Agastache 'Agapk' (BEELICIOUS PINK) and Naturosa have won Green Retail Awards at the 2024 autumn edition of PLANTARIUM|GROEN-Direkt. The Green Retail Awards are presented in three categories: Best Novelty, Best Market Innovation and Visitors’ Favourite, with one winner in each category. The Visitors’ Favourite, chosen by the fair’s visitors, is always announced at the end of the fair.
Best Novelty
Vitroflora Grupa from Dobrcz (Poland) has won the Green Retail Award in the Best Novelty category with its Agatache 'Agapk' (BEELICIOUS PINK) – a lavishly flowering cultivar whose large pink flower spikes contrast beautifully with the dark pink calyxes. The attractive, healthy, full plants are neatly presented, said the jury. In addition to the Best Novelty, another two plants were awarded a gold medal: Hydrangea paniculata 'LC NO21' (GROUNDBREAKER BLUSH) submitted by Alex Schoemaker Living Creations BV from Boskoop, and Weigela florida 'Floraclar' (BUBBLY WINE) submitted by Valkplant B.V. from Hazerswoude-Dorp. Four plants won a silver medal and thirteen were awarded a bronze one. The plants submitted for the Best Novelty were evaluated by the independent expert jury of the Koninklijke Vereniging voor Boskoopse Culturen (Royal Boskoop Horticultural Society). Of the 42 plants submitted for the contest, a total of 35 were eventually inspected.
Best Market Innovation
The Green Retail Award for the Best Market Innovation was for Naturosa® submitted by Meer Plant BV from Meer (Belgium). The jury was very impressed by all the products submitted in this category and unanimous in its choice of Naturosa®. “This concept offers great benefits in many fields: biodiversity, ease of use, low peat content and resistance to diseases. The concept comprises several different strong varieties, and more will be added in the future. Another advantage is that the POS material can be developed in consultation with the customer,” said the jury.
A total of fourteen products were evaluated. Second place was for CO2-Tree submitted by Van Oploo Tuinplanten from Bavel. From the jury’s report: “Although Paulownia is not a new product, the CO2 theme gives it a relevant message. It is a topical theme, but the market for this niche product is small.” Third came Fargesia One Boo submitted by Plant Select NV from Rijckevorsel (Belgium). “The One Boo concept focuses on the different shades of colour in the bamboo range. The developed POS material clearly and transparently explains to consumers for which applications the product can be used,” said the jury.
The members of the Best Market Innovation jury are representatives of international retail organisations from Scandinavia, Austria, Germany, England, France and the Netherlands who are all responsible for the purchase of outdoor plants. The winning concept will be included in the range of the Scandinavian retail organisation Plantagen in 2025.
PLANTARIUM|GROEN-Direkt - the place to be!
Besides the presentations of the products submitted for the Green Retail Awards, the rest of the fair floor is completely filled with a wide variety of stands. GROEN-Direkt’s Autumn Fair features 5000 sample batches, a concepts plaza, the presale of Christmas trees and a range of Mediterranean products. Some of the novelties are directly available here. All this makes the combined fair unique for purchasers of European garden plant retail organisations.
Green Future Hub
The Green Future Hub focuses on demonstrable sustainable production. Certification is one of the topics covered here. Both fair days feature an hour (from 11 a.m. until 12) of round-table discussions with specialists of the consultancy organisation GTC+, branch organisations Anthos, LTO and Tuinbranche Nederland, the certification organisation MPS and the Griffioen Wassenaar nursery. Visitors and exhibitors can visit the Green Future Hub at any time of the day to discuss aspects of this topic.
