Meet the grower
Magicals are getting ever more beautiful
You can find growers of Magical Hydrangeas everywhere. In Brittany in France, for example, where Kerisnel les Pépinières have been growing the most beautiful plants since 1964. Including Magicals since 2015. From this nursery, Magical Evolutions for balconies and patios and Revolution indoor hydrangeas find new homes throughout France.
‘It’s simply a beautiful product,’ explains co-owner Monique Penn. ‘Magicals are fantastic plants that flower for a very long time. We are part of the Kerisnel Group, a cooperative. They asked us whether we wanted to start growing Magicals, and we saw that as a great opportunity.’
Growing demand for Magicals
‘There are six of us working at our nursery: four employees, my husband and me. We are a small nursery. That is why we are part of the Kerisnel cooperative. That’s big - it includes around 30 growers. At our nursery we grow some 13,000 Magicals a year. We mainly sell those through garden centres, only within France. More and more garden centres want our Magicals in their range.’
From pink to red and white
And that’s no surprise, believes the grower. ‘They flower for such a long time and they constantly change colour. I have one here which is now coloured red and white in autumn, whilst previously the flowers were pink. So consumers who buy a Magical can enjoy them for a very long time. Personally my favourites are the pink Revolution and Evolution, which become ever more beautiful the longer they flower.’
From small to ready for sale
How does the growing process work at Monique’s nursery? ‘We receive the hydrangeas from Hortensia France in January. At that point they are still small plants in a large pot, although the buds are already present. Over a period of three months we grow the Magicals on in the greenhouse until they are ready for selling in May.’
Beauty alongside Magicals
Is there still time to relax amidst all the activity? Monique smiles. ‘When I’m not working, I like to read. Or I play sport. I also enjoy walking on the rocks beside the sea here in Brittany.’
