Beauty in simplicity

"The Solidago is a rewarding flower that never lets you down", says breeder Goos Bartels. He started breeding Solidagos at the end of the 1980s. From a small, insignificant product, the Solidago has grown to become a much-used flower. "Solidago fits in the 'back to nature' trend with its associated natural 'straight-from-the-garden' bouquets."

There are years of work before a new variety of Solidago can be grown on a large scale. Hybridising, collecting seed, sowing, selecting... "For every thousand plants, there may be only one that is worth while", says Goos. Looking for that one pearl is to some extent a question of feeling. "There are four of us walking through the plants looking at their decorative value, flower volume, disease resisance and yield. In short we are looking for a combination of beauty queen and workhorse.&qu

Solidago under the African sun

When all's said and done, Mother Nature makes the rules. The selected plants are tested in the areas where production will take place. Besides the Netherlands, these may include Africa and South America. "We continue working with the varieties that perform well there."