More than 75 years of Melle – three generations through changing times.
2023
Carolin Melle – Entrepreneur of the Year 2023
The IPM Gold Award Entrepreneur of the Year is often presented to older people who have made outstanding contributions to their company, profession or industry over many years. But there are also people who have dealt with extraordinary challenges remarkably even at a young age – one of them is Carolin Melle.
2023
Over 75 years of Local Hero
What started with 250,000 heather plants has now become the main business branch of Gärtnerei Melle with 1.7 million plants. The company looks back with pride at the history
of three Melle generations.
2011
Carolin Melle unexpectedly became head of the company
At the age of 20, Carolin Melle took over the business of her deceased father and continued to run it with the help of Operations Manager Cord Drücker and the entire Melle team. Traditional values meet innovative ideas and Gärtnerei Melle quickly became the innovation driver for the Gardengirls® brand.
1996-1997
Guinness Book entry: The world’s largest petunia grows in northern Germany
Many have already tried in vain to get into the Guinness Book of Records. The Melle nursery from Ganderkesee near Oldenburg has done it: their Surfinia petunia of the “Blue Vein” variety, which grew in front of the store entrance in the summer of 1994, developed the longest petunia flower shoots in the world at 2.57 meters. So it is recorded in the 96’s edition of the Guinness Book. Even in its original homeland of Japan, no Surfinia has reached such a scale.
1996
Expansion of operations from Ganderkesee to Birkenheide
The main production of the Melle nursery was moved from Ganderkesee to Birkenheide in 1996 due to further plant expansions. Starting with 2 hectares, there are now 20 hectares of heath and greenhouses. Summer flower production and sales were also moved to Birkenheide.
1980
Heather added to the range
Initially, heather was only intended to fi ll the summer gap, but it quickly became an essential part of the successful Melle range.
1977
Günter Melle took over the business in 1977
True to his motto “Good is not good enough”, Günter Melle won numerous prestigious awards and gold medals. He even made it into the Guinness Book of Records with the longest petunia in the world (2.57 metres). His geraniums decorated the gardens of celebrities such as Elton John. Up to the present day, Gärtnerei Melle is locally famous in the region for its excellent geraniums.
1946
The company’s story begins
Georg Melle laid the foundations for the company we see today in 1946. Immediately after the 2nd World War, the focus was on fruit and vegetable growing. Later, numerous ornamental plants were added.
75 years of the Melle nursery in Ganderkesee
Georg Melle laid the foundations for the company we see today in 1946. The takeover by Günter Melle – 31 years later in 1977 – was already followed by the first major changes. Especially the area of bedding and balcony plants was successfully expanded and the plants were directly available for sale in the greenhouses. At “Melle – Blumen und Ambiente” there were already at that time the self-produced plants, but also houseplants, cut flowers, ceramics and decorative items.
