0:00:02 > 0:00:05- Three for a tenner then. - Fiver an orchid!
0:00:05 > 0:00:07'Flowers - we give them
0:00:07 > 0:00:11'to each other to express our most powerful feelings...'
0:00:11 > 0:00:12Oh, wow!
0:00:13 > 0:00:16'..from passionate love to abject apology...'
0:00:16 > 0:00:18Three bunches a tenner.
0:00:18 > 0:00:21'..from joyful celebration to profound grief,
0:00:21 > 0:00:24'they mark the most important moments in our lives.'
0:00:24 > 0:00:27They're amazing! They're so beautiful.
0:00:28 > 0:00:32Here in the UK, we spend over £1 billion every year on one
0:00:32 > 0:00:37of the most fragile and beautiful things on the planet - flowers.
0:00:38 > 0:00:41But where do they come from and how do they get here?
0:00:43 > 0:00:47Millions of men and women all over the world work to bring these
0:00:47 > 0:00:49flowers into our homes.
0:00:49 > 0:00:53The beating heart of the world's cut flower business is
0:00:53 > 0:00:55a market like no other -
0:00:55 > 0:00:59a vast complex the size of Monaco that draws
0:00:59 > 0:01:03billions of flowers from around the globe for the buyers that do
0:01:03 > 0:01:07battle with each other in what's known as the Wall Street of Flowers.
0:01:09 > 0:01:11I've been given exclusive access
0:01:11 > 0:01:14to the largest flower market on Earth
0:01:14 > 0:01:16at one of the busiest times of the year
0:01:16 > 0:01:20to follow the truly extraordinary journey of flowers.
0:01:20 > 0:01:25'I'll be joined by Simon Lycett - florist to celebrities
0:01:25 > 0:01:27'and the royal palaces.'
0:01:27 > 0:01:29Flowers knock some of the rough edges off life
0:01:29 > 0:01:32and make it a whole lot more enjoyable for many, many people.
0:01:32 > 0:01:38'This is the miraculous story of how three of our most loved flowers -
0:01:38 > 0:01:41'the rose, the lily and the tulip - are bred...'
0:01:43 > 0:01:45- That's the stamen? - That is the stamen.
0:01:45 > 0:01:46That is massive!
0:01:46 > 0:01:48'..grown...'
0:01:48 > 0:01:51I could nearly cry! I work with these on a daily basis
0:01:51 > 0:01:54and I've never seen them in such quantity!
0:01:54 > 0:02:00'..transported thousands of miles in just 48 hours to arrive pristine
0:02:00 > 0:02:04'and beautiful for us to share them with the people who matter most.
0:02:04 > 0:02:08'It's the most beautiful race against time.'
0:02:22 > 0:02:26Simon Lycett created the exquisite flower arrangements for
0:02:26 > 0:02:30Posh and Becks' wedding and is florist to the royal palaces.
0:02:30 > 0:02:33He spends his life working with flowers
0:02:33 > 0:02:36but he's never explored the miraculous journey of how
0:02:36 > 0:02:40they get from the other side of the world to his workshop.
0:02:42 > 0:02:45As florists, a lot of us take for granted the fact that we can
0:02:45 > 0:02:49ring our wholesaler, we can pop into New Covent Garden Market
0:02:49 > 0:02:51and that there will be the flowers we want.
0:02:54 > 0:02:56It's always mystified me.
0:02:56 > 0:03:01If I want 20,000 Sweet Avalanche roses on Thursday, I can have them.
0:03:02 > 0:03:04Where do all these roses come from that we use?
0:03:05 > 0:03:10Around 70% of all the flowers we buy in the UK arrive via
0:03:10 > 0:03:11the Netherlands.
0:03:11 > 0:03:15Most pass through a 60 square mile area in Holland
0:03:15 > 0:03:17made up of three huge flower markets -
0:03:17 > 0:03:21Aalsmeer, Naaldwijk and Rijnsburg.
0:03:21 > 0:03:25Together, they form the biggest flower market in the world.
0:03:28 > 0:03:31This is Aalsmeer flower market.
0:03:31 > 0:03:35This structure covers one million square metres,
0:03:35 > 0:03:38giving it the largest footprint on the planet.
0:03:38 > 0:03:42This is just one part of a vast market complex
0:03:42 > 0:03:46processing 12.5 billion plants and flowers a year.
0:03:51 > 0:03:55Every 24 hours, almost 30 million flowers arrive here
0:03:55 > 0:03:58from all over the world.
0:04:02 > 0:04:04The auction begins at 6am
0:04:04 > 0:04:09and there's just a four-hour window to sell every single stem.
0:04:16 > 0:04:18There are seven auction rooms...
0:04:20 > 0:04:22..an electric monorail system
0:04:22 > 0:04:27with 18km of track, and it's the run-up to Mother's Day
0:04:27 > 0:04:30and millions of flowers will be sent to the UK.
0:04:32 > 0:04:36This place is absolutely vast.
0:04:36 > 0:04:39It's like a town where the houses move.
0:04:39 > 0:04:44This entire market complex is owned by Royal FloraHolland -
0:04:44 > 0:04:46a co-operative of flower growers.
0:04:48 > 0:04:51It began over 100 years ago.
0:04:51 > 0:04:55Towards the end of the 19th century, Dutch farmers and gardeners started
0:04:55 > 0:04:59to grow and sell cut flowers to supplement their incomes.
0:05:00 > 0:05:04Then the growers came up with a brilliant idea - to join
0:05:04 > 0:05:08together and sell their flowers from one place at special auctions.
0:05:09 > 0:05:12These gave buyers a wider choice of flowers
0:05:12 > 0:05:16but they had to compete with one another to buy them,
0:05:16 > 0:05:19giving the growers a better price.
0:05:19 > 0:05:22The Dutch flower industry exploded.
0:05:23 > 0:05:27By the 1920s, Dutch buyers started driving across Europe
0:05:27 > 0:05:29to sell their flowers.
0:05:29 > 0:05:33Known as Flying Dutchmen, they based themselves in the markets
0:05:33 > 0:05:35and they still operate here today.
0:05:37 > 0:05:39'Robert Janssen is a Flying Dutchman
0:05:39 > 0:05:42'who works with his father in the family business.'
0:05:42 > 0:05:43Right. Here we go.
0:05:46 > 0:05:49Wow, Robert, this is so beautiful.
0:05:49 > 0:05:53'They supply flowers to 140 clients in the South of England.
0:05:53 > 0:05:55'Yesterday, he bought half the flowers he needs
0:05:55 > 0:05:57'for his next trip to the UK.'
0:05:57 > 0:06:02Why is your lorry laid out in such a beautiful way?
0:06:04 > 0:06:06It must look like a shop for my customers.
0:06:06 > 0:06:08It's a shop? So your customers come in here?
0:06:08 > 0:06:11Yes, then they can choose whatever they like.
0:06:11 > 0:06:13- It must be like a showroom.- Yes.
0:06:13 > 0:06:16So it has to be laid out really good.
0:06:16 > 0:06:20How much does it cost for this lorry to go to the UK and come back?
0:06:20 > 0:06:23Every week, it costs you about 6,000, 7,000 euros.
0:06:23 > 0:06:26- £6,000...in petrol and time?- Yep.
0:06:27 > 0:06:30And the space that you rent at the auction, things like that.
0:06:30 > 0:06:33So you've got to make sure that you sell every single bunch of flowers?
0:06:33 > 0:06:34Yes.
0:06:34 > 0:06:37But the cut flower business is rapidly changing.
0:06:37 > 0:06:40Increasingly, it's dominated by big exporters
0:06:40 > 0:06:44who only buy in vast scale and sell globally.
0:06:44 > 0:06:49Simon has gone to the dealing rooms of one of the very largest.
0:06:49 > 0:06:52Bart Duyvenvoorde's company has an annual turnover
0:06:52 > 0:06:55of almost 100 million euros.
0:06:55 > 0:06:59- How much money will you spend? - Normally, £300,000-£400,000 a day.
0:06:59 > 0:07:02- So this is a very busy time? - This is a very busy time, yeah.
0:07:02 > 0:07:03The flowers that you're buying,
0:07:03 > 0:07:05you're going to send all across the world?
0:07:05 > 0:07:07All across the world, yeah, that's true.
0:07:07 > 0:07:09- 10-15 different countries or something.- Wow.
0:07:09 > 0:07:12- Poland, England.- Poland, England.
0:07:12 > 0:07:15Tsjechie, Spanje, Portugal, France,
0:07:15 > 0:07:20Russia, Siberia, Switzerland, Germany.
0:07:22 > 0:07:27- These flowers really are going worldwide, aren't they?- Yeah.
0:07:28 > 0:07:32There's one flower that will be at the very top of Bart's
0:07:32 > 0:07:34shopping list - the rose.
0:07:35 > 0:07:37Each day, almost 15 million of them
0:07:37 > 0:07:41pass through the market to be sold on all over the world.
0:07:42 > 0:07:45They are the best-selling flower in the UK.
0:07:45 > 0:07:49Our love affair with them stretches back through time.
0:07:49 > 0:07:53The Romans believed the rose was a symbol of Venus -
0:07:53 > 0:07:55the goddess of love.
0:07:56 > 0:07:58Wars have been fought in their name
0:07:58 > 0:08:01and Shakespeare celebrated them in his sonnets.
