We are proud to present the 20th edition of our magazine. And we still haven’t said all there is to say. On the contrary, in fact. We simply wouldn’t have enough ink and paper to reveal all our plans. For example, did you know that Floréac is well on its way to becoming a member of FSI 2025? A new milestone in our history. FSI stands for Floriculture Sustainability Initiative. It was launched by various stakeholders from the floriculture sector who wish to commit to sustainable cultivation. By 2025, 90% of the flowers and plants must be produced sustainably. A vision that we fully endorse. A lot of work is still required to achieve this. You’ll be able to read more about it in edition 21.
Twenty magazines: that means plenty of interesting suppliers in the spotlight. Each with their own unique approach and range. Forty stories which clearly convey a passion for the trade and love of the environment. The same applies to van der Velden nursery and Horizon Plants, the suppliers who are spotlighted in this twentieth edition. Coincidence, or not? At Horizon, we came across an old acquaintance: Wouter Busschaert. He spent no fewer than 18 years working for Floréac before making the leap to Horizon.
Twenty magazines, each with an average of eight mood boards. If our maths is right, that means we’ve inspired you 160 times. And this summer we are also presenting a host of original ideas, such as a recipe for herbal salt. To spice things up a little.
Let’s work together to make it a spicy summer!
Stefaan Duchi CCO
A WEALTH OF FLOWERS
There’s nothing like picking what you’ve planted yourself. So why not pamper your customers with a varied and colourful range? Imagine borders full of dahlias, Leucanthemums, peonies, Zinnias, roses, Echinacea, Allium, Salvia, Hemerocallis or Astilbe... Can you already see their eyes light up? A fragrant and colourful flower bouquet in the garden all summer long! And all this opulence won’t just make your customers happy, but also the bees. Tip: combine these plants with seeds and bulbs in your sales outlet to complete the picture.
Discover the Floréac selection in our webshop
PANUDI-19P
AGAMBL-PC17A
COREOP-19P
GEGAPA-32A
LUPIRZ-19P
ALMILL-17A
DAHLIA-17A
ANTHIRR-19P SANEMO-19P
DAHLOR-23A
VAPLMX-§26A
SAMYSPBL-19P
VESPBL-19P
LUNCH ON A BED OF FLOWERS
This summer, we’ll be bringing out the flowers. Literally. Sitting around the festive table together, surrounded by fresh greenery. Clematis, jasmine and Parthenocissus will take the gathering to unprecedented heights. Not to mention all those heavenly fragrances! A colourful touch will be provided by exuberant hydrangeas and dahlias, graceful Salvia, adorable Agapanthus and so on.
Discover the Floréac selection in our webshop
AGAMBL-ETI17A
CAAMRZ-BLB27A
BOUGMX-K040A
DISUSPMX-P060A
GEGACHMX-12A
DISUTR-H25A
GETUIN-PP17A
CLOCEVMXL-K080A
HYMAMX03-23A
CAAMLI-PP15A
DAHLMX-23A
FUBELL-PP22A
PACAER-P040A
You have slow food and slow coffee, and you also have growers who opt for a slow cultivation process. Horizon Plants is one of them. What do these slow trends have in common? Quality and craftsmanship, that’s what. The best genetic material as a start for extremely strong Kalanchoes and a wide range of houseplants.
Wouter Busschaert
Strong Belgian plants keep consumers happy
Craftsmanship on the horizon
Quality doesn’t happen by itself. Tony Demuynck set up Horizon Plants in 1989. One hectare of Kalanchoes has since grown into 7 hectares of cultivation under glass and 4 hectares of outdoor cultivation. General manager Wouter Busschaert outlines a few pivotal moments. Wouter is no stranger to Floréac. He worked for them for no fewer than 18 years. “I occupied various different positions there. Just before moving to Horizon, I was Sales Manager for France. I also helped to develop this magazine and brought it to the attention of clients,” he says proudly. “Those were happy years at Floréac, but I wanted to be closer to the product. And my roots lie in agriculture. When I saw the opportunity to be at the helm of a growing nursery, I didn’t hesitate.”
Quality is in the genes
With Kalanchoes, the nursery had already been on a good track for years. Alongside the orchid, this is the best-selling flowering houseplant in Europe. How do you recognise a Kalanchoe from Horizon?
