Boyd  Douglas-Davies, CEO, Hillview Garden Centres:

“I thought GLEE was outstanding, certainly the best show in years. Quality and range of exhibitors was very good.   

“Vertical gardening systems were in abundance. Some better than others!

“Fashion gloves seemed to be the other item available in 101 different designs - presumably inspired by the great success of #glovies this year!”

Conna Powles, Buying Director, Haskins Garden Centres:

 “This was my third Glee and last year it was certainly revitalised.  I felt that it was notched up another gear this year with larger stands, key suppliers, and great innovation too.  It is good to see plants back for a second year in a row which was really useful for me as I hadn’t been able to get to Fouroaks.  Kevin Waters had put together some great ideas which completely clarified some ideas about planting recipes that I couldn’t quite get clear in my head.  It is difficult to cut through so much detail and make things simple but, I think he did that with his monthly calendar with ‘thrillers, spillers and fillers’. 

“It was good to see so many gardening suppliers as Glee is obviously the key show for us but, as the proportion of non gardening sales grows, it was also good to see a selection of non gardening suppliers too.  I think it would be good to grow this part of the show although it is difficult as it follows on directly from the Autumn Fair.  However, this year, the Autumn Fair clashed with the Speciality Food Fair so if that were to happen again next year, there would be an opportunity for Glee to offer more food wholesalers.  However, it is vital to keep gardening at the core of what we do but we cannot ignore the fact that the non gardening part of what we do has become increasingly important.

“I really enjoyed taking part in the judging, finding exciting new products and swopping information with my fellow retailers in a well laid out, contemporary environment with good catering and easy access.  Winning the award in the Glee Power List was just the icing on the cake!!”

Justin Williams, Managing Director, Fron Goch Garden Centre:

“Glee was very interesting, great to see innovation returning.  Particularly present in the area of solar lighting, solar watering features and garden decoration on the Smart gardening stand , where it felt you could order a deal of everything!”

Nigel Wallis, General Manager, Baytree Garden Centre: 

“I thought it was another good GLEE, and certainly needed two days.

“My highlight was taking [my son] William with me, I hate to say it but having a young set of eyes was good, and of course very proud that he wants to be part of Baytree in the future.

“The Westland stand was really good and what with the Sinclair products is going to make ordering a lot better and easier, let’s just hope the compost prices don't go up to much, but still a great company to deal with.

“And of course Smart Gardening will be the ongoing success for us next year, again what a great team to deal with.”

Colin Barrie, Managing Director, Caulders Garden Centres:

“I thought Glee was even better than last year, and I thought last year was great!   It is now a “can’t miss” show for any garden retailer in the UK.   Where else would you be able to see so many key industry suppliers showcase so many products in one place?

“I thought Westland and Kelkay were demonstrating great innovation both in their products and brand.  The Crest and Flopro  brands really hit the mark this year and there are some products on Smart Gardening that look as though they will be real winners for 2016.

“Some trade shows are good for going and looking, but at Glee you can do serious business!”

Dennis Espley, Managing Director, Squires Garden Centres:

“Still a must do show.  Little ground breaking, but some interesting new lines.  Useful to make direct product comparisons in one place, and does motivate change and a fresh look.  Catch up with suppliers and fellow traders.

“Well organised, comfortable, Mon to Weds..good”

Tim Godwin, Owner, Fosseway Garden Centre:

“Yes I thought the best glee for 4-5 years at last some meaningful innovation with the consumer in mind, liked Hozelocks new watering system and timers, the re branding and simplification of the Town and Country brand and product range.

“The tweaking of the Scotts range with new house plant feeds , grass seed sorted reintroduction of the larger bag and new quicker germination, patio magic with ready to use sprayer should be a hit , along with the new rose and shrub range of feed and the growables should be a good pick up line if positioned correctly .

“I also felt Gardman had a good range of well priced gifts for next spring

“My only concern if when we go next year it may have turned into the RHS show with now so many products being endorsed by them from pots, gravel, tools and gifts!”

