GROW no. 1 February 2016 The magazine from Royal FloraHolland
“The rose is truly unique” Simon van der Burg Rose grower in Kenia
Valentine’s Day Flowering the world Turkey: Land of opportunity? Tulip Day 200,000 tulips on the Dam
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Exquisite
Symbol of love
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EXQUISITE
Roses are flowering plants of the genus Rosa. They have been cultivated for thousands of years for their beauty, and in ancient times they were grown in China and Africa, by the Greeks, Romans and Egyptians. The rose is a symbol of love, seduction and romance. For the early Christians, the rose symbolised the five wounds of Christ. It later became the symbol of the blood of the martyrs. A clenched fist holding a red rose is the worldwide (socialist) symbol for 1 May.
The passion of
Ambition
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Lucas Vos
Collection
WOW! Wunderkammer
p 28 Editorial GROW is Royal FloraHolland’s new magazine. Royal FloraHolland aspires use GROW as a vehicle to contribute to cooperation, knowledge sharing, support and trust. GROW has an average of 32 pages and is published six times a year.
Growing in Kenia
Insights
Market opportunities What opportunities do the market specialists see in Russia, English, France and Germany? Wouter Duijvesteijn, Josephine Klapwijk, Erwin Sneiders and Wim Aanhane shed some light on the perspectives in this background article.
p 20 Roll on 2020 News Perspective Big data Globetrotter Cross-fertilisation Trends Service Diary Colophon
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The passion of
Lucas Vos Lucas draws a parallel with the introduction of the new PR magazine GROW. “The seeds have been planted, the soil has been generously moistened. We are all now going to work together towards a bright future for the floriculture. Growth is generally positive, but not without some growing pains. These are still to come. Not everyone is on board yet. Not all Royal FloraHolland customers and members have made the switch. But that is part and parcel of growth. The most important factors for growth are incorporated into the Cooperation 2020 programme. In 2016, we are going to open up a dialogue with the Supervisory Board, the Advisory Boards and a consultative group of young members concerning our future. How will the cooperation pan out in the coming years? And how does Royal FloraHolland become the club that people what to be a part of? The fact that it is all about co-creation, the future of our cooperation should also be just that.” After the General Meeting, where the new identity of the cooperation was presented, we received very positive feedback from members and customers. “They are proud. What I hear: it is my responsibility to allow my sons, my neighbour, my FPC members to be Royal FloraHolland. We can be proud, without being arrogant. The concept ‘I am Royal FloraHolland’ was immediately taken very seriously. This is the greatest pay-off that I could wish for Cooperation 2020. What can I do as a member? How can we make the instrument, the cooperation, more powerful again in relation to the big bad outside world? There is a great sense of cooperation within the chain, and that is sometimes forgotten. This is an underestimated strength; a quality that our members and customers should possess.” 4
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THE PASSION OF LUCAS VOS
Lucas Vos, CEO at Royal FloraHolland, and his passion for floriculture: “Royal FloraHolland’s new identity is the next step in our strategy for 2020. We are the connecting link in the horticultural chain for our customers and members.”
“Growth is positive, but not without some growing pains”
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Roll on 2020
Member financing still forms the foundation ... Responding to Royal FloraHolland 2020, the restrictions of financial uncertainty for members and the simplification of the rules give cause to revise the financing. There are now plans for a concrete proposal, in which CFO Rens Buchwaldt has been closely involved, to amend the articles of association.
On leaving Royal FloraHolland on 1 March, Rens feels confident that the matter is in good hands. Rens: “I am glad that I could contribute to this proposal, and am confident leaving it in Finance Manager Martijn Meskers’s capable hands. It has been carefully weighted and discussed thoroughly with the supervisory directors, Advisory Boards, a work group from the Advisory Boards and the members themselves. We notice that there is consensus among the members. I therefore date to hope that the resolution will be adopted during the GMM and I call on the members to attend the meeting in June. The resolution is important enough to warrant a good attendance.” Bank financing on track “An important principle remains: member financing still forms the foundation of the cooperation. We have also determined the desired financial ratio for a financially healthy cooperation. We want to achieve 30% solvency. We are not there yet. For our total member financing, we apply a range between 45 and 55%. That level has already been reached. And we want to keep the liquidity at such a level that we can keep our bank financing on track.”
