Dear Members and Friends, Firstly I hope that you read this message in good health. These are unprecedented times for us all and I hope that each of you has the warmth of family and colleagues to offer support. My thoughts and prayers are with you all. I believe that sharing information is of vital importance at this time and we should use our Fleuroselect network to talk to each other and gather information.

In Poland we do not have a strong lobby for Ornamental Horticulture as many of you do in other parts of Europe, particularly in the Netherlands and the UK. Although Fleuroselect is not a lobbying organisation, I believe we should assist those who are and I encourage you all to provide contact information for these bodies to the secretariat who is drafting a letter of support.  If I look at our own business, local garden centres have closed, but some of the street markets continue. There is some outlet for flowers and plants, but as we go into the main bedding plant season it becomes more and more critical.

While we are active in all bedding plant crops, Vitroflora specialises in perennials and we are confident that once the crisis is over there will be a high demand for these crops from the consumer moving into the early summer. We are also looking forward to the Poinsettia season which will hopefully be good this year. We continue to look out for the wellbeing of our staff and keep them motivated. This has our priority. 

I am particularly sad that we are unable to celebrate Fleuroselect’s 50th anniversary this year. We had a full programme aimed at celebrating this special event together as a business family. Also the Home Garden Conference has been postponed. I would like to thank the organisers and the Secretariat for all the time that has been invested. When normality returns we will look at dates and options for next year. Currently, we have good hopes to be able to organise our Breeders & Young Plant Producers Conference in December, which might very well be the next occasion for all of us to meet.

Until then, Stay Safe, Stay Healthy and Stay Positive. 

Regards from my home to yours. 

Karol Pawlak