The GIMA Awards 2022 has been another sell-out event, as the garden retail sector comes together to celebrate the innovation, people and products that have helped our industry thrive throughout 2022. On Thursday evening, the winners were announced, with Westland taking home a record-breaking eight awards!

GIMA AWARDS 2022 – THE WINNERS

One of the most coveted accolades is the GIMA Sword of Excellence, and this year it was Westland who walked away with the honour for its Boost All Purpose Plant Food. The judges said: “Boost All Purpose Plant Food shows a company at the very top of its game. The development and marketing behind this product have delivered an all-round winner for the market.”

Elsewhere, the team from Meadow View Stone was celebrating having been awarded the GCA Supplier of the Year Award for the second year running. Talking about why Meadow View deserved the title once again, the GCA said: “Meadow View Stone offer exceptional customer service, even in times of high pressure, transport issues, supply shortages and last minutes changes to orders. We deal with a lot of suppliers and can honestly say we receive the best service from the team at Meadow View.” Whilst not named a winner, Smart Garden Products was awarded finalist status in having delivered another incredible year of service and innovation.

The 2022 Gardenex Export Achievement Award was presented to Westland, with Mr Fothergill’s Seeds and Spear & Jackson enjoying finalist status. Talking about Westland, Gardenex said: “The Kent & Stowe range has seen considerable growth in export markets, despite Covid and Brexit.  Sales have increased exponentially when compared to 2019 and 2020 and is showing no signs of slowing.  Entering into partnerships and distributorships and investing significantly in infrastructure and personnel to assist with the growth, Westland continues to reap the benefits and expand into new markets with their traditional British designed quality tools. 

Sustainability was also high on the agenda, with not one but two companies walking away with this year’s Sustainability Award.  The judges remarked: “It’s great that we have such a strong selection of sustainable products to choose from, so much so that we decided to award joint winners”. Those winners are Woolcool –the brand behind Hortiwool, and Willsow, with its plantable children’s books.

A ‘Sustainability Champion’ was also selected within each category (where relevant), celebrating the different ways sustainable solutions are being brought to market.

GIMA AWARDS 202 - PRODUCT AWARDS

Garden Care

Winner: Westland – Boost All Purpose Plant Food

Finalists: Woolcool – Hortiwool Felt Garden Pads, Hozelock – EasyMix 2-in-1 Composter, Evergreen Garden Care – Nourish & Protect range.

Category Sustainability Champion: Woolcool – Hortiwool Felt Garden Pads

About the winner: Boost All Purpose Plant Food produces four more times more flowers and an abundance of fruit and veg compared to watering alone. Benefitting from Westland’s PlantSense™ Technology – ‘Boost’ is suitable for feeding all plants, fruits and veg and peat and peat free composts

What the judges said: “'Exactly the product we needed! Clever branding and very commercial.”

Growing, Planting Equipment and Sundries

Winner: Westland – Visiroot Propagation range

Finalists: Elho – ‘Stack & Grow’ pots, Wildlife World – Plastic-Free Gardening Natural Rubber Seed Trays, Woolcool – Hortiwool Felt Garden Pads

Category Sustainability Champion: Wildlife World – Plastic-Free Gardening Natural Rubber Seed Trays

About the winner: Visiroot Trays are made from rPET, which is durable enough for use season after season, and can be recycled through all UK kerbside collections. The material also makes it easy to check root growth and monitor plant health and moisture levels with transparent green rPET material. Half-sized, multi-cell trays are easy to handle and suit the hobby gardener in a small greenhouse, whilst the unique moisture bridge cells, allow for even watering and distribution of nutrients preventing plants in cells from getting neglected.

What the judges said: “'Excellent reuse of plastic bottles” and “great overhaul of this product.”

Garden Tools, Machinery and Implements

Winner: Westland – Eversharp

Finalists:  EP Barrus – Anti Clog Leaf Rakes, Rollins Bulldog Tools – Bulldog /V&A Pedigree Garden Tool collaboration, Husqvarna UK – Gardena EcoLine handtools range

Category Sustainability Champion: Husqvarna UK – Gardena EcoLine handtools range

About the winner: Eversharp is penned as the hardest sharpest blade, that never blunts. Westland has enriched the range with delights for consumers, including ambidextrous, adjustable hand sizer, built-in string, and wire-cutters.

What the judges said: “Made in the UK, from durable long-lasting, high-quality materials.”

Outdoor Leisure

Winner: Garden Village – Waddington Garden Bar

Finalists: Smart Garden Products – Outside In Designs: Neptune Giant Alfresco Rug, Forest Garden - Firenze Corner Arbour, Zest – Zest Cherry Blossom Bench, Leisuregrow – Casa Mia Tempo Chiminea

Category Sustainability Champion: Smart Garden Products – Outside In Designs: Neptune Giant Alfresco Rug

About the winner:  Perfect for entertaining, the 'Waddington Garden Bar' has three adjustable shelves included as standard, with plenty of use-able space. It has also been pressure treated to increase durability and protect against rot to enable it to be used in your garden for many years to come.

What the judges said: “Well made, on-trend and simple.”

Plants, Seeds and Bulbs

Winner: Westland – Nature’s Haven 1.2kg

Finalists: Westland – Lawn Meadow Wildflower & Seed Mix, Westland – Lawn Revive Lawn Thickener

Category Sustainability Champion: Westland – Lawn Meadow Wildflower & Seed Mix

About the winner: Offering more seeds per metre than any other wildflower seed mix, this is the leading native wildflower easy sow mix on the market today. Supported by new 100% recycled box packaging.

What the judges said: “A good seller and popular range, plus it provides a great way to get more bees into your garden.”

Garden Landscaping

Winner: Treadstone Products – Pot & Trough Trellis

Finalists: Primeur – Eco Garden Maryland Border, Deco-Pak - EcoStone Rubber Chippings, Altico – Altico Aggregate Project Bags

Category Sustainability Champion: Primeur – Eco Garden Maryland Border

About the winner: The pot trellis is uniquely designed with a curved profile to follow the lines of circular pots, whilst the trough trellis mirrors the tapered design of most garden troughs. It also features textured paint to help plants grip to the trellis.

What the judges said: “Sturdy design suited to any garden situation and supported by a great price point.”

