GTN October 2021 - Garden Trade News, UK

OCTOBER 2021

gardentradenews.co.uk

Advice & information for garden centre professionals

Rose Guard joins Vitax organic rang ge

V

itax organic products took centre stage at Glee with the addition of a ready-to-use spray to its range to meet the demand for environmentally friendly products which are non-toxic an nd chemical-free. New for 2022 is Vitax Organicc Rose Guard. Formulated to protect roses against disease and mildew, the ready-to-use spray joins Organic Rose Food and Organic Liquid Rose Feed as part of Vitax’s organic rose rangge. Completely natural and pesticide-free, Vitax Organic Rose Guard offers prottection against aphids, such as greenfly and blaackfly, and guards against spider mites and other bugs. It is also non-toxic to pets and wildlife an nd bee friendly. The new addition proved popular at the show along with two other orgganic products Vitax Organic All Purpose Plantt Food and Vitax Organic Tomato Food. Laaunched last year, both feeds have been pop pular amongst consumers looking for easy-to--use, all-round organic fertilisers.

E: info@vitax.co.uk T: 01530 510060 W: www.vitax.co.uk

Significant investment increases Vitax liquid production capacity

Following a year of unprecedented demand for its gardening products, Vitax is pleased to announce that it has completed a significant investment in its manufacturing capacity ready for 2021-22. A new, purpose-built bulk liquid production facility has been added to its manufacturing unit at Coalville, Leicestershire. The bulk liquid output will supply the company’s expanded filling line production at Skelmersdale. This in-house capacity will present the opportunity to closer synchronise the operations of manufacturing, filling and storage of liquid fertilisers, through to the distribution of finished product onto retailers’ shelves. Carl Welsh, Vitax’s managing director and group CEO, says: “The growing popularity in gardening over the past 18 months has presented a range of challenges for the industry, more specifically its capability to keep up with consumer demand. “The customised bulk liquid manufacturing facility will increase our ability to match production of the Vitax liquid fertiliser ranges to the changing seasonal requirements of our customer base.”

OCTOBER 2021

gardentradenews.co.uk

Advice & information for garden centre professionals

Remembering Eddie Topping MBE… 18 8 June 2021

Plantsalesatthedouble

Plants continue outsell previous totals for the first two weeks of June. Last week’s plant sales were 26% up on last year and more than double the same week in 2019. As we near the half year and look to balance out the post re-opening effect of last year, plant sales year to date are currently 105% up on 2020 and 17% up on 2019. Highlights of the week were: !As roses come into bloom with a vengeance, sales increased by 24% last week, moving up to No 13. !Bellis were the highest GTN Plants chart climber, up 12 places to No 27. !Asters were the highest Top 50 chart re-entry, back in at No 33. !All Plants volume sales change: Week on week DOWN 27.4%. Year to date vs 2020 UP 104.5%, vs 2019 UP 17.4%.

At least 25% more gardening going on

Who budgeted for this? Garden centre sales in the GTN Bestsellers Epos database over the past five weeks, which compare with the first five weeks after re-opening last year, are 4% up, and plant sales over the same

GLEE 2021

15 pages of news and pictures from the NEC

CHELSEA 2021

Capturing the essence of Autumn

ALL EPOS PRODUCTS INDEX WEEK-ON-WEEK

YEAR-TO-DATE VS 2020

YEAR-TO-DATE VS 2019

This week

Last week

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12

1 2 3 4 5 9 6 10 7 12 8 11

Plant genus

Volume Sales Change

Zonal Geranium Petunia Begonia Fuchsia Osteospermum Dahlia Tomato Dianthus Impatiens Nemesia Lobelia Verbena

GTN BESTSELLERS SUBSCRIPTION

Save £50.00

INTRODUCING A BBQ LIKE NO OTHER Inventors of the world’s Number 1 selling Wood Fired Grill – Traeger Grills have got BBQ enthusiasts across the UK, all fired up for a mouthwatering year ahead. Infusing everything you cook with the most delicious smoky taste - Traeger has you covered. Simply set the temperature and let Traeger’s wood-fired flavour do the rest. You can even monitor and adjust your BBQ from your smart-phone and Traeger app – leaving you to relax and enjoy! Traeger – the smart, sexy choice that makes food taste sublime.

FOR MORE INFORMATION, PLEASE CONTACT JOANN MCDONALD JMCDONALD@TRAEGER.COM OR +44 (0) 7884115817, OR VISIT WWW.TRAEGER.CO.UK

Comment

Glee-full time at the NEC

W

hat a wonderful time we had at Glee! The show certainly lived up to its name this year. Aisles full of happy buyers with money to spend and exhibitors with hordes of new products for them to order. A Glee-full time appeared to be had by all. The GTN team certainly had a great Glee. The New Product Showcase and Awards had an amazing number of innovative new products that will undoubtedly ring through garden centre tills in 2022. Our readers, on-line, voted in their hundreds for the winners of the Glee Buyers Power List and what a worthy list of winners they were! And we capped it all with Floral Thursday for Greenfingers where more exhibitors and visitors then ever got involved in the FUNdraising for the charity that creates magical gardens at Children’s Hospices. All reported twice a day throughout the show by the GTN team in Glee Daily News. In this issue we attempt to give a flavour of Glee 2021 and all the happiness those who made the journey to the NEC experienced. Wasn’t it just so

In this issue...

1 6 10 14

Vitax increases range and capacity Remembering Eddie Topping MBE Capturing the essence of Autumn at Chelsea Get Grilling with Traeger

Glee 2021 19 Glee 2021 – a special return 20 Glee Buyers Power List 22 Glee New Product Awards 26 Sustainability Award – Southern Trident

www.gardentradenews.co.uk

good to be able to see people and products for real after 18 months of Zoom! In November’s issue of GTN we’ll be publishing a full directory of the products entered into the Glee New Products Showcase and Awards, so you’ll be able to make sure you haven’t missed any opportunities to buy products that could be swelling turnover next year. And now, post Glee we turn our thoughts to Christmas which has seen a slower start than the previous few years due to a mix of later Christmas openings, stock still not arriving and latterly the petrol shortages. If that is the effect of panic buying caused by the media, should we start a rumour to get panic buying of pots and pot feet? In the background we’re working out how to run The Greatest Christmas Awards for 2021. Several of you have already expressed your interest to enter and be judged. Watch this space and look out for announcements in GTN Xtra over the coming weeks. I can feel a ho, ho, ho coming on… See you again soon!

EDITORIAL & ADVERTISING Garden Trade News Potting Shed Press Ltd Dairy Drove Thorney Peterborough PE6 0TX Tel 01733 775700 www.gardentradenews.co.uk THE GTN TEAM Editor Trevor Pfeiffer trevor@pottingshedpress.co.uk Advertising Sales Alan Burdon Alan@pottingshedpress.co.uk Associate Editor Mike Wyatt mike@pottingshedpress.co.uk Digital Editor Neil Pope neil@pottingshedpress.co.uk Subscriptions Karen Pfeiffer karen@pottingshedpress.co.uk Design & Production AT Graphics Ltd www.atgraphicsuk.com Kirsty Craner – Design Alun Jones – Production Manager Robert Tipping – Managing Director James Tipping – Technical Director Printing CG Print Ltd Do you qualify for a copy of GTN?

If you’d like to be added to the GTN distribution list, please send your details to Karen@pottingshedpress.co.uk to see if you qualify to be included. Alternatively, if you prefer your Garden Trade News digitally, sign up for GTN Xtra, our weekly e-mail newsetter at www.gardentradenews.co.uk And, if you want the fastest garden centre sales analysis, take out a subscription to GTN Bestsellers our printed weekly sales data newsletter. For just £145.00 per year you get Top 50 sales charts created from weekly garden centre epos data. Contact trevor@ pottingshedpress.co.uk for more details and to subscribe.

Potting Shed Press Ltd

28 Glee 2021 Gallery 34 Floral Thursday 36 GTN Bestsellers Subscription Offer 37 GTN Bestsellers – September garden centre sales analysis and charts 43 Garden Centre Books 44 HTA Column – Tales of the unexpected 45 GIMA Column – The future is looking bright

Garden Trade News is published by Potting Shed Press Ltd who also publish: GTN Bestsellers, GTN Xtra, Glee Daily News and the Glee Catalogue, and the Solex Sun. Potting Shed Press also supply Garden Radio to over 100 garden centres across the country.

Director Trevor Pfeiffer

SMALL PRINT: All material © Potting Shed Press Ltd 2021. No part of this publication may e reproduced in any form whatsoever, either for sale or not, without the express permission of the publishers. The information supplied in this publication is published in good faith and every effort has been made to ensure its accuracy. Potting Shed Press Ltd cannot accept responsibility for any error or misrepresentation. All liability for loss, disappointment, negligence or other damage caused by reliance on information contained in this publication or in the vent of any bankruptcy or liquidation or cassation of the trade of any company, individual or firm mentioned, is hereby excluded.

October 2021 5

Garden Centre Pioneers

Re ememb bering Edd die Top pping g… Last month the e garden centre industry ryy lo ost one of its tss great pioneerrs, Eddie Topping MB BE, who died aged 89 on Monday 6th September. GTN’s Associate Editorr Mike Wy Wyatt y ttt has compiled d this farewell to the Presto on pioneer.

T

he warmth of Maartin Stewart’s tribute to Eddie Topping at the seervice celebrating the founder off th he Barton Graange Group’’s life was a moviing testimony to the deep affection in which Eddie was held throughout the garden ind dustry. Martin told how his ow wn father had been the first to pick up on the concept of gard den centres, but Eddie had “all the skills, energy and ambition n required to do it better”. His father, an RAF pilot in World War II, had been reluctant to return to the Stewart family’s “dark, dingey and basically bankrupt” nu ursery business after the war but wrote home before return ning from a trip delivering a plane to the United States in 19555: “I have seen the future – they are called Garden Centress.” The subsequently converted Stewart potting sheds beccame what was almost certainly the UK’s first embryonic gardeen centre. It was in that same yearr that Eddie Topping took over the Rochdale Market fruitt and veg stall from his father who (with his wife Ada) was byy then busy building up business at the newly-developed hoteel at Barton near Preston, adding a modest landscaping bussiness two years later. Over the decades ahead, Eddie (helped by his three sons, Guy, Peter and Ian) moulded the flou urishing Barton Grange Group we know today, with the flagsship multi-award winning Brock garden centre at its core, augmented more recently by the enterprising Flower Bowl leisure and entertainment centre. By any measure, it becamee one of the UK’s most spectacular garden retail, landscaping and leisure businesses. When Martin Stewart’s father, Edward, was elected president of the Horticultural Trades Association in 1960, he would have

6 October 2021

meet Eddie, 12 years his junior. Twenty-two yearrs later, in the yeaar of Edward Stewart’s death, Eddie was also o to become HTA preesiident. “He was a huge support to me at thhat time,” Martin reccalled in his tribute. “For those of you not familiar with our traade, it is the most extraordinarily open, warm m and friendly ind dustry imaginable. It is now and it was then.” Eddie loved to be involved in the activitiess of the wider ind dustry, including the Garden Centre Association (whose chaairman he became in 1977) and the Internaational Garden Centre Association, whose congresses he regularly attended, soaaking up ideas and experiences from gardeen centre operators across the world. Many have remarked on Eddie Topping’s warmth and humour – and what Martin Stewart called hiss “seat of the pants” management style. “It was his style th hat made it happen,” Martin said, “that subtle warmth, modesty, humour and d that amazing twinkle in his eye that made those around him m just want to push on, have a go, have fun n and ultimately, thrrough his subtle guidance, be successful.” When I first met Eddie Topping in the 1990s, he reminded mee of a mischievous schoolboy…impish grin,, cheeky chat, thaat twinkle… yet always everybody’s idea of a perfect gen ntleman. It didn’t take long to understand that behind the enggaging façade was a shrewd entrepreneurrial brain, which he used to fashion his fantastic legacy. Mischief clearly runs in the family. The no otorious Briighton hotel chandelier incident involvingg Guy has enttered industry folklore (see sidebar, pagee ???). But it turrns out Eddie too had historyy … Martin Stewart related how at a very earlyy GCA conference in Stratford, Eddie had re-located the ICI Forest Bark disp playy up p to the second floor of the ho otel,, placingg the large bales of bark ‘brick by brrick’ outside the room of Neville Snowdon, the then head of ICI Horticulture, so he would be unable to get out of his room in the morning. “Eddie found out, too late in the morning, that Neville had been moved to another room and d that the room was now occupied by the only hotel residen nt not associated with the conference. Eddie had some explaaining to do!” Another of Eddie’s remarkable qualities was the time he managed to find for everyone who needed it. “H He was calm and considered but had a go at everything he could,” Martin said. “Guy told me this week that even in recent years, when he was

www.gardentradenews.co.uk

Garden Centre Pioneers

cans from a jam factory and tins from a biscuit factory – and the container revolution n was under way. It turned out to be the catalyst that sparkeed the development of the modern garden centre indusstry. So, Barton Grange Garden Centre, with a shop area all of 16ft square, opened in 19633 in the grounds of the hotel, followed in 1974 by the formaation of a wholesale plant nursery (now Garden Centre Plants, run alongside the landscaping business by Guy’ss brother Peter.) After Guy joined the famiily business in 1989, two more garden centres were added d, botth siince divestted d (as was the hotel, run by Ian n Topping, the third of his sons) to allow the family to focus on the Brock centre and the Flower Bowl complex. Although he stepped backk from day to day matters some years ago and gave up his chairmanship last year, he contiinuedd to takke a cllose inteerest. He was immensely proud of his three sons and their achievements…but getting him to admit it within earshot was ann entirely different matter. Eddie was always keen on the notion of a family business and took pleasure in seeing alll three sons join it. “I guess I hoped we would end up with a family business into the next generation,” he told me when I interviewed him with Guy for a GTN series on family businesses. “But I wasn’t sure it would happen. I don’t think I put anyy pressure on the children to come in.” Guy recalls being to old as a teenager by his dad that he and his brothers had to work in the garden centrre on weekends and holidays but “we neveer talked about joining the business”. In his own tribute at the service, Peter, who ruuns the landscaping arm, recalled the “tough love” of those early days. Eddie had already insisted d that none of his sons should join the family busineess until they were at least 25. But Guy was only 24 and d travelling in New Zealand when Eddie invited him on board. “Dad said: ‘We’ve got this new garden centre in Bolton. Do you fancy coming back and running it?’ I had tw wo jobs at the time, working 16 hours a day to try to earn n enough to pay off my overdraft, so I decided runn ning a garden centre sounded like a cushy number. I said yes. When I got home that summer, I said to Dad: Where’s this garden centre then? He said: ‘We’ve got to build it first.’” Eddie believed that lettingg his offspring get on with the job without too much interference was the key to a happy succession. “When I was their agge,, I was myy own boss and had been for somee time, making big decisions,” he says. “Now they have gott to the point where they have to do it all. I don’t think I inteerfered too much...” Martin summed up Eddiee Topping as “amazing – a proper entrepreneurial pioneer, someone loved and resp pected more than anyyonne I have met in our trade. He earnt his reputation in the most beautiful, calm unruffled manner….” ould go to one of Eddie’s Perhaps the last word sho grandsons, Andrew, who saiid at the service: “I won the lottery having Eddie as our grandad.”

