This year’s three-day GCA Conference in Blackburn came to an end on Wednesday evening in spectacular fashion with Ron and Wendy Bent of Bents Garden and Home not only becoming honorary GCA members but also seeing their family company be recognised as a Garden Centre of Excellence and named Destination Centre of the Year. 

Matthew Bent said the awards were a win for the whole team who each year strive to become better in everything they do.

Also having cause for a great celebration was the team from  Klondyke Garden Centres which scored a hatrick in the Garden Centre of the Year category. Morton Hall Garden Centre took the overall prize with Klondyke Garden Wise and Strikes Stokesley centre runners up.

GCA Garden Centres of Excellence

Barton Grange

Bents Garden and Home

Cowell’s Garden Centre

Fron Goch Garden Centre

Gordale Garden & Home

Strikes Garden Centre, Stokesley

Pacific Nurseries

Perrywood - Tiptree

Ruxley Manor

The Old Railway Line

The Best Marketing Campaign or Initiative - The Worrall Cup went to Pugh’s Garden Centres for its Christmas influencer campaign. They fought off stiff competition from Coolings Garden Centre’s Feel Good Gardens and Tong Garden Centre’s  Love Nature Garden initiatives.

Wyevale Nurseries was recognised as Associate Member of the Year winning The Haskins Stewart Cup. Other finalists in this category were Woodlodge and Westland.

Consultant Andy Campbell also became an honorary member in recognition for his more than two decades of judging for the GCA.

Another outstanding winner was the Greenfingers Charity which received a cheque for a staggering £100,000 raised by delegates throughout the three-day event. Guy Topping from Barton Grange presented the cheque to an overwhelmed Sue Allen who said it would go towards a GCA sponsored garden.

The first GCA Conference since February 2020 got off to a crazy start with Sunday evenings delegates raising over £50,000 for Greenfingers playing crazy golf, crazy pool, ten pin bowling and curling at the Barton Grange Flower Bowl.

The Challenge event between the Pansies (retailers) and the Cabbages (suppliers) was narrowly won this year by the Cabbages captained by Ian Flounders of Woodlodge.  GCA Vice Chair, Will Blake, captain of the pansies vowed to win back the trophy next year.

Guy Topping generously provided access to the golf, pool, bowling and curling for the 60 delegates who travelled the short journey from the Conference venue of the Mercure Dunkenhaigh Hotel & Spa.  Huge thanks go to the team at the Flower Bowl, managed by Guy's neice, Emily.

Bob Marley won the award for the highest individual score across all 4 Challenge activities.

Fundraising for Greenfingers continues throughout the GCA Conference which concludes with the GCA Dinner and Awards on Tuesday night.  If a target total of £100,000 can be achieved that will mean the charity can deliver another complete Childrens Hospice garden funded by the GCA.

See GTN Xtra's gallery of photos from the Challenge below:

Garden Centre Association Chief Executive, Peter Burks, paid a visit to the RocketGro farm this week, where he discussed sustainable gardening and how the industry needs to work together to support gardeners in the move away from peat. He was also treated to a full tour of the operation, including the recently extended bagging and mixing plant.

The RocketGro team was delighted to welcome Peter Burks to the site in Somerset, following his appointment to the role of GCA CEO in November 2022.

A relatively new face in the garden industry, RocketGro started producing a range of game-changing organic, peat-free growing media in 2021. Founded by two friends – Toby Thomas and Tim Roe – the company has grown significantly since its inception when it supplied just one product, Magic Mulch, to become an exciting brand that now boasts a portfolio of 12 products. 

This week, Toby Thomas and sales director Andy Abraham took the opportunity to show Peter around their facility, which includes a large Biogas plant that is responsible for, not only powering 8,000 homes with renewable green energy, but also generating RocketGro’s magic ingredient, an organic digestate known affectionately as ‘Rocket Fuel’.

