Wyevale Garden Centres (“WGC”) today announces that it has sold its remaining trading business to British Garden Centres (“BGC”). This includes the sale of 20 centres today plus a further two centres expected to be sold shortly.

The acquisition of these centres largely completes the WGC sale process that began in May 2018. The deal is WGC’s fifth transaction with BGC following the sale of one centre in December 2018, five centres in February, eight centres in June 2019, and one centre in August 2019.

All sites will continue to operate as garden centres and the sales are expected to complete between late-September and early-October. BGC will use this strong portfolio of centres as a springboard to enter the south of England market.

In addition, WGC and BGC have worked closely with the owners of both Enfield and Windsor garden centres, to agree a new two year licence arrangement, with the centres targeted to be operating under BGC from late September.

Anthony Jones, COO of Wyevale Garden Centres said: “I am delighted to announce the sale of all remaining Wyevale Garden centres to British Garden Centres. I am also pleased we have facilitated discussions between British Garden Centres and the respective owners of Enfield and Windsor garden centres and expect to confirm a new licence to be granted to British Garden Centres shortly.

“We have built a strong relationship with Charles, Phillippa and their team over the course of five transactions, and I am excited to see what the future holds for these ambitious, experienced operators who can now showcase their successful garden centre operation on a national scale.

“I would also like to take the opportunity to thank all of our colleagues across these sites for their hard work and passion which has been instrumental in facilitating this positive outcome and I wish them all the best for the future.”

Charles Stubbs, MD, of British Garden Centres, said: “This is a very exciting new chapter for British Garden Centres – this additional portfolio takes us to 49 centres and launches us in the south of England, making us a truly national operator.

"I have witnessed huge improvements at Wyevale Garden Centres over the last 18 months and I am therefore delighted to have acquired so many fantastic centres that in my opinion have never looked better.

"We look forward to welcoming our new colleagues and working with them as we transition these centres over to British Garden Centres and introduce our wonderful new ranges to further enhance the offer for customers.

"I would like to thank Anthony and his team for their professionalism and support in working with us to put together this exciting portfolio of garden centres at the end of their sale process.”

In support of Greenfingers Charity's special 20^th anniversary year, the Glee team, supported by Garden Trade News, are this year urging exhibitors and visitors to Glee to put the floral FUN into FUNdraising at Glee on Thursday 12th September.

With thousands of visitors and exhibitors at Glee on Thursday, it is hoped that the power of the flower will allow a brand new record to be set for the most people wearing floral themed shirts, dresses, ties, suits or jackets on the same day and in the same place.  All those taking part will also be invited to support the charity by buying a raffle ticket which will be entered into a prize draw to win fabulous prizes.

Greenfingers Ambassador Trevor Pfeiffer suggested the idea after getting so many positive comments while wearing floral shirts at Glee last year. “Every time I wear a floral shirt for work it makes people smile so if we can get as many people at Glee on Thursday wearing floral what a happy place it will be!”

“The plan is to sell raffle tickets as exhibitors and visitors enter the halls on Thursday morning with the Floral Thursday raffle being drawn at 2:00pm on the Glee stage. If everyone wearing floral attire could bring a little (or a lot!) of cash, buy a raffle ticket and then join us on the Glee Retail Growth Theatre stage for the prize draw, we will set a new record for the most people wearing floral attire in one place, and at the same time raise a record amount of money for Greenfingers in the charities 20th year. What great bit of PR for our industry that would be!”

Speaking about Floral Thursday, Glee Show Director Matthew Mein said: "We're all looking forward to a great show and to hopefully seeing many smiles as our industry friends don their favourite flowery outfit and put the FUN into FUNdraising to support the garden industry's favourite charity. "

Greenfingers Charity's Director of Fundraising & Communications, Linda Petrons said: "This is a fabulous new initiative which we hope will become a regular event in the Glee and Greenfingers Charity calendar.  We're hugely grateful to ITE and Garden Trade News for their support which will not only raise the profile of the charity but also help to make a difference to life limited children and their families who spend time in hospices."

Matthew, Linda and Trevor are calling on volunteers to help on the day by collecting donations and selling raffle tickets between 7.50am and 11am on Thursday 12th September.  If you are able to spare an hour or two, please contact Linda by emailing Linda@greenfingerscharity.org.uk

Greenfingers are also asking Glee Exhibitors if they would like to donate any prizes for the Floral Thursday raffle, please contact Linda@greenfingerscharity.org.uk or trevor.pfeiffer@tgcmc.co.uk.  Thank you.

Prongcroft Ltd, of Nottingham, a company which brings a fresh approach to garden care and maintenance introduced The Garden Prong at Glee last September.

The Garden Prong features an innovative two-prong system that will revolutionise an approach to gardening.

It is a tool with a unique design which lends itself to aerate soil and actually remove weeds around the base of plants and shrubs without damaging the plant or shrub.

The tool head is made from polished stainless steel to reduce soil adhesion, making it easier to work.

The tool is very lightweight, sturdy and easy to use for people of all ages and abilities.

Ideal for all ages and levels of expertise, Prongcroft comes in three sizes – short, medium and long handled – making it perfect for everything from vegetable plots to patio pots.

The company also introduced the Garden Apron, which is easy to wear and can even be worn over everyday clothes.  

