Many European countries have embraced the Green City concept.  In Germany, it’s Die grüne Stadt, in France it’s Cité Verte and de Groene Stad in The Netherlands.   Whatever the name however, the Green City concept is similar from country to country and promotes the numerous environmental, financial and societal benefits to be realized through the planting of more trees, shrubs and flowers in our urban environments.

Nursery managers are starting to notice that the growing Green City concept is definitely good for business.  Notes nursery grower Jan:  “ Sales from municipalities are definitely on the increase.  And it’s not just an increase in tree plantings.  More and more, citizens are calling for their towns and cities to provide them with more color.  Aesthetics is becoming increasingly important.”

Acknowledging that the 20 percent increase in sales from municipalities was not likely to continue into the near future given the state of the global economy, Jan also noted that “We deal with today’s realities today, but we always have our eye on the future and right now, we’re focused on the post-recession situation.  And the Green City," he adds, "will definitely play a large role."

“Keeping an eye on the future,” means many things to this nursery company, including stepping up their plant breeding program.  With the municipal sector across Europe, especially in Germany, The Netherlands and Belgium as their main client base, this Dutch company is able to carve out a niche for themselves in this competitive marketplace through the development and introduction of new plant varieties.  “Of course aesthetics are important, but we’re especially focused on finding and introducing plants that perform better in the harsh urban environment.  Plants that are more salt tolerant, or have an expanded flowering period and especially those that require less maintenance are all of interest to our clients.”  The philosophy of the right plant in the right place prevails yet again.

This new environmental awareness and its resulting impacts is a political and societal trend that has only partly been influenced by the economic downturn.   Notes Jan, “All sectors of the ornamental horticulture industry, including growers, retailers and landscapers are in a position to realize the benefits of the Green City concept, but they must continually look to the future, not just to where they are today.”