Blog

Tips & Tricks When you see these beauties… you know that spring has arrived. With their unique bell-shaped flowers and amazing smells, the Lily of the Valley is a real spring staple. It is said that these flowers symbolize luck and prosperity as well as ‘the return of happiness.’ This we can believe, because just look at them! Also known as Convallaria majalis, the Lily of the Valley is a unique and delicate flower. When you unpack a delicate product like Lily of the Valley, make sure to be careful not to damage them by unboxing your flowers. Follow the steps below to ensure the best-looking flowers.

Webshop We're thrilled to announce the expansion of our Origin Direct collection to include breathtaking flowers from Ecuador! As some of you may already know, we've been offering flowers sourced directly from farms in South Africa, Kenya, and Colombia, delivered straight from the farms to your doorstep. And now, you can also enjoy your favorite flowers sourced directly from Ecuador. We will add so many beautiful flowers. You’re familiar with the stunning FSQ Roses right? Now, they’re available in the South America stock for attractive prices!

Inspiration The ranunculus flower is a real eye-catcher, even though it is not as famous as a rose or tulip, it is still a hidden gem that everyone should know about! The ranunculus is known for its full heads and layered petals, and they fit into all palettes and themes because of the many color choices.

Webshop The season of love, white wedding dresses, rustic locations and emotional vows is around the corner. No worries, Hoek flowers is here to help… Let’s talk about this feature

Inside Hoek One of the big advantages of being a Hoek Exclusive member? I would say: Hoek Flower Trips! Meeting florists, growers and discovering the ins and outs of flower business in another country. This time our journey brought us, together with an amazing group of florists, to the gorgeous Riviera dei Fiori, aka The Flower Coast. This informative and fun trip is all about discovering the origin and cultivation method of the Mediterranean products we offer in our web shop. A mixed group of florists from the UK, Northern Ireland, Ireland, and the US gathered to join the Hoek team on this great adventure.

Inside Hoek One thing every florist has in common… buying flowers. Some buy their flowers locally, some buy them everywhere, and some buy them loyally. At Hoek flowers we recognize the dedication and hard work that goes into finding the right flowers that fit with your work and style, but also budget and color palette. There are many things you must keep in mind when you purchase your flowers, especially for weddings or events.

Webshop We have some exciting news! We are expanding our Origin Direct stocks with flowers straight from the beautiful country of… Kenya. As many of you might know, we already do this with flowers from South America and South Africa, straight from the farms to your doorstep! South Africa, South America, and Kenya might sound similar, but when it comes to flowers, there are a lot of differences. Read on and find out! A few of our buyers visited our growers in Kenya in October, they were able to visit twelve farms and they told us everything about them so, we have put together this blog about the country and its flowers. Among all the countries of the African continent, Kenya is the largest exporter of cut flowers. Buyer Cees explains: “Many flowers are grown in Kenya, and the number is still increasing. About 10 years ago, mainly roses came from Kenya. But times are changing. Now, all types of summer flowers come from there as well”. This is why we wanted to offer you the ability to purchase flowers direct from these farms too, no unnecessary travel stops but straight to your flower shop.

Inside Hoek January… the first month of a new year, sounds exciting but it can be a bit depressing also. The Christmas lights and trees disappear, everything goes back to normal, and the first upcoming holiday takes a while. That’s why we want to spread some positivity and smiles and what better way to do that than with flowers? Instead of feeling blue, we’re going Pink!

Inspiration As we all know, pink is a very common color in flowers. It has always been the ‘association’ with women, girls and femininity – take for example: the movie Barbie. Since the Barbie movie hit the screens, it did more than just entertain, it brought a big pink wave along. Suddenly, everybody seemed to love this bright color even more, it became trendy everywhere. In fashion, decorations, aesthetics and even flowers. For the woman among us, let’s be honest… That little girl inside of us is jumping of joy to see pink everywhere! That’s why we say today: Think Pink!

Inspiration If someone asks you ‘White as…?’ then probably the first thing that comes to mind is snow! It is winter and who doesn’t like a white one? It is the same with weddings, the most common choice of colour for wedding flowers is white – this is because white has of course been the traditional colour for bridal dresses for ages. Dating back to Queen Victoria’s wedding in 1840, where she chose to wear white. This tradition has influenced the choice of white in other wedding elements, including flowers. White wedding flowers are also versatile, they pair good with other colours and complement various wedding styles, from classic and traditional to modern and minimalist. White is also often seen as a colour that represents new beginnings and a fresh start, which is fitting for a wedding day, showing the start of a new chapter in the love birds life. Overall, white is very suitable for a wedding, in every aspect, but today we are talking about white wedding flowers – as usual ;) We have selected our favorite white wedding flowers for you, read on and maybe they will be your faves too!

