Wyevale Garden Centres, which recently rebranded from The Garden Centre Group, today announced it has agreed to acquire Moreton Park Garden Centre from Shropshire Leisure Group.

Located in Chirk, Wrexham along the English-Welsh border, the 70,000 square foot centre will complement the company’s existing coverage in the region and bring the size of the WGC estate to 141 centres. 

Kevin Bradshaw, Chief Executive of Wyevale Garden Centres, said: “Moreton Park has an excellent reputation as a stand-out garden centre in the region. Known for its unique location, excellent plants and products and appeal to gardeners of all abilities, the centre is an ideal fit within our estate and we look forward to welcoming its customers and employees to our business.” 

Shropshire Leisure Group, which is backed by Rcapital, says it is delighted that Wyevale Garden Centres has acquired Moreton Park. SLG will now concentrate on its hotels and pub, which are also located in Chirk – The Lion Quays Hotel & Spa, Moreton Park Hotel and the Lord Moreton Pub. 

Wyevale Garden Centres is the nation’s largest group of garden centres, with 141 centres across the UK and employs more than 5,200 staff. Its own garden loyalty club, The Gardening Club, has more than 2.5 million members. For more information visit www.wyevalegardencentres.co.uk 

The company's brand change to Wyevale Garden Centres will be implemented at the corporate level in mid-October 2014 with rollout complete to all centres by February 2015. Moreton Park Garden Centre will adopt the national umbrella brand and will become known as Moreton Park, a Wyevale Garden Centre. 



Award-winning garden centre: The Moreton Park team at the GCA North West Awards this summer.

Two Glendale-managed parks in Waverley have taken gold at the annual South and South East in Bloom Awards, held at Brighton & Hove Albion’s American Express Community Stadium.

The national green services company is celebrating gold medal wins for Gostrey Meadow in Farnham in the small parks section, and Phillips Memorial Park in Godalming in the large parks category.

Both parks, which are maintained by Glendale for Waverley Borough Council, were assessed by a panel of judges and scored against criteria relating to the improvement they have made to the local environment.

To win gold, the highest of five standards, entries must score 85 per cent or 170 points out of a possible 200.

Paul Ford, contract manager at Glendale, said: “At Glendale we not only aim to set a standard but to constantly better ourselves, and these latest awards are proof of the dedication and hard work of our teams.

“The in Bloom awards are not only about sustainable environments but sustainable communities too, and we’ve always been proud of the way we work with the community to maintain spaces which can be enjoyed by all.”

Mark Collings, green spaces contract officer at Waverley Borough Council said, “It’s fantastic that we’ve received these Gold awards and that the hard work of Glendale and their partnership working approach with Waverley Borough Council has been recognised.

“The dedication of the permanent Glendale Park Keepers at each site, Nick Gibbs for Gostrey Meadow, and Robert Pelham for Phillips Memorial Park, was praised by the judge Jean Griffin who said that it was refreshing to see old style values returning. Community events and volunteer work at both sites was also commended.”

This year’s South and South East in Bloom awards received a record 400 entries from across Kent, East and West Sussex, Surrey, Hampshire, Isle of Wight, North Dorset and East Wiltshire.

Glendale has been managing and maintaining parks, recreation grounds, cemeteries, sports pitches, communal green spaces and housing estates around Waverley since 2005.

Crowds turned out at a garden centre in Cornwall last Sunday (September 28, 2014) to see The North Cornwall Onion Show.

Trelawney@Wadebridge in Sladesbridge near Wadebridge provided the venue for the show for the fourth year running on Sunday, September 28.

Peter Burks, General Manager of the garden centre, explained: “We were delighted to be able to host the show again. It was a fantastic event and the onions on display were a great sight to see. This year the show received lots of support from the local community.

“It is thought The North Cornwall Onion Show started after World War II and has grown ever since. As it has long been established we are proud to be able to help it continue.”

There were 14 categories to enter and sections not just for onions but also other vegetables such as shallots, pickled onions, pumpkins, marrows and leeks. Each winner in each class received a cup and a cup was presented to the winner of the most classes.

Peter added: “We would like to congratulate all the winners. Charles Kestell from Wadebridge won the cup for the most classes. The heaviest onion, which weighed 7.7 pounds, belonged to Mike Blake from Tywardreath. Meanwhile Simon Stidwell from St Dominick near Callington took home a cup for his globe onions and Mihai Stefanescu from Bodmin won a cup for his black radish.

