Pieter Landman champions lilies at the Dutch Lily Days

‘Breeders have done amazing work during the past few years. But the lily sector must be more vocal about the fantastic results its breeding programmes have achieved.’ Pieter Landman, a consultant who advises primarily foreign retail chains with his company Blooming Vision, envisages great opportunities for lilies to improve their place in the shop display. During the opening ceremony of the Dutch Lily Days 2018, the man from Breezand will share his ideas with the audience.

The seventh Dutch Lily Days starts on Tuesday, June 5. For the opening, this time at Zabo Plant, Pieter Landman has been invited to give his vision of the sector. It is a sector that he knows well from his background and his work. Landman is an internationally respected consultant for retail chains, especially in America, and also advises lily breeders who want to understand the trends better.

Given his experience, he greatly appreciates the sector. ‘Breeders have done amazing work during the past few years. For example, they succeeded in making the flower buds colourful. Consumers focus strongly on colour. Double flowers are another fantastic development. The disadvantage of pollen has also been effectively addressed by breeding.’

Marketing of a strong position
The sector can get more returns from that image in his opinion. For Landman the main point is that the lily has a strong position. ‘The lily is a primary flower, like the tulip, gerbera and daisy. The lily stands for nobility, beauty and wealth.’

Better returns is primarily a question of marketing. Landman adds, ‘The lily sector must be more vocal about the fantastic results its breeding programmes have achieved! For too long, the situation has been: I produce lilies, someone else sells them. But that’s not how it works any longer. We see lilies making a comeback in mixed bouquets. Traditional bouquet fillers are slowly but surely losing ground to them. The lily is simply a stunning floral alternative.’

Seventh Dutch Lily Days
During the seventh Dutch Lily Days from Tuesday to Friday, June 5 to 8, a total of 14 companies are opening their doors to fellow professionals. They include P. Aker, Van den Bos Flowerbulbs, Bot Flowerbulbs, De Jong Lelies, Lily Company, Mak Breeding, Onings Holland, C. Steenvoorden, GAV Lilies, Gebr. Vletter & Den Haan, VWS Flowerbulbs, World Breeding, Zabo Plant and Royal van Zanten.

More information can be found at www.dutchlilydays.com