Accompanied by RocketGro in-house horticulturalist, Hannah Shiell, they were also proud to highlight a recent expansion in operations, with the newly extended mixing and bagging plant, which is now capable of producing 1,400 bags an hour! A proud British producer,RocketGro has always keenly celebrated the fact that the entire process of bringing its products to market takes place at its site in Somerset, which is why it was such a privilege to share this with the GCA’s Peter Burks.

A great day was had by all and the team welcomed a frank conversation with Peter about the issues facing the garden industry today, including the value of sustainable gardening and a need to better support gardeners of all skillsets in learning to grow without peat.

“We had a good discussion about the future of the GCA and how important sustainable gardening is for the future,” said Toby Thomas. “We also talked at length, about the huge change in growing media and how the absence of peat has dramatically altered the way people are going to have to garden going forward. There was a general agreement that it will be important for retailers and suppliers to re-enforce the changes and add education to their agenda for both new and existing gardeners in order to accommodate the shift. Gone are the days of cheap composts and the focus is on quality and consistency along with regular supply!”

Impressed by what he saw, Peter Burks said of his visit to RocketGro: “I had a very informative and fascinating tour of the facilities at RocketGro which is a fantastic business, great compost producer and superb story of real low carbon production. In a very short time, they have become a producer of high-quality products for the garden and are very committed to driving this forward with more research and development and growing trials. They clearly understand how their product differs from the old-fashioned peat-based products and how the industry also needs to change the way it deals with this bagged product which is always changing even in storage. I wish them well.

RocketGro recently confirmed its status as a GCA Associate Member and values the work the trade association does within the industry.

Find out more

If you want to learn more about RocketGro or are keen to discuss adding its product portfolio into your 2023 offering, please contact Toby Thomas (hello@rocketgro.co.uk /07936 928 981) or Andy Abraham (andy@rocketgro.co.uk / 07446 937902). Discover more about the RocketGro story at www.rocketgro.co.uk

Nottingham-based turf and ground care machinery distributor, Henton & Chattell, is to stop selling John Deere machinery in Spring 2023. The company has successfully sold John Deere machinery for two decades in the Midlands.  

Peter Chaloner, Managing Director of Henton & Chattell, explained: “We have certainly enjoyed working with the John Deere team and thank them for their support and professionalism. We will continue to work closely with our customers as we develop our professional turf business with other brands. The turf and ground care sector continues to be an important focus for the business and rest assured, we will continue to look after our existing customers in the future.”

Henton & Chattell has always prided itself in delivering the highest levels of service for its loyal turf and ground care customers in the Midlands. The company has one of the largest after-sales and service teams dedicated to ground care machinery in the Midlands and potentially the largest parts stock holdings for turf and garden machinery, covering over 70,000 different parts lines.  

Peter Chaloner stated: “H&C is looking to grow its turf and ground care business. We’ve seen good levels of success in this sector, and we are confident of future growth. Service is the key for professional and trade customers alike. We very much value our family culture at H&C, our strength is our people and I believe this shows through consistently within every aspect of our business. Commitment and dedication to go the extra mile, to help our customers makes all the difference.”

Henton & Chattell today operates from its head office in Nottingham, and has recently made a substantial investment in a 40,000 sq. ft. warehouse to facilitate its growth plans. In the near future, an additional site is planned, which will be dedicated to its turf and ground care business. Peter Chaloner explained that the new depot will be a ‘one-stop-shop’ for professional customers, offering parts, service, training and even demonstrations on their purpose-built site.

Henton & Chattell is a family owned and managed business established in 1931. A market leader in the Midlands for ground care machinery and the UK’s largest independent garden machinery and parts distributor.  The company employs over 85 colleagues and has an annual turnover of over £35m.

For further information about the company please visit www.hcuk.co

New Year’s Resolutions are a hot topic right now with everyone wanting to make the most out of 2023. After the excesses typical of the festive season, instead of going back to the usual daily routine, why not try one of Garden Re-Leaf’s ultra-challenges and work towards something meaningful and raise money for a worthy cause in the process?

