Jan Dippell Ritzinger (owner Flowershop Ivy) has been a legend in his field for 50+ years. He is house florist to international fashion brands, jewelry houses and five-star hotels. His purchases for these large orders? He does those exclusively at Greenflor!
Luxury flowers around the world
For 53 years, the 78-year-old florist has run Flowershop Ivy on Leidseplein, then Amsterdam’s very first flower store. “But this A-location flower store is really just a showroom,” says Jan. His real clientele consists of the most luxurious fashion brands, jewelry houses and hotel chains around the world. “My customers are sacred to me and are pampered immensely,” he says proudly. Why is it that high society hangs on his every word? Thanks to his conceptual thinking, luxurious workmanship and personal touch!
“I am very conceptual, which is why my business is not comparable to anyone else.”
Custom flowers
“I come up with my floral concepts like a tailor does. A tailor made suit, so to speak. You look at the person, the figure, the skin color, what suits him or her best. The customer should immediately say, ‘Yes, wow!'” says Jan.
Each floral arrangement or bouquet is tailored to the client. But the red Ivy thread is always recognizable. “Storytelling is very much in lately, but that’s what Flowershop Ivy has been doing for 125 years! We tell what the flower is for and where the name comes from,” says Jan.
Buying flowers from Greenflor
Every Monday morning Jan drives with his driver to the cash & carry of supplier Greenflor Aalsmeer, where he buys his flowers. Then Jan makes the flower bouquets for Amsterdam’s biggest hotels and stores, about 50 a week. He delivers these bouquets personally, with everything polished and finished to perfection. The focus is on quality and luxury. From the most beautiful anthuriums to colorful hydrangeas. For Jan, the rest of the week is dedicated to large (inter)national flower assignments.
“For me, Gerard and Esther de Ruijter (part of Greenflor) are the one and only!”
Wholesale of flowers
Jan gets his trade solely from flower supplier Greenflor. “Over the years I bought from different wholesalers, but it was never what I was looking for,” he says. More than 30 years ago, Jan came to Gerard and Esther de Ruijter (part of Greenflor since 2021). It clicked right away. “These two people have an incredibly good nose for quality, I never have to check if the flowers I buy are good. Because they just ARE good!”, says Jan enthusiastically.
For his large orders, he buys flowers conceptually; colors to match and large numbers. “You can find all that at Greenflor because you have such a great total assortment of flowers, dried flowers and greenery,” Legend said. “Cees (de Mooij, former director of Greenflor) really brought in a nugget of gold with Gerard and Esther, he could never have found it better!” he enthuses. The warm bond between the florist and his long-time suppliers shines through.
Florist of the future
Despite his ripe age, Jan has a clear vision for the future in which flowers, fashion, events and inspiration come together conceptually. And his shopping? “I will continue to do those exclusively at Greenflor!”, the florist legend himself said.
