There is quite a journey behind our products. We are happy to take you through the different steps of the process. That is why we approached several suppliers with a small interview and the question of whether they would like to share some photos with us. Every month we will share these interviews with you, to give you a look behind the scenes.

This month we put a home-grown supplier in the spotlights. We visited the Figaro nursery, the supplier of products such as Monstera leaves, Philodendron Xanadu and various Asparagus varieties.

On a sunny day in April, owner Marcel van Santen gave us a tour of the Figaro greenhouse. If we did not yet imagine ourselves abroad due to the warm weather, the atmosphere in the greenhouse made sure of that. Marcel passionately told us about his company, the products and the trade.

Like WBE, Figaro started in flowers. In 1986 Marcel grew Gips in his greenhouse. After 1995, the grower switched to cut foliage. He started with a greenhouse full of Monsteras, but now Figaro is a major supplier of Asparagus Umbellatus.

What is Marcel's favorite product? Philodendron Xanadu. This is due to the beautiful color and the firmness of the top. Curious about the rest of the interview?
Then read on below.

Can you tell us more about the company?

The modern greenhouse of Figaro was established in 2007, when these were mainly Monsteras, Xanadu and Umbellatus.

As the popularity of the Monstera leaf declined, we scaled up the Asparagus varieties Cwebe and Setaceus.

We are currently a medium-sized grower with a wide range. Our team consists of 5 permanent employees who do everything by hand. These have a fixed pattern. Harvest in the morning and at the end of the afternoon they harvest what is still short for the next day's deliveries. In between, they maintain the crop.

What does the company stand for?
We stand for reliability, we realise that my customer's customer is the ultimate customer. So the florist, who wants to sell a beautiful product to the consumer. Who then returns regularly if his bouquet is beautiful and long-lasting.

How long has Figaro been supplying WBE?
Figaro has been supplying greenery to WBE Rijnsburg for quite some time now, and recently also to the Westland branch.

Which products does Figaro supply to WBE?
We supply Monstera leaf, Philodendron Xanadu and a number of Asparagus species such as Asparagus Cwebe and Setaceus.

What do you think are the advantages of WBE?
Availability of my product .

This ensures that we can supply good quality products. Benefit for both!

What is your role within the company?

I am the owner of the business.

What does your day look like?

I live on coffee. Unlike others, we do not start extremely early in the morning. Our employees start around 7:30, and so do I.

I often first view the sales through the clock at Flora Holland. Then the first orders come in. When these orders come in, I manage to ensure that we have the desired numbers/sortings for all products at the end of the day.

I often help myself to harvest which more has been ordered. So an extra number of long or short umbellatus.

I do all work that is not directly related to harvest. These can include repairs, preparing chores for new cultivation, growing young plants, deploying biological pest control and purchasing and placing orders.

Do you have any tips/tricks for your product?

With a little green, you can make a bunch of flowers that much bigger and more exuberant by adding, for example, setaceus (asparagus). it can be nice and spacious because of the fine structure, you can still see the flowers well.