpropagation hasled to stronger andmore colourfulAlstroemerias, theseexotic flowers arebecoming morepopular every year.The KeukenhofAlstroemeriaShow, taking placebetween April 29and May 5 is set toboost Alstroemeriasales worldwide.by Ron van der PloegThousands of internationalvisitors will flock to Lissefor the presentation startingon Thursday April 29 of aboutseventy vases with more than 50Alstroemeria varieties, includingstunning flower arrangements and20 cultivars being debuted at theprestigious Keukenhof Alstroemeriashow.An relativelyunknown assortment“The Keukenhof AlstroemeriaShow is the annual showcase forbreeders and growers to highlightthe best they have to offer.Colourful, big budded and exotic,Alstroemeria rank among the mostbeautiful flowers in the world. Andsuch beauties should be put on viewfor everyone to see”, says AndréVreugdenhil, commercial managerof Dutch Alstroemeria breederAndré Vreugdenhil, commercial manager of Royal Van ZantenAlstroemeria Show is setto boost sales worldwideRoyal Van Zanten. “The KeukenhofShow serves as a platform todisplay the wide, but relatively unknownassortment of Alstroemeriasto a wide consumer audience. Thereis also a more commercial aspectin the sense that Keukenhof offersthe three leading Alstroemeriabreeders, Royal Van Zanten, Konstand HilverdaKooij an uniqueopportunity to hook up with theircustomers, the Dutch Alstroemeriagrowers. The show also attractsquite a lot of exporters who usuallydo good business with the growers”,knows André.Alstroemeria AwardThe total area of Alstroemeriaproduction in the Netherlands is estimatedat 65 to 70 ha divided over40 growers of which up to 50%participate in the show. Accordingto André, the growers take part inthe VKC quality competition withthe Alstroemeria Award for thebest vase as the highest recognitionto receive. “Breeders competein the Best Novelty Competition.Last year our company RoyalVan Zanten took the AlstroemeriaAward with ‘Nadya’, a truered variety with a huge marketpotential”, says André. Backed byan impressive promotion campaignentitled ‘From Nadya with Love’,prize winner ‘Nadya’ perfectly suitsthe theme Keukenhof has chosenfor 2010; From Russia with Love.André continues, “Actually Russiais a rather important market forAlstroemerias requiring mostlypremium quality products. At lastyear’s trade show Flowers in Moscow,our red ‘Nadya’ was awarded afirst prize.”Hundreds of crossings,thousands of seedlingsIn the past year, Dutch Alstroemeriabreeders have realized hundredsof crosses and thousands of seedlings;the main criteria to doublecheck being bud presentation,resistance to disease, heat tolerance,good transportability and production.“It takes an average of 5 to 6years to develop a new variety. Outof hundreds of selections we finallypick out 7 to 8 new varieties. This‘new harvest’ will be featured in ournew catalogue which normally appearsin August. But at Keukenhofvisitors from all over the world arealready given a preview of the ournew selection.” |||Keukenhof Special 2010 | www.FloraCultureInternational.com 21