Features include:

• durable materials
• padded for comfort
• adjustable straps
• detachable tool/accessory pocket,
• one size to fit all.

The adjustable straps are comfortable to wear and do not cut into the knee, as with traditional knee pads. There is also an integral pocket facility to insert standard kneepad inserts.

Contact

sales@prongcroft.co.uk 

0115 983 0344

www.prongcroft.co.uk

Westland will become the first to promote the sale of peat free growing media on main stream TV with a £1.5m campaign in 2020.

Marketing Director Keith Nicholson told GTN Xtra: "2020 will see Westland build on a strong year for New Horizon, which saw consumer sales out of retailers double in 2019. Westland have announced they drive change by being the first company to advertise a peat-free growing media. New Horizon, will go mainstream and supported by £1.5 million national TV advertising, airing on ITV, Channel 4 and all other national channels from March.

"It’s a big step change for the industry, New Horizon will be communicated to over 20 million households across the summer season next year. It’s about bringing consumers on the journey. Consumers want choice and now we’re making it accessible to the widest number of gardeners. New Horizon has such a strong story, and our Zero Green Waste policy, is seeing performance of this product range delivering at every level…for retailers, gardeners and overall quality."

This approach will see Westland deliver around 80% peat-reduction by this time next year in consumer growing media. Nicholson added: "If we can get this right it will put the industry on a strong footing. We are really pushing the agenda and we continue to deliver what our consumers and retail partners want – performance and quality."

Nicholson said it has taken years to overcome short-term decisions by many suppliers to introduce poor-quality peat alternatives in early 2000’s, and only now are we regaining the trust of the gardener: "If we are not careful the same mistakes may be made by some looking for a low-cost replacement strategy."

After an August that has traded above last year, + 2.1%, and above the average for the past 9 years, + 2.3%, all eyes now focus on Glee to see what new products will become bestsellers for the next few years.

The Garden Trade News team are again organising the Glee New Product Showcase, which is in Hall 8 this year, and as this issue goes to press there are a over 350 entries.

Many of the entries look to be meeting the expectations of many visitors in respect of green issues but there won’t be any entries from Neudorff this year as they have pulled out of Glee at short notice. 

We hope you’ll join us for some Floral Fun on Thursday as we turn Glee Floral in aid of Greenfingers.  We’re hoping as many exhibitors and visitors as possible come to Glee wearing something floral and that during the day we raise plenty of money for Greenfingers in their 20th year. See you at the show.

GTN Bestsellers Top 50 sales volumes compared to the same week last year (week 35)
Garden Products - up 26%
Growing Media - down 21%
Wild Bird Care - down 3%
Veg-2-Gro - down 11%
All Plants Index - down 15%
All Items Index - down 3%

To subscribe to GTN Bestsellers email karen.pfeiffer@tgcmc.co.uk

SBM has appointed Stax as its exclusive distributor to the garden centre and nursery trade.

Nick Walton, who heads up the UK/I operation for SBM Life Science said the new route to market would help to achieve the company’s ambition to become a worldwide leader for home and garden solutions.

The Bayer Garden business was sold to SBM back in October 2016 and SBM Life Science in the UK was launched. “We have invested in new brands for the UK/I markets and will continue to do so over the coming years,” Walton said. “We also continue to invest in our field sales force and since launching SBM, we have moved to four employed territory account managers to enable our business to build more collaborative relationships with our partners”

From 1 October, SBM have agreed a sole strategic distribution partnership for the traditional trade business with Stax Trade Centres. Walton continued: “An enormous amount of work behind the scenes has gone into reviewing our current route to market and we strongly believe that Stax can help us achieve our vision. We have a fantastic relationship with the team at Stax and we have been exceptionally pleased with the commitment that they have shown our business over the last five years.”

Stax joint managing director David Hibbert said: “We’re delighted to have been selected as sole strategic distribution partner to SBM for the traditional trade market. They are a very significant player in the gardening solutions market and their decision to work with us reflects the growth we have made as a major distributor, both to independent garden centres and groups alike.

“Stax has worked extremely hard, to develop its own garden centre distribution capabilities, and to forge a strong and stable a relationship with SBM. This new partnership represents the reward for those efforts, and we’re very much looking forward to continuing our association with the SBM team and helping them achieve their vision.”

SBM are committed to servicing the UK/I markets and see this as a positive step forward in their strategic plans to allow a more coherent and effective way of collaborating with garden centres and nurseries.

UK Sales Manager for SBM, Scott Williams, said: “I have no doubt that this next step for our business is absolutely the right thing. I have personally managed the Stax account now for about eight years and have every belief that they will take on this challenge and excel. My team will be visiting garden centres after Glee as we embark on our pre-season campaign, so if you miss us at Glee, we will bring our 2020 plans directly to you.”

Simon Wright, Stax purchasing directorm, added: “I am delighted that SBM have a very clear vision of where they want to be within the market and have chosen Stax as a strategic distribution partner to help them achieve this. SBM have my full support in their route to market change and we look forward to helping them in achieving their vision of delivering excellent service”.

SBM Life Science Ltd are at Glee on stand 7G70-H71.

Sleeker and lower furniture lines, urban gardening, re-use of plastic, masses of garden decoration lines and loads of BBQ's were the headlines at spoga+gafa in Koln.

