Christmas is always full of homely good cheer. We enjoy delicious dishes, wonderful gifts and fairy lights in the shops and streets. It’s the perfect time to transform your garden centre into an enchanting grotto of Christmas cosiness that will keep your customers coming back for more!
To help you out, we are introducing six off-the-shelf
Christmas themes in this magazine: Scandinavian Joy, Fine Forest, Industrial Chic, Frozen Chic, L’Amour de Paris & Classic Christmas.
Pure Christmas is our collection of typical Christmas combinations, decorated Christmas trees and festive decorations.
What is more, three of our partner suppliers – MEKO, Hogervorst and Van Steyn – reveal the exciting new additions to their ranges of potted bulbs with that extra special touch.
Discover all the themes and POS material at our new-look online store floreac.shop!
We wish you a delightful Christmas period!
The Floréac team
theme Scandinavian Joy
Scandinavia keeps ahead of the trends. This year, classic Christmas items and designs have been given a new look and a fresh, modern image. White and red predominate in this theme, alternating with blue accents. Ideal for lovers of Scandinavian traditions with a modern touch!
Please visit our webshop for the full range on this theme.
Fine Forest
The hot new living trend is botanical! This Christmas, bring nature inside the home with indoor greenery, natural materials and decorative leaf patterns. Christmas doesn’t need to be traditional: the colour green plays the starring role in Fine Forest, combined with white and brown accents. Wood and moss complete the picture!
Please
For nearly half a century, the Hogervorsts have been cultivating hyacinths, narcissus and other ornamental bulb plants. Today, the family company based in South Holland is a potted bulb specialist with an impressive range, in terms of species and varieties as well as forms of presentation. Six years ago, the ornamental plant nursery first began supplying to Floréac and both parties are enthusiastic about continuing the relationship.
People speak the language of people
HL Hogervorst was founded in 1969. In the meantime, the family business has been passed on from father Harry to son Gert-Jan and it has grown from a traditional bulb nursery to a specialist in potted bulb plants: narcissus, hyacinth, grape hyacinths, crocuses, tulips and irises... Gert-Jan: “We have a wide variety of species. We still cultivate most of the bulbs ourselves, and we buy the rest from companies with whom we have worked many years. That
way, we can be sure that we deliver the very best quality.”
The first introduction to the Floréac team was six years ago. Gert-Jan: “We met at a plant fair and we hit it off from the start. What’s more, it soon proved that we made a good match: just like Floréac we aim for the better garden centres. We were given a month to work on a trial basis, which went very well for both parties. In the meantime, we have been happily working together for over six years.”
The early spring edge
Cultivating bulbs is a labour-intensive process. After a series of treatments in the field - from fertilising to mulching to sorting - and temperature treatments, the bulbs are ready for potting and refrigeration. They are then taken to the greenhouse, where they grow until they are ready for sale.
In addition to the over 11 hectares of our own land in Noordwijk, Noordwijkerhout and 6 hectares of cultivation in North Holland, HL Hogervorst has a hectare for cultivating narcissus and hyacinths in Brittany and Bordeaux in France. This has to
do with the maritime climate there. Gert-Jan: “Spring starts a few weeks earlier there than in the Netherlands. That head start allows us to start selling our first plants as early as October.”
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A toast to the past season
In order to further expand their range, HL Hogervorst is constantly searching for new colours and varieties. And the same goes for their approach to potting and finishing: “We present our products in a wine glass, basket, ceramic bowl or vase and we add all kinds of decorative elements: beads, glitter, moss, ribbons… We always try to offer just that little bit more and to pay attention to trends.”
Over the years, the collaboration between HL Hogervorst and Floréac has grown into an intensive partnership. The key is openness, according to Gert-Jan. “We can talk about anything, even if a problem arises. Last winter, for example, there was suddenly an issue with a specific item in our range. It’s great to know that you are not going to get blamed, but that you can just look for a solution together with your customer.”
company HL Hogervorst location Noordwijk (the Netherlands) surface area 11 hectares personnel 5 permanent employees and 3 seasonal employees, supplemented by a team of temp workers active in the Netherlands and Belgium
“We always close the season over a drink”, concludes GertJan. “And then, soon enough, the conversation turns from business to life. In short, Floréac is a company that’s all about people, and that’s something I really appreciate. Because people speak the language of people, and that’s true in business as well.”
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Visit our webshop to view the full range. Promotion from the 13th of November until the 20th of December 2017.
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Frozen Beauty
This Christmas trend draws inspiration from vast, snowy plains and icy glaciers. Indoors, we create a romantic and cosy retreat from the cold and wind. This year’s cocooning trends focus on plenty of grey, white and silver tints with blue accents. Cosiness with a contemporary feel!
Please visit our webshop for the full range on this theme.
Industrial Chic
Industrial loft style is a trend which has been around for some years now. Geometric shapes and wire structures create a modern, graphic look. During the Christmas period, we combine these ‘cold’ industrial materials with softer materials such as linen, wood, plush, felt and wool. The result? A chic industrial look!
The ornamental plant nursery J.M. van Steijn & Zn. is a family business in the purest sense. Founded by Miep and Joop, it is now run by the second generation, John, Janneke and Rob. And there is already another generation in line to take over from there, since daughters Sanne and Elise joined the business three years ago as well. The range of potted bulbs includes over 200 items, of which the company sells around five million each year.
A total product with a second life
“Hyacinths and muscari, narcissus, crocuses, tulips… My grandparents cultivated and bred them all on their own”, explains Elise. “Most of the potted bulbs went to wholesale, but they also sold some of them in their own garden centre.”
