Last week saw the return of Choice Marketing’s annual conference and trade show after a year long absence due to Covid. Held at the Hinkley Island hotel in Leicestershire, the two day event brought together Choice members from over 40 independent garden centres across the country for what was described as “the perfect mix of supplier presentations, networking opportunities, and entertainment” combined with a trade show with over 90 trade exhibitors from the garden, leisure and gift sectors.

The conference provided Choice with the opportunity to announce a record breaking sales performance for the group, resulting in a rebate payment likely in excess of £2 million pounds, for the 2020/21 season, every penny of which will go back to the 44 members of the group. The Chairman of Choice Marketing, Terry Maywood, commented that “This is a fantastic achievement that amply demonstrates what can be achieved when independent centres work closely together and is testament to the great trading relationships that Choice Marketing have forged with numerous suppliers across our great industry”.

The event concluded with a champagne reception followed by a dinner, attended by Choice members and suppliers. During the evening, Choice presented its supplier of the year awards, voted for by its members, in three product categories. The winner of the best sundry supplier went to Smart Garden with highly commended awards for both Woodlodge and Westland.

The plant award went to Allensmore and the gift award went to Kaemingk with a highly commended award going to Widdop.

As in previous years, Greenfingers attended the event and were incredibly well supported. Suppliers generously donated prizes for both a raffle that was held during the afternoon and an auction of some top prizes during the evening dinner. The incredible sum of over £4,000 was raised for Greenfingers which was gratefully received by Colin Wetherley-Mein, who represented Greenfingers.    

CEO of Choice Marketing, Michelle de Lavis-Trafford, said “The overall response to this year’s event has been absolutely fantastic. I think everyone has really appreciated being able to get back to some sense of normality after the challenges the Covid pandemic has presented and have enjoyed meeting colleagues and suppliers face to face to catch up and do business.

"I would like to personally thank our sponsors for the conference along with the many trade suppliers and members of Choice for supporting the event and making it so successful and enjoyable”

Choice Marketing are currently recruiting new members. If any independent garden centre operators would like more information on Choice Marketing and how they can apply to join, please contact Anthony Gould – Membership Manager on  07786 030181  anthony.gould@choice-marketing.co.uk or Michelle de Lavis-Trafford - CEO on 07961 136528 mdelavistrafford@btinternet.com

Fuel problems kept many customers at home last week as garden centre sales dipped below the levels of the past four years for the first time since mid-May.

That dip didn’t stop overall September sales exceeding 2019 levels by 21%, another indicator of the market growth since the start of the pandemic.

GTN Bestsellers Top 50 sales volumes compared to the same week in 2020: week 40.

• Garden Products Top 50 – down 18%
• Growing Media Top 50 – down 23%
• Veg 2 Gro Top 50 – up 3%
• Wild Bird & Wildlife Care Top 50 – down 35%
• Christmas Top 50 – down 13%

GTN Bestsellers All Sales volumes compared to the same week in 2020: week 40.

• All Plants with Barcode index – down 32%
• All Items with Barcode index – down 12%

See the full GTN Bestsellers Top 50 charts, compiled from garden centre Epos data every week, with a years subscription to the printed newsletter for only £145.00 using this link.

Following a year of uncertainty and disruption caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, Notcutts has now resumed their programme of garden centre improvements and redevelopments.

The 2020/21 financial year ending in February saw Notcutts Group Ltd make capital improvements of just £835k, which was largely for completion works on restaurant projects in Ditchling (East Sussex) and Woodbridge (Suffolk), compared to £9.2m in the previous year.

Nick Burrows, CEO of Notcutts, commented: “We are delighted that we can now get back on track with completing our company-wide redevelopment programme. Work is now underway with phase two of our three phase development at our Woodbridge garden centre, where a new external planteria canopy is being constructed along with a new customer entrance, a surface water attenuation scheme and improved customer parking. This project will complement the new, extended restaurant that was completed a matter of weeks before the first COVID-19 lockdown in March 2020 and the woodland nature walk which we opened in 2019.”

Mr Burrows added: “At our Solihull garden centre, work will commence on a new glasshouse in November this year which will substantially increase our covered planteria, allowing us to offer customers wider plant selections over an extended season. It follows recent improvements made to the restaurant and car parking at this garden centre.

“We also secured planning permission for a substantial redevelopment of our Oxford garden centre  in 2019. Having paused work on this project during the height of the pandemic, design work has now restarted for the multi-million pound redevelopment of this garden centre which will include a new planteria canopy, a new restaurant, extended retail space and a doubling of the car park size. It is expected that work will commence on this major project early in 2022.”

