In This Issue
"Open For Business: Lessons Learned from Lockdown and The First Week of Trading" webinar today at 5:00pm
Let’s spread a little RHS Chelsea cheer on #FloralFriday
Grow your sales with Evergreen Garden Care’s GYO best-sellers
Garden Centres back on the right track - UPDATED - New comment from Barton Grange, Newbank, Langlands and Green Pastures
Making garden centres friendly, safe and accessible again
Northern Ireland garden centres re-open with record sales - UPDATED
Bump Up Your Colour Pot Sales
Massive increase in demand for VegTrug
LifestyleGarden® thanks keyworkers with special giveaway
CSY launch Ecommerce Sites to help Garden Centres during the Covid-19 Panademic
The UK’s Infrastructure Capacity to Reprocess Post-Consumer Plastic Needs to Double by 2022 to Meet Plastic Packaging Tax Demands
A cut above on ground below
Gro-along Evergreen Garden Care launches virtual gardening series with David Domoney
Primeur continues to support retailers as the industry emerges from lockdown
GIMA welcomes government-backed trade credit insurance guarantee
GrowNation Secures Free Social Distancing Help and Advice for Garden Centres
Reopening your retail store: Step two – sanitation & portable hand washing/sanitisation stations
It’s a #FloralFriday thanks from Greenfingers Charity
Orderly queues form as garden centres in England re-open
Get your own copy of GTN Xtra
Smart Face Masks
Solex Exhibition – Cancelled
The Commercial Horticultural Association is supporting and promoting its existing British exhibitor group for GreenTech and preparing for the rescheduled show on 20-22 October
RHS Chelsea Garden Product of the Year to be judged during Virtual RHS Chelsea
Safe Trading Guidance for all garden centres published by HTA
The best of last week's
Green light for garden centres to re-open on Wednesday in England - UPDATED - Comment from James Barnes at HTA and Alan Titchmarsh MBE
St Peters staff in tears after council serves Prohibition Notice
Wales - Monday, England - Wednesday or June 1st?, Scotland and Northern Ireland?
Getting ready for business - feedback from Coolings, Planters, The Gardens Group, Blue Diamond, Green Pastures, Fron Goch and more
“Stay Alert” - make sure your customers and staff have a safe and enjoyable garden centre experience
Garden Centre Photo Tours
Haskins Snowhill re-opens after £15m re-vamp
Bestsellers Top 50 charts every week
Buy your subscription to GTN Bestsellers
Greenhouses used in trial of "Covid-safe" dining
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"Open For Business: Lessons Learned from Lockdown and The First Week of Trading" webinar today at 5:00pm

Join Boyd Douglas-Davies, Mike Burks, Adam Wigglesworth and Will Blake for the "Open For Business: Lessons Learned from Lockdown and The First Week of Trading" webinar today (Thursday 21st May) at 5:00pm...


Join Boyd Douglas-Davies, Mike Burks, Adam Wigglesworth and Will Blake for the "Open For Business: Lessons Learned from Lockdown and The First Week of Trading" webinar today at 5:00pm.

 

Brought to you by Glee, part of the Hyve Group, and hosted by GTN's Trevor Pfeiffer we will touch on what they have learned about their own businesses during this period, their hopes for the future, and an honest account of what the first week of trading has really been like.

 

March 23rd signified the start of an unprecedented stage of retail, and for the last seven weeks garden centre retail has faced truly unique challenges. Despite large discount retailers being able to open, garden centres were classed as non-core retail and forced to shut their doors during what could have been one of the best starts to Spring we have had in recent years.

 

Join us as we talk to garden centre owners and industry leaders as they recount their experiences and share a few war stories from this period. From having to move online at pace, set up logistic operations, and in some cases pivot their core operations to try to stay open in some way. All of this against a back drop of furloughing staff, revenue declines, and trying to navigate working with their suppliers and growers at times when no one had answers. However, despite this, during a crisis creativity and invention can often present interesting opportunities.

 

During a crisis, creativity and invention can often present interesting opportunities, and we’ll be touching on what they have learned about their own businesses during this period and an honest account of what the first week of trading has really been like.

 

Tune in and watch this candid discussion to learn how others have fared during this time, and your chance to get involved and ask any questions you may have that could help you overcome any challenges you are facing right now.

 

Register today using this link: https://app.livestorm.co/hyve-group/open-for-business-lessons-learned-from-lockdown-and-the-first-week-of-trading and join us on Thursday, 21st May 2020 at 17:00 as we talk to Boyd, Mike, Adam and Will about their experiences and lessons learned from this period.

 

Tune in and take part with any questions you may have that could help you overcome any challenges you are facing right now.

 

Host: Trevor Pfeiffer, Director, Garden Trade News

Panel: Boyd J Douglas-Davies, Director, British Garden Centres & President of the HTA
Mike Burks, Managing Director, The Gardens Group & Chairman of the GCA
Adam Wigglesworth, Director, Aylett Nurseries
Will Blake, General Manager, St Peters Garden Centre


REGISTER HERE

 

 

Let’s spread a little RHS Chelsea cheer on #FloralFriday

This week on social media, Greenfingers Charity has been sharing some of its favourite photos of The Greenfingers Charity Garden from last year’s RHS Chelsea Flower Show.  Designed by Kate Gould and entirely funded by a private donor along with many gifts in kind, The Greenfingers Charity Garden was amongst last year’s highlights.  And tomorrow (Friday 22nd May), the charity is asking for its supporters to join in the fun and once again spread a little bit of floral cheer!

Tomorrow the charity will be sharing its favourite Chelsea pics throughout the day and would love you to share yours too.


This week on social media, Greenfingers Charity has been sharing some of its favourite photos of The Greenfingers Charity Garden from last year’s RHS Chelsea Flower Show.  Designed by Kate Gould and entirely funded by a private donor along with many gifts in kind, The Greenfingers Charity Garden was amongst last year’s highlights.  And tomorrow (Friday 22nd May), the charity is asking for its supporters to join in the fun and once again spread a little bit of floral cheer!

Tomorrow the charity will be sharing its favourite Chelsea pics throughout the day and would love you to share yours too.

 

Getting involved in this week’s #FloralFriday couldn’t be easier!

  • Post your favourite floral image or floral selfie social media.
  • Use the hashtags #FloralFriday #hortindustry #greenfingers #RHSChelsea
  • Tag @GreenfingersCharity  
  • If you can, text FLORALFRIDAY to 70085 to donate £5 to Greenfingers Charity
  • Nominate a friend(s) to do the same

Why support #FloralFriday?

There is no doubt that the benefits of gardening and spending time outside in the fresh air are being felt more than ever as we continue to navigate w world in lockdown.  Whilst this additional engagement with gardening can only be good for our industry, this message is also vitally important for Greenfingers Charity as it faces a challenging road ahead. 

 

With a waiting list of hospices that need their help today, by joining the fun of #FloralFriday YOU will be helping to making difference to life-limited children and their families and helping to make these wonderful gardens a reality for those that need them the most. From a place to enjoy some fresh air, a place of quiet reflection or as a place to remember those lost, a Greenfingers garden plays many important roles.  

 

To find out more about the work of Greenfingers Charity and how you can help, contact Director of Fundraising and Communications Linda Petrons by emailing Linda@greenfingerscharity.org.uk or calling 01494 674749. 

 

 

 

Grow your sales with Evergreen Garden Care’s GYO best-sellers
GTN Xtra promotion

Good weather coupled with the COVID-19 lockdown has boosted Grow Your Own search and sales across the UK.  Evergreen Garden Care recognises that garden spaces are one of the key sanctuaries for households during this unprecedented time, with more people using their own safe, green retreat to exercise, relax and learn new skills...


Now that Spring is here and more people are at home than ever before, the Grow Your Own (GYO) trend is increasingly popular. It’s an activity that doesn’t require much space, whether that’s in or outdoor, but it rewards gardeners with visible and edible results.

 

Good weather coupled with the COVID-19 lockdown has boosted Grow Your Own search and sales across the UK.  Evergreen Garden Care recognises that garden spaces are one of the key sanctuaries for households during this unprecedented time, with more people using their own safe, green retreat to exercise, relax and learn new skills.

 

Marketing Director for UK and Ireland at Evergreen Garden Care, Ann-Marie O’Riordan, says “We are incredibly proud of our new and existing product lines. Growing your own fruit and vegetables is practical, but can also act as a form of escapism. It can be scaled up or down depending on the space available and by any gardener however skilled, making it the perfect opportunity for our customers to offer the best products to consumers looking for advice and guidance on easy things to do at home.”

 

In light of this, Evergreen Garden Care presents its top four GYO products to stock up on:

 

Miracle-Gro Performance Organics Fruit & Veg Compost

New to the Miracle-Gro family this year is the Miracle-Gro Performance Organics range. Certified by Organic Farmers & Growers Ltd and after years of work and hundreds of trials, this range can grow plants twice as big, organically. The range specifically targets the new consumer demand for sustainable and organic gardening products.

 

Miracle-Gro Performance Organics Fruit & Veg Compost feeds plants for three months after use, encouraging the growth of bigger, better produce. Your shopper’s home-grown fruit and vegetables deserve the best, so ensure you’re stocked up for your customers’ organic GYO needs. 

 

 

 

Miracle-Gro Performance Organics Fruit & Veg Liquid Concentrate Food

Another of the popular launches from the new range, this high-performance liquid plant food is perfect for pots, containers, beds and borders. In fact, this product is suitable for vegan growers and those with a focus on a sustainable lifestyle, as it’s packaged in 100% recycled and recyclable material. Ideal for novice gardeners looking to see fast results in their home-grown produce with results visible in just seven days! Grow your own has never been so easy.

 

 

Levington Tomorite Concentrated Tomato Food

A GYO staple for novice and experienced gardeners alike is tomatoes, whether you have a full vegetable patch or just a sunny windowsill. The nation’s favourite liquid plant food for tomatoes, Levington Tomorite Concentrated Tomato Food, is enriched with seaweed for full-flavoured tomatoes. Tomorite is also ideal for other crops such as sweet peppers and aubergines, so remind customers to purchase alongside your seed fixtures to drive incremental spend.

 

 

Levington Tomorite Giant Planter with Seaweed

For those looking for an easy win, Levington Tomorite Giant Planter with Seaweed is the perfect solution. This giant planter has been pre-enriched with Tomorite plant food, ready to grow your best tomatoes! Stock up now to help customers keen to kick off their GYO adventure with an easy, all-in-one solution.

 

www.lovethegarden.com/uk-en

 

 

Garden Centres back on the right track - UPDATED - New comment from Barton Grange, Newbank, Langlands and Green Pastures
Trading records broken as garden centres in England and Wales get back to business

GTN Xtra asked garden centres how their first real Saturday of the season had been and how their teams had coped with the “new normal.” 

 

"We’ve sold almost as much in the last 4 days as we did all through the shutdown online!”

"Sales have been between 50 and 60% up on the same days last year. Stocking up again hasn't been straightforward as suppliers are also having to catch up."

"What a docile and well behaved nation we have become in six weeks.  I can’t imagine anyone standing in a queue for twenty minutes, back in ‘normal’ times, without there being confrontation."

"“We are expecting 10 days of bank holidays! Pent up demand, money saved up, no holidays this year, time off work furloughed, new interest in the garden!"


Read comment from Coolings, Hilliers, The Gardens Group, Rosebourne, Blue Diamond, InExcess, British Garden Centres, Klondyke, Dobbies, Perrywood, Bosworths, Planters, Bents, St Peters, Baytree, Barton Grange, Newbank, Langlands and Green Pastures

Following the re-opening of garden centres in England and Wales last week the constant queues of customers were indicative of the pent-up demand everyone hoped there was.

 

To allow for safe social distancing many centres have altered their layout to create a one-way system. None more so than Baytree Garden Centre who have adopted a London Underground scheme with a Plant Line, a Gardening Line, a Landscape Line and used other underground terminology in their signage.  See our photo gallery at the bottom of this article.

 

GTN Xtra asked garden centres how their first real Saturday of the season had been and how their teams had coped with the “new normal.” 

 

Russell Winteridge at Barton Grange has told GTN Xtra about the success of their social distancing measures: "We are only allowing 100 cars at a time to park which means people don't have to stand in queues outside the centre.  All customers are required to sanitise their hands before entering the store, even if they are wearing gloves and we are not allowing any under 16's or groups of more than 2.  If we spot people gathering in groups while around the centre we are actively breaking that up.

"Thanks to our Revero covered planteria we were very well stocked with plants before lockdown, and with our own nursery, restocking of plants which are selling really well is not a problem just yet."

 

James Ducker's three Langlands Garden Centres have been trading well since re-opening. "So far so good," he said, "both staff and customers have adapted to the "new normal" well.  Our Leeds centre has sold a lot of garden furniture in the four days since re-opening."

 

Jon Bottomley at Newbank reported: "Saturdays trading was very good, over 25% up on the equivalent day last year, Sunday tailed off slightly but it has been quite cold today.

"Social distancing is working very well and we have had no negative comments, it has led to basket spend doubling which indicates we won't see people as regularly as normal. You can't follow hta guidelines per square foot as it would be dangerous, everyone heads straight to the planteria and feels full very quickly.

"It's all about making as much profit as possible to cover the September - October lull, we are concerned about Xmas now as our centres are normally nose to nose and the grotto show takes 600 kids a day but that's worries for another time!

"All in all this week has been a massive success and we couldn't be happier."

 

James Debbage from Green Pastures in Norfolk sent us this feedback which he hoped would be useful: "Just when we thought we couldn't be any more shattered than we already were!

