Why in Hoogeveen in particular? The answer lies in the local soil. The excavated peat soils turned out to be ideal for the root system of the roses. And thanks to the abundance of peat moss, the plants could be transported wet and alive over long distances.
At the end of the nineteenth century, roses were luxury products. No flowers for workers or the middle class, but status symbols for the nobility and the wealthy. One rose sometimes cost as much as a carpenter’s hourly wage. The Hoogeveen roses were not intended for the local market, they went to the west of the Netherlands, to Europe, and even to America and Japan.
In four episodes, Anne Aalders explains the rise and fall of the Hoogeveen rose industry. Starting this afternoon in the radio broadcast of Drenthe Toen, between 12 noon and 2 p.m. The series can also be listened to as a podcast. Via the link below and the various podcast apps.