Meet the Breeders
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All four varieties in this alluring collection come from Agro Fleur Select, a well-regarded Dutch nursery that breeds and grows only nerine hybrids, commonly called "naked ladies." Kitty de Jong owns and runs the business that her father started more than 50 years ago in Roelofarendsveen, The Netherlands. At that time, the nursery grew all types of cut flowers. He started growing naked ladies about 15 years later. These flowers used to be available only in pink, but Agro Fleur Select today offers an incredible assortment in different colours, flower sizes and stem lengths. Kitty credits the nursery's breeding success to what she calls her "jewelry box" of many different naked ladies species and varieties from all over the world. Breck's is proud to offer you this collection of Kitty's best!
Has there ever been a new plant hybrid so aptly named? Improved White Feather Hosta is a major update of a very popular hosta beloved for its bright, colour-changing leaves. This game-changing plant is the creation of renowned Dutch hybridizer Arie Blom. Arie breeds hostas, daylilies and other plants at Heemskerk Vaste Planten in Noordwijk, The Netherlands. When Arie joined Heemskerk, the nursery was already growing the original White Feather Hosta for its customers. He started working on ways to improve it, and after five years of research and breeding developed a hybrid that was larger, more vigorous and more substantial. Its leaves still changed from white to cream and green, but were thicker and sturdier, causing the plant to grow more vertically. Its upright habit made the hybrid more sun tolerant‑one of Improved White Feather's most desirable qualities!
For our friends at the van der Meijs nursery in Geldern, Germany, hellebore breeding is a passion—and the family business. Three generations of van der Meijs hybridizers had a hand in creating these remarkable king-size hellebores. But offering them to home gardeners is not what they originally had in mind. Back in the 1960s, their objective was different—to develop a bigger, taller hellebore for the cut-flower industry. They started with a Helleborus niger cultivar called 'Christmas Glory', and their breeding efforts eventually resulted in bigger, more floriferous plants. They could have stopped there, but we're so glad they didn't. The van der Meijs family took what they learned from their cut-flower hybrids, and shifted their focus to Helleborus orientalis, a favourite species of hellebore gardeners. And now Breck's is proud to present this line of king-size hellebores to American gardeners. Current breeding work is being done by Theo Janssen, who continues the legacy that Erik van der Meijs' grandfather started. The oldest plants in the van der Meijs nursery are over 40 years old and produce no less than 50 stems each! WOW! Hellebores are the result of over 50 years of careful breeding. Single and double blooms up to 4" across will stand tall and strong atop 24-28" stems. This makes them better for cut arrangements than traditional hellebores—just one more reason to love them! Each collection features king-size hellebores that look amazing in garden groupings, cute containers, or growing among your bleeding hearts, cyclamen and hostas.
The giant Phlox Trees being offered in this collection were bred by A. Verschoor Horticulture. a family-owned nursery located in Haarlem. The Netherlands. The company. founded in 1956. is a perennial breeder and grower world-renowned for its tall phlox breeding. It's about a 25-minute drive from our own Dutch offices. For many years. Breck's has had an excellent relationship with Verschoor. And we have first pick when it comes to obtaining phlox for our customers. We carefully evaluate the results from their fields each year.
Only the best will do for our Hardy Gladiolus Collection! The five gladiolus cultivars that make up this amazing assortment come from Gebroeders Hermans, a nursery in Voorhout, The Netherlands. Founded in 1960 by their father, it is operated today by brothers Piet and Mart Hermans, who are internationally known for their breeding of these hardy plants. What makes them different from other gladiolus? With their sturdy, compact stems, there is never any need for staking the flowers in this collection. They are also bred to resist fungus, disease and pests.
In addition, MPS, a Dutch organization that manages sustainability certification for the international flower and ornamental plant industry, has awarded MPS-GAP status to Gebroeders Hermans. This means the nursery has met the organization's guidelines for best environmental practices, cleanliness and worker safety.
Eric Breed of Lisse, the Netherlands, started hybridizing dahlias as a hobby, using plants from his late father's dahlia collection to develop his first hybrids. Now his field is filled with so many of his colourful creations, it resembles a wildflower meadow.
He selected tall plants with large flowers in a variety of colours to breed the stunning varieties found in the Bee-Friendly Single-Flower Dahlia Mixture. Honeybees and bumblebees cannot resist their pollen, and the blooms also draw butterflies and hummingbirds.
