Floréac magazine #2 2021 : A green vaccine

A green vaccine

The sun is out. Spring gives us hope and summer makes us dream of better times. And those are on their way!

We’re all looking forward to getting that redeeming vaccine. But you know what? We have all the ingredients we need for an alternative vaccine at home. A green vaccine that brightens up every interior, purifies the air and creates a great atmosphere.

Our appetite for greenery has only increased in recent months. We all want a house filled with plants and are paying more attention to our garden or terrace these days.

Respond to this, put your green vaccine on display and inspire other partners as well. You’ll find plenty of inspiration in this magazine. From subdued pastel shades to exuberant colour explosions. From minimalist Japandi to urban jungle... This summer, there are no rules and anything goes. Feel free to colour outside the lines

Just like our supplier in the spotlight, The Mastergrowers. With masterful bravado, they are conquering the world with their unprecedented Hydrangeas. Closer to home, grower Tim Wyckstandt is busy developing his Agapanthus nursery. And successfully so, as he recently won two major Florall awards.

Good vibes, as you can see. So let’s pull out all the stops (and pots) to make the world a brighter place. Deal?

Happy reading!

Nathalie Commercial Manager

BE CREATIVE

Terracotta is back, although it never really went away. Which makes sense: terracotta pots are not only a timeless and elegant, they’re also good for plants. And the warm look and feel of terracotta is a perfect match for cool salmon pink, the trendy colour of 2021. What’s more, these pots are incredibly versatile. Ideal for the DIY enthusiasts among us. Indoors or outdoors, trendy cactus or classic Phalaenopsis... Terracotta pots can also take a hit. So display them proudly at your store. Preferably in an authentic way, like the pots are fresh from the kiln.

PRETTY IN WHITE & PINK

Always look on the pink side of life. Because pink stands for soft, feminine, light… And that’s something we all need at the moment. What’s more, the colour has been trending for a while now. So think pink, hop on that pink cloud and inspire your customers. Combine it with classics like white. You could go for a classic Sanseveria in a salmon-pink pot, for example, let pink roses shine in crisp white ceramics or put other combinations on display.

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Developing. Devotion. Daring. The intro on the website of The Mastergrowers might be short, but the company’s ambitions go a long way. As master Hydrangea growers, they aim to be the most innovative supplier for the top end of the indoor Hydrangea market. How they achieve this? Firstly, by working together. Secondly, by colouring outside the lines. Master grower Robin van Dijk explains.

Growth through courage, curiosity and love of nature

DEVOTION

The perfect match: Dijk van Dijk & De Bonfut

Although the name ‘The Mastergrowers’ is new, their devotion to their trade goes back generations. Because The Mastergrowers grew out of a merger between the nurseries Dijk van Dijk and De Bonfut. “A perfect fit,” according to Robin van Dijk. He takes us back to the roots of the merger. “I joined my father and uncle’s business in 2000. For many years, Dijk van Dijk specialised in growing Hydrangeas in pot size 14. Over the years, we took control of the entire process. From breeding, cuttings and young plants to flowering plants De Bonfut nursery had been a client of ours for about eight years. They were the market leader in small pot sizes.”

“About seven years ago, Dijk van Dijk decided to tackle the production of the starting material for small pot sizes together with De Bonfut. That’s how BD Youngplants B.V. was born.”

The first seed of a collaboration had been sown. Still, it took a while before a real merger occurred. “An idea always needs some time to mature, but when Henny Zwinkels – Erik’s uncle and founder of De Bonfut – decided to take a step back, it became clear to us. Why not join forces? This would allow us to meet the entire range of demands for indoor Hydrangeas. You can also achieve much more in

terms of marketing and digitalisation on a large scale.”

DEVELOPING

Sharing knowledge

The merger became a reality at the end of last year. But how did they come up with the new masterful name? “Dijk van Dijk had already been using the ‘master grower’ concept. For me, the name primarily refers to the craft, the profession. But also to sharing knowledge. Working together and

“Everyoneisan indispensablelinkin a well-oiled machine. Youareeachother’smaster, sotospeak.”

