As the days get longer and warmer, the season flowering plants and Mediterranean herbs from Italy are really picking up speed. "From January, the sales of fresh Italian herbs already started at retail level and since the end of March, consumers have been able to buy flowering plants from Italian producers as well," says Matthias Ribkens, head of the Retail Pot Plants division at Landgard Flowers & Plants. "Since they are flowering earlier that the domestically cultivated plants, our Italian goods gave the perfect colorful start to the bedding and balcony season, and it was just in time for Easter this year."
Matthias Ribkens and Jochen Mewes
The demand from the consumers for flowering plants and herbs from Italy has been very high from the start this year - also due to the restrictions caused by the corona, Matthias Ribkens explains: "Sales are particularly good for herbs in pot size 14, for example. For flowering plants, the typical Italian products such as daisies, lavender and other early flowering plants in the assortment are doing very well. Still, people are more at home than usual, which of course plays a big role in the high demand. Looking at the corona pandemic, we as a producer cooperative can compensate for any closures in other sales areas and the total volume of products marketed from Italy is at a high level, as last year - not least thanks to the good coordination by our partner Dieter Kicherer and their team at the Italy service on site."
While the total amount of annual and biennial plants marketed by Landgard from around 70 production companies in the Albenga region fell slightly last year due to the effects of the corona pandemic, the amount of individual products, such as osteospermum, has increased more than eight-fold. In the case of Euryops and other bedding plants from Italy, the quantity and value of the goods have almost or more than doubled.
In the herb sector, Italian kitchen classics such as Rosemary remained at a consistent high level in the past year. The quantities and value of Italian salvia at Landgard rose by a third in 2020.
Landgard producer Jochen Mewes also confirms that flowering plants and herbs from Italy are trendy among gardening enthusiasts: “After having had the impression over the past ten years that above all new technologies are in demand, flowers and plants now have for many people again a significantly higher priority. This is certainly also due to the fact that the green industry has adapted to the present times and relies more on professional marketing to get people excited about flowers and plants. Landgard has also made a major contribution to this with its concepts, brands and licenses.” In the Albenga region, Jochen Mewes and his team produce dianthus, osteospermum and other typical Italian flowering plants on an area of 10 ha under glass and outdoors.
After a rather cold and dark start to the year, the chairman of the Italian regional advisory board of Landgard eG has a very positive overall view of the 2021 season: “The demand for our products at home and abroad is currently even higher than the supply. The cool autumn last year was very good for the plants, so we can count on good quality in all of our crops."
Landgard Service GmbH
Veilingstraße T1200
47638 Straelen - Herongen
T: +49 2839 59-1127
www.landgard.de