Life & Garden is the first garden centre in the Netherlands with FFP Orchids

Life & Garden is the first nationwide chain of garden centres to have added Fair Flowers Fair Plants (FFP) orchids to its range. On 26 January – the first day of the annual Orchid week at Life & Garden – the starting shot will be given for the inclusion of sustainable plants in the Life & Garden range. Part of the range on sale during the orchid week will be made up of FFP orchids. The week begins on 26 January and runs until 3 February.

Life & Garden has produced shop materials together with FFP to make the products clearly recognisable and to provide the consumer with information. FFP is also mentioned in the eye-catching leaflet delivered to consumers’ homes.

In addition, the Minister of Housing, Spatial Planning and the Environment, Ms Cramer, will be presented with the first FFP-labelled orchid at Life & Garden on 26 January. The sustainable orchid grower L. van der Weijden and representatives of Fair Flowers Fair Plants will also be in attendance at the presentation.

Fair Flowers and Plants
The choice of sustainable orchids arose from the decision made by Life & Garden to stock products with the FFP label. The Fair Flowers Fair Plants (FFP) label is an international consumer label for flowers and plants cultivated in a sustainable manner. Growers from all over the world and traders and retailers from all over Europe are registered with FFP.

Life & Garden is the first nationwide chain of garden centres in the Netherlands add sustainably-cultivated orchids with the FFP quality mark to its range. This type of cultivation not only means a low impact on the environment; good working conditions within the enterprise are also assured. By stocking products with this label, Life & Garden is working towards a better living environment.
This expansion of Life & Garden in its 24 branches (3 of which are in Belgium) will certainly ensure greater consumer familiarity with the FFP label.

Sustainable orchid
This step has been taken in collaboration with the grower, Kwekerij L. van der Weijden, in Kudelstaart. The grower supplies the sustainably cultivated orchids to Life & Garden. The greenhouses of this nursery are heated with water that is warmed by the sun in the summer. Used water is also collected and reused. The grower works with so-called closed greenhouses, meaning that lower quantities of crop protection agents are required.

Expansion of range
In 2009, Life & Garden will come together with its supplier, Waterdrinker, to look into the possibilities of expanding the range of FFP plants. They will also look at the supply of other sustainable forms of packaging (bags made from starch), and biodegradable labels and pots.