"It's never ceased to amaze me just how the last few weeks have evolved, from the food rush to the gardening rush, from the grow your own rush to the bedding plant rush and now from the delivery rush to the retail rush! We've certainly been in the thick of it all of this so far. Who knows what´s next around the corner?

"Green Pastures was in a relatively unique position, being allowed to trade (to a certain extent) ever since Easter with the blessing of the council due to us having a farm shop and post office. The difficulty was "policing" people making their journey for "essentials" before we could serve them with gardening. However, whilst we had the go ahead to trade, we didn't feel that it would have been wise to have advertised the fact. We felt, being the only centre open in the area, we would have been totally overwhelmed by visitors and it would also have been very unfair to our neighbouring garden centres too.

"Our transition last Wednesday was therefore from "quietly" trading from the site for the last few weeks to "publicly" trading, so it wasn't quite the same abrupt step up as everyone else had. To rub salt into the wounds the first two days of openly trading saw our stretch of the main road closed due to a burst water main! Our first two days were therefore a bit underwhelming but Friday onwards has been totally crazy!

"Friday was a clear record breaking day for us and now the battle is stocking back up and bedding plant stocks virtually wiped out already. Luckily we got some late batches of plugs through so our basket plant offering should still end on a
high!"

 

At Coolings, Paul Cooling said: “Even at Coolings Green & Pleasant, we’ve been inundated with requests for plants of all descriptions and compost is still selling like there’s no tomorrow.  There is also a huge pent-up demand for BBQs and garden furniture.  We’ve sold almost as much in the last 4 days as we did all through the shutdown online!”

 

Gary Carvasso added: “If we had been closed until mid-June as first suggested in early March we would have seen almost 100,000 plants wasted by then.”

 

Chris Francis at Hilliers told GTN Xtra:  “We had an outstanding Saturday which followed 2 incredible days trade.

“Currently we are on track to match the full weeks like for like sales of last year in just 4 days. The 5 new centres are also performing well above expectation.

“We have sold over 22,000 plants from our nursery in just 3 days. Sales very much in core garden categories with majority of sales in veg plants, bedding, particularly zonal geraniums, nursery stock and Hillier multipurpose compost (10,000 bags).

“The team have coped exceptionally well and all customers have been very respectful of social distancing measures. A positive start. Let’s hope our suppliers can keep up with demand.”

 

Mike Burks, The Gardens Group told us: “The new systems worked really well with customers behaving well in just about every case. We have a had a few who have been difficult, but the vast majority are loving being able to shop with us again and to do it safely.

“Coping with the numbers has been straightforward, average spend is well up and its gardening stock that is selling. We haven't yet re-opened furniture.

“Sales have been between 50 and 60% up on the same days last year. Stocking up again hasn't been straightforward as suppliers are also having to catch up. But overall very positive.”

 

Carol Paris, new CEO at Rosebourne said: “It’s great to be back open. All centres have been very busy since we opened on Wednesday. Saturday was a fabulous day. The majority of customers were wanting plants and gardening, although we also did well on garden furniture. Very pleased with trade, clearly much pent up demand. Plants, compost & seeds all top sellers.

“Staff and customers coped very well with the new layout of the stores and the social distancing requirements. We have put entrances from the carpark into our plant areas so that the core gardening customer does not need to go indoors unless they want to. We have installed new tills in the plant departments so they can be totally self-sufficient.

“We also had a good number of NHS and front line staff utilising their priority shopping times.”

 

Alan Roper, Blue Diamond reported that Saturday was a huge day at £1.6m ex VAT all gardening with plants over 50%.  “The team worked tirelessly for 7 weeks on Home delivery racking up £10.6m and now have seamlessly readied businesses to deal with the huge instore demand. Credit to them all.

“Our managers comments from yesterdays What's App chat sum up the atmosphere at Blue Diamond.” 

 

Carl Chambers, InExcess was a little more sceptical: “If you observe the rules properly, I suggest that you can’t make enough money to cover costs. Yes we are very busy now but the cliff edge is a few weeks away!

“The “new normal“ is going to be tough!”

 

At British Garden Centres, Boyd Douglas-Davies reported:  “Sales have been much bigger than we expected over the first few days. Saturday was the busiest day so far by a considerable margin with garden plants - both hardy and seasonal - being in huge demand along with compost, pots and gardening goods. Comparisons with last year are a little tricky as BGC only had 16 of the now 57 centres but safe to say yesterday was a record day whichever way you look at it.

“The team has been amazing and coped incredibly well with the new social distancing measures. At many centres, the restaurant teams have taken responsibility for queue control in the car park and till areas. So many regulars have been into the centres and they’ve really appreciated seeing familiar faces. Or at least the eyes and hair of familiar but masked faces!! Customers have no problems with the social distance policy and are patiently queuing then shopping at high-speed as soon as they get in.

“Suppliers have been excellent, getting stock to us as quickly as possible and working with us throughout the weekend ensuring we can restock at the earliest opportunity in the coming days.

“Charles Stubbs summed it up perfectly last night (as he drove his truck home from the south!) “The BGC family, all 2,500 of them, have done me proud!”

 

 

David Yardley, Klondyke, while still awaiting the decision to re-open in Scotland said: “Trade has been good and as you say especially plants and gardening. Customers shopping habits have changed and they are visiting throughout the day with a slight lull over lunch. Basket spends are much higher and overall visits are shorter with customers not browsing too much. We have had some queues but no traffic issues and customers are very accepting of the situation. We have had lots of comments from customers and staff that they are very happy with the measures we have put in place to keep them all safe.

“Overall since Wednesday like for like excluding restaurants and Scottish centres we are 84% up on last year until Saturday night. I don’t expect sales to continue at this level but hopefully we will still see some good figures for the next few weeks. Furniture has started to sell well in the past few days both in store and online.”

 

Also awaiting the decision for re-opening in Scotland, Graeme Jenkins at Dobbies told GTN Xtra: “Trade has been very strong, with record days across the estate.

“Customers have been particularly keen to buy plants and gardening, as they continue to enjoy the Spring.

“From both team members and customers we have received very positive feedback on the social distancing measures we have put in place.

"I would hope that news we can re-open in Scotland comes very soon from the Scottish Government and I know the HTA are working very hard to support this.”

 

Simon Bourne at Perrywood said: “Yesterday was really busy and lots of money in the till. Plants have been flying out as well as compost, garden furniture and barbecues. Social distancing measures are working well but it is hard work.

“Most of the team are pleased with the measures we have put in place especially at the Tiptree tills where we have created a lot of space to enable the till team to do their job. Sudbury has seen some incredible numbers through the till and a great reaction from the public to our new Plant House full of Perrywood Grown bedding and vegetables.

“It will be interesting to see what will happen over the next few weeks. Can we sustain the trade or is it a surge which will slow down? Will suppliers keep up if sales carry on strong?”

 

Sam Bosworth, Bosworths, didn’t open at Burton Latimer until Friday lunchtime, so Saturday was their first full day of trading:  “Plant sales were exceptional, as was basket size and value.  Peaks and troughs through the day were flattened out by restrictions to number of people on site (45), so tills steady all day.  Weekend sales were on a par with a very good May weekend, so very pleased.

“In some ways it was a ‘normal’ weekend, with project stuff, plants, compost, pots etc selling really well on Saturday, and then the dressing stuff such as furniture selling better on Sunday.  Except that it wasn’t normal at all!

“What a docile and well behaved nation we have become in six weeks.  I can’t imagine anyone standing in a queue for twenty minutes, back in ‘normal’ times, without there being confrontation.

“Even though we grow our own bedding and herbaceous, we are now struggling for stock, especially pack bedding.

“The team coped well, few new ‘tweaks’ to implement early this week, but even those staff who were clearly very nervous before we opened, have settled down quite quickly.

“Online, and now click and collect, are still available and being used by those who are still self-isolating.  Despite it being hard work, we are trying to keep this channel open to see where it goes.

 

Gerald Ingram at Planters reported on Sunday evening: “We are expecting 10 days of bank holidays!

“Pent up demand, money saved up, no holidays this year, time off work furloughed, new interest in the garden!  We had a good first day, unbelievably smooth followed by three record breaking days and a very good Sunday. 

“Our big issue is lack of plant stock especially bedding and we will soon be short of Garden Furniture.

“The big sellers are bedding, hardy plants, furniture, gravels and garden sundries.”

 

Matthew Bent, Bents Garden & Home says: “It seemed to be that the Thursday and Friday were busy, but then Saturday was extra busy.  We did not have any expectations but we are up on last year (excluding restaurants) which is great and hope it continues.
“The team are on board and are happy with the new normal, the customers are also ok with the new normal, although there are a few of customers are struggling and want to go back to how it used to be.
“Plants, plants, compost and pots are selling like mad, I have never seen so many full trollies going through the tills.  We have less customers their average sale is a lot higher and they are spending less time on site.”

 

After being served with a Prohibition Notice last week Will Blake at St Peters had a big smile on his face: “It went well thank you and I did my bit on national TV & radio.

“The team all seem to love being back at work, albeit a bit stretched because we are running with a limited team, and busier than we anticipated. I can't remember what our target would have been for yesterday, but we definitely beat it, and well on track to do the same again today. It would be nice if we can maintain this for a while and make up for some of the lost ground.

“The Garden Radio recordings are working perfectly, and the level of messaging is just right, to support the briefing customers receive when they arrive.”

 

Finally a comment from Nigel Wallis on the Gardening Line at Baytree Overground Garden Centre:  “We have had a lovely but busy day on our opening. We opened at 10:00am and had a steady flow, from 11.  It got really busy with a queue of up to 49 at the most, but with an average of 40 on site the wait was not long, shut the gates at 4.30.

“Great compliments from customers and great effort from all of our staff.”

 

 

Making garden centres friendly, safe and accessible again
GTN Xtra promotion

Some garden centres have already taken massive steps to reopen safely. Many in the garden industry, and in retail at large, will be keenly watching and evaluating what works and how customers respond. No doubt over the coming weeks there will be refinements and many improvements as it becomes clear things will stay ‘different’ for a long time.

 

Green Magic Co (Sign-Holders.co.uk) has been beavering away during lockdown to discover, devise and deliver new solutions...

 


Some garden centres have already taken massive steps to reopen safely. Many in the garden industry, and in retail at large, will be keenly watching and evaluating what works and how customers respond. No doubt over the coming weeks there will be refinements and many improvements as it becomes clear things will stay ‘different’ for a long time.

 

Making customers and staff feel secure and relaxed once again will take time. Some of the emergency measures may disappear as all that sticky tape on the floor gets grubby and peels. Other changes will become entrenched in our new culture and retailers will want to make some temporary solutions prettier, friendlier and more professional.

 

Innovation is everywhere

Like many, Green Magic Co (Sign-Holders.co.uk) has been beavering away during lockdown to discover, devise and deliver new solutions. Our core signage products are suddenly in great demand. Our specialist wire suspension systems have been flying out as businesses appreciate that protection screens and guidance signs can be hung from roof-spaces to position them in clear line of sight. Additionally we have developed several new virus protection products, with the first production quantities arriving very soon.  Be warned, demand is high.

 

Here is a quick preview

At many counters and checkouts, hanging sneeze guards offer a low-cost alternative to rigid acrylic guards fixed to the counter. When scanning plants and bulky items a narrow aperture is not practical. A suspended sneeze guard can be set at a sensible height to allow adequate access. Our suspended protection screens are made of tough crystal-clear PET with aluminium top and bottom rails. These are much lighter than rigid acrylic (such as Perspex) – though we also supply an extensive range of adjustable hanging wire systems to suit the acrylic type.

 

Protecting staff and customers from airborne transmission requires different solutions away from the checkout. When staff need to assist customers a face shield visor is a useful option. The visors we supply do not look overly obtrusive. They are comfortable to wear with through ventilation combined with an adjustable elasticated head strap. They can be worn with glasses.

 

To supplement two metre social distancing, there are occasions when freestanding clear screens are valuable for protecting people via a physical divider – in and out of the loos for example. We will soon launch the modular floor screen system pictured above. We aim for a good looking yet affordable solution, to supplement the similar screwed-down designs we already offer for reception desks and information counters.

 

Hand sanitising is going to be with us long term. For an investment less than the wage of a member of staff for a day, you can have a smart hand sanitiser station with integral poster frame in which to display your own branded message.

 

Our new hand sanitiser stands feature a 1 litre capacity lever dispenser, which can be operated by elbow, with an optional accessory for dispensing gloves or wipes if required. From June we will be supplying our own brand of 60% alcohol hand sanitiser gel (in 5 litre bulk bottles). Contactless dispensers are coming, but the reliability of lever action dispensers is already well established. We anticipate customers will soon expect to see professional hand sanitiser stations everywhere.

 

Returning to our core products, many garden centres are using the signage systems they have previously purchased from Green Magic to great effect. A few examples are pictured, sporting the HTA themed posters which we recommend garden centres use or adapt.

 

Here too we have been busy innovating – for example we have a simple new fitting which slips onto our existing models of FreeStander floor signs to attach any kind of chain, to direct foot traffic or restrict access. For a recap of existing lines, whose potential you might have overlooked, please click our weblink below.

 

Finally some words of advice

  • Demand for protection equipment is very high from every sector: advance planning and pre-ordering is highly recommended.
  • Avoid being panicked into paying crazy prices for the wrong solutions.
  • Do not endanger your staff and customers by feeling pressurised to reopen before you are ready. React quickly if things are going wrong.
  • Learn what works and be prepared to refine and improve, so that your garden centre looks less like a hazardous assault course and returns to being relaxed, safe and accessible.
  • Stay safe and Be alert (Oh no! I’ve only gone and said it).