To create the dahlias in the mix, Eric crossed spontaneous seedlings that he discovered in his front garden with single-flowering cultivars such as Bright Eyes and the "Bishop" series of dahlias. The Dutch breeder also incorporated the features of some imported varieties and, to create some dark ones for the mix, added genetics from Chocolate Cosmos, a highly sought-after, dusky-looking perennial.
At Breck's, one of our greatest joys over the years has been getting to meet and befriend the wonderful growers and hybridizers who provide us with many of the fine bulbs and bareroots we offer our customers. One of our most trusted partners for many years has been legendary daffodil grower Jan Pennings. Although Jan is retired now and his son and son-in-law have taken over the day-to-day operation of his bulb farm in northwestern Holland, Jan continues to live on the property. He still keeps an eye on the daffodil crop and draws upon his decades of growing experience to occasionally advise his two successors.
During his career, Jan, whose father was also a bulb grower, frequently traveled abroad in search of recently developed and uncommon daffodil varieties. His trips took him to the U.S., the U.K., Ireland and New Zealand.
He has earned widespread recognition in the horticulture industry. Jan served as chair of the Royal Horticultural Society Bulb Committee and was a board member of the Netherlands' renowned Keukenhof Gardens . In 2014, the American Daffodil Society awarded him its Gold Medal for everything he has done for the beloved plant.
From an early age, Bram Breugem knew he wanted to follow in his father's footsteps and become a grower. When Bram was 21, he started working at his dad's nursery business in Bleiswijk, The Netherlands. He began small-scale testing of calla lilies in the 1990s after noticing an uptick in the plant's popularity. In 2000, he began forcing callas in his greenhouse on a larger scale while performing some breeding of the plants on the side as a hobby.
About a decade into his testing, Bram noticed a spectacular, one-of-a-kind calla lily growing among his seedlings. He'd never seen anything quite like its translucent, silvery-white leaves, which differed greatly in appearance from the rich, deep green foliage found on all other callas. He knew that plants with little chlorophyll—the natural compound in green plants that gives them their colour—tend to perform weakly, but he was so taken by this calla's singular beauty that he couldn't bring himself to give up on it. Against all odds, it started growing and producing gorgeous, wine-red blooms—and Frozen Queen was born!
Breck's iris hybridizer Christian Bédard started learning his craft from his family while growing up in Québec City. Now a top rose and iris breeder, he regularly puts his knowledge to work during our iris trials in California and Ohio.
At Breck's, we depend on the expertise of our hybridizers to ensure we introduce only the best varieties. Christian searches for irises that excel in stem strength, reblooming habit, eyecatching colouration, beautiful shape, unique size, delightful fragrance, vigour, disease resistance and more.
It's only after nearly a decade of vigilant research work that Christian will finally give a new, truly extraordinary iris the green light for us to proudly introduce to our iris lovers.
Hybridizer Adriaan Zweemer of Royal Van ZantenTwo renowned lily specialists in the Netherlands collaboratively embarked on a revolutionary project in 2010: the development of pollen-free oriental lilies. After years of meticulous breeding, their efforts bore fruit in 2015, with the first test plantings of their Liber Lilies unfurling in 2018.
Royal Van Zanten, a 160-year-old bulb titan from Hillegom, holds the prestigious "Royal" title due to its enduring legacy. Similarly, De Jong Lelies, from Andijk, showcases unmatched expertise in lily breeding, cultivation and trade, emphasizing their passion for these flowers.
Today, due to our long-standing association with both breeders, Breck's is proud to be the exclusive North American seller of their gorgeous, pollen-free Liber Lilies.
For more information, read more about liber lilies.
