Garden Re-Leaf Day 2023, on Friday 24th March was a huge success with hundreds of people from across the industry and across the country taking part to gain publicity for the start of the gardening season and to FUNdraise for the Greenfingers Charity.  Over £50,000 has been raised so far with the total growing hour by hour.

Greenfingers Charity Fundraising Director, Linda Petrons, told GTN Xtra: "What an incredible Garden Re-Leaf Day 2023 has been and what a roller coaster of emotions so many of us have been on over the last few days!  Seeing 100 walkers, 4 runners and 15 cyclists set off from Tring Garden Centre, to hearing how our incredible volunteer Ambassadors, Jane Lawler, William Armitage, Jenny Douthwaite and Martin Cowell, saw 28 walkers set off from a brand-new walk-in Holmfirth has been simply amazing. We really can’t thank Jane enough for putting this brand-new Garden Re-Leaf Day event on the calendar!

"Over 100 garden centres and suppliers across the UK have held a fabulous range of events; there have been quiz nights, donations from every planter and cuppa sold, raffles, tombolas, bikeathons, head shaves and teams going Green for Greeenfingers.  There have been virtual plant sales, delicious cake sales in offices, car washes and so much more besides. 

"Thank you so much to every single person and every business who has gone the extra s-mile to get involved this year.  Your support has been humbling, fantastic and so very much appreciated.  The money you have raised will for sure see the next Greenfingers garden become a reality! Thank you from us all at Greenfingers Charity."

Boyd Douglas-Davies, the founder of Garden Re-Leaf Day, who set the walkers off at the first ever Northern sponsored walk for Garden Re-Leaf Day and then drove to Tring to see the walkers home at the southern event said: "I'm so grateful to the whole industry for taking my little idea and making it in to a massive event. I never thought, back in 2011, when I launched the idea at GIMA awards that it would have grown so well. 

"Talks, nursery tours, schools planting, gardens being refurbished, crowds walking, riding and running, choirs singing, curry & quiz nights,  raffles, bake offs.... the list goes on and on!!!

"Amazing!!!!"

See the stories below for photos from the southern and northern events and watch this space for details of other FUNdraising events that took place on Garden Re-Leaf Day 2023.

Thanks to the efforts of Greenfingers Ambassador Jane Lawler, William Armitage and Jenny Douthwaite, the first ever Garden Re-Leaf Day Sponsored Walk in the north of England took place on Friday 24th March 2023.  

Starting from the Pickled Pheasant pub near Holmfirth, South Yorkshire, 28 walkers set off for a 13 mile trek around beautiful "Last of the Summer Wine" country.  The scenery was stunning and the hills were proper hills!

See the gallery of photos taken by Steve Burden and GTN's Trevor Pfeiffer below.

100 walkers, 20 cyclists and a flashmob from the Rock Choir meant this year's Garden Re-Leaf Day event in the south of England was the biggest yet, raising even more money for Greenfingers.

Starting and ending at BGC's Tring Garden Centre the walk took in the Buckingham country side and canal towpaths.

See photos from the day by Paul Webb and GTN's Alan Burdon below:

Primeur held their own Garden Re-Leaf Charity FUNdraising Day on Wednesday 22^nd. Their grand total was a staggering £5200 which was raised with the help of lots of support from a number of their suppliers, colleagues and a contribution from Primeur.

Managing Director Jenny Douthwaite told GTN Xtra: "We are so grateful to all that took part in helping us raise this incredible total for Greenfingers!

The Charity Fun Day took place on site at their head office in Bingley, West Yorkshire, to help contribute to Garden Re-Leaf day and raise vital funds for a worthy cause very close to their hearts, Greenfingers charity.

The fun day included carnival type games and raffles with many great prizes available. A selection of food and drink were available for the Primeur team to buy at lunch including a BBQ and a bake sale, helping fuel them for the highly anticipated treasure hunt!

"First place won a day’s holiday so you can imagine the competitiveness and seriousness taken!" Added Jenny.

"Contributions from local businesses included generously donated prizes and money towards the cause. After a fabulous day, a total of £5200 was raised”

SBM Life Science has become an official platinum partner of the national horticulture charity Greenfingers, pledging its support to the organisation that creates magical gardens for children in hospices.

The partnership will see SBM Life Science, which produces some of Britain’s most-loved gardening brands including Baby Bio®, Phostrogen®, Toprose®, Maxicrop®, Provanto® and Protect Garden®, offer ongoing sponsorship and fundraising support to help Greenfingers on its mission to provide crucial care to thousands of families with seriously ill children.

Having completed almost 70 gardens in children’s hospices across the UK to date, Greenfingers has plans to deliver a number of new garden projects in 2023 that will allow life-limited children to spend quality time outside with their families and friends in a safe and enriching environment, as well as providing a special space for reflection and remembering.  

Fundraising efforts will begin next week with Greenfingers’ annual flagship fundraiser, Garden Re-Leaf Day, which will see SBM Life Science proudly support the South Walk on Friday 24 March 2023.

The SBM team will lace up their walking boots to join the route around Tring to help vital funds for the charity, while taking in views of the picturesque Chilterns “Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty.”

In addition to becoming a platinum partner, SBM’s Sales Director, Scott Williams, and Senior National Account Manager, Lowri Walker, will become official Ambassadors of the charity, offering ongoing efforts to help raise awareness and fundraise for Greenfingers throughout the year.

Scott Williams commented: “We are delighted to join forces with Greenfingers, a charity that provides invaluable support to the families across the country. We’re very much looking forward to supporting them over the coming months, kicking things off with the Garden Re-Leaf Day South Walk on Friday. I’m also incredibly proud to become an Ambassador for the charity itself, a role which I consider to be a real honour.”

Linda Petrons, Fundraising and Communications Director for Greenfingers, added: “I am thrilled to welcome SBM and its well-known heritage brands as a partner of our wonderful charity. Together, we will continue to make a real difference to the lives of children and their families when they need it most.”

Barnsdale Gardens is supporting Greenfingers this Garden Re-Leaf Day with a 10% donation from each sale of the Rose 'Geoff Hamilton'.

The 'Geoff Hamilton' holds delicate pink flowers on stiff stems and has the shape and scent of a traditional English rose, but with the modern benefit of disease resistance.

Named by David Austin in memory of 'the peoples gardener', the rose has a warm soft pink colour and are cupped at first, later becoming rosette-shaped, the outer ring of petals fading to white, providing a most attractive effect. There is an Old Rose fragrance with a hint of apple.

As it is the 40th Anniversary of Barnsdale Gardens this year, the rose has been selling like hot cakes!  But never fear, there will be more available from May. 

The Greenfingers Charity is a national charity dedicated to supporting children who spend time in hospices around the UK. Their aim is to create inspiring gardens for them and their families to relax in and benefit from.

Linda Petrons from Greenfingers stated “We are absolutely thrilled that this stunning rose will support our work.  As Geoff was involved with Greenfingers right from the early days, it’s a wonderful tribute to a special friend.” 

Rosa 'Geoff Hamilton' will be available again from the online Barnsdale Gardens store from the first week of May.

With just two weeks until Easter, which is considered to be the start of the season for hard landscaping, Meadow View Stones stock inventory across their multiple production sites is at its peak, ready and able to react quickly to the anticipated increases in demand. 

Sarah Hill, MD, states: “Whilst high stock levels ensure our team can adequately react to demand, transport is always a consideration with the rush to secure vehicles an industry wide problem due to the majority of suppliers reliant on third party haulage.  For this reason, we are advising our customers to place orders as soon as possible to ensure orders can be grouped and deliveries can be achieved ready for Easter trading."

Meadow View Stones in house merchandising and sales agent team can provide set-up assistance, with both teams offering decades of product and industry expertise to ensure continued sales growth via range planning and creative merchandising.  

With over 200 garden centres already merchandised, the teams are on hand to continue the transition with new or existing accounts ready for the peak of the season. 

The whole team at Meadow View would like to wish all customers and fellow suppliers a Happy and prosperous Easter.

If you would like further sales assistance or help getting your area set up, please contact a member of the sales team or email info@meadowviewstone.co.uk. 

With e-commerce providing a quick and easy shopping experience for consumers, it is important for retailers to maximise the customer experience in store. Hartman wanted to support customers in this journey and as a result have created some in-store spatial branding that defines the centres garden furniture offering without compromising on shop floor space.

Hartman Marketing Manager, Michelle Bradford, said: “The new in-store branding solution enables garden centres to add definition to their seasonal department, capture the consumers attention and effectively present the Hartman brand. It enables customers to create flexible spaces that work with their floor plan, without compromising on space. We launched the concept at SOLEX 2022, defining areas of our stand using the branded banners, and it is fantastic to see the concept being rolled-out into store.”

Belinda Brett, of Buckhatch Nursery and Garden Centre, comments: “Here at Buckhatch Nursery & Garden Centre we have been partnering with Hartman for 4 years now and look forward to many more years of trading and increased business.

"When considering what stockists to put into the new sales area I carefully considered what I thought was the right fit for our centre. Knowing that Hartman was a long established brand within the garden centre industry gave me faith in becoming a stockist. 

"My experience has been extremely positive from all aspects, the area sales representative, customer support when needed, staff training annually as required, POS graphics & cafe barriers making the area defined yet stylish.

"Whilst the past few years haven’t been the easiest to manage with stock supply and customer demand they have made that journey somewhat easier.”

Hartman unites comfort, design and quality into all the garden furniture it creates. Click here to become a stockist of Hartman garden furniture.

Following media stories, some of which are included in this issue of GTN Xtra, about further developments on the peat-ban, the Defra Press Office issued the following Blog on Friday 24th March:

There has been news reporting of our ban on horticultural peat. In 2011 we agreed to a voluntary phase out of the sale of peat and peat-containing products by 2020, and repeatedly stated that we would legislate if this was not successful. While progress was made, the industry transition has been too slow. Therefore, in August 2022, we announced a ban on the sale of peat and peat-containing products in the retail horticultural sector by 2024.