 

All Green Magic products are available to order (or pre-order as applicable) online at www.sign-holders.co.uk/virus-protection.html

 

Article written by Nigel Spelman, founder and chairman of Green Magic Co.

 

Northern Ireland garden centres re-open with record sales - UPDATED

Garden centres in Northern Ireland re-opened yesterday and Hillmount Garden Centre reported ""Monday was our biggest day across all stores"...


Garden centres in Northern Ireland re-open today and Hillmount Garden Centre received a visit from local MP Edwin Poots last week to see how preparations were going.

 

Last night, Alan Mercer told GTN Xtra: "The reopening day went well. We were nervous that we would be inundated with customers. But we were pleasantly surprised that our customers numbers were just steady all day. We have reduced our opening times by 1 hour to allow us to pick orders for our new online side of the business. We will pick orders ready for delivery the next day.

 

"Monday was our biggest day across all stores.

 

"It’s feels very different without the cafe. Customers simply buy stuff and leave. Whereas the cafe makes a garden centre more of a day out.

 

"We provided PPE in the form of face masks and Face Screens but we found most staff chose not to wear them as they felt they could sociably distance themselves from the customers.


The Perspex screens at the tills worked well. And the increase in contactless payments to £45 really helped."

 

The Horticultural Trades Association (HTA) Chairman, James Barnes, commented last week after the news was announced: “We welcome the Northern Ireland Executive’s announcement that garden centres will be able to reopen from Monday. We are in peak season, so this news will be welcomed both by gardeners and the garden industry – providing an economic boost and enable access to the mental and physical well-being benefits that gardening brings.

 

“We will work as an industry to safely re-open garden centres from next week, as we have done in England and Wales. The HTA has produced Safe Trading Guidance, which covers all aspects of how garden centres can re-open while ensuring staff and customer safety at all times.

 

“Although opening gardening centres is hugely welcomed, this isn’t the single answer for Northern Ireland nurseries. They are in the middle of a perfect financial storm of perishability and seasonality and have already disposed of tonnes of plants. These family-owned businesses need a Dutch-style grant aid scheme to help them to survive and prosper.

 

“This now leaves Scotland as the last remaining country in the UK yet to announce garden centre reopening. The Scottish horticultural industry have been left at a competitive disadvantage relative to all other parts of the UK. Consumers in Scotland will be confused why garden centres cannot open in their local area. We have outlined to the Government that the industry has social distancing measures in place in order to reopen safely. They should now announce a reopening date as soon as possible.

 

Safe Trading Guidance

 

The HTA has produced a Safe Trading Guidance which includes a series of recommendations to protect customers.

 

The guidance document has been based on insight from leading HTA retailers, the British Retail Consortium, and from government advice as a recommendation of best practice regarding social distancing. Cafes, restaurants and children’s play areas will not be allowed to reopen under the guidelines.

Recommendations include advice on customer numbers in stores, entrance and exit protocols, and queueing and checkout procedures. It also contains practical advice on how to protect the health and wellbeing of staff.

 

What customers can expect

controlled access to car parks
limits on customer numbers in store – the recommendation is 1 per 1000 square foot
customers will be asked to shop with a maximum of one other person if possible and will be required to keep 2m distancing throughout the store and whilst queueing.
cafes, restaurants and children’s play areas will not be allowed to reopen under the guidelines.
The HTA recently launched a website - plantsnearme.hta.org.uk - to help customers find local garden centres that are offering home delivery or click and collect services. Members of the public will now be able to use the website to see which businesses have reopened and are following the Safe Trading Guidance.

Bump Up Your Colour Pot Sales

 

With the increased demand of Perennials over the coming weeks for premium pot colour in Garden Centres, Ball Colegrave have ensured there is good availability on many of our most popular varieties for immediate delivery...


With the increased demand of Perennials over the coming weeks for premium pot colour in Garden Centres, Ball Colegrave have ensured there is good availability on many of our most popular varieties for immediate delivery.

 

Their top-selling jumbo 5cm Ball 40 liners are a popular plug format for instant colour sales from May to August, perfect to extend the bedding season.

 

The First Year Flowering Ball 40 range are perfect to drop into 2 - 3 litre pots for quick-turn colour sales for sales through to July. All are automatically supplied with a full colour label.

 

These include varieties such as;

  • Astilbe Astary
    Campanula Rapido
    Gaura Sparkle White
    Geum
    Hollyhock Spring Celebrities
    Lychnis Molten Lava
    Papaver Moondance
    Solidago Golden Baby

The Tissue Culture Ball 40 liners are perfect to extend the sales season with premium nonstop colour in 2 – 3 litre pots right through to August. For example, the Heuchera make bold pots of foliage in June/July, whereas the Echinacea pack a punch of colour in July/August. These varieties are loaded with vigour and provide high performance plants that always look stunning at retail in big pots.

 

These include varieties such as;

  • Brunnera Jack Frost
    Echinacea Double Scoop Cranberry
    Echinacea Green Jewel
    Echinacea Sensation Pink
    Echinacea Sombrero series
    Echinacea Sunseekers Salmon
    Echinacea White Meditation
    Geranium hardy collection (including the popular Rozanne)
    Heuchera & Heucherella (8 newly released varieties)
    Rudbeckia Little Goldstar

To see the full range of Lasting Beauty Perennials. CLICK HERE

 

How to Order:

Ball Colegrave advise ordering quickly whilst there is availability. When its gone, its gone!

 

Log into WebTrack™ to check our full availability and order online. If you haven't yet registered with WebTrack™, it's quick and easy to do and offers lots of great tools and information.

 

Otherwise, please contact your local Ball Colegrave Technical Sales Representative or Customers Services to place your order.

Massive increase in demand for VegTrug

VegTrug have reported a massive increase in demand for their iconic product range during the Covid 19 crisis with the company taking very early decisions and employing a smart strategy to see them through...

 


VegTrug have reported a massive increase in demand for their iconic product range during the Covid 19 crisis with the company taking very early decisions and employing a smart strategy to see them through.

 

Very early in the crisis (and several weeks before lockdown) they declared their Colchester premises an ‘isolation’ area with no visitors allowed and staff practising self distancing and increased hygiene throughout the premises. Several staff changed to working from home immediately and with systems the company had already invested in, they were able to trade throughout the period working remotely where necessary.

 

No staff were furloughed and customer demands were met with a few fundamental changes. The lead time was extended early on and trade stock availability was also limited so that they could ensure nobody was let down.

 

Joe Denham (CEO VegTrug) commented: “We have supported trade customers in the UK who stayed open during the crisis as far as we possibly could. Those online customers and garden centres who reacted early and worked with us to come up with creative solutions, quickly implementing safe ‘click and collect systems’ appreciated our support throughout the crisis. We had to think creatively in all areas of our business and trading relationships.

 

Demand from consumers has been overwhelming but our staff have managed to step up to the task and meet it head on. Our support staff have been working evenings and weekends and I could not be more proud of them.

 

What has been most interesting is that we have seen the business operating at maximum capacity. This has shown us where our shortcomings are and as a result we have made several staff responsibility changes and will be implementing an automated trade portal for our UK customers which will be launched within the next 10 days.

 

With trade exhibitions looking doubtful for 2020 we are currently in production with a number of video presentations which buyers should expect to receive over the coming weeks. Our new product line up for 2021 has never looked more exciting. Trading with VegTrug will be easier, smarter and more profitable than ever before.

 

Our most difficult problem was the closure of the business in America. Our warehouse and offices in Pennsylvania are still closed but we have managed to achieve our budgets with Amazon and QVC sales better than ever and shipments from stock we were holding in 3rd party out-of-State warehousing. It was imperative for us to keep our staff supported in America and we have managed to achieve that and continue to pay our bills over there!

 

We feel very lucky to have come through this crisis relatively unscathed when many businesses within the industry have struggled and may not survive. I believe it is a testament to the quality of our products and the service we give that has seen us through”.

 

Any customer wanting details of the VegTrug range for in store sales should contact Mark Crowley by email mark@vegtrug.com. Online customers should contact James Allan by email james@vegtrug.com

 

LifestyleGarden® thanks keyworkers with special giveaway

Running across the company’s social media platforms, the LifestyleGarden® team asked its followers to nominate the keyworkers in their life for the chance to win a set of the company’s rainbow-inspired Nassau dining sets...


It’s hard to think of a way that will truly demonstrate our gratitude for all the keyworkers that are holding this country together during the Covid-19 lockdown. LifestyleGarden® - one of the UK’s leading outdoor furniture suppliers – knew they couldn’t sit back and do nothing which is why the company recently launched a special #FeetUpWithLifestyleGarden giveaway as a way of showing their thanks for these incredible human beings.

 

Running across the company’s social media platforms, the LifestyleGarden® team asked its followers to nominate the keyworkers in their life for the chance to win a set of the company’s rainbow-inspired Nassau dining sets.

 

10 sets were up for grabs and followers made nominations in their droves, with over 60 entries received. A random winner generator selected the lucky recipients who were quickly informed of their win. However, saying thank you from the team just didn’t feel enough so they also enlisted the help of TV’s Helen George, also known as Trixie from the popular BBC drama, Call the Midwife. In a short video, Helen congratulated all the winners and thanked them for everything they have done and continue to do as we work to navigate this pandemic.

 

Click picture to watch video

 

Paul Cohen, Sales Director at LifestyleGarden®, said: “Keyworkers deserve every bit of praise we can give them, but they also deserve to have somewhere they can put their feet up and relax after a long shift helping on the frontline or keeping our essential businesses functioning. We selected our Nassau sets as they are available in peony pink, pastel green and honey yellow, reminiscent of the rainbow emblem that has become synonymous with the nation’s support of keyworkers.

 

“The winners are currently eagerly awaiting delivery of their prizes and we’re excited to share photos of them once they have everything set up. For now, I’d just like to thank all those that nominated keyworkers, to Helen for her fantastic video, and of course the biggest thanks to those keyworkers that are keeping us safe during these unprecedented times. You are a true inspiration to us all.”

 

If you want to find out more about LifestyleGarden® and the company’s market leading outdoor furniture collections, please visit www.lifestylegarden.com or follow the team on Facebook and Instagram.

CSY launch Ecommerce Sites to help Garden Centres during the Covid-19 Panademic

CSY have been pulling out all the stops to help customers during the Covid-19 Pandemic...


CSY have been pulling out all the stops to help customers during the Covid-19 Pandemic.

 

Ross Pierrepont told GTN Xtra: "We quickly recognised that customers who didn't have ecommerce capability were potentially going to need it, so we launched our Vector Ecommerce Lite offer.


"This provides a quick and low-cost ecommerce platform directly linked to their Vector EPOS system. A linked solution means quicker times to launch and more efficient customer order processing while still providing stock control and reporting.

 

"The take up has been fantastic and we have many more customers who are now able to take online orders. They are getting items to their customers through a mix of local deliveries and safe collection from store. This is keeping them trading whilst also allowing them to keep their staff and customers safe.

 

"In the garden centre sector so far we have launched online stores for:

Brookfields Garden Centre - https://www.brookfields-gardencentre.co.uk/
Bell Plantation Garden Centre - https://shop.bellplantation.co.uk/
Earlswood - https://shop.earlswoodgsy.com/
Monkton Elm Garden Centre - https://shop.monktonelm.com/

Thetford Garden Centre - https://www.thetfordgardencentre.co.uk/

 

CSY were also instrumental in getting the new Blue Diamond online store live and trading and new sites are going live imminently for:

* Nunhead Gardener
* Summerhill Garden Centre
* Silica Lodge Garden Centre
* Thorngrove Garden Centre

 

CSY have also produced Ecommerce Lite sites for our customers in Food Retail, DIY, Equestrian & Country Stores.

 

"We are offering all our customers the opportunity to upgrade to our complete website offering later thus making the most of their investment from both a financial and time perspective" added Ross.

 

"To make sure that everyone has the help that they need we made a swift investment in upgrading our phone system so that our helpdesk staff could work seamlessly from home. This has allowed us to continue the same levels of service still offering 7 day-a-week support from 8am to 8pm."

 

CSY are contactable on 01159 484848 or email info@csy.co.uk

 
The UK’s Infrastructure Capacity to Reprocess Post-Consumer Plastic Needs to Double by 2022 to Meet Plastic Packaging Tax Demands

 

The UK could be set to face significant challenges in its ability to recycle household plastic packaging, with reprocessing infrastructure potentially needing to double, according to new research...


The UK could be set to face significant challenges in its ability to recycle household plastic packaging, with reprocessing infrastructure potentially needing to double, according to new research by RECOUP.

 

RECOUP has released an update of its Household Plastic Packaging Sorting and Infrastructure Report, which aims to inform and provide context around the design of a new tax on the production and import of all plastic packaging that doesn’t include at least 30% recycled content.

 

The report highlights how the UK’s infrastructure to sort plastic packaging to the required quality and reprocess this material needs to increase in order to handle the additional demands created by both the recycled content target and also to service ambitious commitments by brand leaders to increase circular and environmentally sustainable manufacturing.

 

With Her Majesty’s Treasury set to implement the Plastic Packaging Tax, which is currently in its second round of consultations, in April 2022, there is a level of urgency to understand the impact of this and how this recycled content target can be achieved.

 

Currently, RECOUP report that sorting capacities at Material Recycling Facilities (MRFs) and Plastic Recovery Facilities (PRFs), by volume at least, is not a barrier to meeting a 30% recycled content target. The UK has an estimated annual permitted MRF capacity of between 1.6 and 1.9 million tonnes for sorting plastic packaging, and an estimated actual throughput of up to 1,000,000 tonnes.

