Welcome to our interview and blog with florists, about florists, for florists.
The next florist to be featured is Jessica Öhrström, who works as a freelance florist and is self-employed, and the driving force behind “7 of a kind Floral Design”.

Why did you choose the florist profession?
I was almost literally born in a greenhouse in Skåne.

Grandma, grandpa and my mother ran a flower shop and garden centre together throughout my childhood. Their greenhouse was a well-visited excursion destination and there was room for both exotic plants, cut flowers, puppies, and a parrot that could talk. The best thing I knew was going to the flower market with my grandfather, and when me and my brother got to “help out” to decorate Christmas wreaths, write funeral cards on grandfather´s old type writer and learn how to thorn off roses. I dreamed of going to Ingvar Strandh’s Flower School in Oxie one day, and getting educated myself to be a florist for real!

But that didn’t happen at the time. There were some professionally winding detours before I found my way back to flowers as a full-time occupation in adulthood…

I have always loved to travel and worked for many years as a flight attendant at SAS and after that, designed and developed store concepts in the fashion industry with a focus on sustainability. I have also run my own company in this. I later trained at Floristutbildarna in Stockholm. The travel nerve took me to New York and I did my internship with Ingrid Carozzi at Tin Can Studios. The first assignment I got to work on during the internship was Time Magazine’s gala for “Person of the year” and I remember wondering if it was really happening.

I had been home in Stockholm for a week or so, when Ingrid called and asked if I wanted to come back and be an apprentice with her. It was the best decision I have ever taken on a purely professional level. I could never have dreamed of having a better mentor! That is now a few years ago, and now I work in Ingrid’s team at Tin Can and have made so many great friends there. Ingrid’s expression, colour thinking, view of shape, and courage are completely unique, and it’s is really a treat to be able to work like that.

Today, I think I got the best of both worlds. I still get to travel around the world (as I did as a flight attendant) – now as a florist. I’ve got to work on absolutely fantastic projects, both in my own name and for other designers in both the US, Italy, and France.

Did it turn out as you thought?

Yes! It was even more amazing than I could ever have dreamed of! I’m so grateful that I got a second chance at a new career. I think it was meant to be- I love flying and I love flowers!

I almost get tearful very often and have to pinch myself in the arm to really understand what fantastic events and environments I get to be part of creating. This summer I’ve been working a lot in Italy, and it’s been great fun. I think everything I do is fun, the small and the big. It doesn’t matter if it’s a wedding with 10 or 250 guests.

It may seem glamorous to work on events abroad, but it is important to know that the working conditions are completely different from those in Sweden and the contracts are often a bit “fuzzy”. It is physically very challenging and often there is a lack of safety measures. The days are incredibly long and  often many in a row – and there is hardly any time for recovery. Sometimes I work around the clock on high ladders in 35 degrees heat, with only 15 minutes for lunch etc.

I think it is important to nuance the picture and the incredibly hard work that lies behind everything we do in our industry. Especially to people who are not in the industry. Many believe that we just “do crafts and cuddle a little with flowers”. Taking care of goods, washing buckets, and scraping off candle wax from wedding candlesticks for a whole day is rarely seen.

Looking for exclusive Gerbera varieties? We’ve got you covered! Kwekerij de Zuidplas is one of our suppliers of exclusive Gerbera.

Situated in Moerkappelle, the company consists of two different nurseries, located in each other’s vicinity. Led by the brothers Leen and Juriaan the company spans 6 hectares and produces up to 23 million stems of Gerbera a year. The company has a long history and is a family business, and has been growing Gerbera for 40 years.

The assortment of the Zuidplas consists of 82 varies, of which a part is exclusive Pastini and Spider varieties. We at Hukra love these varieties a lot! Popular varieties are Rosata and Rivello and can often be found at our cash&carry’s as well!

Especially the last fifteen years the company has seen a rise in the popularity and demand for Gerbera. Therefore, they want to have every colour available for every customer and every market. It is for this reason that their assortment is as broad as it is.

