In This Issue
Boyd's 100km in a day and AMES Amble add to the Garden Re-Leaf Day FUNdraising for Greenfingers
Inside Outside... A New Beginning for the garden market - Read GTN's March Issue on-line now
Gardeners ready to spring into action
GIMA Digest Spring 2021 Edition - Online now
Pershore School Horticultural Unit, Pershore High School, Worcestershire has unwanted visitors.
Plant sales now 32% up on last year
Appetite for gardens and gardening remains strong despite a cold February according to March HTA Market Update
Positive start to March for garden centre sales
More events confirmed for Garden Re-Leaf Day 2021
Reaction to Welsh garden centres being allowed to reopen
Mothers and daughters unite to 'Brave the Shave' for Greenfingers
LifestyleGarden parent company wins sustainability award
Join the virtual Garden Re-Leaf Quiz
British Garden Centres announce 58th centre, in Harrogate, will open in April
Keukenhof not permitted to open on 20 March
The big NHS seed giveaway
What Lies Ahead for 2021? - GTN's February Issue On-Line Now
Christmas Future Trends at Glee's Festive Focus Day
Altons BBQ World, Aylett Nurseries, Barton Grange, Baytree, Busy Bee, Groves, Pengelly, Pughs, The Old Railway Line and Squires Badshot Lea are the winners of GTN's Greatest Christmas Awards
Get your own copy of GTN Xtra
30% up after nine weeks for Growing Media volumes
Shed prices set to soar
Another record high for garden products
Christmas & Gift 2021 cancelled
Five weeks of increases for Wild Bird Care sales
The best of last week's
SOLEX 2021 CANCELLED
Turbo charged gardening as February breaks all records
The GIMA Awards are back!
Garden centre set to reopen in Northern Ireland
spoga+gafa 2021 is postponed to August
Scottish businesses and key personalities unite in call for garden centres to be re-opened
Heaven Sends welcomes buyers to showroom to view new Christmas Collection
Get your own copy of GTN Xtra
Barton Grange Christmas 2020 - Exclusive GTN Xtra Photo Tour
Squires Badshot Lea - Christmas 2020
Perrywood at Christmas 2020 - with correct photo gallery now...
Bestsellers Top 50 charts every week
Buy your subscription to the GTN Bestsellers printed weekly newsletter
All the latest news from the world of pet products
Survey reveals staggering increase in pandemic pet ownership
IAMS launches new national brand campaign
Fast-growing pet care business acquires Town & Country Petfoods
Beco unveils packaging refresh to win over new generation of eco-conscious pet owners 
PATS Sandown is cancelled
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Scottish businesses and key personalities unite in call for garden centres to be re-opened

 

Representatives from Scotland’s horticulture sector have joined together to call for garden centres to be re-opened before the end of March.

 

Eighteen high profile organisations, businesses and individuals have put their signatures to an open letter to the Scottish Government. With the peak Spring season fast approaching - 70% of bedding plants sold between March and May - it is a crucial time for the hard-pressed Scottish domestic horticulture industry. 

 

Organised by the Horticultural Trades Association, well-loved gardening name Jim McColl, National Farmers Union Scotland, Scottish Retail Consortium, Royal Horticultural Society and other garden industry bodies, joined with Scottish headquartered businesses such as Dobbies and Klondyke and Scottish independent garden centres and growers to make this urgent appeal to the Government.  

 

It comes a week before Ministers meet to review and give further detail on the routemap out of lockdown, first outlined by the First Minister, Nicola Sturgeon on 23 February. The open letter set out seven key reasons for why garden centres should begin trading again:

  • Health and Wellbeing: Gardening brings well documented and significant benefits to mental health and well-being.  
  • Stay at Home: Allowing garden centres and retail plant nurseries to reopen would support the Government’s efforts to encourage people to remain at home by giving them a safe, healthy activity to do.
  • Safe Trading environment: Garden centres are spacious, well ventilated with large outdoor areas. The industry is committing to implement enhanced social distancing measures in conjunction with the Scottish Government.
  • Economic turmoil: The garden retail sector is proliferated by smaller, independent businesses key to their local communities. Facing the loss of the crucial Spring gardening season a second year running will mean disaster for some businesses, possible closures and job losses. 
  • Plants are being thrown away: Scottish growers overwhelmingly supply Scottish garden centres. Growers are throwing out thousands of plants which should have been on sale in March because they don’t have this ‘route to market’.
  • An industry worth saving: The Scottish ornamental horticulture industry contributes £2.2 billion to Scottish GDP directly and indirectly and supports 53,900 jobs. 
  • Click & Collect doesn’t work: Click and collect and home delivery services are at best only achieving 3-10% of the usual levels of demand.  

Jim McColl said: “Over a 62-year career in horticulture, north and south of the border, I have worked with people of all ages, from all walks of life, and seen first-hand how gardening has a significant influence – helping people to forget what is bothering them. I have no doubt this positive impact has been magnified in recent times as people learn how best to manage the effects of this pandemic.  

 

"Reports abound of how people have found solace and contentment simply by spending a wee while in the garden. It doesn't take long before the worries of the wider world seem some way off! Stand back, have a look at what you have achieved in the last 30 minutes and feel relaxed - time for a cuppa or even a dram! " 

 

Horticulture’s unique supply chain for perishable, seasonal products is a particular risk from continued lockdown and Chairman of the HTA, James Barnes, says the letter is a clear indication of the strength of feeling within the industry:  “The signatories of this letter include representatives from grower, retail, landscaper and charity organisations, all of which are important employers and contributors to the economy and society as a whole. They are joined by our own HTA members and together show how deeply we as an industry are feeling a lack of recognition for what we have to offer and what we stand to lose.” 

 

The letter has been shared on the HTA website and sent to the editors of several national newspapers. 

 

Meanwhile, the petition to get Scottish Garden Centres re-opened is still open and needs all the help anyone in the UK Garden Centre Industry can give them:

 

 

And you might like to watch this video created by Helen MacDonald of Merrythatton Garden Centre that includes footage of the First Ministers rather flippant reply to a question asked in the Scottish Parliament about garden centre re-opening...

 

 

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