Garden Clothing & Gifts

Winner: Willsow – The Plantable Children's Book

Finalists: Treadstone Products – ClipGlove Pruner Glove, Rollins Bulldog Tools – Bulldog /V&A Pedigree Garden Tool collaboration, Treadstone Products – ClipGlove "Handy Bags & more..."

Category Sustainability Champion: Willsow – The Plantable Children's Book

About the winner: The world’s first plantable children’s book. Never before have you been able to read the story, plant the pages and grow/meet the main character! Each book is embedded with roughly 500 non-gmo vegetable or herb seeds (in the cover pages), which means they can be torn off and planted to grow the main character of each book. So far, the range features five different books, with each story benefitting from a deeper message, whilst also promoting sustainability. 

What the judges said: “Sustainable materials, plantable covers and encouraging young gardeners - Perfect!”

Pet Care, Aquatics and Wild Bird Care Products

Winner: Wildlife World – Artisan Natural Bee Skeps

Finalists: Wildlife World – The Bali Island Range, Artisan Hanging Bird Table, Bee Hotel and Bird Nestbox, Wildlife World – 'Water is Life' Bath and Drinker, Westland - Gardman Homegrown Harvest Seed Mix

Category Sustainability Champion: Wildlife World – Artisan Natural Bee Skeps

About the winners: These Fair-Trade Artisan Natural Bee Skeps are a fusion between the traditional European bee skeps and the skilled handmade style of artisans from Bangladesh. The range supports the artisan workers in Southern Bangladesh who make them—funding the survival of many women and their families in rural communities living in poverty.

What the judges said: “Great value for a beautiful, practical and sustainable product.”

Garden Lighting, Water Features & Ornamentation

Winner: The Solar Centre – Madison Drop Bulbs

Finalist: Woodlodge – Honey & Wild Tree Art, Smart Garden Products – Smart Solar Firefly Opal Lantern, Leisuregrow – Colour Changeable Table & Floor Lamps

Category Sustainability Champion: The Solar Centre – Madison Drop Bulbs

About the winner: These lights go back to basics, utilising a 3W solar panel and a high-capacity li-ion replaceable battery to keep the lights shining year-round.

What the judges said: “A quality, durable and on-trend product that is built to last.”

Decorative Pots & Planters

Winner: Primeur – Tierra Verde Recycled Rubber Flamenco Planter

Finalist: Elho – Vibia Campana Flower Twin, Elho – Greensense Aqua Care, Capi Europe BV – Waste Rib NL Collection

Category Sustainability Champion: Capi Europe BV – Waste Rib NL Collection

About the winner: A large new modern planter, offering a new silhouette to the range, adding choice and design options to suit indoor and outdoor spaces. Made from 100% recycled rubber tyres, which have been diverted from landfill. Recycled rubber is not only an eco-friendly choice, it also offers the customer superior durability and protection from extreme weather conditions, with no fading, no cracking or rotting. This is also beneficial to retailers, as the planters will not break on display.

What the judges said: “Great price for a large container, with clear eco credentials.”

GIMA AWARDS 2022 – MARKETING AWARDS

Best Point of Sale Material

Winner: Westland – Boost All Purpose Plant Feed Gondola POS

Finalists: WHM Pet Group – Wild Bird Eco-Refill Pick 'N' Mix Wooden Cart, Treadstone Products – ClipGlove Pruner Display Stand, Elho – Display Street Concept

Category Sustainability Champion: WHM Pet Group – Wild Bird Eco-Refill Pick 'N' Mix Wooden Cart

About the winner: Feeding your plants is more important than ever in our new world of peat-free growing. This POS was designed to showcase ‘Boost’ and give consumers the garden they want. To educate, to entice, to excite and ultimately give them 4 x more blooms. It is deliberately eye-catching, modern, fresh but, most importantly, educational, and informative, so consumers can make an informed choice.

What the judges said: “Eye catching and brings the product to life. It’s also clearly linked to the TV advertising.”

Best Sustainable Product Packaging

Winner: Smart Garden Products – Useful Garden Sundries and Accessories

Finalists: Evergreen Garden Care – Bring Back to store Compost Recycling scheme, WHM Pet Group – 100% Recycled, Recyclable & Biodegradable Wild Bird Packaging range, Evergreen Garden Care – Refill stations

Category Sustainability Champions: Evergreen Garden Care – Bring Back to store Compost Recycling scheme

About the winner: The Useful range provides consumers with an easy eco-choice when topping up on garden sundries and accessories – without compromising on the robustness of the packaging or the quality of the product within. A comprehensive collection of practical products and handy items.

What the judges said: “The first range to make the move to cardboard in the sundries market, in doing so they have made the product look new and interesting.”

Best Marketing Communication & Social Media Award

Winner: Westland – Boost All Purpose Plant Feed Marketing Campaign

Finalists: Westland – 'Peckish guide to Tits' & 'Check your Balls’ social media campaign, Evergreen Garden Care – Miracle-Gro: Friends over the Fence campaign, Evergreen Garden Care – Miracle-Gro: Keep Growing Campaign

About the winner: Designed to be a beautiful film that celebrates gardening and shows it in a new and exciting light to the viewer. Appealing to everyone, from your professional gardener to your student with a window box who fancies giving it a go for the first time, content was specifically designed to have an eye-catching and entertaining style, whilst visually stunning to entice the viewer and make them sit up and take notice.

What the judges said: “Possibly the most memorable TV ad since the launch of Miracle Gro.”

This year, the GIMA Awards winners were carefully selected by a panel of industry experts, made up of Will Blake, St Peter’s Garden Centre; David Danning, Blue Diamond Group; Kate Eckley, The Old Railway Line; Neil Grant, Ferndale Garden Centre; Sarah Hayden, John Lewis & Partners; Trevor Pfeiffer, Garden Trade News; Victoria Redshaw, Scarlet Opus, and finally, Chris Moorhouse from Wickes. As always, thanks to the high calibre and breadth of innovation on display, the judging day – which took place in July – was rife with debate and discussion, as the judges waxed lyrical about the merit of the entries. However, they finally whittled the selection down and each of the deserving winners took to the stage earlier tonight, alongside this year’s celebrity host, Rory Bremner.

