Our approach

Our Approach

How do we make sure the shelves of our retail clients are filled with a distinctive display of the most beautiful products that nature has to offer? It is all down to an interplay of many different factors. Let us explain them to you.

Product and concept development

We keep a close eye on consumer trends and developments in the sector and we draw on our broad retail expertise. Driven by our keen interest in innovation, this enables us to bring to life new products and concepts all the time. In addition, we are constantly creating eye-catching ways of presenting our products on the shelves and further increasing sales.

Read more about product development and concept development.

Process

In the autumn, tulips, narcissi (daffodils), hyacinths, crocuses and other bulbs feature on the shelves, and in the spring it’s the turn of dahlias. The processes for spring and summer-flowering bulbs are broadly the same, but they do not run synchronously.

Dahlias: Summer-flowering bulbs

Dahlias flower from July until the first frost. They are harvested in late autumn when the tubers are at their largest. We leave the tubers to dry before inspecting them and sorting them according to quality. We then store them in special climate-controlled rooms at a temperature of between 6 and 10 °C, with continuous quality checks. At the end of winter, we pack the tubers so that they can be in the shops for early spring. When the risk of night frost has passed, the dahlias can be planted in the ground.

Spring-flowering bulbs

While the process for summer-flowering bulbs runs from July until early spring of the next year, the process for tulips, narcissi, hyacinths, crocuses and other spring-flowering bulbs runs from April until autumnand is as follows:

Selection

Throughout the year, we visit growers in the Netherlands and abroad, show gardens and, of course, the Keukenhof to find new varieties, select species and check quality.

Deadheading

At the end of the flowering period, the growers deadhead the tulips. The cool Dutch spring prevents the plant from dying back too quickly, which allows all of the energy to go towards producing a good, strong bulb.

Harvesting

When the bulbs are at their largest, they are harvested in June and July. We receive the peeled bulbs during July and August – that’s when things get really busy!

Inspection, selection and storage

We inspect the bulbs and sort them according to quality. We then store them in special climate-controlled rooms, with each species at its own temperature, and with continuous quality checks.

Packing

We then carefully pack the bulbs and fill the displays.

Preparation for shipping

The whole units are placed onto pallets for shipping. This is when our bulbs are shipped off to destinations around the world.

Sale and follow-up orders

From September, our bulbs are available on the shelves of high-quality retailers across Europe. We then begin preparing follow-up orders.

Planting

Consumers across Europe give our bulbs a spot in their gardens or on their balconies, and the packaging explains exactly how to do this.

Enjoyment

The end result is a stunningly colourful garden display in the springtime. It doesn’t get any better than that.

Quality marks and certification

In order to guarantee not only the quality but also the sustainability of our products, we work with various independent quality marks and certifications:

Stichting Sustainable Suppliers of Horticultural Quality Products: the quality mark for companies that make a demonstrable contribution towards a sustainable flower bulb sector. This mark indicates high-quality products that have been grown and sold with respect for people, society, and the environment.

Stichting Keurmerk Bloembollen Holland [Flower bulbs quality mark foundation] (SKBH): independent inspection office with inspectors who verify quality throughout the processing and packing process. The result is a 100% quality guarantee.

MPS Good Trade Practice: certification that guarantees traceability of products, monitors sustainable growing practice, and assesses whether an organisation is practising social responsibility.

SKAL [organic inspection body for the Netherlands]: certification for organic bulbs. Grown in accordance with organic agriculture standards, without the use of artificial fertilisers, chemical plant protection products and pesticides/herbicides.

Sustainability

The first thing we did was to change the packaging across our range to 100% paper (not even any staples). We are constantly working to gradually make our packaging material more sustainable. Plastic, for example, is something that we want to phase out completely in due course. We separate our paper, wood, metal, green waste and plastic for recycling. In our position as a major buyer, we also encourage growers to use fewer plant protection products and to grow using organic methods.

We are also taking action when it comes to our energy consumption and CO₂emissions:

The solar panels on our roof provide 75% of our energy requirements, for example.
Our new building meets very strict sustainability requirements.
Lower energy consumption thanks to the 500 m² green outer wall and completely white roof (which reflects sunlight).
The result is a reduction in our annual CO₂ emissions equivalent to the emissions of 50 passenger vehicles.
We load our freight trucks more efficiently in order to reduce the number of kilometres they travel.

Our ambition

Our ambition is to generate 100% of our own energy and to be a fully climate-neutral producer. We have made considerable progress, having now reached 75%. In a few years’ time, we will be able to supply our products with certification for 100% sustainable production.