The Oscars of horticulture

Hey, they always send emails, don't they? There's a letter from the Royal Horticultural Society in the mailbox. Could I please make an appearance on March 27th at the Lindley Hall on Vincent Square in London for the award ceremony? The gentlemen of The Bulb Committee had nominated me for the Peter Barr Memorial Cup and the President of the RHS was happy to accept that nomination. Oh dear, I have to appear on the green carpet. Perhaps the Peter Barr Memorial Cup needs a little explanation. Not for the real Daffodil people, who know what this award entails and are now sitting there with their mouths open in amazement. For the other dear readers: the Peter Barr Memorial Cup is a lifetime achievement award and more or less the highest distinction in the field of Daffodils. A kind of Oscar but, in its field, even more special. Since 1912, this prestigious award has been presented annually to someone who, in the eyes of the Bulb Committee, has done good work for the Daffodil in some way.

This year it was my turn to receive this fantastic award from RHS President Keith Weed with the following motivation:

The Peter Barr Memorial Cup is awarded annually by the Bulb Commission of the English Royal Horticultural Society (RHS). This award is presented to an individual who, in the professional opinion of the Commission members, has done exceptional Daffodil-related work.

The RHS Flower Bulb Committee awarded this year's Peter Barr Memorial Cup to Mr Carlos van der Veek.

Carlos van der Veek is currently one of the leading specialists in the field of Daffodils. His father, Karel van der Veek, was a Daffodil grower and breeder, and passed on much of his exclusive knowledge to Carlos during his lifetime. The arsenal of Daffodil knowledge of the Van der Veek family is one of the most extensive in the world, and is always shared with colleagues and other interested parties.

Carlos has bred, registered, grown and revived numerous new and old varieties of Narcissi. In addition, he tries to make valuable contributions to smaller breeders: the people with the will and enthusiasm to throw themselves into the Narcissi world, but who do not yet have the means to get started in it. New varieties of Narcissi that Carlos and his colleagues produce are made available to the rest of the profession, so that their most sought-after characteristics for flower shows or large-scale cultivation can be adopted for further use. Passing on and sharing new knowledge in this way is of great importance to the flower bulb world as a whole.

Carlos also exports Narcissus bulbs via his online web shop, Fluwel. He sends out a weekly newsletter via this company. In this newsletter, he tells readers what is currently happening in the flower bulb world in a way that appeals to both colleagues and laymen and takes them into the ins and outs of the trade. It is also important to Carlos that customers of his shop receive a personal answer when they email with questions about the bulbs they have purchased. He tries to sow enthusiasm for the Narcissus and the flower bulb world wherever he goes, and hopes to reach as many people as possible to get started with flower bulbs themselves.

Me on the train, or the burgerrups as daughter Pleun calls her, to London. Lovely, a day in London. 'Are they still participating in the Eurovision Song Contest' I think as I once again perform all that nonsensical action that our previous generation has long since deemed unnecessary at customs. Whatever, quickly to London. When I get there, just a quick walk around, I am treated to a colourful demonstration by farmers. Hundreds and hundreds of tractors drive around in circles past parliament and Downing Street. Fantastic to see, square full of people, tractors honking, lots of police but a nice atmosphere. Now I'm not going to write why I agree with them because that will never end. Back to the Oscars. A festive day on which several people were allowed to receive a 'feather in their hat'. By the way, here you can clearly see the difference between the always polite English and the Dutch; we put the feathers somewhere else. Really honorable prizes are awarded, such as the Elizabeth Medal of Honor, which was established last year by King Charles III, with the permission of his mother. This year the honor went to Daffodil lover and friend Jan Pennings from Breezand. Those who in the eyes of the RHS have meant a lot to horticulture can receive this special award. Very well deserved, Jan has tirelessly promoted flower bulbs, and especially the Daffodil, all over the world his entire life and has also passionately supported the RHS with his knowledge of flower bulbs.

There are also fun awards with a touch of humor. For example, there is the Lenox Trophy, which is reserved for the person who has shown the most beautiful vegetable at one of the RHS shows in the past year. 'The nicest vegetable ever seen' were the words of the Jury this year to the recipient of this award. Isn't it fantastic that such a great distinction can be achieved by exhibiting a head of lettuce.

But one of the most important prizes is the Peter Barr Memorial Cup. Certainly in the eyes of Narcissus people like me, the best compliment you can get for your work, or rather I should say hobby. Beautiful day, many happy people, lots of bubbling bubbling and lots of chatting chatting, a day to remember. Of course, afterwards we'll have a quick pint in the local pub And the next day back on the train and enjoy the afterglow with Ans and Jan Pennings No, the cup that has been awarded since 1912 is unfortunately not allowed to come home. The cup was neatly cuddled back in the box and will go back into the warehouse for another year, but with this difference and the great honor that my name is now also engraved in elegant letters between the recipients Narcissus Emerald Green

Finally, a pleasant announcement of a domestic nature: the spring flowering bulbs are available again in the Fluwel webshop. If you are an early bird and want to order your bulbs for next autumn, they are online.

Kind regards and happy Easter,

Carlos van der Veek