GIMA Director, Vicky Nuttall said of the event: “What a night we have had! 17 awards and 10 incredible companies currently celebrating their win on the dancefloor! Every year, our judging panel and I are in awe of the level of innovation and development that is brought to market; and 2022 certainly hasn’t disappointed! Congratulations to all our winners, and a thank you to everyone that entered, attended, judged or sponsored the 2022 GIMA Awards. Your support is greatly appreciated.”

British Garden Centres has taken over Mirfield Garden Centre, formerly known as Whiteleys. As is now the BGC way, the centre has been renamed to recognise its location; just under 2 miles from Mirfield, West Yorkshire. 

Phillippa Stubbs, Director of BGC South, welcomed the addition of Mirfield "This is a great centre that we have known for many years. I'm delighted that it is joining the BGC family and look forward to getting to know the team properly in the coming weeks. The restaurant, with its outdoor deck looking across the valley, is a strong feature of the centre."

As the UK's largest family-run garden centre operator British Garden Centres will develop the centre to best serve the local community. The 2 ½ acre site is 10 miles from the groups Birchencliffe Garden Centre. Mirfield Garden Centre is the fourth to join the group this year, cementing the companies position as the fastest growing garden centre group in the UK.

Evergreen Garden Care has announced changes to its executive leadership team, effective from 1^st December 2022.  Karl Kahofer, current CEO will transition to Executive Chairman position; Mark Portman, current UK & Ireland GM, will take on the role of CEO; as a new appointment, Colin Stephens, will succeed Mark as UK & Ireland GM.

Karl Kahofer, currently CEO, will transition into the position of Executive Chairman. Karl joined Evergreen in September 2017, and in the subsequent 5 years, has led successful business growth. Having steered the business through the challenges of the pandemic and its aftermath in 2022, it is now an appropriate time to transition from day-to-day leadership of the business to a more strategic role.  In the Executive Chairman role, Karl will lead the Evergreen Board of Directors, as well as providing strategic input to the business.

Mark Portman has retained the role of UK & Ireland GM since joining Evergreen in March 2018, where he has led the transformation of the UK region and re-established it as the largest, most profitable market within Evergreen. His successes in growing the business, driving category development and innovation, and building strong relationships with retail partners, will be utilised in his new role as CEO. He will now lead the business in its journey of growth, as he takes on everyday operating control across all aspects of the global business.

Succeeding Mark in December, as UK & Ireland GM, will be Colin Stephens. He joins Evergreen from Genius, the Private Equity-backed gluten-free bakery business, where he led all commercial functions, delivering industry-leading business growth for Genius.  He has also experience working in multiple Private Equity businesses, having also held senior positions at Whitworths, a leading UK supplier of branded dried fruit and nuts. It is Colin’s proven track record of strategic leadership and turning strategy into action that has seen him appointed into the Evergreen UK & Ireland GM role.  In his new role, Colin’s primary objectives will be to further drive the growth of the UK business, focus on growing and developing category innovation, as well as ensuring the company’s core value of sustainability is implemented at every touch point.

Mark Portman of Evergreen Garden Care says: “I’m looking forward to starting my new role as CEO in December and would like to thank all the UK team for their support over the past 4½ years. I take over from Karl a business in good health with a strong team across the world, I’m excited about the opportunity to continue to lead Evergreen forward into its next phase of development.  I am also delighted to welcome Colin to the business and am confident he will successfully steer the UK business forwards, into 2023 and beyond.”

Colin Stephens adds: “I’m delighted to be joining the Evergreen business to help continue the strong growth and development of the garden care category that the business has enjoyed. The Evergreen team has a track record of success in innovation and category development delivered through excellent customer relationships, and the opportunity to build on this strength and lead the next phase of the growth in the UK with this talented team is an exciting challenge.”

As a part of these changes, Andy Higginson, the current Non-Executive Chairman will remain on the Board of Directors and serve the business as a Non-Executive Director.

A memorial service to celebrate the life of Ian Boardman, who passed away at his home in France last month, will take place on Thursday, November 3. 

The service will be held at St George’s Park Hilton Hotel, Newborough Road, Needworth, Burton-on-Trent DE13 9PD at 2.30pm.

The Boardman family have invited anyone who knew Ian to join them in the celebration of his life.

A former garden centre manager, GCA Inspector, garden centre business consultant and trainer, Ian was a much-loved figure in the garden centre industry.

Neudorff, pioneers in the development and manufacture of sustainable products for the garden, has been selected as one of the "Brands of the Century" by renowned publishing group, Zeit.

Awarded to great German brands, Neudorff has been bestowed this award by the jury who honoured Neudorff’s outstanding achievements in the area of plant protection in a transparent selection process.

The Zeit jury stated that “Neudorff is emblematic of the entire category of plant protection. The decision is based on a comprehensive, transparent set of rules.”.

Talking about the award win, Sales and Marketing Director at W. Neudorff GmbH KG, Richard von Herman, added: “As an innovative company with a long tradition, we are proud to receive such an exclusive award. This means we are among the crème de la crème of German brands with our category of plant protection.

We have always explored new avenues in the area of environmentally friendly and sustainable plant care with our products and processes, and we are delighted to receive such confirmation of our innovative work stretching back decades.”

The RSPB has announced its first ever Ambassador programme and among several famous faces revealed as ambassadors was popular garden broadcaster David Domoney, who was asked to be garden bird ambassador. 

David has over 40 years of horticultural experience. He has been championing the need to support and care for our native garden birds throughout his time in the media spotlight. 

David is perhaps best known as a presenter on ITV1’s prime perennially popular gardening show ‘Love Your Garden’, ‘This Morning’, and regularly works with Alan Titchmarsh on ‘Love Your Weekend’. 

David said: “I believe in the great work the RSPB does, such as the Big Garden Birdwatch, encouraging more people to take part in this citizen science that helps us understand our bird populations and learn how to help them thrive.”

Other ambassdors named were:

• Steve Brown – broadcaster (BBC Countryfile), Paralympian and public speaker
• Indy Kiemel Greene – naturalist, conservationist and RSPB Youth Council member
• Lucy Hodson – naturalist, conservationist and social media influencer
• Deborah Meaden – entrepreneur and BBC Dragons’ Den investor
• Megan McCubbin – zoologist, author and wildlife TV presenter (BBC Springwatch)
• Ollie Olanipekun and Nadeem Perera – co-founders of birdwatching collective, Flock Together
• Samuel West – actor and director

The Garden Centre Association has announced that its annual conference will return on January 22-25, 2023 after previously being postponed due to Covid in 2021 and 2022.

