At the spring edition of Florall, which took place on 4 March in Waregem Expo, 60 producers and 15 suppliers and export companies presented their spring offerings. This offer consists of a fairly complete range of green and flowering houseplants, in addition to all kinds of visually attractive plants with applications in the garden, on the terrace or in the living room. The exhibitors were satisfied with the interest shown by visitors from home and abroad. There was some optimism, although some exhibitors pointed to the recent events on a global level and their possible impact on consumer confidence.
Florall awards
During this edition a professional jury assessed nine new cultivars and two sales or marketing concepts.
The new varieties were assessed for climate and future-proofing, exceptional character, added value within the existing range, visual attractiveness and overall impression. The gold was awarded to Lavandula intermedia ‘Sensational’, an entry from the Dutch trade fair GrootGroenPlus, with which Florall collaborates. The silver went to Hydrangea serrata ‘Magic Pillow’ and the bronze to Erica x darleyensis ‘Torero’.
Among the new concepts the gold went to Siergrassen Vermeersch, with a mixed tray of Libertia ixioïdes, a perennial with a grassy appearance and striking colours. The silver went to One Boo, a concept that makes it clear at a glance to the consumer that the Fargesia is a non-invasive bamboo.
The audience award went to Agapanthus campanulatus 'Blue Curaçao'. The visitors were allowed to judge which new variety would appeal to them most, this Agapanthus stole the most of the visiting hearts.
The autumn edition of Florall is scheduled for August 26, 2025.
On the next pages, you can find the full description.
For high resolution photos: https://we.tl/t-L2sYqmySCS
Contact:
Dries Verstraete, president Florall +32 472 97 34 03
www.florall.be; info@florall.be
Category : Concept
Gold mixed tray of Libertia ixioïdes
Siergrassen Vermeersch info@siergrassenvermeersch.be
The New Zealand Iris is a perennial with a grass-like appearance. The leaves are striking bronze-green with a yellow stripe (Goldfinger). The variety ‘Taupo Sunset’ changes colour from yellow-green to purple-red in winter. It blooms in June–July. The iris-like flowers are white.
The concept is that each tray consists of a mix of Golfinger'® and 'Taupo Sunset'®, which is offered in garden centres.
Silver One Boo
Plant Select www.plantselect.be
To provide both consumers and professionals with clear information, Plant Select developed the 'One Boo' concept. This concept represents non-spreading bamboo cultivated via in-vitro. ‘One Boo’ highlights its non-invasive nature and compact, bushy growth. The brand includes several varieties that differ in stem colour, applications, size, ..., and is available all year-round. Since Fargesia One Boo thrives in pots, the PoS materials are designed with terrace and patio owners in mind. The concept is suitable for all European distribution channels, from DIY stores to retail and garden centres.
Category : Variety
Gold: Lavandula intermedia ‘Tesseract’ (Sensational!)
Hoogenraad Handelskwekerijen BV (submission from GrootGroenPlus) www.hoogenraadplant.nl
Lavandula intermedia Sensational! has broad, thick, silver-colored leaves. The flowers are exceptionally large (11 cm) and intensely purple, arranged on densely flowered spikes. It blooms profusely from summer to autumn, thanks to a second flowering cycle. Sensational! has a compact, upright growth habit, forming a well-branched plant approximately 60 cm high and wide. The plant is highly resistant to leaf spot and root diseases and emits a delicate floral fragrance.
The jury was charmed by the long flowering period, the large flowers and the strikingly thick ‘succulent’ leaves. For wet soils, the resistance is an added value. The plant is drought-resistant and has a chance of becoming a stayer in the assortment. The attractiveness for bees and bumblebees is an added value.
Silver: Hydrangea serrata 'Magic Pillow'
Plant Select www.plantselect.be
A small, compact, low-growing Japanese mountain hydrangea. This bushy, profusely flowering ground cover spreads via underground runners. It blooms from June to September with flat pink or blue flower clusters.
The jury appreciates also its potential as a low-growing ground cover in a shady environment.
Bronze: Erica x darleyensis ‘Torero’
Sparhoeve www.sparhoeve.com
Winter heather (Erica carnea and also Erica x darleyensis) has a very high nectar content, making it a valuable food source for bees early in the spring. ‘Torero’ blooms from February to April, producing striking red (heliotrope) flower spikes up to 8 cm long, which contrast vividly with the dark green foliage.
The jury appreciated the large deep red flowers. The variety blooms a little later than other Ericas, but offers a lot of nectar at a time when there is little flowering, which is valuable for bumblebees and bees.
Audience award
Agapanthus campanulatus'Blue Curaçao'
Agapanthus BV www.agapanthuskwekerij.be
Agapanthus 'Blue Curaçao' is a deciduous Agapanthus with exceptional floriferousness and beautiful light sky-blue flowers. In the selection field, this cultivar stood out year after year because of its abundant flowering. A particularly characteristic is its ability to continue flowering, which is rare in deciduous varieties. 'Blue Curaçao' is highly winter-hardy, making it an excellent choice for borders and perennial plant combinations, but it also thrives well in pots.
