Surfinia® - 30th Anniversary of the trailing petunia (English)

GRAB & GO!

The ® SURFINIA REVOLUTION COLOUR YOUR GARDEN 16 Peter Seabrook Gardening editor, The Sun About Surfinia®

20 Tips & tricks Discover Your favorite combinations

26 win a camera Put your surfinia® in the spotlight

CONTENT 03 INTRO 05 REASONS WHY 06 HISTORY 08 BESTSELLERS 13 ONLINE 14 POSTER 16 GROWER TALK 18 CARTOON 20 TIPS & TRICKS 23 FUN FACTS 25 LABEL CHECK 27 WIN A CAMERA

Colophon Since 1989 MNP have managed the European rights and is the master licensee for all genetics from Suntory Flowers Ltd. (Japan). MNP and Suntory Flowers Ltd. varieties are protected by plant variety rights.

All trademarks in this brochure are the sole property of Suntory Flowers Ltd. ®Registered trademark Printed by © 2020 MNP, Leimuiderbrug, all rights reserved.

MNP does not assume responsibility for any possible damage resulting from the use of this publication or its contents.

Content, copy & design Erwin Giezen & Vivianne de Bruin

LONG LIVE ® SURFINIA 30 years ago, Surfinia® introduced the famous trailing petunia: The queen of (bedding) plants was born.

Surfinia®. Simply the best!

intro 30 years Who doesn’t know and love Surfinia®?

Twirling and swirling from lampposts, facades and bridges, she colours the streets of many European cities. Moreover, her famous dark purple, bright pink and snow white flowers are the showstoppers of many gardens and balconies.

Surfinia® was founded 30 years ago by the Dutch company MNP. They built the petunia brand Surfinia® and introduced the groundbreaking plant onto the European market. With her strong garden performance, spectacular free flowering habit and its superior weather tolerance, Surfinia® was an instant success. Soon, the ‘very first petunia from cuttings’ took over the flower industry and became an all-time favourite, worldwide.

Revolution Nowadays, we cannot imagine a world without the famous trailing Surfinia®, and we proclaim her a classic. However, don’t mistake classic for outdated. Behind the scenes of the flower industry many innovations took place in the quality, colours and blooming traits of the Surfinia®.

We have been working hard on developing even stronger, more exhaustive longer lasting trailing Surfinia’s. And we’re proud to tell you we knocked it into the park and introduced the next generation of classic trailing Surfinia’s. Now, at her 30th anniversary it’s time to put a spotlight on the Surfinia® once again. Are you ready to get all the in and outs about the Surfinia®? Hold on, here we go.

Vive la revolution!

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Surfinia®. Simply the best!

6 reasons why Surfinia

®

is simply the best.

1

You have probably heard the brand name Surfinia® being mistakenly used as the general name for the (trailing) petunia. And even though every Surfinia® is a petunia, certainly not every petunia is a Surfinia®. You might wonder: does that really matter? Well, yes! Surfinia’s have some unique attributes that makes them superior in quality to those of any other petunia brand.

4 A reliable story

Marvelous moves

For the past 30 years Surfinia’s have been grown with care and love throughout Europe. We have been working with the best propagators and growers, so you can rely on us to continue delivering the best quality for many more years to come! Surfinia’s are simply the best.

Nowadays, there are more petunia brands on the market, but still no plant can beat the great trailing habit of the Surfinia®. She was especially bred to dance around flowerpots and amaze you with her mesmerizing shapes.

2 Non-stop FLOWERING

Surfinia® blooms all season long! We’re always excited once the first flowers start showing in early spring. But don’t be surprised if she’s not in full bloom at your retailer, she needs some space to grow, so take her home and award her a nice spot. She’ll transform into a glorious Surfinia® with all the regalia in no-time at all, fully covered in flowers that won’t disappear until the autumn.

When all the other petunia’s are slowly dying, the Surfinia® is still peaking till the first frost sets in.

3

The show must go on

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PANTONE PETUNIA

Whether you’re into romantic red or bright pink, Surfinia’s are available in every shade of the rainbow.

Get the best quality in the hue that suits you best!