A number of other development projects, commenced or in the pipeline, will see further improvements at garden centres in St Albans, Dukeries (near Worksop) and Ashton Park (Ashton-under-Lyne).

The emergence of COVID-19 in 2020, as with other operators in the sector, had an impact on Notcutts’ performance in 2020/21. The effect of government-enforced closures of both retail and restaurant operations during the year saw Notcutts’ turnover decline by 15.6 per cent to £64.25m. In response to the sharp decline in sales volume, a restructuring and reorganisation exercise was undertaken to rationalise the cost base of the Group. These cost savings together with government initiatives, primarily business rates relief and the coronovirus job retention scheme, alongside an adapted approach to sales promotion strategy and a strong performance through the e-commerce channel, helped deliver an operating profit of £2.27m. This was an improvement of 32.1 per cent on the previous year. Land disposals during the year, including the Hazeldens former nursery, yielded gains of £5.223m. Profit after tax was £4.375m.

Commenting further on the past year, CEO Nick Burrows said: “Like others in the sector and the wider economy we had to respond and adapt quickly to the changing circumstances of the pandemic. A focus on colleague welfare and communication was our top priority, together with the provision of safe shopping and restaurant environments for customers in our garden centres for the periods when we were permitted to open. We worked hard to maintain our excellent supplier relationships which have been built up over many years, and this helped us achieve good supply flows during a challenging period. We also took the decision to move all our marketing to digital channels and to host our customer talks and presentations by video and online streaming. Our e-commerce channel had been operating effectively before the pandemic and this served us very well during the year as many customers switched to buying from us online.”

Caroline Notcutt, Vice Chairman, commented: “Maintaining morale throughout the year was very important to us and we endeavoured to ensure this extended to both our colleagues and the local communities in which we play a part. Plant donations and support to a variety of community groups were an important part of our programme last year.”

Bridget McIntyre, Chairman, added “As my first year with Notcutts, this was clearly no typical year. I am pleased with the resilience and dedication shown across the company at each and every level. I was also especially impressed with the influential role of the Horticultural Trade Association and Garden Centre Association which enabled gardening to be better understood for its crucial role in supporting mental health and wellbeing in such a demanding time for everyone.”

Photo caption: (L-R) Caroline Notcutt, Vice Chairman; Nick Burrows, CEO; and Bridget McIntyre, Chairman, Notcutts (Credit/copyright: Notcutts Group Ltd)

Plant Area Manager – Full Time – Alternate Weekends – Twickenham

£40+ Depending On Experience

A once in a career opportunity has arisen to join our flagship garden centre at Twickenham.  You will be responsible for managing the outdoor plant department.

This is an outstanding department which has won GCA Ruxley Rose competition on several occasions and has a reputation for excellent plant quality and the highest standards of plant care and advice. you will line manage two assistant plant department heads and a number of full time and part time colleagues who make up a motivated, responsible and committed team.

If you are energetic, highly motivated, have the ability to thrive in a fast-paced environment, demonstrate a passion for plants, are commercially aware and able to create dynamic, inspirational displays this could be just the opportunity for you. 

If you have garden centre retail experience and, ideally, horticultural qualifications, the ability to manage your department to achieve sales and profit targets, the ability to inspire your team to offer the highest standards of plant quality and customer service we look forward to hearing from you.

Hours: Full Time, including alternate weekends.

Rewards & Benefits

• Employee Discount – 50% in Restaurants and10% in Garden Centre on joining, increasing to 20% after 3 months service, 25% after 2 years’ service and 30% after 5 years’ service.
• Holiday (including bank holidays) – 5.6 weeks on joining increasing to 6.2 week after 2 years’ service and 6.6 weeks after 5 years’ service.
• Bonus – We reward our employees with a non-contractual bonus at Christmas, based on the profit of the company in any financial year.  (first year is dependent on start date)
• Pension – We are all aware of how important it is to save for our retirement. We offer a Defined Contribution Pension Plan to new employees. If you pay into the plan and meet the government criteria, the company will too, and these contributions will be invested.
• Attendance – Our employees with 100% attendance in a financial year, are rewarded with Squire’s gift vouchers.
• Made A Difference Scheme (M.A.D) – a reward scheme for team members who make a difference to our business through; outstanding customer service, over and above normal duties or initiatives that have grown / inspired the business. There is a monthly winner and a ‘team member of the year’. All winners select a gift to receive.
• Learning & Development -You can look forward to a wealth of learning opportunities with us that will enhance and develop you with the skills and confidence you need.
• Free parking – available to all employees in the designated parking areas on our sites.

