
Scandinavia: Good weather to increase hydrangea Mother's Day sales
Is it Mother's Day or is it spring that increases the demand for hydrangeas? According to Danish hydrangea breeder and grower Carsten Schroll of Schroll Flowers, Mother's Day is an important day, but not essential for the hydrangea sales. "It all depends on the weather. Fortunately, the forecast for this week is good, so we expect the sales to increase," he says. Schroll Flowers grows around 3 million hydrangeas a year, which are being distributed all over Scandinavia.

"Russians spending less on plants for summer house gardens"
Currently, many people in Russia are enjoying their Easter holiday break and visiting their summer houses outside the city. Often during this break, they decorate their gardens with plants, however, this year it is happening less than normal. "Due to the crisis, people have less money and are therefore spending less on plants, which decreases the demand," says Julia Katrenko of 7Flowers, a Russian distributor of ornamentals. "However, we are just in the middle of the season and we are optimistic that the demand will increase."

Japan: The cockscomb celosia season takes off
The cockscomb celosia season has just started in Japan. "The first flowers are in bloom and are being harvested. Every year, the demand is increasing. Therefore, we plan to increase the production with 25 percent this season," says Issei Yamaguchi, Sales Manager at the Japanese cockscomb celosia and oriental lily farm Asukaen. The celosia season runs till about the middle of November. Then they will start the production of Oriental lilies again.

UK: Walberton's new greenhouse produces first crop
The first crop has been cultivated in the new greenhouse at Walberton Nursery, West Sussex. "We are now nearly finished selling our first Heuchera crop that was cultivated in our new greenhouse and we are very satisfied with the results," says Walbertons’ Technical Production Manager Mike Wainwright.

Crowded aisles at first day of HortiFlor Beijing
On the first day of the HortiFlor Expo it became clear that the exhibition is not just a major trade fair for the horticultural industry in China, it attracts a lot of visitors as well. The exhibition takes place in Beijing this year and showed some crowded aisles and busy booths.
Photo report: Kunming Anthura celebrates 10th anniversary
KunmingAnthura was founded ten years ago. Yesterday, during a dinner at the Crowne Plaza Hotel in Beijing, this milestone was celebrated. 350 guests got together: customers, wholesalers, florists and suppliers, were all present at this festive evening. Click here for the photo report of the evening.