Michelle de Lavis-Trafford, on behalf of Choice Marketing Ltd:

“What a great Glee it was, the overall atmosphere was good with suppliers and retailers very upbeat.  For me my favourite new product was the miniature world from Vivid Arts, a lovely collectable range that can easily expand into different themes and will sell all year round.  There were also some interesting developments within the watering category and being able to control your home irrigation system from your mobile is amazing. 

“It’s also good to see the Arthur Bowers brand will continue within the Westland portfolio.  Smart Garden and Gardman have also entered the gift arena with some nice things here as well. 

“Overall we were pleased with the show and the quality of the exhibitors”.

James Debbage, Green Pastures Plant Centre & Farm Shop, Gardeners Kitchen Restaurant: 

“We really enjoyed GLEE this year and it was definitely our most productive visit yet. The layout meant that we could quickly locate all the stands that we needed to without much time wasting in between.

“We were particularly impressed with the clothing ranges we saw resulting in orders placed to take advantage of seasonal sales.

“I was also very excited with the new ranges of containers available for next season and can’t wait to have them in our centre!”

Caroline Owen, Managing Director, Scotsdales:

“Excellent show and time very well spent on a very important category within our centres; look forward to the show being bigger and better again in 2016”

Yvonne Ritchie, Director, Brechin Castle Garden Centre

"Another great Glee, lots of inspirational products around. 

"Highlights: Smart Solar, Solar flower lights for the garden, in the form of, Snowdrop, Tulip, and Bluebell. Pet Face- bird care range. Vivid Art, across the board, in particular Fairy Garden display. 

"Artificial grass is becoming more popular, many more companies bringing this product to the show, with an ageing population who are looking for an alternative lawn, but still wish to look out the window and see "green" instead of gravel, the artificial lawn ticks this box for them.

"I anticipate that Fairy Gardening will be very strong, as many companies are only now grasping the concept and bringing innovative products into the market . Vivid Art had a really well executed display of Fairy Garden product, and many centres attending the show were really inspired by the display."

Simon Bourne, Perrywood Garden Centre

"I really enjoyed Glee this year and struggled to see everyone and everything in two days. It seemed busier with visitors than last year, there were more suppliers to see and there was a lot of interest on the stands.

"Good bets for 2016 include the light bulb solar light from Smart, fairy gardening seems to be taking off with several companies adding it to the range for 2016 and those that had it for 2015 continuing.

"Bird care was interesting. Petface have now got a really good range and Chapelwood looks good as well but with Gardman and Tom Chambers already established, will all of them find space in 2016?

"It was good to see Sinclair on the Westland stand rather than ending up in the graveyard with Solus. I think they will make a success of it.

"The Crest stand looked good this year and they have a really good range of tools now. I think you will see them in lots of garden centres next year."

The Glovie will undoubtedly be regarded as a Japanese symbol of good luck from now on and feature in all Japanese Gardens. 

GTN Xtra expects Gardenex to get a flood of calls from glove maufacturers seeking to get "good luck" export sales in Japan and the Greenfingers team now have UK based Japanese business people as a new fundraising target.

Explaining the change Bayer Garden Product Manager, Alison Mulvaney, said: “Deltamethrin is a very effective weapon against unwanted garden insects.  It’s fast acting and can be used on ornamentals and a far wider range of fruit and vegetables than was the case with our previous active ingredient.

“We’re introducing this active ingredient in 2016 as a proactive step in recognition of the likelihood that the regulations and legislation around neonicotinoids will alter. 

“Retailers can sell existing stocks with no restriction; we’ve acted proactively to make the transition for both retailers and gardeners easy and seamless.

“Bayer Garden has a long track record of developing highly effective insecticides and actively supporting their responsible use.  This remains the case; we will continue to innovate, developing new and effective active ingredients to the pests and diseases gardeners face.”

A contact insecticide the new Provado Ultimate Bug Killer Ready to Use will provide up to two weeks protection from unwanted garden insects.  The new Provado Ultimate Bug Killer Concentrate will kill and protect again new pest attack, providing up to four weeks control, and is for use in the home, garden, greenhouse and conservatory.