Interested in this role? Call 01252 356860 or email hrtraining@squiresgardencentres.co.uk

About us

Squire’s is a family-owned group of 16 garden centres based in Surrey, Sussex, Middlesex, and Berkshire. We are committed to growing our business and to promoting the highest standards in horticultural retailing. We want our staff to enjoy working with us in a friendly, energetic customer focused environment. Our company is over 85 years old, and Twickenham was the first garden centre we opened way back in 1964. It was one of the first garden centres in the country and holds a very special place in the hearts of the family and at the heart of our business. Plants and core gardening remain central to our business.

With ambitious plans to create more gardens in children's hospices and provide ongoing maintenance to support to the hospices it works with, Greenfingers Charity has an exciting part-time opportunity to join its team.  

GARDEN PROJECT MANAGER

Salary: Negotiable

Location: Flexible

Deadline: 29th October 2021

Hours: 21 hours per week

Benefits: We can offer flexible working, 25 days holiday per year plus bank holidays (pro rata) and a work-place pension.

Job Type: Permanent Part Time

Working as part of the Greenfingers Gardens Team, this role is to project manage and support the design and build and ongoing maintenance of Greenfingers gardens in children’s hospices.  

You will need to:

•   be an excellent project manager with a garden/landscape qualification
•   be an enthusiastic team player but also have the ability to work independently
•   have strong written and verbal communication skills
•   have strong IT skills (Word, Excel, Power Point, Vector Works)
•   have the ability to build excellent relationships
•   have a positive can-do attitude

At Greenfingers Charity, we are all about creating magical and inspiring gardens in children’s hospices across the UK, gardens in which a million precious family memories can be created.  If you have a passion to make a difference through horticulture, we’d love to hear from you. 

For more information or to apply for this role, please email your CV, along with a covering letter to Sally Jenkins, Director of Finance & Resource: Sally@greenfingerscharity.org.uk. 

The hotly anticipated GIMA Awards (11th November, Celtic Manor Resort) are set to be a huge celebratory event, especially as it is now officially sold out! Manufacturers and suppliers from across the garden retail sector have been quick to snap up their place at the 40th-anniversary event, with many of them hoping to walk away with one of the coveted awards.

Following a two-year hiatus, where the GIMA Awards have been missed, the return of the annual awards ceremony has been met with unprecedented demand. As such, a waiting list is currently filling up for those who still hope to attend. 
  

This demand is perhaps, for many, not unexpected. Each year the GIMA Awards create a glittering night of celebration, rewarding those suppliers that have gone above and beyond to create innovative and profitable new products across 10 categories. Three marketing categories and the new-for-2021 sustainability award complete the roster, together creating a vibrant showcase of the creativity, resilience, and passion of so many within the garden retail sector.

GIMA Director, Vicky Nuttall said: “I can’t believe we have sold out and have an ever-growing waiting list! It’s so great to see that despite a break of two years that the value of our awards programme has not dwindled – the exact opposite would, in fact, be true! To have so much support from the industry is wonderful, but more than this, it’s great that so many want to come together to network and celebrate the incredible work that has helped shape our industry in recent years. We certainly have some worthy winners, and we cannot wait to share them with everyone in a few weeks!”

This year, the GIMA Awards will be sponsored by a wealth of fantastic industry brands, including Glee which returns, once again, as headline sponsor, as well as the Ebay, Decco, Evergreen Garden Care, Hozelock, SBM, Primeur, Woodlodge, CJ Wildlife, Capi, Elho, More People, Garden Trade News, Gardenforum, Garden Radio, Garden Centre Retail, Horticulture Week, Barrus, CM Ventures and Hornby Whitefoot PR.  The event is also supported by a host of other industry partners including HTA, GCA & Gardenex. There are still a few sponsorship opportunities available - please contact GIMA to find out more. 

GIMA has also confirmed that it has secured a special celebrity presenter to lead the awards, however, their identity will not be revealed until the awards night itself!

For further information please contact the GIMA team on (01959) 564947 or info@gima.org.uk

The Annual General Meeting of the Horticultural Trades Association, which took place virtually on Thursday, heard how the horticulture industry has continued to adjust and adapt to the long-term impact of the pandemic and the effect of Brexit. 

The sweeping changes to how people live, work and shop and the ways in which the sector has met the challenges this brought have seen the record levels of interest in gardening generated during lockdown show no signs of wavering in the last 12 months.  

