How long have you been in this business?
All my life. Triflor is a real family firm and I took it over from my father together with my brother, sister and a former nursery manager.

What does your daily routine involve?
My main occupation is growing bulbs. I also assist in hybridisation work with a view to creating and discovering new tulip varieties. Our field of expertise is specialities.

What fascinates you about tulips?
The huge variety of shapes and colours and the continuous battle against the elements. I view growing tulip bulbs as a form of high performance sport. We grow the bulbs in the Netherlands, France and New-Zealand, so that we can harvest fresh flowers from October to April.

How do you recognise a good tulip?
That is a question of experience. Every year we produce between 50,000 and 100,000 new hybrids, of which only five are finally left over. Of course we look for colour and shape but cultivation properties and resistance to disease are also very important.

Do you also take account of internal quality?
Yes, a tulip must have a vase life of at least seven days. Having said that, there are also tulips that can last double this time. In addition, tulips should not continue to grow too much in the vase.

What is your favourite tulip?
‘Irene Parrot’, a parrot version of the orange ‘Prinses Irene’. I also have high hopes for ‘White Liberstar’, which has an entirely new flower shape. I expect it to score high marks for use in wedding flowers, just like ‘Honeymoon’.

What makes you proud?
When I realise that florists are asking for our tulips.


New rose-like tulip discovered
Tulips come in many different flower shapes, with single and double flowered varieties accounting for most sales. More exclusive tulips include the parrot types, fringed and lily flowered tulips. We can also expect to see shortly a new type of tulip with a rose-like flower shape. This variety has no name yet but is a spontaneous mutation, first found in the tulip ‘Picture’. Although tulips have been grown in Holland since the 17th century, the assortment continues to grow and expand.

Party Time Parallel tied Tulipa ‘Abba’ (7758), ‘Ile  de France’ (2613), ‘Purple Prince’ (4344), ‘Leen van der Mark’ (4472) and ‘Prinses Irene’ (1029) framed by Monstera leaves (1981).	My Precious The fringed ‘Valery Gergiev’ (19085) and the parrot type ‘Libretto Parrot’ (10108) in a winter coat of Oreopanax leaf (100547). With a fake fur wrapper.
'Horizon' (19116) Attractive double, very full, bicolour tulip.	'Cobra' (25093) Slim lily flowered, orange-red tulip with a yellow margin.
‘Honeymoon’ (19115) Pure white, fringed crispa tulip.	‘Rambo’ (16490) Rugged, bright red tulip with a yellow margin.
‘First Class’ (14034) Romantic, white-pink triumph tulip. Scented!	‘Black Jack’ (20923) Deep purple, almost black tulip.
‘Pako’ (18890) Lightly scented triumph tulip with orange-brown petals.