RobinVanDijk

sharing insights is what lets you move forward. And I’m not just talking about the collaboration between me and Erik, but also the collaboration with other growers, breeders, suppliers and customers. And the collaboration between colleagues. Everyone is an indispensable link in a well-oiled machine. You are each other’s master, so to speak.”

So collaboration is a must.

For Robin, that’s the core of innovation. It’s also why he finds the collaboration with Floréac so valuable. “It goes back as long as I can remember. For us, they’re the perfect match, because we want to supply the top end of the market with our range and Floréac has the right clients to do so. It’s thanks to

is their daring. Innovation is their driving force. The range can always be improved and concepts are continuously renewed. Robin uses two innovations to illustrate this point.

“We focus on breeding varieties that are so vigorous they don’t need supports. By nature, they’re strong enough to stand

“Forus,Floréacistheperfect matchbecausewewanttosupply thetopendofthemarketwith ourrange,andtheyhavetheright clients to do so.”

RobinVanDijk

them that our Hydrangeas are available under the prestigious French brand SILENCE, ça pousse!, for example.”

DARING

Dare to innovate

One of the strengths of The Mastergrowers is that they manage the entire process themselves. For clients, this means a wide and highly varied range that is available on a continuous basis. But what really sets them apart

upright.”

“Another innovation is reblooming. Especially for outdoor cultivation, this solves two important problems. The first is cutting them back too far, something lots of gardeners do. They don’t always know that the flower buds are formed the year before. Often, overzealous gardeners who prune their Hydrangeas in early spring will unknowingly cut off these young flower buds. Night frost is a second issue. This too reduces the flower buds’ chance of survival. The result: no flowers in summer. A reblooming Hydrangea produces its flower buds in spring, while the plant is growing. As a result, the plants are protected against overzealous gardeners and night frost.”

Patience, persistence, perfection

The results of this kind of breeding cannot be achieved in a few days. On average, it takes around 8 years, sometimes even 14. It’s a process of trial and error. That’s also why I

find breeding so exciting. To me, it’s almost like a treasure hunt. Every morning, I walk among our plants with great curiosity. Which one will live up to its promise?”

The following anecdote shows that The Mastergrowers like to colour outside the lines. “Four years ago, we held an open day at Dijk van Dijk. We had invited a well-known barbecue chef for this. As a gimmick, we had created a SMOKED

Hydrangea. A white hydrangea we had treated in a way that made it look charred. The reactions were so positive that we marketed it for a while.”

Sustainable

mastery

A touch of frivolity they like to roll out from time to time. But in the end, the plant takes centre stage. Love of the product and respect for nature. The Mastergrowers devote a great deal of attention to sustainable cultivation. “The basis of our pest control is organic. We only intervene chemically if it really can’t be avoided. We also try to reduce our use of plastic as much as possible. We don’t wrap our products in a sleeve, for example. This also offers advantages for our clients, because they can place the plant on the presentation table just as it is. Our labels are made of paper and because we focus on sturdy species, we no longer need sticks and rings for these plants.”

Nailing their colours to the mast

The Mastergrowers : Merger between Dijk van Dijk and De Bonfut in late 2020

Two locations : De Lier (formerly Dijk van Dijk) for pot sizes 14 & 21 and the production of cuttings / Honselersdijk (formerly De Bonfut) for pot sizes 9, 10 and 12

What : 90% Hydrangeas / 10%

Chrysanthemums, Poinsettia, Lavender, Carnations, Fuchsia

Staff : business managers Erik van der Valk & Robin van Dijk + 70-100 employees

Sales market : top-end florists, specialist retailers and garden centres throughout Europe

Sustainability in all its forms. The nursery will be focusing even more on this in the future. So what else does van Dijk think the future will bring? “The indoor/outdoor experience trend will certainly continue. The Hydrangea is an ideal fit for it, as the plant comes into its own both indoors and outdoors. I’m also noticing that young consumers have discovered plants. I think that trend will stick around too. And even though the current trend is mostly green, you also notice that colour is gaining in popularity. I’m sure the Hydrangea will gain even more ground soon.”