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ROLL ON 2020
... of a powerful cooperation “Delighted that I contributed to this proposal” Rens Buchwaldt
Cooperation equity capital The liquidity contribution disappears in the proposal, but the cooperation continues to withhold 1% of the members’ turnover. The amount withheld will be converted immediately into a new financing system. The members’ loan and the participation reserve (which is not funded from possible profits from the cooperation) will be replaced with Certificates A and B. Each member accrues a Certificate A of the 1% withheld amounting to a maximum of 20,000 euro. It remains part of the equity capital within the cooperation and is only returned to the member
after termination of the membership. This provides a more stable basis for the cooperation’s equity capital. The member accrues Certificates B after Certificate A has been paid up in full. As is the case now, this, in principle, flows back to the member after eight years. Different membership Changing over from the current loss cover to an equity cover, prevents the member having to forfeit money in case of loss. If the equity capital falls below the lower threshold of 45% in any year, no pay-outs will be made for Certificates B. However, the money will remain in the member’s name. Payment will be resumed as soon as the equity capital is at a healthy level again. If the equity capital exceeds 55%, an additional annual accrual of Certificates B may be issued on the Management’s proposal. Finally, the manner in which you can become a member is changing. Up until now, partners in general partnerships and companies could participate in the cooperation as individual members and Ltds and Plcs as companies. Now everyone is a member as a company, regardless of the legal form. ← ROLL ON 2020
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News
Valentine’s Day Flowering the world Roses Tulips Roses and tulips are the most traded flowers at Royal FloraHolland for Valentine. Approximately 100 million roses and 120 million tulips go out from our members to the consumer in the week before Valentine. Top rose species in Valentine week: Red Naomi!, Rhodos, Upperclass, Athena and Avalanche+. Red and white roses are the most widely sold.
Bouquets The mixed bouquet is the bestseller in the Netherlands and Germany for Valentine. Sixty per cent of the English and French choose roses.
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NEWS
Millions
Florists
In a normal week, our weekly turnover (Royal FloraHolland total) is approximately 80 million euro. In Valentine week, that is a good 50-60% more (expectation is around 120 to 125 million).
The florist is the most important point of sale with Valentine.
Flowers Top 5 flowers in terms of turnover with Valentine in 2015: Rose, Tulip, Spray Chrysanthemum, Gerbera, Lily.
Plants Top 5 plants in terms of turnover with Valentine in 2015: Phalaenopsis, Rose, Anthurium, Kalanchoe, Hyacinth.
French Germans British The French, Germans and British are particularly big into celebrating Valentine. Incidentally, these are also Royal FloraHolland’s three most important markets.
Ambition
A visit with Simon Simon van der Burg is one of the biggest rose growers in the world. He manages two thousand Kenyan workers. GROW’S editorial staff noticed that Simon is a passionate entrepreneur and professional who speaks with pride about his trade and the rose. COLUMN
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The rose grower has two companies in Kenya: Timaflor (96 ha) with 1400 employees and Lolomarik (40 ha) with 600 employees. His gardens are divided according to the one and the same principle, which is handy for maintaining an overview. Simon lives on the farm in Timau (450 ha in total). Situated 2400 metres high on the slopes of Mount Kenya.
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Simon was one of the first flower growers in Kenya. He started out in 1974 growing carnations on 5 hectares of land. Within ten years, that had grown to 150 hectares. Over the past thirty years, Simon has also worked for a time in marketing and for Dutch horticulture companies. But you cannot deny something that is in your blood and so Simon set up a new company in Kenya in 2006, this time with rose cultivation. “I had acquired a taste for Kenya once more.” Reliability of roses What is the secret of Simon’s unbridled ambition? “You have to keep your work fun and simple. And you have to have a hobby,” laughs Simon. “I get great satisfaction out of
Not office-based As a manager, Simon believes that you should not be based at the office, but out there amongst the employees. “Kenyans are easily distracted. You have to keep focussed and be in the greenhouse where it is all happening. This is certainly the case in a rose nursery where an awful lot is going on each day and the flowers grow quickly. The production per square metre is high. The climate is ideal, because this part of Kenya has a lot of sunshine and hardly any rain.” Each species is different What is it about the rose and Simon? “Roses are the most profitable flowers for me to grow in Kenya. I have grown and marketed all sorts of flowers, but the rose is truly unique. There are thousands of types of roses in pink, white, red, orange and yellow, and each type is different. Roses are extremely varied. The advantage of the rose is that you can produce enough volume for the auction.”
“The rose is truly unique” guiding people and delegating work. In addition to this, my most important concern is the reliability and quality of the roses. My employees are busy the entire day; roses have to be pruned. Here in Kenya, I am in charge of six gardens and two thousand Kenyan personnel. In terms of layout, all of the gardens I have here look the same and that is really handy for maintaining an overview.”