Easy breezy

6

Gardening is nothing but relaxing, but even we have to admit that not all tasks are fun. Not a fan of deadheading your plants? No worries, our trailing Surfinia’s shed their perished flowers all by themselves.

In other words, a self cleaning carefree stunner.

Our trailing Surfinia® is one of the most resistant and weather tolerant petunia’s on the market: from the hotter mediterranean climates to the more chilly Austrian mountain villages or the drizzly London streets, Surfinia® flourishes in them all.

www.surfinia-official.com

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MEET OUR REVOLUTION! We are happy to share some of our most recent innovations with you. Meet the next generation of Surfinia®. They are exceptionally early trailing Surfinia’s, they are even better, stronger and bolder than the classics. They flower earlier in the season and therefore last longer! Discover our 4 upcoming varieties. Which one is your favourite?

“Surfinia® Trailing Light Yellow and Surfinia® Trailing Violet aren’t available in stores yet.” Did you know it can take up to 4 years to get a new variety retail ready? Want to know more about flower labs, the breeding process, market chain and Innovations?

Go to: www.surfinia-official.com/breeding

ONCE UPON A TIME Perhaps you are familiar with the Japanese firm Suntory; they are famous for their spirits (Jim Beam, ROKU, etc.), beers, wines and soda brands (Schweppes, Orangina etc.). But did you also know they are a big player in the flower industry?

In 1987 they bred the first petunia from cuttings. The Dutch company MNP, which was called Moerheim New Plant at the time, immediately recognized an opportunity for success: petunia’s from cuttings were easier to multiply and , grow an of superior quality. Moreover, it eliminated the quality uncertainty of seeds. They made petunia great again.

MNP introduced the trailing petunia onto the European flower market, taking notice of the marketing & sales strategy of Suntory’s household brands. They revolutionized the plant industry by building a strong plant brand, which included a visual identity and clear tone of voice for POS materials. The uniqueness and high quality of the product combined with a smart marketing & sales strategy proved to be a recipe for success. In 1990 MNP found the first grower who started with just 800 Surfinia® cuttings and two years later they had sold over a million Surfinia’s!

SIMPLY THE BEST Now, thirty years have passed and Surfinia® has become its own identity. Surfinia® started a true revolution as many other breeders and growers also started to breed petunia’s from cuttings. And they too, started innovating the plant, creating new brands and various levels of quality.

Many cross-breeding experiments led to new floral shapes, colours and various types of Surfinia®. It all started with the famous Surfinia® Purple in 1990. Soon Surfinia® White, Surfinia® Blue Vein, Surfinia® Pink Vein and Surfinia® Hot Pink followed. The 30 year old Surfinia® Purple is still the best and most sold trailing petunia worldwide.

www.surfinia-official.com

Surfinia. Simply the best!

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Surfinia® Trailing Red

Surfinia® Trailing Blue Ocean Surfinia® Trailing Light Yellow

Surfinia® Trailing Violet

THE BIRDS AND THE BEES It all started with the classic purple Surfinia®, still one of the most popular petunia colours. Since then, many more colours and even various flowering shapes have been added to the big parade of petunia types. Behind the scenes of the flower industry many scientists, breeders and growers are still working hard to improve the Surfinia® even more.

New species of plants are created by crossbreeding existing plants of different shapes, colours and flowering habits.

In nature, bees and other small insects help procreate plants by carrying male pollen when flying from flower to flower in their search for nectar. As a result, they pollinate the female pistil, which contains egg cells. Together, the pollen and egg cells can develop into seeds. These seeds will usually grow to be new plants of the same species but in some rare cases, a new crossbred is created.

In the commercial world, scientists take ‘nature’ into their own hands as they play bee and pollinate plants by hand.

This task requires a lot of patience, accuracy and attention to detail. New Surfinia® varieties that are introduced onto the European market are always bred with a lot of love and respect for nature’s way.

