Fleuroselect plays many roles in the ornamental plant industry. Sally van der Horst, Secretary General of Fleuroselect from 2007 until 2022, describes the non-profit as an umbrella organization that supports breeders, young plant producers, and seed distributors, and protects their interests.

Based in Voorhout, near Amsterdam, it functions similarly to National Garden Bureau and All America Selections in that it oversees the selection of Gold Medal winners from among the many plants entered by members, and promotes the medal winners internationally. Comprised of 80+ member companies, Fleuroselect hosts all-inclusive conventions— which have been held around the globe—as well as conferences for their Home Gardening and Breeders Business Units. The staff sends seed to display gardens located across Europe, in the U.S., and in Asia.

If you've ever grown 'Profusion Red' zinnia, 'Cheyenne Spirit' coneflower, or 'Delft Blue' pansy, you've grown a Fleuroselect Gold Medal Winner. Their ranks include many other popular plants as well, such as 'Early Sunrise' coreopsis, and four other popular coreopsis cultivars. Gold Medal winners are judged at Fleuroselect member trials held across Europe. The judges also evaluate which new varieties are sufficiently different from existing cultivars; these are granted Fleuroselect Novelty Protection.

Aside from publicizing the chosen winners, Fleuroselect also nominates a flower and an edible plant each year for its Plant of the Year campaign. 2023 is the Year of the Salvia and the herb Sage.

In recent years, Fleuroselect has also taken on the monumental task of organizing the Week 24 FlowerTrials®, a week in June where dozens of breeders showcase their latest pot and bedding plant innovations. Thirty trial locations in three regions, two in the Netherlands and one in Germany, are open to thousands of visitors from around the world. During the FlowerTrials Fleuroselect organizes its FleuroStar contest where 30 industry experts choose the "Winner with the Wow factor."

Ann Jennen took over the role of Secretary General in 2022 but Sally continues as an advisor to the Secretariat, one of just four part-time staff members. Originally from the UK, Sally has made her home about 10 minutes from the Dutch coast, and has seen Fleuroselect through a period of steady growth and change in the 30 years she's been with the organization. "It was set up in 1970 to benefit European ornamental plant growers breeding from seed," she notes, "but the 90s saw a rise of breeding companies in the vegetative sector." Propagating vegetatively is much quicker than developing new varieties through selection or hybridization, she explains, which brought a whole new set of challenges. 

"Who wouldn't like walking through flower trials, and working with fantastic staff and board members!" Sally enthused. Though she's stepped down as Secretary General, she'll continue her involvement with horticulture as an advisor to the Fleuroselect Secretariat, and as an active member of a Women in Horticulture group. "I also volunteer for the big flower parade in April," she adds. "Big" is an understatement. The Bloemencorso of the Bollenstreek, an extravaganza of colorful floats decorated in masses of flowers, attracts more than a million visitors every year. The corso, or flower parade, culture of the Netherlands dates back to the 19th century, and was added to the UNESCO cultural heritage list in 2021. 

And there's one other reason Sally van der Horst is ready to turn over the enormous job of organizing all the moving pieces that make up Fleuroselect. "It's time for me to do the Grandma bit," she says with a smile.