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AMBITION
An identity all of its own How does Simon deal with two thousand employees? “They have a different demeanour when working than when they come in. Their lives have purpose again; their jobs mean everything to them. There is not much work in Kenya. Sometimes two hundred Kenyans turn up in one go to apply for a job. My motto is spoil the personnel. We try to give everyone their own identity and encourage them to take responsibility for their work, with minimum supervision. The average Kenyan does not ask why. And, what’s more, is always cheerful.” ←
• Simon is 66 years of age, born in Berkel en Rodenrijs (South Holland). • He moved to Kenya in May 1971 to undertake development work. • In 1974, he set up a carnation business on 5 ha, which grew to 150 ha within 10 years. • In between, he worked in marketing in the Netherlands for a number of years and for Dutch horticulture companies. • Simon cares about the Kenyans and wants to give them their own identity in their work. • He wants to continue with his business for years to come. Retiring is not an option. • Simon’s motto: ‘Keep it simple.’
Perspective
Turkey: Land of opportunity? Turkey wants to be a hub of the trade. It has been the business centre of Asia since time immemorial, with Constantinople as an important, rich capital city in the middle ages. The economy of the Asian country is picking up and the younger generation are becoming more western and wealthier. GROW researched the developments. PERSPECTIVE
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“The Turkish market offers opportunities for growth. The country is becoming westernised. The government wants a stronger floriculture sector. The banks also want that.”
“Turkey is the bridge to other countries in the region. Royal FloraHolland can connect, get things organised and, thanks to the payment security, can get parties to commit to each other.” Monique Heemskerk Royal FloraHolland
Wilco Verkuil Dümmen Orange
“At present, the high import duties are creating the bottleneck. It is great that Royal FloraHolland is actively working to get these lowered.” Eduard ter Laak Ter Laak Orchids
Restrictive import duties Royal FloraHolland considers Turkey a country with great potential, and this is also evident from research into the country. Turkey has an excellent location in terms of production climate. It is also a logistical bridge to neighbouring countries. The high import duties for the trade with Turkey are a point for attention, because this is now creating a trade barrier. This is a huge problem in exporting from the Netherlands. Not only does it restrict exports, but also market developments. What can Royal FloraHolland do? “The next step in the process for removing the trade barriers will be taken this spring. Royal FloraHolland will be entering into 14
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PERSPECTIVE
a dialogue with the ministries, interest groups and Dutch and Turkish stakeholders. The object is to resolve this problem together with our stakeholders,” tells Monique Heemskerk, market developer at Royal FloraHolland. Hein van Gijlswijk, Manager of Quattro Plant, emphasises the importance of all of this. His company has been exporting garden and house plants to Turkey for 3.5 years now. “I certainly have a problem with the high import duties. It is vital that Royal FloraHolland makes agreements that eliminate these as much as possible. It would be great for growers if this would have a positive effect on the prices. Our products are currently way too expensive because of the high import duties.”
Developing market knowledge The added value of Royal FloraHolland’s presence in Turkey is that the market knowledge we are building up can be transferred to our members and customers, so that the Dutch platform becomes stronger. Too little is known of this strong growing market, the horticultural section and consumers. “We conduct research on consumers and logistics, and translate the results into concrete business cases in cooperation with growers and customers. In addition to this, Royal FloraHolland works in cooperation with universities and companies in Istanbul to increase knowledge.” Arjan Rood, flower bulb and tulip grower from Bovenkarspel, has been exporting flower bulbs to
“In the short term, there is money to be made in the traditional segments - kiosks, florists, garden centres. In the long term, in the supermarkets and DIY shops that are developing further.” Wouter Konijn Aardse Orchideeën
Turkey for years, where municipal landscapers use them in public parks. “Turks are very tulip and flower-minded. The only problem is that they are not available in the standard supermarkets. When a consumer wants to buy flowers, they are either not available or too expensive.” Arjan certainly sees the advantages of Royal FloraHolland’s efforts in increasing the market knowledge. “This is another step towards eliminating the trade barriers. Once these trade barriers are removed, it is important to know what the local production is and the Turkish consumer’s demand for flowers. Armed with this knowledge, we can immediately respond in the Netherlands and increase our market. This has an immediate positive effect on us as producers. In my experience
“It is a market that has yet to be developed and not everyone has money to buy flowers.” Bert Karel Karel Bloembollen
in the bulb sector, I am convinced that there is a wonderful flower market there.” ←
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Ecuador 610 million
Big data
60%
The export of roses→
$18,300,000 → Chili
2%
23%
$18,300,000 → Italy
$24,400,000 → Ukraine
$36,600,000 $103,700,000 → The Netherlands → other countries
Kenya 540 million
The colours of the roses auctioned in 2015 were distributed
7%
40%
100%
2% 4% 3% 8%
10% 23%
$27,000,000 → Russia
$27,000,000 → Germany
45%
Sales via sales channels
Kiosk
$16,200,000 → Norway
Colombia 365 million
18%
Other
$10,800,000 → Japan
100 Internet
90
Supermarkets
80 70
$3,650,000 → Japan
60