A second life
But bulb cultivation is hard work, and what’s more, the Steijns were having an increasingly difficult time with the competition. Elise: “Until my father had the brilliant idea of incorporating the flowerpots into
decorative wooden crates. That way, we could offer them as a total product in garden centres, DIY centres and other points-ofsale.”
The concept was a hit: the nursery now processes around 90% of its flower bulbs into
finished products and the range has over 200 different references. Elise: “We design all our creations ourselves and we have a preference for packaging that can have a second life as, for example, a tea light holder, pencil holder, soap dispenser…”
At J.M. van Steijn & Zn., sustainability is an important priority. John: “With the large volumes that we handle, it would not be feasible for us to grow everything ourselves, so we purchase a lot of bulbs. But we only buy from MPS-certified companies. The temperature treatments, sorting and washing is still done in-house, just like the potting.”
Elise: “Our materials for decorating the pots are also manufactured ecologically in China and India. Our importer keeps a close eye on that, and we also make regular on-site visits ourselves. Each year, we import 120 to 130 containers full of boxes, baskets and all kinds of accessories.”
Significant growth for both
The garden centre started by Miep and Joop is still an established name in Voorhout, South Holland, but the vast majority of the potted bulbs are shipped all over Europe. The products are sold at garden centres, DIY shops and florists. For over a decade, the nursery has also been a supplier for Floréac. John: “During that period, as a supplier we have grown significantly, but Floréac has also had a growth spurt. So, along the way, our collaboration has intensified. Of course, the main goal is doing business, but above all, it’s an enjoyable and reliable partnership.”
The family business is not yet active outside of Europe. John: “We once shipped a single container to China, but that was it, for now. Although I have the impression that there is certainly starting to be a market for our bulbs there. So, there’s plenty of opportunity for business in the future.”
company V.O.F. J.M. van Steijn & Zn. location Voorhout (the Netherlands) surface Area 1.5 hectares number of plants 5 million per year personnel 8 permanent employees and 52 seasonal workers active in Europe
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Christmas in Paris
Be enchanted by a fairytale Christmas in the city of love! L’Amour de Paris creates a romantic atmosphere with a touch of baroque. These pastel colours are perfect for a vintage or colourful interior. In a sleek and contemporary interior, this theme provides an exciting contrast!
Please visit our webshop for the full range on this theme.
In Hillegom, in the heart of bulb country, you’ll find the flower and plant nursery run by Jaco Slof and Nico Hulsebosch. Along with cultivating ornamental bulbs and garden plants, MekoHulsebosch specialises in floral and plant arrangements for indoor and outdoor use. Jaco Slof: “We stay abreast of the seasons and trends”.
Ready for the future
In 2006 Jaco Slof of Meko, a specialist in bulb baskets, and plant cultivator Nico Hulsebosch joined forces. The joint operating agreement Meko-Hulsebosch was born. Jaco: “For many years, I had been a regular customer of Nico’s. I bought narcissus, tulips, hyacinths and muscari for my arrangements.”
Sustainable innovation
Since launching the collaboration, MekoHulsebosch has grown into a hypermodern horticultural business that is more than ready for the future. Jaco: “In 2015, we moved into a brand-new facility with no less than 10,500 m2 of space. As it is a newly constructed building, we can concentrate on energy efficiency. For example,
there are solar panels on the roof, there is in-floor heating and the heat from the greenhouses is recycled. We also took the opportunity to review our work processes and to automate our entire order processing system.”
Meko-Hulsebosch maintains an in-house supply of a wide range of bulbs and garden plants that are used to compose ready-made products, but the company also purchases quite a few plants. Jaco: “For autumn arrangements, for example, that use plants such as heather and chrysanthemums. Our glassware comes chiefly from European suppliers. We import most of the other pots, dishes and baskets from China. That represents some 150 containers that are shipped our way each year.”
We sit down together
All the arrangements are designed by the creative team of MekoHulsebosch. Jaco:
Eachseason,wesit downtogether.
JacoSlof,Meko-Hulsebosch
“We have an extensive standard range, but we also put together products in consultation with customers in Belgium and abroad. They act as our antennae in their different markets, which lets us adapt our creations to local interior and gardening trends. Our range is so wide that there’s sure to be something just right for young and old, while we can still stay on top of the seasons and trends. But innovation is crucial. Recently, for example, we have gradually begun producing arrangements of houseplants.”
The products of MekoHulsebosch are found on the shelves in garden centres, DIY stores and florists throughout Western and Northern Europe. Since their earliest days, the nursery has worked together with Floréac and, over the years, a rewarding relationship has grown between supplier and customer.
Jaco: “Each season, we sit down together and discuss where we want to jointly direct our focus, which markets are showing a lot of potential, popular styles, etc. That way, we have a good sense of what we can expect of each other and we can plan ahead. Especially in the past four years, the collaboration with Floréac has grown into an intensive and, above all, enjoyable partnership.”
company Meko-Hulsebosch
location Hillegom (Nederland)
surface area 11.000 m2
number of plants 3,500,000 per year
personnel 15 permanent employees and 60 seasonal workers active in Western and Northern Europe
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Visit our webshop to view the full range. Promotion from the 13th of November until the 20th of December 2017.
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Classic Christmas
The classic Christmas look never really went away. Evoke a feeling of nostalgia and be inspired by British and American interiors with huge Christmas trees dripping with green, red and gold. An alluring Christmas!
Please visit our webshop for the full range on this theme.
