Plants For Europe works closely with similar businesses around the world so that we can offer a worldwide service to our breeder clients and ensure that the plants that our clients develop get the best chance at commercial success in all the major markets.

In Australia and New Zealand, we work closely with Tasmania-based Plants Management Australia. Anyone who has worked with Chris Sargent and his team will know that they run a first-class operation that effectively promotes new plants and carefully looks after the interest of plant breeders. To see that recognised in the 2011 Telstra Business Awards is fantastic and a just accolade for PMA.

You can see more information on the awards and watch Chris give not one, not two, but THREE acceptance speeches here.

This is not only great recognition of PMA, but a boost for horticulture in general (so often seen as a small, backward business that lacks innovation) and for plant variety rights management as a profession. Thank you PMA, it is a pleasure to work with you.

I’m not quite sure if the forthcoming public holidays in the UK are getting the horticulture industry excited (lots of sales opportunies) or terrified (how will we get stock into garden centres fast enough?). But, either way, if the weather is good, we think that all these holidays will be good for sales of garden plants.

Further to that, customers should note that the Plants For Europe office will be closed for the following days:

• Friday 22 April – Good Friday
• Monday 25 April – Easter Monday
• Friday 29 April – Royal Wedding (we’ll be at the party on the village green!)
• Monday 2 May – May Day
• Monday 30 May – Spring Bank Holiday

During these holidays, email and telephone messages will not be checked, although we will do our best to respond to you as soon as we can.

Plans are well advanced for IPM Essen 2011. IPM remains one of the biggest (if not THE biggest) and most important events in our field of horticulture, with participants from all the major and most smaller companies from across Europe and around the world. Graham will be at the event for the whole duration of the show, from Tuesday 25 to Friday 28 January. Naturally, he would like to meet with as many people as possible during the show, so please contact us now to make an appointment.

EDIT: Tuesday now looks pretty full; Wednesday and Thursday are filling fast! Act now to make an appointment!

Members of the LinkedIn Plant Breeders and Agents Group are reminded that there will be a networking event for members in the Saal Rheinland meeting room at Messe Essen on Tuesday 25 January, starting at 4.30pm.

On Wednesday 10 November, Graham will be visiting the Southern Growers Exhibition at Roundstone Nurseries, near Chichester. This is PFE’s “local” show and is always a good opportunity to meet up with friends old and new, a chance to look forward to the coming year. Last year, the show moved to Roundstone from its old venue at Sandown Park Racecourse and was dramatically improved, with increased participation from both exhibitors and visitors. Overall, it increased in value by a factor of ten and must be a definite fixture in the calendar of any horticulturalist in the south and south-east of England – perhaps even for a few of our continental friends.

As usual, if you want to meet Graham at the exhibition, please contact us to arrange an appointment.

Graham will be at the Four Oaks Trade Show in Cheshire on Wednesday 8th September only. If you wish to meet him there, please contact us in the usual way.

We wish that this event was a week later – it falls too close to the first days of the school term, clashes with the Flormart event in Padua, Italy, and also coincides with the Jewish holidays so that many of our Israeli friends will not be attending.

That’s quite a job!

The full job specification can be found by clicking here.

We shall watch this closely to see who is appointed and will then speculate wildly to try and second guess what the appointment will mean for the future of the CPVO and European PVRs.