Among the regular gardening products the GTN Xtra team found a clock that chimes with farmyard sounds on the hour at Eschart Designs, (Fallen Fruits in the UK) and a BBQ designed to be carried on a bicycle!

And in the Efsa concept store they were promoting "Beer from heaven"  - a brew made from harvested rainwater in the Netherlands!

GTN Xtra's photo tour of the show is below.  

More than 40,000 trade visitors from 124 countries attended the three-day event in Cologne , the organisers reported.

There were 2,281 exhibitors from 67 countries exhibiting trends and highlights for the coming garden season on 230,000 square metres. The central theme this year was City Gardening - gardening without a garden.

“spoga+gafa has hit the nerve of the industry with City Gardening which spanned all the sectorts of the show," said Catja Caspary, vice president, trade fair management. "In 2020, the industry can look forward to our new key theme –Sustainable gardens.”

John W. Herbert, European DIY-Retail Association (EDRA) / general secretary, confirmed that the top decision-makers and key distributors across the industry were extremely satisfied with the outcome of spoga+gafa.  “ We have received a thoroughly positive feedback from our more than 200 international top buyers. Especially the presence of strong brands like Fiskars, but also the ambience of spoga+gafa overall was assessed very positively. The trade fair was even more attractive this year. The quality and the design of the products presented was very high-quality. Industry trends such as City Gardening, for example, were realised in an innovative and creative manner.”

spoga+gafa 2020 will take place from 6 to 8 September.

Brand new elho innovations that support and encourage everyone to give room to nature were launched at spoga+gafa earlier this month. Here’s a preview of just some of the new collection that will appeal to customers seeking clever solutions, stylish designs and trendy colours.

Outdoor pots and planters

Vertical gardening is a continuing trend and the Corsica Vertical Forest is a simple solution to turn any balcony railing or wall into a lush oasis. The unique easy hanging system means the Vertical Forest can be installed in seconds.

Made from recycled materials in the popular Corsica style, there’s a wide selection of neutrals and bright pops of colour to choose from.

Grow your own

Growing your own is a lifestyle choice for a huge audience of urbanites, millennials and families. The Grow & Care Veggie Wall builds on the concepts of the best-selling Potato Pot and Tomato Pot to provide an all-in-one solution for climbing plants.

A sturdy trellis provides plants with the support they need to climb and grow, and the built in water reservoir makes it easy for even beginner gardeners to care for their crop. It’s perfect for small gardens or balconies where space is limited.

Care and grow

The struggle to keep houseplants alive is, for many, a major barrier to purchasing indoor plants. The Leaf Light Care gives plants the extra care they need and indoor gardeners the confidence to introduce more green into their lives.

Functional and decorative, this trendy solution has a built-in-timer, so plants are able to grow naturally. It’s also a great way to introduce ambient lighting into living spaces to brighten up darker days.

Dutch design

Created by Dutch designer Daphna Lauren for elho, the b.for Studio meets the growing demand for contemporary plant stands. Perfect for houseplant enthusiasts looking for sharp lines, neutral tones and statement styles, the b.for Studio is highly Instagrammable. This distinctive collection will appeal to stylish consumers looking for the latest trends.

David Nicholson, sales manager for the UK & Ireland, said: “Our 2020 innovations build on elho’s reputation for beautifully designed pots and planters produced in a sustainable way. Single use plastics are a major concern for us all and our continued focus on using recycled materials continues to appeal to eco-conscious gardeners. At elho, we prove that doing the right thing doesn’t have to be dull. Our new innovations tap into the latest trends with stylish designs and trendy colours.”

Elho is a family-owned company and the leading innovator in the synthetic pottery market. For more than 55 years, elho has dedicated itself to the product development and production of grow your own, outdoor, indoor and designer pots and planters. Every year elho launches dozens of innovations that continuously inspire people with fun, functional and creative products.

Information: click here

Bulldog Tools will showcase their famous solid-forged Premier brand loved by professionals and keen gardeners across the industry

Bulldog is a 240-year-old tool brand with a reputation for strength, quality and reliability; skills and craftsmanship have been key to the company’s success. Their sold forged spades and forks have heads made from a single piece of steel, with no welds or weak points. High quality ash handles come from sustainably- managed FSC-approved sources; each handle is then buried deep within the socket. Each tool exceeds British Standards and is backed by a lifetime guarantee.

Premier users expect a lifetime of use from their tools and understand the weight and quality that comes with this range. Many high profile garden designers and professionals swear by the range, as do very keen gardeners who rely on year-round performance in the garden.

Bulldog’s Premier Children’s Range is a mini range comprising a mini spade, fork, hoe and rake – the perfect tool combination and at the right height to get younger gardeners interested in the world of growing.

To find out more, visit the website and to meet the team at Glee, visit stand 6Q74 –R75

Bulldog Tools are showcasing more than four ranges at Glee this week, taking the 240-year-old brand from strength to strength with professional, children’s and hobby gardener markets.

Newly launched for 2019 is the Pedigree Garden V&A Gift Range – combining beautifully-etched V&A designs onto tools heads, shafts and blades, wrapped in sustainably packaged boxes showing the fabric patterns from the design archives of the 1940’s and 50’s. The tools make a brilliant year-round present for the gardener who wants world-famous design without compromising on quality and performance. All items carry a lifetime guarantee as standard.

