A Sea of Hydrangeas at Peeters Hortensia’s
We traveled to the small village of Zevenbergen in North Brabant, where Peeters Hortensia’s is located. Peeters Hortensia’s is a Hydrangea nursery run by Suzan and Eric Peeters. Today, they both took time to give us a tour of their company.
Upon arrival, they take us to the production hall, which looks neat and clean. "Here we have our sorting machine, which sorts each flower by bulb diameter and stem length. It has been here for 3 years now. The advantage of using this machine is that we can guarantee our batches are uniform. We also take product photos of our batches every day, so the images at the flower auction are as up-to-date as possible."
We move towards the cold storage. There are several carts full of Hydrangeas in stunning colors, with blue being the most prominent at the moment. Eric explains: “The temperature in this cold storage is 10 degrees Celsius. Every evening, the transporter comes to pick up the carts to deliver them to the auction. From there, they are further distributed to our customers. Some also go to the auction clock.”
The Peeters' Meters
Then they take us to the greenhouse. We step into a beautiful sea of Hydrangea flowers! Nearby is a bed of Pimpernel, with stems over 120 cm tall. “Yes,” says Suzan, laughing at our reactions. “Sometimes we deliver stems over 100 cm. At the auction, they call them ‘the Peeters' meters’!”
“Our flowers are also called ‘the Peeters' meters’ at the auction” - Eric Peeters, owner of Peeters Hortensia’s
“Colored trough Hydrangeas, also known as classics, always do well with us,” Eric continues. “By heating a bit at the end of the season, they stay fresh longer, and we can extend our season. We use a CHP, or combined heat and power system, for this. We’ve been in cut Hydrangeas for six years now. Before that, we grew peppers. The knowledge we gained from vegetable farming, we’ve brought into flower farming.”
From Bell Peppers to Hydrangeas
But why the switch to flowers, we ask the couple. “In vegetables, it’s all about mass production. It’s a bulk product, everything aimed at growing as large as possible, and that started to bother us,” says Eric. “Large investments were needed in harvesting systems and other things, which just wasn’t realistic for our three-hectare nursery. So we looked at what else we could grow. And that’s how we came to Hydrangeas.”
We walk further through the greenhouse. “Fortunately, we were very well supported by our cultivation advisor,” says Suzan. “He came to the greenhouse with all kinds of tips and advice a year before we got the first flowers. About watering, support materials, where to place the plants, and so on.” Eric adds, “We also developed the cultivation plan with him, deciding which varieties to grow. There are so many different varieties on the market that it’s hard to see the forest for the trees. Together with him, we arranged the greenhouse to meet market needs and opportunities.”
A Variety for Every Color Scheme
Suzan walks to a bed with small white flowers and continues, “From mid-August, we have white Hydrangeas, which are perfect for the wedding season. These White Verena’s also turn a lovely green as they become Classic.” The couple walks a bit further. “And what do you think of these?” Eric asks us. “This is a new variety for us, the double-flowered Royal Anastasia. We got these plants from a fellow grower. They didn’t do well in their greenhouse, but they’re thriving here. Beautiful color, right?” We see the different shades in the fresher and more matured flowers. Hydrangeas are truly unique flowers!
“We review each season to see if there are opportunities to expand our assortment,” Suzan says. “Which variety to add and which to phase out? We also consider market demands. For instance, lavender is currently a very popular color, and we try to respond to that.”
Peeters’ assortment is a stunning palette of pastel tones and deep colors, as we see in their company brochure. From pinks like Verena Pink, Adora, and Royal Palace, to beautiful blues like Pimpernel and Verena Blue, and purples like Royal King and Magical Amethyst Blue. White is also well-represented with varieties like Schneeball and White Verena.
Long Season, Long Days
When can we enjoy your flowers, we ask Suzan. She tells us, “We get the first flowers here at the end of March, early April. Around May, there’s a big peak, just in time for Mother’s Day. By the end of May, our back greenhouse is almost empty. Then we start cutting in the other greenhouse, coloring them into Classic varieties depending on the market. This goes on until the end of October.”
Eric continues: "At the moment, our workday starts at 6:30 AM. The shed crew starts by assembling carts, and the greenhouse workers split into two groups to cut the flowers. Once the first carts of flowers are cut, we start sorting and processing them in the processing hall. This goes on throughout the day until around three or four in the afternoon. At the end of the day, we arrange the transport, and the flowers are picked up.” And when the season ends, the maintenance of the greenhouse begins. Pruning, cleaning, changing varieties. It’s clear that this couple doesn’t sit still for long!
We finish our tour of the greenhouse and then say goodbye to this passionate couple. With beautiful colors etched in our minds, we head back to Aalsmeer, enriched by this eye-catching experience!
Hydrangeas in the Holex Webshop
In the Holex webshop, the Hydrangea product group is easy to find via the Flowers menu. Within this product group, it’s easy to sort further using the options in the left sidebar. You can filter by Fresh and Classic. You can also filter by color. Are you looking for a specific color or need more information about availability? Contact your Holex Account Manager.