“Two families also celebrated on the day. The Matthews’ family from Bodmin won the heaviest pumpkin category. Their pumpkin weighed a staggering 213 pounds. Henry aged eight, William aged 10 and 12-year-old Evie collected their cup with their mum, Charlotte. Four-year-old Jacob Ubhi and his mum Helen from Sladesbridge won the category for the best three leeks. The vegetables on show were magnificent. Well done to everyonewho took part.”

One of Cornwall’s largest and leading independent garden centres, Trelawney@Wadebridge was originally launched in 1970 as a nursery by Frank and Marion Danning. The garden centre is now run by their son David and David Symons, who started working for the family at the age of 11.

The garden centre provides customers with a wide range of quality gardening products including plants, furniture, barbecues, gifts and food items. Its friendly and knowledgeable staff are on-hand to give visitors help and advice on all gardening matters. There is also a garden building and Elite Spa concession on-site. 

Carriages Restaurant, which seats up to 240 customers, is situated next to the lake at Trelawney@Wadebridge. It serves hot and cold drinks, snacks, cakes, breakfasts, lunches, a daily carvery and children’s meals.

The award-winning, family-run business includes two generations of the Danning and Symons families. More than eight years ago the company launched a sister garden centre in North Devon, Trelawney@Ashford and is opening its third garden centre Trelawney@Probus on a green-field site in Cornwall next year (2015).

Trelawney@Probus looks set to offer visitors a chance to see plants and products in action with garden areas on-site showing how things grow and work.

For more information, please call Trelawney@Wadebridge, which is located just off the A389 in Sladesbridge near Wadebridge, on 01208 893030 or visit www.trelawney.co.uk.

Sales of growing media products in the GTN Bestsellers Growing Media Top 50 chart indiacte that we are having the best Autumn gardening season for over five years. 

All of the last three weeks have seen the highest cumulative Top 50 sales volumes for weeks in September since we started our weekly EPoS data analysis in 2008.

Garden Products are following in a similar vein with Top 50 volumes the highest since 2010.

It would appear that ornamental planting, lawn care, bulbs for spring, taking cuttings for next year and continued instant garden decoration are at the top of the Autumn gardeners agenda.

And all this while many centres are half hidden while Christmas displays are created.

GTN Bestsellers Top 50 sales volumes compared to the same week last year:

• Garden Products – up 5%
• Veg 2 Gro – down 24%
• Growing Media – up  44%
• All items index – static 0%

If you would like to subscribe to GTN Bestsellers email karen.pfeiffer@tgcmc.co.uk

Rising Stars put their nerves aside to deliver outstanding presentations on merchandising during their final masterclass at Van Hage in Peterborough...

Judges on the panel of the Westland Horticulture/Garden Centre Association (GCA) Rising Stars Programme were so impressed they are still deliberating over who has made the final 5 and will go on to present at the GCA Conference in Chester in January, where the overall winner will be chosen by delegates.

The presentations were packed full of success stories. These included Rising Stars who had quadrupled sales through clever and impactful merchandising, as well as showing great attention by keeping hotspot areas fresh and creating clear signage and themed displays for events such as Mother’s Day and food retail.

Ian Boardman, IBBIS Director and training facilitator for the Rising Stars Programme said that it was clear the stars had ‘not only taken notes and listened to advice throughout programme, but also demonstrated an unrivalled level of passion for implementing this advice in their own garden centres with spectacular results.’

Keith Nicholson, Marketing Director for Westland Horticulture said: “The quality of the presentations show how much the Rising Stars are a credit to the centres they are representing and the wider industry, They have throughout the course shown a wide range of skills and produced clear insights into shopping behaviour and then acted upon them to drive sales and engagement. It’s going to be really tough to select the final five this year.”

Iain Wylie, Chief Executive of the GCA, said: “We’ll be announcing the final five over the coming week, so keep your eyes peeled to find out who you will be voting on at the GCA’s annual gala dinner on January 27.”

Garden lighting continues to dominate that top of the GTN Garden products chart as truly traditional gardening products also sell through in high volumes.

• Gardman Ice Orb Solar lights move up 2 places to No 1.
• Scotts Verdone Lawn Extra Spot Weeder climbs 17 places to No 13.
• Bayer PB! Strike Rooting Powder re-enters the Top 50 at No 43.

