Once considered outdated, cyclamens are experiencing a resurgence in popularity and are in great demand again. “We have been selling cyclamen in larger quantities through specialist retailers since September. Apart from the unusually warm days in October, overall demand was very good,” says Stefan Dünnwald, Head of Specialist Retail Sales at Landgard Blumen & Pflanzen, when talking about the 2023/24 cyclamen season so far. “The controlled growth conditions in the greenhouse and new varieties guarantee good shelf life and flowering of the plants. And thanks to the wide variety of colors, flower shapes, and sizes, from the six-centimeter pot till the 23cm bowl, everyone can find their favorite variety. Cyclamen is in increasing demand, especially as an outdoor plant."
Wolfgang and André Ripkens
German grower André Ripkens also confirms that cyclamen are trendy for in the garden or on the balcony. He is the third generation running the Straelen pot plant business, Topfpflanzen Ripkens, together with his father Wolfgang Ripkens. Cyclamen is a part of their product range for more than 35 years. “We specialize in cyclamen, which were primarily bred for flower beds and balcony boxes. Every year we sell around 400,000 of these outdoor plants in 11 and 7cm pots under our brand Out-Land® from the end of June to the end of January,” explains André Ripkens.
Classic white remains a reliable choice, but André Ripkens notes that demand for red tones is currently high. This year, two-tone flowers in purple with a white border have outperformed expectations. Acknowledging the challenge of keeping up with color trends, Ripkens emphasizes the importance of offering customers a mix of light and dark flowers curated by their young plant supplier. "And even within a color there are nuances that are more or less suitable for outdoor use. And our most important goal is always to offer customers an uncomplicated, robust garden plant of good quality, regardless of the color.”
For more information
Landgard Service GmbH
www.landgard.de