The conference, which will include talks, industry updates and opportunities to network, takes place at the Mercure Blackburn Dunkenhalgh Hotel and Spa in Lancashire.

GCA Chairman, Tammy Woodhouse, said: “We are thrilled that our annual conference will be back for January 2023 and we wanted to let people know booking for the event is now open, so if you are hoping to attend, please visit the members’ section of our website via www.gca.org.uk to reserve your place.

“We’re thrilled to finally be heading to the 700-year-old Mercure Blackburn Dunkenhalgh Hotel and Spa, a recently renovated venue in the picturesque Lancashire countryside, combining modern facilities with historic characteristics, all set in 17 acres. Members can expect a line-up of top-quality speakers and plenty of opportunities to catch up with friends, colleagues and associates from the industry in person at last. This will be our 56th annual conference and looks set to be a fantastic event.”

The conference kicks off on Sunday, January 22 with the Greenfingers Challenge Cup at Barton Grange Garden Centre’s entertainment venue, the Flower Bowl. The evening will be full of fundraising activities and friendly competition to raise money for the charity, Greenfingers. Transport is available from the hotel directly to the Flower Bowl and back, to book, please visit www.gca.org.uk.

Tammy adds: “Monday’s (January 23) part of the conference will focus on the operational side of our industry and will include presentations from our inspectors around best practice in our industry, plus talks from a range of inspiring and engaging business speakers to help motivate us for the year ahead. In the evening it will be our eagerly anticipated fancy-dress Associates Dinner, which is themed as ‘The Great GCA Garden Party’.

“During the day on Tuesday (January 24) there will be more of a focus on the strategic element of the business, with opportunities to listen to some inspirational speakers and a chance to help attendees define their strategy for 2023 and beyond. Topics covered include the economy, leadership and business development with a particular emphasis on the environment and sustainability.

“There will also be our Associate’s Exhibition providing the chance to meet suppliers in an informal setting before concluding in the evening with our annual black-tie gala dinner and our famed awards ceremony.”

The GCA represents nearly 200 garden centres nationwide.

Through sharing information and its inspection programme the GCA helps members to achieve high standards in customer service, plant quality and reliability.

The GCA’s annual conference will be held at the Mercure Blackburn Hotel & Spa in Blackburn, Lancashire from January 22 – 25, 2023.

The conference pages on the website will be updated with speaker announcements and full listings as the programme develops and exact timings are confirmed. There is also a dedicated email for any queries you may have: conference@gca.org.uk.

For further information, please visit www.gca.org.uk.

The Royal Horticultural Society has appointed a peat-free postdoctoral fellow to help the horticultural trade transition to sustainable growing media. 

A £1million, co-funded, five-year project led by the charity will convene government, growers and growing media manufacturers through the Growing Media Association and horticultural product supplier Fargro to research sustainable alternatives to peat in large-scale commercial settings. 

Five growers initially will work alongside Dr Raghavendra Prasad who has joined the RHS’ 120-strong Science team at RHS Hilltop: Home of Gardening Science this month. They are: Allensmore, Hills Plants, Johnsons of Whixley, The Farplants Group and Vitacress who collectively produce more than 46 million plants every year.

Areas of focus for the group will include peat free plant and plug plant production, new growing media technologies to replace the estimated 1.7m m3 of peat used by the UK horticultural industry in 2021, growing protocols, best practice use of the latest products, and developing peat-free solutions for challenging plant groups such as carnivorous and ericaceous species. 

Findings will also be shared ongoing with the wider industry, including specialist nurseries, as well as the UK’s 30 million home and community gardeners who, armed with a better understanding of sustainable alternatives and best practice advice, can aid the transition to peat-free. 

The RHS has committed to being entirely peat free by 2025, having banned the sale of peat containing growing media in 2018.  

Dr Raghavendra Prasad joins the RHS from Poland where he recently completed his PhD at the University of Life Sciences in Poznan.

Professor Alistair Griffiths, Director of Science and Collections at the RHS, said: “It’s vital that the RHS works collaboratively with industry and government to research new, peat-free growing media technologies. We know there are already many peat alternatives out there, and even more as yet untapped, so we need to collaborate to develop and share best practice guidance to ensure that peat - which when intact can store carbon for thousands of year - stays in the ground.”  

Environment Minister Trudy Harrison said: “We are pleased to part-fund this ambitious project which will develop peat-free alternatives to protect nature, and create green jobs. Ahead of our future phase-out of peat, this project will support the Government and society to keep peat healthy and in the ground where it belongs. Healthy peatland will lock up carbon, strengthen our resilience to drought, and serve as a powerful nature-based solution to climate change.”

For more information on growing in your garden peat free visit: https://www.rhs.org.uk/advice/peat

Hot off the success of its RHS Chelsea Flower Show Garden, horticultural charity, Perennial, is calling upon the gardening industry to support its 2023 calendar.

The charity’s ever-popular Naked Gardening Calendar is back after a two-year hiatus, and Perennial is looking for help to get the calendars in as many homes, workplaces and garden sheds as possible in 2023 to help support its vital work.

Perennial is the UK’s only charity dedicated to helping all those working in, or retired from, horticulture and their families, so is close to the hearts of many in the gardening industry, and the calendar will raise funds to enable the charity to continue its work.

As per previous years, the calendar features the Grubby Gardeners, formed in 2014 as a group of volunteers fundraising for Perennial, baring all for the charity. The calendar is, as always, all about a bit of fun, but there is a serious and important message behind it, which is to raise money and awareness of the services Perennial offers.

Anita Bates, Director of Marketing and Fundraising: “A job in horticulture is hard, physical work and, despite the important contribution this makes to our collective wellbeing, jobs can be seasonal, attract low pay and people in horticulture do not always enjoy job security.

“Now, with the worst cost of living crisis in a generation, the spiralling cost of energy and in-work debt at a level never seen before, the calls to our helpdesk are increasing. Together we can help real people through this crisis, but we can’t do this without the support of our volunteers and fundraisers.”