• Garden Products - down 23%
• Veg-2-Gro Products - down 14%
• Growing Media - down 11%
• All Items Index - down 8%

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

Glee was the perfect place to launch plans for the next Greenfingers Garden Re-Leaf Day, which will take place on Friday 18^th March 2016.  Garden centres, suppliers, companies and individuals are all being urged to start planning activities now, with Greenfingers offering new fundraising ideas like the 24 hour Plant-athon and the Garden Re-Leaf Tool Exchange, alongside old favourites such as The Garden Re-Leaf Quiz.  For further information please visit www.gardenreleaf.co.uk or email sarah@greenfingerscharity.org.uk

The charity was delighted to announce a major new partnership with Squire’s Garden Centres who have made Greenfingers the beneficiary of its carrier bag tax, the government initiative that comes in to force on 5^th October this year.  Greenfingers Chairman John Ashley and Squire’s MD Dennis Espley shook hands on the new deal on Monday.

The regular Glee highlight– the Greenfingers Trolley of Booze – was back again ,  kindly donated by Woodlodge.  Thanks to all those who bought tickets and of course congratulations to the two winners! 

Greenfingers were overwhelmed with generous offers of gift in kind products and services which always prove invaluable to the work they do and contribute directly to ongoing garden builds.  Special thanks to Westland Horticulture Ltd, Grange Fencing Ltd, Crown Pavilions, Norlog Garden Products, Kelkay,  Wyeplants, Whartons Nurseries, LLC, Scheurich, Hamac, Yorkshire Flower Pots and Tildenett.

Thanks must also go to all the companies who kindly donated exhibited products at the end of the show – and many thanks to Hillview Garden Centre for the collection and transport of these items.

Greenfingers Chairman, John Ashley, spoke after the show, saying: “It really has been a fantastic few days at Glee for the Greenfingers team.  It has been a wonderful opportunity to meet up with our generous supporters and the perfect place to launch Garden Re-Leaf Day for 2016.  On behalf of everyone at Greenfingers we would like to offer sincere thanks to everyone who visited the stand and are set to help us build even more great gardens for children in hospices around the country over the next year.”

Greenfingers would also like to thank i2i for generously giving them the space at Glee.

At the end of an exceptionally busy and fruitful three days at Glee, Town & Country says the unveiling of its new brand image has gone down a storm with show visitors. 

Existing customers and a significant number of new customers alike, were full of praise for the new look Town & Country.  Glee provided the ideal platform for the launch, which was the culmination of a 12 month development project.   

With a new corporate logo, new products, new packaging, new POS and new merchandising solutions, the revitalisation of the brand is complete and will, believes the company, secure its position and reputation as the UK’s leading gardening gloves and footwear brand.

Comments Barry Page, chief executive:  “I think this was the best Glee there has been for a few years in terms of the show layout and the quality of exhibitors and visitors. 

"Monday was the opening day as opposed to Sunday in previous years, and for us was phenomenal. We hardly had time to catch our breath with the number of visitors on stand – from the big groups down to the independent garden centre owner. 

"Over the course of the three days we have seen existing customers pledge to retain and increase their Town & Country product ranges,  as well as a number of brand new customers signing up for the first time.  

"We are particularly delighted with the confirmation from Choice Marketing of a further two year commitment of support for the Town & Country brand.

“Everything went down exceptionally well.  At the beginning of the rebrand process, we talked to our customers about what they wanted from us.  They asked for the continuation of the quality, value and service with which the Town & Country brand is synonymous, and wanted a refreshed look for the brand, with new products, packaging and merchandising highlighted as areas of focus.

“As the reaction so far testifies, we are happy that we have delivered what we promised and look forward to working with our retail partners to translate the successful launch we had at GLEE into a vibrant new presence in garden centres that will deliver tangible results.”

For further information, contact Town & Country on 01530 830990, email info@townandco.com or visit the trade website.

The initial marketing campaign featured a true photograph of a giant fruit grown in the US, some 30cm in diameter. Despite thinning the fruits to encourage giant produce and using a secret homemade fertiliser, Kris’s Gigantomos just didn’t live up to the poster campaign. Assessing the weights amongst his final harvest, he didn’t think he stood a chance against seasoned giant veg growers.  “Faced with two large tomatoes I decided to make a bolognese with one and a fresh tomato salad with the other rather than pit them against the giant veg growing fraternity.” Said Kris.

