In and around the German town of Herongen, just on the border with the Netherlands, a handful German rose growers are concentrated. With the possible exception of one or two, they were all present at the FloraHolland auction in Rijnburg, Holland, last week, to present the assortment to customers and other interested parties.
Rose growers Franz Heyver and Kluempen Wolfgang
The Meet and Greet was organized by the auctioneers of FloraHolland, but at the request of the growers themselves. On the one hand they have their very own, specific assortment coming into production at this very moment, but they lack a show, a gettogether, specifically designated to promote the varieties. On the other hand, they were happy to hit the spotlights at one of the FloraHolland auction locations, since it is there that the largest concentration of international buyers can be found.
Amerik de Best and Wim Olsthoorn, two of the auctioneers at the rose clocks
The group of 'cold' growers, we counted twelve, distinguishes itself by assortment from the African bulk and the more limited, high-tech product from the Dutch rose greenhouse. On a combined acreage of 30 to 40 hectares of greenhouses, roses are cultivated that can easily be classified as a niche, but can be subdivided into a whole range of varieties: wedding roses, scented roses, spray roses, English roses, roses with grass hearts, roses with large fluff heads and more. They can also be distinguished from the so-called Freiland Roses, roses from the open field, of which the first stems will only be cut in a few weeks.
Christian Wans of Wans Roses
Heated year-round cultivation, as is common in Holland, also used to exist on a modest scale in Germany. Energy costs, which according to the growers amount to up to three times the Dutch kWh price, were the main reason to end that kind of cultivation. However, they now have found their niche, because the region is a little goldmine for the high-end market, to focus on the specialties in the rose assortment. The growers themselves are also aware of that, and that is why they are trying to diversify even further. “I have buyers and they want a bucket of everything. As many different colors and scents as possible. And the price, they don't even ask for that," said one of the largest rose growers in the area, Christian Wans of Wans Roses.
Ger de Brabander, auctioneer of roses, together with one of the growers, Kretz
In their own words, the interest in special colors, pastel shades, scented roses and other specialties is growing. That is why each and every one of them showed novelties, and together they had almost seventy vases with the same number of varieties on display. The meeting was well attended, and many visitors kept coming throughout the morning.
Some pictures of the presentation