Lisianthus... better than roses?

It’s summer every day in the greenhouse of Dutch nursery Montana. Thanks to the comfortable temperature this flower requires to develop to its full potential, grower Frank van Holst is always in a great mood. “I know it sounds odd but the pure sight of this flower still gives me butterflies.”

Years of experience is the secret behind his strong core range. Trial and error has also brought him ‘Alissa’, a lisianthus variety with large, frilly petals. A sturdy, long-lasting, romantic flower perfect for weddings, bouquets and many other occasions. Van Holst: “I always look for demands from florists. What do they need? What do they require to improve their service to their customers? Together with FleuraMetz, we find out more and more answers to these queries.”

Dynamic
The lisianthus is very dear to him due to its dynamic feature when put in a vase. “Lisianthus has the same grandeur as a rose but with a longer vase-life. Dainty florets open and close, large buds elegantly open into full blooms once put in a vase and develop the most stunning, two-toned markings.” The number of flowers per stem also makes them a great choice for various jobs. Van Holst: “I’m still surprised by the beauty of lisianthus even after so many years.”

Mono Lisi
One of the concepts that was developed by Montana is the Mono Lisi. The flowers for the Mono Lisi bunches are selected from the sturdy, bottom flowers of a lisianthus stem and cut in an early state of matureness. This concept is ideal for floral designers and in wedding and funeral work: it’s quick, easy and beautiful and it takes away part of the manual labour from florists. Van Holst: “It’s a single flower head on a piece of stem. They are supplied with 50 florets to a box and that’s what makes this product so efficient.”

Repeating orders
FleuraMetz buyer, Marco Hooijmeijer nods. “Montana runs a very reliable, high quality greenhouse carrying various innovative lisianthus varieties. The ‘Alissa Pink’ is especially beloved, however the love and care is applied to all their varieties in the greenhouse. It enables them to offer an effective, high quality range, which consequently is great for our partnership.” Their reliability is a priority for Van Holst. “To me, it’s very important that florists can rely on our quality at all times and feel confident in placing repeating orders.”

Source: FleuraMetz