GROWN FROM CUTTINGS When crossbreeding plants, it’s always uncertain what the result will be. For example, cross-breeding an orange and pink flower may result in orange flowers, pink flowers or a new colour. And even if the result is successful, another challenge arises: getting the new type stable. It’s hard to grow a stable plant type from seeds as every seed may lead to an unexpected or even unwanted result. Therefore, many growers use cuttings. A cutting is a clean part of the root or stem that can, when relocated, keep growing on its own and become an independent plant. One of the reasons that Surfinia’s are grown from cuttings, is because it allows us to guarantee the best quality. It will be of the same quality as the thoroughly tested and approved mother plant.

www.surfinia-official.com

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Surfinia®. Simply the best!

Bestsellers The classic trailing Surfinia® collection consists of the beautiful Surfinia® varieties that you have known for the past 30 years. With her strong garden performance, spectacular free flowering habit and its superior weather tolerance, Surfinia® stands for quality that is top-of-the-bill. It is no coincidence that you will find trailing Surfinia’s wherever you go.

Enjoy the beautiful classic collection of Surfinia®!

1

2

Surfinia® White

Surfinia® Lime

3 4 5 Surfinia® Yellow

Surfinia® Blue Vein

www.surfinia-official.com

Surfinia® Purple Vein

Surfinia®. Simply the best!

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8 7

Surfinia® Sweet Pink

Surfinia® Rose Vein

Surfinia® Pink Vein

9 10 Surfinia® Hot Pink

Surfinia® Giant Purple

Pro tip: You can combine multiple Surfinia® Varieties in one container, box or pot. Get creative, mix and match!

www.surfinia-official.com

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10

Surfinia®. Simply the best!

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12 Surfinia® Purple

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Surfinia® Burgundy

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Surfinia® Deep Red

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Surfinia® Hot Red

Surfinia® Sky Blue

17 16 Surfinia® Heavenly Blue

Surfinia® Violet

www.surfinia-official.com

Surfinia®. Simply the best!

Ask your local retailer for the Surfinia® of your choice.

18 Surfinia® Giant Blue

19

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Surfinia® Blue

Surfinia® Velvet Blue

Pro tip: Are you in love with Surfinia’s but without a garden? Good news: trailing Petunias also perform perfectly well on balconies or window sills.

www.surfinia-official.com

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Surfinia®. Simply the best!

OH MY, CAN’T GET ENOUGH OF SURFINIA’S? Well, it is your lucky day because our website is renewed and contains even more fun facts, information and images. It’s all about Surfinia! Go to the official Surfinia® website and explore!

A big floral family Surfinia® is part of a larger brandportfolio that also contains other reknowned plantbrands such as Sundaville®, Princettia®, Senetti®, Beedance®, Million Bells®, Surdiva® and recently introduced Granvia®.

They’re all blooming brothers and sisters, introduced and sold by one and the same company.

For more information check www.mnpflowers.com

www.surfinia-official.com

30 YEARS SIMPLY THE BEST

GROWER TALK Surfinia® impacted the lives of so many and not only consumers fell in love with the bright and bubbly flowers. Many industry colleagues have worked with Surfinia® and dedicated their time to multiply, grow or style Surfinia®.

We have asked some of them to tell us about their experience with this iconic plant.

Michael Perry Mr. Plant Geek @mr_plantgeek @mr_plantgeek @mrplantgeek

Peter Seabrook British gardening writer and television broadcaster Gardening editor, The Sun

The arrival of cuttings raised Surfinia’s 30 years ago was greeted with some scepticism by traditional growers, but the public loved their vigorous, pendula habit and massed free flowering performance. It took a little time for people to realise stronger growing plants needed more space to grow (so needed less plants in any given size of container), more watering and feeding.

Given this more generous style of cultivation, performance proved and continues to give outstanding garden decoration, flowering non stop right through the summer and autumn.

While arriving in the single purple shade, there is now the full range of colours and I look forward to celebrating the Surfinia® 30th Anniversary with a display of them at the Royal Horticultural Society Chelsea Flower Show in May 2020. After the show plants will be grown on in the Floral Fantasia area at the RHS Hyde Hall Garden for hundreds of thousands of visitors to see and enjoy.