The calendar, which features an array of landscapers, head gardeners and award-winning garden designers in their birthday suits, is available to buy now and has an RRP of just £10.00, with all profits going to the charity. The calendar is always popular with consumers looking for a charity option, and it makes a great stocking filler.

All profits from the sale of each calendar, will help Perennial to reach and support more people in the wonderful horticultural industry.

To find out more about the calendar and the work that Perennial does, please visit www.perennial.org.uk

A team of 20 from Young People in Horticulture Association headed to Lancashire to visit some fantastic horticulture businesses.

YPHA committee member Sarah Want said: “We started our trip at Barton Grange Garden Centre, where Guy Topping (Director), kindly took a whole day to show us the inner workings of Barton Grange. We learnt about the environmental policies at work at the garden centre including their composter. They can put waste from the café and plant area to create compost they can then use around the site! We had a fascinating talk from David Fawcett-Ropner (Display Manager) who talked us through all things design and display at Barton Grange. We talked through the structure, the working behind the ideas and how this benefits the business. We saw first-hand some of their fantastic Christmas displays! Guy kindly showed us around the garden centre and the warehouse operations – giving some of us some inspiration to take home. Next was lunch at the Garden Centre café before a tour around Garden Centre Plants – a 35-acre hardy ornamental grower. Chris Connah gave us a tour of the nursery, and we had some great discussions about peat-free growing media and the challenges around the next generation of horticulture.

“Back to Barton Grange, we went, with a final presentation on the history of Barton Grange and how they have diversified their business into The Flower Bowl – a fantastic entertainment centre hosting restaurants, crazy golf and curling. They even had sheep grazing on the roof at one point! The YPHA team then got to spend the evening there taking part in all activities including Crazy Pool and VR.

“Saturday then saw the team head over to our founders’ (Natalie Porter) family business, Happy Plants. Natalie gave an eye-opening tour of her growing facilities including a sneak peek into their brand-new glasshouse. 

“One take-home quote heard on the visit when discussing horticulture dispatch was ‘you can only sell it when people want it.”

Jessica Dabell, Brand Manager at Meadow View Stone, said this about her trip: “I cannot praise the YPHA enough, it is a wonderful organisation full of friendly people. The opportunity to meet and exchange knowledge with people your own age in the industry is priceless!”

The Garden Centre Association is starting its recruitment process for a new Chief Executive Officer.

The new CEO will work closely with the Executive committee to lead the organisation. 

GCA Chairman, Tammy Woodhouse, said: “We are now officially recruiting for the position of CEO. The successful individual will have ultimate responsibility and accountability for the Association. They will work closely with the Executive committee to lead the organisation, influence, and implement the strategic direction and operational management to ensure we meet the needs of our members in line with our vision, mission and values.

“We are looking for an individual who has worked in a senior management position, experience, or knowledge of either the garden centre industry or working within a member organisation would be advantageous.

“Our ideal candidate will be a confident individual with the ability to build and maintain positive relationships with stakeholders; protects and promotes our values, and is an ambassador within the industry. They also need to have a full UK driving licence and be willing to travel within the UK and overseas.

“The full job description is available at https://bit.ly/3eG1uQf. We will be hosting an assessment day in London on November 16 for potential candidates, which applicants will need to be available to attend. To apply, or for more details, please contact lian@thevirtualrecruiter.co.uk.”

The GCA represents nearly 200 garden centres nationwide.

Through sharing information and its inspection programme the GCA helps members to achieve high standards in customer service, plant quality and reliability.

For further information, please visit www.gca.org.uk.

Brian Evans, who engineered the massive expansion of Wyevale garden centres to become the largest garden centre group in the 90's, has died aged 78.

As Chairman of Wyevale, Brian led the acquisition of many garden centres including the purchase of Kennedys and Country Gardens.  When he retired in 2004 the group had 114 centres.  He is pictured above at a dinner in his honour in February 2005, from GTN's March 2005 issue.

Brian died in his sleep last Wednesday, after his health had deteriorated over the last couple of years  .

Brian's wife Christine has said that a celebration of his life will be held and details will follow.

GTN October 2022. More New Products for 2023 & The Greatest Christmas Awards 2022 launch.

Inside this issue: An understanding of stone – GTN Interviews the Meadow View Stone team, Crystal ball gazing for 2030 – HTA Conference 2022, Camden Garden Centre Photo Tour, Tales from the shop floor – Mark Portman at Camden Garden Centre, Rosey future at Mr Fothergills, Celtic Spa’s – LOFA Member profile, GTN’s Greatest Christmas Awards 2022 – Nominate you teams now, Serious about selling plants at Four Oaks, Glee New Product Directory, Part 2, Solex New Product Directory, Change brings opportunity – GIMA Column, Horticulture and government – ORHG Column. Advertisers in this issue: The Solar Centre, Evergreen Garden Care, Apsley Farms, Meadow View Stone, Sipcam, Mr Fothergills, The Real Soil Company, Vitax, Fandango Fire Tools, Pot Mate, Solex 2023.

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HTA Chairman James Barnes, represented the horticultural sector at the National Drought Group meeting, attended by the new Environment Minister, Trudy Harrison MP.

HTA notes the challenge and pressures of the drought on many of its members, especially growers, and with water restriction advice or measures still in place in many locations across the UK, the issue has not gone away.

Made up of senior decision-makers from Environment Agency, government, water companies, Water UK, and other groups, the National Drought Group was briefed on the weather and water level outlook – with expectations that water levels would continue to be challenging in 2023.

James Barnes, HTA Chairman, commented "The HTA stance on this is that whilst we continue to encourage the sharing of best practice and investment amongst all our members to utilise all conservation measures at their disposal, we also highlight the need for the water companies to continue not to restrict supply to this strategically important sector with very high-value crops at risk. As well as in the longer term to invest in the necessary infrastructure to minimise shortfalls in supply".

HTA recommends its members review its ‘How-to’ guides and take steps to make savings and be winter ready. Further advice and guidance is being developed.

For more information on the National Drought Group meeting see Defra’s press release: https://www.gov.uk/government/news/national-drought-group-agrees-further-action-to-tackle-drought-through-winter

HTA Resources: https://hta.org.uk/news-events-current-issues/sustainability/water

The new post, a first for the RHS, will design and lead ecological surveys at the charity’s five gardens, establishing baseline data on wildlife and developing recommendations to increase biodiversity in gardens across the UK. 

