The largest Amaryllis collection ever!

Good morning everyone,

It is finally that time of year, the time I have been waiting for with bated breath: Amaryllis season! The Amaryllis, also known as the Hippeastrum, will go live next Friday, October 18, 2024. And the title does not lie: this year we have a larger collection of Amaryllises than ever before. 116 different varieties, many are new, many are old; there are varieties that are more forgotten than the parsnip as a vegetable, and varieties that have never been offered in Europe before. We did some searching. For me, the Amaryllis collection going online is a special moment, because the Amaryllis is to me what the Daffodil is to Carlos. Regular readers will probably remember that from an earlier newsletter I wrote. When I started at Fluwel, I had already suggested to Carlos to see if there would be a possibility in the future in which I could be the curator of the Amaryllises. This year he gave me this task with great pleasure, and since I heard that I have been daydreaming and thinking about the perfect strains for our offer. And for the other true enthusiasts: this is just the beginning, I have many more ideas for the future!

When I started writing this letter, I wanted to think of a way to involve my colleagues in the story. After all, we are a team, and you will read a lot from Carlos and sometimes something from Pien or from me, but there are more of us! I therefore asked a number of colleagues what their favorite Amaryllis is this year. Here are their answers: Renata, who you may have spoken to on the phone when you call Fluwel, says she has always been a fan of Supreme Romance. This is a dark red, velvety flower, perfect for Christmas, which is exactly what Renata is looking for in an Amaryllis. I agree: the beautiful, deep red colour, the shape of the leaves… a real beauty Pauliina says her favorite amaryllis at the moment is White Cream. A bright white flower with a green heart. For her, this Amaryllis reminds her of her home country: big, white, and serene, just like Finland. I know exactly what she means Then someone came up with Gervase, because this flower reminds him of a candy cane. That too is part of Christmas, sweet and lovely. This type has been on the market for a few years, it is a mutation from another type. A gift from Mother Nature Adri recommends the Picotee variety to everyone because of its elegance and unique color distribution: a sharp, red line around the petals, clear white leaves, and a clear green heart. It is understandable that this variety has been very popular for years and will probably never be replaced, because besides its appearance it also does incredibly well My personal favorite—or one of them—is Ruby Star. This is a beautiful flower from Saad Asaaf Amaryllis, a company that crosses their own varieties. This is one of their biggest successes: a special leaf shape with a bit of white on the lower petals. Jacqueline's favorite Amaryllis is Candy Amadeus. She likes the way the red is distributed and the shape of the double flowers the most. I have to agree with this too: in my opinion this is indeed one of the most beautiful double Amaryllises from the collection, which we will certainly continue to offer as long as this beautiful flower remains available. Carlos and I share the opinion that dark red Amaryllises have a special position within the species. If he had to bring an Amaryllis for someone he didn't know, he would go for Grand Diva: a beautiful dark red flower that can bloom for weeks on end if she is happy.

In addition to these favorites, we have highlighted a number of old varieties . Varieties that have been somewhat forgotten over the years, such as Fairytale, Caramba, Dance Valley, Neon, Rilona, ​​Rosalie, and Stargazer. Some of these varieties have been around for quite some time. For example, Fairytale comes from the 80s. So they have really proven themselves just by still being around: they are robust and bloom year after year without any problems. Really good choices if you want to bring a bit of history into your home. But of course you can also prefer new varieties . If you don't have much space in your home, I can recommend the Garden series. These flowers grow to about 30 centimeters high, with multiple stems, so that a small bunch is created. But as I said, this is just the beginning. We want to use this larger collection to see what you like best, what sells well and what doesn't really. We can use that information in the coming years to make the range even more original and better. Our goal is to offer the most diverse collection of Amaryllis that can be found, to give everyone who ends up on our website a little help in getting through the cold, dark winter months. Therefore I would also like to add that if you have a variety that you are missing, or that you would like us to take a look at, then you can send an email to info@fluwel.nl . Don't hesitate to do so, we love to hear from other people, and if you know of a variety but can't get it we can always see what we can do.

In addition, you can also email us if you need help choosing. All these beautiful varieties will cause the necessary stress of choosing, and the house is full at some point, so if you need advice you can also email to the previously mentioned email address. I will then do my best to give you personal advice. I have now seen so many Amaryllises that I love to share that knowledge.

And then, because we can, and because we want to: everyone who spends more than 100 euros on Amaryllis before November 1, 2024 (that sounds like a lot, but believe me, you'll be there in no time when you see our collection!) will receive 3 different types of Daffodils as a gift. Daffodils belong to Carlos as the Amaryllis belongs to me, so we are joining forces and want to put both types in the spotlight. As you can see I am completely in my element, looking at a beautiful dark Amaryllis. This species is still new but will be registered soon, and I hope already that we can offer this one in the future.

That's it for now. There have been a few busy days, but there are many more planned, but I'm glad I was able to share this news with you. Fluwel is still new to me, and I'm thoroughly enjoying the different seasons in the world of flower bulbs. There's always something to do.

Kind regards,

Vlad Hempel