The retail sector accounts for 70% of peat sold in the UK. The professional sector also utilises peat to grow some food products and plants ranging from oaks to rarer species. There are already many peat alternatives on the market including bark, coir, bracken which have been well adopted in the amateur sector. Defra has jointly funded research with the industry on peat replacements in professional horticulture, the results of which are promising. Indeed sectors such as strawberries and other soft fruit growers have already transitioned away from peat-based growing media.

However, the sector has raised concerns about the widespread availability of these products. This week we set out further details to the professional horticultural sector and our expectations for a phased reduction in the use of peat with a date of 2026 - allowing for certain technical exemptions – with a complete ban from 2030.

A phased approach will enable professional horticulture businesses to conduct further commercial scale trials to identify suitable peat-free growing media, in particular for challenging plants, allow time for adaptation and replacement of commercial growing systems and to allow plants already started in a peat containing growing media to work their way through the supply chain.

The exemptions include:

• Technical exemptions for production of young plants in plugs with a maximum volume of 150ml and the production of edible mushrooms with a peat casing layer of 2cm. As our understanding of the technical difficulties improves then this may also include other plant types or production methods where peat cannot be readily replaced.
• Conservation exemptions:  It will be necessary to ensure that peat continues to be available for the safeguarding of vulnerable or endangered plant species where it is unclear whether a peat free growing media and no other reliable growing media. This exemption will not be time limited.

At all times we have considered the views of stakeholders on both sides of the argument, seeking to protect our precious peatlands, our largest carbon store, while acknowledging the difficulties the industry face in making such a change.

A Defra spokesperson said: "We have repeatedly stated that if the voluntary targets to phase out the horticultural use of peat, set in 2011, were not successful then we would need to legislate. Our peatlands are our largest carbon store as well as a uniquely valuable habitat. Our approach has sought to achieve our commitments to restore our peatlands while acknowledging the challenges faced by the horticulture sector in transitioning over the last 10 years.

"We believe that a ban in the amateur sector for 2024, which accounts for 70% of use, is still the right approach. Furthermore, we feel that a phased approach for the professional sector with some exemptions from 2026 and a full ban from 2030, is achievable given the number of peat alternatives available and the period of time permitted for the sector to adjust."

James Barnes, Chairman, HTA commented: “UK growers are absolutely behind the sustainable transition from peat-use. A decision from Defra on the ban dates has been long-awaited. The Government’s original ambition was for England to be peat free by 2030.   Although challenging, this date was accepted as creating the time to have a workable transition away from peat.

“This is why the announcement that the ban will come into effect four years earlier at the end of 2026, even with phased exemptions, has caused widespread concern and alarm amongst professional users and growers.  There are already plants, trees and crops in the ground now intended for sale after that date. More than halving the trial seasons available to achieve a successful transition is hugely disappointing and will be a blow to many businesses who are already facing economic and trading pressures. Until legislation is on the statute books and guidance ready, we are without 100% certainty and clarity on the detail of how the ban, phased approach, technical exemptions and handling imports will work in practice. This is totally unacceptable.

“The 2026 date feels arbitrary and could severely impact British horticulture – a sector which underpins the government’s 25-year environment plan.  The use of peat has already declined significantly but there are big challenges in ensuring there is the quantity and quality of sustainable peat free alternatives for growers to access by 2026.

“The HTA has been constant and constructive in its engagement with government on ensuring the move away from peat is achieved in a way that is sustainable and truly does deliver for the environment as well as Britain’s environmental horticulture sector. It is vital we see government action in creating a professional grower forum to engage on the multitude of issues arising including the timing and exemptions.” 

Defra has confirmed that while some peat-containing products will be banned from shelves in 2027, others will be exempt from a ban until 2030. This means that for some professional growers, peat use will still be permitted for the next 7 years. 

Ailis Watt, peat policy officer at The Wildlife Trusts says: “Today’s announcement is bitterly disappointing. Last year we welcomed the news that the UK Government would ban the sale of bagged peat compost in England by the end of 2024. The Wildlife Trusts hoped that a ban on all peat products would follow shortly after this date.  

“The destruction of irreplaceable peatlands for gardening should have been outlawed long ago. These precious habitats are vital for nature and for our climate because they store vast amounts of carbon and are home to some of the UK’s most special wildlife. We need to see far greater levels of ambition if the UK is to relinquish its status as one of the most nature-depleted countries on Earth or come close to achieving net zero emissions by 2050. Peatlands must be better protected as a matter of urgency.”  

Today’s announcement will allow a large proportion of professional growers to continue to use peat to grow plants and mushrooms. According to data from the Growing Media Monitor, plug plants and mushroom production alone made up 42% of all peat used by professional growers in 2021.  

For decades the UK Government set ineffective voluntary targets to tackle the horticulture industry’s use of peat and its corresponding habitat destruction. The Wildlife Trusts have repeatedly urged the Government to enforce bans for the last 30 years. 

The Wildlife Trusts are calling upon the UK Government to: 

• Ban the extraction and commercial trade of peat immediately
• Ban all horticultural uses of peat as soon as parliamentary timeframes allow, or by 2024 at the latest 
• Restore all bogs damaged by the removal of peat by 2030  

Ailis Watt continues: “The decision to allow the sale of peat-containing products to continue until 2030 does not reflect the value of peatlands - here and abroad - and is at odds with this Government's manifesto commitment to ‘deliver the most ambitious environmental programme of any country on earth’.

“It contradicts the notion that gardening is an activity which is beneficial to nature and places a burden of responsibility on the consumer to ensure they are not inadvertently buying environmentally destructive peat-based products.” 

The Wildlife Trusts estimate that policy failure to stop peat extraction has caused up to 31 million tonnes of CO2 to be released since 1990. 

Picture: Peat bog © Mark Hamblin

Replacing the estimated 1.7 million cubic meters of peat used in horticulture with sustainable alternatives is a huge challenge, but one which has today been boosted by £320,000 of grant funding secured from the Esmée Fairbairn Foundation.

Newly founded environmental innovator Sizzle has brought together organisations including waste management companies, garden retailers, trade bodies, NGOs and academics to explore new sustainable alternatives to peat and how to make it easier for people to select a greener choice.

The funding will support an initial 18-month trial that will look to enhance the quality and consistency of composted materials derived from waste streams, in a specific area. The resultant materials will then potentially have a wider range of uses helping to reduce the amount of raw materials needed by the industry. We aim to explore the use of derivatives from green, agricultural and food waste streams and work closely with the local authority and waste processor to deliver key messages and increase the quality of feedstocks and resultant compost.

The project will also demonstrate to gardeners how best to use peat alternatives as a growing medium and highlight how composting and the use of wormeries can create mulch and soil enhancers.  

A location for this trial is currently being sought and if successful, the results will be openly shared, enabling it to be rolled out on a national level.

The UK and Welsh Government are currently leading the way in banning retail peat based growing media sales in horticulture. Scottish Government is currently consulting on this issue.

This welcome step will help towards tackling the climate and biodiversity crises and support the transition to net zero; seeks to help gardeners transition successfully to peat free and provide evidence to inform legislation change to increase the replacement of peat with more sustainable peat alternatives. 

The growing media industry has been moving to peat free but also needs support to find alternatives at scale that are of high quality, consistent and readily available. This trial will help address changes that are required across the whole system, including the legislative framework, business practices and citizen behaviour. Areas of focus include reducing contamination from waste streams to enhance the quality of materials that could be part of the peat replacement process and identifying potential legislative blockers which might unexpectedly hinder the use of waste derivatives as part of the transition from peat.  

Trewin Restorick, founder of Sizzle said: “We must hasten the transition from the use of peat in horticulture to more sustainable alternatives,however to achieve this we need systemic change, from producers through to customers. We’re particularly keen to explore whether a sufficiently high volume of well-composted waste derived material could be used at the scale and quality required by the industry.

I’m optimistic that with new levels of collaboration between organisations who haven’t previously connected, plus this fantastic funding boost from Esmée Fairburn Foundation to run a localised trial, we can show what’s possible and provide some innovative solutions at scale.

We are now looking for a location to run this trial and are very keen to hear from local authorities and waste management companies within the UK that have ambitious targets for cutting carbon emissions and have a desire to reduce waste contamination and build more circular solutions.”

Organisations interested in supporting the trial or being involved in the wider development of activities, please contact trewin@sizzle.org.uk or visit www.sizzle.org.uk  

“Peatlands are the world's largest carbon store on land, with great potential to store carbon long term, helping to reach Net Zero. They reduce flooding, when rewetted reduce fire risks and provide valuable habitats for both plants and animals. To tackle the climate and biodiversity crises, it is essential that collectively we have a sustainable transition to peat-free alternative growing medias. The RHS is very supportive of this project and will continue to collaborate with Defra, the horticulture industry, gardeners and others to accelerate the sustainable transition to peat-free.”

Professor Alistair Griffiths

Royal Horticultural Society Director of Science and Collections

“At Caledonian Horticulture we are delighted to be able to support the transition away from peat-based media and provide an alternative that will not only provide an environmentally friendly and cost-effective solution, but will help support a circular economy, by utilising locally generated materials in the creation of sustainable horticultural products for local markets. A cross industry collaboration on a national project such as this will make great strides in finding a solution that can be delivered at scale.”  

Kate Miller

Heads of Communications & Environmental Projects

Forth Resource Management

Caledonian Horticulture

“I made my first TV programme about peat free compost for BBC Countryfile more than 30 years ago.  Hopefully we can make real progress in the context of climate change, carbon net zero and nature recovery.”

Chris Baines

Independent Environmentalist/ Horticulturist

“With the ban on the sale of peat in England just around the corner in 2024, the need to find alternatives is growing ever more urgent. At SUEZ we’re pleased to be working with partners in the value chain to play our part in the work to find a replacement that not only reduces carbon emissions, but that’s also convenient and cost-effective for people to use in their gardens.”

