Inspiration Page

We try to give you a small glimpse into the world of Wedding and Events flowers in different ways; for instance by highlighting a special product that we think is particularly suitable for events, but also by offering interesting facts and news, but most of all by including photos of flower arrangements and decorations for inspiration. Have you seen or made something special and would you like to share it with us? Then send your photos to: 

info@florapodium.com.

A few weeks ago we already had the opportunity to get acquainted with the Madiba® Yelow Bokaa on the FloraPodium. Everyone was very enthusiastic about this cheerful, brightly colored flower. An interesting product, and very suitable for bouquets. The Madiba line has about 16 varieties, all of which are very lovable and have an extremely long vase life.

We went to the south of the country where we visited two of the three Madiba nurseries together with trade marketing professional Gerben van der Vlist.

Madiba

Madiba is Nelson Mandela's nickname. The Madiba flowers are named after him. Nelson Mandela has brought equality across Africa, bringing different people together. His positive appearance is translated in the different colors and flowers of Madiba.

The cultivar names of the species are named after villages in Tanzania, where the cuttings are also made. The Madiba Group supports the Sengerema Foundation, which offers underprivileged Tanzanian young people the opportunity to develop. They often had to cancel their education due to lack of money. The foundation gives them new training and the opportunity for microcredit if they have a good plan for their own business. More than 800 young people have now followed courses and, thanks to our support, more than 300 new businesses have been started by young people in Tanzania.

John van de Westeringh, of the Westeringh Flowers nursery, is the founder of the Madiba varieties. About sixteen years ago he introduced the Madiba together with breeder Dekker Chrysanten. He currently grows the Madiba together with Kees de Jongh, from the Kees de Jongh flower nursery and Maurice van Tuijl, from the De Monnikenwaard nursery. Gerben ensures a tight schedule and relieves the growers by taking care of a large part of the sales and he manages customer relationships. In this way, the three growers can optimally match the demand of the market and be involved in the cultivation itself as much as possible. Because that is where their passion lies.

Madiba vs Santini

Despite the fact that the flowers are auctioned under the Santini group name, there are a number of major differences that make the Madiba a truly distinctive product. Gerben would therefore prefer to have his own auction group.

A Madiba has at least 30 flower buds on a branch, a Santini usually has 8 to 10 flower buds. The flowers of the Madiba are a maximum of 2 cm wide, those of a Santini are much larger. A Santini often has one main bud on top of the stem with a number of side branches. The Madiba really has a bunch of flowers at the top of the stem.

This makes the Madiba very suitable for use in bouquets. It is available in many different shapes and colours, so that there is a suitable variety for every bouquet. In addition, the Madiba really has the x-factor with regard to her lovely appearance! It is a sweet, cute flower to see.

Cultivation

The Madiba cuttings are made by breeder Dekker Chrysanten in Tanzania, where all conditions are ideal for first growth.

When the cuttings are about 10cm, they are delivered to the growers and there they are planted in the soil. After planting, it takes about 8 weeks before the flowers are cut. The box is then cut empty in one go. This is what makes Gerben's planning so important. About seven areas are cut every week. A week later the next seven. Due to the tight planning, the cultivation of the three growers is synchronized in a way that they can offer their entire range every week and respond directly to market demand.

FloraPodium, 30 September 2021