A Gerbera plant usually lasts around three years in the greenhouse. As there is only a small percentage of fallout, there are few plants that need to be replaced each year. De Zuidplas has invested a lot in sustainability the past few years. Natural enemies are used to control pests. Guest plants are placed on ledges above the Gerbera to make sure these little bugs settle throughout the whole greenhouse.

De Zuidplas is a MPS certified grower, holding the MPS A, MPS-GAP and MPS-SQ certificates.

Investment in LED-lights have resulted in a reduction of 50% in energy use. Research has also shown that – together with innovation in Gerbera breeding – the LED-lights make for a stronger flower. Alongside this several dehumidifiers keep the climate in the greenhouse optimal, and screens along the roof can be closed to keep the warmth in during the winter months.

Welcome to our blog with florists, about florists, for florists.
The first florist to be featured is Eva Pettersson, who owns and runs Löthnergården Inredning & Blomster Bålsta since 2020.

Why did you choose the florist profession?
My idea was that I would become an art teacher. But my dad had a flower shop, so I had to start working there on weekends and holidays. I started with simpler chores such as sweeping the floor etc. After that, I applied to Ingvar Strand’s Flower School and since then I have continued to educate and develop myself in the florist profession. It has given me a genuine interest for the industry, flowers, and customers.

Did it turn out as you thought?
Yes, I think so! Love my profession! There is so much fun to do. I have taken Journeyman’s Certificate, Master’s Certificate, and I am also a Journeyman’s Examiner for new florists, have worked as a Florist teacher, and started Fränd&Fränd through which I previously arranged Florist Day at Krägga Herrgård here in Bålsta. It was three years in a row which were incredibly intense, rewarding, and fun. I invited several florists who arranged flower vernissages and shared their experiences, as well as some lectures about the industry, in various interesting areas. A very nice way to meet florist colleagues from all over the Nordic region and at the same time get inspiration and develop as a florist. We’ll see if there will be any more of that in the future. Would be a fun challenge!

I have worked in many different flower shops in Stockholm, and also for a couple of years at IGNIS in the mid-90s, a funeral home with a flower department. From 1997 to 2007 I started and ran Fantasifloristen in Bålsta, and also Fantasifloristen in Sigtuna alongside that during 2004-2007. After that, I studied to become a marketing economist at IHM for 2 years. But the flowers lured me back to the industry after a few years in other professions. In 2012 I was regional manager for stores in Stockholm Mälardalen at Euroflorist. We helped with business development, purchasing, inspiration, etc. After that, it was many years as a consultant in the flower/event industry. To finally in the Summer of 2020 find my fourth store and my last project, Löthnergården in Bålsta that I still run.
Right now we are loading up with goods in our lovely garden department for this year’s outdoor season and upcoming holidays. There is a lot to do and always something you can contribute to!

What drives you to continue to develop?
Oh, that’s the combination of it all! I love the flowers and have so much fun with my co-workers. To bounce ideas off them and develop together. I want to continue to learn more, learn further and at the same time get better at what I am doing. There is always more to learn. Knowledge is inspiring!

We know Mediaverdi because of the wonderful carnations they grow every year between August and November. But did you know they also grow Viburnum Roseum? From January until April, the Mediaverdi greenhouse colours a refreshing green!

Mediaverdi has a whopping 30.000 Viburnum shrubs that they keep in pots on the grounds surrounding their greenhouse. They are outside the whole year, and are only given water. During the month May the plants are given fertilizer to ensure they grow and develop their stems well.

During the winter months, after the carnations have been cleared from the greenhouse, the greenhouse is divided into eight sections, and the viburnum shrubs are brought in one section at a time. This way, the sections bloom one by one, and not all at once. By the time the shrubs are brought into the greenhouse, they have developed their stems and are ready to develop their flowers inside. This process takes approximately six to eight weeks.