0:08:03 > 0:08:08For decades, most of our roses were grown in Europe, but today,
0:08:08 > 0:08:11we want more affordable roses all year round
0:08:11 > 0:08:14and that means 70% of the roses we buy in the UK
0:08:14 > 0:08:18are grown in a country which has perpetual sunshine -
0:08:18 > 0:08:19Kenya.
0:08:20 > 0:08:23I've heading to Nanyuki in Kenya.
0:08:24 > 0:08:28Thanks to the warm climate and low labour costs, the Kenyan
0:08:28 > 0:08:31flower industry has grown tenfold over the last 30 years.
0:08:31 > 0:08:35Kenya is now the third largest producer of cut flowers
0:08:35 > 0:08:36in the world.
0:08:36 > 0:08:40The bulk of the roses grown in Kenya are for supermarkets
0:08:40 > 0:08:43but one farm here grows some of the most beautiful
0:08:43 > 0:08:48and rare English varieties you can buy, and I love them.
0:08:48 > 0:08:50It's strange to have come all the way to Africa
0:08:50 > 0:08:52in search of English garden roses
0:08:52 > 0:08:54but I'm off to Tambuzi Farm,
0:08:54 > 0:08:58who are famous, in my world, for growing scented roses.
0:08:58 > 0:09:01And to me, they're Dom Perignon. They are the rose of my choice.
0:09:03 > 0:09:06The farm is nestled in the foothills of Mount Kenya.
0:09:06 > 0:09:11Originally, it was a beef and dairy farm, but 20 years ago, the owners
0:09:11 > 0:09:15decided to switch to growing scented roses for the high-end market.
0:09:15 > 0:09:21Today, they have six greenhouses on 60 acres and employ 500 people.
0:09:21 > 0:09:24- You lead on. - OK. OK, just follow me. Please.
0:09:24 > 0:09:26Do I step in this?
0:09:26 > 0:09:29Yes, you have to because that is a disinfectant,
0:09:29 > 0:09:30as you head to the greenhouses.
0:09:30 > 0:09:34- Oh, my gosh! - Welcome to the greenhouse.
0:09:34 > 0:09:36So exciting to be here!
0:09:36 > 0:09:38'The rose-growing industry is relatively new in Kenya.
0:09:38 > 0:09:42'Rebecca Muthiani had never even seen a rose before she started
0:09:42 > 0:09:44'working in the business two decades ago.
0:09:44 > 0:09:48'Today, she oversees the cultivation of all the roses, including
0:09:48 > 0:09:52'some created by the legendary English breeder David Austin.'
0:09:52 > 0:09:53Smell it.
0:09:54 > 0:09:58Oh! And this is a David Austin rose?
0:09:58 > 0:09:59This is a David Austin rose.
0:09:59 > 0:10:01Relatively new, strong colour,
0:10:01 > 0:10:05so very on-trend for sort of the hot colours, i.e. in London...
0:10:05 > 0:10:06Yeah, hot colours.
0:10:06 > 0:10:09..I create flower arrangements for a lot of my clients.
0:10:09 > 0:10:12Many are weddings, using all the pale colours behind you,
0:10:12 > 0:10:14but a lot of the parties love that pink.
0:10:14 > 0:10:18So which of all of them is your favourite rose?
0:10:18 > 0:10:21My favourite rose is Juliet.
0:10:21 > 0:10:25And what are you harvesting? This is...
0:10:25 > 0:10:27- This is Juliet.- Juliet.
0:10:27 > 0:10:29- Look at that! Look at... - Look at that colour!
0:10:29 > 0:10:32- Wow! Really pale.- Yes.
0:10:32 > 0:10:33And then very deep.
0:10:33 > 0:10:36Yeah, it will open to this orange, and I love it.
0:10:38 > 0:10:41You honestly cannot believe how...
0:10:41 > 0:10:42What a scent!
0:10:42 > 0:10:46..extraordinary it is for me to be here amongst all these beaut...
0:10:46 > 0:10:47I could nearly cry.
0:10:47 > 0:10:50I work with these on a daily basis and I've never seen them
0:10:50 > 0:10:52in such quantity and they... Oh!
0:10:52 > 0:10:54Oh, my God!
0:10:57 > 0:11:01The farm is owned and run by Maggie Hobbs and her husband, Tim.
0:11:01 > 0:11:04They grow over 70 varieties of rose.
0:11:04 > 0:11:08But in a fiercely competitive market, they're constantly trialling
0:11:08 > 0:11:09new breeds.
0:11:09 > 0:11:12So this is where we look at plants that we think
0:11:12 > 0:11:14- we might grow in the future.- Yep.
0:11:14 > 0:11:16We take them from all sorts of different breeders,
0:11:16 > 0:11:18lots of different places,
0:11:18 > 0:11:21and we tend to select primarily for beauty and scent.
0:11:21 > 0:11:24We want to delight people like you.
0:11:24 > 0:11:27Well, you certainly do it so well, my God!
0:11:27 > 0:11:30Let's go and see where we choose what the next Tambuzi roses
0:11:30 > 0:11:31are going to be.
0:11:31 > 0:11:34- HE GASPS - Wow!
0:11:34 > 0:11:35This is a spray rose,
0:11:35 > 0:11:39so you're getting four different flowers on there.
0:11:39 > 0:11:41You're getting a little bit of scent. Not heavy, heavy scent.
0:11:41 > 0:11:43It hasn't got enough scent, perhaps. I don't know -
0:11:43 > 0:11:45- what do you think?- No, it's...
0:11:45 > 0:11:49Yeah, it's on the edge. So we will come in with a sheet
0:11:49 > 0:11:52and we'll say, colour - yes. So we give that a nine.
0:11:52 > 0:11:54Shape - we're really liking the shape.
0:11:54 > 0:11:56The scent - we're going to give it a three or a four.
0:11:56 > 0:12:01And we would then rate it overall to see if it becomes a Tambuzi rose.
0:12:01 > 0:12:05And will fragrance win over virtually everything else?
0:12:05 > 0:12:06- Pretty much.- Yeah.
0:12:06 > 0:12:08- Because fragrance...- I'm with you!
0:12:08 > 0:12:10Because fragrance is actually not what anyone else is doing.
0:12:12 > 0:12:15These roses are already opening when they're cut,
0:12:15 > 0:12:16so by the time they arrive
0:12:16 > 0:12:19anywhere in the world, the flowers are ready for immediate display.
0:12:21 > 0:12:25But their large open blooms are incredibly fragile.
0:12:25 > 0:12:30I'm curious to find out how they survive their 4,000-mile journey.
0:12:32 > 0:12:35So Shadrack, the roses have come from the field...
0:12:35 > 0:12:39'Shadrack Atanda has the huge challenge of ensuring these
0:12:39 > 0:12:42'roses get to buyers like me in perfect condition.'
0:12:46 > 0:12:48And why is that so crucial?
0:12:55 > 0:12:57As a florist, I know cut flowers
0:12:57 > 0:13:00deteriorate very quickly in the heat.
0:13:00 > 0:13:02At their field temperature of 25 degrees,
0:13:02 > 0:13:07these roses will age around 30 times faster than at their ideal
0:13:07 > 0:13:09storage temperature, just above freezing.
0:13:09 > 0:13:11Chilling them too quickly can kill them,
0:13:11 > 0:13:14so they need to be cooled down slowly in stages.
0:13:17 > 0:13:19How long do you keep them in here?
0:13:36 > 0:13:3824 hours in a cool room like this
0:13:38 > 0:13:42is a long time in the life cycle of a rose, but it's vital...
0:13:42 > 0:13:46This vast flower head needs to be slowly and gently put to sleep,
0:13:46 > 0:13:49and then it will reawaken when you get it into your vase.
0:13:55 > 0:13:58Because they're an open flower that are being transported,
0:13:58 > 0:14:01not tight buds that we see elsewhere, these flowers need extra
0:14:01 > 0:14:04special care, so they've pioneered a packaging technique where
0:14:04 > 0:14:08they're using cardboard to separate each bloom so that even if
0:14:08 > 0:14:12that box is kicked from here to Siberia, they'll arrive unbruised.
0:14:13 > 0:14:15Then the team add one final touch.
0:14:20 > 0:14:21So they're going to drink...?
0:14:25 > 0:14:28Then the bunches are carefully packed in special boxes.
0:14:42 > 0:14:43Yes.
0:14:50 > 0:14:53Botrytis is a fungus that can destroy roses.
0:14:53 > 0:14:55So this sheet of very special impregnated paper...
0:14:55 > 0:14:58- Very special, yeah. - ..goes on to prevent diseases?
0:14:58 > 0:14:59Diseases.
0:15:00 > 0:15:03Tambuzi caters to a small select clientele
0:15:03 > 0:15:06like me and other high-end customers.
0:15:06 > 0:15:10Their flowers are expensive at between £1 and £2 a stem.
0:15:10 > 0:15:13The bulk of the Kenyan flower industry grow very different
0:15:13 > 0:15:18varieties for a mass market, supplying supermarkets with huge
0:15:18 > 0:15:23quantities of roses at a fraction of the cost - around 40p-60p a stem.
0:15:25 > 0:15:29I've come to Sian Roses - one of the largest growers in Kenya.
0:15:29 > 0:15:33They have three flower farms covering 250 acres -
0:15:33 > 0:15:36over twice the size of the Vatican City -
0:15:36 > 0:15:38and they employ 2,000 people.
