Roses from Ecuador: a look at the world’s most beautiful flowers!
Thirteen years ago, Leo Verbeek and his cousin Jan Verwer started selling roses from Ecuador. At that time this was not done through a website, webshop or shortcut. With a spijkstaal and auction carts filled with beautiful roses they drove across the auction of Rijnsburg, looking for enthusiastic customers who could appreciate their trade. After collaborations with major Rijnsburg linemen and Van der Plas, Jan’s rose trade joined Greenflor in 2014. Today, Jan, his associate John Zandbergen and a team of rose specialists ensure the sale of some 7 million stems a year.
We follow rose specialist Jan and Ronald Hartevelt (location manager Greenflor Rijnsburg) on their business trip to beautiful Ecuador.
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From left to right; 1. Each nursery has its own specialty. Together with local entrepreneurs we look for the most beautiful roses 2 With local entrepreneurs we make agreements on communication, prices, packaging and more. 3 Thanks to intensive collaborations, we can launch new colors on the market, such as these unique neon varieties. 4 From local experts we learn the new possibilities of the preservation process.
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From left to right; 5. Door de unieke locatie en omstandigheden groeien in Ecuador de mooiste, meest bijzondere rozen, zoals deze Happink. 6. In 5 dagen tijd bezochten Jan en Ronald 13 kwekerijen rondom de hoofdstad Quito, op zoek naar de mooiste rozen en beste kwaliteit. 7. Dankzij jarenlange samenwerkingen en goede afspraken biedt Greenflor een assortiment van zo’n 150 verschillende soorten rozen uit Ecuador. 8. Een productieve én gezellige samenwerking met lokale toppers!
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From left to right; 9.With nifty tricks, the roses are dyed two-tone. 10.At home at the table of one of our growers, a perfect example of South American hospitality! 11. Together with local experts, we are looking for the most sustainable packaging options while maintaining quality. 12. The nurseries Greenflor works with have a Max Havelaar label, which means a fair price for local entrepreneurs and good working conditions for the staff.
The intensive cooperation with top local growers creates new possibilities in the field of dyed and raised types. This nursery is very innovative, this is how we create beautiful things together.
Greenflor Ecuador roses facts:
Our assortment consists of 150 different roses, from fresh to preserved and from dyed to waxed. Many of them come from Ecuador.
- Greenflor buys roses from about 25 different nurseries in Ecuador, each with its own specialty
- Our biggest partner in Ecuador is a nursery of about 60 hectares with a million stems a week.
- Every week Jan and his team buy and sell 100k to 150k stems
- Van der Plas is the largest customer and buys about 50% of the trade.
- Almost all Ecuador roses end up with florists, who make the most beautiful showpieces. For example for Valentine’s Day !
Why roses from Ecuador?
In Ecuador’s rich, fertile volcanic soil at an altitude of about 3,000 meters, the rose bushes find all the nutrition they need. The South American climate provides a daily perfect amount of sunshine and the best temperatures. As a result, these roses grow longer, stronger and more colorful than their European counterparts. Roses from Ecuador have more intense colors, larger flower heads and thicker stems. The perfect choice for a smile on your customers’ faces!