He was calm and considereed but had a go at everythiing he could

finding life tough and the deecisions being taken were on an even bigger scaale than his early ones, Eddie would chip in with ‘Juust get on with it’. “What a proper pioneeering spirit. The finest example of his legacy can be seen within his offspring and th he enterprises that they are involved with now. The Baarton Grange business with its unique culture has Eddie written right through it like a stick of rock. What an extraord dinary legacy.” At the start of the 1960 0s, Eddie was quick to latch on to the new-fangled idea from thee United States that plants could be grown and sold all the yeaar round in containers, eliminating the seasonality of bare root cu ulture. With containers as we know them today not yet availab ble, he got hold of empty apricot

The Brighton Chandelier… (as told by Martin Stewart)

At a conference in Brighton a chandelier somehow found itself in Guy’s arms as he fought to keep it above his head. It was huge but not strong enough to hold his weight as he had attempted to swing on it. The hotel handled the situation brilliantly; it was now well past midnight, as the manager and the night porter walked into the lounge to ask: “Would you like a hand with that sir?” He needed help desperately. He wasn’t getting any from us! The next morning Eddie was sitting at breakfast with a folded piece of paper to give Guy on his arrival. With a beautiful smirk (you know, the one that Eddie had on plenty of occasions) he simply passed the paper to Guy saying: “You’d better pay that, lad.” It was of course the bill for re-hanging the chandelier.

www.gardentradenews.co.uk

October 2021 7

Garden Centre Pioneers

he tributes po oured in… Th • Ron Beent, chairman of Bents Garden & Homee: Eddy was an inspiration to me personally and to everyone in the horticultural world. He was also o a wonderful friend to Wendy and myself and our family. We will miss him greatly. We were the best of friends but also always the best of friendly rivals in business. He taught us (eventually) that cooperation, sharing and togetherness would make us all stronger and more competitive and he created a business that is a wonderful example of his philosophy and one that many of us still benchm mark against. He was one of the founding fathers of the GCA, which enabled garden centres in the UK to get together and share th he very best ideas and displays and also worldwide through the IGC CA, of which his family and ours were regular attenders. But he leaves a wonderful family and a great business legacy that I’m m confident that Guy and Peter will carry on with, using their own style to grow the business and have lots of fun along the way. • Warren Haskins, chairman of Haskins Garden Centres: I first met Eddie in the mid 60s when n we both joined a garden centre development group which inclu uded the forefathers of our industry like Leith Hayes and Derek Bunker. We were all working on our young businesses and were stim mulated by what he was doing at Barton Grange. Eddie was full of ideas, ready to help everybody and I have manyy hap ppy memoriies of beingg with him at GCA,, IGCA,, HTA conferences and many oth her places. He contributed so much to our industry for which we must all be grateful. • Sue Allen, GCA past chair: Th hanks to this remarkable man and his fellow pioneers we have the garden centre industry of today. Personally, I have precious memo ories of times shared at industry events, conferences and internattional congresses and learned to appreciate Eddie’s quiet ‘no nonssense’ wisdom but also his delightful sense of humour and infectious laugh. My thoughts are with all the Topping family who continue to ensure Eddie’s legacy is in safe hands. • Ian Boardman, former Gardeen Centre Association chief inspector: I’ve known Eddie a lo ong time. He always came to say Hello whether for training, masterclassses, judging or inspecting. Always pressing for firm but fair ways to o drive standards ever upwards.

• John Ashley, former supplier: Eddie Topping was the garden industry when I joined Fisons in 1972. He was HTA, GCA and his own growing business. Always welcomingg and supportive and helpful to newcomers to this new industrry. Eddie was a people person and it was always a pleasure to be in his company. He will be missed but never forgotten. May he rest in peace. Guy is a chip off the old block. • Brian Gibbons, retired journalist: Wheen I made the transition from Garden News to become founding editor of Garden Trade News in the late 1970s I knew little about the workings of what was about to become a massive trade. I had to rely on the friendly advice and encouragement of those pioneeers who had made it all happen. One of these was jovial Eddie Topping, founder of the Barton Grange empire. Although neveer a comfortable public speaker, he possessed a shrewd mind and d warm personality which enabled him to carry out his many trade offices with great distinction. Eddie touched the lives of so many people in a positive way, including my own. RIP Big Man. • Michael Hayes, Hayes Gardenland: A lovely man and one of my Dad's best pals. Great memories over man ny many years. • Roger Crookes, former GCA inspecto or: He was a garden centre legend, pioneer, motivator and gentleman n. • Pat Flynn, former GTN executive: Eddie was a true gentleman with a cheeky sense of humour who I rem member well from my days at Nurseryman & Garden Centre magazinee and then GTN. • Cliff Gorman, former colleague: Whatt a man - so much energy, drive, determination and vision. It was my privilege to work alongside him for many years and I learnt so much from him. A great family man. • John Richardson, Nurseryman: Eddie and I were friends for many years due to our mutual interest in the HTA and horticulture in general. We shared our experiences in building a successful business, and we compared notes on the increasing responsibilities of our respective sons. Eddie was an industry leader, a motivator and a true friend. It is an honour to have known him.

• Simon Brindle, former colleeague: When I worked at Bolton Barton Grange as a young lad in n my first job, one of my tasks was to help weed the beds with Edd die, that and try to keep a track of all the stock he would just take off sale without writing off! There’s me two weeks into my new job trying to tell the owner: “No, you can’t just take a fork off sale”. I went on to work at the Preston branch for many years, quite offten sharing a chinwag on one of his wanders around the offices.. I even had the pleasure of creating a snapshot in time for the gardeen centre’s 50th anniversary, photographing every member of staff at that time, all packaged up into a coffee table book as a surprise. • Michael Cole, former GCA in nspector: Eddie was a true gentleman and a proud Lancasttrian. He was truly one of the pioneers of the garden centre industry and will be sadly missed byy very many people. • Andy Campbell, Andy Campbell Consulting, forrmer GCA inspector: I only got to know Eddie in recent years,, but it was verry clear from the outset that he was one of life’s true gentlemen and d someone who really understood welcome and hosp pitality. Our industry has lost an inspirational force.

8 October 2021

www.gardentradenews.co.uk

THE NEW REVOL UTIONAR Y SMOKEL ESS FIRE PIT • No wood smoke fire pit. • Burns hot in 10 minutes • Refill candles bought from your retail outlet • Burns hot for 10 - 12 hours • Immediate ignition and out in seconds Our sustainably sourced Crop Candles produce a high calorific heat similar to conventional Firepits but without the wood smoke. The Candles have NO PARAFFIN in the formular thus very little smoke, effectively the most sustainable options for outdoor living. We have made a beautiful composite surround that appears identical to wood, making it an amazing revolutionary Fire Pit. Easy to Light in a few minutes and even easier to put out in seconds by just replacing the lid. Perfect for those with close neighbours, who will be unaware of any smoke from the fire pit, and for their friends, who go home without smelling of bonfires. Ideal for properties with both small and large gardens. Gone are the days of fetching more logs - our fire pits burn HOT for as long as 10-12

hours and as little as 15-30 mins, without the need for any maintenance. Enjoy the constant therapeutic and hypnotic dancing flame. Unlike logs purchased at petrol forecourts, the customer will return to the same retail outlet to purchase the refills. This will result in more traffic in your stores. Our customers have given us remarkable reviews online, attracting garden centres, event organisers, garden designers and glamping companies. The Crop Candle Fire Pit is being protected with Patent Pending / Design Copyright and Prior Art protection meaning our new age of fire pit designs are here to stay and paves the way to a more sociable, economical and sustainable form of outdoor heating moving forward. If you want to add this to your range of outdoor heating let us know.

We look forward to hearing from you!

Website: www.cropcandle.co Tel: 01491 411 565 Email: tim.jeffs@cropcandle.co The Crop Candle Co. Ltd 13 Market Place, Henley-on-Thames, Oxon, RG9 2AA

Chelsea Flower Show 2021

Capturing the essence of Autumn at Chelsea

The Chelsea Flower Show has certainly Small space gardening delivered in abundance, despite it A new concept for Chelsea for 2021, five Container Garden gardens, demonstrate being the first time it has ever taken how vastly different looks can be created place in September. The timing in small spaces through the use of provided the opportunity for a containers and planting schemes. From a beach-inspired corrugated steel look, different palette of plants to shine through to a playful pop-art space and – plenty of rich colours working a tranquil modern Japanese garden – it really shows the versatility that plants in tandem with the subtle autumn provide to a space. light. From dahlias and grasses to rudbeckias and echinaceas, the plants featured capture the essence of the season.

S

ustainability was a strong theme running through many of the gardens at the show, demonstrating the positive impact of gardening on the environment.

Centre’s autumn studio focussed on showing how the new seasons offerings can be combined to produce inspirational statements inside the home. With a theme of people and plants living in harmony, Forest demonstrated unique and inspiring ways to display houseplants in a small urban setting. Conservatory Archives created a bathroom packed full of plants to create a natural paradise whilst Malvern Garden Buildings working with Indoor Garden Design created a neon pink immersive plant retreat ‘suspended’ in a giant macrame hanger

Small is beautiful Five new to Chelsea designers were challenged to each create a pocket-size realistic garden in the footprint of a generous balcony that is 2m wide and 5m long. Each balcony garden incorporates planting that will thrive in the confines of the space, improving wildlife corridors, as well as being great for humans too.

Highlighting Houseplants Recognising the huge interest in houseplants in recent years the Houseplant Studios at Chelsea showcased different and eyecatching ways of displaying them and showing them off to their best. N1 Garden

Gold for David Domoney with Miracle-Gro Houseplants were also on centre stage in the Great Pavilion with David Domoney and Miracle-Gro’s: My Houseplant Changed My Life exhibit not only taking a gold medal but being awarded the accolade of Best Discovery Zone exhibit. David Domoney, comments “With many people working, schooling and stuck at home during lockdown, there’s been a big increase in indoor growing indoors. This exhibit looks at the symbiotic relationship between humans and plants inside the home and the benefits of keeping those plants healthy. Each of the 50 varieties benefits humans in one form or another and this exhibit highlights and celebrates their personalities. “We’re trying to raise awareness of the environment inside homes and offices, exploring the sustainable benefits that plants (and microorganisms in the soil of plants) have in detoxifying the air. The exhibit reviews extensive studies on the power of plants to detoxify air & produce fresh oxygen, including many scientific bodies and the original NASA experiments.”

10 October 2021

www.gardentradenews.co.uk

Chelsea Flower Show 2021 Dobbies secures five stars at RHS Chelsea Flower Show The Dobbies stand featuring an impactful living wall, an area dedicated to promoting the benefits of pollinators and sustainable gardening practices, as well as a grow your own area, was awarded five stars. Plants featured on the stand included Delphinium, Echinacea, Heuchera and Rudbeckia, as well as houseplants including Monstera, Nephrolepsis, Calathea and Adiantum. The creation of the garden involved a range of sustainable products including new ranges that are landing in-store at Dobbies this September, such as peatfree compost products for young to mature plants. Marcus Eyles, Horticultural Director at Dobbies, commented: “Five stars is a brilliant accolade for our team and all the suppliers who have worked together to bring our vision to life. We’ve had such a positive response to the garden so far and it’s been great to share details of our sustainable practices as well as our team expertise. Thank you to everyone who has contributed.” Dobbies’ stand features contributions from a range of suppliers including Evergreen, Carbon Gold, Bloomin’ Amazing, Pure Greenhouses, Contemporary Fencing, Talasey Group, Southern Trident, Ecopots plus plant suppliers Darby Nursery, Allensmore Nurseries, Lovania Nurseries, Floreac and Pro-Veg Seeds. Also featuring in the Dobbies’ garden is Ergrownomics who offer a sustainably designed system of raised planters that allow everyone, regardless of garden size, the opportunity to grow their own vegetables.

Best Artisan Garden for Blue Diamond The Blue Diamond Forge Garden was awarded Best Artisan Garden along with a Silver Award. This is a tremendous achievement for the Blue Diamond Group not least as it is the first time that the Group has exhibited at RHS Chelsea. Managing Director, Alan Roper was delighted with the awards and said; “RHS Chelsea has provided us with a fantastic opportunity to showcase the talents within the Blue Diamond Group. Our Garden was originally thought up and designed by employees within the Group who have then worked closely and had excellent support from Conquest Creative Spaces and Project Consultant, Cherry Carmen, to bring the Blue Diamond Forge Garden to life. I am delighted with how the Garden looks and I have already had many complimentary comments from visitors to the show.

Royal visit for Peter Seabrook and Pershore High School students The Sun’s correspondent Peter Seabrook worked with young people from Pershore High School to create a stunning plant pyramid in the Great Pavilion. The students grew Chrysanthemum Poppins for the exhibit as part of their Duke of Edinburgh Award activities. The feature, which was awarded a silver medal featured more than 20 new and recently introduced plants, including Allium ‘Lavender Bubbles’ which came second in the Chelsea Flower Show Plant of the Year 2021 Competition. The team were delighted that Prince Edward, who now oversees the DofE Award, and Sophie, Countess of Wessex took time to speak to them about the creation of the exhibit.

Sustainable Product of the Year Chelsea Plant of the Year 2021 The Chelsea Plant of the Year Cercis canadensis ‘Eternal Flame’ (Nc216-2), which was put forward by Stonebarn Landscapes. New and unique, all new growth throughout the season emerges deep red, changing to burnt orange and golden yellow as the leaves mature continually throughout the year.

www.gardentradenews.co.uk

The Chelsea Sustainable Product of the Year was announced in May during the virtual Chelsea event, with Ocean Plastic Pots taking the glory. These sustainable plant pots are made in Scotland from recycled polypropylene from discarded ropes and fishing nets. The expert judging panel included Entrepreneur and Dragons’ Den investor Deborah Meaden who presented the award in person at the show. A full rundown of results from the RHS Chelsea Flower Show can be found at https://www.rhs.org. uk/shows-events/rhs-chelsea-flowershow/awards

October 2021 11

a record breaking year...

76% sales increase 53% increase in customer base Continued Customer growth in sales of between 20-150%

yet meadow view stone still deliver...

CUSTOMER SERVICE

PRODUCT & PACKAGING

OTIF

In a recent survey our overall customer service scored a 91% satisfaction rate.

Our product and packaging quality scored an 88% satisfaction rate.

We have achieved an 85% ‘On Time in Full’ delivery record.

and continue their growth with... 4 dockside storage locations 4 production sites £6 million stock holding

Mult iple Sit

es

over 50 shipments annually o lding

Vast St ock h Mult iple Shipments

over 100,000 tonnes of loose stock 5 new robotic packing lineS installed for 2022 season

exclusive products that drive sales...

Over 28% of the range is exclusive to Meadow View Stone Accounting for 30% of total sales

Follow us on:

Contact us on:

/meadowviewstone1

@meadowviewstone

01948 841 607

/company/meadow-view-stone

@meadowviewstone

info@meadowviewstone.co.uk

Interview

Get grilling with Traeger – BBQ but not as you know it With interest in BBQ’s and Grills increasing amongst consumers we take the opportunity to catch up with Karsten Nielsen, President of Europe for Traeger Pellet Grills at Glee to find out what makes Traeger different and what his aspirations are for the brand and the company as it makes headway in the UK market.

T

raeger Grills has its roots in Oregon in the USA. Established over 30 years ago the company founders were pioneers of using 100% natural hardwood fuel to infuse food with unparalleled flavourful smoke, making food taste absolutely delicious. Whilst others have entered the market Traeger continues as a market leader in this niche category. With interest in BBQ’s and Grills increasing amongst consumers we take the opportunity to catch up with Karsten Nielsen, President of Europe for Traeger Pellet Grills at Glee to find out what makes Traeger different and what his aspirations are for the brand and the company as it makes headway in the UK market. As one of the founding members of Weber in Europe, Nielson, who hails from Denmark, left in 2010 when the company was sold. He then took up several sales directorships and

CEO roles outside of the industry before joining Traeger Grills in December 2017. So, what made him return to the world of BBQs? He explains, “In 1993 nobody knew how to cook on a BBQ with a lid on and so at Weber we had to start from a grassroots level. Customers adapted well and we created a new culture in grilling culminating in Weber becoming the biggest brand in Europe. I loved the challenge of being part of a startup company and developing the brand.”

“The ethos behind the company is very clear – it is about getting back to our natural ways of cooking with fire but in a controlled way.”

Nielsen continues, “The team at Traeger were extremely persistent! At the third time of them asking me to join them they sent me a grill to try out with my family. What could be different I was thinking but the grill seriously impressed me with its built-in technology and I said yes I’m in. It was such a totally different experience – not just another BBQ. “For the first ten months, my role was all about planning and strategy, sourcing distributors and hiring our team. It has grown from there. This is our third season and it is great to be involved with such a great brand with a fun feel. “The ethos behind the company is very clear – it is about getting back to our natural ways of cooking with fire but in a controlled way. It is really as easy as turning on the BBQ but with a far superior taste – the result

For further information please contact Jo McDonald, Country Manager for UK and Ireland on +44 (0) 7884115817, or email: jmcdonald@traegergrills.eu www.traegergrills.com

14 October 2021

www.gardentradenews.co.uk

Interview

Jay Bunker, Director of BBQ World at Alton Garden Centre receiving the Traeger Day Retailer Award (a framed limited edition American Football Shirt) from the Traeger team including Traeger President of Europe Karsten Nielsen, Country Manager for the UK and Ireland Jo McDonald and Traeger Chef, Sam Wanstall.

of using hardwood. In summary, it is about better taste, convenience and control. The real innovation is in being able to set and control the heat allowing the chef to enjoy the gathering as much as everyone else, rather than being left in a corner cooking! In that way, it is about celebrating togetherness with friends and family. Our products are much more than a grill providing so much versatility to outdoor cooking from BBQ, grilling and smoking to baking, roasting and braising. It is a real game-changer. “We launched in the UK just a couple of weeks before the first lockdown. Whilst not ideal this period has been important for our industry with people using their outdoor spaces more and investing in their homes and gardens. We have a strong following on social media with 1.6 million followers in the Traeger community sharing recipes, posting images of themselves grilling and sharing the Traeger love! Over lockdown, we have seen strong growth in this community with people having more time to learn about the product in this period. “We cover all of Europe with our three core markets being Germany, the UK and Ireland and the Nordic countries. We are dealing directly with these markets to have full control. The UK market is particularly important to us. The UK audience likes to adapt and are eager to adopt food cultures from around the world. There is also a culture of being in the garden. This makes it much easier for a brand like ours to establish itself in a country that loves the home and garden. Despite this being

www.gardentradenews.co.uk

a different BBQ experience consumers are embracing wood pellet grilling.”