Gemma Golding has joined the Plant Health team as Senior Ecologist, having previously worked as a senior ecology and sustainability consultant. Gemma’s appointment follows that of Helen Bostock as Senior Wildlife Specialist. Together their work will help bring nature into people’s lives through gardening and reaffirms the RHS’ commitment to meet the Net Positive for Nature Target, set out in the RHS’ 2021 Sustainability Strategy. 

As part of the role the Senior Ecologist, based at RHS Garden Wisley, will help coordinate ecological surveys targeting some of the many habitats and species found within the gardens. Threatened species found in the RHS’ gardens include the hazel dormouse at RHS Garden Rosemoor, stag beetle at RHS Garden Wisley, lesser redpoll at RHS Garden Harlow Carr, mistle thrush at RHS Garden Bridgewater and shrill carder bee at RHS Garden Hyde Hall. Gemma will also be working with internal and external stakeholders to develop new research projects that investigate the impacts gardening practises can have on wildlife.

Some of the wildlife the Senior Ecologist will be looking to include in the surveys are amphibians, butterflies, breeding birds, bumblebees and other terrestrial and aquatic invertebrates. These groups are a good representative for overall biodiversity levels on sites and can help determine the health of a habitat. The data collected from these surveys will be vital to show trends and the ways in which actions in the gardens are improving wildlife numbers. 

Professor Alistair Griffiths, RHS Director of Science and Collections, said: “Our research shows that gardens and gardening can create fantastic wildlife habitats and help reverse biodiversity declines, and research into best practise can only boost the value our plots have. The Senior Ecologist role is an exciting and important one for the RHS, as it will contribute further to our Biodiversity Targets set out in the Sustainability Strategy and build on previous research to quantify the positive impact our gardens are having on nature - we look forward to sharing new results with the UK’s 30 million gardeners.”  

The ecologist role builds on partnerships and research such as Wild About Gardens with The Wildlife Trusts, RHS Plants for Bugs and the RHS Plants for Pollinators list, and comes alongside a raft of on-going wildlife-friendly habitat creation across all five gardens, in particular the Wildlife Garden at RHS Garden Wisley, opened in 2020. 

To find out more about helping wildlife in your patch visit: www.rhs.org.uk/wildlife

The world famous RHS Chelsea Flower Show, sponsored by The Newt in Somerset, will once again shine a spotlight on the ways that gardening and gardens can contribute positively to our health and wellbeing, as well as to help the environment. 

Inclusive green spaces for socially deprived communities to connect with nature, and gardens for patient recovery in hospital make up some of the 12 Show Gardens announced today by the Royal Horticultural Society (RHS).

The Royal Entomological Society Garden designed by Chelsea gold medal winner Tom Massey is inspired by the rich biodiversity found on brownfield sites, areas of wasteland that are highly beneficial to insect life. 

Horatio’s Garden designed by Charlotte Harris and Hugo Bugg is a wheelchair accessible garden for patients recovering from spinal injury. The garden focuses on the evidence based needs of those in long term hospital care, providing a beautiful space away from clinical settings which supports their recovery. It will be relocated to Northern General Hospital in  Sheffield to benefit its patients and staff.

Korean designer Jihae Hwang highlights how a rewilding project in her home country has helped prevent native plants from becoming extinct. The Hoban Cultural Foundation: Land of Healing, Korean Mountain Light garden promotes balanced ecosystems found around the Jiri Mountain region, which grows over 1,000 native medicinal plants. 

Helena Pettit, RHS Director of Shows and Gardens, said: “It’s no coincidence that the restorative power of gardens and gardening – both for people and the environment – returns as the main theme for next year’s RHS Chelsea Flower Show.

“So whether you’re looking to create a wildlife haven on your doorstep, ideas to garden more sustainably or to brighten up your balcony, the 2023 show will be teeming with gardening inspiration to help you bring more plants into your home.”

Other Show Garden highlights include The Savills Garden by Mark Gregory, which champions how growing your own food can form the basis of a healthy lifestyle and The Nurture Landscapes Garden by Sarah Price, a low carbon garden that celebrates the art and craft of garden making.

For the second year, several of the Show gardens are being supported by grant-giving charity, Project Giving Back. Seven UK-registered charities have been selected for their Show garden funding and each will create a garden to help raise awareness for their cause.

The Great Pavilion, the jewel in Chelsea’s crown, will feature over 70 specialist nurseries including Raymond Evison Clematis and first-time exhibitors: mushroom-growers Caley Bros; Hedgehog Plants who are creating an epimedium theatre and Darren Everest Sweet Peas. A collaboration with Plant Fairs Roadshow will offer a platform for small independent growers new to Chelsea. 

RHS Chelsea Flower Show runs from 23 to 27 May 2023 at the Royal Hospital Chelsea, more information and tickets available from rhs.org.uk/chelsea

Brambles Pet and Wildlife was amazed at the response to a giveaway it launched on social media.

The company offered two prizes of an incubator and hedgehog food, and the social media post brought an immediate response.

Sales director David Tracey said: “We bought two incubators to use in a giveaway, along with some of our food, and were amazed by the response on social media. 

“The post got over 5,000 nominations with engagement levels of over 130,000. 

“We continue to be amazed at the levels of commitment and hard work done by wildlife rescues, who are in desperate need of financial help and support.”

Incubators are invaluable to wildlife rescues for the rehabilitation of poorly hedgehogs.

Christmas at Bents has been kept strictly under wraps for the past seven weeks, but at 10am on Wednesday (October 12) the wait was over and this year’s themed displays were unveiled. 

Once again, the team from Bents have worked their magic to create a festive wonderland, ready to be discovered.  For the first time since the pandemic, the opening event returned to the real look tree forest where Fat Cat Brass, a brass band with a difference, brought a modern twist to the festive favourites, marking the start of Christmas at Bents with a burst of sound and celebration.

The Christmas opening is just one of this year’s celebrations as the family owned and run Centre is also marking its 85^th anniversary; 85 years since Alfred and Margaret Bent started growing roses from the front garden of their terraced house located just metre’s away from the current location. 

