"UK: "Scented pelargoniums flying off the shelves"

"We are selling out, and this in May!", says UK pelargonium grower Ursula Key-Davis from Fibrex Nursery in Warwickshire. Their sales are already about one third higher compared to last year and according to Key-Davis, this is probably due to the cold and long winter where many consumers lost their pelargoniums. As the weather in the UK improved, consumers started to look for new pelargoniums and the scented are flying off the shelves.

Fibrex Nursery grows many different and exclusive Pelargonium varieties, that they export all over Europe. Currently, they hold the National Collection of Pelargoniums, which means that they have the largest collection of Pelargoniums. "Our National Pelargonium Collection contains over 2,500 different species and cultivars, and we grow 400 varieties commercially," says Key-Davis. All the varieties are showcased in their own 0.5 acre glasshouse.

Part of Fibrex Nursery's National Collection consists of scented varieties; 100 scented varieties of which 30 are used for commercial production. They are growing scented pelargoniums for about 50 years now and the demand for these varieties is growing year by year. Even this year, the demand is way higher compared to last year. "The scented varieties are flying off the shelves", says Key-Davis.

And scent seems to be the focus point of the consumer as there does not seem to be a clear demand for a particular color. "Across the board, all colors are doing well."

Last year was already a very good year for Fibrex Nursery and Key-Davis did not expect that it could become much better, but it did. But why? According to Key-Davis, it is probably because of the bad weather in the UK last winter. Last winter, we have had a lot of snow with frosts, so many people lost their pelargonium that they planted in their garden. So now, they are looking for new ones, I think."

For more information
Fibrex Nursery LTD
Ursula Key-Davis
Tel: (01789) 720788
Fax: (01789) 721162
e-mail [email protected]
Honeybourne Road,
Pebworth,
Stratford-upon-Avon
Warwickshire
CV37 8XP
England
www.fibrex.co.uk