Summer Year-Round at Campanula Nursery De Waal
We visit nursery De Waal, located in the beautiful Gelderland village of Tuil. There, we meet the passionate owner, Kim de Waal. Kim, along with his father, cultivates flowers at three locations. One focuses on Chrysanthemums (De Waal Tuil), and the other two spotlight Campanula (De Waal Fensie). We talk to Kim to learn more about Campanula cultivation.
First, we have a drink in the canteen. It's quiet at the company, the team has finished cutting, and most are working at one of the other locations. "Luckily, we had an easy summer weather-wise," Kim begins. "With Chrysanthemums, we don't notice much difference in temperature, but Campanulas are very sensitive. They are true summer flowers, very responsive to sun. The warmer it is, the higher the production. We've had weeks recently where we doubled production. That requires some extra effort!"
Summer All Year
We stand up to take a tour of the company. "Campanula is truly a beautiful product," Kim explains. "It's a lovely flower, and it's energy-efficient." He laughs. "But it's also a very challenging product! Especially compared to our Chrysanthemum cultivation. It's often a mystery why one stem takes eight weeks and another nine." Why did you choose this cultivation, we ask him. "When we took over the other – now Campanula – greenhouse, there were various products, including Campanula. We had a good group of customers who were very enthusiastic, and Holex is certainly one of them. That's why we ultimately chose to continue with Campanula and to adapt this third greenhouse to it."
Tailored Maturity Stage
In the processing hall, there are different carts filled with buckets full of Campanula. "We offer our customers real customization," says Kim. He walks to a row of carts and points to one. "Holex, for example, wants really raw flowers. Preferably without any color on the top flower. Understandably, because those flowers often have to travel a long way to their destination. But if you look at this other cart next to it, you'll see a lot more color on the flowers. That's for another customer, who has their own specific preferences." He laughs. "Wilfred, your buyer, is one of the sharpest customers I serve. He immediately notices if something is different in the greenhouse or the product you receive!"
Then we walk into the greenhouse. The covers are full of Campanula. Still green for now, but soon in the four colors De Waal cultivates: pink, blue, lavender, and white. Kim says, "Yes, it looks green now, but wait until you walk in here tomorrow morning. Then it's a sea of colors, that's how fast this product grows!" We walk along the path and see a group of employees in the distance planting cuttings.
Towards Sustainable Cultivation
The cuttings go into the open ground, we see. "Everything is planted and harvested by hand," Kim explains. "A batch takes about eight to nine weeks to mature. Then we go through the crop six times to harvest everything at the right maturity stage and stem length." We walk a little further. "Once all the stems are harvested, we steam the ground to clean it. And then the process starts all over again."
And what about sustainability in your company, we ask Kim. "With our Chrysanthemums, we are already FSI-certified, and with our Campanulas, we're making great progress. What strikes me is that our Campanula hardly needs any pest control. Thrips, mites, leaf miners, aphids... it seems like they don't find Campanula interesting at all. We hardly find anything on it. It's a fantastic product in terms of pest control."
A Drop of Chlorine
Do you have any tips for our customers on how to care for Campanula? "Absolutely," says Kim. "Campanula loves a drop of chlorine in the vase. So if you're using Campanulas in your design work, make sure there's chlorine in the vase water!" We thank Kim for his hospitality and head back to Aalsmeer, about 70 kilometers away. It was another great company to visit!
Once back at Holex, we look for our buyer Wilfred. "De Waal is a great company to work with," Wilfred confirms. "Great product quality, and it's a nursery that strives to deliver good customization. That makes it easier for us at Holex to keep our promises to our customers."
Campanula in the Holex Webshop
Visit the Holex webshop to find the current selection of Campanula. Do you have specific requirements? Feel free to contact your wholesale seller if you're a florist or event planner, or your Holex Account Manager if you're a wholesaler.
- The cuttings take eight to nine weeks to mature
- Color appears on the flowers in the greenhouse overnight
- Planting and harvesting are done by hand
- Kim enjoys offering customization to the trade