Garden Re-Leaf Day is the annual FUNdraising event for Greenfingers Charity, which this year takes place on Friday 24th March 2023, to help raise vital funds for the charity whilst also kickstarting the garden retailing season.

Plantathons 

The annual Plantathons are making a comeback this year and are the ultimate gardening marathon. Can your garden centre staff endure 12 hours of soil filling, planting, watering and feeding to create the best spring container to sell to your customers?

The staff at Squire’s Garden Centres were joined by celebrity gardener, Charlie Dimmock, potting over 500 lovely, bright and cheerful spring plants for Garden Re-Leaf and Woking store’s opening weekend. Klondyke has also held 12-hour Plantathons in its stores with the sales of potted containers donated to Greenfingers. Orchard Park went the extra mile and went for a staggering 24 hours to raise money from their planter displays!

Other Plantathon efforts were nothing short of extraordinary with Hillview Group’s then-11 stores planting spring and summer tubs for an amazing 24 hours. Hillview continued planting in years to come with 101 plants in 1,111 containers in 12 hours in 2017.

We are looking for garden centres, both big and small, to plant from dawn to dusk and have brilliant fun with this challenge. We are also on the hunt for suppliers to provide both plants, compost and containers for the Plantathons. Previous events have seen companies support the Plantathons around the country by supplying labels, pots, plants and compost to create bright spring colours for Garden Re-Leaf.  – Not only will happy shoppers take home a beautiful spring floral container but the sundries that you provide can be upsold with the money being donated to Greenfingers.

FUNdraising Founder

One person who is no stranger to Garden Re-Leaf challenges is Boyd, now of British Garden Centres. The impact that Boyd has had on the fundraising day since its inception is unrivalled. A former Trustee, now an Honorary Member of Greenfingers Charity, it was July 2011 when Boyd announced the inaugural Garden Re-Leaf Day to the trade at the GIMA Awards, followed by a consumer launch by Alan Titchmarsh at the Garden Media Guild Awards in London.

Boyd had one mission in his mind, to unite the industry at the start of the year with its answer to Comic Relief and Sports Relief and raise vital funds for Greenfingers to enable them to build magical outdoor gardens and spaces for children’s hospices. Taking place in March every year, Garden Re-Leaf is also a fun but valuable team-building opportunity for retailers and entices customers into stores earlier to extend the peak Spring season.

Boyd’s challenges

His first ultra-challenge was in 2014 when he ran, rowed and rode his way through 240 miles with his Hillview team. Using the Kettler gym equipment that they had in store, Boyd pushed himself to the limit and conquered the distance in just under six hours.

In 2016, Boyd’s green fingers were tested when he set himself the challenge of a 24-hour plantathon and raising £1 for each minute of the 24 hours. He was also one of the 100 walkers who took part in the 20-mile walk through Cambridgeshire, which took in Horningsea, Cambridge and finished at Scotsdales Garden Centre in Great Shelford.

Garden Re-Leaf was also taken down under when Boyd spoke at the annual Garden Centres of Australia Conferences in Melbourne and Sydney in 2013. So far over £200,000 has been raised for Beyond Blue, which provides mental health information and support to help everyone in Australia.

And who can forget when Boyd went Green for Greenfingers and sported a rather fetching bright green barnet for the occasion?

In 2021, Boyd undertook his biggest challenge yet – walking 100km in a day from the British Garden Centres office in Brigg to its Harrogate store on a cross trainer! If that wasn’t enough, the same year saw Boyd taking on the challenge of wearing 25 Christmas jumpers over 25 days to raise funds for the Greenfingers.

He said: “Greenfingers is a charity that does exceptional work with children’s hospices and is very closely linked to the garden trade. I believe people in our industry want to give and they needed a flagship event to make it easy for them to do so. This is how Garden Re-Leaf came into being and without you, we wouldn't have raised anywhere near £800,000 so we are very grateful.

“I set myself these ultra-challenges to test both my mental and physical limits. The challenges I have done are nowhere near the challenge the hospice children and their families face every day and that is my motivation. Doing these challenges makes me feel fulfilled, and I enjoy the social side that Garden Re-Leaf brings every year.