“For me, Surfinia® defines a whole generation of patio and basket plants. It really set the blueprint for how a ‘branded plant’ could be launched, and it deserves every success! The prospects for such a plant are steered by a combination of factors- marketing and a recognisable name, good point of sale (whether in a retail store or on a paper catalogue page), timing, and most importantly, excellent performance in a consumers garden. Surfinia® ticks all the boxes with a big fat inky pen!

Surfinia® made such a strong brand for itself that it became hard to convince consumers about any other trailing petunia, however beautiful they may have been. It’s the same as someone turning their nose up at an inferior Cola brand when there’s a gleaming can of red Coca-Cola® sitting there in the vending machine! Branding gives confidence at every stage of a consumer’s journey.

Quite often, a plant grown in trials doesn’t translate to easy home growing, however Surfinia® really does! I have grown Surfinia® in trials many times, and they are the most vigorous of any petunia, and require the least encouragement to trail, and the least enhancement to keep looking good. There’s little wonder this beast of a plant is still NUMBER ONE!”

Surfinia®. Simply the best!

David Spray Pentland Plants Ltd (UK)

Roland Smith W. D. Smith & Son (UK)

It’s rare in our industry that a product is so ground breaking that the public knows it by its brand name.

MNP has achieved this a number of times, but never so dramatically and importantly than with the Surfinia® family of trailing petunias. The introduction of Surfinia’s changed the way we look at trailing plants, and created a whole new market of basket plants for our industry. Imagine our towns and pubs in the summertime without their cascades of colour.

Selling a young petunia plant propagated by a cutting was alien to nurseries 30 years ago, no one could have imagined how its success would change production and introduce many new species to our baskets and gardens.

Bringing a new variety to the market can take years of painstaking trialling. Many factors can prevent the most beautiful looking variety ever getting into our garden, including - failure to root well, produce enough cuttings, or be susceptible to diseases. The time and dedication of breeders is only rewarded when they have finally built up enough healthy stock to launch onto the market. For every cutting that is sold a small licence fee will go back to the breeder allowing them to continue their creative work. This system has encouraged the industry to continue to strive to make outstanding new products to delight our customers each year. While many copycat cultivars have been introduced since the launch of the Surfinia®, it is still the garden centre customer’s first choice. They love the colours, the trailing habit, but above all they know it will perform wherever they are planted.

It is remarkable that after 30 years the Surfinia® family are still the go-to series of trailing petunia’s, still dominating the market with their outstanding garden performance.

We live in an age where the market is overwhelmed with options for bedding and baskets plants. Where selecting the best varieties for your garden can be a daunting task if you are not in the horticulture business. However, one thing is certain, most customers will know and ask for one variety by name – Surfinia®.

As a nursery and garden centre we are in the unique position of growing plants for sale to various customer types with different needs and by far the most popular basket plant is a Surfinia® and has been for many years now. From home gardeners to commercial properties and Parks & Gardens departments within local authorities. The Surfinia® range still accounts for more than 50% of our annual cutting raised petunia production.

I believe the popularity is down to the knowledge that planting a Surfinia® will provide you with a grand display to be admired by many! A Surfinia® is a reliable choice for summer colour and will keep flowering until the first frosts. If they start to look a little untidy during the season, cut the plant back, add a handful of control release fertiliser and you will be amazed at how quickly they bounce back. You would be surprised how quickly a Surfinia® recovers from our Scottish rain and they are much tougher than the seed raised petunia’s on the market.

I would recommend use in baskets, containers, window boxes and as a ground cover. The plants give a beautiful cascade of colour and with so many striking colours to choose from they can be easily combined with complementary or contrasting colours to add interest to the garden whilst also being able to hold their own in a single coloured basket.

We always look forward to new colours being introduced to the range as do my customers and I am quite sure the popularity will not fade whilst this reliable range fails to let us down with it’s excellent garden and outdoor performance.

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SOMEWHERE, IN AN ENCHANTED PLACE...

SOPHIE, WAIT!

BUT MOMMY! LOOK!

SOPHIE FELL IN LOVE WITH THE BEAUTIFUL FLOWERS.

WHOAAAH! THEY’RE MAGICAL...