Adam Read

Chief External Affairs and Sustainability Officer

SUEZ recycling and recovery UK

“The National Trust has been eliminating peat from our operations for over 20 years and also works to restore areas of peatland in our care. We are fully supportive of projects like this which will help to clean up waste streams in the UK and make them suitable for replacing peat in domestic and professional horticulture. Our gardeners know the value of turning garden and kitchen waste into nutrient rich compost that is used to improve soil health – it is one of the foundational principles of sustainable gardening.”

Rebecca Bevan

Senior National Consultant - Plant Health & Sustainability

National Trust

“We welcome Defra’s decision to ban the sale of bagged peat compost next year and are looking forward to the outcomes of further research and development into sustainable peat alternatives.”

Ailis Watt

Peat Policy Officer

The Wildlife Trusts

"The climate and biodiversity benefits of replacing peat is a no-brainer. This has been understood for decades, yet until now no credible partnership has been built to deliver change in a way that fully meets the needs of gardeners and horticulturalists. This trial should be the tipping point. By involving all the different players needed, we can create a peat-free market which benefits all."

Peter Young

Independent Trustee/Member - former Chair at ISO/TC 322 Sustainable Fi

According to the March Market Update report from the Horticultural Trades Association (HTA), garden centre sales received an early boost in February 2023, showing the value consumers place on their gardens despite challenging financial times.

The report shows that sales of seeds and plant care products were up 28% and garden tools up 23% compared to February 2022. Catering also saw a significant increase of 21%, offering consumers a small treat amidst the tough economic climate.

Dry conditions in February may have helped encourage consumers to think about their gardens earlier than normal. However, this comes with caution and questions, not least over the need for horticulture businesses – from retail to grower – needing to be prepared for more frequent drought conditions.

February 2023 was the driest in 30 years, leading to lower reservoir levels and concerns for longer-term drought prospects over the summer. Without grants to support reservoir improvements and water-saving innovations, the changing climate remains a critical concern for environmental horticulture.

Fran Barnes, HTA CEO, said, "As we enter into Spring, we're delighted to see a growing interest in garden centre retail, not only in increased spending on gifts and café visits but also in core gardening supplies. It's heartening to see that people recognise the many benefits of gardening, particularly in the wake of the pandemic, which prompted many to take up this hobby, love their gardens and appreciate the benefits of environmental horticulture.

However, we remain mindful of the pressures on wage bills, looming utility price hikes, and longer-term concerns about drought. We were disappointed that the Spring Budget did not address the pressing issue of water scarcity, which poses a significant threat to the industry. It's important that the government takes immediate action to raise awareness among both businesses and consumers about the importance of conserving water and building drought resilience. We urge policymakers to support measures that encourage water use reduction and ensure the gardening industry's long-term viability."

The full report is available to HTA members.

Catering and gardening categories were the standout successes in February, according to the Garden Centre Association’s Barometer of Trade report.

Sales in catering were up 15.8% compared to the same month in 2022. Outdoor plant sales were up 6.58%, seed and bulbs up 8.76% and garden sundries 6.31%.

GCA CEO, Peter Burks explains: “It was great to see customers out in good numbers and spending well in cafés and restaurants in February. It shows the value of having these sort of additional attractions to keep customers visiting all year round. Food hall and farm shop sales were also up 5.21%.

“February was a very dry month for the time of year, which could explain the positive sales in more traditional categories as gardeners made the most of the weather and made a start on their gardening jobs for the season.

“Furniture was one of the worst performing categories of the month with sales down -28.04%. Lots of centres had furniture marked down in January sales, so customers were able to pick up bargains then and sales have since slowed down, however, we haven’t had any weather to encourage sitting out in the garden yet, which is of course needed to prompt outdoor furniture sales.

“All in all, it has been an encouraging start to the year, given the general economic concerns everyone is facing.”

Pets and aquatics sales were down -8.81%, gift sales were down -2.99% and hard landscaping sales were down -21.26%.

Clothing sales were down -6.65% and houseplant sales were down -8.88%.

Overall sales for the month were up 1.29% with a year-to-date variance of -1.02%.

The GCA BoT reports are compiled using actual sales figures and provide an up-to-date trading position statement. They are made available mid-month following the end of the prior month after all member garden centres have submitted their results.

The BoT reports allow members to compare their trading positions with other centres.

The Blue Diamond Group, which recognises that plastic compost bags are single-use, has been working closely with one of its key suppliers, Evergreen Garden Care.

Research, recently conducted by the HTA/Foresight Factory in Oct 2021, shows that 71% of British adults are consciously trying to minimise their use of plastic to help the environment, and that 50% of adults do not believe that big brands are doing enough (Greenpeace 2021). 

Compost bags, known as flexible plastics (PVC), cannot be collected at kerbside currently, although there are plans with the Extended Producer Responsibility Scheme to help fund this, it is unlikely for this service to be available for several years.

Composts bags are challenging to recycle, due to the contamination of soil in the bags, so supermarket recycling programmes were not suitable for compost bags.  The compost bags need to be washed, and only specialist processors can do this. 

Evergreen Garden Care under the market leading gardening brand Miracle-Gro, decided to run a small-scale trial to replicate the Supermarket “Bring back to store” Scheme but with compost bags.  

It was a category solution, where any manufacturer’s bags could be returned and the quality of the material analysed to assess whether the waste material collected could be made into products and an end market created.  If the waste material could be separated from other soft plastics, it was considered that the material could be of a good enough quality to create products, ideally garden furniture or gardening equipment, or even compost bags, hence making it totally circular and avoiding the items going into landfill.

Blue Diamond has announced that each of its garden centres will have a collection bin, with clear instructions of what can be placed into the bin. These will be located in either the car park, the compost yard or by the drive-in compost yard. 

The initiative aims to save 70% of CO2 emissions associated with the production of new plastic. It aims to recycle an estimated 40 million bags, diverting them from landfill and using them to make garden furniture amongst other things.

As the garden retail sector ramps up activity ahead of the International Festival of Garden, Leisure and Pet, Glee 2023 – taking place at the NEC in late June (27th – 29th) – the team has been busy behind the scenes to ensure that this year’s edition of the show will be bigger and better than ever.

Here, we find out more about the latest developments shaping the industry’s leading exhibition.

Talent Store update

Glee’s new Talent Store – which celebrates emerging visual merchandising talent and will culminate in two live retail sets at the show in June – saw its bootcamp take place in early March. 24 nominees from 18 garden centres joined the Talent Store’s visual merchandiser expert, Debbie Flowerday, Wendy Lowe from TrendBible, and Glee ambassador, Michael Perry, at Millbrook Garden Centre in Gravesend to enjoy a day of inspiration and hands on merchandising experience. Throughout the day the delegates heard about the latest trends shaping consumer spend such as wellbeing, and how pastel shades have come back in a big way. Michael Perry also shared details of how his travels inspires his work.

The ‘students’ – made up of many enjoying second careers within garden retail - will now work in groups to develop their pop-up store concepts, which will be judged by Debbie and Michael. Once judged, 12 lucky people (2 groups of six) will be selected to create their vision onsite at Glee. This shortlist will be announced on March 24th.

Exhibitor update

February was a busy month for the Glee floorplan with 36 brands never before seen at Glee, and 11 returning companies securing their place at the 2023 event.

Look out for newbies across Glee’s eight product sectors, including Andermatt, Better Home Products UK LTD, CleverPaint Ltd, Coconut Woods, Heat, Ivy & Twine Candles, KandyToys, KW Metal Flowers, Lawn & Grounds Ltd, Midtherm, Naked Shells Ltd, Nordlux (UK & EIRE) Ltd, Pioneer Brush Co. Ltd., Pricecheck Toiletries Ltd, Storm Skin Ltd, The Candle Brand, The Crop Candle Company Ltd, The Giggle Gift Company, The Wasabi Company, Tumblebug Ltd, TurfSolv, Unipet International Ltd, Vennersys Ltd, Victoria Eggs and Waspinator Ltd.

Returning brands coming back to Glee 2023 will include Green & Home Ltd, Haws Watering Cans

Jonart Design, Mele & Co, Natures Menu Ltd, Pet Rebellion Ltd, Phoenox Textiles Ltd, Robbie Toys Ltd (RTL), Shoptek UK, Tailored Planning Solutions and The Wheat Bag Company.

Glee’s international reach continued to grow this month with the US’ Gozeny Inc, Danish-based Dymak, Austrian Biohort GmbH and Cellfast from South Africa all confirming their presence.

On the road

February and March have been busy months for the team, as they take to the road to join colleagues, friends and key stakeholders at other industry events. 

February 21st saw the team exhibiting at the Garden Press Event, sharing with the visiting editors, writers, authors and influencers the vision for Glee 2023 and beyond. During the day, the Glee team was able to open new dialogue with some key influencers regarding Glee’s seminar programme. To-date the Glee seminar programme is shaping up well with big names confirmed. Look out for Dora Clarke from Osprey Charging who will be busting common electric vehicle charging myths; the HTA’s David Denny will be sharing the latest market updates; and Michael Perry - aka Mr Plant Geek - will talk through his tips and tricks for the horticultural industry.

The team has also attended the GIMA Day Conference at Wyboston Lakes, where a host of trend experts and strategists offered insight into everything from the three groups of new gardeners that could pave the future for industry sales, to the “War on Talent” and staff retention – topics that Glee’s own educational programme will also address in June.

Later this month, on March 24th, the Glee team will also be putting their best foot forward, as they join the annual Garden Re-Leaf Sponsored Walk and Cycle Challenge. The walk was the brainchild of Glee Director Matthew Mein, and he has since taken part in every walk. To support the team as they tackle the 20-mile route please visit www.justgiving.com/fundraising/glee-birmingham-show where the team hope to raise over £1,500 for the Greenfingers Charity, further bolstering the £6,000 that the team raised for the children’s hospice charity throughout 2022.