“By the long flowering period and intensely coloured flowers. The result of super-strong Danish genetics. To this end, we work together with Danish breeder QUEEN, which is actually the largest in the world.”
Surfing on the success of green houseplants
About ten years ago, the Kalanchoe was joined by the Dipladenia. An originally southern flowering houseplant that Horizon grows and sells locally. This was the harbinger of the big switch that took place five years ago.
“Because we kept on growing and greenhouses were also added, we expanded our range to include green houseplants. Also because we noticed that they were gaining in popularity. Our flagship is the Calathea, a hit in plenty of living rooms. Of the thirty species that exist, we selected fifteen.”
Horizon didn’t pick these fifteen varieties at
random. Quality and consumer satisfaction always take priority. If this requires a more intensive production process, Horizon will be happy to do it. This approach explains their strong position
“In order to survive as anursery,youmustbe innovativeeveryday,have thecouragetochangeand to switch.”
Wouter Busschaert
in the market. “Quality begins with the genetic starting material, which is why we only work with the best Belgian young plant breeders. We grow our Calatheas more slowly than Dutch growers, for example. However, this gives you a plant that is easier to maintain, lasts longer and distinguishes itself from others in terms of leaf colour. Precisely what today’s critical consumers are looking for.”
Green energy with cogeneration
These critical consumers also expect a product to be cultivated sustainably. So how is Horizon responding to this requirement?
“For the heating and lighting of our greenhouses, we use a cogeneration system. We use the surplus energy that is released to supply families in the local area. We also have the most stringent MPS-GAP, GRASP and MPS-SQ certificates. We recycle our water. That’s the least we can do. But the bottom line is
this: if you want to survive as a nursery, you must be innovative every day, have the courage to change and to switch.”
Floréac as a partner on the road
Following trends, meeting the needs of clients, switching creatively… Horizon Plants and Floréac have been on the same wavelength from day one. A collaboration that gives them both wings. “I know Floréac like the back of my hand, of course. It remains a loyal partner on the road. Even though I am now working on the product side. By the way, Tony, the founder of Horizon, also worked at Floréac in the distant past.
As partners, we know what we can expect from each other. I particularly appreciate the fact that Floréac never goes for quick wins but instead focuses on long-term cooperation. They
Where? Hulste (Belgium)
What and how many? Every year, 7 hectares under glass (houseplants: mainly Kalanchoe but also Chamaedorea, Calathea etc.) and 4 hectares outdoors (outdoor plants such as Dipladenia). Around 7,000,000 plants in total.
Employees? +/- 20 permanent employees and 30 seasonal workers
Sales market? The whole of Europe, in particular Belgium and France. Focus on garden centres, DIY stores and the better supermarkets
think along with you, with the future in mind. Conversely, I also brought part of their vision to Horizon. We share the same values.”
What do consumers want?
Finally, we get to the trends. How does Wouter see the future? “There is still a lot of growth in
the Kalanchoe as a garden plant. And green houseplants continue to do well in trendy interiors. Young consumers mainly look for plants that are less mainstream. To get closer to them, we recently launched a pop-up from which we sell directly to consumers. Ideal for putting out our feelers and finding out what they are looking for.”
A GREEN HEART
Hearts always come up trumps. A plant with a heart-shaped leaf will spread just that little bit more love. In shiny green, with serrated leaves that cascade down like a green waterfall. There’s something for everyone. The Alocasia and Caladium will win the hearts of trendy customers. The Anthuriums score well with everyone. Of course in fiery red, but other colours are also doing well. And don’t forget the Scindapsus. What fills the heart also tends to flow from the mouth. Spread the love!
Discover the Floréac selection in our webshop
CEROPE-H14A
PERADR-14A
ALPIDR-19A
CALACA-13A
CEWOOD-BG035A
SCINDA-H15V
HEARIF-07A
SYARRO-12A
SYNGRD-14A
ALCUCU-19A (1)
CALAPO-13A
DROUGHT PLAN(T)
Different times are just around the corner. Dryer. Warmer. Not all plants like this. Some do, though. Take the Sedum, for example, one of the easiest garden plants to care for. It survives dry summers perfectly well. Or the proud Verbena bonariensis. This plant is known to be extremely tough. It’s very hard to kill it. Or the edible Achillea. Not only does it bring colour to the garden, it’s also very popular in the kitchen. There are plenty of drought-resistant plants, as you can see. Explore our selection and feel free to put them in the sun. They’re made of tough stuff.
