In Bocholt in the Belgian province of Limburg, Johan Stessens grows perennials, ornamental grasses, ferns and herbs. In his own words, he specialises in diversification, growing 1,650 different cultivars. This means his customers don't have to drive on to Boskoop. “I'm located in the centre of the world,” he says.
“In August, it’s like a Rubens or Van Gogh painting down here,” says Botanisk owner Johan Stessens (56) as he overlooks his nursery from the balcony of the office building. Whether those are the right painters to make the comparison with his nursery in Bocholt, Belgium, is debatable. Nevertheless, the journalists from across Europe visiting Belgian Limburg at the invitation of the Flemish Centre for Agro and Fisheries Marketing (VLAM) know what he means. The patchwork of perennials, ornamental grasses, herbs and ferns in the open field, the tunnel greenhouses and the old glass greenhouses sandwiched between neighbouring houses must indeed be a picturesque sight in the summer months.
Stessens' nursery has only grown more colourful over the years. When he took over the business from garden architect Jo Raemen a decade ago, the assortment consisted of 700 cultivars. Today, it comprises 1,650. “I specialise in diversification,” Stessens says, delivering a one-liner. It won't be his last on this Tuesday afternoon, April 8. It should be noted, however, that he grows all his plants in pot size p 9, allowing him to achieve the best price-quality ratio. His nursery is currently too small to use larger pot sizes, and there is no room to expand its 3.5 ha cultivation area.