Sustainablity In the middle of April, we launched our new sustainable flower box. These boxes are made of 100% recycled materials, and re-usable up to 200 times! Before, we were sending all our flowers in cardboard boxes. Although we picked up most of the boxes and recycled them, nothing beats this newly invented box. We’ve teamed up with a company called ‘Newwen’, they are focusing on sustainability by making everything recyclable, reusable and they’re moving towards zero waste and 100% sustainability. Together with one of our florists, Jolanta from ‘The Secret Garden Flowers’, we reviewed the box and spoke about how this box changed things for her. We shared the interview with Newwen and they made an amazing article, one I’d like to share with you.

Inspiration The festive season is coming closer, and it’s the perfect time to fill your shops with red flowers! A signature color during Christmas. Whether we talk about a Carnation or Greenery, a lot can fit into the Christmas palette, and in this blog, we’ll look at some of the most loved red flowers that are perfect for the holiday season. Curious, or in need of inspiration? Read on! Like you may have seen, we posted a reel on Instagram with red flowers. You’ve seen Carnations, Amaryllis, and yes, Peonies! In the video you’ll see specific varieties, but I’ll give you similar flowers too so you can choose!

Inspiration It’s almost that time of the year when jingle bells ring, Christmas decorations are in full swing and the flower shops are turned into true Winter Wonderlands. As a florist you are the Santa of the flower world, and you must deliver joy all the time… Your flower shop turns into the coziest place in town, at least, after you pay a visit to our decoration stock! We have the most stylish, yet traditional Christmas decorations that are worth having a look! Curious about what we offer? Read on and find out!

Inspiration Halloween is just a few days away and we already have seen a lot of cool and spooky creations that our florists made. Flowers in pumpkins, all the orange tones and of course the spooky twists, take for example the waxed roses. They are perfect to use in a Halloween arrangement! In this blog I’ll show you exactly what flowers you need to make your flower arrangements look spook-tastic! Everything black and orange works for this theme, but also the wild and wiggly flowers! For example, Euphorbia or Black Zantedeschia. I’ll tell you all about them!

Inside Hoek

In the Netherlands it’s becoming colder, leaves start to fall, flowers are changing colors and everything is getting cozy. Especially Hydrangeas start to change, as you may know, Hydrangeas in fall are unique in color. I hear you thinking… Isn’t every flower unique? Yes, of course, but Hydrangeas literally change colors on it’s own. A green variety can be green/red the next week. How cool is that? On this fall trip, we wanted to show our florists the magic of walking in such a greenhouse, filled with the most beautiful varieties and colors. Even better, have lunch in between them. Want to know more about our amazing adventures? Read along and maybe we will write about our trip with you in our next blog! In the intro we talk about the Hydrangea part of the journey, but we did so much more! We went to the Tulperij to pick Sunflowers and Dahlias, went to VIP Roses, had a boat tour through the cozy city of Leiden, we showed the place all the magic happens: our HQ, went to have lunch in the greenhouse of Ko Kolk, and most important of all – we had the BEST time together with our florists.

Inspiration There is something magical when it comes to winter weddings, it’s like a fairytale with a frosty twist. In this blog, we’ll discuss some of our favorite winter flowers that make a perfect match for a winter wedding. Whether you’re a bride-to-be or a flower-loving florist, let’s talk about turning your wedding into a winter wonderland with flowers that make everything fall into place!

Sustainablity As we all may know, sustainability is a huge worldwide topic within the floral industry, and at Hoek flowers we try to contribute as much as we can! We would like to tell you a bit about what Hoek flowers does for the planet, and the environment, from the smallest details to the bigger picture. From certificates to solar panels and toilet paper, curious about what we have to tell? Read along and you’ll find out!

Inspiration As the leaves turn brown and the days are getting colder, we are getting excited! Autumn has arrived and we would love to tell you a bit about autumn flowers. Fall is the season where everything changes, days become shorter, flowers change in varieties, the colour palettes in stores are changing, pumpkin spiced lattes are back and one of the most iconic changes is the transformation of the foliage, they change colour from green to golds, reds, and rich orange.