15 YEARS LATER...

BRUGES

THIS IS THE BEST WEEKEND EVER!

UH! THESE BEAUTIES AGAIN!

I WONDER WHAT THEY’RE CALLED?

ANOTHER 7 YEARS LATER...

ARE WE THERE YET MOMMY? YES KATY, ALMOST!

LOOK KATY, THESE ARE SURFINIA’S MY FAVOURITES!

THESE TAKE ME BACK TO SO MANY GREAT MEMORIES...

THEY’RE SO PRETTY MOMMY!

CAN WE GET THEM AT HOME?

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Surfinia®. Simply the best!

TIPS & TRICKS Most people adore greenery but aren’t a fan of actually taking care of their plants. ‘I do not have green fingers’ they say. Well, it’s your lucky day because the trailing Surfinia® doesn’t require any type of green body parts! She’s an easy lady to satisfy and as long as you admire her once in a while, all she really needs is water and some flower food.

6X A HAPPY SURFINIA® 1

(S)POTTED Go and get your Surfinia® from April to July at the garden centre or florist in your neighbourhood. As soon as the frost is gone, she is ready to be potted or planted. Spoil her by adding coco coir and fresh soil.

2

Location, location, location Surfinia’s are true sun worshipers.

Hang, pot or plant her in a sunny spot.

Surfinia’s love dancing and are at their best when hanging.

4,0 cm

3,5 cm

www.surfinia-official.com

3

Thirsty trailer Surfinia® doesn’t like wet roots but does prefer her soil to be moist. Put some hydro pebbles at the bottom of her pot, give her a splash of water every day and she’ll be surely satisfied.

Surfinia®. Simply the best!

Mix & Match!

pro tip

Plant multiple colours of Surfinia’s in the same pot for an inspiring mix.

Discover our favourite combinations at www.surfinia-official.com/mixed-baskets

Do a finger test!

Not sure whether your Surfinia® needs a drink? Put your finger in her soil to feel if it is still moist.

If it is, she’ll be fine. Is it all dry?

Give her a splash of water!

4

5

6

Snacking soil

Deadheading

Plantastic!

When you feed your Surfinia® once a week with liquid fertilizer, she’ll grow swiftly. When you purchase your Surfinia®, don’t forget to grab some high quality flower food on your way out. Did you know some fertilizers are especially for Surfinia®? But don’t worry as any other bedding plant fertilizer will also do.

Surfinia® is care-free and easy to maintain. She’ll drop her dead flowers all by herself, so deadheading is not a necessity. However, she will grow new flowers quicker once dead flowers are removed, so feel free to pick off some of the sad flowers that she didn’t shed yet.

Is your Surfinia® doing fantastic and becoming a bit too big? It is either time to shop for a new pot or to trim her back to your preferred size. She’ll grow new stems with a fresh collection of flowers in no-time. Job well done!

www.surfinia-official.com

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Surfinia®. Simply the best!

1.

Surfinia’s are from the tomato, potato and tobacco plant family. Listing those names leaves us wondering why our favourite plant isn’t named petunio.

2.

6.

The very first Surfinia® was purple, which is still the no. 1 selling petunia worldwide.

5.

You might wonder why Surfinia® is called Surfinia®. Surfinia is a combination of the word “Surfin” and “Petunia”. When they were first bred in Japan, they grew like waves on the flowerfield and it inspired the brand name.

did you know...

fun facts

Oh wait, we know! Petunia’s are called after the South American word Petun, which is another name for Tobacco.

3.

But please don’t try to smoke the flowers, that would be such a waste and rather unhealthy. If you insist on doing something different with your flowers, decorate your food with them!

Petunia blooms are edible, provided they’re not sprayed with pesticides. So they’re We cannot imagine it now, not only suited for your but back in the old days garden, they also go with it was a huge insult to salads (mmm!) and cocktails gift Petunia’s. They carried (yey!). The flowers supposedly the message ‘I don’t like you’. taste somewhat sweet and Luckily we forgot all about even a little spicy! that meaning and you can happily gift petunia’s.

4.

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Let’s get Do the Label-check!