Pedigree Garden goes from strength to strength with retail independents, garden centres, online retailers and gift shops. The tool partner for the RHS’s “Campaign for School Gardening”, Pedigree is offered to more than 38,000 potential schools, colleges, community groups, prisons and rehabilitation centres. The tools are super-light-weight, easy to clean and have the newest Bulldog – little cheeky Hugo – appearing on all shafts and heads, giving it great gift appeal and collectability. This range is manufactured to Bulldog‘s famously strong standards and is perfect for the hobby and younger gardener, or for someone who might like a lighter tool to work with.

For more information, visit the website. You can meet the team at Glee

on stand 6Q74 – R75

Pennells Garden Centre have successfully saved more 135,000 plastic pots from being burnt for fuel with their ambitious campaign during August of paying customers 5p credit for each pot returned. This meant customers got £6825’s worth of plants for free during August!

As part of their drive to reduce their environmental impact the company invested over £20,000 installing six balers across their three sites.

The investment meant Pennells were well geared up to cope with the extremely high demand from thousands of customers who were happy to see the plastic waste being recycled.

 ‘We as a company feel that is our duty as garden centres to lead the environmental charge which was why we decided to have this campaign to encourage the recycling of old pots and our customers did not let us down,” said MD Will Pennell. “I was expecting about 30-40000 pots to be brought into the centres during August but to receive four times the amount is staggering and very pleasing to see.”

Whilst the buying back of pots for credit has stopped, all three centres will continue to be among the very few channels for people to bring their plastic pots in to be recycled rather than burnt for fuel.

Pennells  say they will continue to strive to reduce their impact on the environment. Along with moving from sachet sauces to pump dispensers in the restaurant, they are looking at recycling compost bags and encouraging customers to use more peat free-compost, amongst other things.

Retailers seeking products of the future and the latest in-store merchandising ideas need look no further than the Retail Lab at Glee. Now in its third year, this inspirational feature area, in association with the Horticultural Trades Association, is bursting with ideas. In fact, 61% of Glee’s visitors say they will attend Glee 2019 as a result of seeing the Retail Lab last year. Here, we meet one of the sponsors of this year’s feature – Latvian timber furniture and garden accessory manufacturers, EKJU – to find out more about why they have got involved with this thriving area of Glee 2019.

Why has EKJU chosen to be a sponsor of the Retail Lab?

End user trends are extremely important to us and our knowledge of these are invaluable to our retail partners. We are close to trends throughout Europe in markets such as France, Germany & Scandinavia.  For some product categories trends align in these markets and we can share the knowledge on trend developments in outdoor living, grow your own & vertical planting. We will be showcasing products linked to these trends at Glee.

What appeal does the Retail Lab hold? Why should retailers/ merchandisers/ buyers visit this area?

We believe the retail lab offers interactive insight into the future trends and therefore this is a great tool for visitors to help grow future sales, be it products, concepts or merchandising ideas.

What products/ranges will EKJU be supplying?

Some of EKJU’s best furniture products are being used to bring people together at the lab. The ‘Raised Bar Set’ and ‘Cesis Table & Bench set’ is being featured in the HTA bar area. In the Urban City zone, EKJU’s grow your own products are heavily featured. The ‘Garden’s Table’, ‘Raised Six Section Planter’ and the ‘Four Level Vegetable Bed’ are all being featured.

Additionally, the unique ‘Hanging Pot Shelf’ will be showcased, which is ideal for ‘grow your own’ enthusiasts with a smaller available outdoor space. This product has been designed for growing herbs and plants, as well as a decorative option for displaying flowers, supplying a fantastic vertical planting solution. The shelving sets are available in 3 treatment options – green, brown or grey and come complete with fixing kits for assembly on a wall.

What current trends are shaping your business most? How do you see this changing in the next 12-24 months? 

Our love for timber has always meant we hold sustainability sacred to our mission. We recycle all timber waste from production and see more and more companies adopting this type of stance wherever possible. We are finding there is even more appreciation than ever for sustainability in 2019 and is a movement that we see continuing into 2020 and beyond.

Increased awareness of climate change and heightened sustainability movement against single use packaging have been 2 recent trends that have led to a buoyant traditional ‘grow your own’ market. There has also been a shift towards younger audiences interested in ‘grow your own’ leading to alternative space saving products for end users who have smaller gardens and outdoor spaces.

Outdoor Living is becoming more and more popular with rising temperatures meaning more time spent enjoying the outdoor space and a willingness to decorate the garden in similar themes to inside the house.  As a result, this is likely to increase popularity in painting outdoor furniture and accessories a consistent colour throughout the garden. After extensive market research in identifying the top trending colours’ in European gardening, Grey treatment is now available across the entire EKJU range.

This enables the end user to create a grey collection consisting of timber furniture and accessories, to complement the desired decorative look and colours in the garden.  At the same time garden sizes are reducing in size in the UK and we are focused on creating products that adapt to all sizes of gardens. Most importantly we create products that are simple for the end user to build, which is key to ensure people’s busy lives are not taken up by frustration during assembly. We have been taking this a step further with assembly videos which demonstrate how to assemble our key products. Our focus on customer experience will continue into the future.

What can you tell us about your plans for Glee 2019?