Find out more

Glee is the UK’s leading garden retail show, focusing on building year-round profits for buyers and suppliers within the core gardening and outdoor leisure product categories.  To keep up to date on the latest Glee news visit www.gleebirmingham.com.  To enquire about exhibiting at Glee 2023, which will take place June 27th – 29th, please call +44 (0)203 3545 9752.

Dobbies is partnering with BBC Radio 2 by handing out 75,000 free packets of seeds from today (Monday 27 March) to encourage the nation to brighten up the country this spring. 

It’s part of the BBC’s Let It Grow initiative, to inspire new growers, both young and old, to discover the joy of planting and growing, and encourage them to turn grey spaces into wild and colourful places to help support British wildlife. Dobbies is proud to support the initiative, while also educating on sustainable gardening methods and championing pollinator-friendly seeds. 

Designed for all ages and gardening abilities, Dobbies invites novice gardeners and experts alike to head along to their nearest store and collect a free packet of seeds to sow this spring.

Spring is a great time in the horticultural diary to get into gardening and a good opportunity to plant beautiful bright blooms for the season ahead. Customers can pick up either Calendula, Borage or Nasturtium seeds at their local store which are perfect for a seasonal garden refresh.

Dobbies’ Horticultural Director, Marcus Eyles, said: “We’re delighted to be supporting this fantastic initiative by the BBC. Spring is a great time of year to get gardening and we’re excited to see the nation’s gardens bloom and the wildlife flourish with our free seeds.”

Marcus also shares his top tips for sowing these seeds, he said: “Calendula, Borage and Nasturtium are fuss-free plants that are easy to sow and care for and great for injecting some colour to your garden. As we approach the warmer months and the sun heats the ground, it couldn’t be a better time to sow these seeds.

“At Dobbies, we recommend sowing your seeds inside, under a cover or in a greenhouse to maximise the success of germination. Once the seeds have grown to be bushy young plants, and the frosts have finished, then they are ready to be planted into your outdoor pots or borders.”

Thompson & Morgan are supplying the seeds in partnership with Dobbies and customers are encouraged to visit their local Dobbies store to collect a free packet. All stores will be taking part, including the five little dobbies. Seeds will be available on a first come, first served basis, from Monday 27 March to Sunday 28 May, while stocks last, from the customer services desk (Dobbies) or till point (little dobbies).

For more information on Let It Grow, visit www.dobbies.com/let-it-grow

Blue Diamond are partnering with BBC Radio 2 for Let it Grow by donating 45,000 packets of Forget me Not seeds.

From the 27^th March, visitors to any Blue Diamond Garden Centre will be able to pick up a free pack of Forget me Not Seeds so that they can get involved and give growing a go.

The BBC’s Let it Grow will help the nation “turn dull and grey places into wild and colourful places” by reaching and supporting audiences beyond those traditionally reached by nature and gardening programming. These include audiences without regular access to private green space, to those who have not yet tried planting and growing before. For more information visit bbc.co.uk/grow  

Blue Diamond will continue to encourage and support gardeners and non-gardeners alike throughout 2023 to bring nature into their neighbourhood, simply visit our Gardening Hub at bluediamond.gg for more gardening tips and/or resources.

The Colegrave Seabrook Foundation are delighted to announce that a record 19 students have been awarded scholarships this year.

Speaking following the recent trustees meeting, Colegrave Seabrook Foundation chair, Jeff Colegrave, said: “We were very impressed with the number and quality of the applications for scholarships that we received for this scholarship season. This made it a particularly difficult task to select the winners, but thanks to the increased interest and sponsorship we have received from the industry this year, we were able to award almost £27,500 distributed amongst 19 students. This is considerably more than we have been able to do before and we are very grateful to those companies who have helped us make this possible.”

This years scholarships have been awarded to the following students:

BPOA/Peter Seabrook Scholarship – Holly Sturgess studying at Pershore College

Markham Colegrave Scholarship – Sophia Moseley studying at Kew

John Gibson Scholarship – Caleb Job studying at Kew

Brian Crosby Scholarship – Neal Ritson studying at Myerscough College

Smart Garden Products Scholarships – Abi Green studying at Pershore 

                                                            – Ben Sayers studying at CAFRE

                                                            – Rebecca Gilroy studying at CAFRE

                                                            – Naomi Hughes studying at CAFRE

                                                            – Alfie Smith studying at The Eden Project

Blue Diamond Scholarships – Adam Sultan studying at Writtle University College

                                               –  Madeleine Holmes-Skelton studying at Suffolk New College

                                               – Elizabeth Snowden studying at Northumberland College

                                               – Katie Ritchie studying at CAFRE

                                               – Alice Willans studying at Sparsholt College

                                               – Zara Snow studying at Writtle University College

                                               – Archie Lack studying at Writtle University College

                                               – Richard Moore studying at Royal Botanic Gardens Edinburgh

HortTech Scholarship – Dan Jones studying at Writtle University College

The Hort Research Scholarship, in conjunction with the Royal Society of Biology is awarded separately through their Plant Health Studentship programme in April.

In addition, a group from Bridgewater and Taunton College have been awarded a Travel Bursary to help fund a study tour to The Netherlands.

“We were particularly pleased that we received applications from such a wide selection of horticultural colleges and institutions across the UK,” added Jeff. “With the increased interest in plants and the environment we hope to see even more students choosing horticulture as a career in the future. We are committed to increasing awareness of the potential that the horticultural industry can offer and demonstrate that horticulture is a viable, satisfying and extremely worthwhile career choice. I would like to say ‘Congratulations’ to all the students who have been awarded scholarships this year and look forward to getting the opportunity to meet some of them in person throughout the coming year.”

Being awarded a Colegrave Seabrook Scholarship can make a huge difference to a student. One recipient this year said “I'm absolutely overwhelmed with emotion. Thank you for giving me faith in myself, to achieve what was at one point in my life completely unachievable. This award has given me a huge push to succeed and grow in every way possible”, while another added  “ I am over the moon to hear my scholarship application has been successful - this bursary will certainly go a long way to supporting my ambitions.”

Scholarship awards will be spent on a variety of uses to help students get the best out of their horticultural studies, from paying course fees and purchasing resources to travel  to visit growers and botanic gardens across the world.

New Products for the UK Garden Trade for Spring and Summer 2023 from GIMA Members: AHS, Auto Pot Global, Azpects, Carbon Gold, EKJU, elho, Evergreen Garden Care, Fiskars, Forest Garden, Glee, Handy Distribution, Honeyfields, Hozelock, Husqvarna, Hygeia, Johnsons Seeds, Leon Boots, Maze, Patio Black Spot Removal Company, PlantWorks, Primeur, Rollins Bulldog, Smart Garden Products, Sorbus, STV International, The Real Soil Company, Vitavia, Westland Horticulture, Woodmansterne, Zest.

Suppliers from all continents will meet up with decision-makers from the specialised trade and worldwide large-surface outlets at the Cologne fair grounds from 18 to 20 June. spoga+gafa begins two days after the Global DIY Summit, which is being staged in Berlin in 2023.

spoga+gafa already welcomed over 1,000 exhibitors from 52 countries last year. Figures that will be topped in 2023 with 14 halls in total after the opening of four additional halls.
"We are very satisfied with the current developments. The new venue date in June that was already introduced last year is going down very well with the industry. This is also reflected in the overwhelming response from the exhibitors. The visitors can thus look forward to an even bigger and more international spoga+gafa 2023," said Stefan Lohrberg, Director of spoga+gafa.

Returnee exhibitors and expansion of the areas
There are manifold reasons for the trade fair's growth: On the one hand, intercontinental exhibitors, i.e. from North America and Asia are seeking contacts to the global and national trade at spoga+gafa again. At the same time, the number of participants from the DACH region, the Benelux countries and Europe have increased significantly compared to last year.  
Together with its exhibitors, the trade fair has once again expanded the contents of the four product segments "garden unique", "garden creation & care", "garden bbq" and "garden living". The success of this continual further development of spoga+gafa is underlined by the growth in the number of exhibitors and the related positive development regarding the exhibition space.
"If one looks at the individual segments, we can proudly say that the largest offer worldwide for outdoor decoration, games in the garden, garden furniture and sunshades, as well as BBQs awaits the visitors. Not only is the exhibition increasing in terms of pure size, our visitors can also look forward to an even more intensive trade fair experience. For example, the number of exclusive BBQ show areas and live cooking stations will be further expanded in the BBQ halls," added Stefan Lohrberg, Director of spoga+gafa.
 
Positive visitor effects are expected as a result of the Global DIY Summit of EDRA/GHIN being staged in Berlin shortly before.
The temporal and spatial proximity to the congress of the worldwide DIY industry that is being staged in Berlin this year promises the exhibitors of spoga+gafa positive synergy effects at the trade fair. The DIY Summit is taking place from 14 to 16 June and thus a few days before spoga+gafa.

Areas of added value and a diversified programme across the whole of the grounds
This year's key theme "Social Gardens - places of encounter" is playing an important role in the design of the trade fair grounds. The domestic garden, the balcony or the terrace are gaining increased importance and once again serve as the meeting point for families, friends and neighbours. The manufacturers and the trade are supporting this social function of the garden with new products and solutions. With its focus on "Social Gardens - places of encounter", spoga+gafa 2023 is picking up on the significance of the garden and is sustainably underlining the worldwide social relevance of private green spaces.  
Lectures and talk formats with international experts from the green industry will elaborate on the key theme and throw light on other industry challenges. Whether on the trade fair's own stage in Hall 6 or at the BHB Garden Summit that is being staged parallel to the trade fair (on Tuesday, 20 June 2023), this year's motto of which is "climate fit and full of value".
This year's POS Green Solution Islands concept is also full of new contents, added value and messages. It not only shows solutions for improving floor-space turnover, but also takes a look at other industries and the future of the trade. The supporting programme of the trade fair is enhanced by attractive special zones such as the Boulevard of Ideas, the Outdoor Furniture Trend Show, Decoration and BBQs as well as diversified, theme-based tours of the fair grounds.

spoga+gafa 365 Matchmaking Platform
In addition to an annual meeting point in Cologne, spoga+gafa also offers the green garden lifestyle industry a virtual home at the end of March. The matchmaking platform spoga+gafa 365 brings supply and demand, people and products together all year round. The AI-controlled matchmaking, the simple opportunity for preparing and following up the trade fair as well exciting B2buyer events extend the offer of spoga+gafa into the digital world. "We are experts in B2B matchmaking for the international garden lifestyle industry and we bring buyers and suppliers together. Our innovative matchmaking platform spoga+gafa 365 now enables us to offer this added value beyond our leading global trade fair. All year round, worldwide and digitally," explained Stefan Lohrberg, Director of spoga+gafa.

spoga+gafa 2023 is being staged in the exhibition halls in Cologne from 18 to 20 June 2023.