During this time the plants are only given water, and are kept at a temperature between 20-25°C. They are only given natural daylight. Careful research has shown that Virburnum don’t thrive under assimilation- or led lights as they would under natural light. As such, Viburnum flowers have relatively little impact on the environment as they are only inside the greenhouse for six to eight weeks and need no extra light. Mediaverdi has solar panels installed, bringing their electricity use to a minimum.  

Madiba is one of the Santini brands from breeder Dekker Chrysanten. Small, and many (up to thirty!) colourful flowers with a long vaselife, and excellent quality are a few of the most important aspects of these Santini. The amount of stems that can be grown grow per square meter make them very interesting for growers to take on. But did you know they also have a special story?

All the cuttings that lie at the base of the Madiba Santinis come from Tanzania. The mother plants are grown at the foot of the Kilimanjaro by 900 Dekker Chrysanten employees. The cuttings are transported to the Netherlands, where several Dutch growers grow them into the high quality Santini that we buy at Hukra.

Madiba is a brand that strongly connects to its African roots. The name of the brand was the nickname for Nelson Mandela and all varieties are named after African cities. But that’s not all. Madiba supports various social projects in Tanzania. One of those is the Sengerema Foundation, which aims to support underprivileged youths in finishing their education and helps them start their own businesses.

The Madiba Santini are available in every kind of flower shape, ranging from deco to daisy and pompon shaped flowers. Dekker makes conscious choices when it comes to the assortment. Only the best varieties are introduced to the market.

In the village of Poeldijk, the Netherlands, you can find Montana Lisianthus. This company has been growing amazing cut flower Lisianthus for over thirty years. Their innovative assortment is full of beautiful and exclusive varieties.

Varieties are selected with care, making sure that whatever the nursery brings to the market is exclusive and of the highest quality. Owners Frank and Corinne both have grown up in the horticultural sector, and as such have a lot of knowledge and are not afraid to try something new.

The assortment spans about 30 varieties, that are grown spread out over the seasons. Darker, warmer colours in Autumn and Winter, and brighter, lighter colours in Spring and Summer. The company looks to introduce new varieties on the market each year, and do this in close collaborations with their breeders. Newer additions to the assortment are the colour changing Blue Chateau, and the lovely freckled variety Stracciatella Lavender.

Other nice varieties that are different from the norm is the Botanic line in various colours and the much loved Bohemian Choco.

Skimmia… What do you think of when you hear the name? The red or greenish flower buds? A hardy autumn and winter shrub that graces us with colour in the darker days of the year? Or… is it the perfect filler for your bouquet or floral arrangements?

Skimmia is mostly grown as a garden shrub, but a couple of growers in the Netherlands also grow it as a cut flower! F. Kuipers has been growing Skimmia for decades, first as a garden plant, but nowadays brothers Ron and Sietse grow it as a cut flower. They specialize in growing high quality flowers in their nursery in Boskoop. Almost all of the Skimmia that we buy at Hukra comes from this nursery.

About one third of the entire production is sold as regular flowers, and two thirds are sold around Christmas time in a variety of painted colours.

Growing Skimmia flowers takes two years. Depending on the variety, the plants are placed into soils plugs, or directly into the pot. Rubella is a variety of which the cuttings are placed directly into the pot, as it is able to develop and grow its roots very fast. Other varieties are placed into the soil plugs, where they are able to develop their roots much better than when being placed directly into the pot. After a couple of weeks, the soil plugs with cuttings are placed into the pot and the plant is allowed to grow fully. The pots are filled for about 90% with soil, and topped off with a layer of fine chopped wood chips. These wood chips are a very dry material that stop moss and weeds from growing on the soil. The first year the plants stay in the greenhouse.

Emiel de Jong is an Ilex grower located in Boskoop, and is known for growing amazing quality Ilex in a variety of colours. On the nursery of 10 hectares, Emiel grows seven different varieties of Ilex Verticillata. Everybody knows Ilex for their colourful berries, but before you get these amazing branches in your hands, they have had quite the unusual journey!

