Hovarias are special hydrangeas with a unique story behind each of them.
The cultivation and the production are done by Koos Hofstede and his son Wilko, living in the little Dutch town of Huissen, situated at the river Rhine (Rijn) just south of Arnhem.

The breeding and production nursery has been in the Hofstede family for many years; Koos and Wilko are respectively the third and fourth generation. Many of the modern existing varieties of hydrangeas in North-West Europe were introduced at this nursery.

From about 1930 hydrangeas, especially globose headed types (mopheads) were grown in four colours (red, pink, white and blue). Well-known cultivars from that time are:
- King George (breeder: Draps, Belgium)
- Mme Emile Mouillière (breeder: Mouillière, France)
- Holstein (breeder: Schadendorf, Germany)
The hydrangeas were sold at the nursery to dealers and private customers. In Huissen they were also used to decorate the streets on the occasion of the yearly sacramental procession.

Hydrangeas for the sacramental procession in Huissen.

At the beginning of the 1980’s Koos Hofstede introduced into the Netherlands the lacecap hydrangeas (flat flower head with small fertile flowers in the centre and a circle of large sterile flowers on the outside) and in 1992 the ’Lilac flowering’ hydrangea. This greatly increased the number of varieties offered and caused a big upswing and renewed interest in the hydrangea market.

Product development
All these varieties were existing forms that were on the market abroad or were growing in botanical gardens there. After solid research proved that no other novelty hydrangeas of real importance existed Koos Hofstede, together with his son Wilko, started a breeding programme to develop their own hydrangeas for the market.

Wilko is now studying “plantbreeding” at the University of Wageningen but even before he started his studies he was doing all of the plant crosses in the nursery himself. Together with his father he draws up all programmes and together they select the new varieties; they definitely complement each other in many ways. They themselves do all the work including improvements, application of breeders’ rights, the drawing of contracts in Holland and abroad, the marketing and the promotion of their products. In everything they are assisted by Lia Hofstede, the lady of the house.

The nursery is nearly 3 hectares (greenhouses and fields for container plants) and is situated at several locations in Huissen. Besides hydrangeas Hofstede grows some hanging plants and Begonia Lorraine, a winterflowering begonia with small pink or white flowers whose flowerbuds do not drop during the dark seasons.

The trade company buys and sells hydrangeas in Holland and abroad. It also has contracts with nurseries that take care that the varieties of Hofstede (trademark Hovaria^®) are marketed exclusively and in limited numbers in Europe, The United States (trademark Kaleidoscope^®), Japan and Australia/New Zealand.

In 1994 the first variety of the Hovaria^® series was put on the market and was named ’Hobella’, a combination of HO of Hofstede and bella the Italian word for beauty. This ’Hobella’ is a charming, beautiful hydrangea that has a soft pink initial colour. ’Hobella’ is very popular and soon after the successful introduction of this special hydrangea, it was awarded many times.

In early 1996 Koos and Wilko were short-listed for 1995 Agricultural Businessmen of the Year.
1996 was also the year of introduction of the blue ’Homigo’, the second variety in the Hovaria^® series. Just like ’Hobella’, Homigo’s initial colour goes through a green phase into a cherry-red phase and will flower many months both indoors and outdoors.

The breeding and selection went on and in 1997 the third “baby” was born and was named Hovaria® ’Hopaline’. Its very soft pink flower colour (in acid soil opal blue) will also become the same beautiful red in autumn.

In 1998 the successful ’Fireworks’ hydrangea was introduced, followed in 1999 by the aubergine-coloured Hovaria® ’Hobergine’. For these two varieties Koos and Wilko received the 1999 Holland Award.
In spring 2000 the Hovaria® ’Holibel’ and Hovaria® Quercifolia were put on the market.
For 2001 two very special varieties will again be on the programme.

In the meantime Hovaria^® varieties are available all over Europe and are grown in the United States (trademark Kaleidoscope^®), Japan, Australia and New Zealand. In these countries Plant Breeders’ Rights and Plant Patents have been applied for or already granted. This Plant Breeders’ Right and Plant Patent is necessary to protect the breeders from illegal propagation by other nurseries. Much time and money has been invested in the development of these plants and if others were allowed simply to propagate these varieties at will, the costs of development never could be recovered.

Journalist Miro Wartena of the periodical Quadrant qualified the work and products of Hofstede as follows: "They provide creativity in an exclusive product".