Building on the successful relaunch of the Four Oaks Trade Show conference programme at the 50th-anniversary show, means addressing issues of major importance to the sector to add value to the visitor experience for 2023. 

Matters relating to biosecurity, importing, exporting, sustainability, apprenticeships, training and energy efficiency are all being planned, with a focus on practical sessions that share information, experience and best practise. 

HortWeek Editor Matthew Appleby will Chair a panel of industry experts on Tuesday 5^th at 12pm in the Educate, Collaborate & Innovate zone, which will once again bring together all the content elements of the show – seminars, new plant and product display, awards and industry association stands.  Joining the Biosecurity, imports & exports debate will be Jacob Kolff (Kolff Plants) Patrick Fairweather (Fairweathers) Bruce Harnett (Kernock Park Plants) and a Defra policy representative. 

APHA will be supporting this session by manning an imports/export surgery adjacent to the seminar area for those wishing to seek advice on practical issues specifically relating to their business. 

The full conference programme and confirmation of all the participants in this year’s Educate, Collaborate & Innovate zone will be published in May, following the launch of a new Four Oaks Trade Show website and details of a refreshed New Plant & Product Awards competition coming in April.

There are still a few participants needed for the seminar panels, if people want to put themselves forward, they should do so by email to info@fouroaks-tradeshow.com.

Tingley Garden Centre is celebrating springtime and its first gardening season with a celebration launch weekend next month.

On the 1-2 April, visitors to Tingley will be able to see the changes that owners, Yorkshire Garden Centres, have made since it opened in September and get 15% off plants, garden furniture, gifts and selected food and drink from Hearty's Food Hall.

Tingley Garden Centre manager Paul Adams said: "This is the first spring in our new garden centre, and we can't wait to welcome customers old and new to see our large plant area, taste the delicious food in Blooms Kitchen and The Garden Room, and enjoy play for all ages in Grass Hoppers indoor and outdoor play and Mission Out epic outdoor adventure."

Visitors to Tingley and sister sites Tong, Otley and Bingley Garden Centres will also benefit from 15% off and have the chance to win one of four garden makeover prizes worth £10,000 in total during the launch weekend. Each prize includes an Amalfi mini corner set, a Weber Mastertouch charcoal barbecue plus £1000 to spend on plants, pots and garden accessories.

Pictured: Jamie Maxwell, Paul Adams and Lisa Pallant at Tingley Garden Centre.

Research from Dobbies has found that almost three-quarters of Brits (73%) plan to grow their own fruit, vegetables and herbs this spring.

Almost half (49%) of those surveyed said it was because they thought they would taste better, and almost half (49%) also hoped it would be fun. 46% think that growing their own will and give them a sense of accomplishment, and 40% said it was to cut down on bills.  

The research, from Censuswide, looked into what people have grown in the past, what produce they found the tastiest, and the reasons they’re planning to grow their own this spring.

Almost two thirds (64%) of those surveyed already had experience of growing their own vegetables. When asked about their tastiest crop, 15% said tomatoes and strawberries came out on top.

Tomatoes are set to be the most popular crop for this year (51%), followed by strawberries (42%), potatoes (38%), carrots (32%) and fresh mint (32%).

Dobbies’ Horticultural Director, Marcus Eyles, encourages budding gardeners across the UK to make the most of fresh produce by sharing his top tips for growing tomatoes.

Marcus said: “We’re excited to hear that people across the UK are looking to grow their own tomatoes as they’re fantastic for beginner and seasoned gardeners alike, and can easily be grown in small spaces, making them ideal for those with compact gardens.

“Tomato plants can take on a lot of water, so the larger the container, the easier it is to keep your tomatoes evenly watered. These plants thrive in a sunny spot, so position your container in a bright area with direct sunlight for maximum growth. Taller tomato plants will benefit from being supported by a bamboo cane, and you should pinch out the side shoots of these varieties to concentrate the energy into creating fruit.

“Smaller bush and trailing varieties are fine left to grow without pruning, but once the first trusses start to set fruit, you should begin feeding your tomato plant weekly with tomato fertiliser, and ensure you water frequently, especially during high summer when the weather warms up.”

Dobbies’ Food Development Chef, Adam Veysey, shares his recommendations for how gardeners can incorporate tomatoes into their cooking this spring.

Adam said: “Tomatoes are a wonderful, versatile ingredient for your kitchen in spring and summer and work just as well on their own as they do cooked in your favourite dishes. Put your tomatoes at the forefront of your cooking and enjoy them in seasonal salads with a simple dressing, or use them to bring freshness to burgers and pizzas when alfresco dining in the warmer months.”

For more information on what’s in stock at your local Dobbies’ store, visit www.dobbies.com

This year, once again, sufficient sponsors have been brought together in order to realise the Dutch flower decorations for Easter Mass in St. Peter’s Square in Rome. 

A long-standing tradition can be continued. Piet van der Burg, artistic director of the project, has been preparing his new designs, as well as enthusing flower growers and growers’ associations for months. Various parties within the floriculture sector will donate their products and render their services – as preparations are now in full swing.

Every year, one particular type of flower takes centre stage in the overall decorations. This year, it will be the Avalanche rose. Meijer Roses from Pijnacker provides 6,000 roses in various colours. Celosia Reprise will also be an important part of the flower decorations in this edition.

Specialist breeder Evanthia, from Monster, and Kwekerij Bos Bloemen, from Naaldwijk, open the celosia season with their sponsorship of 1,500 flowers. The Anthurium Collective will provide 500 anthurium flowers, and Growers’ Association Zentoo contributes 500 stems of single-flowered Baltazar chrysanthemums and Serenity Purple spray chrysanthemums.

Delphinium nursery N.G. Wigchert, from Noordwijkerhout, is a regular sponsor, this year with 500 flowers in three different colors. New this year is the sponsorship of Tak Global, in collaboration with Coloríginz /OZ Import, from De Kwakel – donating a wide range of cut greens.

Per the usual, a large-scale contribution is provided by producers from the flower bulb region. UNEX Inc. from Voorhout sponsors all tulip bulbs – and Roma Nova facilitates the cultivation until their actual flowering, together with a number of enthusiastic volunteers. Flower and Plant company W. Oskam & Zn. BV, also from Voorhout, is practically every year a major contributor with their daffodils Tête-à-Tête – also this year. The flower bulbs will adorn a total length of 465 meters on St. Peter’s Square. Van der Slot Transport from Noordwijkerhout will once again take care of the logistics line from the Netherlands to Rome.

The overall arrangement will result in an ensemble of a wide variety of colours, in which the bulb flowers will form the basis and the cut flowers will be processed in various colourful layers rising above them. All the products together will adorn an area of approximately 170 square meters, with dozens of flower arrangements around the main altar, on the steps leading up to the podium, as well as the central balcony of the papal loggia. All contributions combined will create a stunning decor, with which the Dutch floriculture sector demonstrates a spectrum of unique products to the world.

Garden centre owners are being encouraged to check out an acclaimed Danish brand of confectionery with a new authorised partner supplier.

Anthon Berg, best known for their range of liqueur chocolates, will be distributed in the UK by confectionery experts World of Sweets. 

The brand was founded in 1884 and is the world’s leading liquor filled chocolate brand. It’s owned by Toms International, a Danish confectionery producer since 1954.

It’s best known for its iconic bottle-shaped chocolate and endorsed by some of the most famous original liqueur brands.

The brand’s current confectionery offering includes Premium Chocolate Liqueurs, Chocolate Cocktail Liqueurs, Single Malt Scotch Collection, Chocolate Liqueur Tablets, Chocolate Gift Boxes, Fruits in Marzipan, Marzipan Bars and Advent Calendars.

Anthon Berg is considered to have the best selection of globally recognised spirits brands in the chocolate category, and the experts at World of Sweets plan on making the most of all product formats in their portfolio, including gift boxes, sharing pouches, tablets and bars.

The distribution reach offered by World of Sweets will bring the Danish brand to a whole new market, vastly expanding their UK customer base.

They’ll be positioned as an all year round gifting option for retailers, as well as focusing efforts during popular gifting seasons including Valentine’s, Mother’s Day, Father’s Day & Christmas.

Helen Bradshaw, Sales and Marketing Director at World of Sweets said: “We are delighted to have partnered with Anthon Berg as their new authorised UK distributor, bringing their range of premium gifting products to retailers across the country.

“The iconic Danish confectionery brand brings a whole new market for our products and allows us to expand our offering. We know they will be popular among a whole host of retailers, including garden centres and their gifting offering. As an internationally acclaimed brand with an exciting product range they will appeal both to retailers and their customers.”

Guilhem Peirre Bénézet, Area Director at Tom’s Group, said: “We are very excited to be entering a new partnership with World of Sweets to become our new authorised UK distributor of Anthon Berg in the UK.

“The Anthon Berg brand offers customers and consumers a unique and premium quality product, and with a strong partnership and distribution efforts by World of Sweets we hope to vastly expand our UK audience.”

World of Sweets is the UK’s largest confectionery distributor, importer, and wholesaler, supplying thousands of customers across all retail channels.

Offering a world of distribution solutions from e-commerce sites serving 55,000 customers per week to Hancocks wholesale stores with over 22,000 customers, field sales and a direct to store team covering 36,000 independent customers and a national accounts team covering all UK retail channels.