So, what sets Traeger Grills apart? Nielsen explains, “Our sole focus remains the grill – we have not deviated. Innovation is at our core and we are constantly investing to make the product and the consumer experience the best it can be. We have patented our WiFIRE® technology (introduced in 2017) which means grills can be controlled via the smartphone app that maintains precise temperatures, so you can focus on friends, family and flavour instead of constantly monitoring the fire. Another innovation is our brushless motor which self cleans and last forever! “We are innovative on the digital front too.

Our app has more than 1600 recipes on it. Consumers can select a recipe and programme the grill to cook it. It knows the temperature and timing for all the recipes allowing this information to be programmed in via the app.” Nielson concludes, “Glee has given us a great opportunity to meet existing and prospective customers in a short space of time. It has been great to be able to demonstrate and showcase the values of our brand in a fun and innovative way. People have been able to get a feel for the brand and the team behind it. We have had a high level of interest which is encouraging. We are growing the brand continuously and always working on new and better ways for the consumer to interact with it.”

Traeger accolade for Alton Garden Centre

BBQ World at Alton Garden Centre has been named as Traeger Day Retailer 2021 at Glee. Traeger makes the award annually to recognise those retailers that really support the brand. Jo McDonald, Country Manager for UK and Ireland comments, “Jay and his team have embraced the brand holding demonstrations instore, working with influencers and being active across social media. They even have Wing Wednesday for staff where the team is treated to chicken wings for lunch helping to spread the word about the product. It is no surprise that their sales have been exceptional this year and we have given them the award in recognition of this.”

October 2021 15

Tyres in nto gold d: ho ow Prrimeeur’ss Ecco Gaarden collectio on has become a multi-award winner Since its launch in 2016, Primeur’s Eco Garden range has helped to repurpose millions of rubber tyres. With a wealth of striking products, from stepping-stones and garden borders, to decking tiles and self-watering Tierra Verde planters, it’s little surprise that Eco Garden has scooped countless industry awards and is winning the hearts and minds of eco-conscious consumers who also enjoy the range’s virtually-indestructible structure.

H

ere, the Primeur team talks more about why the popularity of the Eco Garden range continues to grow at a pace, and takes us on the journey that has seen their trophy cabinet become rather full! Eco-conscious consumers driving demand Long before the pandemic, there was a growing demand amongst consumers to see more environmentally-conscious product hitting the shelves. Greater awareness and concern over issues, like global warming and the ocean plastic crisis, meant consumers were asking more of suppliers, as they wanted to be able to purchase responsible products that actively work to minimise the ongoing pollution problem. Rubber tyres may not immediately seem to be the biggest contributor to climate change issues but they certainly have a role to play. Each year in the UK more than 40million tyres are used on a wide range of vehicles. This means that, every year, 40 million tyres also start their retirement. Whilst there are national recycling schemes available, many of these tyres end up in landfill,

where they can take upwards of 80 years to decompose. Not only does this mean that large areas of land are required for landfill purposes, but decomposing tyres can leech toxic chemicals back into the local eco-system, as well as posing a possible fire risk, if stored incorrectly. However, help is at hand. Each year, the Primeur Eco Garden collection is repurposing hundreds of thousands of recycled rubber tyres; breathing new life into this material and creating good for both the circular economy and for consumers who want something durable, long-lasting and trend driven. A single recycled rubber tyre can produce 6kgs of rubber crumb – enough to make two Eco Garden planters. Not only does this ratio make the use of recycled rubber a costeffective material choice for Primeur but the benefits of this as a raw material are outstanding; creating lightweight, durable and flexible products. Rubber doesn’t crack, stain or rot, and is also slip and nylon-cord resistant, making products in the range a top choice for multiple locations in the garden. The rubber also acts as an insulator, helping

plant roots to survive plummeting winter temperatures. And, it’s not just consumers who reap the benefits of the virtually indestructible nature of the products, as retailers will enjoy reduced wastage and breakage costs, as the range easily survives the stresses of transit and relocation within the shop environment. The Eco Garden collection, extended in both 2019 with the introduction of the self-watering Tierra Verde planters and in 2021 with the all-new MultyDeck™ offering, now includes the widest collection of design-led steppingstones, garden borders, and deck tiles; all in a variety of colours to match current interior and exterior trends. The complete collection is supported by tailored merchandising support, designed to help each retailer identify their best-selling lines and to optimise visibility of these product groups. If that isn’t keeping the Primeur team busy enough, they have also used the success of its retailer relationships garnered through the Eco Garden collection, to raise vital funds for the Greenfingers Charity. In 2019, the team

The Trophy Cabinet

presented Greenfingers with a £4,000 cheque and raised further funds by participating in the annual Garden ReLeaf Sponsored Walk, together helping the charity to build much needed garden spaces at children’s hospices throughout the country. Find out more To find more about Primeur’s Eco Garden range, please contact the team on 01274 518800, email sales@primeur.ltd.uk or visit www.primeur.co.uk

Industry accolades and awards are one reason that Primeur say has contributed to Eco Garden’s ongoing success. Whether selected by a panel of their peers, retailers or supporting trade associations, the recognition that has come from receiving numerous awards has helped to put Eco Garden on the map, whist providing retailers with a rarely contested unique selling point when choosing next season ranges.

Glee New Product Awards – Best New Landscaping Product + Overall Best New Product winners: Medallion Stepping-Stone

2018 GIMA Awards - Garden Landscaping winners: Eco Garden Roman Stone Border

2018

Glee New Product Awards – Best New Growing Container + Best Eco Initiative Product winners: Tierra Verde Planters

2019 GIMA Awards Decorative Pots & Planters + Sword of Excellence winners: Tierra Verde Planters

2019

Glee New Product Awards – Best New Garden Landscaping winners: Carolina Border

2020 Glee New Product Awards – Best New Garden Landscaping (joint winners): Railroad Tie SteppingStone in grey

2021

Glee 2021

Really special return to Glee

The garden industry was reunited in remarkable style ass suppliers and buyers gathered for a memorable three days of business and networking during Glee 2021 at the NEC Birmingham. GTN brings you fifteen pages of coverage with more to come in the November issue.

A

s the door closed on a spectacular event, show organiser Matthew Mein told GTN: “It’s been a fantastic three days. We’ve been in anticipation for this show nearly two years, after the last Glee in-person, and to be back here over these three days has been really special. “To get the industry back together, I think everyone that’s attended, whether it’s exhibitors or visitors, have been really pleased to be here with a smile on their face. “I think the fact that they could engage with each other again, it’s a great friendly industry, linked in with actually being able to see product and compare and contrast with all the other aspects of seeing newness, it’s been fabulous seeing it all take place. “This Glee has been bursting with so much newness! I think there’s more enthusiasm than ever and after 18 really good months for the gardening industry, there’s a real appetite for product and ideas to continue the really good retailing that’s been going on in this sector.”

Matthews Glee 2021 highlights? “My first highlight was the first day of the

show; that throng, that noise around about midday, the aisles being busy and just seeing lots of smiling faces and people picking up product talking about ideas. I think also the 125 new companies that were at the show as well. “And then my other highlight was the New Product Awards on day two. The volume of new products entered, the theatre that we’ve had doing the pitches, it’s been so informative and presenting the winners in The Stage for the first time in front of a packed audience was just great fun! “And that’s the whole thing that you’ve seen over these three days is how sociable it’s been as well.” On the move to June next year: “It’s a decision that’s taken a while to form. We were looking at some of the trends that were happening pre-pandemic and really understanding those in a bit more detail going back into early in the year. This spring, we spoke to the industry, the retailers, both independent and multiple, to get their viewpoint of where their businesses are going to really get a better understanding. “From that we can see the lead times are longer lead now for new products to get them supplied, manufactured and into the supply chain. And I think by changing that dateline, we

make sure that the show is at its optimum time for transacting. There will be an access shift by doing this. But we’ve been led by the garden retailer feedback and they are really backing it. Linked into that, the exhibitors are really backing it as well. We’ve seen that with a really strong rebook already.”

Thank you to all exhibitors and visitors: “I want to say thank you to the efforts of all the exhibitors who came to Glee 2021 and for putting on a great show. And thanks to all the visitors who made the journey. “The exhibitors that have supported this show really got behind it. In terms of their efforts, the look and feel of the show, it’s amazing the level of quality of exhibitors stands here. Some of the merchandising ideas that they’re creating should look fantastic in store next season. I think consumers are in for a really good time and they can really shop off those point of sale stands.” “See you all in June 2022.”

GTN Glee Review 2021 Contents:

Glee Buyers Power List page 20 Glee New Product Awards page 22 Glee New Products – Southern Trident page 26 Glee 2021 Photo Gallery page 28 Glee Floral Thursday page 34

www.gardentradenews.co.uk

October 2021 19

Glee 2021 Glee Buyers Power List – Nominations and Winners Plants Buyer/Buying Team of the Year • Andy Bunker – Alton Garden Centre • Marcus Cousins – Aylett Nurseries • Will Clark – Barton Grange • Tom Cook, Rod Austin & Julian Palphramand - British Garden Centres • Mel Livingstone - Fron Goch • Jessica Logan – RBG Kew • Winner: Marcus Cousins – Aylett Nurseries

BGC and Ayletts top the Glee Buyers Power List

A

he buying teams at British Garden Centres and Aylett Nurseries were voted the overall best buying teams of the past 18 months in the Glee Buyers Power List, announced at Glee 2021. There were also category wins for Marcus Cousins at Aylett Nurseries, Duncan Wills at Stewarts Garden Centre, Darran Oakley at Squires, Dan Kirby and Emma Davies at British Garden Centres, Paul Smith at Chessington Garden Centre, Claire Bryce at Barton Grange, Longacres and Chris Slack at Frosts. Almost 1,000 votes were cast by readers of Glee Daily News and GTN Xtra to a 59 strong list of nominations from suppliers across the industry. Speaking at the Glee Buyers Power List awards ceremony, attended by retailers and suppliers alike, Glee’s Event Director Matthew Mein said: “I would like to thank all those who took time to vote for their retail superstar, every one of whom deserved to be recognised. Hardworking retail staff are the lifeblood of our industry and I’m delighted so many people also felt they deserved to be recognised at the Glee Buyers Power List Awards. The biggest possible congratulations are due to all the very worthy winners and the many excellent shortlisted nominees.” Adam Wigglesworth of Aylett Nurseries told GTN: “As a team we were delighted and flattered to receive the award again this year. Thank you to all our suppliers, who have been fantastic! It has been a period where we have all been reminded how the old phrase ‘working together’ is one that has really meant something.”

20 October 2021

Garden Care Buyer/Buying Team of the Year • Derek Bunker – Alton Garden Centre • Andy Matthews & Paul Williams – British Garden Centres • Ian Underwood – B&Q • Keith Wilbin – Downtown Garden Centre • Matt Shorter - Longacres • Ross Allen – Milestone Garden Centre • Duncan Wills – Stewarts Garden Centre • Winner: Duncan Wills – Stewarts Garden Centre Outdoor Leisure Buyer/Buying Team of the Year • Ian Richardson - Garsons • Keith Laird – Hayes Garden World • Matt Shorter – Longacres • Darran Oakley – Squires • Peter Self – Whitehall Garden Centres • Winner: Darran Oakley – Squires Landscape Buyer/Buying Team of the Year • John Birch – Baytree Garden Centre • David Danning - Blue Diamond • Dan Kirby – British Garden Centres • Paul Smith - Chessington Garden Centre • Scott Provan – Klondyke • Mick Bruniges – Oaktree Garden Centre • Jack Slater – Summerseat Garden Centre • Michelle Thompson – Thompsons Garden Centres • Winner: Dan Kirby – British Garden Centres Home & Gifts Buyer/Buying Team of the Year • Emma Davis – British Garden Centres • Sarah Cooksley – Dobbies • Claire Jenner - Frosts • Geoff Stapleton – Gates Garden Centre • Winner: Emma Davis – British Garden Centres

Pet Buyer/Buying Team of the Year Sue Shaw - B&M • Zack Sargent – Bents Garden & Home • Paul Smith - Chessington Garden Centre • Dan Reep – Squires Garden Centres • Winner: Chessington Garden Centre Retail Food & Drinks Buyer/Buying Team of the Year • Claire Bryce - Barton Grange • Melanie Sykes - Bents • Phil Hales – Gates Garden Centre • Longacres • Joint Winners: Claire Bryce - Barton Grange and Longacres • Christmas Buyer/Buying Team of the Year • David Danning - Blue Diamond • Chris Slack - Frosts • Michelle Martin – Haskins • Stuart Whalley – Rosebourne • Winner: Chris Slack – Frosts Overall Multiple Garden Retailer Buying Team of the Year – 6 stores or more • Blue Diamond • British Garden Centres • Caulders • Dobbies • Hillier Garden Centres • Klondyke • Notcutts • Squires Garden Centres • Winner: British Garden Centres Overall Independent Garden Centre Buying Team of the Year – up 5 stores • Alton Garden Centre • Aylett Nurseries • Gates Garden Centre • Haskins • Longacres • Rosebourne Garden Centres • Thompsons Garden Centres • Webbs • Winner: Aylett Nurseries

www.gardentradenews.co.uk

Huge focus on stock levels, ready for the season and throughout

Reliable Committed Straightforward

Altico is a brand-new supplier to the Landscape Products category, supported by years of industry expertise and with an ambition to offer garden centre retailers even more choice. We understand the importance of working with a supplier who is as reliable and straightforward as they are innovative, so whilst we’re busy pushing boundaries, our feet remain firmly on the ground. • 98% minimum stock commitment pledge • 60% of our annual forecast, bagged and on the ground ready at the start of the season • Easy 5 pallet minimum order • Guaranteed same-week delivery • Prime geographic location with space to grow

“Over 125 new products and creative merchandising solutions to give retailers greater flexibility.”

Tel: 01302 354500 Web: www.altico.co.uk

Glee 2021

Happy New Product Award winners celebrate on The Stage at Glee

Glee Innovation Ground-breaking new garden and pet products were announced as the winners of the coveted Glee New Product Awards 2021, run in association with GTN.

W

ith over 250 products entered into the Glee New Product Showcase the judges of this year’s awards had the most challenging time deciding on the eventual winners. Only after the Top 3 or four finalists in each category had pitched their product to the judges and undergone piercing questioning could the winners be decided and announced on Wednesday evening of Glee 2021. A record crowd for the Glee New Product Awards gathered at The Stage eagerly awaiting the results presented by Matthew Mein, Event Director for Glee and GTN’s Trevor Pfeiffer. The Overall Glee Best New Product Award was awarded

to Treadstone products for their innovative Pot Trellis which feature stability plates to keep the trellis upright. All of the judges said such a simple idea would be a very good seller next year after all the pots and containers that have been sold in the past two years. The Best of British Award went to Westland for their Kent & Stowe Eversharp Secateurs. Using technical input from F1 racing and aerospace technology, these secateurs boast the sharpest, hardest blade available, tested by CATRA and 100 times harder than the average blade. Unanimously the judges awarded the Sustainability Award to Southern Trident for their Harmony Gardens growing materials which has Carbon Net Zero certification.