AnthuriumFrom March18 to May 16,2010, membersof the DutchCut AnthuriumAssociation willparticipate in theAnthurium IndoorShow being held inthe Beatrix Pavilionat the Keukenhof.Cees Jan vander Stoep fromFlowercity, one ofthe association’smembers,describes theshowcase as a verybeautiful displayof anthuriums,which aims toinspire consumersas to the manydifferent andwonderful ways theanthurium can beused in decorativeornamentaldisplays.by Anabel EvansAwesomeAnthuriumsAnthurium originally camefrom the rain forests ofColombia, South America.It was first grown and bred inFrance and Belgium. Anthurium(from anthos = flower; oura = tail)therefore literally means tail flower.In 1876 the andreanum hybridwas developed and named after theFrench landscape gardener E.Fr.Andre, who was also the editor of'Revue Horticulture'.All anthuriums have the typicalbeaker shaped inflorescence orarum. In recent years there has beenan increase in the colour diversity asa result of selection. The long vaselife is attributable to the fact thatthe entire process of flowering andthe maturing of the berries takesabout 6 months.The trendy anthurium suits manyindoor decorating styles, fromtraditional to contemporary and isvery versatile in arrangements. But,the most important reason behindCees Jan van der Stoep (right) and hisson keep a strong faith in the Anthurium.the rising popularity of the cutanthurium is the huge upgradingand expansion of the assortment.However, it can take up to ten yearsbefore the development of a successfulnew cultivar is complete.Wide assortmentFlowercity is a relative newcomer toanthurium breeding, a venture thatwas founded on the company’s expertisein both rose and anthuriumproduction. Owner Cees Jan vander Stoep has always been attractedto the anthurium with its luxuriousappeal and keeping qualities;he is sure that production and salesworldwide will increase. He says,“Anthuriums fit perfectly within amodern interior, they have an outstandingvase life and nowadays youwill find every luxury bouquet hasan anthurium.” In recent years thenumber of anthuriums sold throughthe Dutch auctions has reached over80 million stems. As the companyname evokes, Flowercity names itsnew anthuriums after well knowncities in the world: ‘Chicago’ and‘Monaco’ are the promising new cutvarieties.Joining these two varieties at theKeukenhof will be a wide assortmentof small to large floweredtypes from a large number of Dutchexhibitors. Names that caught theeyes of the VKC Permanent JudgingCommittee last year includedthe small flowered ‘Nexia’ fromFleuranthu (eventual Award winnerin the small flower category) and‘Black Love’ from Nursery Evanty.From among the large floweredtypes ‘Akapan’ from Gebaro/fa.Baard v.d. Burg, ‘Tropic Night’from Nursery Da-bro and ‘Spice’from Nursery Ammalutico competedclosely against the first placedwhite cultivar, ‘Jupiter’, which waspresented by Koos v.d. Knaap & Zn.Pots also ofsuper qualityThe pot anthurium is similarly aproduct that has attracted moreattention in recent years. The familycompany, RijnPlant, is specializedin the research and development,breeding, production and sales ofAnthurium, Bougainvillea andCalathea. The company currentlyhas 3 ha of young plant production,14 ha of finished plants, its ownlaboratory for R&D, and more than400 commercial varieties, whichare protected worldwide, and a subsidiarycompany in China. Productinnovations is a key focus and whileits origins lie in the development ofthe pot anthurium market, the cutanthurium category is today seen asan increasingly important market.Rijnplant has participated at theKeukenhof Anthurim Show formany years and sees it as importantevent in the year to exhibit theirnewest varieties to trade visitorsand raise the enthusiasm amongconsumers for both their pot- andcut anthuriums. The reactionsreceived after the event in recentyears also confirm that with a veryinternational audience attracted tothe Keukenhof, their goal to achievea higher degree of name recognitionin the market is achieved. |||22 www.FloraCultureInternational.com | Keukenhof Special 2010

Anthurium_85x124.indd 1 25-02-2010 14:22:05 VWS_85x124.indd 1 25-02-2010 14:36:35Floral Dispatch B.VEstablished in 1992,Floral Dispatch B.V.is a medium sizedcompany rankingamong Keukenhof’spreferred suppliers.Since 2002. FloralDispatch occupiesa stand in theKeukenhof gardensoutside while thecompany alsoparticipates in theindoor Tulip ShowBest in bulbsHalfway between Hillegomand Lisse the companyfound in 2009 a greatlocation for storage and well-oiledlogistic activities. Brand newand well equipped premises of5.000m2 are available for warehousingand cross docking againstcompetitive prices.Deliveries are dispatched fromhere all over the European continent,both in trucks and in reefercontainers with destination theMiddle-east, the USA, Japan andChina.Waiting time prior to (un) loadingfor suppliers and export deliveriesare very short thanks to the availabilityof no less then 10 loadingdocks.Floral Dispatch B.V. is broker/exporter of;• Flower bulbs for traders in prepacksor in bulk• Rosebushes for traders in prepacksor in bulk• Flower bulbs programmed forforcing by growers• Ornamental plants for outdoor& indoor• Pre-packing for mail-orders andweb-shops |||Many growers produce using environmentally friendlymethods but pot Anthurium grower Stolk Plants gives theenvironment a truly high priority . Stolk Plants was one ofthe first growers which products meet the standards forMPS-GAP, MPS Socially Qualified, Milieukeur and FFPaccreditation.Stolk Plants grow the most exclusive varieties in the verybest quality and are able to offer continuity of supply.Moreover their mode of operation and flexibility allowthem to fulfil the wishes of retail chains.Stolk PlantsHoeksekade 111A2661JL Bergschenhoekwww.stolkplants.nl