Contact the team of experts to discuss their year round and Christmas 2023 range today at Telephone: 0330 202 0903 / Email: help@worldofsweets.co.uk

The team at a Bradford-headquartered garden centre group is celebrating after reaching the final of a regional food and drink business award.

Yorkshire Garden Centres has been shortlisted in the Best Retailer category in the Azets Food and Drink Business Awards.

Yorkshire Garden Centres' MD, Mark Farnsworth, said: "We have grown our family of garden centres from one to four and now have stores with a strong regional food and drink offering in Tong, Tingley, Otley and Bingley.

"We're proud and delighted to have reached the final of this prestigious award and are looking forward to celebrating Yorkshire's amazing food and drink businesses at the dinner."

Yorkshire Garden Centres faces competition from fellow finalists, Cedarbarn Farm Shop, York Gin and Weetons Food Hall. The team will learn whether they have been successful at an awards ceremony on Thursday, 27th April, at the Parade Ring Restaurant, York Racecourse.

Based at Tong Garden Centre, the Yorkshire Garden Centres group comprises the original Tong Lane site, Tingley Garden Centre which opened in 2022 plus two Stephen H Smith's centres at Otley and Bingley that were acquired last summer.

In this issue:

• Hillier grows – Interview with Chris Francis,
• GCA Conference 2023 – Big, bold, sustainable and £100k raised for Greenfingers,
• GCA Winners – All the winners from the GCA Conference,
• PATS Sandown Show preview,
• BeefEater – LOFA Member profile,
• Beautiful stonework from The Patio Black Spot Company,
• GTN’s Greatest Christmas Awards Presentations at Spring Fair,
• Pictures from all The Greatest Christmas Award winning centres: Barton Grange, Rosebourne, The Old Railway Line, Pughs, Gates, Longacres, Gouldings, Alton, Groves, Meadowcroft, Brimsmore and Poundbury, British Garden Centres, Pengelly, Blue Diamond, Klondyke, Gordale, Silverbirch, Woodlands, Little Dobbies, Azure, Stratford    , Chessington, Chacewater, Coolings, Sapcote, Wentworth, Perrywood, Garsons Titchfield, Keydell, The Grange, Tingley, St Peters, Garden King, Fron Goch, Ellerker Lodge, Chepstow, Birkacre, Bennybeg,
• Thank you to the judges and sponsors of The Greatest Christmas Awards 2022,
• Encouraging signs for Spring – HTA Column,
• Cash is king – GIMA Column.

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Vibrant, green schoolyards not only address climate change issues, they can also prepare children for a nature-filled future.

Organised by the International Association of Horticultural Producers (AIPH) in collaboration with the Worshipful Company of Gardeners (WCoG) and sponsor Expo 2023 Doha Qatar, the AIPH Green City Briefings 2022/23 are a series of one-hour webinars focussing on cities around the world that can demonstrate significant progress in including plants and nature in their city’s form and function.

The focus of the sixth briefing was the role of schoolyards in becoming transformative spaces for climate ready cities with cohesive communities. Dominic Register, Director of Education and Director of the Center for Education Transformation at Salzburg Global Seminar, opened the session. He commented: “The experiences we offer school-age children are going to be vital in driving the behaviour change that is absolutely necessary to meet climate change goals.”

Dominic welcomed speaker Raphaëlle Thiollier, Project Manager for the City of Paris, France. Paris recently won the ‘Living Green for Social Cohesion’ category of the inaugural AIPH World Green City Awards https://aiph.org/event/wgca-ceremony-2022/?utm_source=press-release&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=gcb  for the OASIS Schoolyards Project. This city-wide project seeks to renew and green existing urban playgrounds. Schoolyards cover a large portion of the city’s surface area and are seldom more than 250m apart, so are vital for helping to combat climate related issues such as Urban Heat Island effect.

“In Paris, we consider changing the schoolyards is a societal issue,” Raphaëlle said. “We need to choose what sort of environment we want our children to be in. Children spend three hours a day in the schoolyard and it is important that this time is useful for their development.”

Children were consulted at the very beginning of the project to discover what they wanted from their schoolyards. The designs built on the ideas they provided, incorporating spaces for biodiversity and diversified play activities to help educate children on the importance of nature. Read the case study of this project.

Greening schoolgrounds is attracting attention globally. Across the Atlantic, non-profit organisation Evergreen is dedicated to creating green community spaces and has supported over 6,000 schools across Canada. Based on this strong foundation, the non-profit has developed its ‘Climate Ready Schools’ pilot which aims to turn schoolgrounds into nature-rich environments that also address urban challenges.

Heidi Campbell, Senior Program Manager for Evergreen, explained: “Public schoolgrounds are valuable assets with potential to have a positive influence on student development, physical and mental health, as well as learning and social behaviour, while addressing the effects of climate change.”

The pilot took place at the Irma Coulson Public School in Ontario, Canada. With a tailor-made plan, the redesign took community needs into consideration and prioritised the use of native plants. Education, inclusivity, and fun were also a significant part of the design to facilitate outdoor learning for all the students. Find out more about the Climate Ready Schools project.

Watch this briefing on-demand. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jyBIacEidZ0

The next AIPH Green City Briefing will focus on the winner of the ‘Living Green for Biodiversity’ category of the AIPH World Green City Awards 2022: Bogotá D.C., Colombia. Their ‘The greening of Bogotá’ policy seeks to improve the quality of the natural, built and regional environment from the perspective of generating well-being conditions for the population and other living beings present in the territory.

The briefing will take place on 11th April 2023 at 1pm BST. For more information and to register, visit the AIPH Website.

Hestercombe Gardens Trust has announced the forthcoming retirement of founder and Chief Executive Philip White MBE, following a career of more than 30 years leading the restoration and preservation of this historically important and nationally significant house and gardens. 

Philip has been the driving force in re-discovering and restoring the historic estate at Hestercombe having first recognised the remains of the then derelict 18th century Landscape Garden in 1991 during his lunch breaks, when working in his role as a wildlife conservation officer based at Hestercombe House.  

Philip mortgaged his own house to pay for work to restore the important site, formed the Hestercombe Gardens Trust and opened the garden to the public in 1997. Now, more than thirty years later, the Landscape Garden sits proudly among four centuries of complete period gardens including the world famous Edwardian Garden, designed by Sir Edwin Lutyens and planted by Gertrude Jekyll; the Victorian Terrace and Shrubbery and the recently restored early seventeenth century Water Garden. 

Philip's achievements in restoring the foremost historic garden site in the country, reuniting the gardens with the house and historic landscape as well as creating archives and collections, including the national Parks & Gardens Database, together with a nationally acclaimed contemporary art gallery, have laid the foundations for Hestercombe as a national centre for arts, culture and landscape.  

In 2013 Philip was honoured with an MBE for ‘services to historic garden restoration’. 

Philip White MBE said: “When I began to notice evidence of what was eventually revealed to have once been an 18^th century designed landscape, I became consumed by the idea of restoring the garden to its original glory. I could never have imagined when I started how Hestercombe would continue to develop and my original enthusiasm for this extraordinary place has never dimmed. Ideally, a new Chief Executive will be found for the brilliant team at Hestercombe who will share my passion for the vision and will continue to take it forward with the drive and determination Hestercombe deserves.”

Sir Andrew Burns KCMG, President of Hestercombe Gardens Trust, said: “My admiration for what Philip White has achieved at Hestercombe is unbounded. Without his charisma, charm, imagination, hard work, intellectual rigour and perseverance, we should never have been able to rescue Hestercombe from decades of neglect and turn it into one of the top garden attractions in the country. The decision of the National Heritage Memorial Fund to make a major grant towards the reunification of the landscape was a national vote of confidence in the vision which Philip has pursued so persistently over so many years.”

Philip White will remain as Chief Executive of Hestercombe Gardens Trust to manage a transition of leadership to a new Chief Executive during the coming 12 months.

The Horticultural Trades Association has written to the Prime Minister seeking clarification and development on key aspects of the Windsor Framework. 

HTA is encouraged by the starting point and tone of the Windsor Framework, but in order for its members to see trade return in full, the Association is calling for further developments.

Some of the outstanding issues include:

• Several key species of trees and plants remain prohibited for exporting to Northern Ireland, including iconic and popular native British species such as hawthorn and hazel.
• Seed potatoes sourced in Great Britain are not able to be sold in Northern Ireland garden centres, nor via mail order, only grower to grower, with consumers missing out on direct access.
• Northern Irish consumers will find it difficult and costly to order plants from British-based online sellers and mail order growers due to the requirement for phytosanitary certificates remaining for parcels of plants sent from GB businesses to NI consumers.

HTA asks for these issues to be addressed promptly to fully open access to trade again for Britain and Northern Ireland businesses and consumers. HTA proposes a ‘British & Northern Irish Horticulture & Seed Potato Traders Forum’ is formed as a matter of urgency to work through the issues and the detail, develop new policies, mitigate costs, reduce bureaucracy and move forward with positive change as quickly as possible.

Fran Barnes, Chief Executive of HTA, commented: “The Prime Minister’s comments on garden centres when announcing the Windsor Framework were hugely encouraging. We need the words to match the reality of the agreement and deliver the trade our members so desperately want to see return. We have set out the development opportunities and a proposed forum to help achieve the best outcome for UK horticulture. We welcome what has been achieved so far and see this as a starting point to build from.”

In the top three months of the year, GROEN-Direkt organises four seasonal fairs. The Spring Days is the first seasonal fair in the series, where besides the extended opening hours, the huge seasonal assortment is also a good reason to visit the Spring Days. Thousands of sample lots, Solitaries, Mediterranean imports and Concepts will be on display on 3 and 4 April. The Spring Days includes Meet & Trade. The Continuous Assortment will be renewed at the Spring Days.

All seasonal trade fairs at a glance

The GROEN-Direkt trade fair calendar in spring is dominated by weekly trade fairs as well as special seasonal trade fairs:

• Spring Days (3-4 April)
• High-Season days (1-2 May)
• Mid-Season days (22-23 May)
• Summer Days (12-13 June).
  