0:15:39 > 0:15:43Every year, they send five million roses to the UK.
0:15:47 > 0:15:50'General manager Clement Ngetich is showing me around.'
0:15:50 > 0:15:51Wow!
0:15:52 > 0:15:54Wow, it's huge!
0:15:55 > 0:15:58How many plants are in one hectare of greenhouse?
0:16:02 > 0:16:06And how many flowers will 80,000 rose plants produce each year?
0:16:12 > 0:16:15They have 100 of these polytunnels,
0:16:15 > 0:16:20and every year, they produce 150 million stems of roses.
0:16:20 > 0:16:23In contrast to the Tambuzi roses, these are cut
0:16:23 > 0:16:26just as they're about to bloom,
0:16:26 > 0:16:29so when we buy them in the UK and put them in water,
0:16:29 > 0:16:30they will open in our vase.
0:16:33 > 0:16:36If you cut too early, what will happen to them?
0:16:44 > 0:16:48The cut point on any stem is like an open wound.
0:16:48 > 0:16:53If it gets infected, the rose won't be able to drink the water it needs,
0:16:53 > 0:16:57so each flower is put in an antibacterial solution.
0:16:57 > 0:17:01These smaller, less open roses can be cooled faster -
0:17:01 > 0:17:03in under 12 hours.
0:17:03 > 0:17:05Then they are graded and packed.
0:17:08 > 0:17:12Sian sells flowers to Asia, the Middle East and Australia,
0:17:12 > 0:17:15but Europe is their biggest market.
0:17:17 > 0:17:20'These roses won't travel with water because the extra weight would
0:17:20 > 0:17:23'mean much higher airfreight costs
0:17:23 > 0:17:24'and a higher price for you and me...'
0:17:26 > 0:17:28- It's cold in here!- It's cold enough.
0:17:28 > 0:17:30'..so to make sure they survive their big journey,
0:17:30 > 0:17:34'they're given one last drink, cooled down further
0:17:34 > 0:17:37'to two degrees into an almost sleep-like state
0:17:37 > 0:17:39'and densely packed in boxes.'
0:17:41 > 0:17:44'I'm following the roses to Nairobi Airport to see them
0:17:44 > 0:17:46'head off to Holland.
0:17:46 > 0:17:47'Before they can board the plane,
0:17:47 > 0:17:50'each box needs to be X-rayed for security.'
0:17:51 > 0:17:56I'm quite liking the X-ray of a rose. They're rather beautiful.
0:17:56 > 0:17:58Sort of a little bit art house.
0:17:58 > 0:18:00Yeah, it does rob them a bit of their colour
0:18:00 > 0:18:03but, you know, it's there for them to see.
0:18:03 > 0:18:07'Art Wright, general manager for Panalpina Airflo, has to make sure
0:18:07 > 0:18:12'that flowers from all over Kenya make it onto the plane safely.'
0:18:12 > 0:18:14And this is all going on 24 hours a day?
0:18:14 > 0:18:16365 days a year.
0:18:16 > 0:18:20And how many stems will pass through here in a day?
0:18:20 > 0:18:22Well, close to 25 million stems.
0:18:22 > 0:18:25People in the UK and Europe love a good rose.
0:18:25 > 0:18:26They do love a good rose.
0:18:31 > 0:18:34Once the flowers have passed security, teams of cargo handlers
0:18:34 > 0:18:39build them into huge pallets ready for loading onto the cargo planes.
0:18:41 > 0:18:45This is extraordinary. These pallets, each of them weighing
0:18:45 > 0:18:47between two and three tonnes
0:18:47 > 0:18:51and containing up to 100,000 stems of flowers,
0:18:51 > 0:18:54have been gathered from all across Kenya,
0:18:54 > 0:18:56boxed down in a compact manner
0:18:56 > 0:19:01and they're going to start their journey, 4,000 miles to the markets.
0:19:01 > 0:19:02MAN SHOUTS OUT
0:19:04 > 0:19:06The flowers are often shipped at night
0:19:06 > 0:19:08so they can arrive early in the markets.
0:19:14 > 0:19:17I've been given access to one of the cargo planes
0:19:17 > 0:19:18as it's about to be loaded.
0:19:26 > 0:19:32It's massive! And every night, planes like this leave Kenya
0:19:32 > 0:19:33packed with flowers.
0:19:34 > 0:19:39Last year, over 2,000 planes flew out of Kenya, packed with flowers,
0:19:39 > 0:19:41destined for the Dutch markets.
0:19:53 > 0:19:58These roses have just travelled 4,000 miles from Africa.
0:19:58 > 0:20:04By the time they get here, they are really in need of some TLC.
0:20:05 > 0:20:09Many of these roses are destined for supermarkets.
0:20:09 > 0:20:12For the majority of their journey, they have to be kept chilled.
0:20:12 > 0:20:14But while they're being unloaded,
0:20:14 > 0:20:17the roses are exposed to temperatures of 15 degrees.
0:20:17 > 0:20:22It's now a race against time to break up these huge bales
0:20:22 > 0:20:26and transport the boxes to the far side of the complex,
0:20:26 > 0:20:29where the roses are readied for auction.
0:20:29 > 0:20:33Aalsmeer is vast and they need to travel almost half a kilometre
0:20:33 > 0:20:37to get to Fresco Flowers - the company that unpacks them,
0:20:37 > 0:20:40checks them for quality and prepares them for sale.
0:20:40 > 0:20:45They process 20% of all the roses that come to this market.
0:20:45 > 0:20:49'Gerjan Telleman has spent a decade making sure African roses
0:20:49 > 0:20:52'look their very best for the buyers.'
0:20:52 > 0:20:56- In Kenya, they put a wrapper around for their protection.- OK.
0:20:56 > 0:20:59- They take off the wrapper...- Yep.
0:20:59 > 0:21:01They look into the flowers...
0:21:01 > 0:21:04Hang them in their fingers to make them all the same level.
0:21:04 > 0:21:07Right, and what else are they doing?
0:21:07 > 0:21:10They take out the open flowers and the damaged flowers
0:21:10 > 0:21:13and put in a new stem.
0:21:13 > 0:21:14What's the problem if they're open?
0:21:14 > 0:21:19An open flower, like you can see here, is opened much quicker than
0:21:19 > 0:21:24the tight flower, so after two or three days, it is gone,
0:21:24 > 0:21:26and the other ones can stay for a couple of days longer.
0:21:26 > 0:21:30Oh, I see. So, as the consumer, I want flowers that are going to open
0:21:30 > 0:21:32- all at the same time? - Yeah, that's true.
0:21:34 > 0:21:37Once Gerjan's team are happy with the quality,
0:21:37 > 0:21:39each bunch is tied and recut.
0:21:40 > 0:21:44This removes any decaying tissue from the end of the stem.
0:21:44 > 0:21:47It's a bit like unblocking a straw
0:21:47 > 0:21:50and it helps the roses to drink water again.
0:21:50 > 0:21:53Finally, they're wrapped.
0:21:53 > 0:21:55So they're starting to really look like the kind of thing
0:21:55 > 0:21:57- that I would buy. - Now we put them in water.
0:21:57 > 0:22:01OK. So what is in the buckets? Is it just water?
0:22:01 > 0:22:04- It's water with an antibacterial. - Antibacterial.
0:22:04 > 0:22:06Why don't you put plant food in there?
0:22:06 > 0:22:08Flower food is more for the consumer.
0:22:08 > 0:22:09They want the flowers more open.
0:22:09 > 0:22:11OK.
0:22:13 > 0:22:15Now that the roses have been processed,
0:22:15 > 0:22:16they're taken to the chill rooms.
0:22:20 > 0:22:24Flowers aren't just arriving here from Africa...
0:22:24 > 0:22:293,000 trucks from all over Europe are delivering roses, tulips,
0:22:29 > 0:22:33lilies and a myriad of other flowers to the auctions.
0:22:35 > 0:22:39This whole operation is driven by one big purpose -
0:22:39 > 0:22:43to get these beautiful and fragile flowers into our homes
0:22:43 > 0:22:48and florists in pristine condition in the shortest time possible.
0:22:50 > 0:22:53As soon as they arrive, the flowers are moved to huge
0:22:53 > 0:22:55refrigerators known as chill rooms.
0:22:56 > 0:23:01Each variety of flower needs to be stored at its own
0:23:01 > 0:23:03special temperature.
0:23:03 > 0:23:06There's just an hour to go before the auctions starts.
0:23:06 > 0:23:09Buyers are coming to chill rooms all over the market complex
0:23:09 > 0:23:14to scrutinise the flowers and decide which ones they want to buy.
0:23:14 > 0:23:17Simon has gone to the chill room in Naaldwijk,
0:23:17 > 0:23:20which is full of roses ready for inspection.
0:23:28 > 0:23:30I've come here to meet Bart.
0:23:31 > 0:23:34As the third biggest buyer of roses in Holland,
0:23:34 > 0:23:38he has hundreds of clients counting on HIM to deliver
0:23:38 > 0:23:41the best quality roses at the right price.
0:23:41 > 0:23:45But Bart only has a tiny window of time to decide which roses
0:23:45 > 0:23:46he's going to bid for today.
0:23:47 > 0:23:50So Bart, what are you looking for with these roses?
0:23:50 > 0:23:52I'm looking if the quality's good,
0:23:52 > 0:23:56if they're not too tight, not too open. Um...
0:23:56 > 0:23:58Like, this is a bit too open for today.