LimoniumStrongly supportedby Dutch breederHilverdaKooij, theDutch Limoniumindustry will runa high impactLimonium Showfrom April 15 to 20,2010 at Keukenhof.In recent yearsthe Limonium hasevolved from anunnoticed filler industy, faded, driedarrangements to areal eye catcher inflower bouquets.Remarkableachievements inbreeding have leadto Wings varietieswith impressivecombs on sturdystems and asparkling Diamondseries with massesof tiny, paperyflowers providingvolume, colour andtexture to bouquets.by Ron van der PloegA small but beautiful cropThe facts first. In natureLimonium is a perennialthat grows along coastalareas and in salt marshes. It is amember of the Plumbago familyand comprises around 150 species,several widely grown for cuttingand for dried flowers.True blue“In professional greenhouseproduction you’ll find Limoniumsinuatum, more commonly knownas Statice. Statice has large flowersin panicles of 3 to 5 wingedbranches.They come in blue, lavender,rose, red, salmon, yellow, orwhite. In Limonium sinuatum, ourWings series are definitely the bestseller at the Dutch flower auctions,while out of the fifteen varieties ofLimonium sinensis, featuring tinyClasine Feith and Arthur Koekkoekflowers in multi-branched clusters,sold at the Dutch auctions fourteenbelong to our Diamond series.Next to Limonium sinuatum andsinensis the professional growerproduces also perennial types like‘Maine Blue’ and botanic altaicavarieties”, unveils Arthur Koekkoek,sales manager HilverdaKooij about the wide assortmentof Limonium.When asked about the Limonium’sattractiveness, Koekkoek mentionsthat the Limonium is one of thefew flowers having a true bluecolour. “For years researchers arelooking for a blue rose or a blueDianthus, while the most beautifulblue is already available in Limonium.Breeding breakthroughshave improved the intrinsic qualitywith strong flowers located in theupper part of the stems and resistantto botrytis, the most feareddisease in greenhouse production.”Strongly supportedIn the Netherlands up to fiftygrowers cover an area of 15 ha withsome large, specialised Limoniumgrowers like Van Paassen and VanKlink and a majority of growersproducing Limonium as a side crop.With 50 to 60% of the growersparticipating, the Keukenhof LimoniumShow is strongly supportedby the industry including thethree leading Limonium breeders.HilverdaKooij, Royal Van Zantenand J. van Egmond. Clasine Feith,marketing and communicationmanager from HilverdaKooij, saysthat the show provides the stimulusfor growth in the Limonium sector.“We offer a helping hand to participants,coordinating the transport ofthe flowers to Keukenhof.”A Dutch affairThe Keukenhof Show is a realDutch affair. This may not come asa surprise knowing that of the 27million Limonium sinuatum stemssold at the Dutch auctions in 2008,17 million were supplied by Dutchgrowers. In Limonium sinensis,Dutch growers accounted for 3 millionsupplied stems of the in total4.6 million stems. In 2008 alone,49 million of Limonium stems weremarketed via the Dutch auctionclocks, generating a turnover of€9 million. |||24 www.FloraCultureInternational.com | Keukenhof Special 2010

Bartels_stek_54x124.indd 1 25-02-2010 14:23:57PerennialPerennialpopularity is onthe rise as newvarieties, differentpresentations andinventive marketingcontinue to inspireconsumers. At theKeukenhof, fromApril 16 to May 162010, the PerennialShow will be heldin the WillemAlexander Pavilion.by Anabel EvansTHE PRODUCT INNOVATORSPerennialpopularityThe flowering times of perennialstypically range fromApril through to Augustand provide growers with an entiresummer of sales opportunities. Theyfirst started to become commerciallyavailable in the early 1980s butnearly three decades later, today’sperennials market is almost unrecognizable.Several thousand varietieshave been developed to satisfyevery need. There are plants for sun,plants for shade, plants for wet, dry,hot or cold. Breeders have createdvarieties that are tougher, fastergrowing,heavier flowering and withcolours that Mother Nature hadn’tthought of. Many varieties arebred specifically for qualities thatfacilitate efficient distribution andbetter impulse sale. And whereasthe selection in the early days didn’tgo far beyond a handful of peonies,daylilies, hostas and rudbeckiaswith the sales season over by theend of May, when growers realizedthey could supply retailers with potgrown plants the whole thing reallybegan to take off.At the Keukenhof Perennial Showin 2009 the perennial plants assortmentdefinitely didn’t disappointthe visitors with a product showcaseincluding numerous crops suchas Astilbe, Ajuga reptans, Dicentra,Dodecatheon, Dryopteris,Euphorbia, Geranium, Glechoma,Heuchera, Hosta, Scabiosa, Sempervivum,Phlox etc.. Jan Hein deBoer from the Dutch Associationof Perennial Growers (Verenigingvan Vasteplantenkwekers) says,“In 2010, our annual invitation togrower members to once again participatein the Keukenhof PerennialShow has led to nearly 40 growers,from all regions of the Netherlands,indicating their interest.” De Boerexplains further that during thefinal stages of the Show organizationall the participating growersare given the option to take partin the VKC Permanent JudgingCommittee competition, whichinvolves nine different categoriesincluding a New Plants section. Allthe individual winners go forwardto compete for the top prize – TheKeukenhof Perennial Plant 2010.In 2009 the winner was the beddingand patio plant Dryopteris‘Prolifica’ (photograph) from MartKleyn in Lisserbroek. |||Exclusive Cut-Hydrangeawww.Hydraflower.com

