René Rotteveel, Goodwill Ambassador for Dahlias

René Rotteveel

For the past eight years, third-generation bulb grower René Rotteveel has dedicated himself entirely to dahlia breeding. As Holland's self-appointed goodwill ambassador for these special flowers, he is doing his best to make dahlias more popular with gardeners the world over.

On his 2-acre farm in Voorhout, in the heart of Holland's bulb district, René now grows an astounding 800 varieties of dahlias. Growers from around the world visit René, looking for new dahlia varieties that they can put into production on their own farms. He finds the variations in dahlia color and form to be endlessly fascinating, and is always striving to develop better varieties for cutting, for growing in containers and for forcing to extend the season. He also breeds for sturdier stems and improved virus resistance.

When asked what aspect of his work he finds most challenging, René says it's the process of deciding which new varieties to keep and which to toss. This task is extremely difficult because he sees unique beauty in every variation. Each year, René grows out 20,000 new seedlings, and after seeing them flower, he eliminates most, selecting no more than 300 to grow on for a second year. By year three, he will have whittled his initial crop of 20,000 down to just 10 varieties he deems ready for market.

Dutch Gardens offers several dahlia varieties from René Rotteveel, including Zorro (new for 2007), as well as Silentia, Honka and the Topmix Dahlia Garden.