Meeting plants and people

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Instead of attracting as many visitors as possible, the exhibitors at FlowerTrials are interested in addressing decision-makers and spending a lot of time examining and discussing entire product ranges with them. On the one hand, visitors come from large production companies that are looking for worthwhile product ranges for the next season. On the other hand, buyers from garden centers and all the major chains are also at the FlowerTrials. They are on the lookout for promising new products, which they can then take on exclusively if possible, at least for a certain period of time.

The majority of the new products on display at FlowerTrials are bedding and balcony plants. Due to the international success of the event, the range has grown to include flowering and partly green potted plants, perennials, cut flowers and even shrubs.

This year, the organizers welcomed over 5,300 visitors, 5% more than in the previous year. The audience was once again very international and came from over 80 countries. It is still surprising that there were fewer visitors from Germany than one might expect due to the proximity and the conurbation of North Rhine-Westphalia. Those who attend the FlowerTrials agree: there is no other event in the green sector that is as groundbreaking for the important bedding and balcony plants. The new products are mainly displayed in greenhouse areas. Plants can be presented much more effectively in daylight and with plenty of space than is the case in exhibition halls.

Another particular strength of the variety shows is that breeders can often be found there as competent discussion partners. Numerous plant arrangements offer suggestions and inspiration for all those who are active in the green retail trade.

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A look at the trends

Developments do not change every year, in many cases they continue and sometimes become clearer and more visible.

More and more breeders are emphasizing the weather resistance of certain varieties. On the one hand, plants should be able to cope with extreme heat and drought, even if consumers go on a weekend trip and watering is interrupted for a while. Classic lantanas are moving into the limelight, as are newer varieties of midday flowers or Mediterranean foliage plants. Strong assortments of Anigozanthos are also a solution for dry locations. But it is not only the heat that is playing an increasingly important role: heavy rainfall is also becoming more frequent. Plants whose flowers recover quickly after such events are therefore in demand. Breeders are also increasingly highlighting plants suitable for this.

The differences between plant groups are becoming increasingly blurred. Anyone in the industry knows the differences between bedding and balcony plants and perennials. With regard to the consumer, this has become secondary. The only thing that counts is what is or could be attractive to them. Small woody plants such as very compact butterfly bushes are now also appearing in bedding and balcony ranges.

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Tomatoes and peppers are the new pelargoniums: not a new trend, but one that is clearly on the rise: vegetable plants for balconies, patios and small gardens are becoming increasingly important. Consumers can enjoy small-fruited tomatoes or colorful peppers and hot peppers in smaller or larger pots without much effort. The range on offer at FlowerTrials has grown and there are exhibitors who specialize in vegetable varieties. Sweet fruit is also well represented by strawberries, for example.

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Enthusiastic range of products

The immense and ever-increasing variety of flower colors, sizes and shapes of important main assortments for beds and balconies, such as petunias and calibrachoa, is striking. Colorful exhibition contributions with a wide range of products at the FlowerTrials provide the impetus for the green retail trade: Anyone who presents the variety, who puts together bold and unusual color combinations on sales tables, whets the appetite!

The growing number of varieties in popular plant groups such as Lavender, Mandevilla, Thunbergia, Bidens, Osteospermum and Dahlias, Dahlias, Dahlias! - where the growers show a particularly high level of enthusiasm for development. No wonder that this year's FleuroStar winner is also a dahlia!

Cut flowers from the home garden

The topic of bee- and insect-friendly plants is still present. Perhaps the impression is deceptive, but it no longer seems to be on the upswing as it has been in recent years. The industry presumably also benefits more from promoting a wide variety of flowering plants and the fact that this automatically benefits all kinds of small creatures. At the end of the day, this is probably more honest than using bee displays and symbolic insect hotels to superficially serve the cause.

The new joy of natural cut flowers for the home garden is really exciting. While some people today have little use for bouquets of classic cut flowers, they are enthusiastic about flowers that look natural - all the more so if they can be cultivated and harvested themselves - a kind of slow flower movement in the home garden. Several growers are responding to this request and offering young plants.

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