0:23:58 > 0:24:01And do you do this every day?
0:24:01 > 0:24:03I do this every day, yeah. Every day we need to check it,
0:24:03 > 0:24:06every day we need to check quickly how they're looking.
0:24:06 > 0:24:09So you need to make sure that what you're buying is fabulous?
0:24:09 > 0:24:11- I need to do it for the customer. - Yes.
0:24:11 > 0:24:14I'm the eyes of the customer. There we go.
0:24:14 > 0:24:17So you're able to look at a rose and know how much it's worth?
0:24:17 > 0:24:19More or less, yeah.
0:24:19 > 0:24:21This one's a bit too tight. That tells me
0:24:21 > 0:24:24- how much money I want to give for it...- Oh, OK. Yep.
0:24:24 > 0:24:25..in the morning.
0:24:25 > 0:24:28So I think, not too much money today!
0:24:28 > 0:24:29No.
0:24:29 > 0:24:32'Buying on such a huge scale gives Bart a lot of power.
0:24:32 > 0:24:37'He can afford to bid higher, making a smaller margin on each rose
0:24:37 > 0:24:39'and still make a good profit overall.
0:24:39 > 0:24:42'This means Bart gets the roses HE needs,
0:24:42 > 0:24:44'elbowing out his smaller competitors.'
0:24:44 > 0:24:47How much would you pay for a stem for a rose?
0:24:47 > 0:24:49I think, for this one, this is 7cm, I think
0:24:49 > 0:24:52this goes up today to a maximum of 60 cents.
0:24:52 > 0:24:56- For a single stem?- Maximum. I hope I'm going to buy them for 50, 55.
0:24:57 > 0:25:00All the flowers sold at the auctions are graded by the growers
0:25:00 > 0:25:02into three categories -
0:25:02 > 0:25:04A1, A2 and B1.
0:25:04 > 0:25:08Most of the flowers we buy in the UK are A1s.
0:25:08 > 0:25:10A2 and B1 are cheaper
0:25:10 > 0:25:13and are usually sold to Eastern Europe and Russia.
0:25:13 > 0:25:15Look, this is the A2.
0:25:15 > 0:25:16This is more damaged, you see.
0:25:16 > 0:25:19So, that's a good one, that's a bad one?
0:25:19 > 0:25:22- Yeah, this one is too open. This one is too black.- Right.
0:25:22 > 0:25:25There's all different head sizes in it. That makes them A2.
0:25:25 > 0:25:27- Gosh, you really have to scrutinise these.- Yeah.
0:25:28 > 0:25:30What quality is this?
0:25:30 > 0:25:31- This is A1.- A1.
0:25:31 > 0:25:35This is more for the exclusive florist.
0:25:35 > 0:25:37This is much bigger than the others ones,
0:25:37 > 0:25:39this is much nicer than the other ones,
0:25:39 > 0:25:43it's a longer vase life than the other ones.
0:25:43 > 0:25:44It's nice to see as well.
0:25:44 > 0:25:47- Yeah, it's really nice to see. - So I want to see them every day.
0:25:47 > 0:25:49- Yes.- Yeah.- Yeah. - LAUGHTER
0:25:52 > 0:25:56One third of the roses that Bart buys today will go to the UK.
0:25:57 > 0:26:01Our second most-loved flower, the lily, is also sold here
0:26:01 > 0:26:04in huge quantities.
0:26:04 > 0:26:08Mentioned in the Bible, and associated with the Virgin Mary,
0:26:08 > 0:26:13the lily became the symbol of purity and chastity.
0:26:13 > 0:26:16The white lily, in particular, is given at funerals
0:26:16 > 0:26:19to symbolise the innocence of the soul.
0:26:20 > 0:26:23The regal lily, with its trumpet-shaped flowers,
0:26:23 > 0:26:27was brought to Britain from China in 1903.
0:26:28 > 0:26:33Today, the Oriental varieties are the best-selling lilies in the UK.
0:26:33 > 0:26:36Many of these travel through the Dutch markets,
0:26:36 > 0:26:40where almost 300 million lilies are sold each year.
0:26:42 > 0:26:44Just like Dutch rose growers,
0:26:44 > 0:26:47the lily growers in Holland face increasing competition
0:26:47 > 0:26:50from countries with warmer climates and lower labour costs.
0:26:51 > 0:26:53To keep their market share,
0:26:53 > 0:26:58the Dutch are having to find cheaper ways to grow high quality flowers.
0:26:58 > 0:27:00I've come to Rijnsburg...
0:27:01 > 0:27:04..to meet a grower who has totally transformed his business
0:27:04 > 0:27:08by investing ten million euros on cutting-edge technology.
0:27:11 > 0:27:14I've always imagined flower-growing to be a traditional
0:27:14 > 0:27:16and labour-intensive business,
0:27:16 > 0:27:20but I'm about to meet a grower who is using a high-tech system
0:27:20 > 0:27:23to produce some of the best lilies in the world.
0:27:23 > 0:27:26This glasshouse is vast.
0:27:26 > 0:27:29It's the size of 16 football pitches,
0:27:29 > 0:27:32but the most astonishing thing...
0:27:32 > 0:27:35is that the lilies are moving.
0:27:35 > 0:27:40I'm surrounded by an army of marching flowers.
0:27:43 > 0:27:46This is the cutting edge of flower-growing,
0:27:46 > 0:27:50developed to feed the market's insatiable hunger for lilies.
0:27:51 > 0:27:58In the UK alone, we import over £50 million worth of lilies each year.
0:27:58 > 0:28:01Half of the lilies grown in the Netherlands end up in the UK.
0:28:02 > 0:28:07Three vast greenhouses cover over 20 acres and are filled with
0:28:07 > 0:28:1316,000 moving beds of lilies growing under artificial sunlight.
0:28:13 > 0:28:17An entire ecosystem created to defy nature
0:28:17 > 0:28:22and grow the perfect lily 365 days a year.
0:28:23 > 0:28:26With a staff of just 18 people,
0:28:26 > 0:28:29it's almost entirely automated and the only moving thing you'll see
0:28:29 > 0:28:31when you walk through here are lilies.
0:28:35 > 0:28:39'Paauw Lilies was founded almost a century ago
0:28:39 > 0:28:42'and managing director Wim-Jan Paauw
0:28:42 > 0:28:45'is the third generation of his family to grow lilies.
0:28:45 > 0:28:48'He's brought me to see the first stage of the process.'
0:28:48 > 0:28:50Whoa. Oh, my God.
0:28:52 > 0:28:54Wow.
0:28:54 > 0:28:57So this is our stock of fresh, clean peat moss.
0:28:57 > 0:28:59Why is it steaming?
0:28:59 > 0:29:03Because, in the steaming process, we sterilise the soil.
0:29:03 > 0:29:05We heat the peat up to 100 degrees.
0:29:05 > 0:29:07Because, during the growth of the last crop,
0:29:07 > 0:29:09you have some harmful bacterias
0:29:09 > 0:29:11and, with steaming it, you kill those.
0:29:11 > 0:29:13And then we can reuse it again.
0:29:13 > 0:29:15Don't you kill all of the nutrients in the soil?
0:29:15 > 0:29:19- No, they are still in it. That's not a problem.- They're still in there.
0:29:19 > 0:29:20So, this soil is clean,
0:29:20 > 0:29:24- it's going to give you the best result.- That's the way, yeah.
0:29:24 > 0:29:28The soil is made up of peat moss from the Baltic states,
0:29:28 > 0:29:30chosen because it's lightweight,
0:29:30 > 0:29:33suits the mobile growing trays and the lilies,
0:29:33 > 0:29:34which like good drainage.
0:29:34 > 0:29:39Every day, around 150 tonnes of it pass through this plant
0:29:39 > 0:29:43to be recycled after each crop is harvested.
0:29:43 > 0:29:45The temperature of the steam is controlled,
0:29:45 > 0:29:49to make sure any bacteria growing in the soil are killed.
0:29:49 > 0:29:53After cooling down for three days, it's ready for planting.
0:29:55 > 0:29:57So here we do the planting.
0:29:57 > 0:29:59So, as you can see, this is a medium-sized bulb,
0:29:59 > 0:30:01and, depending on the variety,
0:30:01 > 0:30:04we place a number of bulbs in the crate.
0:30:04 > 0:30:06And the reason we still do it by hand
0:30:06 > 0:30:08is that the bulb has to face up.
0:30:08 > 0:30:10- You try? - MEN LAUGH
0:30:10 > 0:30:11- Can I have a go?- Yeah.
0:30:11 > 0:30:13- OK, so you have to do them... - Every time, two hands.
0:30:13 > 0:30:16- All up.- Every time, two hands. - Two hands.
0:30:16 > 0:30:19- OK, why two hands? - It's more efficient.
0:30:19 > 0:30:23OK. So where are these grown? Where do you get these from?
0:30:23 > 0:30:26We buy the bulbs from bulb growers and every bulb has only one stem
0:30:26 > 0:30:30and the bigger the bulb is, the more flowers it gives per stem.
0:30:30 > 0:30:32- Is this a big bulb? - This is an extra large size.
0:30:32 > 0:30:34This is an extra large, and how many flowers
0:30:34 > 0:30:37- would you expect from it? - At least five or six.
0:30:39 > 0:30:41'Ten lily bulbs are planted in each crate
0:30:41 > 0:30:45'and then moved out into the first of three glasshouses.'