The unbounded effort and hard work the industry put into and then staging all its fund-raising events is staggering but we can still do more.”

Linda Petrons, Director of Communications at Greenfingers Charity said: “Without people like Boyd and fundraisers within the industry, we simply could not do what we do.  So many industry friends have raised a phenomenal amount of money and the commitment to the charity shown by the stores and suppliers is extraordinary and we never take it for granted.”

How to get involved in Garden Re-Leaf Day 2023

Registration for the 2023 event is now live, and Greenfingers is also on the lookout for sponsors for the event. To find out more please contact Linda Petrons by emailing linda@greenfingerscharity.org.uk

FUNdraising ideas for Garden Re-Leaf Day 2023

Here are just a few ways you can get involved and help Greenfingers to continue creating magical gardens in children’s hospices across the nation:

Why not hold a 12-hour exercise challenge or a quiz in your café?  You could also hold a raffle, cake, or book sale, or maybe host a car wash in your car park.

For more FUNdraising ideas or to obtain a copy of the 2023 fundraising pack drop Linda a line - she would love to hear from you.

Already renowned as a supplier of planters and plant accessories, Ivyline is fast becoming a preferred supplier of design-led Christmas ranges, with lovingly curated collections that range in style from warm and traditional to cool and contemporary.  The new Christmas 2023/4 offering is set for a big launch at Spring Fair (Hall 7 E70), where visitors can look forward to a spectacular array of elegant home accents and Advent inspiration.

From the elegant and evocative Silver edit, in hues of cool white, blue and silver, to the rich jewel-tones of Cheer, traditional joy of the Winter Woodland and warm luxury of Gold, festive style has never been so chic. Alongside pieces to satisfy the most traditionally festive tastes – with mistletoe, stars and owls, stag heads and snowflakes aplenty – Ivyline has ensured that it offers multi-functional home accents that will stand the test of time and work just as well when Christmas has come and gone.

Retailers will also be pleased to note that, as has become synonymous with Ivyline, the majority of new products have been designed by Ivyline's talented in-house team. This means designs are unique and designed to offer a real point of difference.  Whilst trend-led to suit all forms of home styling and consumer demographics, design has not limited Ivyline’s stringent approach to sustainability, using recycled materials and sourcing products from ethically audited factories wherever possible.

As a special bonus for Spring Fair visitors, Ivyline is offering a 20% discount on trade orders placed on the stand during the show. To benefit from this discount quote coupon code: IVYSPRING.

Christmas Tree Skirts & Wreath Holders

Building on the success of Ivyline’s top-selling Christmas 22/23 lines, the 23/24 range will feature a broader selection of Christmas tree skirts in a variety of designs and materials. Cornerstones of the collection include the all-new galvanised metal tree skirts with traditional mistletoe embossing, embroidered velvet designs – ideal for lovers of the Victoriana trend - and sustainable rattan models which can be folded away for easy storage. Also new for 2023 is a selection of hard-wearing and sustainable seagrass Christmas Tree Mats and flexible jute tree skirts with snowflake or tassel details.

Wreath hooks – wildly popular during the 2022 season - remain an integral part of traditional Christmas styling and Ivyline offers a variety of luxurious metal designs in this category, including three new styles added for the 2023 festive season. The popular hangers with brass hare and deer head models will return and this range has been extended to include Christmas snowflake detail in black or white, stars in black or antique gold and a design which features mistletoe foliage detail, all supported with an attractive RRP of just £19.99.

Advent Countdown

Advent accessories are once again the hero products of Ivyline’s Christmas range, offering the perfect solution for mantelpiece décor, tabletop design and windowsill styling, whilst also helping retailers to offer much more than the traditional Christmas decoration offering.