Ilex are a shrub that grow outside in the field. Only the female plants produce berries and they need their male counterparts in their vicinity to do that. So there are typically always a few male plants planted in between the females. Every year during springtime, a local beekeeper installs hives on the grounds of the nursery, so that the bees will aid with the pollination. When the plants develop their berries, nets are installed, to make sure birds can’t get to them.

The Ilex branches that we work with are already two years old! When they grow on the plant, the stem only develops leaves in the first year. It’s during the second year that it starts developing side branches. In the summer, the plant flowers and from those flowers it develops its berries. These start developing around August and from September on, the branches are cut.

The traditional red Ilex is usually only available around Christmas, and before that there are yellow and orange varieties available, like Golden Verboom, Oudijk’s Orange, Ilexia Julia, and Ilexia Victoria, which look amazing in Autumn bouquets and arrangements!

After cutting, the branches are hosed down with water and packed in plastic, and left for at least one to two weeks, depending on the variety. During this time the leaves will turn black and fall off. Then the branches are sorted and packed, and made ready for transport to the auction.

1 2 ►

When Autumn comes rolling around, it’s time for Euphorbia! Strictly seasonal and a challenge to grow, Euphorbia Fulgens is a bit of a niche flower. But we love niche products here at Hukra, and we love learning all about them! Euphorbia is grown by only a handful of growers, who have mastered the art of growing it over the years. Luiten Flowers is one of those growers, and they have been growing Euphorbia for twenty years! 

The journey of an Euphorbia flower starts as a cutting. Luiten Flowers has their own mother plants, from which they take cuttings for about 50% of the flowers they produce. The other 50% of the cuttings are bought, but from next year on, the company will stop buying cuttings and produce all of their own. But that’s not all! As Euphorbia is such a niche product, the growers work together as a tightknit community. Luiten Flowers will produce cuttings for all of the growers from next year on as well.

The cuttings are placed in soil and then transported to a rooting space. This is the most important stage of growing this flower! If the roots don’t develop in the right way, the plant won’t grow to produce the wished quality. But, when the roots develop and grow well, the plant is well manageable and will surely grow to produce the right quality. It takes about six months for a cutting to grow to a flowering stem.

At Hukra, we handle and sell 525.000 stems of Lilies a year on average. Lilies are in our flower top 5, and therefore we need reliable partners who supply us with the cream of the crop. One of our top Lily suppliers is Bredefleur, who supply us with about 40% of the Lilies that we sell. Known for their outstanding quality, this grower produces a whopping 20 million stems a year.

With two locations in the Netherlands, this family company grows about 35 varieties of Lily in their greenhouses in Moerkapelle and Luttelgeest. The company is led by the brothers Peter, Levi, and Thomas. Each brother has their own responsibilities within the company, creating a broad and good base to work from.

Originally, Bredefleur’s assortment consisted of only single flowered Lilies, but they recently acquired a new greenhouse in Moerkapelle, which allows them to experiment with the growing of double flowered Lilies as well. Double varieties require different conditions for optimal growth, and are often more suitable for growing in crates than from the ground. As this new greenhouse was originally designed for pot plants and has a container system, this allows for double varieties to be grown in crates, enabling Bredefleur to expand their assortment.

Lilies are a bulbous crop, and the bulbs get delivered to Bredefleur in crates. The bulbs are placed in a cooling unit at freezing temperatures for several days. This triggers the growth of the flower in the bulb. The bulb is then allowed to thaw, before being brought to the greenhouse for planting. The planting of the bulbs happens with the use of a machine, operated by one single person. The machine plants the bulbs in neat rows, so that every bulb has enough space to develop their flower.

Within 8-10 weeks on average a full grown Lily stem can be harvested.  Bredefleur harvests their Lilies in a riper stage. This increases the vase life of the flowers. But it also makes sure that the Lilies can be enjoyed almost right away in the arrangements they are put in, as the flowers open a bit quicker.  