Our heritage as craftsman and focus on quality underpins our strategy of supplying the best range of sustainable timber garden furniture with the end-user’s comfort in mind. Our products offer a solution for end users regardless of the size of their outdoor space and we remain focused on delivering high standards on all of our range. At Glee we will be showcasing products both traditional and on trend and showcasing our new grey treatment, which now joins our green and brown treatment options. We look forward to welcoming people to our stand - Hall 6, stand Q20-R21.

to be at Glee, and we are sure retailers will be pleased with what we have to offer.

Fledgling business Wheelie Klips will be at Glee this week to showcase to garden market buyers its solutions for keeping domestic wheelie bins clean and fresh.

The system, designed by directors Mike and Matt Deacon (both experienced engineers) comprises bags, clips for securing them and a fragrance spray.

Klip Bags are heavy duty plastic bin bags that neatly fit into 120-litre, 180-litre and 240- litre Wheelie Bins.

Klip ‘n’ Bag plastic clips secure the bag to the bin.

Klip ‘n’ Fresh combines a zesty fragrance pump-action spray with Klip ‘n’ Bag clips.

Klip ‘n’ Spray is a refill spray.

Informative floor-standing display units are available and the company says it will work with stockists on ways to maximise sales.

The products are unique with no direct competition and opportunities identified include target consumers such as:

• Young Families with babies (disposable nappies)
• Families/single people who often have take-away food (dirty food packaging).
• Pet owners (cat litter trays etc).
• Home owners who look after their bins (stored in lockable garden). Responsible DIY gardeners (who take grass cuttings and pruning to their local cycling facility).

Wheelie Klips clips are re-usable and recyclable and the bags are made from recyclable material.

The David Colegrave Foundation scholarship season is open. If you’re a student who’s passionate about horticulture, apply.

Nursery work placements, production and marketing experience, access to plant research and sustainable horticulture are all career-driven opportunities within reach of horticulture students.

You could also use the funding for college tuition and accommodation fees, books and equipment, or for extra training courses.

Funding is available to help turn keen students into breeders, nursery managers, horticulture lecturers, head gardeners, plant health inspectors, or whatever it is that fulfills their desire for gardening.

Last season’s student winners have worked wonders since receiving their scholarships. Here’s what they have to say…

“If anyone is considering applying for a scholarship, I highly recommend they do as this has been an absolute fantastic opportunity for me.”

“This scholarship has been an incredible support and opened up so many new options and possible career paths.”

“Thank you for giving me the opportunity to grow as an aspiring horticulturist. The money has helped me gain valuable hands on experience and will also help me in the future to achieve my goals.”

“Winning a scholarship gave me the financial freedom to pursue a number of horticultural interests.”

“Thank you for the incredible opportunity, helping me to further my knowledge and to gain experience that I otherwise wouldn’t have been able to.”

At a thousand pounds or more, a DCF scholarship can really boost learning potential. This year there are seven scholarships to apply for:

Ball Colegrave Sponsored Travel Scholarship 

Up to £1,500 to fund travel to Europe in order to develop knowledge and experience in bedding plant production and marketing. An employee in the early stages of their career at a commercial bedding plant nursery, or a student studying horticulture with an interest in commercial bedding plants should apply.

British Protected Ornamentals Association - Peter Seabrook Bursary

£1,000 to support one or more students studying commercial horticulture. The scholarship is also available to schools and horticultural colleges to finance trips for students over 16 years of age to leading commercial horticultural establishments.

Horticultural Research Scholarship

£2,500 to support applied research within the horticulture industry. Students who are keen to pursue a research career in the horticultural industry should apply. This includes undergraduates, postgraduates and those studying for doctoral degrees.

John Gibson Environmental Scholarship

£1,500 to support a student with a keen interest in environmental solutions and sustainable applications as applied to commercial horticulture.

Majestic Trees Sponsored Travel Scholarship

Up to £3,000 to fund a placement abroad at a tree nursery for a student who is passionate about tree production. This also includes the opportunity for a work placement at Majestic Trees, which could become a permanent position.

Markham – Colegrave International Scholarship

$4,500 USD for the opportunity to organise a work placement in a horticultural business in the US/Canada. The scholarship is presented as a joint award from DCF and the American Floral Endowment (AFE), US.

Student Scholarship

£1,000 to each of up to 5 students to support their studies in horticulture. Preference is given to candidates who have an interest in ornamental commercial horticulture, especially with an emphasis on the bedding, container, pot plant and cut flower sectors.

Scholarship Season runs from 1 September 2019 to 31 January 2020. To enter, complete an application form online at www.davidcolegravefoundation.org.uk.

Essex garden centre Summerhill says its Christmas launch over the August Bank Holiday weekend – an annual ritual for them –  went  “a bit bananas!”

A press release and photos to the local paper resulted in BBC Essex radio and ITV News asking for interviews and footage.

They kicked off with a launch video on Facebook that has reached more than 47,000 people to date. You can check it out here.

Customers were offered a ‘10% off ‘ vouchers if they spent more than £50, valid for their next purchase of Christmas products through September.

Tom Chambers is launching its Heritage collection of extra heavy duty obelisks, plant supports and a garden arch.

All Heritage products are manufactured in the UK and designed from quality 10mm steel with decorative ball finials to give a touch of class to the range. The products are plastic coated to give protection against any kind of weather.