0:30:47 > 0:30:50'Each one has its own carefully controlled microclimate.'
0:30:53 > 0:30:55'The temperature, lighting and irrigation
0:30:55 > 0:30:58'are all regulated by a central computer.
0:30:58 > 0:31:02'This system produces stunning lilies in just a third of the time
0:31:02 > 0:31:05'it would take if they were grown outdoors.'
0:31:05 > 0:31:07They go through three phases.
0:31:07 > 0:31:09- This is the first stage over there. - OK.
0:31:09 > 0:31:11Then they come to this greenhouse
0:31:11 > 0:31:14- and they stay about a month in this greenhouse.- Yes.
0:31:14 > 0:31:16And, after two months, they go to the last greenhouse
0:31:16 > 0:31:18when they start flowering.
0:31:18 > 0:31:23So they have different climate zones for different growing periods.
0:31:23 > 0:31:26- How interesting. So you're recreating the seasons?- Yeah.
0:31:26 > 0:31:29- In the beginning they like more springtime, so more cold.- Yes.
0:31:29 > 0:31:33This is the summertime, so we need lots of light and temperature.
0:31:33 > 0:31:35And, at the end, we need to cool down a little bit
0:31:35 > 0:31:37to get the good quality.
0:31:37 > 0:31:39'The computer tracks the location of each tray,
0:31:39 > 0:31:44'moving it through the glasshouses and seasons to maturity.
0:31:44 > 0:31:46'Once the lilies are close to flowering,
0:31:46 > 0:31:49'they are moved into this central hub,
0:31:49 > 0:31:51'where human skills are still needed.'
0:31:53 > 0:31:55So, after three months they come here in the hub,
0:31:55 > 0:31:58but the problem is that they're not all finished at the same time.
0:31:58 > 0:32:00So, how can you tell, cos, to me, these all look the same?
0:32:00 > 0:32:02The guys who are doing the harvesting,
0:32:02 > 0:32:05they have so much experience that they know exactly which one to pick.
0:32:05 > 0:32:07They just pick out the ones that are ripe enough.
0:32:07 > 0:32:10So, for example, which one is ready and which one isn't?
0:32:10 > 0:32:11You can see this one has started colouring
0:32:11 > 0:32:14- and probably they will pick this one.- OK.
0:32:14 > 0:32:16But this is still too green.
0:32:16 > 0:32:18Right, so it's actually nothing about how tall they are,
0:32:18 > 0:32:20- because those two are almost the same.- No.
0:32:20 > 0:32:24This one needs another three or four days before it has to be ready.
0:32:26 > 0:32:29Traditionally, workers have to go out into the huge glasshouses
0:32:29 > 0:32:34to harvest the flowers, but here the lilies come to them.
0:32:34 > 0:32:36This has increased production by 15%,
0:32:36 > 0:32:40without increasing the workforce, which has stayed at just 18 people.
0:32:40 > 0:32:44So how many stems are you cutting every day?
0:32:44 > 0:32:49Er, we do about between 40,000 and 50,000 stems a day.
0:32:49 > 0:32:52That's absolutely incredible. How much does that equate to a year?
0:32:52 > 0:32:56- Yeah. We do about ten million stems a year.- Ten million!
0:32:56 > 0:32:57Yeah, correct.
0:33:00 > 0:33:03Once the lilies are cut, they're off to be graded.
0:33:07 > 0:33:10Each stem is sorted by number of flowers and bunched.
0:33:12 > 0:33:16Finally, they're wrapped and within just a minute of being cut,
0:33:16 > 0:33:17they're back in the water.
0:33:18 > 0:33:22- So these are ready now?- These are ready to go to the auction.
0:33:22 > 0:33:23- So it's THAT quick?- Yeah.
0:33:23 > 0:33:26So they're cut, sorted, packed,
0:33:26 > 0:33:33- sold at auction, transported to England in 24 hours?- Yep.
0:33:33 > 0:33:37So tomorrow night these lilies could be on someone's kitchen table?
0:33:37 > 0:33:40Yeah. That's what we work for, yep.
0:33:41 > 0:33:44Wim sends all his lilies to the markets,
0:33:44 > 0:33:47where the auctions begin at 6am each day.
0:33:47 > 0:33:52Seven auctions run simultaneously, across the market complex.
0:33:54 > 0:33:56'Robert Janssen, the Flying Dutchman,
0:33:56 > 0:33:59'was at the auction in Rijnsburg yesterday.
0:33:59 > 0:34:01'But, with UK Mother's Day looming,
0:34:01 > 0:34:05'he's got to buy 30,000 stems of flowers to fill his orders.
0:34:05 > 0:34:07'He has to leave for England by 1pm,
0:34:07 > 0:34:10'so this is his last chance to buy what he needs.
0:34:10 > 0:34:13'Robert has 30,000 euros to spend,
0:34:13 > 0:34:17'but he is competing against 500 other buyers in the auction
0:34:17 > 0:34:19'and 2,000 others online.
0:34:19 > 0:34:23'His family's business hinges on the next four hours.'
0:34:23 > 0:34:25Is today a particularly busy day for you?
0:34:25 > 0:34:28Yes. Mother's Day is more like the busiest for us.
0:34:28 > 0:34:31- The busiest week. - How long have you been doing this?
0:34:31 > 0:34:33- 19 years.- 19 years!
0:34:33 > 0:34:35Yeah. I was 17.
0:34:35 > 0:34:38So did you come here with your dad, originally?
0:34:38 > 0:34:41- Yes.- Well, are you a dream team?
0:34:41 > 0:34:43- No mistakes...- Yeah, no mistakes.
0:34:43 > 0:34:45LAUGHTER
0:34:45 > 0:34:48'Rijnsburg is where most of the small buyers, like Robert,
0:34:48 > 0:34:52'come to get their flowers, because it has lots of variety
0:34:52 > 0:34:56'and they can buy here in smaller quantities.'
0:34:56 > 0:34:59So what are you buying today? What's on the shopping list?
0:34:59 > 0:35:02- Tulips, and some roses.- Tulips.
0:35:02 > 0:35:04And what particular colour?
0:35:04 > 0:35:06- At the moment it's all pink. - It's all pink.- Mother's Day.
0:35:06 > 0:35:09- OK, so it's a Mother's Day...? - Mother's Day is always pink.
0:35:09 > 0:35:10Right.
0:35:10 > 0:35:13- I have to have a look now. - OK. Go for it. Go for it.
0:35:15 > 0:35:20It's just after 6am and the auction is under way.
0:35:20 > 0:35:23Most of the buyers here are Flying Dutchmen, like Robert.
0:35:23 > 0:35:27They trade in smaller quantities, which means they need to have
0:35:27 > 0:35:30a bigger profit margin to make a living.
0:35:32 > 0:35:35The flowers are brought out on trolleys for buyers to view.
0:35:35 > 0:35:39Robert is keeping track of what's happening on the big screens.
0:35:41 > 0:35:44From these, he can see the variety, grower...
0:35:45 > 0:35:47..quality and size,
0:35:47 > 0:35:52amount of stems for sale and the country of origin.
0:35:52 > 0:35:54So, over here, we've got flowers from Israel...
0:35:54 > 0:35:57We've got tulips from Holland. We've got roses from Kenya.
0:35:57 > 0:36:02We've just had some from Ethiopia and we've had flowers from Italy.
0:36:02 > 0:36:05And they really are coming from all over the world
0:36:05 > 0:36:06and they could end up anywhere.
0:36:08 > 0:36:09Robert, are you buying right now?
0:36:09 > 0:36:11Just one moment...
0:36:13 > 0:36:17In the centre of each screen is a large circle of dots,
0:36:17 > 0:36:20which is a called a Dutch Auction Clock.
0:36:20 > 0:36:23In auctions, the auctioneer starts with a high asking price,
0:36:23 > 0:36:26and, as the clock counts down from 100 -
0:36:26 > 0:36:29which is shown by the red dot - the price drops.
0:36:29 > 0:36:33It keeps dropping until a bid is made, which stops the clock.
0:36:33 > 0:36:36Buyers bid by pressing the button on their desk.
0:36:40 > 0:36:44But what makes THESE auctions so tricky is that the first bid wins.
0:36:47 > 0:36:51It seems more like a gamble than an auction.
0:36:51 > 0:36:54If Robert waits too long, hoping to get a lower price,
0:36:54 > 0:36:58another buyer will get there first and win the bid.
0:36:58 > 0:37:02Every time the dot stops flowers are sold.
0:37:02 > 0:37:05It's so fast that I find it impossible to keep up.
0:37:05 > 0:37:10On a busy day like this, there are over 100,000 transactions,
0:37:10 > 0:37:14totalling approximately ten million euros.
0:37:14 > 0:37:18So it seems to me that the real skill is all about timing.
0:37:19 > 0:37:20You can only bid once.
0:37:20 > 0:37:26The trick is to catch the moment where you get the lowest price,
0:37:26 > 0:37:27without missing the batch.
0:37:27 > 0:37:29That seems to be the key.
0:37:30 > 0:37:34- What have you just bought? - Nine boxes of Cymbidium orchids.
0:37:34 > 0:37:35- The orchids?- Yeah.
0:37:35 > 0:37:37They are absolutely amazing.
0:37:37 > 0:37:39- Are they expensive?- 2.50 euros.
0:37:39 > 0:37:41- 2.50 euros for every box? - For the small ones.