Wyevale Nurseries based in Hereford is looking for a full-time Sales Executive within the Amenity Sales Department to join its team and is struggling to find a suitable applicant.

Adam Dunnett, Sales and Marketing Director at Wyevale Nurseries, said: “Ideally we would want to take someone on with amenity sales experience but as this type of person seems to be rare we would certainly consider someone without direct sales experience but who was/has been involved in the commercial amenity sector, maybe as a buyer or estimator.

“The amenity sales sector accounts for 70% of our business and this is an incredibly important appointment for us and is therefore really frustrating that so far we haven’t found a suitable candidate. We have been searching since May and would love to hear from anyone who thinks this position is well suited to them.

“We had a high calibre of people applying to take on a garden centre sales role this spring and wondered if the lack of interest in amenity is something to do with the perception people have as we are possibly seen as more retail orientated when the truth is the opposite or is it a general industry issue? I do know that several other amenity nurseries have really struggled to find sales people recently.

“We are looking for someone who ideally has sales experience, is a great communicator, negotiator and team player. They will need to work well under pressure and to deadlines and be self-motivated.”

The job will include preparing quotes and tenders, managing contracts won, liaising with production, buyers and supply chains to ensure the customers’ expectations are exceeded. The appointed person will also have to visit customers and trade shows.

The salary will depend on experience and other benefits are also included such as a company car and fuel costs. 

For an application form for the position, please email adam@wyevale-nurseries.co.uk.

Wyevale Nurseries is one of the largest family-run wholesale nurseries in the UK. It was established in 1928 by Harry Williamson, a horticulturist and entrepreneur. It became the company it is today under the leadership of his son, Peter, who sadly passed away in 2011.

The Williamsons’ saw the opportunity to sell their product to an undeveloped retail market, creating one of the first garden centres, followed by a chain. In 1987, the retail side needed to expand and the 19 garden centres were sold as a PLC.

The family then turned its focus to Wyevale Nurseries Ltd. It continues to be a family-run business with ownership and joint chairmanship currently being held by the third generation, Heather and Simeon Williamson, with plans for the fourth generation to takeover in the future.

Wyevale Nurseries has a significant product range and is regularly introducing new plants. It offers a large variety of trees, shrubs, hedging, herbaceous and specimen plants to garden centres, landscape contractors, local authorities, foresters and landowners.

Our client is a leading UK retailer looking to appoint an experienced horticulture Buyer to contribute to the garden plant 3 year plan.  

With a horticultural/plant science background, you will have expert live product knowledge and an understanding of the plant types consumers wish to buy to help decorate their homes and landscape their gardens.  

You will have experience in product development by analysing and translating consumer trends and have strong supplier relationships to follow through on this NPD process.  

Having financial responsibility for each product category, you will be accountable for the sales budget and subsequent forecasts.  

Stakeholder management will be key as you plan customer focussed and profitable range plans.  

You will have strong buying skills, a strategic outlook and be a natural influencer/motivator. 

This is a fantastic opportunity to join a dynamic and customer focussed company where you will be able to make a large impact across the organisation through your well researched promotional plans.     

Please call 01780 480530 and speak to Gillian Muir or apply with your CV quoting reference #6607 to info@morepeople.co.uk

Our client is an award winning mailorder / e-commerce business who have a high and longstanding reputation of providing the amateur gardener with outstanding varieties of fruit and vegetables. They are currently seeking a top buyer who can buy, range plan and category manage. Someone who is retail commercial aware and can build on their current success and continue to stimulate growth in the 'Grow your own' sector. 

The ideal candidate will have considerable experience within the e-commerce and or retail buying. Have experience within the live plants and horticultural sector and preferable at chain or supermarket level. Must be a superb team leader who can lead from the front.

Please call Dianne Saunders on 07929 013910 or apply with your CV quoting reference 6536 to info@morepeople.co.uk

A buyer is being sought to join the seasonal team at this leading UK retailer's Head Office.  

Responsible for various garden and leisure products, you will be responsible for contributing to the category strategies by working closely with the supply base and Merchandising teams to deliver on the sales budget.  

A quick thinker and with an eye for innovative development, you will be instrumental in determining the category promotional plans by interpreting the customer insight data with the Marketing team.  

A dynamic and strong negotiator, you will build strong relationships with suppliers as you set and agree trading terms.  

