Combine a visit to Plantarium with the brand new Novae Fabula show and Belgium’s Florall

BLEISWIJK, Netherlands: Make the most of your horticultural trip to the Netherlands and Belgium next week and combine a visit to the world’s leading international nursery trade fair Plantarium|Groen-Direkt with the new Novae Fabula show at Bunnik Group and the Florall show in Waregem, Belgium.

As the month of August winds down, the signs of a new selling season start winding up. For four consecutive days next week, plant professionals can take part in three different events which will bring the international horticultural community even closer to the start of 2022 autumn selling season.

Is the market flattening out after its huge appreciation surge since the pandemic began or will the autumn sales season mark a renewed interest in colourful flowers and lush green foliage plants after consumers experienced one of the longest, hottest and driest summer ever? That will be one of the questions which will be on everyone’s lips next week as three horticultural events happen in the Netherlands and Belgium.

Ornamental horticulture’s late summer showcase will begin on Tuesday 23 August. In an absolute first, houseplant grower Bunnik Group will host Novae Fabula (in latin meaning a new story).

It ’s more fun to set trends then follow them. With this in mind the Bunnik family hunts the world to find new plants and marketing concepts that no one else has got. The result of which is shown at Novae Fabula, to be held between 23 -26 August at the company’s headoffice in Bleiswijk, Netherlands.

Co-organiser Ciamo Jähnichen is truly excited about the 4-day ornamental plant extravaganza. Something that has been in the pipeline for a while, and is finally in the starting blocks after a two-year long delay due to Covid-19.

Novae Fabula is an event that serves doubly duty as both a trade show in its traditional format and an immersive demonstration centre featuring novelty plant in all sizes and shapes, the latest green trends, plant combinations, planters, cache pots and vases to suit every interior.

Jähnichen  notes, “Ideally, Novae Fabula visitors first meet our exhibitors face-to-face in their stand to talk business and share market and product updates. Subsequently, they are invited to explore our 900m2 Green Event  Centre. Here, attendees will be treated to an eclectic mix of tropical foliage plants, flowering houseplants, garden plants and home decor.  Purchasing managers, sellers, plant marketeers, growers and trend gurus will walk the show floor together to hopefully come up with great new product ideas.”

Jähnichen says Bunnik Group’s in-house design team has the capability and experience to create an attention-grabbing stage which aims to become a pioneering trend platform for the ornamental plant industry at home and abroad. “Next to our Dutch visitors we look forward to welcoming industry professionals from Germany, the UK, France and as far afield as the USA.”

Bunnik Plants, winning Silver in the Finished Plants & Trees category of the 2022 AIPH International Grower of the Year Awards, has deep roots in horticulture. First generation Ferd Bunnik from Pijnacker began growing vegetables in cold frames in the 1940s. In 1967, Bunnik swopped vegetables for houseplants with Aechmea quickly becoming a flagship product. In 1981, second generation Fred and Hans Bunnik joined the company, that soon after moved to Berkel and Rodenrijs. Six years later, Gebr Bunnik completed their first greenhouses at Groendalseweg in Bleiswijk from which it continued to build its presence in global ornamental horticulture.

At the turn of the new millenium, the company renamed itself Bunnik Plants, adding Bunnik Creations to its portfolio in 2004. The latter is a branch specialising in garden pots, plant pots, dried flowers made from glass, earthenware, zinc, wood, plastic or produced by weaving organic reed, grass, or cane. Bunnik Creations has grown by leaps and bounds and opened a factory and offices in China in 2018. It serves its American customers through a warehouse annex showroom in Kearney, New Jersey and an office in Florida.

The year 2009 saw the opening of a 900m2 experience centre which next week will be the venue of choice for Novae Fabula, providing plentiful inspiration for seasonal marketing ideas including around the clock concepts for Halloween, Christmas, Valentine’s Day, Easter, and Mother’s Day.

The company’s new initiative provides will be a moment to reflect on what has been achieved since its humble beginnings. Today, Bunnik Group continues to be a family-owned business with third generation Thomas and Dennis Bunnik taking the helm of the 77-year old company in 2019.

Today, Bunnik Group grows indoor plants in an industrial way but not without the green fingered talent and passion of more than 250 employees. The company has a weekly output of one million plants. They grow over 40 different varieties year round with sales peaking in the run up to holidays.