Left, Aqueos and Sniff & Likkit, Pet Health & Beauty winners. Right, Evergreen Garden Care, Retail Services winner

22 October 2021

www.gardentradenews.co.uk

Glee 2021

3

1

MNP Flowers won the Award for Plants, Seeds & Bulbs for the second consecutive Glee

2 1. Goodchaps Friendly Squid 2. Judge Jack Slater 3. Judge Nicola Gow 4. Outdoor Leisure winners Kamado Joe 5. LeisureGrow celebrate with their Petface Planet range

The 2021 judging panel was made up of Ian Hodgson, Garden News; Andy Bunker, Alton Garden Centre; Mel Livingstone, Fron Goch Garden Centre; Nicola Gow – Retired garden centre owner; Rachel Gilbert – Rosebourne Garden Centre; Lilidh Matthews, Primrose. com; Elliot Kirby, RHS Wisley; Jack Slater, Summerseat Garden Centre, and chaired by Trevor Pfeiffer, Editor & Director, Garden Trade News. Matthew Mein, Glee Event Director said: “After such a long period of lockdown and our first live event in two years, we were thrilled to see so many superb new products entered for the 2021 Glee New Product Awards. Huge congratulations to our 19 very worthy winners and a big thank you to the judges who were so generous with their valuable time and expertise”.

www.gardentradenews.co.uk

4

5 October 2021 23

Glee 2021

Edible greetings cards for dogs from Scoff paper wins over the judges

1

2 6 4 5 3

7

Glee New Product Awards – Winners and Shortlists Plants Seeds & Bulbs • Aglaonema Red Star • Cuddly Cactus • Granvia ® Pink Flame Imp • Spathiphyllum Diamond • Winner: Granvia ® Pink Flame Imp

JAVADO JAVADO MNP Flowers JAVADO MNP Flowers

Growing Materials • After Plant House Plant • BlackGold Compost • Natura Grow Bed & Basket Feed Liquid 1L • Nature Safe Slug & Snail Barrier • Harmony Gardens • Winner: Harmony Gardens Southern Trident Growing Containers • Flower Tower • Tall Vertical Herb Stand • Tierra Verde Planters • Winner: Tall Vertical Herb Stand

24 October 2021

Plantworks Ltd RocketGro Natura Grow Hygeia Chemicals Ltd Southern Trident

Useful and Practical Ideas Ltd Zest 4 Leisure Primeur Ltd Zest 4 Leisure

Garden Decoration • Metal Frame Flower Wall Art • Resin Hippo Statue • St John's Solar Mirror • Winner: St John's Solar Mirror

Woodlodge Products Green Tones Woodlodge Products Woodlodge Products

Tools & Machinery • EasyMix 2-in-1 Composter • Kent & Stowe Capability Trowel • Kent & Stowe Eversharp Secateurs • Winner: Kent & Stowe Capability Trowel Landscaping • MultyDeck • Planter cascade • Carolina Border • Winner: Carolina Border

Hozelock Westland Unwins Westland Unwins Westland Unwins Primeur Ltd DecoPak Primeur Ltd Primeur Ltd

Leisure & Entertaining • Campingaz Attitude 2Go CV Table Top GasBarbecue • Folding Garden Bar • Kamado Joe - Kettle Joe • Winner: Kamado Joe - Kettle Joe

Campingaz Zest 4 Leisure Kamado Joe Kamado Joe

www.gardentradenews.co.uk

Glee 2021 1. Primeur - Landscaping winners 2. Southern Trident - Growing Materials and Sustainability Award winners 3. Sniffe & Likkit’s Award wining Woof Pack 4. Westland scooped the Tools category with the Kent & Stowe Capability Trowel 5. Another win for Westland in Wild Bird Care 6. Treadstone won in Growing Accessories for their Pot Trellis and were pronounced Best in Show. 7. Best of British went to the Kent & Stowe Eversharp Secateurs 8. Woodlodge’s Solar lit garden mirror won in Garden Decoration 9 & 10. The judges prepare for more pitches on Day 2. Left to right; Mel Livingstone, Andy Bunker, Rachel Gilbert, Ian Hodgson, Elliot Kirby, Lilidh Matthews 11. The Wholeleaf Company, winners in Home & Gifts 12. Zest4Leisure won the Growing Containers category with their Tall Herb Planter

9

8

Pitching to the judges was streamed live via Glee Connect and by presenters colleagues!

11

10

12 Homewares, Gifts, Toys & Games • Earthy Natural Bamboo Side Tables - Set of 2 The Satchville Gift Company • Kids Light-up cloggies EP Barrus Ltd • Pup's 1st gift Box Goodchap's • Wholeleaf Platters, Bowls & Plates The Wholeleaf Company • Bee Activity Box Kidzplay • Winner: Wholeleaf Platters, Bowls & Plates The Wholeleaf Company Pet Food • Churu Pops Collarways Ltd • Home Barking Kit Sniffe & Likkit Ltd • Scoff Paper Edible Greeting Cards for Dogs Scoff Paper • Winner: Scoff Paper Edible Greeting Cards for Dogs Scoff Paper Pet Health & Beauty • Anti-Bacterial Dog Shampoo with Hosepip Applicator Aqueos • Furrish Cordless Pet Clipper Furrish • The Woof Pack - Deluxe Doggy Bag & Grooming Kit Sniffe & Likkit Ltd • Joint Winners: Anti-Bacterial Dog Shampoo with Hosepip Applicator Aqueos The Woof Pack - Deluxe Doggy Bag & Grooming Kit Sniffe & Likkit Ltd Pet Accessories • Glove My Dog Deluxe Bamboo Towel Glove • Petface Planet - Toucan • Pup's 1st Cracker - The cracker your pup can pull

www.gardentradenews.co.uk

Sniffe & Likkit Ltd Leisure Grow Goodchap's

• The Friendly Squid - Cleaning up our coast • Joint Winners: Petface Planet - Toucan The Friendly Squid - Cleaning up our coast

Goodchap's Leisure Grow Goodchap's

Retail Services & Experiences • Evergreen Trade Website & Training Academy Evergreen Garden Care • Honeyfield's Floor Display Unit WHM Pet Group • Tri-Star Adbags Tri-Star Packaging • Winner: Evergreen Trade Website & Training Academy Evergreen Garden Care Wild Bird and Wildlife Products • Gardman Aura Bird Bath & Feeder • Water is Life Bath and Drinker • WildPod • Winner: Gardman Aura Bird Bath & Feeder Growing Accessories • BB Rain Can • Gro-Sure Visiroot Twin Propagator Set • Pot Trellis • Small Space Cold Frame • Winner: Pot Trellis

Westland Unwins Wildlife World Bioscapes Westland Unwins Block Blitz Ltd Westland Unwins Treadstone Products Zest 4 Leisure Treadstone Products

• Sustainability Award – Harmony Gardens, Southern Trident • Best of British Award - Kent & Stowe Eversharp Secateurs, Westland Unwins • Overall Best Glee New Product 2021 – Pot Trellis, Treadstone Products

October 2021 25

Glee 2021

Harmony Gardens - a world first in growing media If there was one buzzword that was echoing around the halls of the NEC during Glee, and a word firmly on many visitors’ minds, it was sustainability. Everyone in the gardening industry and most gardeners want to demonstrate their green credentials, and create products and garden in a way that is eco-friendly.

A

As our planet lurches from one disaster to another, the subject of climate change and greenhouse gases has led our industry to move away from using peat in growing media and look for the best peat replacements. The team at Southern Trident was delighted when it was awarded two New Product Awards at Glee, which shows that it is bang on trend with the current green gardening movement. This rapidly growing player in the growing media sector won the Best New Growing Media Product 2021 and the Sustainability Award, both for its new rangge of peatfree growing media under the new Harmo ony Gardens brand. This latter award highlights the com mpany’s underlying mantra that drives its core valu ues - Green Today, Greener Tomorrow. Southern Trident is extremely proud of its high-quality range of peat-free, growing media. Previously, the company only sold compost as dried, compressed coir bricks, but the Harmony Gardens rangge is a new venture expanding the company into the world of bagged products. The Harmony Gardens range includes: a peat-frree multi-purpose compost with a balanced, mineral fertiliser; a full size grow bag that iss

26 October 2021

To find out more about Harmony Gardens, visit the Southern Trident website, southerntrident.com, or contact the company at sales@southern trident.com or call on 020 3633 7786.

perfect for growing fantastic crops of fruit and vegetables and delivering amazing flavour; top soil for creating new garden borders, replacing old soil and levelling lawns; soil improver, which contains a unique form of nitrogen that helps improve all poor soils, adding organic structure and enhancing the performance of all plants. All products in the Southern Trident portfolio, including Harmony Gardens, are made exclusively from environmentally-responsible by-products and recycled raw materials, and the company is now uniquely carbon neutral verified to PAS 2060. As one of the New Product Awards judging panel commented: “This is taking peat-freee to a new level.” When coir firstt appeared in the UK and was incorporated into composts it had a very mixed reputation as a growing meedium. And not surprisingly so, it was varriable! Southern Trident has overcome theese shortcomings by producing a quality pro oduct. While quality can be seen as a relative term, it is absolute when it comes to the co ompany’s coir supply. Achieving consistent qualityy is built into the production process. Right from the start, from choosing quality dried husks, to fressh water washing to lower its salt content, throu ugh to the final QC process, every step in the production process is carried out to set

www.gardentradenews.co.uk

Glee 2021

We strive to produce innovative products that truly meet our pledge to be green today and greener tomorrow. standards. Southern Trident’s Indian manufacturing site holds a ISO9001 Quality Management accreditation. The company is backed by several years of experience and an R&D facility to create new formulations to suit specific applications. The production facility in India, supported by an affiliate partner network, ensures a quality product every time. Offering quality coir and other recycled materials to the market, is just one small part of the company’s commitment to sustainability. Consciously choosing certain n shipping lines for their carbon emission offset programs to reducing where possible its packaging for the retail range shows a total commitment towards sustainability. Southern Trident’s green credentials have been rewarded during 2021. The company recently celebrated Soil Association accreditation for its responsibly sourced coir, meaning they can be used with confidence by organic gardeners. It became an inaugural accredited member of the new Responsible Sourcing Scheme for Growing Media (RSSGM), which was launched at Glee, working with Defra, the HTA, growers, retailers and other manufacturers. And just before Glee opened, it won an International Green Apple Environment Award from The Green Organisation, and has become a Green World Ambassador – special people who demonstrate their environmental commitment by helping the organisation to achieve its prime target – to recognise, reward and promote environmental best practice around the world. Steve Harper, Southern Trident’s CEO, says “We strive to produce innovative products that truly meet our pledge to be green today and greener tomorrow. The business believes success will be borne from giving consumers products that deliver great results whilst minimising the environmental impact created.” Balaji Manoharan, Southern Trident’s co-founder and Managing Director adds “We have always believed in offering products that add real value to everyone in the chain. And we have included our environment as a key stakeholder in this chain. So, a lot of care and thinking goess into everything we do as a company. Both our consumer brands are a testimony to this fact.” Despite the expansion in Southern Trident’s range this year, 66 new products were launched at Glee, the companyy isn’t resting on its laurels. It is already looking at lots of new and exciting product developments in growing media, including incorporating additional plant growth enhancers in its range. But that’s for 2022. You’ll just have to wait until then to find out what these are! You can also follow Southern Trident on social media: facebook.com/cocoandcoir instagram.com/cocoandcoir twitter.com/cocoandcoir linkedin.com/company/southerntrident

www.gardentradenews.co.uk

To Mike Subject Southern Trident – How they got to Carbon Neutral… Hi Mike, Thanks for the email, it’s amazing the interest carbon neutrality has created, it’s not necessarily new, companies like Sky, M&S, Google and Avis are all carbon neutral but not something this industry has overly engaged in to date but am sure it will as time goes by. Firstly, I would just say that we have done this to stand by our mission statement of being “green today and greener tomorrow”. It is hugely important to the business to be as sustainable as possible and be ethically and morally sound in what we do. I may have mentioned before we already give a proportion of our profits to CRY an NGO that supports deprived children in India and more recently the Soil Association has accredited our coir as being an organically approved input material. All small steps to try and do the right thing as a business. So, back to carbon neutrality, simply put we had to measure all of the carbon we create, so that includes things like • Manufacturing of coir and it’s shipment to the UK. This is where the biggest misnomer lives, people think “oh coir, it’s shipped halfway around the world, that must be bad”. Actually, on a large ship carrying up to 14,000 containers, it dilutes the carbon massively; shipping it to the UK only accounts for 5.5% of my carbon footprint. • This was “relatively” simple because we had done a lot of the work preparing to join the Responsible Sourcing Scheme for Growing Media. o Interesting fact for you, the carbon footprint per cubic metre of coir shipping it to Liverpool is less per cubic metre sending bark from Scotland to Liverpool by truck. • Staff travel to and from work and on business • Waste • Energy used on site • Packaging • Shipment to retailers and/or consumers. o This is the worst area and accounts for around 45% of our total carbon footprint. It didn’t surprise me really; I recall measuring the carbon footprint of a bag of Multipurpose Compost whilst at Sinclair’s and 50% of the footprint was shipping the product to the garden centre. This is all measured to the 2014 WRI Green House Gas Protocol – Corporate Accounting Standard. This gave us a tonnage of carbon that we create. Once we had measured the footprint, we have to support a carbon offsetting scheme to achieve carbon neutrality. To ensure its credentials we chose a project that is overseen by the United Nations and complies with the Clean Development Mechanism (CDM). The specific project invested in is Avoidance of methane emissions from Municipal Solid Waste and Food Waste through Composting. Based in India, this project activity entails production of organic manure- ‘Enrich’ from municipal solid waste (MSW) and food waste (comprising of fish waste and coconut husk) through composting. This was chosen because a) it operates in India, the home of our raw material and b) involves the coconut, the starting point for coir. We then had to write an Action Plan as to how we will reduce our footprint moving forward, it’s not enough to just measure and offset, you have to reduce moving forward as well. So to this point we are looking at things like reducing the use of packaging, eliminating waste and increasing recycling as examples by which to reduce our total footprint. Hopefully that helps. Kind regards, Steve

October 2021 27

Glee 2021

A Glee full of smiles The GTN team had a most wonderful Glee this year. It was great to be back meeting retailers and suppliers face to face and seeing so many smiling faces. Here’s a selection of the images our team captured during the show. We hope they make you smile some more!

28 October 2021

www.gardentradenews.co.uk

Glee 2021 Bringing wildlife into the garden with WildPod™ BioScapes®, a new business in the Rolawn Group, launched their WildPod™ product at Glee. This unique one stop wildlife habitat is an easy way to attract more wildlife into any garden as it contains an ideal range of homes, houses, refuges, nooks, and crannies. With planting areas built in for pollinator planting schemes WildPod™ makes an attractive addition to the garden at the same time as helping to create healthy ecosystems and promote gains in biodiversity where they are used.

New products and infrastructure investment for Zest 4 Leisure

Garland Graland National sales manager Mark Dedman recalled the challenges of meeting unprecedented demand in a pandemicdisrupted year. The surge of renewed interest in grow-your-own, home propagation and gardening in general during lockdown led to well-documented product shortages across the board, and Garland were not alone in struggling to keep up as retailers searched for availability. However, Mark tells us, the company put on a staggering £5.4m in sales during the past year. “We would come in and often find a week’s worth of orders in a single day,” he said. “It was the picking and packing that caused us problems.” Unlike some competitors, Garland designs and makes most of its products in the UK at its West Midlands factory, which employs 60 staff, supplemented by agency workers. The company is proud of its sustainability performance – all packaging is either re-cycled or 100% recyclable. Mark says research shows that plastics in a closed-loop recycling system have a significantly lower carbon footprint than cardboard and paper.

www.gardentradenews.co.uk

Spread some joy with Woodmansterne cards After receiving such a positive reception when exhibiting at Glee for the first time in 2019 the Woodmansterne team returned for 2021 with great impact. A third-generation family business based in Watford, Hertfordshire the company is headed up by Managing Director, Seth Woodmansterne. Seth comments, “It is great to be back and we are delighted to be showcasing our product to our growing garden retail audience. The show provides a fantastic opportunity to engage with our existing customers as well as meeting new ones. As a category greetings cards are a great footfall driver providing add-on sales and helping to boost basket values.”

Garden furniture and garden structure specialist, Zest 4 Leisure (stand number 20A40-C41) is launched a range of new products for the 2022 season at Glee. Commenting on new product design and development, Managing Director, Steve Morgan said, “There has been a huge increase in the number of consumers wanting to enjoy their outdoor space whether for relaxation, entertaining and growing their own vegetables and decorative plants. It is more vital than ever to ensure that all these new consumers – as well as existing gardeners and garden leisure enthusiasts - can achieve their outdoor aspirations easily and quickly. Zest has always created attractive, comfortable, and cleverly designed products – and we have won many awards as a result. Now we are keen to build the convenience factor into our range, maximising choice and flexibility.”