SWEET TENDERNESS

Pastel shades create peace and harmony. Just what we need right now. A gentle delight to the eye and a boost for your mood at the same time... two for the price of one. The combinations are endless – from similar colour tones to striking contrasts. Browse through our collection of pots and containers in all shapes, sizes and materials. How about a Crassula in a pot with a terrazzo print? That’s all the rage. Prefer something more original? Then let the colouredglass terrariums steal the limelight. Just be sure to keep things pale and soft.

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WHERE CAN I EASILY FIND ALL THEMES IN THE WEBSHOP?

JAPAN MEETS SCANDINAVIA

2021’s hottest trend? Japandi, aka Japanese interior trends mixed with Scandinavian design. A fusion of minimalist, functional, warm and soothing, with a touch of imperfection in pure wabi-sabi style. Restrained, but with a quirky touch. We’re big fans! We have translated this trend into a series of understated compositions. Surprise your customers with accents in warm wood or ceramics in subtle prints, for example. And another essential addition to a Zen interior: stylish dried flowers and the obligatory Bonsai. In short, understated yet anything but unappealing. We’ve saved the quirky touch for the details.

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Tim Wyckstandt is a happy man. His Agapanthus nursery recently won two major Florall awards. The ‘Poppin Purple’ was both awarded silver and won the first public prize. “This plant appeals to a wide audience, brings colour to the garden and flowers for a long period of time” is how the jury summarised its most important features. The crowning accolade for six years of hard work.

Tim Wyckstandt: “Direct contact with the customer is very valuable. Their feedback is the best yardstick.”

In love with the Agapanthus

The roots of this story go back even further. The Agapanthus nursery is actually the life’s work of Maurice Vergote. Tim Wyckstandt looks back.

“I’ve always been fascinated by gardens and horticulture. It’s actually in my genes, because my father is a horticulturist and my mother is a florist. But I’ve always tried to find my own path. When I met Maurice at one of his open garden days, it was love at first sight. Not with Maurice (he laughs), but with the Agapanthus. A few weeks later, I found out that Maurice was retiring. When there’s an opportunity, I always think you should seize it.”

Growth thanks to Floréac

The rest is history. The first two years, Tim focused primarily on sales to private individuals. But Tim doesn’t just have green genes, he also has entrepreneurship in his blood. “I owe a great deal to Maurice. His name was well known in the region and faithful customers continued to visit the nursery. But things only really took off when I came into contact with Floréac at a

“Thankstoourrange,theycan offer varieties their customers can’tfindanywhereelse.”

TimWyckstandt

trade fair. They encouraged me to invest in an additional greenhouse so that I could branch out into wholesale. An extra hurdle I took with their support. It’s thanks to Floréac that I am where I am today. They brainstorm with me and help my business expand, and their communication is open and honest.”

Unique varieties

That expansion came quickly, from a thousand to almost fifty thousand plants. Its wide range is

what makes Tim’s nursery so successful. He offers no less than 80 different varieties. On a single trolley, he can display 30 to 40 different types.

“A great asset for garden centres,” explains Tim. “Because it allows them to turn into a specialist business as well, in a way. Thanks to our range, they can offer varieties their customers can’t find anywhere else.”

Long flowering period

The search for different varieties and, above all, a high-quality range is an important driver. “We ourselves have been breeding for a few years now. We mainly select varieties by the length of the flowering period. But it’ll take a while before we can put them on the market. We’re currently cooperating closely with growers from South Africa, which is where this plant originally comes from.”

Holidays in your own garden

What makes this plant, with its roots in a distant continent, so special for Tim? “For me personally? Because it creates that instant holiday feeling Something my customers tell me, too. The deep-blue colour of an Agapanthus evokes images of an azure blue ocean. The Agapanthus is anything but discreet in your garden, in fact it’s a real eye catcher. It also flowers for a very long period, sometimes even several times.”

Innovation and ecology go hand in hand

Tim invested in a new greenhouse in 2019 to meet his audience’s growing demand. “If you want to grow, you have to innovate. Our new greenhouse is covered with a double layer of film that has an insulating effect. The ventilation and irrigation take place automatically. But high-tech or not, growing still involves a lot of manual labour.”