His largest fruit weighed in at 4lb3oz (1.95kg), and while he said it made the perfect base for a bolognese sauce, you can image his shock come Harrogate weigh in day to find the winning fruit came in at just 3lb8oz (1.75kg).

“When we heard the weight of the winning fruit, I apparently went a little pale in the face as it dawned on me that I had treated my family to the most expensive pasta dish on the planet! If I had kept the fruit for exhibition I could have treated them to a nice holiday instead of a simple home cooked meal. I was expecting to see tomatoes the size of footballs not baseballs!”

Van Meuwen General Manager, Chris Wright, said he was happy to award the £1,000 prize money to Joe Atherton of Mansfield Woodhouse, Notts, as weather conditions had not been ideal for tomato growers this season. To have a fully ripe tomato, let alone a giant, was an impressive result. He said: “Sadly weather conditions have prevented growers from meeting the true potential of this fantastic giant tomato, but if this is what can be produced in a cool season, imagine what can be done in a hot summer. Gigantomo truly has the potential to create a world record breaker and we hope to see growers trying again next year in order to bring the world record for the heaviest tomato to UK shores.”

Chris also says that what Gigantomo lacks in appearance is made up for in flavour:  “Most other large varieties lack taste and texture.  Gigantomo might not always make the prettiest tomatoes, but independent taste tests prove it holds its flavour whatever the size or shape of the fruit. It also has a high flesh content with little juice or seeds, making it perfect for a wide variety of uses – you can feed a whole family with just one tomato!”

As for the other Kris, he says this isn’t the end of his giant veg growing venture: “I’ll be back next year, a little wiser and a little more eager to take home a prize. I won’t be eating bolognese for a while though - it will just leave a bad taste in my mouth!”

The Greatest Garden Centre Team Awards Categories

• The Greatest Garden Care Retail Team of the Year
• The Greatest Garden Centre Customer Service Team of the Year
• The Greatest Garden Centre Training Team or Initiative of the Year, sponsored by MorePeople
• The Greatest Garden Centre Merchandising Team of the Year
• The Greatest Gardening Supplier of the Year
• The Greatest Garden Centre of the Year (Public Vote), sponsored by National Garden Gift Vouchers

As usual The Greatest Awards team of experts will be out and about meeting nominated teams, gathering information and taking photos of their work so that the Gold, Silver and Bronze Greatest Awards winners can be chosen.

Plus your team have the chance to become The Greatest Garden Centre Team of 2015 by involving your customers in the public voting later this summer.  The Greatest Garden Centre Teams, small, medium and large will be the teams that have the best relationships with their customers and generate the most votes (taking size of centre into account) and in the event of a tie, the centre with the most complimentary comments form their customers.  To take part in the public vote please e-mail trevor.pfeiffer@tgcmc.co.uk or call The Greatest Awards on 01733 775700 to request an in store voting pack.

As this issue of GTN Xtra goes to press the expert judges are meeting to decide the winners of The Greatest Outdoor Living Retail Team Awards in advance of The National Plant Show.  Make sure your Garden Care and Garden Centre teams are nominated for visits later in August and September.

The Greatest Awards would like to thank sponsors, Elho, National Garden Gift Vouchers, MorePeople and The HTA plus the event organisers at The HTA Catering Conference, National Plant Show, GIMA Awards spoga+gafa and HTA Futures for agreeing to be presentation venues for The Greatest Awards ON TOUR 2015. 

Sponsorship opportunities are available for product and service suppliers seeking to gain the highest possible exposure between now and November this year.  Please contact mandy.atkin@tgcmc.co.uk for details.