Exhibiting companies at Novae Fabula includes Stofbergen Plant Company, Vreugdenhil Bulbs&Plants, Dendrobium king De Hoog Orchids, Shadow Plant, Breugem Plants, Tass, Bright Plants, Oriental Group, Koeleman, Hazeu Orchids, Carl Sales Support, Highlands Potted Plants, De Wilgenlei, House&Garden, and Bunnik Plants.

Rudy Raes from Destelbergen scooped up Florall’s Gold Trophy in March 2022.

Returning for its autumn edition this August, bringing together an exciting and comprehensive collection of some of the world’s finest  finest potted plants, nursery stock products and autumnal offerings such as pot mums and Hebe. is the Florall show in Belgium.

If you haven’t already done so make plans now to attend Florall, Belgium’s premier horticultural trade show exclusively for industry professionals. The one-day event is set to take place on Tuesday 23 August at Waregem Expo, Waregem, Belgium.

Florall is increasingly becoming THE Belgian meeting place for growers, arboriculturists, garden centre retailers, plant brokers, wholesalers, cash and carry stores, landscaping companies, exporters and purchasing organisations. Near to 150 growers will show their autumn range to the industry professionals. New plants will be back in the spotlight at Florall’s autumn edition with the Innovation Area – located near the main entrance-  showcasing the latest breeding breakthroughs.

Opening times: Tuesday 23 August, 2022 – Waregem Expo / 9am – 6.00pm. Free entrance, but registration is required. Free parking. For more information visit www.florall.be

The following day, 24 August, will markt the inaugural edition of the Plantarium|Groen-Direkt. This international nursery trade fair will take place in Boskoop, the Netherlands, between 24-25 August 2022. For two days, the product of growers and breeders will be central at this AIPH-approved International Horticultural Trade Exhibition.

The new trade exhibition is the result of collaboration by the organisers of the Plantarium Groen-Direkt. The pair have one aim: to provide a trade show where growers locally and abroad can gather to showcase garden plants and share knowledge, best practices, new ideas and techniques so that horticulture never stands still.

AIPH Secretary General, Tim Briercliffe commented: “AIPH is pleased to have granted its approval to Plantarium|Groen-Direkt.  The exhibition will provide a unique opportunity to see the new plants being introduced from around the world and to re-connect with producers and suppliers.”

The total surface area of the fair is 22,000m2, and more than 200 international exhibitors are ready to participate. The green sector’s leading companies will join suppliers, alongside a selection of hardware suppliers for garden centres. Visitors will find thousands of products in all shapes and sizes on display and plenty of opportunities to place orders directly.

Taaf Rosbergen, owner and managing-director of GROEN-Direkt BV, said: “With Plantarium|Groen-Direkt we have created loads of room for stands – for growers, their suppliers and stock producers, but also for gardening hardware suppliers. Plantarium|Groen-Direkt is the most complete and attractive possible fair for our most important target group: garden plant buyers from within and outside the Netherlands. The fair will be the place to do business directly and to meet new and existing relationships.”

Plantarium|Groen-Direkt is the ideal platform to showcase the latest innovations, and it hosts more than 50 novelties entries for Best Market Release, Best KVBC Novelty in Show and Visitor Favourite.

The Boskoop Royal Horticultural Society (KVBC) is part of the judging panel, bringing highly experienced experts from the nursery stock industry who will mark new plants against the breeder’s brief and factor in the plant’s overall impression.

When evaluating the plants for Best Market Release, the criteria will be shelf life, availability, sustainability, and suitability for current market needs. Visitors also have the opportunity to cast their vote.

The FCI website provides an overview of the entries. It’s not exhaustive – there’s a lot more to discover at this year’s show– but it gives an idea of the show’s wide-ranging appeal.

Jan de Vries, owner of Boot&Dart and chairman of the Stichting Vakbeurs voor de Boomkwekerij, added: “The autumn edition of Plantarium|Groen-Direkt is the first one of a series high-quality events in the years to come. As we look at the number of exhibitors and also the visitors registrations, we can conclude that everyone is looking forward to a physical fair again. Plantarium| Groen-Direkt meets this need and offers a professional trade show and a nice platform for promoting the trade in outdoor greenery. We are proud to be a partner of AIPH, the international organization with a broad network of associations representing ornamental horticulture from all over the world. Our partnership helps us to promote the fair internationally.”