Frank de Greef at the IPM Essen in Germany. He is holding the phormium Black & Black and the Ophiopogon nigrescens.
Phormium Black & Black
Special plants with black flowers or leaves are increasing in popularity and this was clearly noticeable at the IPM Essen. "The Black & Black together with the Ophiopogon nigrescens attracted a lot of attention," says de Greef, who has become a specialist in the production of phormium young plants over the years. This phormium Black & Black is a new phormium variety with black leaves. "This product is getting more and more traction in the marketplace, especially in Southern Europe, South Western United States and Japan. It is an easy product and with the very nice colors Fleurizon is offering, it is a lovely, attractive garden plant. It will be the blackest variety in Fleurizons phormium assortment and will be on the market in 2017," says de Greef.
Always looking for new varieties
Next to the phormiums, Fleurizon owns a very broad and continuously growing assortment of starting material. "The assortment ranges from commodities to extraordinary and (sub) tropical plants and we are always looking for new varieties, not only within our vast network, but all over the world," says de Greef. According to him, the demand for new varieties is increasing. "Some growers have had a few very good years and want to invest in growing another variety. Others are forced to do so as the market of their plants is under pressure."
Brokers still necessary?
With the globalization of the world, contacts are made easily and more and more products are being sold directly. So, are brokers like Fleurizon still necessary then? According to Frank de Greef they are. "We invest a lot of time in traveling around the globe in search for the newest and most extraordinary varieties. We know where and how to acquire the new varieties. We know the products and the growing habits, so when offering a totally new product with this knowledge, our local representatives can assist the growers during their cultivation process." Besides actively looking for new varieties (on their own initiative and on request), breeders are also contacting Fleurizon to distribute their new varieties. "These breeders rather invest their time in breeding new varieties than in selling these varieties. So, our service is useful not only for the growers, but also for the breeders," concludes Frank.
For more information
Fleurizon International
Frank de Greef
Email: [email protected]
www.fleurizon.com