 

However, research found there are significant shortfalls in reprocessing capacity, with an estimated current operational output of 230,000 tonnes. There are also particularly challenging commercial conditions and fine profit margins in this sector, with very specific operational and technical challenges around reprocessing plastic film, non-bottle PET and food grade packaging.

 

Scenarios detailed in the report show the extent of which capacities may be unable to cope with specific changes and requirements. When comparing the reprocessing capacity against 30% recycled content from plastic packaging types placed on the market, there are significant shortfalls. These scenarios suggest that the UK’s reprocessing capacity may need to increase by 100% to meet 30% recycled content in all household plastic packaging placed on the market, and by over 200% to meet that target for food grade rigid household plastic packaging.

 

Steve Morgan, Policy & Infrastructure Manager at RECOUP, said: “The research conducted by RECOUP in producing the Infrastructure Report highlights the need for the UK to shift towards more domestic recycling in the UK, in order for the industry to be able to cope with the increasing demands for high-quality recycled plastic. Reforming and delivering a well-designed Packaging Producer Responsibility System in the UK is essential to deliver the infrastructure to meet a recycled content target. This would provide the underpinning foundations to ensure the necessary investment and confidence are in place for a sustainable business model to build and maintain the required recycling infrastructure for plastic packaging.”

 

The 2020 RECOUP Household Plastic Packaging Sorting and Infrastructure Report is available to all RECOUP members through the RECOUP website.

A cut above on ground below

Developed to meet the demands of the commercial market, the new EGO RotoCut attachment has dual sharpened blades made of high strength alloy steel and a cutting width of 23cm...


With two sets of specially designed counter-rotating blades to minimise the scattering of debris, the new EGO Professional-X RotoCut attachment (RTX2300) means professional gardeners can clear weeds and grass safely, even on hard and challenging surfaces.

 

Developed to meet the demands of the commercial market, the new RotoCut attachment has dual sharpened blades made of high strength alloy steel and a cutting width of 23cm. Combined with an integrated guard, it’s designed to cut close to the ground, quickly and safely in areas where scattering debris could be damaging.

 

Weighing in at just 1.9kg, it’s powered by market-leading 56-volt Arc lithium-ion technology, eliminating the noise and pollution generated by petrol powered equipment. With low vibration rates (1.1/1.5m/s2) and a LpA noise level of 79.3dB(A), it’s ideal for prolonged professional use, especially in built-up areas.

 

EGO Professional-X RotoCut is a compatible attachment for EGO’s commercial line trimmers and brush cutter (BCX3800, STX3800, ST1530E and BC3800E), which are manufactured from durable materials, including an amazingly strong carbon fibre shaft which won’t break, bend or lose its shape even under heavy workloads or if thrown.

 

Vince Brauns, Group Product Manager at EGO, said: “We were keen to meet the demands of the market with a solution for flying debris causing damage and our RotoCut attachment means professional gardeners and landscapers can now clear weeds and cut grass safely with ease and speed. In addition, environmentally-minded businesses can complete the same tasks but without using plastic line.”

 

The EGO Professional-X RotoCut attachment retails at £209.

Gro-along Evergreen Garden Care launches virtual gardening series with David Domoney

Garden care brand Evergreen Garden Care, has teamed up with Charted Horticulturalist and TV Gardener, David Domoney, to create the ‘Grow with David Domoney’ series...


Leading garden care brand Evergreen Garden Care (www.loveyourgarden.com), has teamed up with Charted Horticulturalist and TV Gardener, David Domoney, to create the ‘Grow with David Domoney’ series.  Aired on Facebook Live via Evergreen Garden Care’s ‘Love The Garden’ page, each event will be streamed from 1pm, weekly from Friday 15th May 2020. Each episode will include gardening tips and advice, a Q&A sessions and merchandise giveaways.

 

With more people taking an interest in gardening, ‘Grow with David Domoney’ will be launched with the intention of inspiring first time and experienced gardeners alike to do more with their outdoor space. The live streams will be suitable for indoor and outdoor spaces, encouraging more people to try their hand at gardening. David Domoney will share garden care advice and educate viewers to use the best products for each job, encouraging them to invest in gardening properly.

 

The warm spring weather combined with lockdown causing the majority of the population to stay at home, led to a huge uplift in online searches in March around growing fruit and vegetables at home. Searches for how to grow potatoes increased by 161% from February and growing your own tomatoes increased by 134%. The first episode, streaming on Friday 15th May 2020 at 1pm, will focus on growing your own during lockdown, including ways to be thrifty, recycle items from around the house and growing from seed.

 

The series, which will be boosted through Facebook advertising, is designed to motivate and support gardeners to follow along, ask questions and ultimately have successful growing experiences, helping to unlock the love of the garden for all to enjoy. Weekly content will promote a variety of inspiring horticultural activities such as how to grow your best plants, encouraging insects, taking care of your lawn, making compost, pruning and more.

 

David said, "I am looking forward to broadcasting live from my garden with Evergreen sharing my seasonal gardening advice, hints and tips to inspire the nation to enjoy more of their outdoor space. I hope many are encouraged to take up the advantages of gardening for life, including wildlife, eating healthy, flowers, borders and perfect family lawns."

 

Mark Portman, Managing Director at Evergreen Garden Care, said “Launching these live streams with our brand ambassador, David Domoney, is a great opportunity to demonstrate how we as a business are evolving with the times to deliver the digital-first content that many new gardeners desire. Both David and Evergreen have similar goals in driving participation in gardening by making it accessible for everyone, no matter the size or lack of a garden!”

 

Evergreen Garden Care is the owner of leading garden care brands such as Miracle-Gro, Levington, Roundup and Tomorite among others, and will be promoting the schedule of events on the brand’s own social media accounts in advance.

 

To find out more, visit www.lovethegarden.com

 

 
Primeur continues to support retailers as the industry emerges from lockdown

Primeur has always prided itself on delivering the highest quality customer service levels, and it certainly wasn’t going to let a global pandemic stand in the way of this...


Primeur has always prided itself on delivering the highest quality customer service levels, and it certainly wasn’t going to let a global pandemic stand in the way of this! Since lockdown the leading supplier of garden products, including the award-winning ECO Garden range, has been working tirelessly to ensure that its retailer customers are fully stocked to meet consumer demand. Here the company’s Sales Director, Jenny Douthwaite, tells us more about how Primeur has been operating during the most unprecedented start to the season ever.

 

“Primeur remains very much open for business. We have reduced staff numbers, taking advantage of the government furlough scheme in order to guarantee our longevity, but the remaining team is working hard to ensure our customers are fully stocked. Of course, we have had to implement a number of changes to make certain the health and wellbeing of our staff, as well as ensuring we remain compliant with the government’s social distancing and sanitation guidelines. Additionally, we’re regularly communicating with our home-based workers to make sure they continue to feel part of the Primeur team, which we believe is so important in helping them to feel reassured and keeping the positivity going in these strange and unfamiliar times.

 

“As garden centres across England and Wales reopen, we’re working hard to ensure we can service all our customers. We appreciate that those stores that have been closed or had no online capabilities during lockdown will still have stock remaining from pre-season delivery, however an influx of customers now they are able open once again, coupled with more staycations this summer, will hopefully see stock quickly sell. We want to reassure our customers that stock of all our products including our award-winning Eco Garden range will be available for them all when top-up orders are needed, whether they are operating a bricks and mortar store, or continuing to capture online sales. We were fortunate to have all our stock for the season in our warehouse ahead of lockdown which allows us to turn deliveries around quickly.

 

“Like many we are incredibly pleased to see garden centres reopening and have no doubt that UK garden retailers will set a new benchmark for how to operate a safe and controlled environment for both staff and customers’ peace of mind. We appreciate that it will take some time before we get back to a new kind of normal, so during this period of transition we will continue to support our customers, no matter how long it may take. We invite customers to reach out to us with any questions they may have as we navigate this unknown landscape. For now, all that is left to say is to offer kudos to everyone during this time. To those that diversified and captured the online sales….those that have supported their local communities….those that have utilised initiative to find a new ‘normal’….those that have gone above and beyond to support the supply chain…those that have taken steps to find a way to put a smile on each other’s faces……we salute you all. We’re so pleased to be part of such a supportive and friendly industry and thank you all for your support.”

 

Find out more

To find more about Primeur’s full product range as well as how to access its leading merchandising displays, please contact the team on 01274 518800 or email sales@primeur.ltd.uk

 
GIMA welcomes government-backed trade credit insurance guarantee

Last week, the UK government confirmed that it will step in to prop up the trade credit insurance market, bringing welcome relief to GIMA members and other suppliers within the garden retail sector...


Last week, the UK government confirmed that it will step in to prop up the trade credit insurance market, bringing welcome relief to GIMA members and other suppliers within the garden retail sector.

 

Trade credit insurance is a contract bought by suppliers to make sure they get paid even if their customers default and cannot pay the bills.  British garden retail suppliers will now be able to access vital insurance more easily following this latest Government intervention during the ongoing Coronavirus pandemic.

 

The latest announcement confirmed that by the end of May, the government will provide guarantees for all currently available trade credit insurance. The Treasury confirmed that whilst final details are still being worked out now, the final agreement will see risk shared “appropriately” between the government and insurers.  This backing will provisionally run until the end of this year.

 

There had been fears that insurers could remove cover on companies as the COVID-19 crisis threatens business survival.  The Treasury was also concerned that premiums for existing trade credit insurance could rise to unaffordable levels. 

 

Vicky Nuttall, GIMA Director, commented “GIMA welcomes the government-backed trade credit insurance guarantee which will help to ensure the continued supply of product, and more importantly cash, flowing through our industry.  At a time when suppliers are in desperate need of payments, this additional guarantee will give them the confidence to continue to trade.”

 

The government backing mirrors similar action being taken by other countries across the world, which are facing the same issues as the UK trade credit insurance market in these exceptional times. If developed in the right way, this temporary scheme will give reassurance to the thousands of businesses who rely on the security that trade credit insurance cover provides.

 

Commenting about Garden Centres reopening Vicky Nuttall also added: “This is certainly a week of good news as we also saw garden centres across England and Wales throw open their doors once again, following the government giving the green light for them to reopen. Praise has to be given to all those that campaigned hard for this, and in doing so placing garden centres front and centre within the national press. I’ve no doubt that this coverage will see new consumers visiting their local centre, especially as so many have been engaging with gardening on an unprecedented level during lockdown. Whether gardening to alleviate boredom, to improve mental and physical health, or to keep the kids entertained, gardening has never been so popular, and I hope we can continue to inspire this new audience, as well as continuing to service existing green-fingered consumers. It’s such a significant opportunity for the entire garden retail sector and one I am sure we can maximise as we move forwards.

 

“Of course, the reopening of garden centres does not come without its challenges and it would be remiss of me not to mention them.  Dealing with the pent-up demand, managing the customer flow and keeping employees and customers safe isn't going to be easy, which is why we need to move cautiously and share experiences to ensure we’re all demonstrating best practice. With the eyes of the rest of the retail world on garden retailers we cannot afford to make mistakes.

 

“GIMA members and the wider supplier network are ready to support garden retailers, with some in desperate need themselves for the supply chain and payments to start flowing again. There's also still work to be done to save UK ornamental growers, many of whom have lost a huge swathe of business already this year and will not be able to make up for the loss. Now, more than ever, it’s so important that we continue to work together as an industry and make sure we come out stronger and more united at the end of it all."

 

For further information please contact GIMA on (01959) 564947 or info@gima.org.uk

GrowNation Secures Free Social Distancing Help and Advice for Garden Centres

GrowNation (grownation.co.uk), today announces free professional advice on social distancing and safe operation to garden centres across the UK...


GrowNation (grownation.co.uk), today announces free professional advice on social distancing and safe operation to garden centres across the UK.

 

With garden centres in England and Wales finally re-opening their doors to the public, businesses are having to adapt their premises and procedures to keep staff and customers safe.

 

Guidelines available from the HTA have been an invaluable resource for many. Where questions remain, GrowNation has secured help from qualified environmental health specialists to answer specific questions.

 

Advice on social distancing, practical considerations around running a click and collect or local delivery service, employee safety or indeed any other EH related matter is now available to all garden centres whether they have a GrowNation web shop or not.

 

Steve Meleka, Managing Director of GrowNation said: “In keeping with our mission to help horticulture through the COVID-19 crisis, we think it’s essential that garden centres have access to the advice they need to operate safely. We’re thrilled to be able to announce our partnership with Samantha and the team at My Compliance People who have made this free service possible.”

 

Over 50 environmental health specialist volunteers are available to help businesses by helping them address specific concerns or grey areas. Complex issues around keeping workforces safe, handling customer flows, designing and positioning signage and more can now be resolved with the help of qualified professionals.

 

Steve continued: “A tremendous amount of effort has gone into lobbying government to allow garden centres to open again, so it would be a tragedy to see them have to close due to misinterpretation of official guidelines or a lack of detailed help specific to their individual situations. Our hope is that this initiative will ensure that doesn’t happen.”

 

To access the free advice, garden centres simply need to visit grownation.co.uk/eh-help and follow the on-screen instructions.

 

The next few weeks will be crucial for garden centres and their entire supply chains. After so much time has been lost, it’s critical for everyone that garden centres can process as much volume as possible in what is now a much shorter season.

 

GrowNation are working with growers, wholesalers and others to make setting up retail web shops extremely quick and easy for garden centres, with no up-front cost. Sites can be fully set up and ready to take orders for click & collect or local deliveries, typically in less than an hour.

