Knowledge base

Sustainability in floriculture is no longer just a concept, but an integral part of business operations. The team of HilverdaFlorist has dedicated itself to integrating sustainability principles into its business operations. The company already has several principles they are working on to be as future-proof as possible. In this article, we highlight some of these processes. Sustainability in breeding A crucial aspect of sustainability at HilverdaFlorist is the integration of sustainable principles into breeding. A major importance of this is reducing the use of pesticides within the various product groups. The focus is on developing genetic resistances and tolerances, thereby reducing dependence on these substances. Resilience is a key concept in the breeding process, meaning improved plant resistance to diseases, pests and abiotic stressors. HilverdaFlorist maintains partnerships with Wageningen University and other external laboratories to research genetic resistances. This demonstrates commitment to knowledge sharing and joint efforts toward sustainability goals. The influence of consumers and sustainability in breeding choices The market observes that consumers attach increasing importance to sustainably grown flowers and plants. This influences HilverdaFlorist’s breeding choices, which include, as mentioned, developing more resistant varieties to reduce the need for pesticides. Plant resilience contributes to the satisfaction of consumers, who can enjoy healthier flowers and plants in their homes and gardens for a longer period of time. HilverdaFlorist strives for sustainability by carefully considering the use of materials, saving energie and planning growing seasons. This includes looking at optimizing (suitable) genetics for outdoor growing to save energy, which is a more environmentally friendly approach. Sustainability in production In production, circularity is central, with a strong focus on reuse and waste reduction. Waste streams are carefully separated, and CO2 is captured and reused in the greenhouses. HilverdaFlorist is also exploring the possibility of a solar panel park, which would be a further step toward sustainable energy supply. HilverdaFlorist not only supplies energy to the grid, but also utilizes heat and electricity internally, ensuring that no valuable energy is lost. The company is actively increasing electrification and implementing a heat pump to generate heat in alternative ways to save gas.

Pantone recently launched the Colour of the Year 2024: PANTONE 13-1023 Peach Fuzz! “PANTONE 13-1023 Peach Fuzz captures our desire to nurture ourselves and others. It’s a velvety gentle peach thone whose all-embracing spirit enriches mind, body, and sole”, says PANTONE®. Pantone is a company that publishes colour codes and announces a colour as its annual colour each year, based on fashion, social events, cinema, and more. As HilverdaFlorist, we are looking forward to a year of Peach Fuzz and are happy to share a selection of our colour matching varieties with you. Standard Carnation Peach Wonder It looks like Peach Wonder was made especially for this trend! However, this flower has been part of the Standard Carnation range for some time. The large, ruffled flowers with multiple petals create depth in this unique colour. Like the colour, the classic yet modern Carnations themselves effortlessly bridge the gap between youthful and timeless. Exactly as Pantone intended with the colour.

In a world full of flowers, there are certain varieties that capture our attention with their outstanding beauty and irresistible charm. One such variety is Sparkz® Solomio: a unique Dianthus variety that is bound to dazzle anyone who sees it. Solomio® varieties are developed by HilverdaFlorist, being a testament to their commitment to excellence and innovation within the floral industry.   Get to know Sparkz® Solomio The Solomio® Series endears with blushing, rounded flower petals in a ray of soft to bright colour tones. The flowers of Solomio® varieties appear high on the stems and are composed of petals that emerge horizontally to create an almost flat surface. The result is a truly surprising flower, which is easy for florists to work with and immediately shows colour in a bouquet.