Buyers at Spring Fair and beyond will not want to miss Ivyline’s brand-new Advent showstopper, which comes in the form of their Nordic Wooden Candle Holder. With an individual house-shaped segment for each day of Advent, this beautiful home accent can be decorated with festive foliage as the countdown commences or personalised with a chocolate treat or small trinket for each of the 24 days.

Candle Magic

Candle stands and holders form a major part of the new collection, with a breath-taking choice of new designs for the coming seasons. From larger scale pieces designed to elevate tablescapes to new heights of opulence, to elegant taper candle stands, hurricane lanterns and recycled glass tealight holders, many of the pieces are versatile enough to work throughout the year on any occasion and can also double as vases giving them dual functionality that will appeal to consumers looking to maximise their spend.

Gorgeous reactive ceramic glazes on the brand-new BOWEN and MILA lines of pillar candle stands, candle plates and other candle holders in Linen, Moss and Fawn colourways ensure that no two pieces are the same. Bauble shaped, jewel-coloured candle holders will bring a joyful burst of colour to festive table and mantelpiece displays. Art-Deco style statement pieces and wall sconces which can be fitted with real or remote-control candle-lights, round off Ivyline’s superb new collection of candle stands and holders.

Décor

Completing Ivyline’s 2023 Christmas offering is a selection of home décor essentials including galvanised metal wreaths and glass Christmas trees. Elevating festive interior design, Ivyline’s décor offering uses a rich colour palette including luxurious golds and evergreen greens and has been conceived with retail in mind, with product that can sit across a range of festive styles to increase consumer appeal.

Find out more

For a first look at Ivyline’s new Christmas visit Spring Fair 5th – 8th February, Hall 7, stand E70. Alternatively, contact the team to book an appointment at Ivyline’s dedicated showroom.  Find out more at www.ivylinegb.co.uk, by emailing sales@ivylinegb.co.uk or by calling 024 7633 9180.

Spring Fair, the UK’s leading marketplace for wholesale Home, Gift and Fashion which returns to the NEC Birmingham NEC from 5th-8thFebruary 2023, has launched its competition for two buyers to win a £1,000 voucher to spend at the forthcoming show.

Two lucky winners will be randomly selected from all registered visitors, and they will each receive a £1000 voucher to spend during their buying trip at Spring Fair. The competition launched successfully last year with one retailer, Interiors in Bloom, spending with two new suppliers, one being Joe Davis. Paul Hooker from Joe Davis said, “Among the many new customers was Interiors in Bloom, who won the competition set up by the organisers. The competition was a great success for both parties, with most of the order already supplied and repeating, we are looking forward to becoming a regular and trusted supplier to the business in the future.”

Entrants must register before Sunday 22nd January 2023, and the prize draw will take place on Tuesday 24th January 2022. The £1,000 voucher must only be used to place an order with an exhibitor at Spring Fair 2023 on the dates of the show (5-8th February 2023). For full terms and conditions visit VOUCHER TERMS & CONDITIONS - Spring Fair 2023

As the largest and most accessible “shop for shops”, Spring Fair is the UK’s trusted platform for discovery and innovation, putting the most sought-after products, bright new finds, and industry-leading creative thinkers, under one easy-to-navigate roof whilst giving retailers unparalleled cross-buying opportunities.

Spring Fair encompasses 14 sectors within four destinations across 8 halls – Home which includes Living & Décor, Housewares, Everyday, and The Summerhouse, Gift including Christmas, Floral and Seasonal Decorations, and Moda fashion featuring its own Catwalk as well as Jewellery & Watch, Womenswear, Fashion Accessories, and Footwear, and the newly launched responsible sourcing show Source Home & Gift - all offering thousands of much loved and established favourites alongside an array of sustainable and new brands showing for the first time. The show creates a compelling and unmissable platform for buyers to touch, feel, and experience the latest products, trends and innovations.

As the buyers one-stop marketplace for everything new and on-trend for 2023, Spring Fair is the leading home, gift and fashion buying showcase. It runs from 5th - 8th February 2023 at NEC Birmingham. For further information please visit www.springfair.com  

Sheffield-based Burgon & Ball, creator of beautiful premium gardening tools and accessories since 1730, is showing gorgeous new designs in its Sophie Conran for Burgon & Ball range at Spring Fair this February.