   

Opening hours Seasonal fairs:

Monday: 07.30 - 18.00

Tuesday: 07.30 - 12.00

GROEN-Direkt is going the extra mile at the seasonal fairs with a huge seasonal offer, Meet & Trade and Continuous Assortment.

Extra KVBC novelty test during the GROEN-Direkt Summer Days on 12 and 13 June

At the GROEN-Direkt Summer Days, PLANTARIUM|GROEN-Direkt is organising an extra novelty inspection together with the KVBC! With this, the KVBC offers another visual inspection opportunity at the beginning of summer.

NEW in 2023: Meet & Trade and Continuous Assortment

New in 2023 is the introduction of Meet & Trade and the Continuous Assortment. Meet & Trade allows garden plant buyers and growers to meet each other. During the special peak hours (Monday 10 a.m. - 2 p.m. and Tuesday morning from 9 a.m. - 11 a.m.), garden plant buyers and traders meet growers at their 2CC stand while enjoying coffee, sandwiches, and a hot snack. The Continuous Assortment will remain purchasable in the physical and online offerings for an extended period of time. This assortment involves products that maintain the same growth and flowering stage for a longer period, such as Buxus, Prunus and Taxus.

Fair address:

Norwaylaan 37, 2391 PW Hazerswoude, The Netherlands (ICT site)

View the full exhibition calendar here

About GROEN-Direkt
As Europe's largest green marketplace, GROEN-Direkt has been bringing together supply and demand of garden plants for more than 25 years. The combination of 30 sample fairs per year and a webshop with up-to-date sample photos allows GROEN-Direkt to offer a very wide and up-to-date range of garden plants all year round. GROEN-Direkt works closely together with 500 specialised growers in the Boskoop area and far beyond.

Would you like more information about GROEN-Direkt, the sample fairs or the webshop? Go to www.groen-direkt.nl or call +31 (0)172 21 15 76.

Set against the backdrop of sunny Lisbon, Portugal’s capital, the Ornamental Horticulture in Portugal Conference welcomed academic experts and industry professionals to speak about the opportunities the country offers and the challenges it faces.

The conference, which took place on 14th March, was organised by the International Association of Horticultural Producers (AIPH) in collaboration with the Portuguese Association of Producers of Natural Plants and Flowers (APPP-FN) and sponsored by GLOBALG.A.P. It was a part of the AIPH Spring Meeting where members come together from around the world.

Ricardo Silvestre, Vice-President of APPP-FN, opened the conference with an overview of the association’s work. He said: “One of the major aims of APPP-FN is to promote dialogue among professionals, institutions, and society, in order to make Portuguese ornamental production more competitive.”

Portugal has a long history with flowers, with Montijo – a region close to Lisbon – being the heart of flower production in the country. Ricardo highlighted that changes in EU legislation regarding plant health is a big issue for Portuguese growers as it is difficult to keep up-to-date.

Miguel Costa, a researcher and lecturer at the University of Lisbon, gave a comprehensive overview of the ornamental horticultural industry in Portugal. Miguel commented: “We are a small country, but we are the 8th top producer of ornamentals in Europe.”

With his research focusing on sustainability and climate issues in viticulture and horticulture, Miguel has a vast knowledge of the benefits and challenges of Portugal’s environment for growers. He said: “We have two types of climate. In the north, there are cooler temperatures and wet, rainy winters, and in the south there is less precipitation. It’s a small country but with a lot of variation.”

Ornamentals are produced close to consumer centres, such as Lisbon, and along the Atlantic coast where there are more moderate temperatures. The most produced cut flower in the country is the protea.

Rick van Woudenberg, Co-Owner of Van Woudenberg Tuinplanten, offered a different perspective on growing in Portugal. As a Dutch native who expanded his family business to a new country, Rick sees Portugal as a prime investment for the horticultural industry.

“Twelve years ago, in the Netherlands, we grew early spring perennials in greenhouses,” Rick said. “The greenhouses give very soft-flowering plants and I thought ‘we have to do this differently, we have to give the customers the choice of a hardy plant.’ From then on, we learned how to produce our perennials in Portugal.”

The Portuguese climate allows companies like Van Woudenberg Tuinplanten to produce all year round, therefore meeting seasonal demands with greater ease.

Sarah von Fintel, Key Account Manager for Floriculture Sales and Stakeholder Relations for GLOBALG.A.P., also joined the conference to inform guests about the organisation’s certification schemes and how they benefit growers. Around 2,500 ornamentals producers around the world are GLOBALG.A.P. certified, including growers in Portugal.

Commenting on the event, AIPH Secretary General, Tim Briercliffe said: “This conference and the nursery tours near Lisbon gave us a valuable insight into the Portuguese industry.  There are most definitely opportunities for growth here as production becomes much less financially viable in other higher cost regions of Europe.”

British Garden Centres collected the keys to a large, state-of-the-art, nursery production unit in Warwickshire this week. The glasshouse, tunnel and open-bed nursery site were built to the highest specification by the team at Hawkesmill Nurseries in 2017.

"As British Garden Centres, it won't surprise anyone that we are increasing our production facilities in the UK," explained Boyd J Douglas-Davies, Plants & PR Director for the group. "I've known the incredible plants that Hawkesmill has produced for years from this unit and their other sites so jumped at the opportunity to take on this nursery". The new nursery, to be known as Temple Nursery in recognition of the local area, will complement the growing the business already undertakes at its Woodthorpe Nursery - the birthplace of the BGC group - and Fretherne Nursery, a site leased from Glendale Horticulture.

Speaking of the lease deal, Richard Evans Director of Hawkesmill Nurseries said "My brother, John, and I have weighed up our many options and decided that the team at British Garden Centres were best placed to take on the unit at Temple and develop further the original vision for it. Their ambitious production plans and the guaranteed customer will ensure many jobs are available for the local workforce".

British Garden Centres has taken on five growers for the new site, including the newly appointed Group Nursery Manager, Nigel Coombs, and will be looking to recruit additional colleagues this year.

Talking of what will be grown at Temple Boyd said, "Whilst this additional unit will give us the potential to produce 2 million retail ready plants a year it won't take away anything from our UK suppliers as our rate of growth, combined with our planned move towards more British plants, will absorb these plants and more."

British Garden Centres operates 62 garden centres in the UK. It sold over 8 million plants in 2022. The group is very focused on all things gardening, plant sales account for nearly 30% of the business.

Employing 3,000 across the business it is the UK's largest family-run garden centre business. Founded by brothers Charles and Robert Stubbs in 1987 it continues to be led by the Stubbs family.

A positive forecast from two industry juggernauts, plus a deeper dive into customer and staff retention, and a host of inspiration for confidently moving forward in a turbulent market was the order of the day at the recent GIMA Day Conference (14 March, Wyboston Lakes, Bedford).  

Leading the conversation were representatives from Dobbies and British Garden Centres who unveiled their plans for the future and how suppliers have an important role to play within these development plans.

Graeme Jenkins CEO, and Richard Hodges, Commercial Director at Dobbies joined the conference, explaining to delegates how the group is all set up to deliver spring now they are debt free following the recent refinancing by Ares Management.  He described the company’s five-point growth including enhancing existing sites and restaurants; driving digital engagement; securing customer loyalty through continued growth of their successful customer loyalty programme; as well as opening a new site at Antrim, redeveloping Reading, and rolling out more little dobbies.

Boyd Douglas-Davies, PR and Plants Director and Amy Stubbs, Project and Development Manager at British Garden Centres outlined the family history and values of the business being flexible, adaptive, reactive, and sustainable. They also spoke of the unique business philosophy that empowers the managers across all 62 stores to decide on stock to ensure a localised customer experience.  The independence of stores is the key differentiation as each is unique for its loyal customer base.  This builds a strong family relationship with each local community which is demonstrated by the high engagement through its Family Loyalty Card.

Elsewhere, delegates learned from Scarlet Opus’ Phil Pond more about the new types of consumers that are creating a new narrative in-store and paving the way for future sales. These included “Freethinkers” who are questioning everything after the distrust that has occurred over the past few years and the “Modern Stoics” who want their garden products supercharged with benefits to enhance their lives, as well as the “New Protagonists” who are looking to achieve long-lasting wellbeing improvement through their gardens.

Jack Sweeney, Director at JDS Strategists, led a 'Catchphrase' themed session, exploring the business-critical difference between data and insight, and why insight work is so important to making better decisions.  He argued the case that quantitative data has become too dominant in our world, meaning many businesses don't unlock the power of qualitative data. Furthermore, too much employee time is spent generating reports, as opposed to actually trying to make sense of them.

Jack offered solutions including his top tips on personal mindset and company culture and left delegates with a distinct takeaway: ‘Data – Insight - Action’ or “What? So What? Now What?’. Through the action of asking these questions, Jack believes it becomes easier for businesses to join the dots, connect the jigsaw and ultimately, deliver business growth. 

Tor Newcombe, Senior Recruitment Consultant at More People discussed the “War for Talent”, which focuses on skill shortages in the sector and the current low-employee market. Tor’s session highlighted the importance of keeping current staff engaged as well as attracting new talent into your business.  Tor emphasised how staff retention is key and how you can motivate through a company’s culture and values, management structure, responsibility, and upskilling current staff and providing them with the tools to succeed.

She also highlighted the company’s ethos of promoting the garden industry to new starters by talking with universities, colleges, and schools to educate those entering work about the benefits of working in such an exciting sector.

GIMA’s Director, Vicky Nuttall said: “As an industry trade association, we recognise that we have a responsibility to our members to provide a platform for discussion and thought leadership following what has been an unstable couple of years.   We’d like to thank all speakers for inspiring the attendees with the knowledge and skills to navigate the many external pressures that have impacted our industry and we hope they take the insight back to implement in their business for future growth.”

Warrington-based Bents Garden & Home is a finalist in the Best Retailer & E-Tailer category of the North West Family Business Awards 2023.