 

The company are also collaborating with printers and commercial hygiene suppliers to bring a range of signage, cleaning products and other essentials to market in the coming days. These will support those garden centres who decide to offer click & collect as a way to efficiently increase potential sales volumes.

 

Garden centres can now apply for their own free web shops - fully populated with detailed product information and images from suppliers including Farplants, Hozelock, Porters Fuchsias/Happy Plants, Bransford Webbs, New Leaf, Lovania, Quantil, Taylors Bulbs, SBM Life Science (Phostrogen/Baby Bio), Plantworks (Empathy/Rootgrow/After Plant), Fallen Fruits and Primus. Additional significant partnerships are at various stages and will be announced in due course.

 

GrowNation charges no up-front fees, instead, the business model is completely commission based, with credit card and PayPal transaction fees absorbed by the company as part of the service. Retailers can get more information or claim their free website at: grownation.co.uk/sellplantsonline

 

All GrowNation websites are completely free to set up and include:

• The ability to list as many (or as few) products as each retailer wants.

• Secure online payments via PayPal or credit/debit card.

• A unique web address with its own unique storefront and product range.

• A simple to use retailer dashboard to help manage orders and customer details.

• Simple, commission based payment with no lock-in period and no up-front cost.

• No additional charges for online payment processing.

 

Wholesalers can request more information and provide their product data by visiting the GrowNation website at: grownation.co.uk/supply-garden-centres

 

My Compliance People is the leading safety and compliance marketplace which provides an easy and flexible way for business to find the expert or services they need direct, on demand and at much better value. The platform has mobilised the largest network of independent quality assured experts covering all compliance areas including: Food Safety; Fire Safety; Health and Safety; Statutory Testers such as gas, fire, asbestos, water, legionella, electrical, gas and load testing; Food Technology and Manufacturing; Trading Standards and Labelling; Licensing and Security; Allergens; Pollution Control; Noise and Nuisance; HR; Bookkeeping & Accountancy.

 

Their experts offer a wide range of safety & compliance services and you can book your expert by the day to suit your business needs. They are offering Coronavirus remote re-opening checks at this time to ensure businesses are Covid-19 secure by getting external expert opinion on PPE, social distancing measures, PoS notices and other measures businesses need to take to keep staff and customers safe on re-opening.

 

To take advantage of the free help and advice available through My Compliance People and to see the full list of experts and services available to purchase, simply visit grownation.co.uk/eh-help.

 
Reopening your retail store: Step two – sanitation & portable hand washing/sanitisation stations

 

Advice from Cleaner Retail – a new one-stop-shop designed to assist in creating a sanitised environment for safer shopping and a clean retail experience for the consumer...


Since the beginning of the Covid-19 pandemic, the benefits of frequent and thorough hand washing to stop the spread of the virus have been well documented. However, within a retail environment direct access to soap and water is limited, which is why Cleaner Retail – a new one-stop-shop offering everything retailers need to safely reopen to the public – has curated a comprehensive collection of pop-up hand washing stations and sanitisation solutions.

 

Pop-up (portable) hand washing stations (H-Wash)

Available for use both front and back of house, these self-contained ‘pop-up’ stations provide everything needed to maintain hand hygiene within a retail setting.

 

Requiring no plumbing or electricity, Cleaner Retail’s Hand Wash Stations, or H-Wash, come complete with soap, paper towels and a waste bin. The water is foot pump-activated by the user. Each unit can hold 45 litres of water, enough for 225, 20-second hand washes.

 

Made from 70% recycled lightweight plastic, these hand washing stations can be easily located throughout the shop floor, including outdoor areas, as well as within warehouses and stockrooms to ensure staff comply with the highest possible hygiene standard. The lightweight nature means they can be easily relocated to ensure that areas of high footfall are targeted.

 

Additional Cleaner Retail hand washing stations for smaller spaces and for use in delivery vehicles complete the offering, offering 225 and 25, 20-second hand washes respectively.

 

Cleaner Retail offers bespoke branding for all H-Wash units, based on a minimum order quantity of 25. Prices start from £204.00 with delivery available within seven to 14 days.

 

Sanitisation solutions

Clean hands stop the spread of Covid-19 but sanitisation of surfaces and surrounding areas is the next step in ensuring a clean and safe environment for staff and customers alike.

 

Cleaner Retail has turned to leading experts, Ramsol®, for its sanitisation solutions. Ramsol®’s Water-Based Sanitiser Disinfectant Spray - available from Cleaner Retail in both 22 litre and 500ml containers, with the latter benefitting from same day dispatch - contains active biocides, specifically designed for the cleansing and disinfecting of hard and soft surfaces, as well as electrical products making it ideal for offices and tills, and is also food safe.

 

The Ramsol® spray is a revolutionary mist spray designed to sanitise and disinfect difficult to reach and intricate areas with full surface coverage. The ingredients within this product deal rapidly and effectively with an extensive list of bacteria, viruses, fungi and moulds. The speed of application and effectiveness of Ramsol®’s Disinfectant enables retailers to increase the speed of service, improve the customer experience and minimise downtime, whether wiping trolley handles or ensuring a fast-moving customer flow at the hand sanitisation units.

 

Coming soon to Cleaner Retail will be a number of portable, design-led hand sanitisation stations featuring Ramsol®’s disinfectant solution. Benefiting from 1,200 applications, each of these portable hand sanitisation units, available in a range of customer colours and finishes, are perfect for use on the shopfloor, offices, restaurant and hospitality settings.

 

Cleaner Retail’s Scott Thomas said: “UK retailers will have to prove that they have taken the necessary steps to meet government requirements regarding hygiene and sanitation in order to reopen. Hand washing and ensuring optimum cleaning processes have been met will be key to this. With our hand washing stations and Ramsol®’s disinfectant, retailers can feel confident that they are hitting the mark and can pass this peace of mind onto staff and customers.”

 

Further information regarding the government’s advice for use of hand washing stations in the workplace can be found here.

 

Find out more

To find out more about Cleaner Retail, or to place your order please visit www.cleanerretail.com. Alternatively call 024 7633 9189, email info@cleanerretail.com or get in touch with your usual Ivyline contact or agent.

It’s a #FloralFriday thanks from Greenfingers Charity

Greenfingers Charity would like to once again thank all those who helped to spread a little #FloralFriday cheer last week (Friday 15th May)...


Greenfingers Charity would like to once again thank all those who helped to spread a little #FloralFriday cheer last week (Friday 15th May). 

 

Amongst the many fabulous posts, leading the way and pretty in pink were Vitax and Adam Taylor.  Celebratory gardener and Greenfingers Charity Patron, Ann-Marie Powell spent the day gardening in her beautiful floral frock, which was specially chosen by her personal stylist, Bert (aka as her son!). Mike Lind shared his #FloralFriday photos to celebrate the re-opening of Monkton Elm Garden Centre on Wednesday. And GTNs Trevor Pfeiffer once again supported the initiative by rocking up at his local Van Hage Garden Centre wearing one of his many favourite floral shirts.  Glee and LOFA joined in the fun by creating and posting floral videos whilst amateur gardener and photographer Tim Howell brought more than a little cheer with his film.

 

This coming #FloralFriday (Friday 22nd May) Greenfingers Charity will be celebrating its presence at the RHS Chelsea Flower Show in 2019.  Designed by Kate Gould and entirely funded by a private donor along with many gifts in kind, The Greenfingers Charity Garden was amongst last year’s highlights. The charity will be sharing its favourite Chelsea pics and would love you to share yours too.

 

By now, you know what to do:

  • Post your favourite floral image or floral selfie on social media
  • Use the hashtags #FloralFriday #hortindustry #greenfingers
  • Tag @GreenfingersCharity  
  • If you can, text FLORALFRIDAY to 70085 to donate £5 to Greenfingers Charity
  • Nominate a friend(s) to do the same

The benefits of gardening and spending time outside in the fresh air is being felt more than ever.  Whilst this can only be good for our industry, this message is also vitally important for Greenfingers Charity as its faces a challenging road ahead. 

 

With a waiting list of hospices that need their help today, by joining the fun of #FloralFriday YOU will be helping to making difference to life-limited children and their families. 

 

To find out more about the work of Greenfingers Charity and how you can help, contact Director of Fundraising and Communications Linda Petrons by emailing Linda@greenfingerscharity.org.uk or calling 01494 674749. 

Orderly queues form as garden centres in England re-open

This was the scene at British Garden Centres Osterley garden centre just before 9:00am on Wednesday morning.

 

Send us your pics and videos of your re-opening experience, thanks to the team at Downtown Garden Centre (below), and we'll publish as many as we can in GTN Xtra at the weekend...

 


This was the scene at British Garden Centres Osterley garden centre just before 9:00am on Wednesday morning.

 

 

Send us your pics and videos of your re-opening experience, thanks to the team at Downtown Garden Centre (below), and we'll publish as many as we can in GTN Xtra at the weekend.

 

Send to trevor.pfeiffer@tgcmc.co.uk

 

Have a great weekend everyone who has re-opened.  Stay Alert and Stay Safe!

 

 
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Smart Face Masks

Smart Garden have tapped into their extensive Chinese supply chain and are importing a large quantity of 3-ply disposable, medical-grade, face masks...


Smart Garden have tapped into their extensive Chinese supply chain and are importing a large quantity of 3-ply disposable, medical-grade, face masks. They say this is a temporary measure to help their customers protect staff and shoppers for the duration of the Covid-19 pandemic.

 

“We checked with the NHS to ensure we would not be depriving them and were told that such masks were in plentiful supply and that PPE shortages lay elsewhere, with gowns in particular” said Paris Natar, Smart’s Chairman.

 

With garden centres and other home and garden retailers re-opening across the United Kingdom and in Europe, Smart believe that this initiative will be welcomed. The masks come in bar-coded boxes of 50 so can also be sold to shoppers as a retail line.

 

Paris added “This is not something one should take any chances with so we have gone for fully compliant, TUV, CE and ISO certified masks. In particular, they conform to Medical Device Directive 93/42/EEC.”

 

Smart’s first consignment is already in transit from China and they expect to be delivering nationwide from Monday June 22nd.

 
Solex Exhibition – Cancelled

Solex has been cancelled for 2020...


Solex has been cancelled for 2020.

 

The following statement was released last week:  "It is with regret that Premier Promotions and Exhibitions Ltd has taken the decision that, as a result of the Coronavirus situation, it is not possible for us to hold Solex, the Summer Outdoor Living Exhibition 2020,  7-9 July, NEC, Birmingham.

 

"We have been following the UK Government’s guidelines and, it is with much regret that we have taken the decision to postpone the event until July 2021.

 

"The safety and wellbeing of our staff, exhibitors, visitors, partners and contractors is of the utmost importance to us and the protection and prevention of harm to all involved is vital."

The Commercial Horticultural Association is supporting and promoting its existing British exhibitor group for GreenTech and preparing for the rescheduled show on 20-22 October

The GreenTech show in Amsterdam, The Netherlands, has been rescheduled to 20-22 October 2020 and the Commercial Horticultural Association (CHA) is organising the British Pavilion at the event, supported by the Department for International Trade (DIT)...


The GreenTech show in Amsterdam, The Netherlands, has been rescheduled to 20-22 October 2020 and the Commercial Horticultural Association (CHA) is organising the British Pavilion at the event, supported by the Department for International Trade (DIT).

 

GreenTech was due to take place on 8-10 June 2020 in Amsterdam but with the outbreak of coronavirus the organisers decided to postpone the show to October.

 

Now a new date has been confirmed and those UK companies still intending to exhibit can work on their plans for the show, and for eligible SMEs taking part there will be the added advantage of Department for International Trade grants arranged by the CHA. If you are interested in exhibiting at the show, please contact katie-mai@cha-hort.com for further information.

 

When the decision to postpone GreenTech was made, the CHA put together a package of additional publicity and support to ensure all UK exhibitors’ brands and product introductions are promoted to buyers through key international media.     

 

The CHA starts the promotion process here by highlighting companies and products that were due to be present at GreenTech on the original show date:

 

Agralan Ltd (Hall 10,  Stand 10.111C). Agralan supplies a selection of pheromone traps and insect nets for a wide range of fruit, vegetable and ornamental crops.  Within the UK it provides pollination services and biological controls.  In addition, Agralan also offers a range of products for the amateur market.

Website: www.agralan.co.uk

 

Delta - T Devices (Hall 10, Stand 10.114A). The market leading WET Sensor Kit gives unparalleled performance in monitoring substrate conditions for true precision horticulture.

The new WET 150 multi-parameter sensor offers accurate moisture, EC, and temperature measurements with SDI-12 interface, a low price, and a 5-year warranty, while the SM150T Soil Sensor has already become a choice product for system integrators, backed by its 5-year warranty and reliable performance. Finally, the innovative PR2 Profile Probe allows convenient moisture measurements to one metre and can be used as a portable device, or fixed installation.

Website: www.delta-t.co.uk

 

INDO Lighting Ltd (Hall 10, Stand 10.111B). INDO is an innovative UK manufacturer of highly stable, cost-effective LED lighting solutions for the horticulture market. Its LED grow light (INDO ELEMENT) is a pioneering 1-for-1 top lighting replacement for up to 1000W High-Pressure Sodium (HPS). It can be installed without rewiring and has no external driver, giving customers 100,000 hours’ continuous operation with no PPF degradation over time, delivering more predictable results for the life of the product.

Website: www.indolighting.com/grow

 

Plater Bio (Hall 10, Stand 10.110C). Plater Bio has developed the revolutionary hydroponic fertilizer ‘Gold Leaf’, which supplies all plant nutrients in one product. This means there is no longer a need to use ‘A’ and ‘B’ products in hydroponics. In addition, Gold Leaf is pH optimized and buffered, plus it dechlorinates tap water. As a result, Gold Leaf is the first ‘single step’ hydroponic fertilizer and can radically simplify any hydroponic system and opens up the possibilities for growing new hydroponic crops in completely new scenarios.