A new range of Lattice Ironwork with delicate and detailed styling is also being introduced. The collection consists of window boxes, hayracks, hanging baskets and three new planters.

The new WaterSave range of coco liners features a biodegradable  layer which acts as a reservoir. An integral overspill avoids over saturation of plant roots, uses less water and creates a better basket.

The company has also announced a warehouse extension that will increase capacity by 50%. Additional staff have been recruited throughout all areas of the business.

All new products are available for delivery from January 2020.

Information: click here

Ellen Mary has been confirmed as the host of Grow Your Own Magazine’s 2019 Great British Growing Awards at Glee on Tuesday (1.30pm in the Retail Growth Theatre, hall 20).

The awards recognise all that is great within the gardening industry, from tool companies to seed suppliers, garden writers to fruit nurseries and everything in between, as well as garden volunteers and community growing spaces.

A self-confessed gardening addict, Ellen Mary has built a rich and varied career around her passion. She hosts a horticultural radio show on Future Radio, presents the Plant Based Podcast and travels the globe to present talks on gardening, growing your own food and our intrinsic links to nature for wellbeing. She has also produced and presented on Mustard TV, appeared on on BBC Countryfile Diaries, BBC News, featured in The Times and filmed with the Royal Horticultural Society.

Ellen said she was honoured to be listed in the top five women influencers in horticulture by Grow Your Own Magazine andwas “really excited” to be hosting the awards. “It’s a great celebration and recognition for companies, products and personalities in the industry from gardens to visit, events and gardening tools. I am looking forward to seeing everyone on the day, for a fun award ceremony with our horticultural heroes.”

The judging panel includes Katie Lane (Lavender & Leeks), Rob Smith, Charles Dowding, Will Livingstone and the GYO team. Grow Your Own readers have also been able to vote for their favourites.

This year the awards will be celebrating 16 categories, including Most Trusted Celebrity Gardener, Best Allotment Planning Product, Best Plug Plant range, Best Fruit and Veg Seed range, Best Pest Control Product and Best One-Stop Gardening Shop.

Primeur is to support the Greenfingers Charity with a specially-develeoped Christmas Doormat.

The cute glitter robin design is available to order now in an attractive display box. For each mat sold, Primeur will be donating £1 to the charity.

Primeur is on stand 19 D10-E11 at Glee. 

For more information about the company, click here.

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Taylor Made Designs is a company that can help you become more environmentally-friendly with your choice of staff uniform. Meet them on stand 19M17 at Glee to find out more...

Garden product sales were the big growth area, year on year, in the GTN Bestsellers data for August.  Up by 38% for the month on last year to get almost back up to 2017 August levels.

Highlights were:

• Evergreen Miracle-Gro All Purpose Soluble Plant Food, 500g, is the No 1 bestseller for the second consecutive week.
• Growth Technology Orchid Pot Clear, 15cm, is the highest placed chart re-entry, back in at No 7.
• Woodlodge Heritage Churn No 4 is the highest new entry at No 26.

To subscribe to GTN Bestsellers email karen.pfeiffer@tgcmc.co.uk

Garden centre planning and design specialists Malcolm Scott Consultants has expanded its Worcester-based team with the appointment of a new associate, Andrew Burton.

Andrew, who ran three centres in the Garden & Leisure Group for 14 years and most recently worked for Severn Valley Railway Holdings as heritage support manager, responsible for all Commercial and Sales operational activity.

Chris Primett, director at MSC, said: “The past year has been exceptionally busy, having seen us continue to grow our portfolio of garden centres, and Andrew’s passion and understanding of the garden centre sector will make him a valuable asset to the dedicated MSC team. He also brings valuable visitor attraction experience which is a market opportunity which we are developing for garden centres.

“He joins us as we attend Glee 2019, providing a great opportunity for him to meet our clients.”

Andrew said: “I have a real passion for the garden centre industry, and the past three years have helped me gain and improve the skills to fulfil this new role with MSC.

 I've really missed the industry, and whilst my role at Severn Valley Railway has helped me develop a great understanding of how a good visitor attraction and events business runs and can be developed, I couldn't miss the opportunity to join a fantastic company with a great reputation focusing on the industry I love.”

Malcolm Scott Consultants will be exhibiting on stand 19M12.

A drop in volume sales of 6% during August for growing media has taken some of the gloss off the overall performance, but year to date sales are still running at nearly 8% up year on year.

Even if not so much growing activity happened in August, it is still up on last year and we will probably see further growth this Autumn.

Highlights of the week were:

• Even after all the TV media coverage about peat, Westland Jack’s Magic All Purpose Compost, 60 litres, increased sales by over 50% to be the second biggest volume bestseller.
• And Evergreen Garden Care Levington Multipurpose + John Innes 56 litres stayed at No 1 in the GTN chart.
• Taylors Bulb Fibre 10 litres was the highest chart climber as bulb sales accelerate, up 37 places to No 10.

To subscribe to GTN Bestsellers email karen.pfeiffer@tgcmc.co.uk

Mourners dressed up in attire to reflect the ‘Psychedelic 60s’ at a memorial service in Cranford, Northants, yesterday (7 September) for former Garden Trade News sub-editor and writer Bob Stonebridge, who has died, aged 68, after a long battle with cancer.