October 2021 29

Glee 2021 Barking up the right tree!

Bringing compost home with the EasyMix Tumbling Composter Hozelock has introduced the EasyMix 2-in-1 tumbling composter for the easy mixing of home and garden waste. With 100 litre capacity, the composter can make compost 3 times faster than conventional composters. This means consumers can benefit from having soil-enriching compost ready in just 6-8 weeks. With a robust compact design, the drum can simply be rolled around the garden to distribute the compost with ease. The built-in reservoir collects the compost juice and the integrated ‘Click and Spray’ hose applicator means that it is easy to fertilise your plants. Manufactured from 85% recycled plastic the composter itself is 100% recyclable and the enclosed lockable lid means prevents pests and bad smells, making it ideal for the garden, garage, or balcony.

30 October 2021

With an estimated additional 3 million dog owners in the UK following lockdown there is increased interest in products for pets. Over half of these owners are under the age of 34 and so are more than happy to purchase products to pamper and care for their pooch. One company making its mark (or should that be bark) at Glee was Sniffe & Lickitt. This new venture which was set up at the end of 2020 by Lee Sargent comprises of a range of grooming products for dogs all based on natural aromatherapy scents. With a background in home and beauty care Lee felt there was a gap in the market for attractively packaged natural products for dogs, that sit well on the shelf rather than being hidden away. The scents all chosen from those that are found to be relaxing or stimulating for dogs such as juniper. In their Home Barking Kits nutritional ingredients like

chicken liver and sweet potato are joined by chia seeds, coconut and turmeric – all good for helping with coat and condition. www. sniffeandlikitt.com Scoff Paper have come up with the first edible rawhide free greetings card for dogs! Founded only 12 months ago by Matthew Fairhurst and Gemma Connolly the couple were inspired when one of the guide dogs that they board decided to take a chunk out of a regular greetings card. Made from potato starch with edible ink designs the cards are vegan friendly as well as being a big hit with our four-legged friends. The range has developed from simply birthday cards to something for every occasion. www.scoffpaper.com When it comes to play time Collarways have it sorted with their West Paw dogs toys. Made from sustainable recyclable plastic, including reclaimed ocean-bound plastic (Seaflex), the range includes the Drifty (a dishwasher friendly bone), the Saliz (a durable and light frisbee) and the Snorkl (for dogs who like bones, boomerangs and tug-of-war. A great range of durable, safe and sustainable toys for dogs to enjoy. www.collarways.co.uk

www.gardentradenews.co.uk

Glee 2021

Name that Seed Mix! Copdock Mill used Glee as an opportunity to engage with retailers by asking them to vote for the name of their new bird seed mix, which includes aniseed. Visitors to the stand can vote for their preferred name from the following options:- Attract More Birds, Birds that Brunch, Enchanted Delight, Wild Attraction and Twitter Party with the winning name; Wild Attraction, announced on Thursday. The Copdock Mill team have joined up with Songbird Survival – a national charity that funds research into song bird decline and provides advice and solutions on how to reverse this worrying trend. Over the last 50 years there has been a reduction of 50% of song birds in the UK. Copdock Mill have provided the charity with £25,000 over the course of their initial two-year partnership – helping to fund important research and raise awareness through adding information to the product packaging.

Paper trials for Keift & Sonss With sustainability on everyone’s lips at Glee, it was no surprise to find a number of new packaging solutions alongside the product innovation, especially the drive away from single use plastic. To address the issue of the perforated plastic packets in which euro-hook pre-pack bulbs are sold, bulb supplier Kieft & Sons had decided to trial paper packs. “They worked very well for bulbs like daffodils, tulips and crocus but we discovered they are not so suitable for things likee dahlia tubers, because of the higher moisture content,” director Anthony Bird told us.

Pleydell Portraits Design and business consultant Paul Pleydell of Pleydell Smithyman Ltd invited three visitors to his Glee stand to show their creative sides – by sketching a portrait of him. Glee event director Matthew Mein, Mark Murray of Newspan and Ferry Breugem of Smiemans all duly obliged, with the results on show for all to see on the stand. “They all produced a good likeness, but I think one in particular captured my image very well,” Paul told us. Which one? You decide – and let Paul know! paul@pleydellsmithyman.co.uk

www.gardentradenews.co.uk

October 2021 31

Glee 2021 RoboTime is a big hit at Fountasia Michael Weedon and team were so busy at Glee taking orders for their Robo-Time range of model DIY kits. “When buyers saw the full range of the kits they were queuing up to order the display cabinets and get supplies in for the run up to Christmas. The greenhouse kit; Cathys Flower House was the most popular to be ordered at Glee”

Pot-mate™ scoops the 2021 GIMA Innovators Seed Corn Fund

Hills thrilled in Green Heart The Green Heart – Glee’s horticultural hub crowned Hills Plants as winners of its 2021 Best Glee Green Heart Display award. As first time exhibitors, not just the Glee Green Heart but exhibitions in general, the award was warmly received by the team at Hills Plants, who used Glee to promote its range of British grown houseplants to garden retailers and plant buyers.

Now in its seventh year, the GIMA Innovatorrs Seed Corn Fund has helped to bring to market a series of brands, many of which are considered key players helping to drive growth and diversification of the garden retail sector. This year’s winner, Pot-mate™, is a simple yet highly efficient solution to a common problem associated with container gardening. So often pots, whether on a patio or deck, suffer from drainage issues or leave unsightly marks and rings where dirt and mould has been able to go undetected underneath the pot. With Potmate™’s innovative, UK-manufactured design these issues are a thing of the past.

100% Recycled Wild Bird Care packaging from Marriages Marriages launched the first wild bird care packaging made from 100% post-industrial recycled material, which is also 100% recyclable after at Glee. Also 100% biodegradable, it will naturally break down completely within a year, leaving no micro-plastics behind. Packaging is also sourced 50 miles from the manufacturing site reducing the carbon footprint.

www.gardentradenews.co.uk

October 2021 33

Glee 2021

Floral Thursday sets new records

ers Glee’s Floral Thursday promotion in aid of the Greenfingers d Charity raised over £2,500 this year and set a new record for the number of people at Glee in floral attire!

T

The event, supported by Garden Trade News, saw exhibitors and visitors to Glee joining in the fun by wearing an array of floral clothing throughout the day. All those taking part were asked to support the charity by buying a raffle ticket which was entered into a prize draw to win fabulous prizes, donated by generous Glee exhibitors. In 2019, when the first Floral Thursday took place at Glee, over £1,420 was raised for Greenfingers, with the array of floral looks bringing smiles to the faces of everyone who took part. Linda Petrons, Director of Fundraising & Communications said: “We’re so grateful to Glee for allowing us to run Floral Thursday on the final day of the show. We are so pleased that the garden retail industry gets together and embraces the Floral Thursday concept. From a flash of floral to outrageous outfits, Floral Thursday represents an incredibly easy way to show your support for our work, and we are forever grateful to every single person that joins in and especially to the exhibitors who so generously donated prizes for the Floral Thursday Grand Raffle.” Winners of the award for the best-dressed large team in Floral Thursday attire was Evergreen Garden Care – for the second year – while SP Trading of Brechin took the award for the best small floral team. The organisers were inundated with prize donations from exhibitors for the Greenfingers draw. The winning ticket was drawn by Andy Smith of Hyve Group, the organisers of Glee – it won him the Glee New Product Award winning Kettle Joe from Kamado Jo. Can we beat the new record at Glee 2022? See you in June!

34 October 2021

www.gardentradenews.co.uk

Glee 2021

What better way to end a great Glee than to have some fun for Greenfingers on Floral Thursday. Huge thanks to all who took part and donated cash and prizes. We’ll be doing it all again on Thursday 30th June 2022, see you then!

www.gardentradenews.co.uk

October 2021 35

GTN Bestsellers

Want to be at the forefront of garden centre customers buying patt tterns? t Every ryy week GTN receives and aggregates garden centre EPOS data to publish the most up to date sales trend data and Top 50 product chart rts t in the GTN Bestsellers weeklly printed newslett tter. t

G

TN Bestsellers is a paid for subscription service that aggregates EPOS data from a panel of garden centres every weekk to create Top 50 sales charts for Garden Products, Growing Media, Vegg 2 Gro, Wild Bird Care, Plants and from m September to December Christmas to o o. oo. For just £195.00 per year, subscribeers ers receive the weekly newsletter packed d with the most up to date garden centre sales intelligence, as seen in the he following six pages of this issue of GTN. TN N. The GTN Bestsellers weekly trend analysis always compares like for like so o any changes in trends are real and not down to whether a centre sends data or not. The aggregate turnover of the garden centre panel is around £100m per annum. GTN has been collating data for Bestsellers for 12 years and has been responsible for highlighting and quantifying uplifts in drip feeders back 011 in 2009 and 2010, garden lighting in 2011 and 2012 and most recently the uplift in sales of pots and pot feet as regular garden centre Bestsellers. n For less than £4.00 per week you can be at the forefront of garden centre consumer buying habits and trends. What a great way to maximise on the opportunities created by the millions d of new gardeners who have discovered garden centres in the past 18 months. Your GTN Bestsellers subscription can be purchased online via the link in GTN Xtra every week or by e-mailing trevor@ pottingshedpress.co.uk

36 October 2021

18 8 June 2021

Plantsalesat thedouble

At least 25% more gardening going on

Who budgeted for this? Garden centre sales in the GTN Bestsellers Epos database over the past five weeks, which compare with the first five weeks after re-opening last year, are 4% up, and plant sales over the same period are 10% up. In conversations we had with garden centres last year, they said “we’ll never achieve those highs again.” Instead, we’ve seen new record June sales weeks and with the weather holding the signs are that this could continue through into July. Last week, All Sales Volumes in the Epos data were 25% up on the same week last year, with growing media sales up by 34%. That is indicative of at least a quarter and up to one third more gardening activity currently taking place. Does that mean more than three million new gardeners in the marketplace or just the new gardeners from last year becoming even more active? With two weeks to go to the half year we could be looking at a year-to-

ALL EPOS PRODUCTS INDEX

WEEK-ON-WEEK

YEAR-TO-DATE VS 2020

YEAR-TO-DATE VS 2019

-20.7% +70.6% +13.5% % Volume sales movement compared to last week ek and year to date across all garden centre sales es in the GTN Bestsellers EPoS database.

date position at 15% up on 2019. Dare we think about even more increases eases in 2022? Year on year comparisons, below, are re now back to 2020 GTN Bestsellers Top 50 sales volumes: week 24 Garden Products Top 50 – up 15% Growing Media Top 50 – up 34% Veg-2-Gro Top 50 – down 24% Wild Bird & Wildlife Top 50 – down 33% 3% GTN Bestsellers All Sales volumes: week 24 All Plants with Barcode Index – up 26% 6% All Items with Barcode Index – up 25% 5%

Plants continue outsell previous totals for the first two weeks of June. Last week’s plant sales were 26% up on last year and more than double the same week in 2019. As we near the half year and look to balance out the post re-opening effect of last year, plant sales year to date are currently 105% up on 2020 and 17% up on 2019. Highlights of the week were: !As roses come into bloom with a vengeance, sales increased by 24% last week, moving up to No 13. !Bellis were the highest GTN Plants chart climber, up 12 places to No 27. !Asters were the highest Top 50 chart re-entry, back in at No 33. !All Plants volume sales change: Week on week DOWN 27.4%. Year to date vs 2020 UP 104.5%, vs 2019 UP 17.4%. This week

Last

Plant genus week Volume Sales Change 1 1 Zonal Geranium 2 2 Petunia 3 3 Begonia 4 4 Fuchsia 5 5 Osteospermum 6 9 Dahlia 7 6 Tomato 8 10 Dianthus 9 7 Impatiens 10 12 Nemesia 11 8 Lobelia 12 11 Verbena 13 20 Rose Increase 14 15 Salvia 15 14 Lavandula 16 19 Campanula Increase 17 13 Agapanthus Ag 18 24 Cosmos Co Increase 19 17 Bacopa Ba 9 July 20 16 Lupinus Lu 2021 21 23 Calibrachoa Ca 22 22 Tagetes Ta 23 18 Pepper P 24 27 Lathyrus L 25 21 Argyranthemum A 26 25 D Digitalis 27 39 B Bellis Highest Climber 28 32 H Helianthus Increase 29 30 CCucumber 30 28 D Delphinium 31 41 G Geranium 32 43 PPelargonium Re-enntry Aster 33 Re-entry A Highest Re-entry 34 29 Heuchera 35 34 Diascia 36 35 Courgette 37 44 Bidens 38 26 Strawberry 39 36 Lettuce Re-eentry 40 Re-entry ry Coleus as 41 49 Viola 42 46 Mint 43 37 Bean Garden centre sales volumes, as Re--entrry Festuca 44 Re-entry 45 42 Hydrange measured in the GTN Bestsellers Epos data, nearly got back to Re--entrry Penstemo 46 Re-entry parity with last year for the first week if July, Re--entr try Canna 47 Re-entry ncreas missing by only 2%. + 48 31 Geum Compared to the average for the 49 38 Antirrhin same

Longfruitfulsummer for plantsales

First week of July 24% up on 9-year average

50

40

week every year from 2011 to keeping up with our suggestion there is at least a quarter more gardening going on this summer.

Clematis 2019 sales were 24% up,

18 June, 2021

eptember 3 Se 2021

-6.6%

Heat turned upp es for August sales Despite cooler than normal temperatures, August garden centre trading reached new record levels for the month, even beating the previous, post Lockdown#1 high of last year by 12%. Excluding last year sales for the month were 36% higher than the August average for the preceding nine years. See you all at Glee!

ALL EPOS PRODUCTS INDEX WEEK-ON-WEEK

YEAR-TO-DATE VS 2020

ATE YEAR-TO-DATE 9 VS 2019

6% +14.0% +43.0% +16.6% Volume sales movement compared to last week and year to date across all garden centre sales in the GTN Bestsellers EPoS database..

Year on year comparisons below: GTN Bestsellers Top 50 sales volumes: week 35 Garden Products Top 50 – up 16% Growing Media Top 50 – down 6% Veg-2-Gro Top 50 – up 33% Wild Bird & Wildlife Top 50 – up 10% GTN Bestsellers All Sales volumes: week 35 All Plants with Barcode Index – up 18% All Items with Barcode Index – up 14%

Last week

Volume Sales Change

Plant genus

50

27

+57.5% +14.2%

Year on year compar isons below: GTN Bestsellers Top 50 sales volumes: week 27 Garden Products Top 50 – down 22% Growing Media Top 50 – down 16% Veg-2-Gro Top 50 – down 64% Wild Bird & Wildlife Top 50 – down 14% GTN Bestsellers All Sales volumes: week 27 All Plants with Barcod e Index – down 2% All Items with Barcod e Index – down 2%

beaat last year’s post Lockdown#1 record for August, up by saaless beat antt sales Plant Pla Higghlightss of the week were: Cyclamen and Pansy sales doubled %. Highlights 3%. 3% weeek to occupy the top two bestselling positions. st week las last

Cyclamen 1 1 Pansy 5 2 Viola 4 3 Calluna 2 4 Dianthus 3 5 Chrysanthemum 9 6 Echinacea 6 7 12 Ericaceae 8 Salvia 7 9 10 Heuchera 10 Lavandula 15 11 Hebe 11 12 Dahlia 8 13 Rudbeckia 13 14 18 Hedera 15 Sedum 2 23 16 28 17 GTN BestsellersLobelia - July 9 2021.indd Hydrangea 14 18 36 Anemone 19 16 Impatiens 20 29 Campanula 21 19 Rose 22 llis Bellis B 17 23 24 Re-entry Aster 22 Delphinium 25 Orchidaceae 31 26 27 Re-entry Primula Crocosmia 41 28 21 Penstemon 29 35 Phlox 30 Re-entry Echeveria 31 32 Celosia 32 30 Agapanthus 33 39 Platycodon 34 35 Re-entry Erysimum 36 Re-entry Festuca 25 Verbena 37 26 Matthiola 38 20 Fuchsia 39 40 Re-entry Coleus 41 Re-entry Pennisetum 44 Peperomia 42 49 Saintpaulia 43 44 Re-entry Tillandsia 38 Astilbe 45 43 Nepeta 46 47 Re-entry Lysimachia 46 Kniphofia 48 49 Re-entry Hibiscus

YEAR-TO-DATE VS 2019

Volume sales movemen t compared to last week and year to date across all garden centre sales in the GTN Bestseller s EPoS database.

laant sal PPlantsal

This week wee

YEAR-TO-DATE VS 2020

1

Now, with the Met Office long range forecast saying “there is a greater chance of warmer and drier than average conditions overall” next week, and then for the rest of July and August “there is a chance of conditions being warmer and drier than average overall” we could be in for a bumper summer as people make the most of their outdoor spaces. Your Bestsellers analyst is taking a week off next week, the first for two years, so we’ll next be publish ing a double issue of GTN Bestsel lers on Friday 23rd July. See you then.