Garden centres
50 40
Ethiopia 153 million 100%
$1,530,000 → United Arab Emirates
30 20
Florists
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$7,300,000 → The Neth-
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The Netherlands 330 million
0
40%
35%
RUS
$9,900,000 $16,500,000 → Poland → Russia
$19,800,000 → Italy
$39,600,000 → United Kingdom
$1,530,000 → Saudi Arabia
$170,800,000 → Russia
$27,000,000 → Australia
$9,490,000 → Europe
$1,530,000 → Germany
$52,800,000 → France
$13,505,000 → Canada
$1,530,000 → Japan
$54,000,000 → other countries
$15,695,000 → United Kingdom
$6,120,000 → Norway
$91,800,000 → United Kingdom
$21,900,000 → other countries
$31,025,000 → Russia
$262,800,000 → The Netherlands
$262,800,000 → United States
$134,640,000 → The Netherlands
$6,120,000 → other countries
$79,200,000 → other countries
$237,900,000 → United States
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Globetrotter
Mevlana dancer as marketing tool The Turkish trade company Asyalale uses a dancer from Mevlana as an object of its promotion campaigns. Mevlana, an honorary title for the 13th century mystic Rumi, is of major importance in the Islam, particularly Sufism. He symbolises tolerance among people. The spinning dancers in long white dresses are a familiar sight in films promoting Turkey. This dance was devised by Mevlana. The dancers spin around their own axis while meditating and calling the name of God. Asyalale is a Turkish trade company that focuses on the tulip week in the Konya region. This is also a pilgrimage site in Turkey and number two on the list of tourist attractions. “The Staphorst of Turkey,” says Monique Heemskerk. Asyalale uses the image of the dancer in its marketing campaigns and for promotional purposes.
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GLOBETROTTER
This section is devoted to topics from all over the world, which are directly linked to the international floriculture sector and Royal FloraHolland.
Flowers and hotels In a hotel in Zwolle, the editorin-chief of GROW stumbled across a seventeenth century painting of a women surrounded by tulips and summer flowers. Flowers and luxury, there is a direct link. Flowers make consumers in hotels happy. A fact that Carlo Vijverberg, director and owner of Florca Westland, a trade company that supplies plants and flowers to five-star hotels worldwide, is also only too well aware of. “Our customers, hotels, are primarily in the upper segment, where lobbies and VIP rooms are styled with flowers and plants. We have been doing this for sixteen years now, and we have a presence in 30 countries around the world. We establish contact directly with hotels in Asia. The flowers are shipped as airfreight under good conditions.” Does Florca Westland sometimes get reactions from consumers? “We recently got a photo of a lobby in a hotel where there was a work of art 1.5m high. A wonderful eye-catcher. This makes us proud of our floriculture.”
The Zündfix lamp wick This is an object that, for a long time, was unmissable for many farmers, and it is still very important in lessdeveloped parts of the world. These days, the wick has been rediscovered as a useful instrument in the greening of deserts. The wick is placed under the ground in what is known as a Waterboxx. It operates using the capillary principle: if it is sufficiently damp, it stops transporting water. If it is very dry, the wick lets more water through. The wick therefore adjusts to the aboveground climate, and the plants get exactly the right amount of water.
Chinese tea box China is an exceptional destination with many attractive items. Guido de Wit and Martijn van Os of the World Flower Exchange (WFE) program, which is carrying out trials on the Chinese market, were given a gift of a box of Chinese tea. The Chinese attach a huge amount of value to the packaging. “This makes it almost over-the-top in terms of gift packaging. First a bag, then a big box with silk lining, then a decorated tin, then another layer of packaging, and then the tea. The packaging has to confirm the value of the product.” GLOBETROTTER
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Insights
Market opportunities are not always located in the same market. Russia, which for many years was our main export market, is out of action for the time being, while Great Britain and France have been growing again in recent years. In our Insights section, GROW looks in detail at the French and English markets, in which Royal FloraHolland has been active for a long time now.
“We focus on the traditional retail channel of the florist.” Wouter Duijvesteijn Beyond Chrysant
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Home grown for UK Eastern Europe, and Russia in particular, has in recent years been the sales market for chrysanthemums, primarily blooms and heavy branches. “Although Russia has been going through some tough times, there is still money to be made there,” says Wouter Duijvesteijn. “Flowers are essentials of life there, and that is still the case. But I started looking around, and the British market also came into my sights.” Beyond Chrysant does not want to make any concessions in this to its key point of departure: growing top-quality chrysanthemums. And this means that the British market, which is dominated by chain stores, is not a logical choice. “We focus on the traditional retail channel of the florist. You see two categories there. One group of florists who think that supermarkets should not in fact be allowed to sell flowers, and who take them on in a hopeless price battle. Other florists accept it, and look for their salvation in their distinctiveness. Our customers are in the latter category.” “I am sure that chrysanthemums are also unmissable in distinctive flower arrangements,” according to Wouter Duijvesteijn. “As long as they are fresh, in a distinctive range, of above-average weight and ‘accompanied by a story’. When I tell them that our nursery is closer to London than those of many British colleagues, they suddenly go quiet. How so, home grown?
