Hydrangea paniculata extravaganza at 2022 Floriade

BOSKOOP, Netherlands: Thousands of panicled Hydrangeas (Hydrangea paniculata) grown by Dutch plant nursery Living Creations will unveil their beauty at the forthcoming Floriade show which opens on 14 April in the Netherlands.

Sixth generation plant grower Alex Schoemaker sponsored more than 10,000 Hydrangeas paniculata, which have been planted in the Flower Belt, a 3.2km gauntlet planted with green and white coloured and pollinator-friendly blooms.

Schoenmaker believes Floriade is the perfect showcase for his Hydrangea paniculata which are sold under the Living Creations brand. “Floriade makes the perfect showcase for horticultural products. I have attended many editions of Floriade and it has always been a dream to be part of it. I particularly like Floriade’s innovative character, the expo revolves around the horticulture of the future. And we like to measure up to that,” says Alex Schoemaker of Living Creations B.V. in Boskoop.

Schoemaker is a Hydrangea paniculata specialist in the true sense of the word: he breeds and grows finished panicled Hydrangea. In July 2021 he opened his Hydrangea paniculata trial garden in Boskoop, the Netherlands.

Panicled Hydrangeas are good value for money, he says. “They are very strong, hardy, easy to maintain and a real biodiversity booster and therefore an asset to Floriade.”

Floriade opens in the Netherlands on 14 April 2022; the AIPH-approved A1 World Horticultural Expo will demonstrate to citizens how thriving in a ‘living library of trees and plants’ is more fun, sustainable and healthier than surviving in a concrete jungle.

Floriade is the brand name for this A1 World Horticultural Expo, which has occurred in the Netherlands every ten years since the first AIPH-approved Expo in Rotterdam in 1960.

The 2022 Floriade site is in Almere, the Netherlands’ eighth-largest city inhabited by a young and fast-growing multicultural population. The International Horticultural Expo site spans 62ha. The event aims to raise the profile of ornamental horticulture and highlight the importance of trees and plants in making better lives and creating better cities for the future.

That’s why Floriade Expo 2022 aims to address the world’s biggest challenges, such as rapid urbanisation, a growing world population, depletion of natural resources and climate change. There’s a need for sustainability in all walks of life. This Expo’s theme – Growing Green Cities – is one way to demonstrate solutions to the world’s biggest problems and give a massive boost to the ornamental horticultural sector.

On 13 April 2022, the Dutch King, Willem-Alexander – who, contrary to his mother, decided not to bestow royal patronage on Floriade when he became King in 2013 – will cut the ribbon. From that date, the Expo anticipates it will welcome two million visitors by the time it closes on 9 October 2022.