GTN Bestsellers - June 18 2021 indd 1

ALL EPOS PRODUCTS INDEX WEEK-ON-WEEK

+100% Increase +100% Increase Increase Increase Increase +50% Increase

+50% Increase

Even after all the weeks of high plant sales throughout spring, last week were not far short sales of the levels in 2018 when there was a very late summer. It could be that if we keep stock levels up again this summer we’ll have another long and fruitful plant sales period before autumn planting takes over. Highlights of the week were: !Osteospermum were the only group to increase sales in Top 10. !Lillium were the highest re-entry at No 17. !Yew hedging, Taxus, saw a boost !All Plants volume sales change: in sales to re-enter at No 30. Year to date vs 2020 UP 83.7%, Week on week DOWN 12.5%. vs 2019 UP 17.3%. This week

Re-entry

Increase Increase Increase

Last

Plant genus week 1 1 Zonal Geranium 2 2 Dahlia 3 4 Rose 4 6 Begonia 5 3 Petunia 6 5 Salvia 7 7 Dianthus 8 9 Lavandula 9 8 Fuchsia 10 10 Osteospermum 11 11 Impatiens 12 14 Verbena 13 13 Campanula 14 16 Nemesia 15 12 Agapanthus 16 15 Tomato 17 Re-entry Lilium 18 25 Penstemon 19 26 Argyranthemum 20 20 Coleus 21 19 Tagetes 22 17 Cosmos 23 24 Digitalis 24 33 Heuchera 25 29 Geranium 26 27 Hydrangea 27 44 Alstromeria 28 21 Lobelia 29 Re-entry Astilbe 30 Re-entry Taxus 31 18 Calibrachoa 32 Re-entry Antirrhinum 33 50 Delphinium 34 23 Pepper 35 48 Coreopsis 36 49 Eryngium 37 31 Orchidaceae 38 30 Lathyrus 39 39 Festuca 40 47 Nepeta 41 46 Hebe 42 28 Bellis 43 Re-entry Echeveria 44 Re-entry Ericaceae 45 40 Nicotiana Re-entry

Gaillardia Sempervi H

Volume Sales Change

Increase Increase

Highest Re-entry Increase Increase Increase

+50% Increase Increase Highest Climber +100% Increase +100% Increase +100% Increase +50% Increase Increase Increase

Increase Increase Increase +50% Increase Increase Increase Increase

Increase Increase +50% Increase Increase +50% Increase

1

1

r C Climbe Highest Climber

I Increase Increase I Highest Re-ent

Special post Glee 2021 offer:

+100% Increase

+100% Increase

Incr +50% Increase +50% Increase

Buy your subscription before Sunday October 31st 2021 and save £50.00. Email trevor@ pottingshedpress.co.uk today

+50% Increase Increa Increase Increase Increase Increase Increase Increase Increase

Geranium

All Plants volume sales change: Week on week UP 18.7%. Year to date vs 2020 UP 63.8%, vs 2019 UP 18.3%.

3 September, 2021

1

www.gardentradenews.co.uk

8 October 2021

Plantsaleshitbyfuelshortages

Plant sales were badly hit last week with customers not using their cars due to the fuel situation across the country. As a result September plant sales were 17% down on 2020 but 17% up on 2019.

Fuel crisis hits garden centre sales

Fuel problems kept many customers at home last week as garden centre sales dipped below the levels of the past four years for the first time since mid-May. That dip didn’t stop overall September sales exceeding 2019 levels by 21%, another indicator of the market growth since the start of the pandemic.

ALL EPOS PRODUCTS INDEX WEEK-ON-WEEK

YEAR-TO-DATE VS 2020

YEAR-TO-DATE VS 2019

-12.2% +35.6% +17.0% Volume sales movement compared to last week and year to date across all garden centre sales in the GTN Bestsellers EPoS database.

Year on year comparisons below: GTN Bestsellers Top 50 sales volumes: week 40 Garden Products Top 50 – down 18% Growing Media Top 50 – down 23% Veg-2-Gro Top 50 – up 3% Wild Bird & Wildlife Top 50 – down 35% Christmas Top 50 – down 13% GTN Bestsellers All Sales volumes: wk 40 All Plants with Barcode Index – down 32% All Items with Barcode Index – down 12%

This week

Last week

Plant genus

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 49 50

1 2 3 4 6 7 5 10 9 8 13 12 19 11 28 18 26 17 16 15 14 30 20 24 22

Cyclamen Pansy Viola Calluna Erysimum Ericaceae Hedera Primula Bellis Chrysanthemum Heuchera Dianthus Orchidaceae Aster Skimmia Hebe Cupressus Sedum Rudbeckia Anemone Echinacea Solanum Dahlia Festuca Lavandula Tillandsia Calocephalus Helleborus Rose Spathiphyllum Euonymus Ornamental Cabbage Saintpaulia Fittonia Campanula Ilex Peperomia Sempervivum Carex Kalanchoe Verbena Dionaea Dracaena Anthurium Calathea Buxus Gaultheria Vinca Cherianthus Ophiopogon

Re-entry

21 44 29 33 25 37 50 42 Re-entry

34 35 45 27 Re-entry Re-entry Re-entry Re-entry Re-entry

36 Re-entry

39 Re-entry New Re-entry

Volume Sales Change

Increase

Increase

Highest Re-entry Increase

Highest Climber +50% Increase

+50% Increase +50% Increase +50% Increase Increase

Highest New Entry +50% Increase

All Plants volume sales change: Week on week DOWN 31.9%. Year to date vs 2020 UP 53.4%, vs 2019 UP 18.2%.

www.gardentradenews.co.uk

October 2021 37

GTN Bestsellers Growing Media Chart 03.10.2021 GROWING MEDIA CHART, WEEK ENDING SUNDAY 3RD OCTOBER 2021 COPYRIGHT © GARDEN TRADE NEWS 2021

gardentradenews.co.uk

$ & # " # & ! ! & % #

GROWING MEDIA CHART WEEK-ON-WEEK

YEAR-TO-DATE VS 2020

YEAR-TO-DATE VS 2019

-34.0% +27.2% +26.0%

Autumn growing up by 28%

Growing media sales, as reported in the GTN Bestselers EPOS data from garden centres, for September were 28% up on 2019 levels despite a big drop off last week due to the fuel situation. That’s a heck of a lot more autumn growing gong on!

This week

Last week

SUPPLIER – Product description – BARCODE

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 49

1 3 2 7 4 5 3 13 8 11 15 6 12 9 44 25 14 31 23 18 24 22 30 26 33 17 35 20 16

48

WESTLAND Multipurpose Compost with John Innes 50L - 5023377855566 EVERGREEN GARDEN CARE Miracle-Gro Peat Free All Purpose 40L - 5010272186246 WESTLAND Multi Purpose with John Innes 60L - 5023377006029 WESTLAND Gro-Sure Farmyard Manure 50L - 5023377859885 WESTLAND New Horizon All Plant Compost 50L - 5023377011023 WESTLAND Top Soil (Value Bag) 35L - 5023377853999 EVERGREEN GARDEN CARE Miracle-Gro All Purpose Compost 40L - 5010272186161 GROWTH TECHNOLOGY Houseplant Focus Repotting Mix Peat Free 8L - 5025644915645 EVERGREEN GARDEN CARE Levington Essentials Multi Purpose Compost 50L - 5010272187144 BLOOMIN AMAZING Soil Enricher 70L - 705632527993 TAYLORS Bulb Fibre 10L - 5015882990832 EVERGREEN GARDEN CARE Levington Essential Top Soil 35L - 5010272187205 WESTLAND Ericaceous Planting & Repotting Compost 60L - 5023377009570 WESTLAND John Innes No 3 30L - 5023377007552 EVERGREEN GARDEN CARE Levington Organic Blend Farm Manure 50L - 5010272187106 WESTLAND Jack’s Magic All Purpose Compost 60L - 5023377855405 WESTLAND John Innes No 3 Compost 35L - 5023377007538 GROWTH TECHNOLOGY Houseplant Focus Repotting Mix Peat Free 2L - 5025644913665 TAYLORS Peat Free Bulb Fibre 10L - 5015882025886 WESTLAND Multipurpose + John Innes 20L + 5L Extra - 5023377000768 WESTLAND New Horizon All Plant Compost 40L - 5023377007446 GROWTH TECHNOLOGY Cactus & Succulent Focus Repotting Mix 8L - 5025644915638 GROWTH TECHNOLOGY Cactus & Succulent Focus Repotting Mix Peat Free 2L - 5025644913672 WESTLAND Bulb Planting Compost 20L - 5023377843877 MELCOURT SylvaGrow Peat Free Multipurpose 50L - 5060157810292 WESTLAND The Gardener’s Multipurpose Compost 50L - 5023377002113 WESTLAND Bulb Planting Compost 10L - 5023377846694 WESTLAND Decorative Mini Bark 70L - 5023377859205 EVERGREEN GARDEN CARE Levington Multipurpose Peat Free + John Innes 50L - 5010272190687 WESTLAND John Innes Ericaceous 35L - 5023377007569 DURSTONS MANOR Farm Multipurpose 50L - 5021204000127 WESTLAND Tree & Shrub Planting Mix 60L - 5023377009563 WESTLAND Houseplant Potting Mix with Seramis 8L - 5023377006197 WESTLAND Container & Basket Planting Mix 50L - 5023377011344 WESTLAND New Horizon All Plant Organic Compost 20L - 5023377007453 GROWTH TECHNOLOGY Orchid Focus Repotting Mix Peat Free 8L - 5025644919797 GROWTH TECHNOLOGY Orchid Focus Repotting Mix Peat Free 3L - 5025644911050 KELKAY RHS Horticultural Alpine Grit Handy Bag - 5055066418943 WESTLAND Rose Planting Compost - 5023377009549 EVERGREEN GARDEN CARE Miracle-Gro Premium Bulb Fibre Compost 20L - 5010272186598 BULRUSH John Innes No 1 25L - 5702050001741 WESTLAND John Innes No1 Young Plants 35L - 5023377007514 WESTLAND Landscape Bark 100L - 5023377851230 THE REAL SOIL COMPANY Super Soil Garden Topsoil 25L - 794712633662 WESTLAND The Gardener’s Soil Conditioner 50L - 5023377002137 WESTLAND New Horizon All Plant Compost Pouch 10L - 5023377010408 WESTLAND Gro-Sure Perlite Pouch 10L - 5023377859632 WESTLAND John Innes Seed Compost 35L - 5023377007491 WESTLAND Ericaceous Plant Compost 25L - 5023377009587

29

EVERGREEN Miracle-Gro Moisture Control Pot & Basket Compost 40L - 5010272186352

50

! NEW ENTRIES 0 !

!RE-ENTRIES 8 ! CLIMBERS 18 !

FALLERS 22

! !

NON-MOVERS 2

38 October 2021

Re-entry

27 38 49 28 45 46 36 Re-entry Re-entry Re-entry Re-entry

39 19 42 37 Re-entry Re-entry Re-entry

Last year 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

Volume Sales Change

Increase

Highest Climber Increase Increase

Highest Re-entry

Increase

+50% Increase Increase Increase +100% Increase

+50% Increase Increase

TOP 10 GROWING MEDIA PRODUCTS THIS WEEK IN 2020 EVERGREEN GARDEN CARE Levington Multi Purpose with John Innes 40L - 5010272186819 WESTLAND New Horizon All Plant Compost 60L - 5023377007439 EVERGREEN GARDEN CARE Miracle-Gro All Purpose Compost 40L - 5010272186161 WESTLAND Multipurpose Compost with John Innes 50L - 5023377855566 WESTLAND Bulb Planting Compost 20L - 5023377843877 BLOOMIN AMAZING Soil Enricher 70L - 705632527993 EVERGREEN GARDEN CARE Levington Essential Top Soil 35L - 5010272187205 WESTLAND Gro-Sure Farmyard Manure 50L - 5023377859885 TAYLORS Bulb Fibre 10L - 5015882990832 EVERGREEN Horticulture Top Soil 25L - 5023421409660

www.gardentradenews.co.uk

GTN Bestsellers Christmas Chart 03.10.2021

CHRISTMAS PRODUCTS CHART, WEEK ENDING SUNDAY 3RD OCTOBER 2021 COPYRIGHT © GARDEN TRADE NEWS 2021

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 49 50

2 1 4 Re-entry

5 Re-entry

7 6 13 22 44 Re-entry Re-entry

11 10 32 New New Re-entry

8 12 42 New New New

50 29 Re-entry Re-entry New New New New

20 New

3 Re-entry New New Re-entry New Re-entry New Re-entry New Re-entry New New

19 New

STEENLAND Chocolate Coins 70g - 8718800006482 HISTORY & HERALDRY Santa’s On His Way Personalised Card - 886767432823 WIDDOP Christmas Hand Soap - 5017224897823 HISTORY & HERALDRY Personalised Christmas Storybook - 9781780707419 PEZ Christmas Sweets Dispenser & 2 Refills - 9044400848009 LINDT Teddy Bear 10g - 96022078 HISTORY & HERALDRY Christmas Tree Personalised Decoration - 886767401713 SUKI Personalised Penguin Hanging Decoration - 5053154274303 KAEMINGK Foam Candy with Glitter Red & White - 8719152756070 KAEMINGK Foam Lolly with Hanger - 8719152756056 HISTORY & HERALDRY Personalised Christmas Elf - 886767320519 MACKIES Pigs in Blanket Crisps - 5039378002588 SUKI Angel/Snowman Personalised Hanging Decoration - 5053154290020 LINDT Children’s Advent Calender - 5012454067282 PEPPA PIG Advent Calender 40g - 5010775178021 ZIEGLER Santa House Hanger - 5055873119439 DECORATION Fruit Small - 8712815619767 KAEMINGK 6cm Musroom Hanging Decoration - 8720194769010 SMART GARDEN Three KingsFrosty Penguins Mat 40x60cm - 5050642038331 PREMIER Colour Your Own Hanging Dec 12cm - 5050882275831 LINDT Teddy Advent Calendar - 4000539729102 KAEMINGK Unicorn Snowglobe - 8720093594317 KAEMINGK Porcelain Figure - 8720093948479 FESTIVE PRODUCTIONS Rainbow with Clouds 12cm - 5020244199785 DAVIES PRODUCTS Twin Jingle Bell Hanging Decoration - 5013206292075 ROSE CONFECTIONERY Christmas Mint Flavour Candy Canes - 5056192400970 ZIEGLER Robin House Hanger - 5055873119460 LINDT Mini Advent Calendar - 4000539764646 MACKIES Turkey & Stuffing Crisps - 5039378002182 EDLEMAN Spray Fern Gold 80cm - 8718861722895 ZIEGLER Snowman House Hanger - 5055873119446 BELFINE Snowman lolly - 5425001005352 KAEMINGK Hobby Horse Decoration - 8720194454152 FOUNTASIA Snowman Springer - 5056324209822 FESTIVE PRODUCTIONS Petrol 13cm Humming Bird - 5020244126828 STEENLAND Gold Net Chocolate Coins 100g - 8718800003696 BON BONS Christmas Hot Chocolate Spoon - 5060352659979 FESTIVE PRODUCTIONS Dark 10cm Flying Unicorn - 5020244205073 HEAVEN SENDS Angel - 5050544187458 PREMIER Colour Your Own Snowman Plaque 15cm - 5050882275893 ZIEGLER Reindeer House Hanger - 5055873119453 BELFINE Reindeer Chocolate Lolly - 5425001005376 KAEMINGK Gold Lace Shatterproof Bauble - 8720093650778 LINDT Chocolate Snowflake - 42394082 DAVIES PRODUCTS Blush Fern Leaf - 5013206324646 KAEMINGK Rose On Clip with Glitter Velvet - 8719152229352 KAEMINGK Candy Stick Hanging Decoration - 8719152655915 FESTIVE PRODUCTIONS Green 13cm Holly Cluster - 5020244238170 FLORALSILK Acorn/Berry Pick 20cm - 5021327067915 KAEMINGK Gingerbread Man Hanging Decoration - 8720194455821 TOP 10 CHRISTMAS PRODUCTS THIS WEEK IN 2020 LINDT Teddy Bear 10g - 96022078 SUKI Personalised Reindeer Hanging Decoration - 5053154249981 HISTORY & HERALDRY Personalised Gingerbread Hanging Decoration - 886767243818 HISTORY & HERALDRY Personalised Christmas Storybook - 9781780707419 HISTORY & HERALDRY Personalised Christmas Elf - 886767320519 SUKI Angel/Snowman Personalised Hanging Decoration - 5053154290020 SUKI Angel/Snowman Personalised Unicorn/Dinosaur Hanging Decoration - 5053154259324 LOTUS IMPORTS Small Sparkle Berry Stem - 5032859259938 KOOPMAN 10 Warm White Led Acrylic Star Lights Battery Operated - 8711295597862 LINDT Children’s Advent Calender - 5012454067282

www.gardentradenews.co.uk

Volume Sales Change +100% Increase +100% Increase +100% Increase Highest Re-entry +50% Increase +100% Increase Increase Increase +100% Increase +100% Increase Highest Climber +100% Increase +100% Increase +50% Increase +50% Increase +100% Increase Highest New Entry +100% Increase +100% Increase Increase +50% Increase +100% Increase +100% Increase +100% Increase +100% Increase +100% Increase +100% Increase +100% Increase +100% Increase +100% Increase +100% Increase +100% Increase +100% Increase +50% Increase +100% Increase

gardentradenews.co.uk

$ & # " # & ! ! & % #

CHRISTMAS PRODUCTS CHART WEEK-ON-WEEK

YEAR-TO-DATE VS 2020

+94.7%

-15.4% -15.6%

YEAR-TO-DATE VS 2019

Slow start for Christmas in September

September Christmas sales in the GTN Bestselers Eops data and Top 50 Christmas Products chart have been slower than the previous two years. That’s most likely down to a mix of products arriving late to garden centres and last week dip in footfall due to the fuel crisis. October’s sales volumes will give a better barometer as to how Christmas is faring overall.