Walter de Wit and Jenny de Groot of De Jong Lelies
Meet the Community
of Breck's Growers and Hybridizers
Breck's has been in business for more than 200 years, so we understand the importance of building and maintaining strong relationships with our best growers and hybridizers. Our experienced Dutch horticulturists regularly meet with them in their fields to see what's available now and what's under development. You, our customers, demand the best from us, and our network of growers and hybridizers help us provide it to you!Kitty de Jong
All four varieties in this alluring collection come from Agro Fleur Select, a well-regarded Dutch nursery that breeds and grows only nerine hybrids, commonly called "naked ladies." Kitty de Jong owns and runs the business that her father started more than 50 years ago in Roelofarendsveen, The Netherlands. At that time, the nursery grew all types of cut flowers. He started growing naked ladies about 15 years later. These flowers used to be available only in pink, but Agro Fleur Select today offers an incredible assortment in different colours, flower sizes and stem lengths. Kitty credits the nursery's breeding success to what she calls her "jewelry box" of many different naked ladies species and varieties from all over the world. Breck's is proud to offer you this collection of Kitty's best!Naked Ladies Collection
This collection includes 3 each of Amandi, Alba, Anastasia and Vesta
Arie Blom
Has there ever been a new plant hybrid so aptly named? Improved White Feather Hosta is a major update of a very popular hosta beloved for its bright, colour-changing leaves. This game-changing plant is the creation of renowned Dutch hybridizer Arie Blom. Arie breeds hostas, daylilies and other plants at Heemskerk Vaste Planten in Noordwijk, The Netherlands. When Arie joined Heemskerk, the nursery was already growing the original White Feather Hosta for its customers. He started working on ways to improve it, and after five years of research and breeding developed a hybrid that was larger, more vigorous and more substantial. Its leaves still changed from white to cream and green, but were thicker and sturdier, causing the plant to grow more vertically. Its upright habit made the hybrid more sun tolerant‑one of Improved White Feather's most desirable qualities!Improved White Feather Hosta
Improved White Feather Hosta is a new take on an old favourite. It grows taller, is more robust, yields thicker leaves and has a more upright habit.
Theo Janssen
For our friends at the van der Meijs nursery in Geldern, Germany, hellebore breeding is a passion—and the family business. Three generations of van der Meijs hybridizers had a hand in creating these remarkable king-size hellebores. But offering them to home gardeners is not what they originally had in mind. Back in the 1960s, their objective was different—to develop a bigger, taller hellebore for the cut-flower industry. They started with a Helleborus niger cultivar called 'Christmas Glory', and their breeding efforts eventually resulted in bigger, more floriferous plants. They could have stopped there, but we're so glad they didn't. The van der Meijs family took what they learned from their cut-flower hybrids, and shifted their focus to Helleborus orientalis, a favourite species of hellebore gardeners. And now Breck's is proud to present this line of king-size hellebores to American gardeners. Current breeding work is being done by Theo Janssen, who continues the legacy that Erik van der Meijs' grandfather started. The oldest plants in the van der Meijs nursery are over 40 years old and produce no less than 50 stems each! WOW! Hellebores are the result of over 50 years of careful breeding. Single and double blooms up to 4" across will stand tall and strong atop 24-28" stems. This makes them better for cut arrangements than traditional hellebores—just one more reason to love them! Each collection features king-size hellebores that look amazing in garden groupings, cute containers, or growing among your bleeding hearts, cyclamen and hostas.Breeder Theo Janssen explains how he and others at van der Meijs Nursery developed these revolutionary hybrids.
Janus Verschoor
The giant Phlox Trees being offered in this collection were bred by A. Verschoor Horticulture. a family-owned nursery located in Haarlem. The Netherlands. The company. founded in 1956. is a perennial breeder and grower world-renowned for its tall phlox breeding. It's about a 25-minute drive from our own Dutch offices. For many years. Breck's has had an excellent relationship with Verschoor. And we have first pick when it comes to obtaining phlox for our customers. We carefully evaluate the results from their fields each year.Check out our interview with Janus Verschoor, grandson of the nursery's founder.
Watch breathtaking drone footage of the Verschoor greenhouses and Phlox Tree growing fields.
Piet Hermans
Only the best will do for our Hardy Gladiolus Collection! The five gladiolus cultivars that make up this amazing assortment come from Gebroeders Hermans, a nursery in Voorhout, The Netherlands. Founded in 1960 by their father, it is operated today by brothers Piet and Mart Hermans, who are internationally known for their breeding of these hardy plants. What makes them different from other gladiolus? With their sturdy, compact stems, there is never any need for staking the flowers in this collection. They are also bred to resist fungus, disease and pests.In addition, MPS, a Dutch organization that manages sustainability certification for the international flower and ornamental plant industry, has awarded MPS-GAP status to Gebroeders Hermans. This means the nursery has met the organization's guidelines for best environmental practices, cleanliness and worker safety.