Bob, a keen saxophone player and an afficionado of 60s pop music, once met his hero, Beatles producer George Martin, on the steps of EMI’s Abbey Road Studios. He had the framed picture to prove it.

Bob, who started his journalistic career at the Northamptonshire Evening Telegraph, was recruited to GTN by the publication’s first editor, Brian Gibbons, and later earned a deserved editorship with its sister title, Pet Product Marketing, followed by many years as a successful freelance.

“He was a lovely guy and a fine journalist,” Brian told Xtra. “We will miss his good humour and philosophical outlook, even towards his unforgiving illness.”

Bob’s wife, Jane, a respected ceramic artist, died in January last year after battling a similar illness. The day of Bob’s death would have been their 45^th wedding anniversary.

Above: Bob Stonebridge (second from right) with (left to right), former GTN advertisement manager David Cook, former GTN publisher Richard Hacker and GTN's first editor, Brian Gibbons, at one of their annual 'GTN Old Gits' get-togethers.

August 2019 saw 4% growth in Wild Bird Care sales, but that still didn’t get the sector back to 2017 levels which was the last full year without any Gardman related distribution issues.

Highlights were:

• Westland Natures Feast Hedgehog Food was the highest chart mover, up 29 places to No 13.
• Gardman Suet Feast Triple Pack is the highest chart re-entry, back in at No 20.
• Tom Chambers Berry Nice Suet Treat was also a re-entry at No 42.

To subscribe to GTN Bestsellers email karen.pfeiffer@tgcmc.co.uk

Even after the quietest August for 6 years, Veg 2 Gro remains a sector that has grown enormously year to date.  August 2019 was 7% down on 2018, but year to date Veg 2 Gro volumes are still over 40% up year on year.

• Taylors Autumn Planting Seed Potatoes Charlotte are No 1 for the tyhird week running.
• Quantil Cabbage Spring is the highest re-entry at No 8.
• Quantil Beetroot plants are a surprise new entry at No 32.

To subscribe to GTN Bestsellers email karen.pfeiffer@tgcmc.co.uk

August 2019 wasn’t a great month for plant volume sales, ending 16% down on both August 2018 and 2017. 

The changeable weather must have had a lot to do with that, but what ideas have your team thought of for next year to keep plant sales going strong during the summer?

• Cyclamen sales started to build, staying at No 1, sales increased by 47% week on week.
• Primula were the highest re-entry to the chart, back in at No 8.
• Delphinium were the highest climbing chart plant grouping, up 24 places to No 24.
• All Plants volume sales change: Week on week UP 19.1%.  Year to date vs 2018 DOWN 7.0%, vs  2017 UP 1.2%.

To subscribe to GTN Bestsellers email karen.pfeiffer@tgcmc.co.uk

IGCA members from across the world were in London and the South of England last week taking part in the annual IGCA Congress - Windsor...

250 delegates had already made visits to Redfields, Rosebourne, Stewarts, Haskins and Coolings garden centres before GTN Xtra caught up with them at Millbrook Gravesend and Ruxley Manor on Tuesday.

Also on the agenda during Congress, which closes on Friday afternoon, are visits to Longacres, RHS Wisley, Squires Hersham and Badshot Lea, Aylett Nurseries, Europlants, Garsons and Kew.

See our photo gallery from the visits to Millbrook and Ruxley Manor (including a visit to Pixie Manor) below.

In what is probably a first for the garden industry, Dobbies has teamed up with Universal to celebrate the release of the new Downton Abbey movie.  

Almost ten years after the hit TV show piloted, and six seasons later, ‘Downton Abbey’ the movie is hitting the big screens on 13 September.

To celebrate being an official partner, Dobbies customers will be able to enjoy a Downton Abbey-themed Afternoon Tea, £12.50 each, until 29 September. The limited edition afternoon tea serves up a succession of Downton Abbey inspired delicacies including Earl Grey scones and a selection of sweet treats. Customers booking online can add prosecco for an extra £6.35.

Dobbies have also curated products into three bespoke themes in stores, Nostalgic Gardens, Kitchen Classics and Dining Room Flair, so that customers can bring the Downton Abbey look home. All products can be found in-store or online at Dobbies.com.

You can find further information here. 

Wokingham Borough Council has been cleared of maladministration or unprofessional conduct over  its handling of the Hare Hatch Sheeplands garden centre planning dispute, according to a report on Berkshire Live.

An independent investigation into the authority was launched following complaints from members of the public, who had raised concerns about the handling of the issues.

Council officers or councillors had been accused of inducing Mr Scott to act against his own interests by withdrawing an appeal against an enforcement notice.

But a report by legal expert Richard Lingard concluded "the council did not, either through its elected members or its officers, induce Mr Scott (either by intentional design or default) to act to his detriment by withdrawing his appeal against an enforcement notice”.

He also said suggestions of unprofessional conduct on the part of Wokingham Borough Council officers were unfounded.

Councillor Wayne Smith: “There have been legal ups and downs during this long-running dispute over Hare Hatch Sheeplands’ attempt at unauthorised development.

"But our overall objective has always been to protect the green belt, which we have now secured.

“We commissioned an independent investigation because we know some residents feel we have been heavy-handed at times, but I’m delighted staff and councillors have been cleared of the serious allegations.