A new gift-boxed heart-shaped trowel combines irresistible good looks with perfect planting performance to make a gardening gift of distinction - one which has been shortlisted in the Gift of the Year awards. In addition, tapping into the Modern Rustic interiors trend, new gardening accessories in galvanized steel showcase the beauty of the material in which they’re crafted.

NEW: heart-shaped trowel

The covetable new Sophie Conran for Burgon & Ball heart-shaped trowel (RRP £22.99) is shortlisted in the Home and Garden category of the Gift of the Year awards. Useful for shallow digging and scooping when planting bulbs, bedding, or plug plants, the design is also ideal for container gardening. The trowel has eye-catching good looks, with a wide heart-shaped mirror-polished dish, waxed beech handle and solid brass ferrule etched with maker’s mark. The beautiful design, advanced technical performance and premium presentation in a gift box with gold accents make this trowel a thoughtful and impactful gift for any gardener.

NEW: watering cans

Picking up on the ongoing passion for houseplants, two new Sophie Conran indoor watering cans in galvanized steel combine visual appeal with functionality, offering a design quality any plant lover will be proud to own and display. Lending a timeless feel, the understated yet intricate texture of the galvanized finish is subtly stylish. These small indoor watering cans are beautifully balanced, with a slender spout for targeted pouring. Available in a choice of 1 litre (RRP £19.99) and 1.7 litre (RRP £26.99) sizes, they offer an appealing gift option for the houseplant fan.

NEW: seed organiser

Further extending on-trend gift options in galvanized steel, a new Sophie Conran seed organiser (RRP £25.99) is ideal for collecting, storing and organising seed packets. Again, the subtle texturing of the galvanized finish complements the Modern Rustic interiors look. The thoughtfully designed tin offers plenty of space for seed storage, with three roomy compartments for seeds. Calendar dividers sort seeds by month, with branding to highlight the organiser’s designer credentials, making a practical and chic gift for any gardener.

Awards success with a classic range

In addition to the new Sophie Conran items, visitors to the stand will also be able to see the varied design collections in Burgon & Ball’s popular ‘RHS Gifts for Gardeners’ range. Featuring historic botanical artworks from the RHS Lindley Collections, these gifting favourites are shortlisted this year in the Gift of the Year awards’ ‘Gift of all Time’ category. Including price points for every budget and with regular new designs to pick up on emerging trends in gardening, the ‘RHS Gifts for Gardeners’ range has consistently delivered top-selling lines for retailers since its original launch back in 2013.

With a reputation for innovation and known for having a finger on the fashion pulse, Burgon & Ball is a must for all show visitors. Be sure to visit Stand 4J86 at Spring Fair to see the exciting new ideas joining the Burgon & Ball line-up of gorgeous gifts for gardeners.

Burgon & Ball Ltd., T: 01202 684141, E: sales@burgonandball.com, www.burgonandball.com

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DCUK, The Original Wooden Duck Company, has appointed Jeff Norman as UK Sales Manager. Jeff, who previously worked for Heaven Sends, brings over 30 years gift trade experience to his new position.

He said: “I am delighted to be joining a forward-thinking business at a very exciting time.  I am looking forward to working with and supporting retailers to help grow retail sales of this strong and successful brand.”

By following a consumer-focused approach to their brand advertising, service and promotional activity, DCUK has seen record levels of interest and engagement from a passionate fanbase of collectors for their hand-crafted and painted original bamboo characters. 

As a result, Jeff’s role will be strongly focused on helping current trade partners to capitalise on the demand and enthusiasm that’s out there for DCUK – as well as working with new potential stockists in key towns and cities. 

Craig Wensley, Managing Director and Owner of DCUK, said: “We’re delighted to welcome Jeff to the senior leadership team. He brings a wealth of experience that will really benefit the business, our existing customers – and new, like-minded stockists that join the DCUK family.”