Demand for plants, gardening products and landscaping remains high, and even as challenges with the cost and complexity of importing and exporting, haulage and supply and skilled labour have continued to cause problems, the industry has delivered. 

As outlined in its Annual Review, the HTA has had many accomplishments throughout the year, which saw the association driving policy action on key issues for horticulture, improving communication and engagement and delivering more for our members. 

Key achievements for the industry included: 

• Garden centres in England defined as ‘essential’ during lockdown ensuring £250m sales safeguarded the industry 
• Garden centres in devolved nations enabled to open weeks before other retailers thanks to HTA lobbying 
• £4m in savings achieved for the industry as inspection fees deferred as a result of Brexit lobbying • Bringing the horticultural supply chain together to commit to removing peat 
• Online training enabled double the number of members to access learning in the first six months of the year

Chairman of the HTA, James Barnes, said: “The HTA has continued to make excellent progress in our efforts to raise the profile of horticulture and the opportunities it presents as a sector poised to deliver green growth. As governments begin the task of building back economies impacted by the global pandemic, its essential they recognise that our industry has a vital role to play and commit to giving the necessary support to enable horticulture to grow and succeed.” 

With the news that Brett Avery, HTA Vice-President, was unable to put himself forward for the President-role at this year’s AGM, current HTA President, Boyd Douglas-Davies has kindly agreed to continue in the role while the appointment of a successor is concluded. 

Commenting on this, he said: “The theme of my Presidency has been “unpredictable”, and this continues with the news that I will stay in post as HTA President while successors are confirmed for both my role and that of Vice-President. I’m pleased to be able to support the HTA membership in this way and to continue to play a part in the important work the organisation does to champion the industry with those who need to hear what we have to offer. ” 

The AGM also saw the following appointments ratified at the AGM: 

• Neil Grant and Geoff Caesar as Directors of the Board. 
• The re-appointment of Matthew Bent and Brian Fraser as Directors of the Board 

The President supplied a report on activity by the HTA Benevolent Fund during the year and encouraged all to help raise awareness of this valuable and underused resource which is available to HTA members and their staff. 

 The minutes of the AGM will be available to members on the HTA website in due course. 

Weber Barbecues, the world leaders in outdoor cooking innovation, technology, and products, has opened its European-based manufacturing and distribution hub, helping to streamline UK production capacity and reduce environmental footprint from transportation.

Weber’s new facility located in Zabrze, Poland, which has been certified by BREEAM, the world's leading sustainability validation & certification system, improves the company’s ability to meet the fast-growing product demand within the UK. This includes supporting the customer journey with shorter delivery times and increasing production reactivity due to products now being shipped to the UK within Europe.

“Our new manufacturing and distribution centre marks an important milestone in Weber’s global expansion and European growth,” said Chris Scherzinger, Chief Executive Officer of Weber. “A key element of our growth plans includes our ‘Make-Where-We-Sell’ strategy. This approach focuses on manufacturing high-quality Weber barbecue products closer to our retail customers and consumers, improving our delivery and service speed. We also gain considerable efficiencies operationally and a new level of flexibility to respond and react to local market dynamics and needs.”

The centre is the company’s first manufacturing facility outside the United States.

The Weber manufacturing team in Europe will produce high-quality barbecues in the approximately 50,000-square-metre building. The hub also features a Weber Grill Academy Experience Centre and multiple green space areas for team members to enjoy. The Weber Grill Academy Experience Centre is a hands-on learning space dedicated to the art and skill of barbecuing through culinary classes, interactive chef’s tables, private parties, and corporate team building events held virtually or in person.  

“We appreciate the resilience and passion of our manufacturing and supply chain teams in building this remarkable facility despite the challenges of a global pandemic,” added Mr. Scherzinger.

“Through novel technologies like virtual reality and creative approaches, our local team in Poland worked closely with our US manufacturing leaders to navigate this facility's construction and ensure every square metre of the plant was designed to tight specifications. Further, we are deeply thankful for the support of the City of Zabrze and the Katowice Special Economic Zone throughout this project.”

Panattoni, a market leader in industrial real estate in Europe, partnered with Weber as the developer on the company’s European manufacturing and distribution hub.

For more information, visit: www.weber.com.

Plant sales were badly hit last week with customers not using their cars due to the fuel situation across the country. As a result September plant sales were 17% down on 2020 but 17% up on 2019.

See the full GTN Bestsellers Top 50 charts, compiled from garden centre Epos data every week, with a years subscription to the printed newsletter for only £145.00 using this link.

As one of Europe’s leading gardening brands, GARDENA has strengthened its customer experience with a new showroom, based in Milton Keynes.