Click here to read Issue 1 of the Glee Daily News 2015:  http://gleedailynews.newsweaver.com/Gleeedailynews/xd2n5gqg7ka

Click here to read Issue 2 of the Glee Daily News 2015  http://gleedailynews.newsweaver.com/Gleeedailynews/egyyc133e99

Click here to read Issue 3 of the Glee Daily News 2015  http://gleedailynews.newsweaver.com/Gleeedailynews/1n352obhwm0

Click here to read Issue 4 - Build Up LIVE! of the Glee Daily News 2015  http://gleedailynews.newsweaver.com/Gleeedailynews/p4yzuljjnap

Click here to read Issue 5 - Monday LIVE! of the Glee Daily News 2015  http://gleedailynews.newsweaver.com/Gleeedailynews/1bi1ow3w8r7

Click here to read Issue 6 - Tuesday LIVE! of the Glee Daily News 2015  http://gleedailynews.newsweaver.com/Gleeedailynews/1946tntcv31

Click here to read Issue 7 - Wednesday LIVE! of the Glee Daily News 2015  http://gleedailynews.newsweaver.com/Gleeedailynews/ofa7tul05di

The Glee Daily News 2015 Omnibus issue will be published next week.

The Glee Daily News is sent by free to all visitors of Glee.  Advertising and promotion opportunities are available.  To book your activity into The Glee Daily News, please call Mandy Atkin or Ben Greenwood today on 01733 775700 or by e-mail: mandy.atkin@tgcmc.co.uk  ben.greenwood@tgcmc.co.uk

This is a unique opportunity for anyone to either progress their career into senior management who have a passion to help people less fortunate than themselves or if you have a wealth of experience in running a plantarea but want to give back something to the community then this is the job for you.

Not only are we a well-established garden centre and Café serving the local community and surrounding area we also help disabled and disadvantaged youngsters get into work by training them in a real working environment.

Please send a CV and covering letter to Simon Harpin, Shaw Trust Palmer Gardens. Simon.harpin@shaw-trust.co.uk or visit Shaw Trust – vacancies – on our website vacancy number ST/3391.

The Person:

We are looking for motivated, dynamic, passionate and professional sales agents with experience in the gardening industry.

The Responsibilities:

• To research relevant retailers and identify new accounts for growth
• Work with the Kingfisher range to come up with a sales strategy
• Communicate with current and potential stockists to manage sales

The Requirements:

• A great sales person: tenacious, assertive, resilient, with initiative and ability to communicate well.
• Good knowledge of gardening wholesale business practices
• Excellent understanding of different stockists
• Likes working in a start-up environment, and has the passion to be an instrumental part in the growth of an emerging garden centre
• Has the firm grasp of the Kingfisher brand positioning and the ability to target stockists
• You will be well presented, trustworthy and love being with customers

The Position:

This is a freelance position. The sales agent will work independently in his/her own time.

Required experience:

• Sales – 1 year

Please send CV to Laura@bonningtonplastics.com

Bonnington Plastics Ltd, Kingfisher House, 9 Glaisdale Parkway, Nottingham, NG8 4GP

Telephone:  0115 985 4119

www.bonningtonplastics.com

Polhill Garden Centre

Gifts and Homeware Team Leader

London Road, Badgers Mount, Sevenoaks, Kent,TN14 7BD

An excellent opportunity has arisen for an enthusiastic and self motivated, hands-on Team Leader to take on the responsibility of the daily management of the Gift and Homeware Department.

The products include gift items, cookware, home interiors and furniture, children’s toys, cards and books.

The successful candidate will possess outstanding retail knowledge in a similar environment, display attention to detail and flair for display and possess a real passion for providing outstanding customer service.

The main duties include:

• Assisting customers
• Ddaily ordering
• Merchandising
• Ddisplays
• Maintaining high levels of shop floor and customer service standards
• Managing a small friendly team
• Some heavy lifting involved

Hours: 4 weekdays and alternate weekends

Assistant Manager, Studley Garden Centre

This is a great time to join Studley Garden Centre, part of the Hillview Garden Centres group, as we're about to embark on an investment programme that is aimed to double the store's turnover.

We're looking for a strong individual, ideally with a garden centre background. You'll be shop floor based but required to assist with some of the site administration, budgets etc so need to be computer literate.
Most importantly you'll be a great retailer and team leader.

Send CV and covering letter to Paul Williams, GC Manager Studley Garden Centre, paul.w@studleygardencentre.co.uk

• Analyse tender documentation and prepare costs for the client  
• Adhering to tight deadlines  
• Understand client requirements and discuss cost estimates with the ability to offer alternatives for the benefit of both client and employer  
• Assisting the Commercial Sales Manager with duties  
• Identifying and introducing potential new clients  
• Assist the Sales Team with Technical Enquiries.

