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Johnny Tanner, Tanners Foliage

“We grow eucalyptus to suit the clients”

"We are both growers and florists. And because of this unique nature of our integrated businesses, we understand what florists need and which quality is required," says Johnny Tanner, owner of Tanners Foliage, a eucalyptus farm located in Corduff which lies only 15 miles north from Dublin, Ireland. He operates this farm alongside Arbour Blooms, a floristry business. In this article, he elaborates on the origins of Tanners Foliage, and what makes their foliage stand out.

Flowers and foliage
Tanners Foliage is integrated with Arbour Blooms and emerged out of the latter's need for foliage, Tanner tells. "Arbour Blooms is a traditional flower business which covers the whole of Ireland. Due to a need for more foliage we decided to diversify. In 2016 we started planting eucalyptus, and today Tanners Foliage is a completely separate business that now grows over 60,000 eucalyptus trees on 60-acres. At busy times ten people work on the farm, and five at quieter times. And next year we plan to plant another 13 acres."

At the farm they grow a mix of eucalyptus varieties with a special focus on Baby Blue Eucalyptus and Eucalyptus cinerea. The Eucalyptus produced on this farm is not only designated for the Irish market, it is sent all over Europe to wholesalers and end-users alike. Tanner highlights that especially the Dutch market is an important destination for their products. Before Brexit, they also delivered to the UK. "It's a change but it's no big deal for us. When one market closes, another one opens," he comments.


From left to right: Baby Blue Eucalyptus and Eucalyptus cinerea

Given the international character of their operations, the company benefits from being located in Dublin County, Tanner highlights. "We are very close to Dublin and its transport companies and ports, which is great for transport links. Thanks to this location and infrastructure our eucalyptus arrives really fresh at its destination. Our supplies are consistent, and the eucalyptus is like three days old when the customers get it."

Florists and growers
"He also highlights that they specialize in providing eucalyptus foliage to large bouquet makers and wholesalers, and that their experience as florists gives them an advantage in doing so. "We grow eucalyptus to suit the clients. Because we've our own flower company, we've a clear idea of what florists need, and we really know what's in trend." Speaking about trends, he shares that customers are getting more demanding in terms of the shade of eucalyptus. "It's really the color that matters. They really like that blue, gray, greeny color. Similarly, the stem length and the quality of the leaves all need to be exceptional."

To meet these high demands, Tanners Foliage seeks to prioritize the quality of their plants and sustainable production. "We are really concerned with the quality of our plants and have a big emphasis on not using weed killers. Additionally, we put in drip-irrigation, which gives us the possibility to feed our trees with nutrients throughout the year when they're lacking not just for water but also other forms of nutrition." Further, they also clean and bandage the eucalyptus stems. "We transport and package it in the way the customers prefer. "

As Eucalyptus is high in demand during the Christmas season, times have been busy for the Tanners Foliage team. "Preparations are going great. We tried to get advanced orders in as much as we could, and then we would only take on what we can deal with. So we're not letting customers down," Tanner says, re-emphasizing their focus on quality and clients' needs.

For more information:
Johnny Tanner
Tanners Foliage
Tel: +353 (86) 385 3533
E-mail: [email protected]
Website: www.tannersfoliage.com