Website: www.platerbio.co.uk

 

REMIN (Hall 10, Stand 10.111C). Treating soil with naturally occurring REMIN Volcanic Rock Dust can help boost fertility, leading to healthier vegetables, fruit and flowers and improved yield. Additionally, the chemical reactions and biological processes triggered by adding REMIN Volcanic Rock Dust to soil significantly boosts soil’s natural carbon capture capability.  Scientific research shows that for every tonne added, 70 to 260kg CO2 can be removed from the atmosphere over time.

Website: www.reminscotland.com

 

 

NOTES TO EDITORS:

The Commercial Horticultural Association (CHA) is the British Trade Association for manufacturers and suppliers of plants, products and services to commercial horticultural growers throughout the world.

Covering the ornamentals, fresh produce, amenity and landscape sectors – our members offer the full portfolio of products and services for all horticultural requirements.

The CHA is a Trade Challenge Partner and Accredited Trade Organisation (ATO) with the British Government’s Department for International Trade (DIT). The department helps UK-based companies succeed in the global economy. DIT offers expertise and contacts through its extensive network of specialists in the UK, and in British embassies and other diplomatic offices around the world. It works with CHA to provide companies with the tools they require to be competitive on the world stage.

 

 

Contact the CHA if you require further advice and assistance:

Tel:  +44 (0) 44 1959 565995

Email: info@cha-hort.com
Website: www.cha-hort.com

 
RHS Chelsea Garden Product of the Year to be judged during Virtual RHS Chelsea

The Royal Horticultural Society (RHS), has announced it will host the prestigious RHS Chelsea Garden Product of the Year Competition and a special People’s Choice vote for RHS Chelsea Plant of the Decade during its first ever virtual show, taking place from 18-23 May...


The Royal Horticultural Society (RHS), has announced it will host the prestigious RHS Chelsea Garden Product of the Year Competition and a special People’s Choice vote for RHS Chelsea Plant of the Decade during its first ever virtual show, taking place from 18-23 May.

 

The news comes as the RHS revealed that for the first time in its history, the world-famous flower show will take place online after it was cancelled due to Covid-19.

 

RHS Chelsea Garden Product of the Year
The RHS has unveiled a shortlist of 11 finalists for the 2020 competition, featuring designs awash with sustainable solutions as gardeners increasingly demand products with greener credentials.

 

Products making use of agricultural by-products and reusing natural materials are among the finalists as well as tech innovations for city living, with designs allowing gardeners to grow food effectively in smaller outdoor spaces and a smartphone-controlled lawnmower.

 

RHS Chelsea Garden Product of the Year 2020 shortlist:

 

  • The City Growhouse, by Access Garden Products, RRP £479 in plain aluminium £599 in Anthracite, www.garden-products.co.uk/ - A dedicated growing area in even the smallest garden. Ideal for city living.
  • Meander 3, by Gaze Burvill, RRP £6,960, www.gazeburvill.com/ - Combining elegant sculptural curves with practicality and comfort, the ‘Meander 3’ is a delightful and novel three person conversation seat.
  • Infinity Sheet by Green4Air, RRP £215, www.green4air.co.uk/ - CAD designed sheets designed to integrate and work with Green4Air’s 150mm pod spacing system both horizontally and vertically 128 x 55deg slots are cut into the black 10mm thick sheets using a highly specialised 5axis CNC router machine.
  • Small Pot Set of 3, by Husk, RRP £9.99, www.madewithhusk.com - Pots made using agricultural waste which fertilize the soil when they biodegrade.
  • Ooni Karu, by Ooni, RRP £249, www.ooni.com - a powerful, portable wood & charcoal-fired pizza oven offering portability with all the power of a larger wood-fired oven.
  • Husqvarna 305, by Platts Horticulture, RRP £1099, www.plattshorticulture.co.uk/ - A robotic lawnmower which offers a low price point without compromising on performance. Can be controlled by an app on a smartphone.
  • Steel Container/Pottery Knife, by Sneeboer Trading BV, RRP £69.95, www.sneeboer.com/en/ - An all sides sharpened, long, flat, flexible stainless steel container/pottery knife that comes with a red beech grip. Designed to help with re-potting plants in difficult containers.
  • Stone King, by The Patio Black Spot Removal Company, RRP £29.99, www.patioblackspotremoval.com/ - Gently, restores the original beauty to natural stone sculpture, artificial stone figurines, bird baths, sundials and terracotta pots and urns in less than 90 minutes without pressure washing.
  • Naked Garden Twine, by Twool, RRP £2.95, www.twool.co.uk/ - Garden twine made from locally sourced underused wool with a high tensile strength.
  • Vegebag, by Vegepod UK, RRP £29.99, www.vegepod.co.uk/ - Made from a tough polyester base, the Vegebag helps gardeners of all abilities to produce fantastic crops in small spaces with protection from garden nasties, all year round.
  • Potting Table, by Wilstone, RRP £245, www.wilstone.com - Made from Galvanised Steel and Recycled Teak for practical durability, this lightweight Potting Table has carry handles, two drawers, shelf and a uniquely designed extend-able worktop revealing a compost store.

The shortlisted products will be judged virtually by a panel of experts including well-known entrepreneur and Dragon’s Den investor Deborah Meaden, gardening writer Peter Seabrook and Chair Chris Harrop with the winner being announced as part of Virtual Chelsea on Monday 18 May 2020.

 

A People’s Choice vote for the Garden Product of the Year will also follow, where virtual visitors will be able to vote for their top product from the shortlist. Open from Monday 18 until Friday 22 May, the People’s Choice winner will be revealed on the final day of the show, Saturday 23 May.

 

RHS Chelsea Plant of the Decade
Each year the show also awards the RHS Chelsea Plant of the Year selected by an audience of over 100 plant experts, including members of trials forums and the seven RHS Plant Committees.

 

In celebration of its tenth anniversary this year, the virtual flower show will instead host a People’s Choice vote for the RHS Chelsea Plant of the Decade, allowing everyone to vote for their overall favourite from the previous winners.

 

The Chelsea Plant of the Year was launched in 2010 to promote the continuing work of breeders and nurseries in producing improved and exciting new plants and welcomes entries from exhibitors in the Great Pavilion.

 

Previous RHS Chelsea Plants of the Year:

  • 2010: Streptocarpus ‘Harlequin Blue’ - Dibleys Nurseries (bred by Lynne Dibley, UK)
  • 2011: Anemone Wild Swan (‘Macane001’) - Hardy’s Cottage Garden Plants (bred by Elizabeth MacGregor, UK)
  • 2012: Digitalis Illumination Pink ('Tmdgfp001')  - Bee Up Front Garden (bred by Charles Valin, Thompson & Morgan, UK)
  • 2013: Mahonia eurybracteata subsp. ganpinensis ‘Soft Caress’ - SeeAbility Garden (bred by Ozzie Johnson of ItSaul Plants, USA)
  • 2014: Hydrangea macrophylla Miss Saori (‘H20–2’) - Hillier Nurseries & Garden Centres (bred by Ryoji Irie, Japan)
  • 2015: Viburnum plicatum f. tomentosum Kilimanjaro Sunrise ('Jww5') - Burncoose Nurseries (bred by Jan Willem Wezelenburg, Holland)
  • 2016: Clematis koreana Amber (‘Wit141205’) - Taylors Clematis (bred by Marco de Wit, Holland)
  • 2017: Morus ‘Waisei-kirishima-shikinari’ (entered as Mulberry ‘Matsunaga’)         - Horticultural Trades Association (bred by Hajime Matsunaga, Japan)
  • 2018: Hydrangea Runaway Bride Snow White ('USHYD0405') The Sun (bred by Ushio Sakazaki, Japan)
  • 2019: Sedum takesimense Atlantis (‘Nonsitnal’) - National Dahlia Collection (bred by Walters Gardens)

Voting for the RHS Chelsea Plant of the Decade will open on Monday 18 and run until Friday 22 May with the winner set to be announced on Saturday 23 May.

 

Katherine Potsides, RHS Head of Shows Development, says: “Plans for the first virtual Chelsea are well underway and we are delighted to still be able to share the best in our horticultural world despite it being a hugely challenging time for everyone.

 

“These competitions shine a light on some of the best in product design and innovations in plant breeding, and have become a highlight for our visitors and gardeners everywhere so we are thrilled we are able to share and celebrate them once again in 2020.”

 

The RHS website www.rhs.org.uk will become host to the Virtual RHS Chelsea Flower Show (18 – 23 May 2020) sharing an abundance of free, inspiring content, with Monday 18 May being Members Day.

 
Safe Trading Guidance for all garden centres published by HTA

The HTA have launched the HTA Safe Trading Guidance for all garden centres. This is to allow garden centres to prepare and implement when the Government gives the go-ahead for stores to reopen...


The HTA have launched the HTA Safe Trading Guidance for all garden centres. This is to allow garden centres to prepare and implement when the Government gives the go-ahead for stores to reopen. These guidelines and the store signage can be found here. There will be a separate process where garden centres will be asked to register on the Plants Near Me website and acknowledge that they are following the guidance. The HTA will be issuing further communication on this.

 

The guidelines start with the following Macro protocols:

 

Cafes /restaurants should remain closed – no on-site food consumption.
• For the avoidance of doubt, no takeaway food sold on site should be consumed on site.
• Food departments; food hall; farm shops should operate under same hygiene and safe distancing protocols as rest of store.

 

Products to be sold should be restricted to plants; seeds; bulbs; composts /growing media; pots/ planters; garden hardware (tools; propagation equipment; fertilisers; pest control; irrigation etc.) and those products directly associated with the support thereof; pet foods and accessories; food products/cookware.
• For the avoidance of doubt no giftware/homeware; clothing; garden furniture; large BBQs to be sold on site – We would encourage online sales only/home delivery.
• These restrictions are designed to prevent ‘browsing’ and unnecessary contact with staff and other customers.
• These restrictions would be lifted as and when other retail restrictions are relaxed, or as social distancing protocols are fully enforceable.

 

It is strongly advised not to promote special deals or other aggressive marketing policies that lead to a surge in customer numbers.

 

Store space should be restricted to these areas (as above) with customer access to other areas prohibited.
• This requires the physical separation of stores and possible remerchandising of areas to maximise aisle widths and social distancing.
• The use of shop fixtures to achieve this would be encouraged or taped off areas robust enough to discourage customer wanderings
• Aisles should be as wide as possible and free from stock that would impede free flow.
• Fire escapes should be clearly kept open even if behind taped off areas.

 

Our strong recommendation is that customer numbers be controlled to 1 per 1000 square feet.
• Operators should use their discretion as to what is the safe number of customers to allow in a garden centre taking into account overall space, aisle widths and number of checkouts.
• Square feet is defined as gross square footage of available retail sales area – outdoor and indoor.
• This calculation will need to be done in advance by all those proposing to operate
• Customers in store should be limited to this number on a one in one out basis.
• Our advice would be to have a staff member controlling this at the entrance door but to avoid unnecessary queuing our strong recommendation would be to control the number of cars coming into the car park.

 

Entrance and exit from the premises should be separate – a minimum separation of 2m between doors.
• If the infrastructure at your store doesn’t suit this, then we recommend that you create another entrance alongside or directly through your plant area, or Goods Inwards area.
• Maintaining a one-way flow is a desirable outcome where possible. If store layout allows, use signage (and/ or marshals) to achieve this.

 

The guidance then goes into more detail for each protocol starting with site control, where restricting numbers to the store is a key objective.

 

This can be best achieved by limiting the number of cars accessing your car park.

  • Controlling or restricting the number of car parking spaces available. Using pallets in alternate spaces, may assist this.
  • Installing the appropriate signage at car park entrances will help.
  • We would advise having a member of staff to control site accessibility and car parking.
  • Customers should be encouraged to shop with trollies only avoiding baskets. This helps social distancing and allows easier cleaning of handles.
    All trollies returned for reuse should have their handles wiped down.
  • All customers should be offered gloves and hand sanitiser on arrival should they not have their own.
  • Allow a maximum of only two individuals to shop together.

The full guidelines can be found at: https://hta.org.uk/uploads/assets/633bb2d9-1918-47b5-9e2cb314ae1f6753/c8ad1b20-42f7-4fbc-963fe928960a1709/HTA-Safe-Trading-Guidance.pdf

 
The best of last week's

If you missed last week's GTN Xtra, below are the most-read stories...


 
Green light for garden centres to re-open on Wednesday in England - UPDATED - Comment from James Barnes at HTA and Alan Titchmarsh MBE

A green light has been given for garden centres in England to re-open on Wednesday May 13th.  In new "Staying alert and safe (social distancing)" guidance, published this afternoon by the Cabinet Office it says "Food retailers and food markets, hardware stores, garden centres (from Wednesday 13 May) and certain other retailers can remain open...


Garden Centres in England have been given the green light to re-open from Wednesday 13th May.  In new "Staying alert and safe (social distancing)" guidance, published this afternoon by the Cabinet Office it says "Food retailers and food markets, hardware stores, garden centres (from Wednesday 13 May) and certain other retailers can remain open.

 

Here is the link to the full Cabinet Office document: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/staying-alert-and-safe-social-distancing/staying-alert-and-safe-social-distancing#businesses-and-venues

 

Back in April a YouGov poll recorded that Garden Centres were the leisure/retail destination they would feel most comfortable in visiting when they re-open.  70% of people surveyed who have ever visited a garden centre said they would feel comfortable about going back after restrictions are lifted.  We could be in for a challenging few weeks as people get out and about.

