The lilac cultivation is traditionally Dutch and is part of the country's immaterial heritage. Many of the lilac growers are getting on in years, and there isn’t a descendant waiting to take over most of the time. However, they are out there: young growers who carry on this extraordinary cultivation. Flower stylist Elize Eveleens together with photographer Wilfried Overwater went to see these growers for a photoshoot for the '365 days of flowers' magazine.
Photo: Wilfried Overwater
Ode to the growers
The amount of lilac growers is decreasing due to the aging of the population. “Lilac growing is a way of life. One grower had just stopped at the age of eighty!”, Elize says. “Often there is no successor. But I don’t think that lilac growing will disappear from Aalsmeer. I also came across young people who are choosing to do it. I expect that a couple of large nurseries will survive.”
Typical Aalsmeer
Lilacs have been cultivated in and around the city of Aalsmeer in the Netherlands since the nineteenth century as forced shrubs. This means the lilacs are made to bloom early. The peat soil around Aalsmeer is perfect for the cultivation of lilacs. The shrubs grow a nice rootball, which is vital to the journey the plants are about to take.
From island to greenhouse
The lilac shrubs are located on a small island in the Westeinderplassen, where they are well taken care of. In the midst of winter the first shrubs – rootball and all – are being relocated to the warm greenhouse. This transfer goes by boat, which makes for quite the idyllic scene. In the greenhouse the temperature gets increased, causing the lilacs to bloom within around three weeks. After the sweet-smelling flower branches are harvested, the shrubs are brought back to the island (where they take root in the field once again). It’s physically demanding labor, even though tools are used, both trolleys and hydraulic lifts.
For more information:
www.365daysofflowers.com