Who hasn’t heard of Wans Roses? This family company, located in Straelen, Germany has been growing cut-roses since 1975. Since 2011 they specialize in English type garden roses, scented wedding roses, and roses with exceptional colours. Strictly seasonal, the roses are available from early March until the end of October. Wans’ assortment contains thirty two varieties, which produce around 5.6 million stems a year, and are grown in a modern greenhouse, spanning 42,500 m² .

Last year, we had the opportunity to visit this fantastic grower and learned a lot about the process of how these beauties are grown. Wans Roses grows their roses in a sustainable and CO2-Neutral way. During the cultivation period of approximately five years, the rose plants grow in special coconut substrate on culture channels, which facilitates harvesting work. The greenhouses are heated with sustainable waste heat from three modern combined heat and power plants, which are operated exclusively with renewable energy resources. As of 2022 they also use a new wood chip boiler, whenever there are higher heart requirements. This way the company reduced their C02-emissions by 3,120 tons per year.

1 2 ►

Groot&Groot Peonies is a grower of high quality Peony cutflowers and roots. With production locations and partners in the Netherlands, France, Italy, and South-Africa they are able to provide fresh Peonies year-round.

Their flower assortment spans 39 different varieties and their unique methods during cultivation, harvesting, and processing ensures the highest possible quality. Groot&Groot’s strenght lies within their strict selection process of their harvested flowers. This ensures that every trolley leaving their company has a uniform look and that all flowers in each bucket are the same size. This is exactly why we – at Hukra – are such fans of this company! Groot&Groot is innovative and continuously reviews their assortment. This way, they strive to offer the newest and best varieties available!

The flower
Peonies are a classic garden plant and it’s classified as a perennial. This means that it will flower more than once during its lifespan. The plants can grow up to 100 cm tall and they can last more than ten years.

When grown outside, peonies have a flowering span of about two weeks. The period in which they flower depends on the climate in which they are grown, but this is usually during spring time. A peony plant can produce between 6 to 15 flowers, depending on the variety and the circumstances under which they are grown.

The flowers are cut by hand, so that only the flowers of the best quality and in the right stage are cut at the right time. Groot&Groot does not apply large scale harvesting mechanisms, as this might damage the flower.

Multiple locations
Groot&Groot has multiple partners and production locations in other countries. All locations use the same cultivation standards and harvesting process so that the flowers are of equal quality and standards.

The peonies from Italy are the earliest in the year and are available during March and April, followed by France (flowers available in May and June), the Netherlands (flowers available in July and August), and (this year for the first time) South Africa, from which the flowers will be available from October to January.

On Monday April 17th, Hukra Stockholm organized another workshop, together with Smithers-Oasis and florist Heidi Mikkonen! Once again, our customers could work with products from Oasis’s FirbreFloral line. This is one of Oasis’s newest products and made from natural ingredients. The product is derived from natural volcanic basalt rock and has excellent water holding capacity.

And of course, we had lovely seasonal and novelty flowers from our sponsors for our customers to work with! For this edition, the flowers were sponsored by Groot&Groot, Deliflor Chrysanten, Wans Roses, Monarch Flowers, Gia Flowers, and van der Valk Groenesier.

For an impression of the event, click on the photos in the gallery below!

1 2 ... 7 ►

W.F. Leenen is a family company which was established in 1954, and is located in Voorhout, the Netherlands. Brothers Jaco and Dirk are the third generation of growers to lead the company. They specialize in the growing, forcing, breeding, and export of Narcissus bulbs and cut flowers. Their assortment spans about twenty varieties, of which part is of their own invention. They produce about four million stems a year and their bulbs are exported all over the world!

Growing Process
Their bulbs are grown on seashells from the North Sea, so that they are completely free of soil when exported. It also ensures less production loss as the bulbs are less likely to be infected by diseases. The shells can be used up to three times, and as time progresses they fall apart and become of an almost sand like structure. W.F. Leenen has been growing their Daffodils this way for over twenty five years.
After the bulbs are forced, they are placed in cold storage for a period of four weeks. This will cause the flower bud, which already exists within the bulb, to start developing. After that the pallet boxes in which the bulbs are grown are placed in the greenhouse, where they will remain for another four weeks until harvest. During this time, the leaves and flower buds will fully develop.