 

Garden centre staff will certainly have to "Stay Alert" to make sure Social Distancing rules are adhered to.  Having gained this milestone the last thing we will want is bad publicity about garden centre shopping experiences. 

 

Please use the comments link below to share your thoughts, or e-mail trevor.pfeiffer@tgcmc.co.uk

 

Response from The Horticultural Trades Association:
The UK Government Announcement on the Opening of Garden Centres in England

 

The Horticultural Trades Association (HTA) Chairman, James Barnes, comments: “We welcome the UK Government’s announcement that garden centres will be allowed to reopen from Wednesday. We are in peak season, when 70% of plants sold are between March and June. Opening garden centres this week in England will be applauded by millions of gardeners and the garden industry. This is not only a positive economic move but gardening benefits the mental health and well-being of so many people isolating at home and the importance of having something to do at home keeps you at home.

 

“We have sought urgent talks with the Scottish Government to ascertain when a date will be set for the reopening of garden centres in Scotland as soon as safely possible. The current situation will confuse the public and put the Scottish horticulture industry at a disadvantage to the rest of the UK. We have made the same case to the Northern Ireland Executive.

 

“As an industry, our responsibility is to now work together to deliver a reopening programme safely and responsibly. The HTA has produced Safe Trading Guidance, which covers all aspects of how garden centres can re-open while ensuring staff and customer safety at all times.

 

“Although opening gardening centres is hugely welcomed, this isn’t the single answer for the £1.5bn British nursery market, which has already had to dispose of hundreds of tonnes of plants. We will continue our talks with DEFRA to secure a rescue package for this sector. The best option now is for the UK Government to pursue a simple Dutch-style compensation scheme, which will help save our horticultural industry.

 

“We have been working closely with garden centres and while many are ready to open and have been working hard to put in place the necessary measures to ensure the safety of both their customers and their staff, our priority over the coming days will be to provide help to those that need further support. This is to ensure that we can get as many businesses back up and running but only when they can open safely.

 

“Due to the popularity of gardening we know that there will be a huge surge in demand. We would ask customers before setting out on their journey to check first that their garden centre is open. The Plants Near Me website will show which garden centres have signed up to the Safe Trading Guidance We hope that the public will be patient with us while we adapt to these new trading conditions.”

 

Alan Titchmarsh, MBE, comments: “This is welcome news for both growers and gardeners. It is up to us all now to make the supply chain work safely. Garden centre managers must ensure that customers have as pleasant an experience as possible without compromising their wellbeing. As customers we need to understand the endeavours being made by garden centre staff to supply our needs under exceptionally difficult circumstances. With joint determination to make this work - and that will involve patience and cooperation on both sides of the till - we can rescue a situation and avert what seemed, a few weeks ago, like total disaster. Gardens enhance our lives, and now we have a chance to support and encourage those who grow the plants that fill them.”

 

Safe Trading Guidance

The HTA has produced a Safe Trading Guidance which includes a series of recommendations to protect customers.

 

The guidance document has been based on insight from leading HTA retailers, the British Retail Consortium, and from government advice as a recommendation of best practice regarding social distancing. Cafes, restaurants and children’s play areas will not be allowed to reopen under the guidelines.

 

Recommendations include advice on customer numbers in stores, entrance and exit protocols, and queueing and checkout procedures. It also contains practical advice on how to protect the health and wellbeing of staff.

 

What customers can expect

 

  • controlled access to car parks
    limits on customer numbers in store – the recommendation is 1 per 1000 square foot
    customers will be asked to shop with a maximum of one other person if possible and will be required to keep 2m distancing throughout the store and whilst queueing.
    cafes, restaurants and children’s play areas will not be allowed to reopen under the guidelines.


The HTA recently launched a website - plantsnearme.hta.org.uk - to help customers find local garden centres that are offering home delivery or click and collect services. Members of the public will now be able to use the website to see which businesses have reopened and are following the Safe Trading Guidance.

 

 

 
St Peters staff in tears after council serves Prohibition Notice

After receiving hundreds of plaudits from customers staff at St Peters Garden Centre in Worcester were left in tears after Wychavon District Council served a Prohibition Notice on the business following the re-opening of their food hall and pet departments...


 

After receiving hundreds of plaudits from customers staff at St Peters Garden Centre in Worcester were left in tears after Wychavon District Council served a Prohibition Notice on the business following the re-opening of their food hall and pet departments.

 

Will Blake and his team re-opened just the food hall and pet areas of the garden centre last week after being given the go-ahead from their local trading standards office.

 

The re-opening gained hundreds of welcome comments from customers with much praise being lauded about the Social Distancing measures implemented.  See the video below.

 

 

However, during the week the Environmental Health Authority of Wychavon District Council, which includes Trading Standards, decided because St Peters main business was as a garden centre then they could not open and trade as just a food retailer, citing the Coronavirus Health Protection regulations.

 

Despite leveraging the legal assistance of the GCA, Will Blake and his team were unable to stop the council serving the Prohibition Notice and as a result the extremely disappointed team were told on Thursday evening that they would not be able to open on Friday or over the weekend.

 

"Yesterday we had one of our best trading days," explained Will, "our click and collect and delivery service was starting to pick up, but they told us click and collect is not allowed either.

 

"We've screened off all other departments of the garden centre and every customer was briefed personally on arrival as to what they were able to buy and what we were not selling in store.

 

"And all the while we have people trading around us, B&M, The Range, supermarkets, all selling plants and we know there are other garden centres around the country open and trading.with a smaller food offering than us.

 

"Let's hope some good news comes on Sunday night as we have a butchery full of stock which needs selling fast!"

 

 

 
Wales - Monday, England - Wednesday or June 1st?, Scotland and Northern Ireland?

All of the lobbying and media activity about garden centres re-opening appeared to be bearing fruit with the Welsh Government announcing garden centres in the province could open from Monday and plenty of media comment on Sunday that garden centres in England would be able to open from Wednesday 13th May.  However, the omission of any mention of garden centre's re-opening in the Prime Ministers address on Sunday evening leaves possible doubts as to when re-opening will be possible in England.

 

The only mention of shops re-opening in the address came as part of step two "– at the earliest by June 1 – after half term – we believe we may be in a position to begin the phased reopening of shops and to get primary pupils back into schools, in stages, beginning with reception, Year 1 and Year 6."

 

Boris Johnson said he would be "setting out more details in Parliament on Monday afternoon and taking questions from the public in the evening" so we will have to wait for a few more hours...

 

 


All of the lobbying and media activity about garden centres re-opening appeared to be bearing fruit with the Welsh Government announcing garden centres in the province could open from Monday and plenty of media comment on Sunday that garden centres in England would be able to open from Wednesday 13th May.  However, the omission of any mention of garden centre's re-opening in the Prime Ministers address on Sunday evening leaves possible doubts as to when re-opening will be possible in England.

 

The only mention of shops re-opening in the address came as part of step two "– at the earliest by June 1 – after half term – we believe we may be in a position to begin the phased reopening of shops and to get primary pupils back into schools, in stages, beginning with reception, Year 1 and Year 6."

 

Boris Johnson said he would be "setting out more details in Parliament on Monday afternoon and taking questions from the public in the evening" so we will have to wait for a few more hours to see if the leaks from No 10 spokespeople are correct and that garden centres could actually be allowed to re-open on Wednesday.

 

The situation in Northern Ireland and Scotland also not clear, although with Southern Ireland allowing garden centres to open from Monday May 18th that could well be the date for centres to also re-open north of the border.

 

Not all garden centres in Wales, however, will open on Monday.  The Old Railway Line Garden Centre (pictured above) said on their Facebook page: "Although we would now be allowed to open, we will NOT be opening our doors for public access just yet.  We will continue with our popular, non-contact click/call and collect service and home deliveries for the next few weeks.  We are operating in this way to protect our team and customers and to give us plenty of time to prepare our store for social distancing."

 

Even some centres in England won't be opening straight away on Wednesday, if that is the actual date announced by the Prime Minister.  Adam Wigglesworth at Aylett Nurseries told GTN Xtra: "I'm really excited about being able to open again but we have a shift change on Tuesday night so we will be spending Wednesday on staff training to make sure we are in the best position to trade from Thursday onwards."

 

The Welsh centres of Dobbies, Blue Diamond and British Garden Centres have all confirmed they will be opening their centres in Cardiff, Swansea and Camarthen at 9:00am on Monday and the rest of their centres when permission is given.

 

Following the Welsh Government announcement The Horticultural Trades Association (HTA) Chairman, James Barnes, commented: “We welcome the Welsh Government announcement to reopen garden centres from Monday. Gardening benefits mental health and well-being for so many people isolating at home and the importance of having something to do at home keeps you at home. This is a hugely positive economic move.

 

“We trust that the Prime Minister and First Ministers in Scotland and Northern Ireland will follow this lead and announce on Sunday that garden centres can open across the UK.

 

“As an industry, our responsibility is now to work together to deliver a reopening programme in Wales safely and responsibly. The HTA has produced Safe Trading Guidance, which covers all aspects of how garden centres can re-open while ensuring staff and customer safety at all times.

 

“We have been working closely with garden centres and while many are ready to open and have been working hard to put in place the necessary measures to ensure the safety of both their customers and their staff, our priority over the coming days will be to provide help to those that need further support. This is to ensure that we can get as many businesses back up and running but only when they can open safely.

 

“With over 23 million gardeners throughout the UK, we know that there will be a huge surge in demand. We would ask customers not to rush to retailers and buy more than they need and before setting out on their journey, to check first that their local garden centre is open. The Plants Near Me website will show which garden centres have signed up to the Safe Trading Guidance We hope that the public will be patient with us while we adapt to these new trading conditions.

 

“While the news of garden centres reopening in Wales will be welcomed by hundreds of growers across the country as hopefully a sign to come for the rest of the UK, the damage has already been done to our industry, as garden centres have been closed during the annual peak period for plant sales – 70% of plants are sold between March and June and 60% of plant nursery sales in the UK are made through independent garden centres. The only way to rescue this sector now is for the UK Government to pursue a simple Dutch-style compensation scheme, which will help save our horticultural industry.”

 

This morning, Sunday 10th May, the HTA issued the following update regarding garden centres in England in expectation of a positive announcement:  “We welcome the news that garden centres will be allowed to open from Wednesday in England. This is a hugely positive economic move and hopefully this will be confirmed tomorrow night by the Prime Minister. Based on the specific comments we have seen from government sources, it is good to see that they have recognised that the physical layout of many garden centres with large open air spaces make them suitable for early re-opening. This is something we have highlighted many times to government at all levels since the start of lockdown.

 

“As this is the peak of the garden industry season - 70% of plants are sold between March and June - opening garden centres now will be welcomed by the 23m gardeners in this country and the UK garden industry. We hope the news of reopening from Monday in Wales and Wednesday in England is a sign to come for the rest of the UK."

 

 

 
Getting ready for business - feedback from Coolings, Planters, The Gardens Group, Blue Diamond, Green Pastures, Fron Goch and more

Last week we asked garden centres what their plans were for getting back to business with particular reference to policies for staff safety, and we also asked for feedback on how they would welcome reps calling on them when they re-open...

 

“We had a work party on a couple of evenings and then all (unfurloughed) staff came in on Saturday to help with the last push in re-organising. They then posed as customers and we tested the one way systems and the till are to see how our modifications worked..."

 

"We will need all the help we can get!  If I can till train a rep then we would do that too!..”

 

"We accept that restaurants will be amongst the last to open and we accept that come the end of June our catering team is facing redundancy..."


Last week we asked garden centres what their plans were for getting back to business with particular reference to policies for staff safety, and we also asked for feedback on how they would welcome reps calling on them when they re-open...

 

We started by asking Mike Burks, The Gardens Group and current GCA Chairman if they had been able to maintain their famous twice daily staff tea breaks outside in the planteria:  "Yes, the famous tea break is alive and kicking - we're just spread out over a wider area!

 

“We have been re-organising the sites as per the HTA guidelines, which of course the GCA have been working on by heavily liaising with the HTA.

 

“We have involved the teams at all stages and have had regular discussions and have incorporated everyone's ideas.

 

“We had a work party on a couple of evenings and then all (unfurloughed) staff came in on Saturday to help with the last push in re-organising. They then posed as customers and we tested the one way systems and the till are to see how our modifications worked. This was hugely useful.

 

“The things we will be doing is meeting and greeting at the front of the centre and also publishing and handing our  plan of the site and encouraging customers to plan their shopping list in the correct order.

 

“It just won't be possible to have reps call in until the restrictions ease. It will all have to be done by phone or email

 

“It will be re-inventing the business again and we will have got some things wrong but it’s not for the want of thought.”

 

Gerald Ingram, Planters said: “All three centres have had a nearly full compliment of staff in for this week. We had hoped we might be allowed to open this weekend but that is fading.

 

“We will allow 60 in when we re-open but review it quickly depending on the feel of the store.  The key will be getting people through the tills as quickly as possible.

 

“Our plan would be to see Reps if they have an appointment. It will be easier to check stock if they do come in and as I suspect it’s going to busy.  We will need all the help we can get!  If I can till train a rep then we would do that too!”

 

James Debbage, Green Pastures in Norfolk reminded us that he had set up the restaurant dining area as an extra packing area for customer orders to give staff more staff to work apart from each other.

 

“Garden Centre orders are still very full-on! They are naturally switching from being very compost and perennial oriented to bedding and basket plants as one would expect. As we're loading more higher value nursery stock onto our website that's been selling well too.