0:37:41 > 0:37:44- No, for a stem.- Every stem?!- Yeah.
0:37:44 > 0:37:46You can't disappoint your customers.
0:37:46 > 0:37:50I give them a price and it's up to me if I can buy it cheap or not.
0:37:50 > 0:37:54- So you carry the cost if you get the bid wrong?- Yes.
0:37:54 > 0:37:57So it is very stressful and there's a huge amount of pressure on you
0:37:57 > 0:37:59- to get it right?- Yes.
0:37:59 > 0:38:03- Robert, have you ever bought anything by mistake?- Yes.
0:38:04 > 0:38:06- Everybody does.- Oh, God!
0:38:06 > 0:38:09SHE LAUGHS
0:38:09 > 0:38:13So, I've just counted the women in here...
0:38:13 > 0:38:14and there's one.
0:38:14 > 0:38:16Just the one woman.
0:38:16 > 0:38:20Who knew that flowers was such a masculine industry?
0:38:23 > 0:38:26Robert isn't just competing with everyone in the auction room.
0:38:26 > 0:38:28There are thousands of other traders online
0:38:28 > 0:38:31who are trying to buy the same flowers.
0:38:32 > 0:38:37Simon's gone to Naaldwijk, on the other side of the market complex
0:38:37 > 0:38:41to catch up with one of the biggest buyers - Bart - who he met earlier.
0:38:43 > 0:38:45Bart has his very own high-tech dealing room
0:38:45 > 0:38:49that allows him and his team to buy huge quantities of flowers,
0:38:49 > 0:38:52at all seven auctions in the market complex...
0:38:52 > 0:38:54without leaving the office.
0:38:56 > 0:39:00Each buyer specialises in just one type of flower.
0:39:02 > 0:39:06Bart's been busy buying the Dutch roses he was checking out earlier
0:39:06 > 0:39:08and trading has been hectic.
0:39:10 > 0:39:13So, Bart, tell me how many stems have you been buying today?
0:39:13 > 0:39:16It's 1.4 million till now.
0:39:16 > 0:39:20- 1.4 million stems already? - Yes. Already.
0:39:20 > 0:39:23- And we're half...- We're still running for another hour.
0:39:23 > 0:39:25- Another hour.- It's quite busy.
0:39:25 > 0:39:27- It's really busy.- Yeah, a busy day.
0:39:27 > 0:39:31And you're buying from three different flower markets.
0:39:31 > 0:39:33Yes, three different auctions, yeah.
0:39:33 > 0:39:35- So this screen...- This is Aalsmeer.
0:39:35 > 0:39:37- This shows me what's happening in Aalsmeer.- Yeah.
0:39:37 > 0:39:40- And it's a different grower. - I need to buy them...
0:39:40 > 0:39:42Oops, sorry. So you just bought...
0:39:42 > 0:39:44No... Did you buy...? Yeah, you bought those.
0:39:44 > 0:39:4650 I bought for 39 cents.
0:39:46 > 0:39:48And that's a good price?
0:39:48 > 0:39:50Yeah, that's a good price. It's a really good price.
0:39:50 > 0:39:53'Bart isn't just filling his clients' orders...
0:39:53 > 0:39:55'When he spots a good deal, he's buying extra,
0:39:55 > 0:39:57'hoping to sell them on his company web shop
0:39:57 > 0:39:59'to florists all over Europe.'
0:39:59 > 0:40:01You bought those?
0:40:01 > 0:40:03Yeah, it was a Golden Ambition, it was a yellow rose.
0:40:03 > 0:40:04- Yep.- 60cms.
0:40:04 > 0:40:08I've got now in my stock 1,200 bins of roses
0:40:08 > 0:40:10that need to go today or tomorrow.
0:40:10 > 0:40:12So today or tomorrow you've got to shift...?
0:40:12 > 0:40:16I can check it... It's 52,000 stems.
0:40:16 > 0:40:1852,000 stems that you alone
0:40:18 > 0:40:21- have got to shift.- Yep. And they need to go today or tomorrow.
0:40:21 > 0:40:24Today or tomorrow. And what happens if they don't?
0:40:24 > 0:40:28- Then I've got a problem. - LAUGHTER
0:40:29 > 0:40:3470% to 80% of the flowers that Bart buys will be sold online.
0:40:34 > 0:40:38But his company also serves wholesalers and florists directly.
0:40:38 > 0:40:44On a busy week like this, they will send over 150 trucks into the UK.
0:40:44 > 0:40:47It's Robin Hesselberth's job to ensure that all these flowers
0:40:47 > 0:40:49get to their clients on time.
0:40:49 > 0:40:52It's not only having the best quality flowers.
0:40:52 > 0:40:56The price needs to be good and you have to be the quickest.
0:40:56 > 0:41:00- So, if you get an order in from a flower shop in the UK...- Yeah.
0:41:00 > 0:41:02..how long have you got to get the flowers?
0:41:02 > 0:41:06If I got my order in before, let's say, 4am in the morning,
0:41:06 > 0:41:10it can be at the florist shop within 24 hours.
0:41:10 > 0:41:13Within 24 hours, you can have those flowers in the UK?
0:41:13 > 0:41:15- Six days a week.- Six days a week.
0:41:16 > 0:41:18'In less than four hours of trading,
0:41:18 > 0:41:24'Bart and his team have spent almost 600,000 euros buying flowers.'
0:41:26 > 0:41:30CHERRY: Back in the auction, Robert is buying the last of HIS orders.
0:41:30 > 0:41:32He's managed to get all the flowers that he needs
0:41:32 > 0:41:35for his budget of 30,000 euros.
0:41:37 > 0:41:39Do you love the thrill of it, the buzz, the excitement?
0:41:39 > 0:41:43Yes. The buying I do love, to make sure that I'm buying
0:41:43 > 0:41:44the best quality for the best price.
0:41:44 > 0:41:47You make a sport out of it to have the cheapest.
0:41:47 > 0:41:50- So, yeah. - So it's hunting?- Yes.
0:41:50 > 0:41:52It's hunting for the perfect prize.
0:41:52 > 0:41:54- Yes.- Will you let me buy something?
0:41:54 > 0:41:57Yes. Just go to the clock, say number six,
0:41:57 > 0:42:01- and then you have to put your thumb on the thing.- On the button.
0:42:01 > 0:42:03You can buy, say, the Mont Blanc.
0:42:03 > 0:42:06Just push it when it is a bit lower than this.
0:42:06 > 0:42:09Not yet. Just push it now and just say one.
0:42:09 > 0:42:11- Now?- Yes, now.- One.
0:42:11 > 0:42:13SHE GASPS
0:42:15 > 0:42:17- How many did I buy? Two boxes.- Two. - Fine.
0:42:17 > 0:42:19Is your house always full of flowers?
0:42:19 > 0:42:21Yes, but that's also a good thing,
0:42:21 > 0:42:24cos then I see how the quality is as well.
0:42:24 > 0:42:26So then you see what it is.
0:42:26 > 0:42:29So, what do you get your wife for her birthday?
0:42:29 > 0:42:32- She probably doesn't want flowers, does she?- No.
0:42:32 > 0:42:35- Diamonds.- Diamonds? LAUGHTER
0:42:36 > 0:42:38Now the auction is finished, Robert has to wait
0:42:38 > 0:42:42around two-and-half hours for his flowers to arrive.
0:42:42 > 0:42:45In the buyers' depot, his truck is already half full
0:42:45 > 0:42:47with the flowers he bought yesterday.
0:42:47 > 0:42:51There's a dazzling array of different varieties and colours,
0:42:51 > 0:42:56but his largest purchase is Holland's most famous flower
0:42:56 > 0:42:59and one of the most loved in the world -
0:42:59 > 0:43:00the tulip.
0:43:00 > 0:43:04The tulip is the third best-selling flower in the UK.
0:43:04 > 0:43:06We love them because they're colourful,
0:43:06 > 0:43:09uplifting and inexpensive.
0:43:09 > 0:43:13They originally came from the mountains of Central Asia.
0:43:13 > 0:43:17The Persians began growing tulips over 1,000 years ago
0:43:17 > 0:43:21and the Ottoman sultans loved their bold colours.
0:43:21 > 0:43:24Soon after the first bulbs arrived in Holland,
0:43:24 > 0:43:28the upper classes fell in love with this exotic flower.
0:43:28 > 0:43:30At the height of tulip mania,
0:43:30 > 0:43:35a single bulb could be bought and sold for the price of a house.
0:43:35 > 0:43:39The tulip market crashed in 1637,
0:43:39 > 0:43:44but by then it had become one of the most loved flowers in Holland.
0:43:44 > 0:43:48Today, it's the cornerstone of the Dutch flower industry.
0:43:48 > 0:43:52Every year, vast sums of money are spent studying the species,
0:43:52 > 0:43:55helping growers develop new and better varieties.
0:43:57 > 0:43:59I'm meeting Professor Beverley Glover,
0:43:59 > 0:44:02a British scientist who has spent decades investigating
0:44:02 > 0:44:06the sex lives of flowers, including the tulip.
0:44:07 > 0:44:09So I'm going to take you to see some tulips that show
0:44:09 > 0:44:12some really nice patterns of colour
0:44:12 > 0:44:15and how they use those to attract different sorts of pollinators.