Said Matthew Bent, Managing Director: “Christmas has been a part of our family business for as long as I can remember and this year it is even more special for us as we are celebrating our 85^th anniversary.  We’ve come a long way since my grandparents started to grow and sell their roses, creating a destination that is full of inspiration and never more so than at Christmas time.

“Once again the team has worked tirelessly to put together what we believe is another fantastic display so a big thank you to everyone involved. We hope Destination Bents will be one to remember this Christmas!” 

Bents 2022 centrepiece is Candy Cane Lane - a sweet treat of candy canes, cupcakes and gingerbread men filling the shelves of a traditional sweet shop setting - is just one of many show-stoppers, which are full of inspiration and ready to be re-created at home.  

In addition to the many displays, which also include themes such as Floral Fancy and Country Retreat is this year’s showstopping Lemax display.  Life in miniature is displayed on the Centre’s very own Bents’ Express, a steam train emerging from a tunnel, all expertly designed and built by Bents’ in house joiner, Aaron Davies. 

There’s lots to see and do at Bents in the run up to the festive period, including Father Christmas’s official arrival on Thursday 10^th November at 4pm, Little Face of Christmas photo competition and Bents’ popular Winter Food Market which opens on Wednesday 19^th October.

On Thursday 1^st December, The Fresh Approach Restaurant will host Carols by Candlelight and Father Christmas will be hosting a number of different party options for families, tiny tots and four legged friends. Further information on all festive events can be found at bents.co.uk

A magical trip of around the world in 80 days was a Christmas theme that came to life as British Garden Centres showcased its festive displays at Bridgnorth Garden Centre.

The evening event was part of a series of openings at key locations over the past three weeks for British GardenCentres. 

“They have been so successful, we are now planning to do a few more,” said Amy Stubbs (pictured right), director of the 61-strong group of centres who welcomed the assembled guests. 

The centre looked good, was welcoming and well set up for autumn sales, but of course it was really Christmas we were there to see.

Greeted by Santa and his team of helpers, led by centre manager Steph and assistant manager Sarah, who takes operational responsibility for the seasonal sales area, the themes and display were imaginative and creative. Certainly a contender in the GTN Greatest Christmas Awards for 2022.

Being part of the group, the majority of ranging and buying is done centrally for the stores, but the display is very much down to the local team on the ground to conceive, construct and bring to life. 

And bring to life they certainly had. Taking the traditional themes including:

• A Winter’s Tale, 
• A Touch of Elegance, 
• Sleigh Bells Ringing, 
• Enchanted Forest 
• The Night Before Christmas 

The team had creatively adapted each of these themes into a magical trip around the world in 80 days. London, Venice, Lapland, Belgium, Agrabah where just some of the destinations on the whirlwind trip before dropping into New York and even seeing the Aurora Borealis on the way home! Good attention to detail, linked sales in many areas, easy, relaxed shopping, all led to a vibrant display with plenty of atmosphere.

Traditional gardening areas were very much, as they should be in early October, geared entirely to autumn in the garden, but bulk displays of key lines that will make great gifts for gardeners were in evidence, just waiting for the time to be right for dressing for Christmas and capitalising on sales to some of those new gardeners the Covid pandemic has inspired.

Festive displays were also creeping into the Food Hall and Gift areas with the promise of much more to come. The team was prepared to share the fact that Santa will be in his grotto before the end of November, but remained tight lipped about the existence of a steam engine and carriages tucked away behind the specimen conifer area on the planteria. We will just have to take a trip back to find out what that is all about and with a 2 course Christmas Lunch menu available for only £13.95 a head, we well be making it a lunchtime visit!

The traditional refreshments, slice of Yule log, mince pies and a cranberry fizz were all topped off with an excellent goody bag for all guests attending on the evening. Social media is being heavily used for publicity with photo opportunities in every theme, photo frames and encouragement to ‘post and ‘share’ your pictures with the hash tags ‘#OurChristmas’ and ‘#AllWrappedUp’ in use.

The big question of course on all our lips is how inspired is the consumer going to be to spend, spend, spend this Christmas? Some stock still to come in and of course none of the fresh stock yet available, but the family at British Garden Centres, Bridgnorth are certainly ‘Christmas ready’.

If anybody is going to inspire the customer to part with their cash it is going to be this team. So good luck to them all for Christmas and their entry into the GTN Greatest Christmas Awards. 

A gallery of more pictures below...

John Lewis click and collect orders can now be picked up from Dobbies, the UK's leading garden centre, as part of a new trial.  

Customers at Dobbies in Aberdeen, Huntingdon and Gillingham will now be able to collect their John Lewis parcels from the next day. Collection is free of charge for orders over £30 and there is free collection for any order up until 19 October. 

The trial expands the relationship between Dobbies and the John Lewis Partnership after it was announced in July that Waitrose would have a dedicated area offering more than 2,000 products in 50 of the garden centre's foodhalls. The roll out is already underway having been launched in the Dobbies stores in Edinburgh, Brighton, Atherstone and Dunfermline.  

Graeme Jenkins, CEO of Dobbies, said: “The new John Lewis click and collect offering complements the delivery and collection services we currently provide with DPD and Amazon. We’re committed to providing convenience to our customers and this new collaboration enables us to further develop this focus. It’s important that we share a commitment to great value, quality and customer service with our partners.” 

Ged Keogh-Peters, Director of Supply Chain Planning & Development for the John Lewis Partnership, adds: “The introduction of click and collect further strengthens our partnership with Dobbies and underlines our ambition to find new ways to be more convenient for our customers. The service is growing in popularity every year with customers increasingly wanting the ease of being able to pick up their order at a time and place which works for them. The success of this trial would present the opportunity to roll out the service to more centres.” 

Dobbies offers DPD delivery collections at Ponteland, Peterborough, Cirencester, Carlisle, Dunfermline, Ayr and Edinburgh. Amazon collection points are available at 36 of Dobbies’ 74 stores across the UK.  

Dobbies is the latest retailer to join the existing network of over 350 John Lewis and Waitrose Click & Collect points, along with over 800 Co-op, Shell and Booths locations.  

This week Jenny Douthwaite, Managing Director of Primeur and President of GIMA, takes five minutes out of her busy schedule to share her thoughts about the company, the industry and her gardening experiences...

Name, job title and how long you’ve been at Primeur

Jenny Douthwaite, Managing Director, 19 years.

