Dick Groot evaluates gladiolus during the summer.

Flowers are Dick Groot's passion, and in his work as a grower and breeder, he is particularly devoted to tulips and gladiolus. In April you'll find him in his tulip fields from dawn to dusk, evaluating new varieties. When summer comes, he's walking the fields assessing gladiolus varieties—his own and those of other outstanding Dutch breeders and growers. Then in winter, Dick travels to Italy to evaluate the gladiolus varieties that are grown there. Italian gladiolus growers plant their bulbs in September so the flowers come into bloom during the cool winter months.

Each year, Dick Groot's company, A.P. Groot, grows more than 10 million tulip bulbs and 30 million gladiolus corms on 120 acres of land in Hem, West Friesland, in Holland's Northern Bulb District. In 2005, after working with his father and brother for almost 40 years growing vegetables and bulbs, Dick decided to form his own business and focus exclusively on new varieties.

Dick Groot is an accomplished breeder as well as a grower. He's especially interested in developing new and unusual flower characteristics such as ruffling in gladiolus and parroting in tulips. Much of his breeding is focused on producing varieties that will be of interest to the cut-flower industry. Holland is the world's leading exporter of cut flowers, and everyone is always looking for flowers with a new and different twist.

Dick is a world-class gladiolus grower and over the years he has found that using top-quality stock bulbs and paying close attention to details is key to his success. "There are more than 100 points to follow when growing top-quality bulbs and every one is important," he says.

He's especially proud of his success with the gladiolus Green Star, which is a difficult variety to produce commercially. "While many other growers have stopped growing it for this reason, I still do," says Dick. Green Star is a bright, apple-green variety with ruffled blooms.

Some of his favorite gladiolus are Rose Supreme, with rosy pink colored flowers and touches of cream in the center, and Black Jack with garnet-red flowers. All three of these varieties are available from Dutch Gardens.