FreesiaSweet Freesia flowerscent will fill therooms, while longstemmedflowerswith soft blue, virginwhite, vivid red andcheery yellow willcatch the Keukenhofvisitor’s eye at theFreesia Show, takingplace betweenMarch 19 to 23,2010. Accordingto Jaap Elenbaasfrom Dutch Freesiabreeder Van denBos Flowerbulbs,the Annual FreesiaShow at Keukenhofis an absolute mustfor all peers fromthe Freesia industry,who will be treatedto a showcase of thebest Freesias in theworld.Jaap Elenbaas from Van den Bos FlowerbulbsThe most beautifulFreesias in the worldby Ron van der PloegTraditionally, the Keukenhofopens its gates in MidMarch. Following a hardwinter it sometimes happens that inits first week most of the park is stilldormant with only some scatteredsnowdrops and daffodils blooming.No worries for Jaap Elenbaas,one of the driving forces behindKeukenhof’s scented seller: theFreesia Show. “In the weekend followingthe official opening I alwaystake a quick trip to Lisse to drop inat the Freesia Show. If you earned€100 for each person who puts hisnose in a Freesia flower then youwill soon be rich. I reckon that thisis the best timing for the show withbest quality Freesias. At this time ofyear the weather is not too cold andnot too hot. In the greenhouses thegrowers are still lighting their crops,enjoying some calm days just beforethe April and May peak salesseason starts.”A miniature festivalThe Keukenhof Freesia Show isn’tjust an ordinary flower show, it’spractically a miniature festivalshowcasing both proven varietiesand the latest breeding break-throughs in single flowered anddouble flowered Freesia.The product quality and productionyields have improved significantly.’Ambassador’ (single white),‘Dukaat’ (single yellow), ‘DeltaRiver’ (single blue), ‘Volante’(double white), ‘Blue Moon’ (singleblue), ‘Gold River’ (single yellow),‘Yvonne’ (double yellow), ‘Argenta’(single white) and ‘Honeymoon’(double pink) rank among theFreesia Top 10 of which four arebred by Van den Bos Flowerbulbs.“Our ‘Dukaat’ and ‘Argenta’ aregolden oldies which are still goingstrong. ‘Dukaat’ and ‘GoldRiver’ are long-stemmed varietieswith their side-stem standing inperfect harmony with the mainstem, allowing a quick harvest andhandling of the flowers.. Muchprogress is made in the field oflighting with 4,000 to 8,000 luxand mist-type irrigation with afog system allowing a much betterproduct quality.”26 www.FloraCultureInternational.com | Keukenhof Special 2010

Freesia clichésCommenting on some Freesiaclichés, Elenbaas condemns theidea that red varieties are more vulnerablefor pests and diseases. “It’ssimple, signs of viruses are moreclearer in red varieties than in whiteor yellow specimens. Red varietieshave a strong market position. Inpeak sales seasons you’ll see a quickerprice drop for pink varieties thanred ones. The most fragrant Freesia?That’s indeed the yellow one. Andwhat about leaf necrosis and whitevarieties like ‘Orléans’? Healthyplant material is high on Van denBos’ agenda. Every 2 to 3 years weset up new virus-free mother stockincluding a minimum of 50,000corms with zero tolerance for theFreesia Ophio Virus and the FreesiaMosaic Virus.”The Keukenhof Freesia Show hashad a stable audience for years,gathering growers, the four remainingbreeding companies (Van denBos, Pennings, Hofland and VanZanten), buyers and researchers.The Freesia Award Ceremonyevening usually attracts around 150freesia professionals who are treatedto key speakers on economics,design and business management tokeep attendees apprised of the latesttrends. This year speakers includearea manager Floor Schamp fromthe Flower Council of Holland whowill inform attendees about thebusiness opportunities for Freesiain Russia.OptimismThe show reflects optimism forDutch Freesia growers despitedifficult times. “There are currentlyaround 90 Freesia growers,accounting for a Freesia hectaragethat has decreased from 470 ha in1988 to 175 ha in 2010. But weshouldn’t forget to mention theenormous progress in production:Back in 1988 growers used to growone single crop, while nowadaysthey produce two crops per year.Some growers grow two cropsper year with an average annualproduction of 400 stems per squaremetre. In 2009, the Dutch flowerauctions have marketed 309 millionFreesia stems of which themajority are Holland grown. TheFreesia production in Moroccoand Ethiopia is an estimated 11 ha.Could one imagine a more spectacularflower than Freesia, unfoldingslowly its colourful and fragrantblooms day by day? In Freesiathere is more to discover than theold fashioned, short varieties atGranny’s dresser. Today’s Freesiasfeature extremely long- stemmed,18 grammes Freesia Maximaalvarieties and trendy strippedvarieties like Giraffe. Van den BosFlowerbulbs is doing its utmost toshowcase its latest variety ‘YellowPassion’, with a revolutionary mixof velvet yellow flowers and a fresh,bright scent of lemon.” |||Keukenhof Special 2010 | www.FloraCultureInternational.com 27