Jeff is attending Spring Fair at the NEC from 5-8 February, which will be his first trade show working with his new DCUK colleagues.

Rolawn Limited has achieved continued accreditation under the Green Achiever scheme for the fourth consecutive year. Achieving the Diamond Banner Award, Rolawn secured the highest level in the scheme.

Rolawn, based in the Vale of York, has secured the status under the Green Achiever scheme which offers environmental accreditation to businesses wishing to obtain independent acknowledgement of their green credentials and verification that they are actively reducing their environmental impact.

Ken Brewster, Rolawn’s Marketing Director, said: “We have a robust and proactive environmental strategy, not all of which is necessarily visible to our audience, so the continuation of this accreditation is really valuable in helping us to reassure our customers that we take this seriously.

“Integrity is important to us at Rolawn and that includes implementing improvements that aren’t overtly obvious, yet still make a real difference, for example the installation of onsite solar panels which has made a significant contribution to production.”

To achieve Diamond Banner Award status, Rolawn had to evidence proactivity on a range of levels from day to day, ground level operations, such as energy consumption and recycling, right through to higher level operational compliance with complex environmental legislation.

A memorial service to celebrate the life of Paul Cooling, who sadly passed away on December 29, will take place at St Nicholas Church, Sevenoaks, Kent, on Wednesday, February 22.

People wishing to attend the service at the church and then Collings The Gardener's Garden Centre afterwards, have been asked by his family to wear bright and colourful clothing as “Paul would expect nothing less!”

The family has asked those people attending the thanksgiving service and also refreshments to email paulsmemorial@coolings.co.uk

Paul’s funeral will be an invite-only affair as the local church is very small.

Paul had been a larger-than-life character in the UK horticulture industry, often present at many trade functions usually sporting his trademark waistcoats and bow ties. In particular he was significantly involved with the GCA and in 2022 held the office of Vice President of the IGCA.

The family at Scotsdales have announced that their father Mr David Rayner died in the early hours of Saturday morning 14^th January.

His daughter Caroline Owen told GTN Xtra: "He was 94 years old and died very peacefully in his sleep. Totally unexpected to be honest.

"A lovely way to go! As a family we could wish for nothing better for him. As such we will celebrate his life."

Scotsdales began when the 14-acre Great Shelford site was acquired by Swaffham Bulbeck farmer David Rayner in 1968.

He was well know for always building something and in 2007 with Caroline, David set up the Scotsdales Charitable Foundation which enabled the building of the Cambridge Cancer Centre in early 2008 on land donated by Mr Rayner.. From start to finish, the building work took just 8 months, and everyone involved in the project worked completely free of charge.

Today, the Cancer Centre’s David Rayner Building is also available to other charitable groups for workshops, lectures, information days and social events.

It has been announced on Linkedin that Planteria journalist, editor and publisher Phil Evans dies suddenly in 12th January 2023.

Immersive content has become a hugely popular part of Glee’s annual offering and, this year, a fantastic, brand-new live project will bring industry rising stars to the fore, through the mentor-led, training-based Glee Talent Store.

Designed to nurture and celebrate garden centre and retail visual merchandising excellence, the Glee Talent Store will be an interactive feature, supported by the Garden Centre Association (GCA) and leading horticultural influencer, Mr Plant Geek (Michael Perry). The feature will showcase the different ways that houseplant and outdoor plant merchandising displays can be interpreted instore, and how different designs can be utilised to highlight the same products and trends in a variety of inspiring ways. The focus will be on mentor-led training for new talent within garden centres.

The Glee Talent Store will kick-off with a special ‘bootcamp’ where entrants will be immersed in a full day of hands-on workshops (date to be confirmed) that will focus on merchandising best practice. The workshop will be hosted by an expert in visual merchandising that has led the way on the high street and department stores alike, whilst Glee’s new “ambassador”, Mr Plant Geek, will help participants create a specialist mood board to hone their houseplant or outdoor plant style.

