The sunflower may well be labeled as the queen of summer flowers. In nature, the flower rotates with the sun; a true sun worshiper who lives up to her name. At night, the flower turns back east to pick up the first beams as soon as the sun comes up!

We all know the yellow version of the sunflower, of course. But in addition to the many different yellow varieties, the sunflower is also available in orange, cream, brown and even dark red. There are small flowers, large flowers, and flowers with single or double edged petals. We spoke to Mark Bouw of KMB Flowers, who has a number of these special varieties in his range.

KMB Flowers
Mark's parents have a livestock farm and Mark inherited his business sense from his parents. Although he likes to have a beer with his father, as he says laughingly, he didn't want to run the company with him. Ten years ago Mark planted 3ha of summer flowers, including a number of sunflowers and found out he really liked cultivating sunflowers. Since then he has expanded his garden in the Netherlands to about 40ha and in Spain he has added another 80ha. With the cultivation in Spain, Mark can extend his season. In Spain Mark grows sunflowers from mid-March to the end of November, mid-December. From June to September, the supply from the Netherlands is added.

Cultivation
The cultivation of sunflowers is relatively simple, says Mark and it has a low environmental impact. After the seeds have been planted, growth is almost automatic. Mark uses integrated crop protection, he only has to spray a small amount once during the growth against weeds, after that it is a matter of hoeing. After the flowers have been cut, the field is cleared and ready to be sowed again.

Exclusive species
Growing exclusive varieties is what Mark enjoys most about his profession. He grows a number of special varieties, which he grows exclusively. The Sunrich Upface Gold, Sunrich Limoncello, Ziggy, Marley, Pro Cut White Night and Prado Red. These are varieties that are particularly striking because of their special color and with which a florist can distinguish themselves. These varieties are not supplied in very large numbers, but remain exclusive.

Tip from Mark
Before the sunflowers go into the vase, it is important that they are cut at an angle and that excess leaves are removed. After that they can be placed in a clean vase with lukewarm water and a drop of bleach. The sunflower has very 'hairy' stems, making them susceptible to bacteria. Do not give them too much water, but regularly top up with lukewarm water. This keeps the water fresh and prevents the flowers from hanging. Whichever variety you put in a vase, this flower always puts a big smile on everyone’s face and gives off a nice summer feeling.

FloraPodium, 29 July 2021