“There were some training needs identified and we’re already acting on them, but it’s clear from the report that the council acted in good faith to resolve these difficult issues in the best interests of the whole borough.”

The council commissioned the investigation following a long-running set of legal cases concerning illegal development on green belt land at Hare hatch Sheeplands.

According to a release issued by the council, it has sought to protect the area against unauthorised development and an injunction remains in place to prevent any commercial development on the site’s green belt.

Richard Lingard, who undertook the inquiry, has carried out some 40 investigations into alleged misconduct across the country.

In 2017, Robert Scott (left), the owner of Hare Hatch Sheeplands, avoided jail after he agreed to shut down a number of retailers operating on the garden centre site.

Industry voting closed yesterday for the Glee 2019 Buyers Power List, set-up to recognise the individual buyers and buying teams who have gone above and beyond to make a difference within the garden retail industry this year.

Voting has been open since early summer, with nominations flooding in from all corners of the market. The winners in eight categories will be crowned during a special Buyers Power List ceremony at Glee on Wednesday 11 September (12:30pm – 13:30pm).

The shortlisted nominations were:

Best single site independent Garden centre

Almondsbury

Alton Garden Centre

Ayletts Nurseries

Barton Grange

Bents

Bents

Chessington

Cowells

Fron Goch

Glendoick

Poplars

The Old Railway Line

Woodstock Buying Group

Best multiple site independent garden centre (5 stores or less)

Coolings

Grovewell Garden Centres

Haskins

In-Excess

Planters and Garden King

Longacres

Millbrook

Perrywood

RHS Retail

Rosebourne

Scotsdales

Stewarts

Best Garden Centre groups (6 stores or more)

Blue Diamond

British Garden Centres

Caulders

Cherry Lane

Choice Marketing

Dobbies

Great Western Partnership

Hilliers

Klondyke Strikes

Notcutts

Otter Nurseries

Squires

Best Supermarket/department store buyer/buying team

Aldi

Asda

Waitrose

Best Online retailer buyer/buying team

Crocus

Ocado

QVC

Richard Jacksons Garden

Gardensite

Amazon

RHS

Waitrose

Wayfair

Greenfingers.com

Best high street garden retailer buyer/buying team

John Lewis

Sainsbury’s

Argos

Morrisons

Waitrose

Tesco

Aldi

Best DIY/Builders Merchant buyer/buying team

Homebase

Screwfix

Wickes

Toolstation

Screwfix

Wickes

B&Q

Travis Perkins

Best Pet category Buying team

B&M Stores

Bents

Chessington

Jollyes

Knights Garden Centres

Ocado

Pets at Home

Pets Corner

Planters

Scampers

Scotsdales

Waitrose

Squires

Glee’s Event Director, Matthew Mein, said: “The shortlist showcases the hard work and commitment that each retail buyer or team has undertaken in the last 12 months, and we’re so pleased to be able to provide a platform on which this dedication can be celebrated and rewarded. I look forward to revealing the winners at Glee 2019.”

The recent shutdown of the Wyevale Garden Centres e-commerce operation marks the latest phase of WGC’s plans to close the business for good by the autumn.

Visitors to the WGC website are being told that plants and products are now available only in-store.

The group’s consumer e-commerce business went fully live as recently as January 2017.

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RHS Retail Director, Damian Powell, took GTN's Trevor Pfeiffer on a guided tour of the new plant centre and retail areas at RHS Wisley last month.

With 70% extra display space across the shop and the plant centre stocks have been increased stocks to fill the new plant area.  That includes 30 metres of Ferns which are in great demand.

Read the full interview with Damian Powell in the August Issue of GTN, out this week.

Sleeker and lower furniture lines, urban gardening, re-use of plastic, masses of garden decoration lines and loads of BBQ's were the headlines at spoga+gafa in Koln.

Among the regular gardening products the GTN Xtra team found a clock that chimes with farmyard sounds on the hour at Eschart Designs, (Fallen Fruits in the UK) and a BBQ designed to be carried on a bicycle!

And in the Efsa concept store they were promoting "Beer from heaven"  - a brew made from harvested rainwater in the Netherlands!

GTN Xtra's photo tour of the show is below.  Watch out for more coverage in future issues of GTN Xtra and in the October issue of Garden Trade News.

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Subscribe for free using this link

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 2017 as well as 2018 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 01733 775700, e-mail karen.pfeiffer@tgcmc.co.uk or buy on-line using this link.

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

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

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

Highlights of the GTN Wild Bird Care chart for this week are here

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

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

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 £120m.

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.pfeiffer@tgcmc.co.uk or call 01733 775700.

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

Guy Meakin, Pret A Manger’s UK food & coffee director, is the 60th and final speaker to be confirmed for lunch! 2019, which returns to ExCeL London this month on 19-20 September.

He’ll be appearing in his first live interview at the show on opening day, talking about his new role at the business and what’s next for the much-admired Pret brand.

With over a decade of foodservice and retail experience, including senior roles with Marks & Spencer and Sainsbury’s prior to joining Pret as its head of buying in 2017, he certainly has plenty of insights to share.  Standing room crowds are expected, so arrive early at Keynote Theatre 1 for a 1.15pm session start (Thursday 19 September).

“lunch! is our industry show and I’m looking forward to speaking there, seeing the new products launching this year, and being inspired by the best and most innovative sector in food,” Meakin said.