Postbus 15Dijkweg 1152675 ZG HonselersdijkNederlandT: +31(0)174 612121F: +31(0)174 612122E: info@vandenbos.nlW: www.vandenbos.nlExport over 60 Countries inlilies, freesia, zantedeschiaLocation Situated in the heart of the WestlandOne of the Leaders in the Flower bulbindustry for more than 50 Years.Own Breeding programBulb Production in ChilliUSA West, USAEast, Canada,Chilli, China, Australiawww.vandenbos.nlSix van den BosCompanies over sea

Dix_54x60.indd 1 25-02-2010 14:27:44 JSPennings_54x60.indd 1 25-02-2010 14:29:16LisianthusWith an estimated80% of DutchLisianthus growersparticipating,Keukenhof’sLisianthus Show isstrongly supportedby the sector.According toshow coordinatorJosé van Egmondthe KeukenhofLisianthus Showhas emerged asa powerful wayto promote therelatively unknownLisianthus toa large andinternationalaudience.A powerful way topromote LisianthusWhile a long hot summeris lying before us, Josévan Egmond is thrilledabout the upcoming LisianthusShow. “Perfect time, perfect place”,says the 30 year-old Van Egmond.“Though Lisianthus is nowadaysproduced year round, the flower isstill considered as a true summerflower. Showcasing in May with itsJosé van Egmond who is working forthe family-owned company J. vanEgmond & Zonen.normally mild temperatures meansenhanced product quality and extraholidays and thus extra Keukenhofvisitors.”An extensive array ofLisianthusThe 100 m 2 Lisianthus Showfeatures the best Lisianthus growersthe Netherlands has to offer. Alongsidean extensive array of Lisianthusflowers coming in all sizes, shapesand colours, the Keukenhof LisianthusFlower Show is a celebration ofnature and style and great colours.It is a must to see for the floralenthusiast. “Cultivars are dividedin single and double floweringLisianthus”, explains José about theLisianthus assortment, “In the earlydays of commercial greenhouseproduction of Lisianthus, the flowerswere unknown to the public andsensitive to wilting, but ever sincethe Lisianthus industry has gonethrough much change. Intensivebreeding has led to varieties withstrong stems, excellent vase life andgood branching: Improved varietieswhich can easily compete withroses. A range of colours is availablewith white being a typical bestseller. Pink, yellow, green and bicolours pink/ white and blue/whiteare also available. Single-floweringLisianthus have an attractive poppylikeshape, however there appearsto be a consumer preference fordouble-flowering varieties.”Lisianthus producersIn the Netherlands the commercialgreenhouse production of yearround Lisianthus covers an areaof 25 ha, to which must be addedanother 30 ha of seasonal production.“But seasonal production isdecreasing rapidly”, says José, “FromMarch to September another 50million plants are grown in Mediterraneancountries like France,Portugal, Italy, Greece and Spain.Some Lisianthus is also produced inPoland. Traditionally Israel ranksas one of the most important Lisianthusproducers with specialized,large scale nurseries being the latesttrend”, says José van Egmond whois working for the family-ownedcompany J van Egmond & Zonenwhich produces more than 100 millionof young plants for Lisianthusgrowers in the Netherlands andabroad. “Our company is located inRijnsburg, the Netherlands. Since2003 the young plants are selectedone week before delivery. We havedesigned a special machine, theSelecto-mat. Every single plant isfilmed by a camera and based onlength and leaf area, each plant willbe put in one of our three selections.The advantages of selected plantsare faster planting, even growth,shorter harvest period, fastergrading, even branches, less waste,shorter growing period - altogetheronly benefits.” |||

Royal Van Zantengoes KeukenhofChrysanthemumShowMarch 25 - 30Oranje NassauPaviljoenAlstroemeriaShowApril 29 - May 5Oranje NassauPaviljoenLilyShowMay 6 - 16Willem AlexanderPaviljoenSee you at the KeukenhofFor more information have a look at www.royalvanzanten.com or call +31 (0)297 38 70 00