0:44:15 > 0:44:18So this is a wild tulip species and you can see that it's got this
0:44:18 > 0:44:20wonderful yellow target, like a bull's-eye, in the middle
0:44:20 > 0:44:22of these pink petals.
0:44:22 > 0:44:23And that's to make it easy for the pollinator.
0:44:23 > 0:44:26So, rather than having to think, from a distance, of where to land
0:44:26 > 0:44:29to get at the nectar and pollen, you can see you just go
0:44:29 > 0:44:31straight to the centre of the bull's-eye.
0:44:31 > 0:44:35Such bright colours and all of them have that target in the middle.
0:44:35 > 0:44:38That's right. So the bull's-eye is very important.
0:44:38 > 0:44:40So you can see it here in this red tulip,
0:44:40 > 0:44:43with its strong black centre. That's another way of achieving
0:44:43 > 0:44:46the same thing. But insects see in a different colour spectrum from us,
0:44:46 > 0:44:48they don't see the same range of colours we do
0:44:48 > 0:44:50and they see into the ultraviolet, which we can't.
0:44:50 > 0:44:53So some flowers do this similar kind of bull's-eye patterning,
0:44:53 > 0:44:56but we can't see it. It's only visible to the insects.
0:44:56 > 0:44:57What does it look like?
0:44:57 > 0:44:59It looks just like an unpatterned flower to us.
0:44:59 > 0:45:01Something like a buttercup or an evening primrose.
0:45:01 > 0:45:03Let me take you over and show you one.
0:45:03 > 0:45:07This is a great example of a plant that has a bull's-eye on the flower
0:45:07 > 0:45:08that we just can't see at all.
0:45:08 > 0:45:11It's a buttercup and what you can see is this astonishing gloss.
0:45:11 > 0:45:14- It's really shiny, isn't it?- Yes. - Bright, shiny and yellow.
0:45:14 > 0:45:15But you can't see any pattern.
0:45:15 > 0:45:18But if we look at it in the UV, which is how the insect can see it,
0:45:18 > 0:45:21then you see there's this really clear bull's-eye in the centre,
0:45:21 > 0:45:23just like with the visible ones we saw in the tulips.
0:45:23 > 0:45:25- It looks completely different. - Yeah.
0:45:25 > 0:45:29So, if I was an insect, that is what I would see
0:45:29 > 0:45:31- if I was approaching that flower? - Yeah.
0:45:31 > 0:45:35So this has developed purely so that the flower can reproduce,
0:45:35 > 0:45:38so that it can carry on breeding?
0:45:38 > 0:45:39Yeah, that's right.
0:45:39 > 0:45:41All of this advertising...
0:45:41 > 0:45:43You can think of it as adverts, they're billboards,
0:45:43 > 0:45:46are there to bring in insects, make sure the flower gets pollinated,
0:45:46 > 0:45:48make sure there's seed and another generation to come.
0:45:51 > 0:45:55Today, tulip growers build upon this knowledge
0:45:55 > 0:45:58to breed an extraordinary range of different varieties
0:45:58 > 0:46:00that they sell at the markets.
0:46:02 > 0:46:04As the flower industry grows every year,
0:46:04 > 0:46:07the thirst for new varieties is never-ending.
0:46:07 > 0:46:12Growers invest millions of euros in trying to create something new
0:46:12 > 0:46:14that we customers cannot resist.
0:46:16 > 0:46:20The tulip, the flower that started the Dutch revolution,
0:46:20 > 0:46:25has changed enormously since it came here in the 16th century.
0:46:26 > 0:46:30There are now over 8,000 different varieties
0:46:30 > 0:46:33and that's thanks to growers like Geert Hageman,
0:46:33 > 0:46:37who has been breeding them for almost 40 years.
0:46:39 > 0:46:41So, what's through here?
0:46:42 > 0:46:43Tulips, tulips, tulips.
0:46:45 > 0:46:48This was taken in two days ago.
0:46:48 > 0:46:50- Oh, gosh, it's already sprouting. - Yes.
0:46:50 > 0:46:55- And that was about five days ago. - OK. God, they grow quickly!
0:46:55 > 0:46:56These are almost two weeks.
0:46:56 > 0:46:58I love that there are some renegade ones
0:46:58 > 0:47:00that have just grown massively tall.
0:47:00 > 0:47:05- Yeah.- They're particularly Dutch tulips, really tall!
0:47:05 > 0:47:08So, what's through here?
0:47:08 > 0:47:13- Over here, we have a testing room for all new varieties.- Ooh.
0:47:13 > 0:47:17These are varieties that are, for the first time, in the greenhouse.
0:47:17 > 0:47:19- We have bred this in 2010.- Whoa.
0:47:19 > 0:47:22It takes six years before you have this bulb
0:47:22 > 0:47:24and it takes another 20 years
0:47:24 > 0:47:26before you have enough to go to the auction.
0:47:26 > 0:47:29So it takes 25 years to cultivate a new breed?
0:47:29 > 0:47:32Yes, it takes 25 years.
0:47:32 > 0:47:33Wow, that's some love!
0:47:33 > 0:47:38'Geert wants to show me some of the tulips he bred six years ago,
0:47:38 > 0:47:40'that are flowering for the first time.'
0:47:40 > 0:47:42Oh, wow.
0:47:42 > 0:47:46This part is from one mother and one father.
0:47:46 > 0:47:48So these are all brothers and sisters?
0:47:48 > 0:47:53- They are all brothers and sisters. - So they came from two parent bulbs?
0:47:53 > 0:47:56- Yes.- But they're so different.- Yes.
0:47:56 > 0:48:00So how do you cross-breed tulips? I mean, do they go on a date?
0:48:00 > 0:48:05Yes, there is a date and I will make an example.
0:48:05 > 0:48:07The first important part is that you are taking away
0:48:07 > 0:48:10the pollen from the plant that we are choosing.
0:48:10 > 0:48:13- So that's the daddy plant...- Yes. - OK.
0:48:13 > 0:48:16- Cos you love that one... - Yes, because it is heavy.
0:48:16 > 0:48:19- Heavy and strong.- This has a lot of crispa, we call that crispa.
0:48:19 > 0:48:22- Kind of like little teeth.- Yeah.- OK.
0:48:22 > 0:48:24- You are taking...- Oh, you brush it.
0:48:24 > 0:48:27- Brush it.- OK, to get the pollen off? - Pollen out.
0:48:27 > 0:48:30- And then you put it onto the stamen. - The stamen.
0:48:30 > 0:48:34Oh, I see. So you're taking the genetics from one plant
0:48:34 > 0:48:37- and mixing them with the other. - Yep. Totally right.
0:48:37 > 0:48:40This is a little bit too early because on a certain moment
0:48:40 > 0:48:42it's a little bit hairy.
0:48:42 > 0:48:44Yeah, yeah...
0:48:44 > 0:48:47And then the pollen stays on the stamen.
0:48:47 > 0:48:50- So you have to wait for the lady to be nice and hairy?- Yeah, yeah.
0:48:50 > 0:48:52I mean, I love it.
0:48:52 > 0:48:55And, after five or six weeks, the stamen is growing
0:48:55 > 0:48:59and we have some examples on that side of the window.
0:48:59 > 0:49:03And that is growing after six or seven weeks.
0:49:03 > 0:49:06- That's the stamen?! - That is the stamen.
0:49:06 > 0:49:09That is massive! What?!
0:49:09 > 0:49:12- The stamen actually grows?- Yes.
0:49:12 > 0:49:13Oh, God, I never...
0:49:13 > 0:49:16I did GCSE Biology and that is... I must have forgotten that bit.
0:49:16 > 0:49:20And, in the stamen, you now see there's some seeds
0:49:20 > 0:49:23and the seeds you are planting in autumn.
0:49:23 > 0:49:25- Oh, I see.- And, the year after, you get small bulblets
0:49:25 > 0:49:28and then, after five years, you see the first flowers.
0:49:28 > 0:49:31- You have to be a patient person to breed tulips.- Yes...
0:49:31 > 0:49:36So, from this batch, that are all from the same stamen,
0:49:36 > 0:49:38which ones are you going to choose?
0:49:38 > 0:49:41I think only this one.
0:49:41 > 0:49:44- So that yellow one, that's the only one you'll keep?- Yep.
0:49:44 > 0:49:47Last year we were growing about 100,000 new varieties
0:49:47 > 0:49:50and we kept only 100.
0:49:50 > 0:49:52That was it.
0:49:52 > 0:49:53That's it?!
0:49:53 > 0:49:57So do you have anything here that is a fantastic success
0:49:57 > 0:49:59that you've bred? Something new?
0:49:59 > 0:50:01Yeah, we...
0:50:01 > 0:50:03Again, another greenhouse.
0:50:03 > 0:50:06I will show you one of my favourites.
0:50:07 > 0:50:10Especially the colour and also the form.
0:50:10 > 0:50:12- You see?- Oh, wow! Oh, my God!
0:50:12 > 0:50:15- Did you breed that? - Yes, I bred that.
0:50:15 > 0:50:16- You bred that?- Yep.
0:50:16 > 0:50:19This is a crossing from about 20 years ago.
0:50:19 > 0:50:22That's incredible.
0:50:22 > 0:50:24It looks like a peony.
0:50:24 > 0:50:26Yes, it does. It's beautiful.
0:50:26 > 0:50:30- And that took you 20 years? - Yep, 20 years.
0:50:30 > 0:50:34So how many tulips have you created, have you bred, in that time?
