The Ferrari is fast this year

Ferrari

The Amaryllis is grown on a large scale to light up the living rooms as a flowering plant during the dark winter days. What is less known is that many Amaryllises are also grown to cut flowers. These bulbs are often fixed in the greenhouses for years, sometimes 4 or 5 years, and grow into buffalos of bulbs. This is such a whopper that it has been in the grower's greenhouse for 6 years now, so that the flowers can be harvested during the winter months.

When I visited Amaryllis grower Kaaij in Maasdijk this year, they proudly told me that they had taken over another company. Also an Amaryllis company, let's go and have a look. It turned out to be a company where they grew Amaryllis for cut flowers. Amaryllis Ferrari for cut flowers

We're not going into cut flowers, I'm also going to grow bulbs, Gerco told me. These are all going out. So, if you want a few more Ferraris... Our American customer happened to be with us and I knew she really liked the Ferrari. What shall we do? 4,000 thousand she said without batting an eyelid. Add a few more for the Fluwel website Gerco and that's how it happened that in no time we bought a shed full of Ferraris.

Huge bulbs, beautiful quality and, best of all, incredibly fast. The bulbs have been grown for years in such a way that they always flowered at Christmas and they want to do that this year too. The flowers are high, these are a few Ferraris from Gerco that have been in my greenhouse for a week now, they are looking forward to it. So...if you want a Ferrari for Christmas, if you plant them this week and put them in a warm spot they will bloom with ease during the Christmas days. Also always nice as a gift for your sister or girlfriend of course, you can give a Ferrari away 😊 .

Just asking if we can see the interior of one of the Ferraris, are there any volunteers? I don't think it was entirely voluntary but one went in half. What a surprise, there is even a fourth bud visible. Such a fourth bud often only appears when the third has already finished blooming and you are quietly thinking about throwing the Amaryllis away. The third bud usually appears when the first two are in bloom but the fourth always seems to be a real latecomer. So, don't throw away these Ferraris too quickly, with patience you might still have a flower in February. Now that I was taking such nice pictures in my greenhouse I also took a nice snapshot of the second Narcissus that is blooming. Also the same Narcissus viridiflorus seedling that I told you about last week but this one is a lot cuter. Very small and very beautiful in shape. It seems to be growing well too, there are already quite a few bulbs. Give it a name quickly so I can offer it in the collection of the Fluwel Special Narcissus. If you have a good name suggestion for this cutie… Narcissus Joyce Spirit

Now that we're talking about Daffodils... shall I? Yes, it has to happen every now and then, I'm going to give you a stern talking to. Not about the Tulips, mind you, you're behaving very nicely with the Tulips. All the bulbs that we have put in the Fluwel webshop for you are shrinking considerably in stock. Very nice, thanks for the many orders. But the Daffodils, you can't see it but I frown. Of course the real cause is that I've once again been far too enthusiastic with the stocks but of course we're not going to admit that. Shame on you, you could have ordered one more bulb. Narcissus Wisley

For years I have been refining and collecting and I hear nothing from visitors other than 'where can I buy all that beauty' and now they are finally for sale...

Joking of course but I would like to say that there is still a very nice assortment of very good Daffodils for sale in our webshop. Especially this Wisley, a real topper, keeps coming back year after year. Galanthus elwesii Beluga

And if you do order and plant some Daffodils, add a few of those new Elwesii snowdrops. The Polar Bear, the Beluga and the Snow Fox are really great, you will enjoy them for years. One of the best large flowered Crocuses, Crocus Aqua

There are still a few of those indestructible bulbs on the site that you only need to plant once to enjoy for years. Camassia, Chionodoxa, Crocus, Hyacinthoides (wood hyacinth) and Leucojum, all bulbs that you can enjoy for a long time. My uncle Henk is already raring to go and collect the leftovers for the Hockey club in Bloemendaal where he is a groundsman, but of course we are going to try to place a few more with our Fluwel customers first. So, hurry up, get down on your knees for another day, planting some nice bulbs. In the spring you will be very glad that you did that.

Kind regards,

Carlos van der Veek

PS I saw this when I just looked outside. Lovely autumn weather