Discover the Floréac selection in our webshop
ACGRAR-14A
SECHCH-19A
BUDAMX-17A
HISYMX-19A
CAOSEV-11A
ANFAMXL-19A
CAREMX-14A
STTEPOTA-17A
ASSTLO-17A
LIMUIN-19A
MISIMX-19A
FEGLAU-17A
VEBONA-17A
GRASMXL-14A
VELOLL-17A
LAANFEWI-17A
“Ring, ring”, goes the phone when we interview Freek and Martin van der Velden. It seems anachronistic, given that this pot plant nursery grows its Gerberas 100% automatically. Pretty cool for a family business with over 100 years on the clock.
Martin & Freek van der Velden
Van der Velden nursery: four generations of potted Gerberas of the highest quality
From
cut roses and vegetables to potted Gerberas
More than a century ago, in 1914, Gerard van der Velden started growing vegetables. A few decades later, he switched to cut roses. It’s clearly in the genes as the nursery has remained in the family for generation after generation. “I’ve been working here since I was sixteen,” says Freek van der Velden proudly. “I had myself declared of legal age so that when I reached 20, I could run the nursery with my father and brother Arie.”
Today, history is repeating itself and his son Martin is sitting next to him. His brother Arie has since gone into business himself. The vegetables and later also the roses made way for potted Gerberas. “It’s purely coincidental,” explains Freek. “In 1993, a new lighting technique was introduced in the cut roses sector. This required an additional investment that our company was too small for at the time. At that point, our neighbour’s nursery came up for sale and we took it over. He mainly grew potted Gerberas and so we started to specialise in this area.”
Compliments from Decorum
The second pivotal moment came in 2003. At this point, van der Velden invested in a new, futureoriented nursery. New expansions followed in 2007 and 2018. Today, the nursery is 6.5 hectares in size. “In addition to Gerberas, we now also grow seasonal plants such as Sundayz, Agapanthus and Garvinea. In the winter period, we supplement our range with Helleborus and Poinsettia.”
Things are going well for them. Together with around fifty other Dutch growers, van der Velden forms part of Decorum. A quality mark which stems from years of investing in top quality.
“We do the utmost for our clients,” explains Freek. “Would the client like a trailer or a single tray, in one colour or mixed? Do they want plants of a certain size...? We can supply anything the client asks for. Nothing is too difficult for us. We are also flexible when it comes to added value.”
Digitisation as the key to growth
This far-reaching client orientation is a trademark of the nursery, Customisation is only possible if you have a lot of hands or focus on automation. And the nursery has invested heavily in the latter. “Our potted Gerberas are grown fully automatically and assessed for 40 different grades via a camera system. The plants then go to the packing stations in line with these subdivisions, where they can be delivered according to the client’s wishes by size, number of flowers, mixed or by colour. This
is why we can supply plants in a single colour, which gives us an advantage over other nurseries.
Digitisation is one thing, but it’s not easy to achieve top quality. Martin and I keep a close eye on the entire process and make adjustments if necessary.”
Minimising the environmental impact Innovation often goes hand in hand with sustainability. So how does van der Velden nursery view this? “We try to grow everything as efficiently as possible and in an environmentally friendly way. As a result, we have all the certificates required. We also reuse all our water and don’t discharge polluted water. Everything is filtered and disinfected. Our cultivation pots are made of recycled material. We use as many paper sleeves as possible, unless the clients requests otherwise. We grow mainly organically. In the summer, this doesn’t always work out and we sometimes have to intervene chemically. But we keep looking for ways to prevent this.”
A permanent fixture at each Floréac open day The year 1993, when the nursery definitively switched to Gerberas, also marked the starting point of the cooperation with Floréac. “I greatly appreciate our cooperation. I enjoy working with like-minded people, people who go for quality rather than the lowest price. In addition, there’s an extremely good click with the team. Every year, when the open days still existed, we really looked forward to them. We had to miss out twice. Once
because we were stuck in traffic for hours and once because we got the day wrong.” (he laughs)
And now, the fourth generation...