0:50:34 > 0:50:36I think more than 100.
0:50:36 > 0:50:37That's incredible.
0:50:37 > 0:50:40Is that one of your favourites of the whole programme?
0:50:40 > 0:50:42- Yeah.- Yeah?
0:50:42 > 0:50:45Yeah, because it is totally different.
0:50:48 > 0:50:52Geert is one of the biggest suppliers of tulips to the markets.
0:50:52 > 0:50:55Each day, seven million tulips,
0:50:55 > 0:50:59along with tens of millions of other flowers, are sold at auction.
0:50:59 > 0:51:04The moment any flower is bought, they're taken to a huge buffer zone
0:51:04 > 0:51:06to be distributed to the buyer.
0:51:06 > 0:51:11And it's Edward Mauritz's job to get them to the correct destination.
0:51:12 > 0:51:16So, Edward, can you please explain what is going on here?
0:51:16 > 0:51:19This is the start of the distribution process.
0:51:19 > 0:51:23In two-and-a-half hours, the buyer should have his flowers.
0:51:24 > 0:51:28It's 11am in Aalsmeer and the flowers need to travel
0:51:28 > 0:51:30almost 2km to the special depot,
0:51:30 > 0:51:34on the other side of the complex, where the buyers are waiting.
0:51:34 > 0:51:38Many buyers purchase small amounts of different flowers.
0:51:38 > 0:51:40These are first grouped together
0:51:40 > 0:51:43so they can be delivered in one big batch.
0:51:47 > 0:51:50People are whizzing around, criss-crossing with each other
0:51:50 > 0:51:53and, yet, no one seems to be banging into each other.
0:51:53 > 0:51:56That's because we train them a lot.
0:51:57 > 0:52:02The flowers are then taken in caravans to a special loading bay.
0:52:02 > 0:52:05Every moment is critical, so now they're loaded
0:52:05 > 0:52:09onto the fastest electrical monorail in the world.
0:52:09 > 0:52:13It has 18km of track, 13,000 trolleys
0:52:13 > 0:52:17and a max speed of 180 metres a minute.
0:52:19 > 0:52:22Engineer Adwin Sohl installed the system
0:52:22 > 0:52:25and it's his job to make sure that it runs like clockwork.
0:52:25 > 0:52:27- Ooh!- Be careful.
0:52:27 > 0:52:28Oh, my gosh.
0:52:28 > 0:52:31I'm assuming we're not allowed a ride on the shuttle?
0:52:31 > 0:52:33- No!- OK. LAUGHTER
0:52:33 > 0:52:36Oh, wow. Look at this!
0:52:37 > 0:52:40'The monorail collects flowers from ten stations
0:52:40 > 0:52:45'and carries them over a busy road, via a 500-metre bridge.'
0:52:50 > 0:52:52How many trolleys are going across every day?
0:52:52 > 0:52:55On a busy day like now,
0:52:55 > 0:52:57it's about 16,000 transports a day.
0:52:57 > 0:53:02- 16,000 transports today?- Yeah.
0:53:02 > 0:53:03Wow.
0:53:07 > 0:53:10- SIMON:- In the buyer's warehouse at Rijnsburg Market,
0:53:10 > 0:53:11the flowers have landed.
0:53:15 > 0:53:17Danny Van der Meij, a former Flying Dutchman,
0:53:17 > 0:53:21is now the UK sales manager for a big export company.
0:53:21 > 0:53:26He's just taken delivery of some of the Kenyan roses I saw being grown.
0:53:26 > 0:53:30Like Bart, Danny has embraced a new way of selling
0:53:30 > 0:53:32in this rapidly changing market.
0:53:32 > 0:53:37His company, Rijnsflowers, sell huge amounts of flowers online
0:53:37 > 0:53:39and uploading reliable photographs
0:53:39 > 0:53:42is crucial to the success of this business.
0:53:42 > 0:53:46They have installed an ingenious computer system in the warehouse
0:53:46 > 0:53:50that reads each barcode and decides how to take the best photographs
0:53:50 > 0:53:52of each bucket of flowers.
0:53:53 > 0:53:56- Wow. So that takes a photo...- Yes.
0:53:56 > 0:53:59- ..that then you immediately upload? - Yeah.
0:53:59 > 0:54:03And then any florist in a flower shop throughout Europe
0:54:03 > 0:54:04can look and access those...
0:54:04 > 0:54:07- Throughout the world. - Throughout the world?- Yes.
0:54:07 > 0:54:09And be buying immediately.
0:54:09 > 0:54:12Yes. Ones that have been bought this morning at eight o'clock
0:54:12 > 0:54:14will be in our premises at ten o'clock
0:54:14 > 0:54:18and will be anywhere in Europe the next morning by eight o'clock.
0:54:24 > 0:54:26CHERRY: All the flowers bought at this morning's auctions
0:54:26 > 0:54:29are ready to be loaded up for the buyers.
0:54:31 > 0:54:33Robert Janssen's flowers have arrived.
0:54:34 > 0:54:37His wife, Anja, has come to help him
0:54:37 > 0:54:40pack up his lorry before he heads off to the UK.
0:54:42 > 0:54:45In times like this - Mother's Day, Valentine's Day -
0:54:45 > 0:54:51he's going away today and he's back next Wednesday, I think.
0:54:51 > 0:54:53- Gosh, that's a long time.- Yeah.
0:54:53 > 0:54:56A normal week is leaving Sunday morning at seven,
0:54:56 > 0:55:01driving to England, then be back, say, Tuesday evening.
0:55:01 > 0:55:04- Yeah.- You must miss your kids so much when you're away.- Yes.- Really?
0:55:04 > 0:55:07- Especially in the morning.- Yeah. - Oh.- "Are you going again?"
0:55:07 > 0:55:09Yes, of course.
0:55:09 > 0:55:12Sometimes the kids think that this is his home.
0:55:12 > 0:55:15- They think he lives here? - Especially the little one.
0:55:15 > 0:55:17- Really?- Yeah, yeah.
0:55:18 > 0:55:21Now Robert has turned from buyer to seller.
0:55:23 > 0:55:26Once he arrives in the UK, he heads to Weymouth.
0:55:35 > 0:55:41Over the next 34 hours, he needs to sell all the flowers in his truck.
0:55:41 > 0:55:43- Morning.- Hello.
0:55:52 > 0:55:56Lilac stalks would be nice, a couple of lilac stalks.
0:55:57 > 0:56:01Robert has 48 customers, spread over 300 miles
0:56:01 > 0:56:03along the south coast of England...
0:56:05 > 0:56:09Florists, fruit and veg shops and market traders.
0:56:14 > 0:56:16In London, at Simon's studio,
0:56:16 > 0:56:20his team are unloading a delivery of flowers from the Dutch markets,
0:56:20 > 0:56:23including some Tambuzi roses.
0:56:23 > 0:56:27Simon is using them to make some spectacular table arrangements
0:56:27 > 0:56:30for a big charity dinner at Christie's.
0:56:30 > 0:56:34Having seen where the flowers come from,
0:56:34 > 0:56:36one of the things I've realised is the fact that
0:56:36 > 0:56:40the people that grow the flowers, sell them, transport them,
0:56:40 > 0:56:44all of them are as passionate about flowers as we are.
0:56:44 > 0:56:47They realise the value and beauty of the product.
0:56:47 > 0:56:49And, I mean, look at that rose. That's...
0:56:49 > 0:56:51absolutely gorgeous.
0:56:51 > 0:56:56Grown in Kenya, it's flown all this way, thousands of miles,
0:56:56 > 0:56:59and it's as beautiful as if it had come from your garden.
0:56:59 > 0:57:01And it will last for days on end.
0:57:02 > 0:57:05Flowers knock some of the rough edges off life
0:57:05 > 0:57:08and make it a whole lot more enjoyable for many, many people.
0:57:08 > 0:57:11But, also, they sustain a lot of people.
0:57:13 > 0:57:18In a 34-hour run, Robert has managed to sell everything in his lorry.
0:57:18 > 0:57:21In two days' time, he'll be back at the auctions,
0:57:21 > 0:57:23buying his next load of flowers.
0:57:26 > 0:57:29There's just two hours to go before the charity dinner begins...
0:57:29 > 0:57:32- I hate it when they do that. - What's wrong?
0:57:32 > 0:57:34I hate it when they do that!
0:57:34 > 0:57:38..and Simon's flower arrangements have arrived at Christie's.
0:57:40 > 0:57:43Very happy, it's wonderful. I like to see a job coming in.
0:57:44 > 0:57:48This is the last part of the chain, the flower chain,
0:57:48 > 0:57:50the journey that these flowers have taken.
0:57:51 > 0:57:53Next time you've got a bunch of flowers at home,
0:57:53 > 0:57:55you can look at it and just think
0:57:55 > 0:57:57how much effort has gone into producing
0:57:57 > 0:58:00every single petal, leaf, stem and stamen.
0:58:00 > 0:58:02It is extraordinary.
0:58:04 > 0:58:08I've always loved flowers and all my life I've given them
0:58:08 > 0:58:10to the people I love the most.
0:58:10 > 0:58:12But now I realise that I had no idea
0:58:12 > 0:58:17of the ingenuity and effort it takes to get them here.
0:58:18 > 0:58:21There's only one person in the world that loves flowers more than I do -
0:58:21 > 0:58:26my mum - and now I can tell her just how special these flowers are.