I once presented my product in a cash & carry in Southern England. And this led to long-term extra purchases.”
“The growth potential in England is online, and in the higher segment.” Market specialist Josephine Klapwijk
Not a traditional market British people are traditional in nature, so the British flower and plant market is the same. Or so we think. “But it is not,” explains market specialist Josephine Klapwijk. “Large-scale retail has by far the biggest market share. And online sales are higher there than elsewhere in Europe.” “Florists can only survive there in the higher segment. In fact, you do see some kiosks, but far fewer florists’ shops. The florists who are still around work primarily to order, and hold very little stock. British people buy flowers to treat themselves, or as a gift, although the gift market is in competition with cosmetics, perfume, clothing, chocolate and special food products. They choose their flowers traditionally: roses, carnations, lilies, chrysanthemums, tulips. Although we are increasingly seeing seasonal flowers, including in the supermarkets. The Netherlands remains an important flower and plant supplier, but is facing competition from Africa and Latin America, particularly for roses, carnations and chrysanthemums. The trends are set in London, in particular. But further north you very often see the classic – to our eyes, often ugly – English colour combinations.” “Online sales are growing. There are extra sales opportunities there, and in the business and event market. The market → INSIGHTS
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share of retail is stable. The growth potential is online, and in the higher segment. This is good news for the Netherlands. Royal FloraHolland can help in making the most of these opportunities. As in the Tub Plant Offensive, which presented this product group better to garden centres and to the consumer. But in practice, this is a cooperation between growers and traders.”
“There are important differences between the Germans and the French.” Wim Aanhane Flower wholesaler
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Everything is different How do Germany and France differ from one another? ‘Lijnrijder’ (a flower wholesaler who delivers along a specific route) Wim Aanhane has a clear answer to this question: “In everything.” Aanhane Bloemenexport operates three flower routes in south-western Germany and two routes in central France. “The clock ticks differently in France than it does in Germany,” explains Wim. “You carry a different range. In south-western Germany, you see a lot of roses and very few lilies and chrysanthemums. In central France, it is the exact opposite, and often in shades of pink. My German customers look at the quality first, and only then at the price. The French are more price sensitive. In Germany, flowers are a daily shopping item. In France, public holidays are the top days. Thankfully, France has a lot of public holidays. Even the seasons run differently. In Germany, you do not sell any tulips or hyacinths before New Year’s Day, in France you sell plenty. Even the way you structure your route is different. In Germany, there are sometimes three florists’ shops in one street. That is almost never the case in France. The French are different. With a totally different approach. Arrangements are often half-made, and therefore not completely met. Arriving late is no big deal. You are not welcome before 9 a.m. or at lunchtime (between 12.30 p.m. and
2.30 p.m.). But you can arrive there later in the evening. It is not as easy to build a relationship with them. They are more hierarchical, and have a different approach to payment. But as soon as you understand their ‘instruction manual’, everything is great.”
Market data available Royal FloraHolland carries out market research among consumers and in sales channels. The Product Market and Information Department (PMI) has a great deal of sales and production data inside and outside Europe. This could be useful for you. Would you like to know more? Call or email Customer Service and ask for the PMI department.