Eric Breed
Eric Breed of Lisse, the Netherlands, started hybridizing dahlias as a hobby, using plants from his late father's dahlia collection to develop his first hybrids. Now his field is filled with so many of his colourful creations, it resembles a wildflower meadow.He selected tall plants with large flowers in a variety of colours to breed the stunning varieties found in the Bee-Friendly Single-Flower Dahlia Mixture. Honeybees and bumblebees cannot resist their pollen, and the blooms also draw butterflies and hummingbirds.
To create the dahlias in the mix, Eric crossed spontaneous seedlings that he discovered in his front garden with single-flowering cultivars such as Bright Eyes and the "Bishop" series of dahlias. The Dutch breeder also incorporated the features of some imported varieties and, to create some dark ones for the mix, added genetics from Chocolate Cosmos, a highly sought-after, dusky-looking perennial.
Bee-Friendly Single-Flowered Dahlia Mixture
For the planet...for the love of bees..for a beautiful garden display, the fast-growing mix is tops.
Jan Pennings
At Breck's, one of our greatest joys over the years has been getting to meet and befriend the wonderful growers and hybridizers who provide us with many of the fine bulbs and bareroots we offer our customers. One of our most trusted partners for many years has been legendary daffodil grower Jan Pennings. Although Jan is retired now and his son and son-in-law have taken over the day-to-day operation of his bulb farm in northwestern Holland, Jan continues to live on the property. He still keeps an eye on the daffodil crop and draws upon his decades of growing experience to occasionally advise his two successors.During his career, Jan, whose father was also a bulb grower, frequently traveled abroad in search of recently developed and uncommon daffodil varieties. His trips took him to the U.S., the U.K., Ireland and New Zealand.
He has earned widespread recognition in the horticulture industry. Jan served as chair of the Royal Horticultural Society Bulb Committee and was a board member of the Netherlands' renowned Keukenhof Gardens . In 2014, the American Daffodil Society awarded him its Gold Medal for everything he has done for the beloved plant.
Color Magic Daffodil
Color Magic boasts sunny yellow petals accented at the base in snowy white.
Bram Breughem
From an early age, Bram Breugem knew he wanted to follow in his father's footsteps and become a grower. When Bram was 21, he started working at his dad's nursery business in Bleiswijk, The Netherlands. He began small-scale testing of calla lilies in the 1990s after noticing an uptick in the plant's popularity. In 2000, he began forcing callas in his greenhouse on a larger scale while performing some breeding of the plants on the side as a hobby.About a decade into his testing, Bram noticed a spectacular, one-of-a-kind calla lily growing among his seedlings. He'd never seen anything quite like its translucent, silvery-white leaves, which differed greatly in appearance from the rich, deep green foliage found on all other callas. He knew that plants with little chlorophyll—the natural compound in green plants that gives them their colour—tend to perform weakly, but he was so taken by this calla's singular beauty that he couldn't bring himself to give up on it. Against all odds, it started growing and producing gorgeous, wine-red blooms—and Frozen Queen was born!
Christian Bédard
Breck's iris hybridizer Christian Bédard started learning his craft from his family while growing up in Québec City. Now a top rose and iris breeder, he regularly puts his knowledge to work during our iris trials in California and Ohio.At Breck's, we depend on the expertise of our hybridizers to ensure we introduce only the best varieties. Christian searches for irises that excel in stem strength, reblooming habit, eyecatching colouration, beautiful shape, unique size, delightful fragrance, vigour, disease resistance and more.
It's only after nearly a decade of vigilant research work that Christian will finally give a new, truly extraordinary iris the green light for us to proudly introduce to our iris lovers.
Liber Lily Hybridizers
Hybridizer Adriaan Zweemer of Royal Van ZantenTwo renowned lily specialists in the Netherlands collaboratively embarked on a revolutionary project in 2010: the development of pollen-free oriental lilies. After years of meticulous breeding, their efforts bore fruit in 2015, with the first test plantings of their Liber Lilies unfurling in 2018.Royal Van Zanten, a 160-year-old bulb titan from Hillegom, holds the prestigious "Royal" title due to its enduring legacy. Similarly, De Jong Lelies, from Andijk, showcases unmatched expertise in lily breeding, cultivation and trade, emphasizing their passion for these flowers.
Today, due to our long-standing association with both breeders, Breck's is proud to be the exclusive North American seller of their gorgeous, pollen-free Liber Lilies.
For more information, read more about liber lilies.
Walter de Wit and Jenny de Groot of De Jong Lelies