In This Issue
Bents, Fron Goch and Poppies Oban strike gold in GTN's Greatest Team of the Year Awards
Smart and Westland are voted Greatest Award winners
Christmas gets October trade off to a flying start
Premier announces sad loss of Halloween General Manager, Sean Looney
Apta plans to invest £3.5m to grow its business in Ashford
HTA Garden Futures challenges the industry to capitalise on opportunity by embracing change
Clematis champion Raymond Evison awarded Pearson Medal
SBM Life Science recruiting new talent
The future for garden machinery is cordless…
Santa's spectacular arrival at Squire's Garden Centres
In with the new for Grange Fencing
Plant nursery helps local charity after break in
Ben's Guinness Record bean is longest amid sabotage claim at Mr Fothergill's
Spook-tacular Halloween events at Wyevale Garden Centres
Area Sales Managers
Brand Manager
Sales representative, South East
Nursery Grower Technical Manager
Garden Centre General Manager
Garden Sundries Retail Manager (Northamptonshire)
Horticultural Quality Controller
Get your own copy of GTN Xtra
Garden Products down year on year despite high plant sales
Christmas product sales off to a flier
Bark and top soil sell in big numbers
Autumn colour drives plant sales up
Impressive roll-call of speakers lined up for GrowQuip
Thompson & Morgan appoints new National Sales Manager
Perennial CEO Richard Capewell to retire in Spring 2017
Bestsellers Top 50 charts every week
Buy your subscription to GTN Bestsellers
GTN's Greatest Awards 2016
All the latest news from the world of garden centre catering
HTA study tour to Matthew Algie Roastery & Showroom
Cotswold Fayre expands its Chilled Operation
Situations Vacant
Area Sales Managers
Salary: Very attractive salary, bonus, company car and benefits
 
Read more»
Brand Manager
 
Read more»
Sales representative, South East
 
Read more»
Nursery Grower Technical Manager
Salary: Excellent
 
Read more»
Garden Centre General Manager
Salary: Excellent
 
Read more»
Garden Sundries Retail Manager (Northamptonshire)
Salary: £18,000 - £19,000
 
Read more»
Horticultural Quality Controller
Salary: £20,000 - £22,000
 
Read more»
Send us your news and great ideas
Contact us with your news. 

Email neil.pope@tgcmc.co.uk, or trevor.pfeiffer@tgcmc.co.uk or call the GTN News team on 01733 775700
Ben's Guinness Record bean is longest amid sabotage claim at Mr Fothergill's
What began as a light-hearted staff competition to grow the longest runner bean at a Suffolk seed company, eventually won by Ben Roden with a pod measuring 47.2cm, took a nasty turn when pods with winning potential were mysteriously taken, snapped in half and discovered in a nearby bramble thicket.

Staff at Mr Fothergill's were invited to enter a competition to see who could grow the longest pod of its new and exclusive runner bean Guinness Record, heralding 2017 being nominated throughout Europe as the 'Year of the Bean'.

There was great interest when the competition was announced, and 11 entrants were chosen at random. Each was given five plants and a 'wigwam' of bamboo canes up which to grow them on the company's Kentford, Newmarket, trial ground. From then on it was up to each entrant how they fed, watered and cared for their plants.

By early September the general length of growers' pods was encouraging, with some already reaching 42-45cm. Matters turned sour, however, when one Monday afternoon some of the most promising pods were discovered snapped in half and discarded in brambles bordering the trial ground.

Investigations ensued, precautions were taken for the rest of the growing season, and while there was no more villainy, the perpetrator remains unknown and at large. When the pods were measured on 30 September 2016, Ben's 47.2cm pod of Guinness Record beat a 46.5cm specimen grown by Colin Phillips into second place. Pim Dickson gained third place with a pod of 45cm.

Runner bean Guinness Record consistently produces very long, exhibition-quality pods on vigorous, red-flowered plants which are resistant to all bean viruses. It is available only from Mr Fothergill's for the 2017 season. A packet of 45 seeds costs £3.25, available from garden centres and other retail stockists, and from its mail order catalogue.
Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Del.icio.us Digg
Newsletter Marketing Powered by Newsweaver