8
THECOMMERCIAL GREENHOUSEGROWER • JULY 2017
• FLOWER TRIALS
UKGROWERS
MISSA TREAT
specialist, in a goodposition to comment because of his
company’s large customer database, estimated that the
total number would scarcely be in three figures. Sally van
der Horst, Secretary of Fleuroselect, herself Britishborn,
suggested that for future years pre-arrangedgroup visits
could very usefully boost Britishgrowers’ footfall.
Undoubtedly thedates of theNational Plant Show
at Stoneleigh, in theweek after the Flower Trials, did
nothing to encouragemoreBritishgrowers togo to the
Netherlands or Germany. Some of thosewhomight
otherwise havebeenmost interested to visit the Flower
Trialswerepre-occupiedwithpreparations for their own
stands at theNPS. Not tomention the need to avoid
having toomany away-days too close together for key
staff in June, still abusymonth formost nurseries.
Until 2016 therewas a twoweek interval between the
Flower Trials andNPS. A future return to that situation
would alsobemore thanwelcome to exhibitorswith
commitments toboth events, likeRichardBull of Florensis
andPaul Jacksonof Channel IslandPlants, for example.
Small that the numbers of Britishgrowers visiting the
Flower Trialswere, twoof themmade a little history this
year. Colin andGraemeEdwards ofWoodlarkNurseries in
Surreywere the very first Trials visitors to arrive at fuchsia
specialistsHendriksYoungPlants. This company is one of
the 2017newcomers to the Trials, and their premises are
just 3km as the crow flies from theHook of Holland ferry
terminal.
The clusteringof exhibitors has tobe an incentive to
make Flower Trials visits evenmore attractive. Onor just
off a 5km stretchof roadnear to the townof Aalsmeer,
therewere this year no fewer than seventeenFlower Trials
exhibitors. These included tenon thepremises ofMNP
flowers alone, and four on those of Royal VanZanten.
Within easywalkingdistance from thereBenary and
Volmary shared a spacious facility, whilePanAmerican
Seedwas littlemore than a kilometredistant. Still close
toAalsmeer, Takii Europe this year againhosteddisplays
by five other companies. These includedFloranova and
Thompson&Morgan, the only twoBritish companieswith
wide-spectrumbreedingprogrammes for professional
ornamentals producers. In theAugust issue of CGG there
will be a full report on the new varieties launched at the
Flower Trials both in theNetherlands and inGermany.
Thebiggest names inBritishplant retailing – among them
B&Q, BlueDiamond, Dobbie’s, Homebase, Notcutt’s and
theWyevaleGroup -were represented among the flood
of visitors to this year’s Flower Trials in theNetherlands
andGermany. Alongside some of their buyerswere staff
from leadingUKgrowers. That has tobe encouraging. It
was not just a shoppingmission to seewhat Continental
producers couldprovide, writes JohnSutton.
Just over 7,100 visitors came to seewhat the 59
companies that participated in the Trials had tooffer. This
is very similar to the record total in 2016. Four out of five
participants reported havinghadmore visitors than last
year, because of a higher average number of callsmade
per visitor. Yet again, themost popular destinations –
for example, BeekenkampPlants, Florensis, Royal van
Zanten andSyngenta FloriProSevices – attracted footfalls
of around two thousand.
Florensis, with a strong foothold in theGerman young
plantmarket, had notched up almost 2,000 visitors in
the first twodays of the trials. Attendance figures on the
Tuesday andWednesdaywere skewed this year by the
Thursday havingbeen apublic holiday inGermany.
If anything, the event has awider international appeal
than ever. Visitors came from countries in all continents:
Australia, Colombia,Mexico, China, India, Thailand,
Korea, theUkraine, just tomention a few. They came
from theUSA and fromCanada, Israeliswere there, too,
of course, sowereSaudis and therewas at the very least
one Iranian, too.
Less gratifyingly from aUK standpoint was the very
modest showingof Britishproducers. OneUK youngplant
Looking, takingpictures anddiscussingat theSchneider
YoungPlantspresentation inWestland.