+100% Increase +100% Increase +100% Increase +100% Increase +100% Increase +100% Increase +100% Increase +100% Increase +100% Increase +100% Increase +100% Increase +100% Increase +50% Increase +100% Increase

! NEW ENTRIES 18 !RE-ENTRIES 12 ! CLIMBERS 9 FALLERS 9

!

Last year 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

SUPPLIER – Product description – BARCODE

!

Last week

! !

This week

NON-MOVERS 2 October 2021 39

GTN Bestsellers Veg-2-Gro Chart 03.10.2021 VEG-2-GRO CHART, WEEK ENDING SUNDAY 3RD OCTOBER 2021 COPYRIGHT © GARDEN TRADE NEWS 2021

gardentradenews.co.uk

$ & # " # & ! ! & % #

VEG-2-GRO CHART WEEK-ON-WEEK

+6.1%

YEAR-TO-DATE VS 2020

YEAR-TO-DATE VS 2019

+50.5% +6.1%

Onion sets save the day

Later than usual sales of onion sets, garlic and shallots were the reason Veg-2-Gro was the only GTN Chart, apart from Christmas, to show growth last week. That helped September Veg-2-Gro sales for the month end 13% upon 2019 volumes.

! NEW ENTRIES 6 !

!RE-ENTRIES 15 ! CLIMBERS 18 !

FALLERS 10

! !

NON-MOVERS 1

40 October 2021

This week

Last week

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 49 50

6 3 11 7 13 8 2 9 4 10 21 1 14 New

42 29 18 43 22 Re-entry New New New Re-entry

19 5 39 32 26 Re-entry Re-entry Re-entry New

46 Re-entry Re-entry

25 Re-entry

47 Re-entry

12 Re-entry

15 35 Re-entry New Re-entry Re-entry Re-entry Re-entry

Last Year 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

Volume Sales Change

SUPPLIER – Product description – BARCODE TAYLORS Elephant Garlic, pack of 3 - 5015882214273 TAYLORS Onion Sets Electric - 5015882108299 TAYLORS Garlic Thermidrome - 5015882214150 TAYLORS Onion Sets Autumn Champion - 5015882014620 TAYLORS Garlic Germidour - 5015882214143 TAYLORS Red Winter Onions 50 Bulb Pack - 5015882108947 TAYLORS French Garlic Topadrome - 5015882019359 TAYLORS Onion Sets Radar - 5015882108107 TAYLORS Shallot Griselle - 5015882051052 TAYLORS Shallots Jermor - 5015882108312 TAYLORS Garlic Early Purple Wight - 5015882108817 BOULTON’S Strawberries In Variety - 5028749067936 TAYLORS Onion Sets Senshhyu Yellow - 5015882108220 KAPITEYN Garlic Messidor - 8711805132064 TAYLORS Garlic Garcua - 5015882025879 TAYLORS Garlic Carcassonne Wight - 5015882108879 KAPITEYN Onion Sets Senshyu Overwinter Y - 8711805030445 TAYLORS Rhubarb Red Champagne - 5015882214297 TAYLORS Garlic Lautrec Wight - 5015882108664 MR FOTHERGILLS Broad Bean Aquadulce - 5011775003092 KAPITEYN Onion Set Electric - 8711805132002 KAPITEYN Onion Set Senshyu Yellow - 8711805132026 KAPITEYN Garlic Fokhagyma - 8711805132057 TAYLORS Bulbs Chilli Metal Planter - 5015882011469 FARPLANTS Pepper Chilli Capsicum ‘Orange Wonder’ 1 - 5019945989429 COLOUR GRO Healthy Herbs 6 Pot Carrier - 5055047325543 QUANTIL Spring Onions Strips - 5060033670286 TAYLORS Bulbs Mushroon Kit Small - 5015882214471 FARPLANTS Strawberry Honeoye Spring V11 - 5019945230415 ACTION-PLANT Asparagus Plumosus 7cm - 8717777229047 SUTTONS Broad Bean Aquadulce Claudia - 5011567193819 TAYLORS Rhubarb Holsteiner - 5015882214280 KAPITEYN Garlic Flavor - 8711805132040 MR FOTHERGILLS Basil Sweet Genovese - 5011775004006 THOMPSON & MORGAN Beetroot Boltardy - 76567002887 FARPLANTS Strawberry Elsanta V11 - 5019945230392 THOMPSON & MORGAN Broad Bean Aquadulce Claudia - 76567001385 THOMPSON & MORGAN Carrot Fly Away F1 - 76567009664 QUANTIL Radish Strips - 5060033670576 TAYLORS Rhubarb Timperley Early - 5015882214037 QUANTIL Cauliflower Strips - 5060033670217 MR FOTHERGILLS Parsley Moss Curled 2 - 5011775002446 QUANTIL Curly Kale Strips - 5060033670453 TAYLORS Bulbs Chilli Starter Chilli Kit - 5015882217618 KAPITEYN Garlic Thermidrome - 8711805062811 BAZA SEEDS Kitchen Garden Bio Basilicum Genovese - 8726200273106 THOMPSON & MORGAN Sweetcorn Early Xtra Sweet F1 Hybrid - 76567002344 THOMPSON & MORGAN Cauliflower All The Year Round - 76567003723 MR FOTHERGILLS Fine Curled Cress - 5011775002279 THOMPSON & MORGAN Tomato Gardeners Delight - 76567002771

+100% Increase +100% Increase +100% Increase +50% Increase +100% Increase +50% Increase Increase Increase Increase Increase +100% Increase Increase Highest New Entry Highest Climber +100% Increase Increase +100% Increase Increase Highest Re-entry +100% Increase +100% Increase +100% Increase +100% Increase

Increase

Increase +100% Increase +100% Increase +100% Increase Increase +50% Increase +100% Increase +100% Increase +100% Increase +100% Increase

+100% Increase +100% Increase Increase Increase Increase

TOP 10 VEG-2-GRO PRODUCTS THIS WEEK IN 2020 TAYLORS Onion Sets Senshhyu Yellow - 5015882108220 TAYLORS Garlic Thermidrome - 5015882214150 TAYLORS Garlic Early Purple Wight - 5015882108817 TAYLORS Red Winter Onions 50 Bulb Pack - 5015882108947 TAYLORS Onion Sets Electric - 5015882108299 TAYLORS Garlic Carcassonne Wight - 5015882108879 TAYLORS Garlic Germidour - 5015882214143 TAYLORS Shallot Jermor - 5015882108312 TAYLORS Shallot Griselle - 5015882051052 TAYLORS Garlic Lautrec Wight - 5015882108664

www.gardentradenews.co.uk

GTN Bestsellers Wild Bird & Wildlife Care Products Chart 03.10.2021 WILD BIRD CARE CHART, WEEK ENDING SUNDAY 3RD OCTOBER 2021 COPYRIGHT © GARDEN TRADE NEWS 2021

SUPPLIER – Product description – BARCODE

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 49 50

1 2 5 4 3 9 6 11 14 31 10 7 23 38 36

RHS Suet Balls 60 Tub - 9120004639127 MARRIAGES Honeyfields Half Coconuts Feeder - 5011259994441 TOM CHAMBERS Classic Seed Blend 3.75kg - 5022506004066 HENRY BELL Fat Balls 50 Tub - 5026132031229 TOM CHAMBERS Nice Nuts 2.5kg - 25% extra free - 5022506007104 TOM CHAMBERS Sunflower Hearts 2.5kg - 5022506023951 WESTLAND Peckish Xtra Goodness Energy Ball, Pack of 6 plus 6 Free - 5060235445286 GARDMAN Seed Mix 2kg - 5024160782106 GARDMAN Hedgehog Bites 650g - 5024160917201 GARDMAN Peanuts 2kg - 5024160781529 MARRIAGES Basics Energy Balls 50 Tub - 5011259991556 GARDMAN No Nets Fat Snax 6 Pack - 5024160822130 GARDMAN Mealworm Pouch 400g - 5024160832757 GARDMAN Sunflower Hearts 2kg - 5024160845849 TOM CHAMBERS Hungry Hedgehog Blend 0.75kg - 5022506012726 TOM CHAMBERS Robin Rockin Feast 1.88kg - 5022506004097 GARDMAN Sunflower Hearts 1kg - 5024160846259 HENRY BELL Essentials Seed Mix 12.55kg - 5026132033834 WESTLAND Peckish Winter Warmer 1.7kg - 5060235444326 GARDMAN Suet Feast Value Pack, pack of 10 - 5024160617095 GARDMAN Seed Mix 12.7kg - 5024160782168 GARDMAN No Mess Seed Mix 12.75kg + 2kg Extra Free - 5024160884954 RSPB High Energy Suet Fat Balls with Sunflower Hearts, Pack of 6 - 5060417715039 GARDMAN No Grow Seed Mix 2kg - 5024160845689 GARDMAN No Mess Seed Mix 2kg - 5024160845702 WESTLAND Peckish Complete Easy Feeder 400g - 5060235444265 GARDMAN Fat Snax, tub of 50 - 5024160659958 RHS Complete Seed Mix 12.75kg - 9120004639134 TOM CHAMBERS Fat Balls 10 Multi Seed & Nut 100% Extra Free - 5022506029472 JACOBI JAYNE Flutter Butter Buggy 330g - 5030500091586 WESTLAND Peckish Daily Goodness Seed Nuggets 1kg - 5060235442971 TOM CHAMBERS Avon Log Feeder - 5022506005964 TOM CHAMBERS Seed & Nut Mix, 3kg + 50% - 5022506027058 TOM CHAMBERS Fat Balls 50 Multi Seed & Nut - 5022506029489 HENRY BELL Mealworm 500g - 5026132031175 HENRY BELL Superior Fat Balls 50 Tub - 5026132031670 RHS Suet Balls 6 Pack No Nets - 9120004639141 GARDMAN Co-Co Fat Feeder - 5024160040794 GARDMAN No Mess Seed Mix 4kg - 5024160845764 SMART GARDEN ChapelWood Wild Wings Feeding Station - 5050642062053 WESTLAND Peckish Natural Balance 12.75kg - 5060235440137 WESTLAND Peckish Complete 2kg - 5060235441806 WESTLAND Peckish Complete 2kg + 50% Free - 5060235444869 GARDMAN Mealworms Pack 1.2kg - 5024160790279 GARDMAN No Grow Seed Mix 2kg + 25% - 5024160866141 HENRY BELL Peanuts 1kg - 5026132031045 HENRY BELL Peanuts 2kg - 5026132031052 WESTLAND Peckish Peanuts 1kg - 5060235442025 GARDMAN Half Coconut Mealworm/Insect - 5024160862952 GARDMAN Swan & Duck Food - 5024160917249

Re-entry

24 21 8 47 12 48 New Re-entry

19 Re-entry Re-entry

22 20 Re-entry Re-entry Re-entry

37 41 Re-entry

26 Re-entry Re-entry Re-entry

39 40 Re-entry Re-entry

42 Re-entry Re-entry Re-entry Re-entry Re-entry Re-entry

TOP 10 WILD BIRD CARE PRODUCTS THIS WEEK IN 2020 RHS Suet Balls 60 Tub - 9120004639127 WESTLAND Peckish Natural Balance Energy Balls 50 Tub - 5060235442384 ERNEST CHARLES Apex Multi Nest Box - 5024160883933 TOM CHAMBERS Sunflower Hearts 2.5kg - 5022506023951 HENRY BALL Fat Balls 50 Tub - 5026132031229 TOM CHAMBERS Classic Seed Blend 3.75kg - 5022506004066 GARDMAN Seed Mix 2kg - 5024160782106 GARDMAN Décor Squirrel Proof Seed Feeder - 5024160916150 TOM CHAMBERS Nice Nuts 2.5kg - 25% extra free - 5022506007104 WESTLAND Peckish Complete 2kg + 50% Free - 5060235444869

www.gardentradenews.co.uk

gardentradenews.co.uk

Increase

Increase Increase Increase Increase +50% Increase

Increase +50% Increase +50% Increase Highest Re-entry Increase

$ & # " # & ! ! & % #

WILD BIRD CARE CHART WEEK-ON-WEEK

YEAR-TO-DATE VS 2020

YEAR-TO-DATE VS 2019

-10.8%

+6.0%

-12.1%

Wild Bird Care suffers from drop in footfall

Highest Climber +50% Increase Highest New Entry +100% Increase +100% Increase Increase

+100% Increase +50% Increase +100% Increase Increase Increase +50% Increase

September 2021 wasn’t a great month for Wild Bird Care sales, exacerbated by the lack of footfall due to the petrol shortages. Sales for the month were down 21% on last year and 19% down on 2019.

+50% Increase +100% Increase +100% Increase

+100% Increase +100% Increase Increase Increase Increase Increase +50% Increase Increase

! NEW ENTRIES 1 !RE-ENTRIES 19 ! CLIMBERS 14 FALLERS 13

!

Last year 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

Volume Sales Change

!

Last week

! !

This week

NON-MOVERS 3 October 2021 41

GTN Bestsellers Garden Products Chart 03.10.2021 GARDEN PRODUCTS CHART, WEEK ENDING SUNDAY 3RD OCTOBER 2021 COPYRIGHT © GARDEN TRADE NEWS 2021

gardentradenews.co.uk

$ & # " # & ! ! & % #

GARDEN PRODUCTS CHART WEEK-ON-WEEK

-19.6%

YEAR-TO-DATE VS 2020

+15.6%

YEAR-TO-DATE VS 2019

+7.3%

Panic buying of pot feet

Those who did venture out to garden centres last week appear to have been panic buying pot feet with products filling the No 1, No 5 and No 10 spots in the GTN Bestsellers Garden Products Chart. September garden products sales closed 4% ahead of 2019 levels.

! NEW ENTRIES 1 !

!RE-ENTRIES 24 ! CLIMBERS 14 !

FALLERS 11

! !

NON-MOVERS 0

CONTACT US ON 01733 775700 Bestsellers Analyst: trevor@pottingshedpress.co.uk Digital Editor: neil@pottingshedpress.co.uk Associate Editor: mike@pottingshedpress.co.uk Subscriptions: karen@pottingshedpress.co.uk Advertising: alan@pottingshedpress.co.uk Published by Potting Shed Press Ltd (PSP), Dairy Drove, Thorney, Peterborough PE6 0TX. All material © Potting Shed Press Ltd 2021. No part of this publication may be reproduced in any form whatsoever, either for sale or not, without the express permission of the publishers. The information contained in this publication is published in good faith and every effort has been made to ensure its accuracy. PSP can accept no responsibility for any error or misrepresentation. All liability for loss, disappointment, negligence or other damage caused by reliance on information contained in this publication or in the event of any bankruptcy or liquidation or cessation of the trade of any company, individual or firm mentioned, is hereby excluded.