“Growth in France should continue at least until 2020.” Market specialist Erwin Sneiders
France is growing again France, the country of high unemployment, low consumer confidence and terrorism threats. Or is it ...? Restaurants are full again, in Paris you are seeing many startups, and in the first three quarters of 2015, the French economy grew by 1.1%. “France has definitely not stopped consuming,” according to market specialist Erwin Sneiders. The flower and plant market is strong. Exports from the Netherlands to France grew by 9.6% in 2015. We are expecting growth until 2020. Individual florists are having tough times, but France has strong chains of florists. Delivery organisations are setting up online shops, such as 123fleurs, which is working together with Aquarelle.com. Interflora has taken over BeBloom, the ‘pure player in webshops’. As the retail channel will become more important in the coming years, volumes may grow, but there may also be price pressure.” What are the cultural differences between the Netherlands and France? The Netherlands is known as a professional and high-tech production country. But that is sometimes seen as a threat. Our image as a country is positive. Liberal, commercial, but also materialistic and direct. The French are different. It is not easy to build a relationship with them. But if you create a bond, they are loyal.” INSIGHTS
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Cross-fertilisation
The design on the Dam In his day-to-day life, Stef Ruiter is a tulip grower and bulb forcer. Each year, he is responsible for the design of the tulip garden on the Dam. “The theme this year was Europe, because the Netherlands is chairing the EU this year. This is the reason behind this design, in an eye-catching colour combination, with 28 tulip fields for the 28 EU member states. The final design is a question of fine-tuning. I bring an initial sketch, and discuss it with the board, as long as it takes, until the design is optimal. The design has to take into account the walking paths, and if you have to put 200,000 tulips on the Dam, it is suddenly not as big any more. During the last week before Tulip Day, I supervised the participating bulb forcers. These are all colleagues, and therefore professionals. My job in this was to ensure a uniform garden. All those 200,000 tulips had to be in blossom on that Saturday 16 January, so that you see one big sea of colour in the photo.� 24
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200,000 tulips Arjan Smit is the chairman of Tulpen Promotie Nederland (TPN). “Tulip Day is a growers’ initiative, but the campaign is chain-wide. We get help from volunteers and from the transport companies De Wit Transport, Van Straalen De Vries and Varga Beemster. 160 members of the Retail Florist Association (VBW) have small picking gardens in their florists’ shops. This is up from just 100 last year. Pretty much all active VBW members are now taking part. Tulip Day attracts a great deal of press attention. Even before we had even sent out a press release, we came across Tulip Day 2015 in the annual overviews of major newspapers. This has created a positive perception of our product. And this is what it was all about for us. You are seeing the results of cooperative entrepreneurship!”
The results of cooperative entrepreneurship! Put 200,000 tulips on the Dam, and what do you get? A party. Thousands of consumers picked ‘their’ bunch of tulips, to launch the tulip season. The party was officially started by Bert Koenders, the Minister of Foreign Affairs. The event was stylish and a fabulous promotion for the tulip.
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Trends
What are the trends in floriculture for 2016? The vision of Bloemenbureau Holland and exporter Waterdrinker.
Reconsider Space explains how people are looking differently at our living environment. Outdoors and indoors are no longer separated areas, but merge with one another. In Reconsider Space, powerful forms and flowers and plants are used.
Green Treasures & Still Hanging Around Waterdrinker, a worldwide exporter of flowers, indoor and garden plants, and a major customer of Royal FloraHolland (Aalsmeer), has put together two important trends for 2016, which it is now using extensively: Green Treasures not only allows you to show the beauty of plants, but also the role they have in your life. You feel happier and healthier in a living environment surrounded by plants. Plants are active air purifiers. Still Hanging Around shows that plants can be used in a wide variety of ways in your interior. Using plants in a creative and playful manner fits perfectly with the interior of 2016.
More is More is the trend of the pleasure makers. For pleasure makers, the garden and the interior are not places of rest in their daily lives, but are lively, happy and optimistic spaces. They want stimuli, and they get these from busy designs and background patterns, and colourful flowers and plants. Colour and design are more important than materials, and flowers and plants are used loosely. 26
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Connect The Story Objects have their meaning and background story both inside and out. It is often about sustainability, expressed in circles. Indoors, this trend is offering new opportunities for leafy plants and plants with a special story. Outdoors, the flowers and plants are elements in the story told by the garden.
The World Beyond creates a unique world for the consumer. An internal space, where views and exceptional materials and flowers create the illusion that everything is possible. Sometimes romantic, but always different to the world around us. Flowers are often refined, but always eye-catching in terms of colour or form.
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WOW! Wunderkammer
“Invoking experience, that is what we are good at” Florian Seyd The Wunderkammer
Florian Seyd, a leading florist, has been organising exhibitions of flowers, plants and objets d’art since 2008. Together with his partner Ueli Signer, he came up with The Wunderkammer. A place where art and the floriculture sector directly intersect and inspire one another. A Wunderkammer is a stateroom in a castle, in which the lord of the castle exhibits his collections. The flowers and plants which The Wunderkammer uses come from growers of Royal FloraHolland which Florian visits. He prefers to find flowers or plants which are not like they should be. For example, bent, or not fully coloured. hese ‘peculiarities’, as he calls them, are very suitable for his exceptional and inspirational creations. “It is a shame that bent and non-uniform grown product is thrown away. In a world full of individualists, you want a characterful product. This makes our flower work extra playful.” The Wunderkammer buys at Cultra, and also directly from some growers. “We use flowers the way flowers are naturally. It is important to present yourself with your own authentic style.” “At our exhibitions and in our commissions, people want to be triggered by products which are not standard. It is not just about flowers, plants or art, it is the total experience. The Wunderkammer is good at invoking wonderment. First we were only popular in the canal belt of Amsterdam, but now we are attracting very young customers who all want to style their homes beautifully.” COLLECTION
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Service
In this service section, we share relevant publications from the floriculture sector. You can also find important forthcoming events in the calendar. Do you have any questions, or inspiration from the Dutch and international floriculture sector for this section? Email the editors at GROW@floraholland.com
← Focus on 25 formidable flower artists
An exotic signature piece of floral anarchist Azuma Makoto: a disciplined and controlled kaleidoscope of colours, which gives you a glimpse of the ‘nouveau’ Japanese floral design.
