2020. The year that really did change everything. As we entered a new decade, no one could have predicted the changes to our lives just a few weeks later. Lockdown measures to prevent the spread of Covid-19 were implemented worldwide, we were forced into a shutdown not experienced to this extent in living memory.
Not only were our daily lives significantly impacted, but here in the UK, ornamental growers were about to descend into their busiest time of year with spring sales just around the corner, as we all thought we were easing out of winter and back into our gardens. This stopped overnight and piles of plants were left unsold after months of financial investment and time.
For cut flower growers, blooms destined for Mother’s Day and Easter weren’t delivered as we couldn’t see our families and online retailers hadn't been able to get themselves organised in time, something which they now have. Growers in East Africa couldn’t export their crops, leaving piles of rotting blooms on the tarmac at Nairobi, as when tourism dries up, so do the daily air cargo flights that are essential to get them to the markets in the Netherlands.
As we sat watching, feeling helpless, the team across Europe galvanised and #flowersfeedthesoul was launched to promote sales of flowers and plants. Because when you're feeling down, nothing brightens your day like a new plant or bunch of flowers and the first steps included our team in the Netherlands donating flowers and plants to care homes across the country and helped plant new gardens on Good Friday.
While this shut down was a difficult time, it gave us time to look back and consider what we were offering ornamental growers in the UK. What you see on this website is as a result of consideration during this time, what could we bring to growers? What are the skills and information we have that can help them get the most from their crops? We hope that out of Covid-19 comes a whole host of information, advice and more to help you make every flower, pot plant and tree, count.
And that legacy lives on. The concept of #flowersfeedthesoul is rooted in everything we provide you. If you want to read the story as it unfolded, below are our blogs that were published throughout the crisis.
