“We are gradually transitioning into spring mode. People are eager to get into their gardens, and flowers might seem secondary. However, the spring flowers are thriving! Every year, a diverse array of seasonal flowers, like Ranunculus and Anemones, are traded through the auction clocks at Royal FloraHolland. Auctioneer Paul Freriks is eager to share more about the unique and expansive world of seasonal flowers.”
Some flowers are grown in multiple countries and thus have different supply seasons. As a result, they are available year-round, even though they are seasonal flowers. Gypsophila and Limonium are good examples of this. Of course, there are also many seasonal products that really only appear on the clock for a few weeks or months, such as Peonies, Anemones, and Ranunculus.
Because seasonal products are only available for a short period, the demand is usually relatively high. I have seen for a few years now that the demand for diversity is generally increasing. Therefore, special seasonal flowers and plants are becoming more popular. Buyers want to distinguish themselves from their competitors by offering that one special seasonal flower or plant.
Seasonal flowers: a large and special group
Within Royal FloraHolland, the group of Seasonal Flowers is fun, but also a very large and diverse group. It includes summer flowers, cut flowers, berries, forcing shrubs, and exotics. Together, they account for a quarter of all cut flowers traded annually through the auction clocks. This amounts to about 1.2 billion stems per year – those are truly gigantic numbers.
More than 1700 growers sell their seasonal flowers through our auction clocks. The flowers are grown worldwide, with the main production countries being the Netherlands, Kenya, Ethiopia, Israel, Italy, Spain, and Ecuador. In total, there are more than 30 product groups within the seasonal flowers. The largest are Gypsophila, Limonium, Hypericum, and Peonies. Additionally, there are many smaller varieties, together accounting for about 3300 unique flower types. These flowers are purchased annually through our clocks by more than 1100 companies worldwide.
Product Day at Keukenhof
On April 16, Royal FloraHolland, together with FPC Bulbs and FPC Seasonal Flowers, is organizing a Product Day at Keukenhof. This day is for all growers of bulb flowers, berries, shrubs, and seasonal flowers. On this day, you can also vote on the promotion plan ‘365 days of flowers’.
Challenging work
For the auctioneers, it is a challenge to manage this large group of flowers well. The supply changes quickly. For instance, the Dutch ranunculus season is just starting, and the Dutch greenhouse Peonies are already around the corner. It is precisely these rapid changes and great variety that make the work enjoyable.
Due to this great diversity, we can offer a wide range of flowers and plants every day. This attracts buyers from all over the world and ensures they keep coming back. Therefore, a broad and varied supply on our floriculture marketplace is incredibly important.
Interested in becoming an auctioneer?
Are you inspired by this column? The auctioneers are looking for a new colleague. So seize this unique opportunity and apply directly. Or call me or one of the other auctioneers to see if this might be something for you.