Bents beat strong competition with a record number of family businesses entering the awards from across the North West region.

This first-class event will be held at The Concorde Conference Centre, near Manchester Airport. 

Co-hosted by Dave Clarkson and Sue Howorth of The Family Business Community, alongside renowned food and drink writer, and presenter Nigel Barden, and will take place on Friday 19^th May 2023.

Said Matthew Bent, Managing Director at Bents Garden & Home:  “The whole philosophy of our business is of family and people feeling part of something special, so to be recognised as a finalist in these awards is a fantastic recognition for all of our colleagues. We’re looking forward to meeting fellow family business finalists on 19^th May and will be keeping our fingers crossed!”

Co-Founder and Director, Sue Howorth said: “We were inundated with some incredible entries, and we have been burning the midnight oil to get through them as they came in right up to the wire. The judges had extremely difficult decisions to make so the finalists should be extremely proud of themselves! 

Co-director, Dave Clarkson said: "A huge thank you to everyone who has taken the time to fill out an application form and enter. We’ve been absolutely blown away by the strength and diversity of applications.”

Sue Bagguley from Siemens PLC near Manchester, and who were the hosts of our Judging Day, said: “The number and quality of applications from across the North West has been outstanding, the businesses are clearly proud to be family businesses and the detail in many of the entries has demonstrated that they are very progressive and innovative.

The finalists will now receive a visit from our specially selected panel of expert judges before the judges make their final decisions. The winners will be announced at a fun and vibrant awards celebration on Friday 19^th May 2023. You can find out more at www.northwestfamilybusinessawards.co.uk

Premium garden furniture brand Bramblecrest have identified and predicted a growing trend for Moon Garden designs for UK customers in 2023 and beyond.  

A Moon Garden is the conscious designing of an outdoor space to be appreciated equally at night, by moonlight, as in traditional afternoon sun. Using a Moon Garden to enjoy quiet, peaceful moments in nature during the evening reduces post-work/busy day stress and promotes better sleep, all factors in supporting good general health. A Moon Garden also has the added benefit of enjoying the sights, sounds and smells of the great outdoors and certain wildlife which come to life at night. 

Senses are heightened through a Moon Garden with shrubs, flowers and trees like jasmine, lily, wisteria and petunia blooming and releasing their most powerful scent when the sun goes down. Perfumes released by plants and flowers trigger endorphins which bring a natural feeling of happiness, contentment and de-stress. Noises in a night-time garden add to the magic with evening birdsong from nightjars to nightingales, robins, warblers and owls combined with characterful sounds from crickets, frogs and the rustling of hedgehogs all adding to the connection with nature – perfect for a calming night’s sleep.  

Bramblecrest spoke exclusively with Psychologist and TV Broadcaster Honey Langcaster-James about the potential health and wellbeing benefits of using a Moon Garden. Honey commented:  

“Both personally and professionally, I love the idea of a Moon Garden - creating an area in your garden that’s been designed with evening enjoyment in mind. Aside from the fact that it could be a perfect way to inject a little romance into your relationship with your partner while at home, it could also be an ideal place to take some personal time out, to unwind, be more mindful, and to give yourself some much needed peace and quiet after a busy day. Spending some time in your Moon Garden could become part of your evening routine, and the relaxation associated with your added time in nature, could really help to ready yourself for a more deep and restful sleep.  

“We Brits are well-known around the world for loving our gardens, but most of us tend to only ever think about actually enjoying our garden spaces during the day, when the sun is shining. Those who live in warmer climates might actually do the opposite, using their outdoor spaces much more during the cooler evenings and less in the heat of the midday sun, and it turns out that they may be enjoying a host of psychological and well-being benefits as a result of that!  

“From a health and well-being perspective, going out to your outdoor space can provide you with both a literal and figurative breath of fresh air, helping to boost your mood and separate your more productive daytime period from your evening wind-down. This can put you into a restful mindset which will likely better prepare you for a good night’s sleep.  

“Our homes have become increasingly multi-functional and nowadays they need to be truly multi-purpose spaces, so much of our lives take place there. We use the inside of our homes for work and productivity, rest and relaxation, eating our meals, spending time with loved ones and meeting our obligations to our families and carrying out all sorts of other activities and commitments. Our gardens however, tend to be less demanding spaces. They are places which are usually devoted to rest, relaxation, pleasure, health and well-being, and are only very rarely associated in our brains with work tasks or other demands upon us. This means that spending more time in our gardens, if we are lucky enough to have one, makes sense for our overall well-being and can help us better delineate our productive and more restful down times, ultimately helping us with a better work life balance.” 

For more information visit: https://www.bramblecrest.com/

“I went into my garden centre looking for wellies but they’re all so heavy and boring; why don’t they have ones like these?” An excellent question! One that the team at Leon Boots is frequently asked when customers try on their fun and colourful, super comfortable, ultralight wellies at shows (including BBC gardeners World) around Britain.

Wellington boots tend to conjure visions of something murky green, cold and uncomfortable, to be worn as little as possible, but wellies don’t have to be heavy and boring! Leon Boots are so comfortable that marathon records have been set by people running in them, so there’s no excuse for garden centres to be stocking boots that people don’t like wearing.

The best-selling garden ankle boots are available in six different colours with green being our least popular, all equally cosy and comfortable. 

Pictured: This display is at St Peters Garden Centre (Choice member) in Worcester.

Leon Boots Co. 

Email: kevin@leonbootsco.com 

Website: www.lbcboots.com 

Phone: 01934 315386 

Greenworks has a number of battery-powered chainsaws in its range, but this latest 24V model’s key difference is in its size. 

With a 4” bar and chain, measuring 17.28 x 3.15 x 8.19”, and weighing just, this mini chainsaw is smaller than comparable manufacturer’s products, and is perfect for safely and effectively cutting small tree limbs and branches, and pruning.   

A world-leading brand when it comes to cordless garden machinery technology, Greenworks’ 24V battery provides 20% more power and 35% more run-time, plus a quick charge of just 60 minutes.  The battery is interchangeable with more than 30 Greenworks garden, power and indoor products.  

The Greenworks 24V 4'' Brushless Pruning Saw / Mini Chainsaw combines a range of excellent features, in the smallest unit of its type, at a very good price point. 

The brushless motor provides double the torque, for more power, longer run times, quiet operation, and extended motor life, making for a very handy tool indeed.   

Just as importantly, it’s also very easy to use.  As a battery-powered device, no petrol is required, so no carburettor, no spark plug, and no starter rope; instead, a simple push button is all it takes to get started.  Its ultra-lightweight, compact design means it can be handled by anyone and, with tool-less tensioning, bar and chain maintenance is quick and easy (no tools are required). 

Cordless garden tools are a major growth area and Greenworks leads the field. Lightweight and compact, all Greenworks products are easy to store and the battery is interchangeable with other tools. With no emissions and lower running and maintenance costs than petrol equivalents, plus no power cables to contend with, Greenworks provides convenience and ease of use. 

The 24V 4'' Brushless Pruning Saw / Mini Chainsaw is the latest Greenworks product, providing customers with an easy-to-handle alternative to large chainsaws, opening up the market for a tool that is frequently viewed as too intimidating to use. 

About Handy  

Handy has grown to become one of the UK’s largest independent garden machinery wholesale distributors and manufacturers, supplying specialist dealers, large national retailers, garden centres and mail-order companies. 

As the UK-appointed distributor for Greenworks and Cramer cordless equipment, Handy is at the forefront of leading battery technology, whilst its successful traditional brands - including Webb, The Handy and Q Garden - support a one-stop solution to all its customers’ garden equipment needs.  

With over 800 garden & DIY products, Handy offers the widest choice in the industry, from light domestic to heavy-duty commercial.  

Stocking leading brands from: 

• Webb 
• The Handy 
• Q Garden 
• Greenworks  
• Cramer  
• Solo 
• Handy Parts 
• Luceco 
• Bosch 
• McCulloch  
• Karcher 
• Flymo 
• The Walsall Wheelbarrow Company  

To become a stockist, please telephone 01793 333220  email sales@handys.co.uk or visit www.handys.co.uk  

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

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

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

Access is by subscription only.  For £145.00 per year you and your team can have access to the most up-to-date gardening sales analysis that has already helped many UK garden centres increase their sales.  To subscribe call 07973 504214, e-mail karen@pottingshedpress.co.uk or buy on-line using this link.

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

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

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

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

For further information contact karen@pottingshedpress.co.uk or call 07973504214.

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

Click on the links below to see The Greatest Christmas Awards judges photo tours of the 17 Gold Award winning garden centres at Christmas 2022:

Altons - The Greatest Christmas Sizzle Team, Barton Grange - The Greatest Christmas Houseplant Team & The Greatest Large Garden Centre Christmas Team, Blue Diamond Newbridge - The Greatest Christmas Houseplant Team, Gates - The Greatest Gardening Gifts Sales Team, Gouldings Santa Experience - The Greatest Garden Centre Grotto Team, Groves Bridport  - The Greatest Christmas Community Event Team, Klondyke High Legh - The Greatest Group Large Garden Centre Christmas Team, Little Dobbies Richmond - The Greatest Group Small Garden Centre Christmas Team, Longacres Bagshot - The Greatest Festive Food Hall Team, Meadowcroft - The Greatest Mid-Sized Garden Centre Christmas Team, Pengelly - The Greatest Small Garden Centre Christmas Team, Pugh's Radyr - The Greatest Outdoor Plant and Christmas Tree Team, Pugh's Wenvoe - The Greatest Christmas Marketing Team, Rosebourne Aldermaston - The Greatest Festive Food Hall Team, Rosebourne Weyhill - The Greatest Christmas Marketing Team, The Old Railway Line - The Greatest Garden Centre Christmas Video, Woodlands Ash - The Greatest Festive Garden Centre Catering Team

See all the photos from the Awards presentations at Spring Fair here

Watch out for more judges photo tours over the coming weeks.