What is your profession?
I develop new Kalanchoe varieties and research the plant. It is more of a passion than a profession – you could call it an out of control hobby.

Why do they call you ‘Mister Kalanchoe’?
That idea came from our managing director after I had been with the firm for 25 years. I have now worked with Kalanchoe for 30 years, 25 of them as a breeder.

What do you find so exciting about Kalanchoe?
Everything! The plant, the tiny flowers, the world of the Kalanchoe. The product has undergone amazing development, in the Seventies it was number 67 in the plant top 100 and now it is at number 3.

What is your favourite Kalanchoe?
Leonardo, the very first double flowered Kalanchoe. It was discovered by accident by a Swedish grower some 10 years ago. A quirk of nature.

What are you proud of?
We used Leonardo for cross breeding and the assortment that resulted from our efforts was launched on the market in 2002 as Calandiva. It was a worldwide success. With its rose like flowers Calandiva is a romantic version of Kalanchoe. The plant was given added charm.

What are the dos and don’ts of Kalanchoe care?
Do not water copiously, only keep the soil slightly moist. This is originally a desert plant and should not be given too much shade. Under the right conditions the plant will flower for 6 to 8 weeks.

What can we expect the future to bring?
I feel that the demand for Calandiva will continue to increase. The flowers will also get bigger – comparable to a pot rose.

Tips: Versatile assortment
In recent years the Kalanchoe assortment has grown considerably and now includes double, botanical and mini Kalanchoes. The double Kalanchoes are known under the name Calandiva, Rose Flower or Rosalina. The flowers look like tiny roses. The botanical varieties are generally leaf Kalanchoes and there are a few flowering varieties with hanging bells. As the name suggests, the minis are smaller. Kalanchoes are increasingly being used outdoors on balconies and for planting on graves.

Fruits de mer Organic arrangement with three colours of Calandiva (20471). The basket is made from woven sea grass.	Stars & Stripes Single flowered Kalanchoe in purple (9494) and red (9448), divided by a row of Kalanchoe thyrsiflora (9639).

'Meru' (19758) Single flowered, pink Kalanchoe with a red centre.	Lea (24073) Double flowered Kalanchoe, referred to as Rose Flower.

Kalanchoe beharensis (14907) Softness itself – this botanical leaf Kalanchoe.	African Dream (13230) Double flowered, sturdy Kalanchoe.

Rosalina Don Juan (24653) The only truly red, double flowered Kalanchoe.	Magic Bell (22046)  Botanical variety, between 70 and 80 cm high, flowers for 10 to 12 weeks!

‘Lucky Bells' (16430)  Botanical variety, up to 40 cm high, flowers for 6 weeks.