EU: Growers catching up with sales loss of cold March

The weather in Europe improved over the last month and this combined with upcoming Mother's Day results in busy times for outdoor plant growers. They are pleased with their busy schedule, but realize the challenge to catch up as they lost the month March due to the cold weather. Also Danish grower Gartneriet Tvillingegaarden is working overtime to fulfill their current orders, but they also keep in mind and think of solutions to overcome their sales loss in March during the rest of the season.

Annie Agger at the FloraHolland Trade Fair in Naaldwijk, the Netherlands.

Annie Agger, at Tvillingegaarden / Butterfly Garden, explains that March 2018 has been a very cold month in Denmark as well as in many parts of Europe resulting in a low demand for many garden plants. "We start our Campanula season already in January, but saw an exceptional decrease in the demand for Campanula in March, very unlike last year. Fortunately, the weather started to improve around Easter (April 1), which gradually increased the demand for our plants as well. When the weather started to change, to the better coming from the south of Europe, we saw the demand for Campanula increased as well. Currently, the weather is very good and the demand is high from countries all over Europe", she says.

Next to the weather, an important holiday is also playing a role in the demand, namely Mother's Day. "This holiday, being celebrated in many countries on May the 13th, is soaring the demand even further as the campanula is a popular Mother's Day gift”.

However, even though the high demand, at this moment, Gartneriet Tvillingegaarden has not forgotten the month March yet. "We have to catch up with the loss we experienced during this month." According to Agger, this is quite a challenge. "We now have more products to offer and selling more products can be difficult, but our wide assortment makes it easier. For this reason, we are looking for higher prices too for the upcoming products that we have in the season."

After the high season of Campanulas, they will gradually go into their Lavendula season, which is currently starti

ng to pick up. "The demand for the Lavendulas is increasing and just like our Campanula assortment; we are updating this assortment regularly with our own bred varieties, which makes us stand out." Their latest addition is the Lavandula angustifolia 'Endless Joy' blue. "This variety has an extra deep blue flower, compact growth, is abundant flowering, long-blooming and winter hardy." They introduced it last year, and according to Agger, the reactions are positive.

For more information
Gartneriet Tvillingegaarden / Butterfly Garden
Sales manager Annie Agger
Email: aa@50015.dk
50015.dk