• Overseeing the implementation of contracts to strict deadlines and budgets
• Assisting in development and bidding for new works
• Liaison with clients
• Implementation and management of health & safety and quality procedures
• Supervision of Teams
• Maintaining contract files

Sundries Assistant | Garden Centres | Large Group (ref:BP7650)

Location: Hampshire
Salary: £18,000 - £20,000
Date: 14 Sep 
Job Type: Full-Time
Duration: Permanent

My client is a large garden centre group based throughout Great Britain. The business prides itself on its mix of high quality large destination centre and more boutique offerings. They are a recognisable brand and are expanding.

The Role

This role will take on a number two position in the busy garden sundries department. The role will revolve around providing excellent customer service, maintaining merchandising standards and ad hoc management of the department. 

The Person 

I am seeking an experienced retailer preferably from a garden retail background. You will have good product knowledge with garden sundries and will be looking to find a role with potential to progress and real day one responsibilities.

Plant Area Supervisor (refBP7649)

Location: Hampshire
Salary: £18,000 - £20,000
Date: 14 Sep 
Job Type: Full-Time
Duration: Permanent

My client is a large garden centre group based throughout Great Britain. The business prides itself on its mix of high quality large destination centre and more boutique offerings. They are a recognisable brand and are expanding.

The Role

This role will be instrumental to plantarea leadership team, deputising for the planteria manager and managing a team of passionate plants people. 
You will be responsible for the maintenance and care of the stock but first and foremost you will be managing the customer experience through your department.

The Person

We need a talented and ambitious retailer. The ideal candidate will be looking to step up into this role and will be looking to be a leader. 
Plant knowledge is essential to the role however is does not need to be supported by an academic qualification. A good level of self taught plant knowledge would be acceptable. 
Visual merchandising experience is preferred.

• Bayer Bio Slug & Snail Killer 1kg packs are the week’s highest climbers – up 26 places as slugs have their say at the end of the season.
• Scotts Evergreen Autumn Spreader for 100 sq m is the highest re-entry at No 10.
• Town & Country Purple Master gardener gloves are the highest new entry at No 28.

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

• Taylors Red Winter Onions 50 Bulb Pack tops the chart for the first time.
• Taylors Onion Sets Senshhyu Yellow is the highest climber, up to No 2.
• Taylors Onion Sets Troy are the highest re-entry, back in at No 5.

• Bulb Planting composts are selling well. Westland 20 litre packs move up 11 places to No 6.
• Vital Earth Bulb Compost 25 litres moves up 14 places to No 36.
• Scotts Levington Organic Blend Topsoil 25 litres is this weeks highest re-entry at No 10.

Nine ground-breaking new garden products have been confirmed as the winners of the coveted Glee New Product Awards 2015, with Baksaver Barrows (above) winning the Glee Innovation Award.

Selected from hundreds of entries before Glee opened its doors (14th – 16th September, NEC Birmingham), the winning products were chosen by an expert panel of judges representing independent and multiple retailers, the media and international suppliers.

Entries were submitted into nine key garden retail categories, comprising:

• Best Garden Care (Accessories) Product
• Best Machinery and Tool Product
• Best Plants, Seeds, and Bulbs Product
• Best Garden Care (Chemicals, Fertilisers and Compost) Products
• Best Pet and Wildlife Product
• Best Leisure Product
• Best Catering and Speciality Product
• Best Landscaping and Construction Product
• Innovation Award 

One further award – the Retailers' Choice Award – will be announced on Wednesday (16th September) morning at 10:00am.  Retailers visiting the Glee New Product display are invited to vote for their favourite product after viewing the entries on display.  Voting is open now and shall close on Tuesday evening.

An additional ‘Innovation Award’ was also added to the award programme for 2015. Created in response to industry feedback, this new award celebrates true innovation from the 500+ exhibitors which will be filling Glee in 2015.  

Judges considered each entry on a challenging range of criteria, including innovation, design, quality, environmental credentials, pricing and retail potential – resulting in some hot debates and close runners-up in a number of categories.

