In This Issue
Best April ever - 25% more gardening going on!
Glee Safe & Secure Webinar - Thursday 6th May at 11:00am - register here
spoga+gafa cancelled for 2021
RocketGro introduces a new range of 100% peat free, organic soil improver and chemical free fertilisers
Ergrownomics - The future of raised planters and beds
Decorating with plants drives up sales
Hozelock survey reveals UK is now a nation of healthy hobbyists
Lava-Lite – Naturally The Best
Webbs wins UK Best Workplace™ 2021 award
Tong’s new garden centre plans deferred
Plant sales rocket
Hartley Botanic recognised with Queen's Award
Perrywood get growing for Hampton Court Garden Festival
Notcutts Woodbridge to start Phase 2 of redevelopment
Dobbies No 71 opens in Boston, Lincolnshire
Unprecedented Demand - Record Easter garden centre sales lead to stock shortages - Read GTN's April issue on-line now
Car wash concession to open first Yorkshire site at Tong
#sustainabledobbies supports National Gardening Week
Advice for retailers - how to increase sales of pelargoniums
RHS-endorsed partner The Garden Trellis Co announces additions to range
Creating summer vibes in the city with elho’s loft urban range
Get your own copy of GTN Xtra
Pansies on trial at Hyde Hall
More plant feed, please!
Cultivate your Career
2% up with another week to grow
Slug mayday: RHS predicts perfect storm as number one garden pest and seedlings appear
Vitax support High Ground
Hedgehogs are back on the wildlife care agenda
Wild Wales Seeds launches vegetable garden seed kits
Visit Orchid Inspiration Days by appointment
The best of last week's
Iglu 360 is the perfect outdoor dining experience for garden centres
Swedish success story for Highfield Garden World protégé
Bents receives Covid-secure recognitions as it opens up alfresco dining
Woodlodge win GCA Supplier of the Year Award
Get your own copy of GTN Xtra
Barton Grange Christmas 2020 - Exclusive GTN Xtra Photo Tour
Squires Badshot Lea - Christmas 2020
Perrywood at Christmas 2020 - with correct photo gallery now...
Bestsellers Top 50 charts every week
Buy your subscription to the GTN Bestsellers printed weekly newsletter
All the latest news from the world of pet products
Dog food firm secures multi-million pound investment
Specialist hedgehog food brand adds to range
Send us your news and great ideas

Contact us with your news.

Email trevor@pottingshedpress.co.uk or call the GTN News team on 07973 504214

 

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#sustainabledobbies supports National Gardening Week

 

Dobbies Garden Centres has demonstrated its support for the Royal Horticultural Society’sNational Gardening Week (26 April – 2 May) with the launch of new sustainable products and the start of its #sustainabledobbies campaign. 

 

Dobbies is committed to educating about the importance of soil health and delivering environmentally-friendly practices and products, and sustainable solutions.

 

Dobbies supports the RHS’s aim to enrich lives through plants and make the UK a greener place. This year, the RHS is encouraging everyone to get their ‘dose of Vitamin G’ by taking a few minutes each day to connect with nature. Dobbies will share dedicated National Gardening Week content focused on #sustainabledobbies which will build and develop throughout 2021 both online and instore. 

 

A key part of Dobbies’ sustainability pledge is to reduce the use of peat, plastics and pesticides in its product range. The team are on track with the commitment made in 2020 to be 90% peat free in 2021 and 100% peat free in 2022. The retailer has also worked with nursery suppliers to produce a roadmap for an annual reduction in peat use.

 

Dobbies is launching a number of new sustainable products in store and online. Landing in store this week are biochar products from Carbon Gold – Carbon Gold Biochar Fertiliser and Biochar Soil Improver - with Dobbies being the first leading garden centre to stock these products. 

Carbon Gold’s biochar products are 100% peat and chemical-free, FSC Certified and Soil Association organic approved, and are used by professionals the world over, including conventional and organic crop growers, tree care specialists and even elite sports greenkeepers.  

 

Biochar is so high in carbon that adding it to soil permanently sequesters CO2 from the atmosphere. In fact, biochar acts like natural magic in the garden, with significant and permanent benefits proven to boost the health and vitality of plants. 

 

A garden centre first, in the next month Dobbies will launch compost bag recycling in store, in partnership with Evergreen. This will initially launch in 10 stores, with further roll out planned in 2021. New pot recycling stations will also be installed, building on the success of the pot return scheme, as well as a commitment to increasing recyclable plant pots and single use plastics. 

 

As part of #sustaintabledobbies, there is additional focus on the safer range of pest control products, to reduce the impact on beneficial garden insects and wildlife. The retailer does not stock weedkillers that contain glyphosate or slug killers that contain metaldehyde, and rodenticides have been delisted.

 

Graeme Jenkins, CEO of Dobbies, said: “At Dobbies we pride ourselves on providing the best gardening products, services and advice, and it’s also our responsibility to care for our environment. Sustainable practices have been a core focus for some time and we are pleased to support National Gardening Week with #sustainabledobbies. 

 

“It’s our duty to raise awareness and promote better sustainability practices among our suppliers, team members and customers, and we look forward to sharing news of new products and services over the course of 2021. 

 

“As well as reducing our use of peat, plastics and pesticides and providing our customers with recycling opportunities, we are also proud supporters of Terra Carta from HRH The Prince of Wales’ Sustainable Market Initiative – helping make the UK a greener place.” 

 

Mike Hartshorn, MD of Carbon Gold, said: “After seeing a massive boom in retail sales last year, we’re absolutely thrilled to have our biochar products on shelves at Dobbies’ stores in time for Spring 2021.

 

“Gardeners, home growers and allotmenteers have always wanted their plots of outdoor space to be healthy, vibrant and disease and pest free, but these days making sure they’re also environmentally friendly is rising up everyone’s lists of priorities. Our biochar products, which have always been the professionals’ best kept secret, are the perfect replacement for unsustainable peat-based products because they really work and they’re actually good for the environment. It is the gardening product of the future!”

 

For National Gardening Week, Dobbies has released new podcast episode focused on sustainable gardening. Horticulture Director, Marcus Eyles, joins host Louise Midgely to discuss Dobbies’ sustainable aims and new product launches, as well as practical advice on how gardeners can care for the environment at home. 

 

The podcast is available to listen to now on iTunes and Spotify https://www.dobbies.com/podcasts

 

There are also two new FREE virtual events, which will support the #sustainbledobbies focus: https://www.dobbies.com/events

  • 8 May – Time to Colour Your Garden
  • 15 May – Roses – The UK’s Favourite Flower

Follow and support Dobbies sustainability campaign using the hashtag #sustainabledobbies

 

For Dobbies sustainability policy: https://www.dobbies.com/sustainability-policy

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