42 October 2021

This week

Last week

SUPPLIER – Product description – BARCODE

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 49 50

33 3 4 6

APTA Terracotta Pot Feet - 5022413548516 EVERGREEN GARDEN CARE Miracle-Gro Evergreen Complete 360 sq m + 10% - 5010272183320 SBM Baby Bio Original 175ml - 50371280 EVERGREEN GARDEN CARE Evergreen Autumn Complete 100 sq m Refill - 5010272183313 WOODLODGE Small Pot Feet - 5021346110852 EVERGREEN GARDEN CARE Levington Tomorite 1L + 30% Free - 5010272182620 CREATIVE PRODUCTS Dead Head Snips - 5060247072760 WOODLODGE Pot 599 - 5021346480559 EVERGREEN GARDEN CARE Roundup Total Ready To Use 1.2L - 5017676018012 WOODLODGE Driftwood Pot Feet, Pack of 3 - 5021346431803 WOODLODGE Spang Pot 3 inch - 5021346437935 GROWTH TECHNOLOGY Orchid Pot Clear 13cm - 5025644913658 GROWTH TECHNOLOGY Orchid Pot Clear 12cm - 5025644911616 GROWTH TECHNOLOGY Houseplant Focus Drip Feeders 38ml - 5025644918592 STEWART Flower Pot 4 inch Terracotta Multi-Pack - 5022939831147 GROWTH TECHNOLOGY Orchid Pot Saucers 13.5cm - 5025644912767 APTA Verona Half Pot 26cm - 5022413558263 GROWTH TECHNOLOGY Orchid Focus Drip Feeders 38ml - 5025644916376 SMART SOLAR Magni-Light 30 Lumens - 5050642026819 WOODLODGE Standard Spang Pot 2.5 inch - 5021346364897 GROWTH TECHNOLOGY Orchid Myst 300ml - 5025644911814 EVERGREEN Miracle-Gro Rose & Shrub Continuous Release Plant Food 1kg - 5010272076516 EVERGREEN GARDEN CARE Roseclear Ultra, Ready To Use 1L - 5010272088212 GROWTH TECHNOLOGY Orchid Myst 100ml - 5025644918639 GREENKEY Mini Mister Mixed Colours - 5060059281053 CREATIVE PRODUCTS Nano Gel Tape 1m - 5060247073323 FITO Drip Feeder For Orchids 32ml - 8006320027705 WOODLODGE July Mixed Pot 11 - 5021346480924 WESTLAND Lawn & Turf Dressing 25L - 5023377844881 SMART GARDEN Anti-Freeze Tap Cover - 5050642046152 ALGON Organic Algae Remover Patio Cleaner - 5060028700011 KENT & STOWE Stainless Steel Bulb Planter Large - 5060396798993 SBM Baby Bio Orchid Food 175ml - 50371341 GROWTH TECHNOLOGY Orchid Pot Clear 8.5cm - 5025644911838 IVYLINE Large Bee Cacti Planter - 5055352840953 APTA Verona Standard Pot 11cm - 5022413558034 WILKINSON SWORD Deluxe Bypass Pruner Boxed - 5050581000901 EVERGREEN GARDEN CARE Miracle Gro All Purpose Plant Feed - 5010272185447 GROWTH TECHNOLOGY Houseplant Focus 100ml - 5025644910923 GROWTH TECHNOLOGY Houseplant Myst Ready To Use 100ml - 5025644918646 SMART GARDEN Plant Warming Fleece 10m x 1.5m - 5050642030496 EVERGREEN GARDEN CARE Weedol Rootkill Plus Gun 1L - 5010272086379 STEWART Flower Pot Saucer 10 inch, Terracotta - 5022938846142 GROWTH TECHNOLOGY Orchid Focus Drip Feeders, pack of 6 - 5025644918585 GARLAND 61cm Tree Ties - 5031670509161 EVERGREEN GARDEN CARE Bug Clear Ultra Vine Weevil Killer 480ml - 5010272090147 GARDMAN Heavy Duty Tree Ties, 50cm - 5024160081964 CREATIVE PRODUCTS Bottle Light - 5060247072319 KENT & STOWE Wooden Hand Bulb Planter - 5060396792526 WESTLAND Gro-Sure Smart Lawn Seed 40 sq m - 5023377862311

Re-entry

1 11 19 16 Re-entry

47 44 37 Re-entry Re-entry Re-entry

20 23 Re-entry Re-entry Re-entry

15 10 17 Re-entry

34 8 27 7 Re-entry

25 46 Re-entry Re-entry New Re-entry

30 Re-entry Re-entry Re-entry Re-entry

18 Re-entry Re-entry Re-entry

42 Re-entry Re-entry Re-entry Re-entry

Last year 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

Volume Sales Change +100% Increase Increase

Highest Re-entry

Increase +100% Increase Highest Climber Increase Increase +50% Increase +100% Increase Increase

Increase +100% Increase +50% Increase

Increase

Increase

+100% Increase +100% Increase Highest New Entry Increase Increase Increase Increase Increase +100% Increase Increase

+100% Increase +50% Increase Increase Increase

TOP 10 GARDEN PRODUCTS THIS WEEK IN 2020 EVERGREEN GARDEN CARE Evergreen Autumn Complete 100 sq m Refill - 5010272183313 CREATIVE PRODUCTS Bottle Light - 5060247072319 EVERGREEN GARDEN CARE Evergreen Complete 360 sq m + 10% Extra Free - 5010272183320 WOODLODGE Spang Pot 3 inch - 5021346405910 WOODLODGE Pot Feet Large - 5021346111026 WOODLODGE Small Pot Feet - 5021346110852 WILKINSON SWORD Bypass Pruner - 5050581003117 GROWTH TECHNOLOGY Orchid Focus Drip Feeders 38ml - 5025644916376 CREATIVE PRODUCTS Dead Head Snips - 5060247072760 FITO Drip Feeder For Orchids 32ml - 8006320027705

www.gardentradenews.co.uk

Garden Centre Books

The Cactus Surgeon and Gardening Made Simple – books published by garden centre authors

H

annah Powell, of Perrywood Garden Centre has published a book called The Cactus us Surgeon: Using Nature to Fix A Faulty Brain after being diagnosed with a Functional Neurological ological Disorder in 2009. It’s a nature and health th memoir which explores the possible sible reasons for Hannah’s burnout and nd investigates her connection ction with Mother Nature. It’ss a book of mindful moments, nts, savouring the small wonders nders of flora and fauna. Cactus us Surgeon was her dream m career when she was six. x. “I wrote the book primarily to help others. s.

Hannah can be contacted via thecactussurgeon @gmail.com for bulk orders.

I want to raise awareness of functional neurological disorders and I’ve found that every time I open ope up and tell my story it encourages encou somebody else to ask for help.” The book b is available to buy via Hannah’s H website www.thecactussurgeon.com, www.theca at Perrywood Perrywoo Tiptree and Perrywood Sudbury, through independent book shops sh including Red Lion Books in Colchester, via e-book providers prov and on Amazon. Gar Gardening Made Simple, The Th Glendoick Guide for Beginner Gardeners, written Be by garden centre owner Ken Cox, C is a back-to-basics look

at everything, from tackling weeds to raising tasty vegetables. Useful for anywhere in the UK, but aimed particularly at Scotland, northern half of England and inland or hill gardens, where the climate can be particularly fickle. Ken says: k up “Three million people h have taken gardening in the last year but when I looked at the books available to them I couldn’t find anything that was aimed at beginners, so I decided to write one myself.” “This book is essential reading for garden centre staff who want to be able to answer all the questions new gardeners are asking.” Gardening Made Simple, How to Grow and What to Plant is published by Glendoick Publishing, £12.95, with wholesale discounts available. www.glendoick.com/ gardening-made-simple

Planet-friendly fire logs powered by coffee. Get ready for the cosy season. Order Coffee Logs today. Coffee Logs are exempt from Ready to Burn and approved for sale by DEFRA. sales@coffee-logs.com

www.gardentradenews.co.uk

www.coffee-logs.com

October 2021 43

Viewpoint

Tales of the unexpected Boyd J Douglas-Davies, HTA President

T

hat pretty much sums up the last two years, and just when you thought you had got rid of me and a new HTA President was due, the unexpected happens and I’m still here! If recent times have taught us one thing it must be to have contingency plans in place for every eventuality and more besides! The next few years will bring several known changes and connected challenges. The restrictions on the use of peat will ultimately bring volumes down to zero. Manufacturers are dealing with this at the moment and from what I’ve seen this year at NIAB and Levington they are well on the way to identifying great alternatives. But, if you have historically had self-sufficient water resources on your nursery or garden centre don’t be complacent as all known peat free mixes require much more water, maybe twice as much. I was fortunate enough to have an opportunity to make this very point to Rebecca Pow, Environment Minister, recently. Along with Martin Emmett of Farplants, I had a full discussion with her at the Chelsea Flower Show about the numerous challenges our industry faces. The message from her, back to industry, was please educate your local MPs and Ministers as the more they know about us, an industry

they’re all looking to support, the better. Consider inviting your local Parliamentarians to visit your business. The HTA happily helps to facilitate these meetings so do get in touch if you’d like to be a host. Did you visit the one-off Autumn Chelsea Flower Show? It was great to see the alternative colours that the season allowed and the wide variety of plants. If ever our trade needed a reminder that autumn is a great time in the garden then it was at Chelsea loud and clear! Alongside the wonderful, but costly, gardens on main avenue from the likes of Mark Gregory, Ann-Marie Powell etc there were brilliant gardens throughout the show. Highlights for me included the hugely popular Forge Garden from Blue Diamond and the Pyramid created by Peter Seabrook. Both were excellent showcases for the plants we all sell. Back to contingency planning... Have you got plans in place to deal with the high freight costs that aren’t going to drop anytime soon? The lack of plastic pots and trays that is going to impact every grower in the UK and Europe next year? The cardboard shortage that will affect dry goods manufacturers and even some growers who have turned to cardboard trays in recent years instead of plastic? Labour shortage is an international issue that I don’t see being resolved quickly so how do we deal with this as an industry? I think we need to work together to create opportunities for permanent teams to be shared across companies at different times of year. There must be growers close to Garden Centres that don’t need all of their team from Oct to Jan – just when centres are looking for more people. Joined up thinking now could lead to year-round contracts with continuous service. I’m writing this article on a plane, my first flight in over two years, heading to Ireland to inspect our Christmas Tree crop. From there I go to Holland to meet with houseplant growers. As difficult as it is at the moment to get product over the water we do need to keep the supply chain flowing as smoothly as possible. The HTA is working tirelessly on everyone’s behalf to improve the processes involved. If you’re facing particular challenges do please let the team at Horticulture House know.

please educate your local MPs and Ministers as the more they know about us, an industry they’re all looking to support, the better

Find out more

The Horticultural Trades Association is the UK industry’s leading membership organisation. It welcomes all sectors of horticulture – to join please contact services@hta.org.uk.

44 October 2021

www.gardentradenews.

co.uk

Made from Nature, Safe for Nature Hygeia launch their new Nature Safe pest control and growing media range, all made from natural, sustainably sourced seaweed and seashell by-product from the wild Atlantic shoreline of Connemara, Galway in the West of Ireland. Shortlisted in the GLEE New product awards, Hygeia’s Nature Safe Slug and Snail barrier is made from crushed seashells, making it 100% sustainably sourced by utilising waste products. The sharpness of the crushed seashells create a barrier that slugs and snails will not cross over. The material takes longer than standard slug barriers to break down plus will provide additional benefits of enriching the soil naturally with calcium and chitin once it does break down. This Chitin naturally found in seashells also adds an additional pest control element, creating an

inhabitable environment for most garden pests. The new Nature Safe Lawn Aid and Plant Pest defence contains seaweed which stimulates growth, nutrient uptake and reduces abiotic stress such as drought, frost, flooding and sun scorch. It also introduces the benefits of Chitin that naturally lives on the skeleton of crustaceans, which increases the presence of lytic enzymes in the soil, creating an environment which garden pests will avoid, acting as a natural prevention treatment. Expanding on their already popular range of seaweed feeds comes a new Nature Safe rooting gel. With all the benefits of concentrated seaweed, Laminara digitata, and using bioactive molecules, the gel forms a protective seal on the plant cutting thus providing protection against desiccation. The natural bio-stimulant properties of seaweed assists in new root generation and Humics provide strong growth during the establishment period.

Sustainably sourced seaweed hand-harvested off the Coast of Connemara, Galway in the West of Ireland, and cold pressed for maximum extraction. This proprietary cold process technology retains more bioactive compounds and micro-nutrients naturally present in seaweed.

Viewpoint

The future is looking bright for garden retail Vicky Nuttall, Director of GIMA

A

s I settled down to read the recent ‘Growing a Green Economy’ report from the Ornamental Horticulture Roundtable Group (OHRG), I got to thinking about how the garden retail sector is also on track for a vibrant future. The OHRG report highlighted significant growth opportunities for the ornamental horticulture and landscaping industries, and I’m pleased to say that the wider garden retail sector is included in these predictions. This is especially true following a two-year period of significant buoyancy as the nation took up tools and started to enjoy the real benefits that time spent in the garden can provide. A visit to the recent Glee exhibition was testament to the fact that our industry is thriving. Not only was the exhibition full of established names but it also welcomed over 100 brands that had only recently launched into the sector; some of which we are pleased to have welcomed as new GIMA members, further supporting our ongoing membership growth. This grassroots growth is demonstrative of success breeding success. With gardening now at the forefront of so many people’s everyday life, it makes sense that innovators and entrepreneurs will start to emerge to grab a slice of the pie and I, for one, welcome it. It’s also great to see retailers broadening their net to incorporate both new and smaller suppliers, with second and third choice brands getting a foot in the door. This diversification of offering is sure to play dividends for our sector as we move forwards. In addition to new brands, we are also starting to hear of new faces joining established brands. Supporting the sales teams, enhancing marketing departments and driving change within the management structure, these new faces are bringing fresh blood

and new voices to our industry. A new perspective to positively challenge change and to identify new growth opportunities is exactly what any industry needs to continue to thrive. Of course, we need to recognise that our current rate of growth – whilst phenomenal – is largely driven by factors we would never have predicted. Whilst pre-season orders remain unprecedently high, this may be more due to safeguarding stock availability rather than an expectation of incredibly high sales peaks as seen in 2020 and 2021. As such we must expect our growth to level out as the exponential growth we have witnessed over the last two years is not a sustainable reality as we get back to the new normal in a post-pandemic world. The challenges that are also impacting our sector, such as longer lead times, price increases across the board and haulage issues relating to driver shortages, also have the capacity to slow our growth. Therefore it is vital that we continue to work together to keep lines of communication open so that we can better forecast and minimise the long-term bearing that these issues could have. Do not misunderstand me, however, growth will continue, and our sector is in a better situation that most, especially as we move into the 2022 season where gardening will remain a popular pastime for so many of us. What stands before us is an exciting prospect, and always GIMA will remain available to support our members as we navigate this growth opportunity.

growth will continue, and our sector is in a better situation that most. What stands before us is an exciting prospect

46 October 2021

Find out more

For further information about GIMA, please call (01959) 564947 or email info@gima.org.uk

www.gardentradenews.co.uk

Gardening for Pollinators Eco-friendly products from G Plants

Available in Video Display Units Following the successful launch of Bee Friends® Seed Bombs SALES CONTINUE TO BLOOM! Premium easy-gardening ranges are available in wooden video display units and if ordered before 30th November 2021, you will only be invoiced in 2022!

New Gift Lines

For 2022

Packed in the UK by G Plants Ltd For more information contact sales or download our NEW brochure online now

www.gplants.com

CONTACT G Plants Ltd 01254 790 350

sales@gplants.com

Helping businesses grow for over 55 years Working with horticulture retailers for over five decades, Fordingbridge take pride in providing aesthetic, practical & high quality canopies to the Garden Centre industry. Thinking about providing a weather-protected retail space for your customers...? Think Fordingbridge.

Contact us today to arrange a FREE site visit

info@fordingbridge.co.uk 01243 55 44 55 www.fordingbridge.co.uk