Colourful spikes waving in the wind, delicate scents, and the soothing sounds of buzzing and chirping… Salvia brings a calming and relaxing vibe to any outdoor living space. It speaks to gardeners and landscapers who want to create low-maintenance, eco-friendly environments. With their natural colours and vertical textures Salvias offer a stylish twist on Mediterranean and cottage garden decors. As Salvia fits in a whole range of ongoing garden trends, it makes total sense for Fleuroselect to make it its mission this year to educate, inspire and dazzle garden lovers worldwide with the beauty of Salvia. The international Home Garden Association (based in the Netherlands) has declared 2023 as The Year of the Salvia. HilverdaFlorist is proud breeder of the successful Salvia Salgoon® Series. We support Fleuroselect and celebrate the Year of the Salvia with extensive plantings of our Salgoon® Series in public parks and gardens in England, Germany, the Netherlands and France. Together we show you the latest varieties and the unique features of our extraordinary Salvias. Find out more about Salvia Salgoon® and its power to bring colour and liveliness to your garden. Visit the most amazing parks and gardens in Europe and find Salvia Salgoon® Egapark in Erfurt, Germany Insel Mainau in Mainau, Germany RHS Garden Harlow Carr in Harrogate, United Kingdom RHS Garden, Hyde Hall in Chelmsford, Essex, United Kingdom De Garden in Enkhuizen, the Netherlands Jardin des Plantes in Paris, France Are you visiting any of these gardens this season? Don’t forget to SNAP, TAG and SHARE your Salvia selfie using #salviaSalgoon / @hilverdaflorist and we will make sure to repost. Why choose Salvia Salgoon® for your garden The Salvia family consists of over 900 species. Salvia Salgoon® is an interspecific hybrid – the result of our breeders combining the best genetic material of different Salvia species to create a series with unique characteristics. The Salgoon® Series truly makes a difference when it comes to garden performance. Each variety of the series forms strong, resilient plants with many firm, well-filled flower spikes. Salgoon® is known to be drought and heat tolerant, and flowers profusely from spring to frost. Growers can produce Salgoon® in a short time, so you will be able to find them in garden centers as one of the earliest Salvias, from mid spring onwards. The Salgoon® Series contains a spectacular range of colours, varying from deep purple to lavender, blue and pink. Due to Salgoon®’s dark green foliage and contrasting calyxes, these vibrant colours stand out even more. Take notice, as you are bound to see Salvia Salgoon® Lake Garda and Strawberry Lake pop up everywhere this season. Both varieties match perfectly with Pantone’s 2023 Color of the Year – Viva Magenta.

Coming February, Gerben will be working at HilverdaFlorist for 18 years. Within his position, he is busy developing new cut flower varieties in Gerbera and Scabiosa. There is nothing better than developing a beautiful flower and getting positive feedback from customers. When developing new flower varieties, important factors are production, crop type, colour, stem length, shelf life and resistance, among others. Based on needs and wishes, the right flowers are crossed with each other to achieve the ultimate result. This process has a continuous cycle of registration, analysation and reviewing.

Garden trends come and go over the years. Every year brings fresh and innovative garden trends to transform your garden or patio into a true paradise. In this article, we will discuss garden trends for 2023 that catched our eye. Let’s have a look into several movements that are shaping the world of plant breeding.   Sustainable gardening One of the most significant trends in gardening today is sustainability. Our society is increasingly looking for ways to reduce environmental impact and create gardens that are more self-sustaining. HilverdaFlorist is focussing on sustainable products to contribute to a flourishing, green future. This is done by optimizing the genetic resistance of plants. Genetic resistance is a sustainable solution to deal with the increasing pressure of diseases and pests. HilverdaFlorist strives to develop robust plants that can withstand various circumstances and survive even longer with fewer resources. It is important to work more from a sustainability and resilience perspective. Pollinator gardens There is a growing concern about the disappearance of pollinators such as bees and butterflies. Gardeners are increasingly looking for ways to support these important creatures. Pollination gardens are becoming increasingly popular to encourage these little visitors into our gardens. Salvia, for example, is a true pollinator magnet. HilverdaFlorist is proud breeder of the successful Salvia Salgoon® Series. As diversity is key, combine Salvias with other pollinator favorites like, Echinacea MOOODZ® and Garvinea® Garden Gerberas. Both series offer flowers with plenty of nectar and pollen, and a wide range of colours.

Want to experiment with different colours or buy a plant you haven’t seen before? Be inspired by the one and only true garden Gerbera: Garvinea®. Garvineas are to be similar to the well-known cut flower Gerberas you will find at your florists. The big difference is that Garvinea® is a true garden plant, which you can put in soil or in a container. Outdoors it produces an enormous amount of flowers during three seasons of the year – from early Spring to the first frost. From Gerbera to Garvinea® Although Gerbera and Garvinea® are different in use and application, they have the same origin. The ancestors of the famous cut flower Gerbera are originally from Asia, South Africaand Tasmania. They mainly grow in areas with humid summers and dry winters. These colourful composites are also called ‘African daisies’. The first Gerbera was discovered in 1737, but it only started to raise interest at the end of the 19 th century in Europe when enthusiastic plant hunters discovered the species Gerbera jamesonii in South Africa. Since then they have become far removed from there ‘roots’, but are definitely here to stay! Gerbera and Dianthus are crops that have been part of the product range for decades. This Gerbera, with orange-yellow flowers, is the mother of all cut flower and pot plant Gerberas. With the Rose and Tulip there are among the largest flower culture export products from the Netherlands. The Geberas are cultivated using sophisticated methods and are specially selected for their performance in a vase and because of this they are totally unsuitable for outdoor use in soil. However, by re-discovering Gerberas which grow in nature, where exactly they grow in the wild and which properties botanic species have, we have managed to develop a new type of Gerbera that is indeed suitable for garden use. This hardy Gerbera was named Garvinea®. Garvinea® is a bred variety, that doesn’t occur in nature, but it does reunite the properties of several Gerbera species from all over the world.