If you could get people to know one thing about Primeur, what would it be?

The culture at Primeur is very special and unlike any other business I have worked in. If the job needs doing, we get it done. Collaboration and teamwork are at the heart of our business values and our colleagues foster an immense sense of pride and ownership in delivering customer satisfaction.

What is your favourite bit of your job and why do you love working at Primeur?

There are so many wonderful aspects of my job that make this a difficult question to answer! Our team of dedicated and long serving colleagues make every day enjoyable at Primeur. Supporting them, both professionally and personally, to deliver exceptional service to our customers is the single most rewarding element of my role.

Primeur is much more than a place of work, it’s my family. Colleagues are friends and support is always on hand whether it be a personal issue or tough day at work.

Your Primeur top pick (fav product)?

Time to pick a favourite child! I’d have to say the Scallop Border is my favourite top pick. Whilst it has been in our range for a few years, it continues to be a best seller for all our customers and is clearly loved by the consumer. I have this in my own garden and love that I was able to install it myself without the need to nag my husband!

What does next year bring for Primeur?

As with the past few years, I am sure 2023 will bring its own challenges to us all. We remain positive and hopeful at Primeur that the many new gardening enthusiasts gained through the pandemic will remain in love with their outdoor spaces and continue to nurture them. We are committed to bringing new and exciting products that will help drive much needed growth for our customers and provide the consumer with sustainable innovation they need in their homes.

Your best/worst gardening experience?

I love a bright and cheerful garden and thanks to my wonderful mum, my pots have been a rainbow of colours this year. I am renowned in our family as the ‘plant killer’ and am mostly gifted artificial plants for special occasions so it’s a miracle they are all in full bloom still. 

Our lawn on the other hand is definitely my gardening disaster of this year. An accidental over fertilising a week before the hosepipe ban came in has resulting in a bulk purchase of new grass seed – that will not be a mistake we make again!

Get in touch

To find more about Primeur’s 2023 offering, please contact the team on 01274 518800, email sales@primeur.ltd.uk or visit www.primeur.co.uk

Vitavia Greenhouses has posted its latest blog headlined ‘Aluminium eaves and falling leaves!’, giving gardeners timely reminders of the jobs that need doing around the garden and in the greenhouse this Autumn

“Now the supermarkets are overflowing with pumpkins and every path is scattered with multi-coloured crispy leaves, it is safe to say that Autumn is upon us!

“It has to be the most beautiful time of the year, with bright blue skies overhead, warm sun cradling our cheeks, as we cling onto our sunglasses for yet another month. The chilly autumnal winds swirl around allowing lots of lovely layers to be worn… and then removed and put back on continuously throughout the day as the sun dips in and out!

“Your gardens may be looking a little weathered and tired at the moment, but you’re certainly not alone as it’s quite the struggle to keep on top of the forever falling leaves. Hopefully we can help a little with a check list of jobs for the coming weeks;

“If you haven’t already, now is the time to give your greenhouse a much needed clean and disinfect. This lets in more light and prevents pests and diseases from over-wintering.

Remove all shading from your greenhouse too as the daily sunny spells are too precious to miss.

“Make sure you bring half-hardy plants into the frost free greenhouse but allow enough space between them to keep ventilation flowing and reduce risk of disease.

“Water plants sparingly and carefully to avoid over-watering and mould setting in.

Remove dead heads and any leaves from the greenhouse and greenhouse guttering to avoid mould and fungus.

“It’s not all hard work though as hopefully you’re still indulging in some delicious homegrown crops. Now is the time to be harvesting tomatoes, peppers and aubergines and replacing those delicious summer salads with heart-warming scrummy soups. Why not sneak a chair into your greenhouse and enjoy a flask of soup alfresco style… heavenly!”

The blog can be found here https://www.vitavia.co.uk/2022/10/12/aluminium-eaves-and-falling-leaves/

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.

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

Highlights of the GTN Plants Bestsellers chart for last week are here

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

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

Highlights of the GTN Wild Bird Care Bestsellers chart for last 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 £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.

If you think your Christmas teams are the best in the business, now’s the time to get them nominated for GTN’s Greatest Christmas Awards 2022.

There are categories to recognise display teams, Christmas Trees sales teams, marketing teams and back this year are the much sought after Greatest Festive Garden Centre Catering team and The Greatest Garden Centre Grotto team awards.

It's simple to take part, all you have to do is nominate your teams for the award categories below in an e-mail to trevor@pottingshedpress.co.uk including a few words about why our team of judges should come and meet your team and a photo or two that we can include in our GTN Xtra Christmas photo galleries. The closing date for nominations to guarantee a visit form our judges is Monday 31^st October 2022.

Here are the categories for GTN’s Greatest Christmas Awards 2022

• The Greatest Christmas Houseplant Team
• The Greatest Outdoor Plant and Christmas Tree Team
• The Greatest Christmas Community Event
• The Greatest Garden Centre Christmas Video
• The Greatest Christmas Marketing Team
• The Greatest Gardening Gifts Sales Team
• The Greatest Christmas Sizzle Team (for sales of BBQ’s, firepits, furniture etc)
• The Greatest Festive Retail Food Hall Team
• The Greatest Festive Garden Centre Catering Team
• The Greatest Garden Centre Grotto Team
• The Greatest Group Small Garden Centre Christmas Team*
• The Greatest Group Large Garden Centre Christmas Team*
• The Greatest Small Garden Centre Christmas Team
• The Greatest Mid-Sized Garden Centre Christmas Team
• The Greatest Large Garden Centre Christmas Team

*The Group Garden Centre awards are for centres that are part of groups with 5 or more centres.

Judging visits will take place during November and December with the winners being announced on The Stage at Spring Fair on Monday 6^th February 2023.

As well as the kudos and fame from winning a Greatest Christmas award, our Gold winners in each category will win prizes including stock, services and hotel accommodation from our sponsors, which at time of going to press include:

• DCUK
• Garden Radio
• Glee
• Global Journey
• Smart Garden Products
• Solex
• Woodlodge

Watch out for details of the prizes on offer in future issues of GTN Xtra: www.gardentradenews.co.uk and in the next issue of GTN magazine.

So, what are you waiting for, get snapping and send an e-mail today to trevor@pottingshedpress.co.uk to get your entry registered.