On site at Glee, two live ‘retail sets’ created by those visual merchandisers that make it through bootcamp will be on display to inspire visitors. Located in the NEC’s light-filled atrium, alongside the show’s beating ‘Green Heart’, each Glee Talent Store display will showcase the vision for either houseplant or outdoor plants. Maximising proven techniques for linked sales and cross merchandising, the Talent Store will provide a fresh look at these thriving product sectors seen through the eyes of these passionate and emerging talents, whilst also providing insight into how the new generation of gardeners view these core product sectors.  Throughout the 2023 exhibition, Mr Plant Geek will be leading hosted sessions within the Talent Store to provide a more in-depth look at the trends, styles and merchandising ideas that each team has identified.

Even more exciting is that the Talent Store feature will continue long after the doors have closed on Glee 2023.  The Glee team, along with the team of mentors, will revisit each participant post event to see how the Glee Talent Store has impacted their career and how their merchandising skills have developed.

Matthew Mein, Event Director at Glee, said: “Visual merchandising is key to effective retailing. It has the power to entice and inspire consumers at the point of sale, with different components appealing to and engaging a diverse mix of shoppers. Recognising this individuality, we wanted to create something that celebrated these differences and encouraged visual merchandisers from across the garden retail sector to get involved. The Glee Talent Store is a great way for these talented and vital team members to celebrate their skills, and we’re incredibly excited about what they’ll be showing us in June.

“We’re also especially hoping that the Glee Talent Store will provide an outlet for younger visual merchandisers to shine. As an industry, we know that there is a deficit of younger workers and hope that this new feature can help to create a career path for the next generation.”

Peter Burks, GCA Chief Executive, added: “The Talent Store could not have come at a better time. With houseplants witnessing a huge surge in popularity amongst younger consumers, now is the perfect time to give a platform to this new generation of plant owners to share their knowledge and to give insight into the future of houseplant retailing. I’ve no doubt that the on-site content will be thought provoking and inspiring for us all.”

Further details about how to take part in the Glee Talent Store, including sponsorship opportunities for Glee’s exhibiting suppliers, will be presented at the forthcoming GCA Conference (22nd – 25th January). Throughout the event the Glee team will be available to answer any questions regarding the launch of the Glee Talent Store.

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.

The Horticultural Trades Association welcomes the publication by the government of the Independent Review of Net-Zero, and supports its recommendation for more action to ensure the economic benefits of green growth can be realised.

In 2021, the UK’s environmental horticulture sector published ‘Unlocking Green Growth’, which set out the key enablers and opportunities for delivering green growth. The HTA has also published a separate paper which found that the sector – if given the necessary regulatory and policy support – has the potential to play an integral role in advancing five out of the ten aims in the UK’s 25-year environmental plan.

Jennifer Pheasey, HTA’s Director of Public Affairs, commented: “Environmental horticulture in the UK contributes significantly to the economy, the environment and to physical and mental health. The Net-Zero Review recognises the value of green spaces, the role of tree planting, as well as other nature-based measures to support the government’s net-zero ambitions.

“The HTA seeks robust policy-making and proportionate environmental regulation, which will ensure businesses can continue to thrive and contribute to this journey. We’re also calling for consideration to be given to extending the scope of existing policy frameworks, such as climate change agreements, which would benefit the wider horticulture industry.”

The HTA is a member of the Ornamental Horticulture Roundtable Group, which published the Unlocking Green Growth document and submitted evidence to the Independent Review of Net-Zero. The HTA also participated in a British Retail Consortium roundtable with Chris Skidmore MP, at which the HTA raised questions over the complexity and clarity needed for Extended Producer Responsibility Regulations.

The HTA Sustainability Roadmap can be found here: https://hta.org.uk/news-events-current-issues/sustainability 

Unlocking Green Growth and the HTA’s report on How the Environmental Horticulture and Landscaping Industry underwrites the 25-year environment plan can be found here: https://hta.org.uk/policy/unlocking-green-growth

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.

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