Auctioneers' column: The first signs of spring

Looking forward to spring? Auctioneer Luus Hooyman certainly is! This week, she takes you along what she sees and experiences on the clock every day. With a sharp eye and a personal touch, she shares how supply and demand come together, and the market finds its balance. She also talks about the first bulb flowers appearing on the clock and the key moments for roses, such as Valentine's Day.

The first signs of spring at the clock

After the snow and ice at the beginning of this year, beautiful as it was, many people are longing for sunshine and colour again. This trend is clearly reflected in the supply. The clock is filled with bulb flowers such as tulips, daffodils and hyacinths. The wide variety in colours and shapes is great, making these flowers true heralds of spring.

The tulip season also got off to a festive start, with pick-your-own gardens in Amsterdam and Antwerp, among other places, on National Tulip Day. At the same time, the supply and prices of other flowers is lagging behind compared to January last year. Due to snow, ice and increased costs, some growers have opted to leave their greenhouses cold during the winter and produce less this year. This has a direct impact on the supply at the auction.

This year again, attention is being drawn to the campaign by hyacinth growers under the name AYA. Today, 30 January, they’re supporting young adults with cancer through this initiative. A wonderful effort that shows that flowers mean more than just commerce.

Roses: year-round, but with fixed moments

A few months ago, I switched to one of the rose auction clocks. With roses, you see less of the seasons, because this flower is available all year round. What matters most here are fixed moments such as Valentine's Day and Mother's Day.

The rose clock is a central clock. This means that roses from Aalsmeer, Naaldwijk and Rijnsburg are auctioned together. It’s striking that buyers often buy very specifically by name. Reliability is important: the product must be available every day.

The rose remains one of the most iconic flowers. A rose can express love, gratitude, comfort or any other emotion. Red and pink are particularly popular. It's wonderful that there is a day each year when love takes centre stage. In fact, we could do with a bit more of that: more love for flowers.

Time for green houseplants

In January, green houseplants take center stage. As the Christmas tree makes its exit, a houseplant takes its place. This trend is not only visible among consumers, but also within Royal FloraHolland itself. All employees recently received a beautiful Ficus lyrata. It was nice to see colleagues heading home with such a large green plant. It shows how plants contribute to atmosphere and well-being.

As Valentine's Day approaches, the focus shifts from green to flowering plants. The moth orchid in particular is doing well during this period. Although roses will of course dominate the upcoming Valentine's Day period.

A touch of spring

The days are slowly growing longer. There may still be some night frost, but once the sun comes out, it’s the perfect invitation to step outside. During a walk, you can already spot the first buds of bulb flowers starting to appear.

Maybe you'll stop at a grower's stall along the way to pick up a bouquet of tulips or take a tour of the garden centre where the potted bulbs are already on inviting display. It already has that hint of spring in the air, and I’m excited for it!