LS Santini is located in Bleiswijk, the Netherlands, and has existed for over thirty years. It’s a true family company, with three of the five children working in the nursery. Daughter Juliska, who is responsible for sales , is the one to lead us around in the greenhouse. LS Santini’s assortment consists of exclusive Santini varieties, like Rossi and Calimero.

The company is known for producing high quality Santini, which are harvested by hand every day. Fresh flowers? You got it! On first sight, the greenhouse looks quite different from what one might expect from a chrysanthemum grower. Instead of having one variety per section as is usual, LS Santini plants multiple varieties in smaller amounts in each section. The result is a colourful blanket of flowers, which are worked through on a daily basis. Only the stems in the right flowering stadium with uniform quality are harvested. The flowers are packed in the greenhouse itself, which also contributes to the high quality standard. After all, the line of communication between the person packing the flowers, and the people harvesting them is short, so it’s easy to adjust if necessary.

Like many other growers nowadays, LS Santini has LED-lights installed in their greenhouse, which reduces their use of electricity by 30-40%. Alongside that, eight dehumidifiers have been installed recently, which reduced the use of gas by 30%. But these are not the only environmentally conscious decisions the company has taken. Six years ago, owner Wilco decided to try a completely different approach to growing Santini. A careful study of plant physiological processes resulted in a new and natural way of growing top quality Santini.

So what is it that is so special about the company’s way of growing Santini that makes them stand out from the rest?

The answer lies in their soil.

On Tuesday February 7th, Hukra Stockholm organized a workshop, together with Smithers-Oasis and florist Heidi Mikkonen, during which our customers could work with products from Oasis’s FirbreFloral line. This is one of Oasis’s newest products and made from natural ingredients. The product is derived from natural volcanic basalt rock and has excellent water holding capacity.

Each participant could make two different arrangements. It was wonderful to have so many people together, to share inspiration and enthusiasm. We had amazing flowers sponsored by Dekker Chrysanten, W.F. Leenen, Jac Oudijk Gerbera’s, XL Tulips, van der Valk Groenesier, Könst Alstroemeria, and Together2Grow.

For an impression of the event, click on the photos in the gallery below!

1 2 ... 4 ►

You might have seen them in our webshop again! Helleborus Aarendelle through the direct link to the Helleborus assortment of Sonneveld Hydrangea. Sonneveld grows Hydrangeas during the Summer season, and during the winter season they have some amazing Helleborus varieties. All the varieties that Sonneveld grows are of the Aarendelle series. These are known for their sturdy stems, big flowers, and long vase life. Sonneveld grows three of the Aarendelle lines: Sara, Bella, and Nora, and the shades range from pink to purple and dark red.

Sonneveld Hydrangea is a true family company, run by the brothers Piet, Henk, and Steve. Their grandfather started the company in 1927, and over the years they have changed from a vegetable grower to a grower of quality cut flowers. A few years ago the brothers came in contact with a German breeder who was developing a new series of cut Helleborus. Thinking that this would be an interesting flower to grow in the winter season, they decided to give it a try.

They put some of the Helleborus varieties in a small part of their greenhouse, and were quick to discover the cultivation of this flower is very natural, but not easy! A few years down the line, Sonneveld has mastered the cultivation of Helleborus and has expanded the amount of crops in their greenhouse.

The thee lines of Helleborus Aarendelle that Sonneveld grows, each have their own distinct features. The Bella produces large flowers on a thick unbranched stem, while the Sara produces multiple blooms on branched stems. Nora is known for their extra-long stems.
Helleborus grow best in colder temperatures. Therefore their production is rather sustainable, as there is no need for gas to warm the greenhouse. The flowers are cut by hand with a special knife that releases a drop of milk onto the plant to close off the wound. This protects the plants against diseases. After harvesting the flowers are placed into water with a bactericidal pre-treatment agent. This ensures the flowers’ long vaselife. No flower food is needed!