 

“Food deliveries have definitely subsided now that people are going back to supermarkets / or shopping online. We all hoped that "supporting local" would stick a lot more when it came to buying food but sadly this doesn't appear to be the case with most people now. We can’t complain too much though because our hands are more than full with garden centre deliveries and on-site farm shop sales are still very buoyant.”

 

Gary Carvasso, Coolings said: “We will follow the HTA advice.

 

“Everyone is now focussed on online sales so physically opening will not be without its operational challenges, however it will be very welcome!

“We are happy to see reps as we have plenty of meeting rooms that allow us to maintain 2m distancing.


“In terms of merchandisers we use our own team and are considering opening an hour later and flexing hours to restock as much as we can before the public arrive.


“Till/reception area screens are being installed as we speak with more PPE arriving shortly.


“We are increasing our home delivery capacity considerably this week as online will be such a large part of life until a vaccine is found. Online has been a real help in clearing space on the nurseries of plants that would have rotted, we will be so happy to see people browsing the sites once more.”

 

Alan Roper, Blue Diamond told us: “We are currently pulling together our social distancing protocols for implementation once opened. To include screens at till.

“One option is to count customers in and out so you have a constant level of customers in store that can ensure they are all able to maintain a 2m distance.”

 

Kati Taylor, Fron Goch commented on the situation: “It is incredibly challenging and it seems everyone's personal experience of the pandemic varies dramatically, which in itself is hard to comprehend.

 

“Since lock down began we have retained a small hardworking team enabling us to operate a delivery and more recently, 'click and collect' service for the local community. Continuing to offer these services throughout, has maintained a level of energy within the business and enable us to connect with our customers while isolating. Certainly, in the first few weeks of uncertainty we experienced a dramatic increase in customer interaction on our social media platforms which helped guide us to what the need of the customers were.  Simply interacting with customers this way, many of whom had been regularly visitors of ours prior to lock down has been vital to maintaining contact and gauging public reaction throughout the pandemic.  

 

“As the situation has evolved, so have our working methods and procedures. Using guides from the HTA, government website and crucially looking at how other businesses that have been operating throughout the situation, supermarkets, convenience stores, DIY stores etc... How have they implemented and advertised the measures and reactions to these has proved invaluable over the last two months.  It is clear that this is new norm and we need to engage and induct the team upon returning to work, reassuring them that safety within the workplace is priority.

 

“Our provisional safe practice guides for the team and customers will evolve as more guidance comes from the government over the next few weeks and we are able to open to the public.  As per the supermarkets and DIY stores, the social distancing procedures will need to begin in the car park. Limiting customer numbers into the centre.  Providing provisions for sanitising stations at key points throughout the centre. Adapting the flow to one way with social distancing tape, floor markers, POS throughout the centre.  Minimising pressure at till points, clear guidance for the team how to manage social distancing, erecting sneeze screens at customer service and payment points.  The team upon return will be inducted on the procedures and how they can protect themselves while maintaining customer service standards and expectations.

 

“The future of how our customers shop and there need to visit us will evolve dramatically in the months to come. With no date for reopening of the restaurant, social distancing measures, cancelling of events all of which provide footfall throughout the centre results in the need to re-evaluate how we operate. Developing our delivery and 'click and collect' services will be high on the priority list as caution, change in buying habits and isolation for many will continue long after lock down rules are lifted.

 

“What we do have is a desire and enthusiasm to succeed and find a way through.”

 

Finally, a garden centre owner who is very concerned about the impact of all this on his staff told us:  “We are going to have to make some difficult staff decisions.  It's very much a waiting game at the moment with so many more questions than answers.

 

“When will we be allowed to open? What restrictions will be in place? Will customers actually come and shop with us? Can we get stock in time? And hundreds more. So planning is very difficult.

 

“We hope that garden centres will be amongst the first to be unlocked. We hope there is still a demand. The longer it goes on the more of the planting season passes by.

 

"We accept that restaurants will be amongst the last to open and we accept that come the end of June our catering team is facing redundancy.

 

"We have applied for a substantial loan to see us through the next 12 months and should this be approved, the bank will ask us to justify all of our decisions.

 

"We think we will have to operate with a reduced workforce and trading will be difficult. There is the real possibility the market will be flooded as retailers scramble to turn stock into cash to pay suppliers.

 

"Our layouts have been redesigned a number of times to allow for even wider aisles and less browsing. This keeps staff and customers apart.

 

"We have temporary fencing ready for queue control.

 

"Our cleaning schedules have been adapted with till screens, trolleys, desks and other surfaces used by staff and customers to be cleaned more frequently.

 

"We have planned changes to our staff welfare facilities and will introduce limits where necessary. We will have a second staff room and it is unlikely we will restock the vending machines in the short term. Staff mugs will be replaced with disposable ones and if necessary we will relocate some staff lockers so they are not all in the same place.

 

"We have closed public toilets but will continue to offer staff loos and these will be cleaned even more regularly.

 

"We have extensive signage produced and ready to go. These include reminders on social distancing and respecting our colleagues.

 

"We have a plan for our website and social media to let the customers know what is and what is not available so staff don't have to deal with as many customers face to face.

 

"We do not know if our concession partners will want or be allowed to open - so we have a back up plan in case they do not.

 

"We have some staff training to do when the team come back and we know that some of them will not want to return and may well leave us permanently.

 

"We will ask for card payments only - but won't refuse cash.

 

"We are yet to decide on restrictions to family members. Ideally we would ban children, under 16's, but this may not be easy to do. We will of course control numbers into store and follow the supermarkets example. There is a concern that we become a meeting place, somewhere to browse or accidentally bump into the grandparents if wider restrictions remain. This could be hard for us to manage.

 

"We accept we cannot force the customer on a one way journey and are prepared for customer disputes with one another. We will have a zero tolerance policy clearly displayed.

 

"We have face masks on order, alcohol gels and wipes in stock for customer and staff use.

 

"We have a strict till procedure that will help social distancing.

 

"We have made changes to our information desk to keep people apart.

 

"We need to manage deliveries in and out to maintain social distancing.

 

"We are considering after hours restocking to keep customers and staff apart.

 

"Opening / trading times are under review too. We may open longer and/or stagger staff start times.

 

"We accept that we might have to make some jobs redundant.

 

"Better to protect the majority of the jobs and lose a few rather than see the business fail.

 

"There is still work to do and things may change once we know more."

 

If you'd like to add your staff protection ideas and actions to this story please use the comments link below or e-mail trevor.pfeiffer@tgcmc.co.uk

 
“Stay Alert” - make sure your customers and staff have a safe and enjoyable garden centre experience

Yesterday afternoon, in advance of garden centres re-opening today in England, I went to Megaplants in Doddington, Cambridgshire. Megaplants is a small plant centre that got permission to re-open two weeks ago...


Megaplants 120520GTN 007.jpg

Yesterday afternoon, in advance of garden centres re-opening today in England, I went to Megaplants in Doddington, Cambridgshire. Megaplants is a small plant centre that got permission to re-open two weeks ago.

 

“Every day has been like a bank holiday since then,” explained owners John & Lorraine Cutteridge. “We got permission from Fenland District Council because we sell garden tools/hardware as well as plants and we’ve had plenty of visits from environmental health officers who have been very helpful in ensuring our social distancing measures are good.”

 

While I was at Megaplants the thing that struck me most was how carefully the staff were observing social distancing, particularly with customers. The visit was a safe and secure experience so it’s no wonder they have had such high sales and large numbers of positive comments on social media.

 

Garden centres across the country will now be hoping for more of the same from today. If the Megaplants experience is anything to go by customers will be buying a lot of plants as soon as centres open.

 

We should all be very grateful for the work done by the HTA and the media support generated that raised the profile of garden centres and gardening to levels never known before. Thank you.

 

But all that good work could be outdone so, so easily if centres get it wrong. We only need a tabloid newspaper to publish photos of people NOT social distancing in garden centres and we could all be back to square one.

 

The Prime Ministers message of “Stay Alert” may have caused confusion on Sunday and Monday but it now seems to make huge sense for garden centre staff: “Stay Alert” and make sure your customers and staff have a safe and enjoyable garden centre experience and don’t let anyone turn their visit into a social gathering.

 

The YouGov survey found that 70% of people who have visited a garden centre in the past feel comfortable about coming back. The next few days will hopefully be steady days to test procedures before the weekend. With good weather forecast it could be a very busy weekend. More than ever garden centre owners and staff will need to “Stay Alert” to keep themselves and their customers safe.

 

Go well!

 

Trevor Pfeiffer, GTN Xtra

 

Meanwhile... The HTA urges its members to take a thoughtful and considered approach to reopening:

 

HTA Chairman, James Barnes, said: “Following on from Friday’s announcement that garden centres in Wales can reopen, we welcome the news that centres in England will also be allowed to reopen from Wednesday.

 

“For garden centres who are reopening, it is essential that we proceed with the utmost caution. I am aware that many businesses have already begun to implement very robust policies around social distancing, but we now need everyone in the industry to download the HTA’s Safe Trading Guidance from our website. The Guidance provides specific protocols for garden centres and has been shared with government. You do not have to be an HTA member to access the document.

 

“In order to provide reassurance to members of the public, the HTA will be asking all their members and non-members listed on the plantsnearme.hta.org.uk website to indicate when they have reopened and that they are following the Safe Trading Guidance. 

 

“The Guidance is there to help develop a thoughtful and considered approach to reopening, so we would encourage business owners to take their time to go through it, and to contact the HTA or their local authority if any aspect is unclear. And remember that you do not need to open on Wednesday - if you are not ready then you must wait until you are.”

 
 
Haskins Snowhill re-opens after £15m re-vamp

Haskins Garden Centre in Snowhill, Crawley, has opened its doors to customers following a 12-month refurbishment costing £15m...


Read more and see GTN Xtras photo tour of the new centre

Haskins Garden Centre in Snowhill, Crawley, has opened its doors to customers following a 12-month refurbishment costing £15m.

 

The new centre boasts a retail space of 11,813 sq.m., including an outdoor plant area and 440-seat restaurant complete with a newly installed pizza oven. Additional space has also been created to accommodate 170 restaurant guests on an outdoor patio.

 

Up to 70 new jobs have been created to accommodate the centre's expansion. Car parking has increased to 346 spaces.  See GTN Xtra's photo tour of the new centre below.

 

Chief executive Julian Winfield said the Snowhill team worked tirelessly to ensure the centre was able to remain open for the majority of the project, with minimal disruption.

 

“We can't wait to receive our customers' feedback on our new and improved facilities,” he added. “Over the years, we have built a loyal customer following and we are proud to be able to give back to them in this way with our new expanded centre.”

 

Haskins acquired the Snowhill site in 2003, inheriting a number of ageing buildings.

 

Haskins also has centres in Ferndown in Dorset, West End in Southampton and Roundstone in West Sussex. The family business recently acquired Forest Lodge Garden Centre, Bird World and Garden Style in Farnham.

 

Pictured (left to right): Julian Winfield, Jamie Haskins, Ally Haskins (married to Jamie) and Warren Haskins, the group's chairman. 

 

The opening event was attended by the current GCA Chairman Mike Burks and three past Chairs; Warren Haskins, Sue Allen and Julian Winfield.

 

 

 
Bestsellers Top 50 charts every week

Every week GTN receives and analyses epos data from a number of UK garden centres to produce the GTN Bestsellers charts...


Every week GTN receives and analyses epos data from a number of UK garden centres to produce the GTN Bestsellers charts and weekly bestsellers sales tips.

 

The full charts which provide useful insight into product sales peaks, new trends and new link sales opportunities are published in the weekly GTN Xtra newsletter.

As the year goes on we give sales volume comparisons with 2018 as well as 2019 to allow your teams to see variations over a three year period.

 

Access is by subscription only.  For £145.00 per year you and your team can have access to the most up-to-date gardening sales analysis that has already helped many UK garden centres increase their sales.  To subscribe call 01733 775700, e-mail karen.pfeiffer@tgcmc.co.uk or buy on-line using this link.

Highlights of the GTN Garden Products Bestsellers chart for this week are here

Highlights of the GTN Garden Plants Bestsellers chart for this week are here


Highlights of the GTN Growing Media Bestsellers chart for this week are here

 

Highlights of the GTN Wild Bird Care Products chart for this week are here

 

Highlights of the GTN Veg-2-Gro chart for this week are here

 

WARNING the GTN Bestsellers Charts seriously improve the business of our subscribers.  Invest 15 minutes each week in improving your sales using the GTN Bestsellers charts and your turnover and customer satisfaction will improve too.

 

Get the GTN Bestsellers charts in full every week in the GTN Bestsellers newsletters for only £145.00.

GTN Bestsellers is the only industry source of weekly garden centre sales information, collating Epos data from centres with an aggregate turnover in excess of £100m.

Use the weekly Garden Products and Growing Media Top 50 sales volumes charts to plan your hotspot and other promotions and ensure you have the right products in stock to satisfy the needs of your customers.

For further information contact karen.pfeiffer@tgcmc.co.uk or call 01733 775700.

Buy your subscription today and start receiving the GTN Bestsellers charts this week.

Greenhouses used in trial of "Covid-safe" dining

Did you see this video on the BBC News website about an Amsterdam restaurant trialling "Covid-safe" dining in small glasshouses?  Could this be an idea for garden centres to adopt when restaurants are able to open again..


Did you see this video on the BBC News website about an Amsterdam restaurant trialling "Covid-safe" dining in small glasshouses?  Could this be an idea for garden centres to adopt when restaurants are able to open again.  Watch the video here: