ABZ Seeds, Benary, PanAmerican, Prudac, Hem Genetics and Syngenta
NL: New assortment pitched at Pre-FlowerTrials
Added value
There are two main reasons the different breeders feel it makes sense to hold these extra trials in addition to the annual FlowerTrials (June 12-15). First of all, it is around the time when most supermarkets and retail companies make decisions regarding next year's assortment. Secondly, the more private character of this event offers an opportunity to spend time with customers, an aspect the FlowerTrials can lack. The FlowerTrials serve as an excellent billboard and sales pitch for the growers and the entire sector, but are generally considered less suitable for the actual business.
ABZ Seeds
The new addition to the ABZ Seeds range is a double addition to the Summer Breeze Series from the Garden Plant Selection. The plant is a unique double-flowered strawberry plant from seed. It comes in the colors Pink and Rose, and adds color to your home in addition to tasty strawberries.
Gé Bentvelsen (right, with two customers), in the show greenhouse at the company in Andijk. The strawberry specialist celebrates 25 years this year.
Left the Summer Breeze Double Pink, right the Rose (which is also a nod to the rose, since the flowers do vaguely resemble them and the plants are related).
Benary
"I can’t remember that we ever had this many introductions in a single year", says an enthusiastic Fulco Spithoven from Benary. Here’s a first look at some of them:
From top left, clockwise: Some new colors from the Pop Star series Platycodon Grandifloras; the new pot sunflower named Bert; a number of new colors in the Success! 360 Petunia series; and finally a look at their petunias. Fulco points out how the different varieties are presented: in rows instead of side by side. One table with their current selection, then the new versions, then the varieties from competitors, and so on.
Fulco Spithoven, with the Platycodon Grandiflora Pop Star blue in the foreground.
PanAmerican Seeds
At PanAmerican they have also been working on lots of new varieties, and here are some stand-outs:
New colors in the Dianthus Chinensis Corona series, with the largest flowers on the market according to them; various new colors in the Double Zahara Zinnia series; the Tattoo, new double-colored Vincas; and a few examples from the Plug & Play concept, which consists of several Fuseables, in which three different seeds are potted in one pill and Combos, in which three different seeds are planted in a triangle in the pot, separate from each other.
Denise van Kampen with a new red variety in the Petunia Easy Wave series.
Prudac
Prudac is kind of a unique company. This breeder has only been around since 2011 and already has some beautiful and striking vegetable varieties. The five guys are working hard to consolidate their product range, to expand it and to become better known in the market. In order to achieve this, Ard Ammerlaan and his colleagues rent the various facilities they need. To conduct research, for example, they rented a greenhouse on the Zwaagdijk testing ground. Since they do not (yet) have a real showroom, Ard takes customers and interested parties to the test greenhouse. Right now plants are being grown there that need to peak during the Flower Trials.
Ard Ammerlaan with two new additions: the Pillar Pepper and the Pillar Tomato. The former has an especially high drought tolerance, while the latter is a further development of the Ponchi (the best-selling cherry tomato plant in the Netherlands). Its stand-out trait is that the tomatoes grow on the exterior of the plant, so they are clearly visible.
Hem Genetics
'How low can you grow' is their slogan. Slowing down growth is of course undesirable when cultivating, and Hem claim to be one of the market leaders in this regard.
Breeder Karin de Jong from Hem Genetics, among dianthus plants.
Karin is responsible for the Gazania department, among other things. "What is really nice about this plant is that it can be used for all sorts of things." Above you can see a selection from the Gazania range. Bottom right is the Supra Dianthus, a variety that previously won the All American Selections prize.
Syngenta Flowers
One of the biggest breeders lived up to expectations and had a couple interesting varieties on offer:
The new Deco petunia series on the left is the 'Calliope among the petunias', says Robbin van der Berg, marketer at Syngenta Flowers. The first varieties of this 'blooming under all circumstances' flower were introduced a few years ago, and now new colors have been added. Right is the Sunfinity sunflower. Its special characteristic is that each side shoot, and every side shoot of each side shoot, will form new flowers.
Starting top left, clockwise: a view across colorful flower beds; the Begonia Tophat series, which is compact and allegedly has the largest flowers on the market; a bed of Busy Lizzies, or Imara Walleriana (while hit hard by the downy mildew in 2011, a resistant variety now exists) and a selection from the Calliope range.