RosesRoses throughout the chainIf you want to see the richestpossible display of rosy redhues, you must not miss thespecial rose show that willbe held in the Oranje NassauPavilion from 1 to 6 April. Itincludes all the latest varieties.In 2010 an additional element will beadded to the judgement process during theRose show. The basic assumption is thatthe A1 roses shown are of trade quality. Therewere calls for this during the VKC’s annualmeeting in 2009. Judging will proceed onthe basis of three arrangements/steps/vasescontaining of 80 roses (total 2x20 and 1x40).Judging will take place based on three levelswithin the chain, namely: auction supply (ina sleeve), arrangement and traditional. TheVBW (Association of Floristry Retailers) willparticipate in the inspection process. Thisseason will be the first time they are going tocooperate on this.We will be working with a set-up in whichthe participant’s three vases are arranged in arow behind each other on a base that slopesupwards. This is also the case for the rosesthat are shown as auction specimens. “Rosesthroughout the chain” is the theme of thisspecial show. This theme will be communicatedto the consumer using a flower standand by way of demonstrations in the ONP.Heleen Valstar is responsible for the designand the creative content.During the trade evening on Thursday 1April presentations will be held from theperspective of the different components ofthe chain. Interesting debates will also beconducted in a ‘House of Commons’- typesetting.The organising committee of the Roseevening includes the following partners fromthe different components of the trade chain:Keukenhof, VGB (Floristry wholesalers),FloraHolland (auctions), LTO Groeiservice(growers), Plantum NL (breeders) and VKC.Bartels_roses_54x124.indd 1 25-02-2010 14:23:26advert-1BRT.indd 1 22-02-2010 16:33:19Brockhof_178x124.indd 1 25-02-2010 14:24:38

CarnationCarnation growerMartin Zwinkelsalong withformer carnationcolleagues Rienvan Dam and HanWijnands considerthe KeukenhofCarnation Show asone of the best waysof promotion.Every year they arehighly successful interms of bringingtogether 99% ofthe Dutch carnationgrowers and a largeconsumer audiencefrom all over theworld. With anestimated 100,000international visitorsover ten days, theKeukenhof CarnationShow is likely togive carnation salesa boost worldwide.by Ron van der PloegDianthus‘Star TrendyTessino’An absolutemust seeSeeing the Keukenhof visitor‘oohing’ and ‘aahing’ at thegorgeous array of colours andscents that are available in carnation,former carnation grower Rienvan Dam understands them perfectly.“Carnations are contagious.Once they get into your bloodyou won’t fancy any other flowers.I am now in my twelfth year asco-organizer of the show, whichgets more gorgeous every year. Intoday’s greenhouses there is anabundance of light, allowing theDutch carnation grower to grow astrong, colourful and early crop.”His counterpart in the carnationbusiness, Martin Zwinkels, whooperates a 1,3 ha carnation nurseryin Honselersdijk, the Netherlands,adds, “The show runs from May7 to 16 and right at that time ofyear we can ensure the best qualityflowers. The event opens its doorsjust before Mother’s Day, a busytime for the carnation industry as awhole, but still the show is an absolutelymust-see. I reckon the timingof the show is perfect. We surelywelcome every sales boostfor the period after theMother’s Day peak salesseason.“Little Tom ThumbIn the Netherlands the productionand supply of Dutch carnationshave suffered a long-standingdecline at the auctions. Way backin 1997 the supply of domesticstandard carnations at the Dutchauction clocks was 183 millionstems per annum. By 2009 saleshad dropped to less than 50 millionstems. The decline in productionis even more dramatic. In 1990professional greenhouse productionof standard carnations covered anarea of 250 ha by 2010 only 23 haMartin Zwinkels (left) and Rien van Dam.are left. “Amid the world carnationproduction, we are just a LittleTom Thumb defying the giant.Nevertheless, the Dutch carnationindustry is leading in productinnovation. Dutch breeders haveplayed a key role in the introductionof the trendy green colour,which is recognized to have givencarnation sales a big boost. Onegood example of a recent breedingbreakthrough would be Dianthus‘Star Trendy Tessino’. This twotoned,star-shaped spray carnationis, how shall I put it, a really sweetlittle thing.”Zwinkels really regrets that thecarnation doesn’t easily inspireother growers. “We could gooduse a few young and enthusiasticcolleagues”, he says, “maybe it hasto with the history of Dutch carnationgrowing which hasn’t beenalways that bright. In Westland,nearly everyones grandfather producedcarnations and remembersthe bad stories of fusarium. Whatbothers me is the prejudice thatcarnation growing is not profitableenough. I agree that it is a labourintensive with production periods,but still it is a profitable business.In 2000, I took over my father’sbusiness. Since then I have madegood money out of these beautifulflowers.” |||32 www.FloraCultureInternational.com | Keukenhof Special 2010

