Living bouquets, without green hands

The interior of a hotel is important, but for the overall experience, the exterior is at least as important . Beautiful green plants and colourful flowers attract the attention of passers-by and guests. How do you arrange this if you don't know anything about it? Sam van der Zanden of Upperbloom has the solution.

"You only have one chance for a first impression. Therefore, you want the experience to start right away. As a hotel entrepreneur, it is difficult to design and arrange all this yourself." Van der Zanden himself has a hotel school background and offers a solution to easily green the Dutch hospitality industry. The idea originated during the pandemic as a solution for consumers: easily add greenery to your garden or balcony with interchangeable planters. 

Together with co-owner Tom van Ruitenbeek, he made this service suitable for catering terraces and entrances. "Our plant service offers smart planters and plant arrangements. We make it green and keep it green because we come back four times a year for maintenance. When the plants have finished flowering, we take them back and process them into compost. We leave new plants with the customer. That way, the hospitality entrepreneur doesn't have to get busy himself or outsource it to a landscaper who might only come by once a year."

"Really beautiful flowers and plants start with good material. That is why we do not put the plants in wine barrels, which may look nice, but in planters made of plastic, corten steel or steel." In addition, at
Upperbloom added a clever element. The planters consist of inner and outer bins. The inner container has a water gauge with a drip that indicates whether the plant needs water. It contains an 8-litre water reservoir, so you only need to water once a week. There is also a water regulator in the planter so the plant never gets too much rain or water. "Finally, you can add a sensor in the planter so that we and the customer can remotely measure how watering is going."

Upperbloom offers catering establishments packages. Part of the terrace is provided with perennial plants, such as bamboo or laurel, which last for years. "In addition, we integrate seasonal plants and give entrepreneurs the chance to translate their concept into greenery, without needing green fingers themselves."

"No plant blooms 12 months a year, but because of the changeable containers, you still have flowering plants all year round. In consultation, we then come to a choice, with plants that bloom for 3 to 4 months. They really are like living bouquets. Not only the spring, but also the other seasons are full of colour. So much more is possible than the basics, like olive trees. But to discover that, you do need our skills and knowledge." 

"We create a lively terrace or entrance, taking into account staff routing. In terms of innovation, we combine old classics with new or unknown plants and flowers, such as a winter rose. And we place native plants. Looking to the future, we are working on creating an even livelier experience by developing lamps and benches that can be clicked between the planters. If catering entrepreneurs want something unique that completely matches their style or concept, that is also possible. For example, the logo can be placed on the planter and with this you have really created your own planter and experience as a hotel!"