About us

We, Richard and Erna from the R van Winden V.O.F., are growing Strelitzia reginae since the year 2001.

The Strelitzia reginae is also called bird of paradise. Our company has a production area of 5.66 acres divided in two locations. Our location in Pijnacker is about 3.44 acres, and in Heerhugowaard we have got another 2.22 acres. At these two locations we are able to produce this beautiful flower from april to july.  We try to grow our flowers with great care in an 100% organic, sustainable and traditional way.

Strelitzia reginae

The Strelitzia reginae was originally found at the Canary Islands, Hawaii en South Africa. There are several varieties of this plant with the Strelitzia reginae being the most famous type. The plant keeps its green colour throughout the year and is related to the banana plant. The plant has a gracious flower with stalks of orange and purplish-blue, resembling a bird. The flower is easily kept in a vase as it only requires clean water without any supplements.

Organic certified and sustainability

Our Strelitzia’s are grown in an 100% ecological and sustainable way and are certified by SKAL (Organic certificate). Organic Strelitzia’s can be recognized by the quality mark for organic products. These Strelitzia’s are produced organically. This means that no artificial fertilizers and chemical crop protection agents and pesticides are used. The organic farming standards that are applied to the cultivation of organic flower are based on the preservation of the environment, nature and landscape and take effect throughout the European Union.

Organic Strelitzia’s are monitored by Skal Biocontrole.

The European government determines the rules, certified organic entrepreneurs adhere to them and Skal Biocontrole monitors this on behalf of the Ministry of European Affairs. This way you can be assured that organic Strelitzia’s are indeed organic.

We only make use of organic fertilizers, and grow them in ordinary soil. By fromcreating optimal conditions around the Strelitzia plant we get plants that are more resisted to pests and diseases. To prevent our plants from being infected  by certain plaques we make use of gall midges (Lat. Cecidomyiiidae), mites (Lat. Acarina) and parasite wasps (Lat. Ichneumonidae). These are natural enemies for the devastating micro-organisms.

Our poultry

The weeds between the plants are eaten by poultry and we have fresh eggs every day!

We are participant in the MPS project.

MPS offers products and services which relate to the environment, quality assurance and social aspects, at a national and international level. This allows agricultural companies to profile themselves as socially responsible companies to their customers, the government and society. On the MPS-A+ scale, the R. van Winden V.O.F. company, has a result of 100+ points, being the highest achievable score.

Plastic-free

In 2020 we started looking for the possibilities for completely plastic-free packaging. As a result, we package and deliver our Strelitzias completely plastic-free. This makes the packaging 100% recyclable.

At the roof of both greenhouses  you will find 150 solar panels which supply at both locations completely in the demand for electricity.

Production

Our Strelitzia’s are grown in an ecological and sustainable way. This expresses in a beautiful flower of excellent quality with deep blue and orange colours.

We provide several types of Strelitzia.

The difference can be found in the length of the spathe namely minimal 23, minimal 20 or minimal 17cm.  All our flowers are of A1 quality.

The flowers are selected in the greenhouse by the length of the combs. After harvesting, the flowers will go through a second inspection to make sure that our clients will only get the best quality. The Strelitzia can be delivered in boxes with 6, 8 or 12 flowers. Our products are sold by the use of Flora Holland .

After harvesting we take care that the Strelitzia plant, the roots as well as the soil remain healthy. Excess leaves will be cut and by regularly taking soil samples we know the condition of the soil, and therefore also the condition of the plant. By creating a healthy soil life, we ensure a healthy, resilient plant that can protect itself against diseases from pests.

All these efforts are expressed in a beautiful flower of excellent quality with beautiful deep colours. That’s why we are so proud of our Strelitzia!