New at KeukenhofFashion ExhibitionGone with the windThe fashion exhibition Gone with the wind (18March to 16 May 2010) in the Juliana pavilion atKeukenhof focuses on the creative ideas of theDutch fashion world.The organisation of this exhibition is in the hands of theZuiderzeemuseum, where it was first on display in 2009.Gone with the Wind exhibits a selection of traditionalcostumes and contemporary fashions from theZuiderzeemuseum collection. Dozens of Dutch fashionand jewellery designers and photographers were inspiredby the characteristic Dutch regional costumes.Examples include: a 'kraplap' [traditional starchedshoulder covering] as contemporary accessory andan interpretation of the Staphorst stippling technique.Outfits by Francisco van Benthum, Alexander vanSlobbe, Spijkers & Spijkers and Viktor & Rolf are alsoon display. Also part of the exhibition is a jewellerydesign by Ted Noten, where the traditional Urk men'searring blends with the street culture of today. Fashiondesigner Jan Taminiau created a bridal gown andmatching suit for the exhibition.Art and culture have played an important part atKeukenhof from day one. The floral splendour forms amagnificent decor for the fashion exhibition Gone withthe Wind. Keukenhof is the showcase of the Dutchhorticultural industry, with the emphasis on floweringbulbs. The exhibitions and events in the park interrelatea host of Dutch items in the field of culture and thearts. Unexpected approaches highlight various aspectsof contemporary and classic designs alike. |||New at Keukenhofthe Discovery TourExplore the park using modernaudio and visual communicationaids. See and hear all aboutthe history of Keukenhof.Enjoy the park and everything ithas to offer to the full with theKeukenhof Discovery Tour. Accessto a wide range of information,wherever and whenever you wish,as you walk round the park. Practicalinformation about the varioussections of the park, such as thepavilions and restaurants, the children’splayground, the mill and theboat trips past the bulb fields, butalso lots of background information.The Keukenhof landscapearchitect talking about his gardendesigns, for example, or one of thegardeners about the maintenanceand upkeep of the park. You willalso learn all about the bulbgrowingindustry, the bulb-growingarea in the Netherlands and theNetherlands as country of flowers,about the history of Keukenhofchateau, and the theme of theyear, which this year is 'From Russiawith Love'.The Keukenhof Discovery Tourincludes sound recordings, photos,videos and interviews, lasting aslong as an hour in all.Discover Keukenhof the new way.The Keukenhof Discovery Tourbrings millions of blooming flowersand plants.... water features.....inspirational gardens to life morethan ever before! |||Keukenhof Special 2010 | www.FloraCultureInternational.com 33

ChrysanthemumThe KeukenhofChrysanthemumShow helps to givethe Chrysanthemuma new imageamongst nationaland internationalvisitors. New,striking, fashionableand funky varietieswill put aside anyprejudices theconsumers mayhave towardsthese beautiful andversatile flowers.by Ron van der PloegKeukenhof Show unveilsthe wonders of theChrysanthemum worldChrysanthemum, boringor old fashioned? Don’task Rick Minck, productmanager of Dutch Chrysanthemumbreeder Fides, because he isunderstandably spooked by antichrysanthemumclichés, explainingthat the old fashioned imageof mums has been improved inrecent years, really since 2006. Thepromotional activities organizedby the Flower Council of Hollandunder the theme JustChrys (nowprolonged for another 3 years) issaid to have been a key factor inrenewing the market’s interest inthe Chrysanthemum.Enormous diversityThis may not come as a surprise asmums are such wonderful flowers,with enormous diversity in colourand form. “In fact, there are over6,000 varieties of mums, and youmay think that several of themcommonly found in florists areactually totally different flowers,they are so different in looks. Lastyear JustChrys, which representsthe four leading Chrysanthemumbreeders Fides, Deliflor, Dekkerand Royal Van Zanten, participatedin the Margriet Women’s Fair.Some of our varieties on displaywere not even recognized as aChrysanthemum. Here we showedthe two-toned spray variety ‘Raisa’and ‘Dance’ with its spoon shapedpetals, being both a genuine asset tothe Fides assortment.”The Keukenhof ChrysanthemumShow will provide an update ofthe latest Chrysanthemum varieties,which are classified by howthey look. “The different types ofchrysanthemums are named afterthe shape of the flower itself. Thosetypes of flowers are single or doubleflowered decorative having long,tightly overlapping petals. Daisymums have one single row of petalsaround the bud of the flower, whilepompoms are small globe shapedflowers with tightly packed petals.Anemone mums feature one rowof single flat petals that has a raisedcentre of tiny florets. Spoon mumshave the look of a daisy, but thepetals are flat with the tips having aspoon-like appearance. Last but notleast come the spider types. Thereare also a number of exciting combinationspossible with aforementionedmums”, says Minck givingus a mini-lecture of the wonders ofthe Chrysanthemum world.A special trial cornerMinck is now in his third year asco-organizer of the Keukenhofshow. “I do this job on behalf ofbreeding company Fides. We sendall our customers a direct mail announcingthe event, followed by areminder three weeks later. Participatinggrowers have two options:either one of our sales representativescome to pick up the flowers orthe flowers are sent to Keukenhofby regular auction transport. Anestimated 20 of the in total 150Dutch Chrysanthemum growersparticipate in the VKC Flower Trialwith the winners being awardedwith a cake for the entire personnel.Some growers put an awful lotof effort into preparing the flowersby setting up a special corner withmore widely spaced varieties 12weeks before the show. Overall, themarking, selecting and harvestingof the flowers requires time and patienceespecially because the growerhas to enter the densely plantedcrop by crossing heating pipes. Upto 90% of the show space is filledwith entries from the breedingcompanies.”The importanceof brandingParticipation in the Keukenhofshow fits perfectly with the Fides’“pull” selling strategy, a strategythat requires high spending onadvertising and consumer promotionto build up consumer demandfor a product. One good examplewould be ‘Bacardi’, defeating itscompetitor ‘Reagan’ thanks to animpressive promotion campaign.“The four leading varieties ‘ArcticQueen’, ‘Euro’, ‘Zembla’ and ‘Baltica’are currently competing in theglobal brand economy”, outlinesMinck, “Brands can help our businessstand out in the crowd. TheKeukenhof Chrysanthemum Showattracts up to 20,000 to 30,000visitors in one week. That’s why weconsider exhibiting at the world’s34 www.FloraCultureInternational.com | Keukenhof Special 2010