On the judging panel were: Brian Archibald (Coolings), Tony Kersey (Homebase), Marcus Cousins (Aylett Nurseries), Kevin Waters (The Garden Works), Conna Powles (Haskins), Michelle de Lavis-Trafford (Choice), Gábor Knorr (British Garden), Yvonne Ritchie (Brechin Castle), Trevor Pfeiffer (Garden Trade News), Susan Fairley, Matthew Mein and Saul Leese (i2i Events).

All entries can be found in a single central located ‘new products hub’ within the heart of Glee’s location with halls 17 – 20.

Winners’ round-up

Best Garden Care (Accessories) Product

Winner: Cloud Controller, Hozelock

First runner up: Solar Powered Eureka! Lightbulb lantern, Smart Garden Products Ltd

Second runner up: 3 Pattern Spray Ball

Best Machinery and Tools Product

Winner: Baksaver Barrow, Baksaver Barrows

First runner up: Batavia Multishifter

Second runner up: Duraball, The Walsall Wheelbarrow Company Ltd

Best Plants, Seeds and Bulbs

Winner: Raspberry Ruby Beauty, Wyevale Nurseries

First runner up: Nemesia Sunpeddle Painted Rose, Channel Island Plants (UK) Ltd

Second runner up: Gro-Sure Sow Smart, Westland Horticulture

Best Garden Care Chemicals, Fertilisers and Composts Product

Winner: Sylvagrow Compost 100%, Melcourt Industries

First runner up: Rootgrow Ericoid Mycorrhizal Fungi, Plantgrow

Second runner up: Sea Maid Calcified Seaweed Meal, Mydas

Best Pet & Wildlife Product

Winner:  Loktop 2 Port Mealworm Feeder, Petface

First runner up: Tweetie Feeder, VegTrug

Second runner up: Hobnail glass bird range, Fallen Fruits

Best Home, Gift & Clothing

Winner: Occasions Gift Range, Spear & Jackson

First runner up: Lovers Umbrella, Fallen Fruits

Second runner up: Buttacup Flow

Best Leisure Product

Winner: Outdoor pouffe, Fallen Fruits

First runner up: ONJA, Rosker Ltd

Second runner up: Solar Bulb Stake and String Lights, Gardman

Third runner up: Brighton Corner Arbour, Zest 4 Leisure

Best Catering & Speciality Food Product

Winner: Findlater's Gluten Free Bread

Runner up: Smoke It All

Best Landscaping & Construction

Winner: Miniature World Range, Vivid Arts

First runner up: RHS Gardeners Collection, Kelkay

Second runner up: Noocity Growbed

i2i’s Matthew Mein, Glee event manager confirmed: “We were delighted that so many superb, new products were entered for this year’s Glee New Products, and offer many congratulations to the worthy winners.  Our thanks also go to the judges who so kindly lent their valuable time and expertise.”

See more details about the Glee New Product Showcase winners in the Glee Daily News Onmibus issue and the October issue of Garden Trade News.

• Buttacup with the Waterbutt Plant Pot: the Buttacup Flow is curved to fit perfectly to the side of any standard water butt using a simple nut and bolt. Once attached the self-watering system will do all the hard work. The Buttacup Flow is available in a range of colours including dark green to match your water butt.  It is easy to install and comes with a full set of instructions and components.
• Baksaver Barrows with its namesake product, the Baksaver Barrow: Baksaver Barrows are designed from the ground up using feedback from a mixed range of wheelbarrow users. These high quality, durable wheelbarrows can be used with very little effort, where you don't need to lift to push or to tip. Each barrow comes complete with a three year warranty.

• Ayletts Nurseries
• Burford Garden Centre
• Haskins
• Polhill Garden Centre
• Scotsdale

• Achica
• Crocus
• Greenfingers.com
• gardensite.co.uk
• Primrose

• Blue Diamond
• Dobbies
• Notcutts
• Wyevale

• B&Q
• Homebase
• Wickes

• John Lewis
• M&S
• Next
• Waitrose

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

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

As the year goes on we give sales volume comparisons with 2013 as well as 2014 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 Veg-2-Gro Products Bestsellers chart for this week are here

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

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