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The book Formidable Florists features 25 formidable flower artists from around the world. It features leading Dutch florists Florian Seyd and Ueli Signer and their creations (you can find a longer story about these two creative gentlemen of The Wunderkammer in the Collection section in this issue of GROW). Journalist Isabel Gilbert Palmer provides a glimpse into the poetic world of florists, in words and pictures. Palmer has her own column in the largest flower arranging magazine of Flanders. What the 25 florists have in common is that they can create a fantastic world with minimal materials. We have two copies of these beautiful books to give away to the readers of GROW. If you would like a free copy, send an email to editor-in-chief Rianne Nieuwenhuize: GROW@floraholland.com and who knows, you might win this beautiful book published by the Flemish publishing company Lannoo.
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He describes his rural haven, the Harper Farm, as being “located on one of the highest points in Cass County, Missouri, right on the edge of the prairie, and what’s called An Original American Landscape. i can see clearly from my back porch of the farmhouse two small areas of tall virgin prairie grass, especially before the trees are covered with leaves in springtime, and into the distance in all four directions, to the west, and further to the Missouri/ Kansas border about three miles away.” Far in the distance, beyond his farmland are acres of wavering indian grasses which in summer stand taller than a man and are scattered with hundreds of wildflowers. in winter, it is the opposite: it is still, a spiritual spell falls, and all is quiet under a covering of snow.
Harper is comfortable working with the bright and impudent ‘shocking pink’, a colour made famous by fashion designer Elsa schiaparelli.
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Biobased economy offers opportunities to horticulture
About his life as a florist, educator, consultant and author he says “my fifty-plus years in the floral industry have been very rewarding and enriching and i would do it all over again”. Having travelled throughout the usa to teach, and accepted invitations in Europe and Asia, like all enlightened teachers, he says that “sharing with my students and nurturing them to explore their creative talents and watching them discover their own creativity are their own reward”. He does not seem to have left off working totally just yet. still doing the occasional consulting, giving seminars, a bit of designing and regular hands-on duties in the flower shop, despite modestly pointing out that he is “semi-retired”. there hardly seems time for retiring.
Bill J. Harper has Native American indian lineage, directly related to his great-great grandmother who belonged to the shawnee tribe that relocated to Kansas and settled onto allotted lands in the 1830s. the farm property that he calls home is in “Big sky Country” and was passed down to him through the family and is now safely held in his hands and heart. Harper belongs to these Prairie lands, living as he does in the original house, closely surrounded by a garden cared for over five generations, and now his responsibility. Here he finds a perfect venue for his creative thoughts, because the solace of nature rejuvenates and stimulates his mind.
“It’s my idea of nature taking over.”
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An exaggerated example of contemporary bouquet-making, set for Von Einem’s flower-fashion shows.
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b ac K G r o U n d Annette Von Einem grew up in one of those picturepostcard, sun-filled landscapes of Jutland, sweden, in the small village of Brørup, population 5,000. At the age of fourteen, while working in a local flower shop after school to make some pocket money, she discovered quite quickly that her future was to be a florist. After this realization, she acknowledges not only her passion for flowers but all the amazing people i have met on her way, especially Grethe, her first boss and mentor. “she owned the little flower shop on the island of Fano, where i later worked. it is because of her that i wanted to learn more. she opened my mind to knowledge and possibilities. she’s the one who encouraged me to believe in myself. she challenged me and supported me to move on from the flower shop sometimes, get out into the wide world, encouraging me to enter flower competitions both at home and abroad.” PhilosoPhy “the best part of my work is to create and design beautiful work for my clients, whether it is a bouquet or a whole event, although i would really like to learn to draw better to enable me to share my ideas visually with my clients. i do my best to be in tune with my clients without this skill, and i still manage to lift their dreams just a bit higher than they expected. Most of all i like to surprise them with what i do for them.” “i get my inspiration everywhere; i’m always searching and being curious; picking up different pieces here and there; fashion, architecture, nature, the label on a can. i am very influenced by modern culture, observing it closely to see what’s happening, what new materials, surfaces, mixes of colours and fabrics, forms and shapes there are. i look at new trends and wonder how i can interpret them and translate them into something that’s viable and unique in my work.”