An insulated greenhouse means lower energy consumption in winter. A bonus in terms of

Agapanthus : Hoofdzetel in Aalter

In de jaren 60 opgericht door Maurice Vergote. In 2015 overgenomen door Tim Wyckstandt

Wat : +/- 80 verschillende soorten Agapanthus, tijdens de winterperiode kerstbomen

In dienst : Tim Wyckstandt samen met vriendin Lauren Uylebroeck en in drukke periodes ook vader Ronny, moeder Christa en broers.

Afzetmarkt : Groothandel in België, Nederland, Frankrijk, occasioneel in Italië en Noorwegen. Klein percentage voor rechtstreeks verkoop aan particulieren

sustainability. So which further efforts is Tim making to reduce his ecological footprint? “As a young entrepreneur, this is very

stopped selling directly to individuals. And his nursery is also active on social media, which explains the large number

“It’s thanks to Floréac that I am where I am today.Theybrainstormwithmeandhelpmy businessexpand,andtheircommunicationis openandhonest.”

TimWyckstandt

important to me. This year, for example, we switched to pots made of recyclable material. Every part of them can be sorted and reused. We spray and fertilise as little as possible and when we do, we fully comply with the IPM rules. We focus on organic pest control methods instead of chemical pesticides.”

Public

favourite

The two Florall awards were a well-earned pat on the back. The Agapanthus nursery certainly won the audience award with good reason, because it has a large following: Tim never

of votes it got. “Those direct sales and that contact with the customer are very valuable. It’s labour-intensive, sure, but people’s feedback is the best yardstick. It helps me assess

what is or isn’t working. As a result, I grow less of varieties that are less well received and don’t offer as many of those to wholesalers.”

Strong woman behind the man

Growing, selling, arranging PR and lots more besides... 24 hours a day isn’t enough to fit it all in. And Tim also teaches part-time on the Bachelor’s programme in Greenery Management. Fortunately, he’s been able to count on the support of his girlfriend for the past five years. Lauren is an architect, so she has a completely different background. But that’s exactly what makes her contribution so refreshing. We form a small

and close-knit team and go for the same goal. That gives me strength every day. Lauren mainly handles the PR, but during busy periods she also helps with sales. And so do my father, mother and brothers, by the way.”

The future is blue

The future looks bright. Coronavirus isn’t affecting the business much either. In fact, sales have increased, because many people are (re-) discovering their garden. “This trend will continue, by the way. Tightly staged planting is giving way to natural and colourful gardens – which is exactly what you get with the Agapanthus.”

GOD SAVE THE HORTENSIA

If ever a plant deserved a throne in your garden, it’s the hydrangea. It’s been living up to its promise for years. Fiercely upright, radiant in different colours and enchanting with its abundance of blooms. Whether they’re adorning your garden, terrace or balcony, you’d be forgiven for falling to your knees in sheer gratitude. God Save The Hydrangea!

Discover the Floréac selection in our webshop.

EMBRACE THE WILDERNESS

Houseplants are here to stay. Their natural charm creates a vibrant atmosphere in an instant and adds a twist to any interior. And what could be better than one houseplant? An urban jungle, that’s what. If trend gurus are to be believed, it’s an evergreen in the making. Think lush and green and forget less is more. Go all out instead! The more plants, the better.

We went looking for special, large plants and combined them to form several exclusive containers. Wow your store’s customers with them. They’ll definitely come back for more.

Discover the collection in our webshop.

BRING HOME A TOUCH OF SPRING WITH A HYDRANGEA

Red, purple, pink, white, blue or green... If you like colour and contrast, be sure to take home a Hydrangea. Simple as that. Its delicate petals stand out nicely against those dark green leaves and woody stems. Hydrangeas also help increase humidity. Which means no more symptoms like dry skin, headaches and dry eyes. Nothing but benefits, in other words.

Discover the Floréac selection in our webshop.

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.

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info@floreac.com www.floreac.com

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