Putting sustainably grown and presented perennials on the map

Rijnbeek Perennials, in association with JUB Holland and landscape designer Carien van Boxtel, built a meadow-style field at the world-famous Keukenhof Gardens in Lisse, the Netherlands.

Dutch-based Rijnbeek Perennials aims to make the horticultural supply chain more environmentally friendly by going 100 per cent peat-free. As it continues its sustainability journey, the Rijnbeek team is busy working with Plantics BV, a producer of home-compostable, plastic-free DOPA pots.

The arrival of spring in Europe has Marcel van Vemde, director of Rijnbeek Perennials, feeling positive about the coming season. “There’s more demand; people are keen to order plants. However, April and May are crucial months in the horticultural calendar, so we must wait and see what happens next month. That said, we’re fully prepared—we’re putting in a lot of energy to have our company name and our products on everyone’s radar.”

There is much to shout about this year

Rijnbeek certainly has a lot to shout about this year. As part of its promotional activity, the nursery business attended this year’s Garden Press Event in February (2024) in London, UK. There, it announced its involvement in a meadow-style field at the world-famous Keukenhof Gardens in Lisse, the Netherlands.

The Boskoop (NL)-based perennials specialist, which proudly boasts a product range of more than 5,000 perennials, has teamed up with bulb supplier JUB Holland and garden and landscape designer Carien van Boxtel to create a meadow-style display at Keukenhof, which this year celebrates its 75th anniversary.

When this spring’s eight-week display ends, the new perennial border (a blend of early-flowering plants, perennials, and spring bulbs) will remain in the ground rather than being dug up and replanted in time for next year – as is the usual tradition.
Notably, this sustainable display complements JUB Holland’s and Rijnbeek’s aim to help the horticultural supply chain become more environmentally friendly.

Working 100 per cent peat-free in the entire range

Van Vemde recalls how, for Rijnbeek, this journey began more than a decade ago when owner Arno Rijnbeek took the initiative and started developing and trialling peat-free growing media mixes.

Van Vemde says: “In those days, everybody thought we were crazy. People would ask: ‘If you’re not obliged to do this by law [in the NL], then why would you do it?’ We are an innovator in that sense. We have gone peat-free not because our government told us to do so but because we wanted to because of our principles. Of course, we had to put in a lot of effort in the beginning – it has been quite a serious investment. But ten or so years later, we’re seeing the rewards – people are very enthusiastic about what we do.”

The nursery has now fine-tuned its peat-free substrate mixed by Lensli Substrates (based in Bleiswijk, NL) and learned how best to work with what is now a dependable, high-performing blend of sustainably sourced growing media substrates.

Moreover, Rijnbeek claims to be the only commercial perennial nursery in the Netherlands that is fully peat-free. “That’s a great achievement,” states van Vemde. “Our customers are very much surprised by the quality and uniformity of our assortment and the fact that we can work 100 per cent peat-free in our entire range.”

Potted Hyacinths grown in DOPA pots sitting in a moulded pulp tray.

Home-compostable, plastic-free DOPA pots

As its sustainability journey continues, the Rijnbeek team is busily working with Martin Lekkerkerk, a business developer for Plantics BV– the Arnhem (NL)-based producer of home-compostable, plastic-free DOPA pots.

Lekkerkerk explains that these DOPA pots are made from recycled paper reinforced with Plantics’ patented, thermoset, bio-based resin (made from agricultural by-products).

He says: “We – the horticulture industry – are making nature. So, we need to work as close to nature as possible. The DOPA pots are helping to achieve this aim – leaving no microplastics in your garden, for example, which is very important.”

Lekkerkerk adds that DOPA pots differ from other paper/pulp-based pots because their bio-resin gives them extra strength and longevity.
Indeed, van Vemde notes that the Rijnbeek team has been testing the durability of the DOPA pots and has been pleased with the results. He says: “Other paper-based pots we’ve trialled in the past reacted very quickly to the outdoor environment in which they’re placed. However, we’ve had DOPA pots on our terrace for months, and they still look perfect. They’ve not fallen apart or become dirty – they’ve remained in good shape.”

Gardeners can also choose to plant their DOPA pot(s) (along with the plants and the growing media) directly into the soil after “cracking” the pot a bit to stimulate the plants’ roots, explains Lekkerkerk. The DOPA pot will then gradually biodegrade into the soil.

He says: “They have a decorative value, but when the consumer is ready to plant them in the soil, they can do so and then enjoy watching their plants continue to grow.”

A new offering

Lekkerkerk reports that, to date, DOPA pots are mainly being used by bulb producers in the Netherlands to house potted bulbs. But this season is set to see the DOPA pots used to contain mixes of Rijnbeek’s perennials. In fact, Rijnbeek has already discussed this offering with several garden centres and large retailers in Europe.

Van Vemde reports: “There is really a lot going on. Everybody has been searching for an option like this biodegradable, durable DOPA pot, but it seems that nothing has been available until now. As you can imagine, there’s been much interest in them already this year.”

Van Vemde expects Rijnbeek’s DOPA pot range to be available on a limited scale this season so that the nursery can see how the public reacts to it. This will also give Plantics and Rijnbeek time to steadily scale up production for what will hopefully be a bigger DOPA pot-perennials programme next year.

The grower envisions Rijnbeek’s perennials being sold in the DOPA pots in unique combinations of five or so perennials that will ensure year-round performance for years to come and offer climate-adaptive solutions. This concept is similar to those offered in the company’s Climate Gardeners brand, which was developed last year. This brand includes, for instance, an Urban Jungle mix designed for shady, wet conditions early in the year and a Drought Resistant Mix for a water-wise, low-maintenance border in hot summers.

Wanted: partners to jump on the DOPA bandwagon

Van Vemde and Lekkerkerk are keen to find partners to help increase the production volume of the DOPA pots and, in turn, reduce their price so that they are closer to the cost of recycled plastic pots. The pair are also keen to find partners worldwide who are as enthusiastic as they are in finding solutions for bringing the DOPA pot to consumers.

Clearly, this could be the dawn of a new era for horticultural pots, so watch this space – and, of course, watch the perennials grow in the DOPA pot.