The future of van der Velden nursery is assured. We ask Martin, now the fourth generation, what he thinks the trends are these days. “Today, as a nursery, you can no longer survive on one crop alone. You have to produce all year round or you will fall by the wayside. That’s why we grow Helleborus in the autumn, Agapanthus from March to May, and Garvineas from week 15 to week 25.”
Where? Delfgauw
What & how many? 6.5 ha of which annually: 6,000,000 potted Gerberas (10 & 12 cm), 60,000 Agapanthus, 900,000 Helleborus, 150,000 Garvineas (12 & 17 cm), 250,000 Poinsettias
Employees? +/- 30 to 40 employees + temporary workers
Sales market? Mainly in Germany, France, Italy, the UK, Belgium and to a lesser extent Eastern Europe. Focus on small-scale green retailers and DIY stores
TO SPICE THINGS UP
With green herbs such as chives, marjoram, oregano, rosemary and parsley, you can take things in any direction you like. Have you ever thought about making your own herbal salt? It’s a piece of cake, to mix our metaphors. All you need is herbs, salt and a blender or food processor. And perhaps a little patience.
Here’s how you do it: pick fresh herbs. Go for a mix or stick to a single variety, it’s up to you. Put them in a bowl and cover them generously with salt. If you like, you can pop in a clove of garlic to add extra flavour. Now this is where your patience comes in. Or the oven, for a faster result. After 1 hour at a maximum temperature of 50°C, the mixture will be ready. Or after five days, if you choose the slow artisanal way. Then pop it all in the food processor, blitz it up and you’re done! Bring out your best jar and amaze your fellow diners.
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ALSCHOEN-13A
BASITH-13A
LACTPL-13A
PECRIS-13A
SAOFFICI-13A
ARDRAN-13A
COSATI-13A
MEMARR-13A
PECRPL-13A
THCITR-13A
LICITR-13A
BASILI-13A
BASIRD-13A
ERVESI-13A
HELICH-13A
OCBATH-13A
ORIGAN-13A
ROOFFI-13A
YOUR OFFICE IN THE GARDEN?
Working in a green environment increases productivity. So why not go all the way and move the desk to your terrace or even your garden? Don’t have a lot of plants in the garden? Take your green colleagues such as the Fatsia japonica or the Aspidistra outside with you during the warm summer months. Feeling low? The colourful Coleus is bound to give you a boost! A tight deadline? Pop yourself down next to an intensely green Hedera. The only way is up, it seems to whisper. In brief, show your customers the added value of a garden office.
Discover the Floréac selection in our webshop
ALVEBA-SP01A
CRASMX-30A
FIGINS-23A MUSA-34A
ANJUBU-21A
CYREVO-SP02A
KABOTA-14A
NEGRLA-12V
EUERYT-21A
LIVIST-17A
SYGOLD-14A
CHOCEA-12A
FAJAPO-17A
MODELI-21A
YUCCA-V070A
ASPIDI-17A
new kids on the block
Indoor
NEW
Arrow Aqua Roots
Guzmania Akabar GUAKAB-12A
Vriesea Intenso Salmon
VRINSA-12A
Calathea fusion Yellow CAFUYE-14A
new kids on the block HNS
Gardenia golden crown GAGOCR-15A
Agapanthus Golden Drop AGGODR-15A
Trachelospermum Winter Ruby TRWIRU-17A
new kids on the block
Bedding
NEW
Helianthus Tiger Eye
HEANTE-12A
Lantana Havana Summer LAHASUTR-13A
Coming up
Some things are still certain. Summer is followed by autumn. And that also means the autumn edition of this magazine. With all the details about our FSI membership, as promised. We’ve already reserved a few pages for our supplier Wilwoodii. And as always, we’ll be inspiring you with autumn themes.
Floréac nv
Beerveldse Baan 4
9080 Lochristi
Belgium
T +32 9 353 53 53
F +32 9 355 52 34
info@floreac.com www.floreac.com
If you buy for a purchase value of € 500 per theme, we will give you a free 33 x 67 cm paper poster of the chosen theme.
