Photo report: Spring edition of Plantarium|Groen-Direkt

Getting up early is not a popular habit for many people, but in the horticultural sector it appears to be less of an obstacle. At Plantarium|Groen-Direkt in Hazerswoude/Boskoop in the Netherlands, buyers arrive in large numbers early in the day.

The spring edition of the trade fair brings together hundreds of exhibitors and offers around 6,000 directly orderable sample lots from 500 growers. The event serves as a key purchasing platform for garden centres, retailers and wholesalers from across Europe and beyond, who come to source garden plants. Naturally, we also visited the fair to see what was on offer.

© Mirthe Walpot | FloralDaily.com
Mike and Dylan from Zwirs Horti Projects; Marjanne van den Berg from Van den Berg Est; Marije Hoogendoorn from Kwekerij Verboom; Nick Voskamp from Kuivenhoven Plants. View our photo report here (link in Dutch)

The atmosphere is lively from the start of the event. It is clear that buyers are once again finding their way to the spring fair, with active networking and trading taking place throughout the halls. The exhibitors are mainly Dutch growers, complemented by a number of international companies, all presenting their assortments for the new season. Alongside a wide range of woody plants, the fair also features spring-flowering plants and green plants, with the first blooming products already showing their colours.

Although there are fewer concept growers present, this edition of the fair is larger than the previous one. A number of suppliers are also participating. Exporters walk the floor together with their customers, and orders are reserved directly and then delivered in consolidated shipments. Some buyers purchase the equivalent of dozens of truckloads and take the full duration of the fair to make their selections. Many orders are scheduled for later delivery, particularly to Eastern Europe, where winter conditions persist longer.

Garden centres and wholesalers use the fair to finalise their assortments for the coming season. Together with their suppliers, they review what the new season has to offer. Visitors can also join a guided tour led by Michael Perry, known as “Mr Plant Geek”, who walks participants around the exhibition and shares practical insights into product innovations, consumer trends and product presentation.

View our photo report here (link in Dutch)