Wondering what the difference is between a Surfinia® and any other petunia? Ensure yourself the best quality and be sure to purchase a Surfinia®. Check the label for the official Surfinia® logo. You won’t regret it!

Rather quickly check at which retailers you can find Surfinia®? Go to www.surfinia-official.com/availability

Varietal Denomination “Sunsurfbv” is the unique breed name of the variety.

Registered trademark Surfinia® is a brand and registered trademark of hybrids from petunia, bred by the Japanese breeder Suntory Flowers Ltd.

Legal Text The legal text states that the trademark and the plant variety rights belong to Suntory Flowers Ltd, together with its distributor for Europe, MNP.

Variety name Purple Vein is the variety name of the plant. Most of the time this name refers to the colour of the flowers.

Icons These icons help you with taking care of your plant, so you know exactly how to keep your plant happy!

are you a retailer?

stay social

Are you interested in selling or growing Surfinia®? Perfect! We’d love to assist you and even offer free POS material. Send us an email at hello@mnpflowers.com

Follow our social media accounts and get inspired!

Did you know...

That plants have a passport? Since the 14th of December 2019, it is obligatory to add a so-called ‘plant passport’ to the labels. The passport shows its heritage and makes the product traceable to the grower.

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Surfinia®. Simply the best!

PUT YOUR ® SURFINIA IN THE SPOTLIGHT AND WIN! Is your city, street or garden painted by the bright colours of the SURFINIA®? Show us! Share your most amazing photos with us and WIN an OLYMPUS Pen

How to win

W W W. S U R F I N I A - O F F I C I A L . C O M /SURFINIASOCIAL /SURFINIASOCIAL /SURFINIASOCIAL

Share your photos on Instagram or Facebook with #surfiniarevolution. No social media account?

Send your photos in via e-mail to hello@mnpflowers.com.

Our favourite photo wins an Olympus PEN-E vlog camera.

10 other lucky winners will receive a leather gardening apron worth 165,-.

We’ll be looking at all your photos and judge them on photography, composition, originality and creativity.

Looking for bonus points? Tell us why you love Surfinia’s!

Go all out, surprise and share. Could you use some inspiration? Read our blog on photographing flowers at www.surfinia-official.com/win.

Of course, the most pretty photos will be shared on our social media feeds, so don’t forget to follow us and get inspired!

Terms & conditions: Moerheim New Plant BV, trading as MNP will choose the winners based on their photos, the favourite and most beautiful photo will be eligible to win first prize. In order to participate you must be 18 years or older. Participation is only valid if participants live within the European Union. Winners will be announced no later than September 1, 2020 through a private message by social media or via email. The prizes will be sent no later than September 30, 2020. If the winner does not contact us within 7 days after receiving our message, the prize will be reallocated and awarded to a new winner. Participation in this contest in free of costs, Prizes can not be exchanged. The winner is responsible for any duties or taxes that are calculated upon receipt. Prizes will be sent via registered mail. The winner must provide complete and correct contact details. MNP is not responsible for errors in transmission, damage and / or loss caused by local postal services. Dutch general rules for promotions are applied to the Surfinia 30th anniversary giveaway. By participating in this contest you guarantee that your participation is completely authentic, you guarantee that your contribution is your own original work and that there is no infringement of copyright or intellectual property rights of third parties. Entries that are fraudulent will be disqualified. MNP reserves the right to cancel, terminate, modify or move the give-away without notice. The same applies to viruses, bugs, unauthorized access of persons, fraud or other factors beyond flowers to MNP, which affect the administration, security and/or fairness of the contest.

www.surfinia-official.com

PETUNIA PARTY! Surfinia’s®have havebeen beencolouring colouring the streets, gardens and lives Pro tip!

Colour your city with Surfinia® together with your friends, family and neighbours.

Did you know local government can often subsidize initiatives that will improve a district? So spend some quality time with your neighbours and decorate your street with these most amazing trailing Surfinia’s.

Surfinia’s®.

Let’s get social

WWW.SURFINIA-OFFICIAL.COM

/SURFINIASOCIAL

/SURFINIASOCIAL

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