Circulation plan in place to manage fuel tourism traffic

At the business parks Hazeldonk, Meer and Business Centre Treeport (BCT) along the E19 in Meer, a circulation plan will be introduced to prevent through traffic from ending up in traffic jams caused by fuel tourism. Many international drivers come to Belgium to purchase fuel, as prices there are significantly lower than in the Netherlands.

Smarter irrigation: what growers learn from field trials in Zundert

One summer, growers face excess water, the next they deal with drought. Therefore, for tree nurseries in the Zundert growing area, water management is becoming increasingly important. Within the Irrigation Techniques project, entrepreneurs, advisors and the water board are investigating how water can be used more efficiently in open field cultivation. Field trials at companies, including Hergo Boomkwekerij, show that better measurements and smarter techniques can quickly lead to water savings, without compromising cultivation.

New Variety: Agapanthus Lady Series (Lady Lauren & Lady Lay)

Within the expanding range of Agapanthus selections, the Lady series holds a clear position. The series has been developed with a strong focus on three key traits: exceptionally long flowering (over 100 days per year), a high number of flower stems, and healthy, robust foliage.

This directly addresses three important market demands: extended retail shelf life, strong visual impact on the sales bench, and reliable garden performance. Within the series, Agapanthus ‘Lady Lauren’ and ‘Lady Lay’ are two key representatives, each with its own identity but based on the same genetic foundation.

The Lady series is globally propagated and commercially distributed by three specialised growers: Gootjes-AllPlant, Deroose Plants and Vitro Westland. This ensures scale, continuity and international availability.

Children vote for Lavender as Garden Plant of 2026!

On Wednesday 18 March, four classes from primary schools in Schijf, Zundert, Rijsbergen, and Effen stepped into the voting booth for Boomstemdag (Tree Voting Day).

Grower’s Pride: Acer palmatum ‘Atropurpureum’

Acer palmatum ‘Atropurpureum’ is one of the most widely recognised cultivars within the range of Japanese maples. The variety is valued for its deep purple-red foliage and elegant growth habit, characteristics that have made it a long-standing favourite in gardens and landscape design. At Hoogenraad Handelskwekerijen the cultivar is grown with a strong focus on uniformity, plant quality and professional market supply. Its distinctive colour, manageable size and consistent performance make ‘Atropurpureum’ a reliable product for garden centres, landscapers and export markets.

Compact Hydrangea conquers the market

In a market where hydrangeas are widely available in large volumes, it may seem difficult to introduce a truly distinctive variety. Yet that is exactly what Jean-Pierre van der Peijl of Van der Peijl Tuinplanten has achieved. With his so-called Little Hydrangea concept, he developed a series of compact hydrangeas that naturally remain low-growing, aligning better with consumer expectations. What started as a simple observation in a garden centre has grown into a proprietary line with international protection and distribution far beyond Europe.

New Variety: Buddleja ‘Birthday Cake’ by Van Vliet New Plants

With Buddleja ‘Birthday Cake’, a compact butterfly bush enters the market that stands out for its abundant flowering and long ornamental value. The purple flowers appear stacked above the plant, creating an effect reminiscent of a layered birthday cake. This gives the plant a full and eye-catching appearance.

A practical advantage is that the flowers turn brown much less quickly during the fading stage compared with many other varieties. As a result, the plant remains visually attractive for a longer period at the garden centre.

Young plants of ‘Birthday Cake’ are exclusively available through Florensis, which markets the variety internationally to professional growers.

Scan smarter: AI cameras guard biodiversity at nursery

Knowing what flying and creeping creatures are present at a location is crucial in agriculture and horticulture, but manually monitoring insects is sheer drudgery. That is about to change. With the results from the project ‘Automatic Insect monitoring at and around nurseries’, North Brabant can fully focus on digitisation to increase biodiversity and refine crop protection.