Spring sales are strong, orders are coming in early and brands are increasing in popularity. In a nutshell, these are the biggest differences this season compared to 2020, Kevin Cramer of Van Belle Nursery, a Canadian wholesale plant nursery that is shipping across North America, explains. To meet the increasing demand for their young and finished plants, they are continuously expanding the nursery.
Van Belle (cold frames in the distance)
Strong sales and early orders
According to Cramer, the sales are exceptionally strong this spring. "They are so strong that growers are placing additional orders for summer and already securing their 2022 inputs."
Brands to serve discerning young homeowners
He also sees the demand for brands increasing. "The interest in Bloomin' Easy® and Proven Winners® ColorChoice® shrubs, for example, continues to rise as more retailers see brands as a key component in their strategy to serve discerning homeowners that want high value and low maintenance for their hard earned cash."
New Van Belle cold frame hoop house filled with Rainbow Fizz Spiraea by Bloomin' Easy
Expansion
To keep up with the significant demand for their products in both their young plants and finished plants businesses, they are expanding greenhouse space. "We recently completed a new Westbrook Skyline for additional propagation capacity, and are completing fifty-nine cold frame houses for containers this spring." Rather than expanding the 100 total acres over four sites, they're focused on improving the efficiency of existing space in 2021.
Van Belle Westbrook Skyline (March 2021)
Expectations for the future
According to Cramer, it is difficult to guess what the next few years will look like, but they are planning for ongoing growth and investment in their facilities to keep up with that growth. "We expect demand for improved branded plants to keep rising, so we’ll continue innovating and working hard to support our grower and garden center partners with the products their customers ask for."
For more information:
Van Belle Nursery
34825 Hallert Road
Abbotsford, BC V3G 1R3
T: 1-888-826-2355
F: 604-853-6282
www.vanbelle.com