IPM Essen in Germany

Well they say better late than never..... apart from a few exceptions like receiving a bill.

In any event another year has passed and as usual the team at Tesselaar faced the usual challenge of dragging ourselves off the beach and overcoming the post Christmas wish that our holidays were longer to make our annual pilgrimage to the mecca of Horticulture - IPM Essen in Germany.

This year’s show, like those in the years preceding it, was a source of inspiration that continues to surprise me each year with the innovation, presentation and sheer beauty of the industry I am lucky enough to work in.

Despite the seasonal challenges (it’s cold and snowy and certainly not the best time to be showing plants), working with perishable items and constant changes in fashion and peoples preferences; each year the displays and the presentation of material continue to motivate us to do that little bit more and continually improve our offerings.

Attached are some images that I couldn’t help pick out of the thousands of pictures I took for their creativity, colour and sometimes fun way of presenting plants and how they can be used to brighten our lives.

A few comments about the images chosen:

Clogs on the wall – the ultimate way to make sure discarded items find a second life / use in beautifying surroundings or brightening someone’s day.

Kombi Classic – who said “Flower Power”, had gone after the 60’s; it was just waiting for its chance to be reborn as retro fashion.

Mother in Laws are not all bad - An old favourite used innovatively and I don’t know what goes into braiding or plaiting succulents; (especially as a father who struggles to do his daughters hair and encourages her to wear caps when Mum is away) but these simple succulents have a wow factor.

Blocks of Colour – this was my personal favourite display from IPM. It was simple, cheap to construct and added so much fun and the ability to block colour and cross merchandise for retailers in a way that had instant pick me up appeal. This is something that would even have me buying horticultural products without an industry discount.

Hedge trimmer’s nightmare – As a gardener who has large hedges surrounding my property andEnglish Box hedge borders throughout, I could not begin to contemplate the amount of work that goes into making the beetle and maintaining it.

Not something for everyone but it certainly has its place and carried the galloping horse qualification e.g. you had to stop and admire it. Well that is it for another year and hope you find the inspiration from the images to get gardening and look at ways to brighten your surrounds for the year ahead.

Well that is it for another year and hope you find the inspiration from the images to get gardening and look at ways to brighten your surrounds for the year ahead.