Chrysanthemum ‘Raisa’Rick Minck product manager of DutchChrysanthemum breeder Fides.most famous Spring Garden is soimportant.”In a time with so much economicuncertainly, some extra Chrysanthemumpromotion can give salesa much-needed boost to revenuesin a difficult economy. “These aretough times for Chrysanthemumgrowers, currently covering anarea of around 450 to 500 ha withgreenhouse production. Pricesare down since more than a year.Considering that only 4 to 5%of Dutch mums are sold on thedomestic market, one can imaginehow the sector is depending onthe economic situation in exportmarkets. The UK is struggling witha weak British pound, resulting ina 20% reduction in UK imports.Also, the Russian Rouble hasweakened a lot. In the meantimeone of the Netherlands leadingflower wholesalers withdrew fromthe auction clock, now sourcing itsmums directly from all parts of theworld and provoking more sluggishsales at the clock.”Blooms instead of gloomand doomIn the meantime Minck refusesto believe in gloom and doomtrusting on the resilience and thedynamism of the Dutch chrysanthemumsector. “Production methodsare constantly under scrutiny.In the past, some tests were carriedout with a mobile system for theproduction of mums on water.Despite the up to 90% use of spaceand the somewhat higher production,the cost of such systems arestill to high. The sector prefersconsolidation and focuses on riskspreading strategies by growingdifferent and specialty varietiesinstead of large monocultures. Thesector also carefully listens to itscustomers, the wholesale buyers.One good example for an efficientexchange of ideas is our new orangesantini ‘Harley’ which perfectlymatches with other orange flowersin bouquets, a long time requestfrom the trade.The same trade is purchasingincreasingly smaller volumes asproduction figures reach all timehighs. The modern greenhousestructures offer improved lighttransmission, allowing the growerto better steer his crop. Stem weightis going constantly up and the arrayof colours and shapes grows widerand wider. You get so much moreout of Chrysanthemums than mostpeople think. One of the best waysto convince yourself is to attend theupcoming Keukenhof event, showingoff the diversity of the mum.The Keukenhof ChrysanthemumShow is an amazing floral displaycreated by some of the Netherlandsfinest floral arrangers. The displaywill be breathtaking featuring over100 varieties of Chrysanthemumsand over 75,000 blooms.” |||Keukenhof Special 2010 | www.FloraCultureInternational.com 35

FIDESCOMPLETECOLLECTIONGET I NSPI R ED BY OU RC H RYSANTH EMUMSLO OK AT OU R B RAN D N EW WEBSITE WWW.FI DES.N LFides B.V. t. +31(0)174 53 01 00 info@fides.nlP.O. Box 26, 2678 zg De Lier, The Netherlands f. +31(0)174 53 01 10 www.fides.nl