Solanum melongena (Pick-&-Joy® Aubergine) from Vreugdenhil Young Plants in De Lier was awarded the Show Your Colours Award IPM 2026 on Thursday (29 January) during the IPM 2026 trade fair in Essen, Germany.
The prize was presented to Petra Vreugdenhil at the Show Your Colours presentation in the BIZZ Holland stand by Eva Kähler-Theuerkauf on behalf of the IPM organization.
Upon receiving the award, Vreugdenhil said she was surprised that the Pick-&-Joy® Aubergine emerged as the winner among so many beautiful entries. “It is a wonderful reward for all the energy we put into the product,” said Vreugdenhil. The jury stated that the plant appeals to a broad target group and fits well with today’s garden trends. In addition, the Pick-&-Joy® Aubergine makes an attractive gift, for example for a birthday or a dinner with friends, with the included recipe providing a nice extra touch.
Second place went to Rhododendron Hybrid Grazeasy® Purple, submitted by Diderk Heinje Pflanzenhandelsges. mbH & Co. KG. The jury praised this plant for its beautiful leaf shape and attractive buds. The lasting green color was seen as an important plus, and the plant performs excellently both on the balcony and in the garden.
Third place was awarded to Salix candida ‘Jefberg’ (First Editions® ICEBERG ALLEY®), submitted by Joh. Stolwijk & Zonen. The jury appreciated the plant for its compact, strong growth. Its attractive grey color gives it a stylish appearance and makes it easy to combine with other plants in the garden.
The other nominees were Cercis canadensis ‘JN100’ Hearts A’Fire – Joh. Stolwijk & Zonen; Hydrangea macrophylla ‘Bailmaceight’ EUPBRAF (ENDLESS SUMMER® DREAMCLOUD®) – Endless Summer® (Bailey Nurseries International); NewGen® Buxus – Van Vliet New Plants BV; and Picea Magical Christmas – Magical Garden Plants.
The award winners with several jury members. In the center stands Petra Vreugdenhil holding the certificate
The nominated plants and concepts were on display during the trade fair at the BIZZ Holland stand in Hall 8. Visitors were able to cast their votes for their favorite plant or concept using special tokens until Thursday morning. A professional jury consisting of Sytse Berends of Blunt Communicatieadvies, Johan Debrabandere, Category Manager Green at GRS Inkoop, Eva Kähler-Theuerkauf on behalf of IPM Essen, and jury chair Helma van der Louw evaluated the entries on Thursday afternoon. The jury’s verdict, together with the votes cast via the tokens, resulted in Solanum melongena (Pick-&-Joy® Aubergine) receiving the Show Your Colours Award IPM 2026.
The Show Your Colours Award IPM 2026 is organised by IPM Essen in cooperation with BIZZ Holland.