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she emphasizes that her moods come into the process as does the type of task or design that she’s working on. Primarily she is influenced by the fashion design industry, its current use of colour and pattern, its surfaces, its themes and moods. “A Haute Couture designer might use feathers in a dress; this inspires me to use them somehow in my next flowerfashion show.” As for the future, she shares with many younger florists a very fundamental wish: “i am dreaming of a hot new place. A new studio with absolutely more space for the flowers, and for us, a functional storage system. two floors would be great, a high ceiling, and lots of light from large windows and, of course, located in the centre of Copenhagen. A place, a venue that lends itself to cool events. Dreams are for free they say.” When asked what the most profound experience she has had in her creative life is, she tells this story: “i was invited to teach — it’s important to exchange knowledge and culture, it helps our profession to evolve — at Kazakhstan’s first flower school. the seminar was in the capital, Astana; it was winter and it was insanely cold, like minus 34 degrees, and there was a lot of snow! One of the students was very quiet, but she was also remarkably talented. During the seminar, she opened up to me, and she told me that she had just lost her baby. A very sad story. i wanted to help her, so i decided to give her my personal tools, my knife and my scissors, in the hope of success and happiness in her new profession as a floral designer. i don’t think i’ve ever seen anyone so happy. it was a very personal, poignant and heartwarming experience for me.”
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A society that is far less dependent on fossil resources for energy and chemical applications is within reach. Herbicides, pesticides, cosmetics, dyes and nutritional supplements can be produced sustainably and in a natural manner from biomass. This is referred to as the biobased economy. Consumers are increasingly requesting sustainably produced food: this offers opportunities to horticulture. Many synthetic chemicals can be replaced by natural versions made from horticulture crops. Plants contain useful materials, and they renew themselves like life itself. Glasshouse horticulture entrepreneurs can play an important role as suppliers of plant extracts and plant materials to producers of medicines, herbicides and pesticides, among other things. For more information, please contact: Albert Haasnoot at Royal FloraHolland alberthaasnoot@floraholland.nl.
Schedule
Publishing details
Royal FloraHolland Seasonal Trade Fair
GROW publishing details GROW, the magazine for customers and growers of Royal FloraHolland, appears six times a year, and can also be read at www.floraholland.com.
Customers and growers meet one another here at the Spring fair in Westland.
Wednesday 9 & Thursday 10 March Naaldwijk
My Plant (Fierra Milano) The European floriculture sector meets here at this international trade fair for pot plants and cut flowers.
Wednesday 24 through Friday 26 February
Relation day customers growers and relations Wednesday 16 March 6:30 p.m. to 10:00 p.m. Royal FloraHolland Eelde
Royal FloraHolland Spring Fair Everything for the garden and patio can be found at the Royal FloraHolland Spring Fair.
For more information on all events: visit www.floraholland.com
Wednesday 13 & Thursday 14 April Royal FloraHolland Aalsmeer
Editorial address Grow, Postbus 220 2670 AE Naaldwijk T +31 (0)6 316 53874 GROW@floraholland.com twitter.com/floraholland facebook.com/floraholland Editorial staff Katja Bouwmeester Rianne Nieuwenhuize Piet Kralt Willem Goedendorp Printer Van Deventer bv Editorial formula and design Total Identity Sieds de Boer Dimitri van Loenen Marco de Haan Photography Nils van Houts (p5, 6-7, 24-25, 29) Wim Zandbergen (p 23) Sven Torfinn (cover p9, 10, 11, 12) G.J. Vlekke (p 20, 21, 22) Melody Lieftink (p 28 – Hydrangea couture creation by Edwin Oudshoorn in cooperation with The Wunderkammer for ‘The Manor Blooms’ of Mooiwatbloemendoen.nl) portanova.nl; rednaomi.com (p 2) Since 1 January 2016, it is no longer possible to advertise in the magazine. For information on receiving this magazine, or changes to your subscription, please call+31 (0)174 633 666 or email ledenadministratie@ floraholland.nl. The printing process for this magazine complies with the strictest requirements in the areas of health and the environment. The magazine is printed on FSC-certified paper. The plastic wrapper for Grow is made from the materials polyethylene and/or polypropylene.
EVENTS CALENDAR AND PUBLISHING DETAILS
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Back to basics
The world never stands still, we must therefore innovate continuously.
We have captured the core of Royal FloraHolland in a new visual style. Royal FloraHolland is a world full of fascinating combinations. Of colours, smells and emotions on the one hand, and high-speed logistics and rational processes on the other. But also a proud Dutch cooperative which is more than a hundred years old! We are royal. Our visual identity represents these colourful contrasts with a clear simplicity.