You will have a passion for retail and the ability to work on short, medium and long term plans.  

You will be joining a very dynamic and multi-channel retailer as they continually strive to develop and deliver their product offerings to their well researched consumer base.   

Please call 01780 480530 and speak to Gillian Muir or apply with your CV, quoting reference #6600 to info@morepeople.co.uk

Our client is an award winning mailorder / e-commerce business who have a high and longstanding reputation of providing the amateur gardener with outstanding varieties of fruit and vegetables.

They are currently seeking a Junior Buyer to form part of their buying team. Ideally someone from a good horticultural background who is keen and driven and can work within this fast paced business that buys seeds, onion sets, live-plants and garden sundries for a catalogue driven market. 

The ideal candidate will have 2-3 years post college experience within a retail or commercial horticultural business. Experience of buying is desirable but not essential. Good IT and communication skills.

Please call Dianne Saunders on 07929 013910 or apply with your CV quoting reference 6537 to info@morepeople.co.uk

Veg gardeners are making the most of the great weather with autumn planting onions, shallots and garlic that will give them early crops in the new year.

• Taylors Shallots Jermor jump 7 places to No 4.
• Strawberry plants make a return to the chart at No’s 16 and 19.
• Suttons Seeds Broad Bean Aquadulce Claudia is the hiughest chart climber, up 27 places to No 17.

Growing media sales volumes are up 44% on same week last year with bulb compost and multipurpose the big winners.

• Arthur Bowers Bulb Compost 20 litres up 11 places to No 7
• Westland Multipurpose 50 litres up 16 places to No 22
• Westland Bed and Border Chipped Bark, 70 litres, has the highest week on week growth, up 135%

Biomass technology, crop protection and legislation were among the topics of interest at British Ornamental Plant Producers (BOPP) AGM and Technical Seminar which took place on 25 September 2014 at Stoneleigh Park, Coventry.

The seminar, which was fully booked, brought together retailers, growers and suppliers to learn about and discuss the current issues affecting the industry and also provide an update on the strategy and activities of the BOPP Scheme.

Renewable energy continues to be a hot topic and is receiving increasing interest from the horticultural sector helped by the Renewable Heat Incentive (RHI) subsidies which are currently available. Biomass technology offers the potential for growers to address rising fuel prices and to reduce their environmental impact, although for many there are unanswered questions about the practicalities of its implementation.

Jon Swain from the Farm Energy Centre provided an overview of renewable energy options past and present highlighting the various factors to consider. Tony Budd, from EcoVision, an HTA CRoP partner, complemented this by talking about the technology options available from ground source heat pumps to biomass boilers.

This was followed by a grower panel session where Richard Harnett from Kernock Park Plants and Simon Earley from Earley Ornamentals shared their experiences of installing biomass technology onto their respective nurseries providing useful hints and tips along the way. At Kernock they installed a central biomass boiler in 2006 (replacing the 13 boilers they had across their site). He emphasised the need for a backup boiler and also a dedicated member of staff – essentially a Fred Dibnah type with IT skills!

Simon stressed the importance of researching the right fuel as this is critical to the efficiency of the boilers. Whilst wood pellets are more manageable they do come at a higher price than wood chip – ‘The heat that you get out depends on the quality of material you put in,’ he said. Kernock manage this aspect by buying in and storing their wood a year in advance so they can control their fuel source.

Delegates also heard about ethical trading in the supply chain, updates on legislation impacting on the sector and the latest HDC news about crop protection and R&D. All had a common theme about the need to work collaboratively in order to make progress.

Two interactive workshop sessions from Paula Edgington and Anna Cook looked at developing and implementing a quality management system and supplier management providing plenty of opportunity for discussion and debate.

BOPP Scheme Manager Anna Cook comments, “The theme of the seminar was ‘Setting New Standards’ and all of our speakers have picked up on a common theme; working collaboratively. We hope we have assisted the attendees to understand that new requirements, whether they be legal, ethical, environmental or certification driven can be met by working together and seeking support from the right sources.”

Many thanks to sponsors Bulrush, Ecovision, Fedden USP, HTA Insurance Services,  HTA Utility Services, Phytolux and Sedex.

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

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

As the year goes on we give sales volume comparisons with 2012 as well as 2013 to allow your teams to see variations over a three year period.

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

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

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

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

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