Webshop At Hoek flowers we place a high value on sustainability, this is reflected in our products and operations. We try to offer flowers and plants that are both beautiful and ecofriendly. To achieve this goal, we work together with passionate growers who are also focused on growing their flowers as sustainably as possible. We would like to show you this commitment to the planet and environment through our certificates.

Webshop I think a lot of you have already met flowers from South America (Colombia) and of course we hope you like them! But behind every flower and where we are sourcing them from is a story, one I’d like you to tell…

Sustainablity You may have seen that we have some certificates for our flowers and now we are thrilled to announce that we’ve gained another organic certificate: SKAL biocontrol. This means that we can sell our flowers and plants under the NL-BIO-01 label. How cool!

Sustainability Hi! Do you care about the environment as much as we do? Then our webshop is the right place for you! Especially for the sustainable florist, and for everyone who cares about the world. We also offer organic flowers that are better for the bees, and the planet!

Inspiration We all use Leather fern occasionally, but I think we all agree that the 3 weeks of transport doesn’t work in favor for the quality. We have now changed our travel plans! Now, they're sunbathing in Spain and will be coming over to you in just 3 days. Shorter transport means less fuel consumption, which directly contributes to a reduced carbon footprint. It's a win for us, a win for you, and, most importantly, a win for the planet.

Webshop We are expanding our horizons with delivering flowers directly to you, a lot of you already met our South America stock but now we would love to introduce you to Hoek flowers South Africa too. A place not just known for its safari and coastal drives but also for their flowers! Here at Hoek, we are so excited to start this new project. We’ve teamed up with around 80 of the best flower farms of South Africa, a country where flower growing is not just a business, but a passion!

Webshop Hi florist! We understand that sifting through our wide assortment of flowers to find the perfect ones can be quite the undertaking. And it’s not only that. Also, the countdown of 15 minutes after adding a product to your basket can be stressful. “What if I see another product I prefer to buy after the timer runs out?”, or “What if there is a better priced alternative?”. Questions you might ask yourself while buying. Fortunately, there is a ‘life hack’ to prevent all of this. We’re excited to introduce you to our nifty “Favorites” feature. Designed with your ease in mind, this feature will make your floral exploration through our 3.000 items wide flower stock much easier. How? Read more below.

Tips & Tricks These flowers are famous for their big, colorful blooms that look like lots of tiny butterflies. They’re perfect for adding something special to any bouquet or flower arrangement. Whether you're a pro florist or just starting out, it's hard not to love Hydrangeas. But did you know there's more to these flowers than just how pretty they are? Let's find out more

Inspiration We know that choosing the perfect green flowers for a wedding can be challenging. Once selected the right varieties and color variations, it for sure is a great way to add a unique touch of beauty and color to your arrangements. Seasonal availability, the different shades of green as well as the varieties that are available in this color can be quite overwhelming. Therefore, we’re here to help you out!

Inside Hoek Drive along the coast of France's Cote d'Azur & Italy's Riviera dei Fiori, a romantic destination. See Monaco harbour & snowy mountains, feel the warm January sun. Italian tunes play, inspiring dreams of sunsets, olives, & red wine. On your way to San Remo for stunning Ranunculus fields.

Webshop Hoek flowers aims to inform you about our sustainability certifications and their impact on people and the environment. Together, we strive for a more sustainable flower chain.

Tips & Tricks In this blog post, we'll show you how to care for peonies, so your Peonies will ‘pop’ open even prettier and faster, because we all know that Peonies can be extremely frustrating when they won’t open, right? They may be the It-flower, but they do play hard to get... Uh I mean open.

Sustainability In a game-changing move that's set to redefine the floral industry, Hoek Flowers steps up its sustainability efforts. For the first time, we're introducing reusable, pink flower boxes - an eco-friendly packaging solution entirely made from recycled materials, redefining the packaging norms in the flower market.

Tips & Tricks One of the most popular summer flowers… Dahlia! These flowers come in the brightest colors, coolest shapes and best of all: a real eye-catcher in every bouquet or floral arrangement. Although Dahlias are beautiful, they are very delicate and most of the time damaged after transport. In this blog post we will discuss the best way to prep your Dahlias and give them that extra love-boost.