The Ferrari is fast this year

Ferrari 

Amaryllises are largely grown to send out their bulbs in order to brighten living rooms all over the world during the dark winter days. This is something most people know. What most people don’t know, however, is that there is also a large number of Amaryllises that are grown specifically for their flowers alone. These bulbs spend years and years in greenhouses, sometimes four to five years, and they grow into absolute mammoth-sized flower bulbs.  This is one of those huge ones that has been in their greenhouse for six years now. During the winter months, its flower will be harvested

When I visited Grower Kaaij in Maasdijk, he proudly told me that they had taken over another Amaryllis business. Their own company also has Amaryllises, so this was a perfect step for them. He offered to show me around, and what do you know: This newly acquired part of the company was one where they grow Amaryllises to use their flowers.  Amaryllis Ferrari, grown here to use her flower

Fluwel won’t be going into the cut flowers, we will keep it up with our Flower bulbs, but all the Ferrari’s that would be used for their bulbs had to go. So, if I wanted some more of them… One of my American customers (and friend) was with me and I knew she absolutely adored Ferrari. I asked her what she wanted to do, and without missing a beat she replied: Get us four thousand of them. I added a few to our Fluwel web shop as well. Together, we bought  a greenhouse full of Ferrari’s in half a minute. 

Enormous bulbs, amazing quality, and, in my opinion, their best characteristic: they are extremely fast. The timing of these bulbs has been the grower’s priority for years, and now they are basically guaranteed to always be in bloom during Christmastime.  The flowers are high up already, these are a few of the Ferrari’s Gerco gave me. They have been in my personal little greenhouse for about a week now. So, if you know anyone who has a Ferrari on their Christmas wish list… if you put these in a warm spot when you get them, they will be in full bloom during the Holidays. It’s an amazing gist for your sister or girlfriend, or anyone else that you can now finally give a Ferrari.

Let me see if there are any Ferrari-volunteers that want to show us their insides… I think this might not have been that voluntary, but I found a victim and it was cut in half. I was pleasantly surprised by my chosen victim: I can see four future flowers in this bulb. A fourth one usually only comes when the third has fully withered, and you are already contemplating throwing the whole thing out. The third flower does it differently and shows itself once the first and second blooms are already in full bloom, but the fourth really is a sort of last surprise when you think the bulb is really done now. So my advice: don’t throw your Amaryllis out too soon, you never know if she wants to give you an encore.  As I was happily taking photographs in my little greenhouse, I could not let the opportunity to also capture this Daffodil pass me by. This Daffodil is the second one to bloom. It’s also a Narcissus viridiflorus seedling, I told you about those last week, but this one is a lot cuter than the one I showed you there. Very small and with a pretty shape. She seems to be a good grower as well: I have quite a few bulbs at the moment. I’ll have to think of a name soon, so I can offer her in our Fluwel Specialty Narcissus. If you know any good flower bulb names, let me know… Narcissus Joyce Spirit 

Now that we’re talking about Daffodils… I always seem to get there… but I want to tell you something very serious. We have a lot of flowers in our web shop, and I understand that sometimes it is hard to choose. I was very enthusiastic when I was putting together the collection, and there are just so many different varieties. If you are in doubt if things look good together, or which one you should order, do I have to be mindful of matching colours or heights or things like that… no, you can make any combination your heart desires. Everything will go together perfectly if you plant your garden with love. There are some varieties gone already, but there is still lots to choose from, and I really hope that you will take a look and get yourself one of the best presents you can give yourself: time outside connecting with nature, and then beautiful flower bulbs that you can look back on as something you created in the spring. Narcissus Wisly 

I’ve spent years hybridizing and growing, and I’ve had the question about where people could buy all these unique flowers that they were seeing an innumerable amount of times. Now they are finally for sale, and there is still a fantastic assortment left of it all. This one, Narcissus Wisley, is a superstar. She comes back year after year when you welcome her into your garden. Galanthus elwesii Beluga 

And when you order a few extra Daffodils for your own happiness, I can also recommend adding a few of these elwesii Galanthus to your order. Polar Bear, Beluga, and Snow Fox are absolute beauties, and they will also keep you company year after year.  One of the best large Crocuses: Crocus Aqua 

There are even more indestructible flowers in our web shop. All these varieties only need to be planted once in order to enjoy them for several years. Camassia, Chionodoxa, Crocus, Hyacinthoides, and Leucojums, are all bulbs that will stay with you for a long time. My uncle Henk is already looking forward to the day our web shop closes and he can get together some of our leftovers for his job: he works at the Field Hockey club in Bloemendaal, and he would love to decorate the sides of the fields with some flowers. But before Uncle Henk gets his bulbs, I would like to see all of you get the flowers you’ve always wanted to add to your gardens, so let’s go and order some of those bulbs you’ve been looking at for a while now and get outside to plant them. The weather might be getting colder, but there is nothing like coming back inside after working in the garden and drinking a hot cup of hot chocolate… or gluhwein, for that matter. I can promise you that you will be so thankful to yourself this spring.

Kind regards,

Carlos van der Veek 

PS: This is what I saw when I looked outside. The perfect Autumn weather