Showcasing GARDENA’s vast range of watering, tools and battery products, the new showroom is the perfect setting to visualise in-store concepts.

With the full assortment of GARDENA products merchandised as would be seen instore, and eye-catching seasonal and permanent POS stands to create instore theatre for your customers. The new showroom is open to customers old and new looking to expand, or start their retail journey with GARDENA.

Howard Scott, Country Manager of GARDENA UK, said: “We already have a strong base in the North-East with our Newton Aycliffe showroom, shared with our sister-brand Flymo. By adding this additional space in Milton Keynes, this shows our level of commitment to our customers, making it more easily accessible for our southern base of retailers.

“This showroom really allows all customers, past, present and future to see what they can achieve in their stores.”

The showroom in Milton Keynes showcases both GARDENA’s range and, its sister brand, Flymo. This includes Flymo’s latest range of robotic, cordless and corded lawnmowers and handheld products. Since inventing the hover mower more than 50 years ago Flymo has become market leaders in the design and innovation of unique gardening products. With a range that now spans from grass trimmers to robotic lawnmowers, Flymo is constantly innovating and striving for the highest quality from its products.

Field Sales Manager, Edward Cantle said: “We’re really proud to unveil our new showroom in Milton Keynes, our second UK demonstration base for Gardena and Flymo. The building is a great space, allowing customers to interact with our extensive range of products, display material and seasonal POS.

“We’re looking forward to welcoming customers and showing what Gardena and Flymo has to offer.”

With over 50 years of innovation, GARDENA is one of Europe’s leading gardening brands. Specialists in garden irrigation, GARDENA offers a complete range of gardening equipment, from sophisticated, sustainable watering systems to lawn care, tree and shrub care, garden tools and soil cultivation.

For more information, or to visit our northern or southern showrooms, please contact Field Sales Manager, Edward.cantle@husqvarnagroup.com

A customer of Leon Boots Co Ltd has broken the World Record for running a marathon in wellies.

It took place during the recent London Marathon when the competitor ran the whole course in Leon Boots’ Ultralight Explorer wellies in a time of 2 hours 56 minutes, breaking the previous record by over 20 minutes.

Candles are in season all year round. They create a warm, atmospheric ambience and set stylish accents on the dining table, bedroom, bathroom or windowsill. They can be used on their own or together to make endless combinations to suit your mood.

With the new Square Candle, Hofats have developed an ingeniously simple and at the same time versatile design object.

Thanks to its geometric simplicity and your imagination, a wide variety of patterns can be created, making the Square Candle completely flexible and adaptable to different needs and occasions, transforming any room with soft candlelight.

Especially during the Christmas season, the Square Candle, which comes in three colours gold, silver and black brings festive flair into any room and is at the same time an ideal gift for friends and family.

Contact john@ginique.co.uk to find out more.

Ginique also have a wide variety of stock available right now which will make ideal Christmas gifts for the whole family, the Spin, Gravity Candle, Beer Box and our great range of accessories.

Keukenhof gardeners planted the first flower bulbs in the park, at a famous spot in Keukenhof near the White Horse. Planting the first flower bulbs symbolises the start of the 2022 season. 

In March 2021, Keukenhof was ready to open the doors. However, due to the corona measures at the time, it was not possible for the second year in a row. Director Bart Siemerink is looking forward to welcoming visitors in the park again in 2022: “Visitors were able to enjoy the floral splendour online for two seasons. But of course, when watching online, you miss the real experience of our park: spring, the scent and being outside in nature in an overwhelming sea of ​​colours.”

The visitor experience is important to Keukenhof. Tickets for 2022 are available per day and per time slot. “We make sure there is a maximum number of visitors per day. This makes the experience for the visitor even better and we avoid traffic jams on the roads around Keukenhof”, says Siemerink.

The flower exhibition opens on March 24, 2022. Keukenhof is open for 8 weeks. On May 15, it is expected that one million visitors, mainly from the Netherlands and surrounding countries, will have visited the park. “Each spring, Keukenhof plays an important role in the start of the international tourism in the Netherlands”, says Siemerink. “That was also apparent when the tickets for 2022 became available Tuesday. Within a few hours, 15,000 tickets were booked by our tourism partners.”

Keukenhof is also important for the flower sector. One hundred flower bulb growers show their best range of flower bulbs in Keukenhof, and five hundred flower growers deliver their most beautiful flowers for the flower shows.

A total of 75,000 flower bulbs will result in a beautiful design of colour stripes and will be planted in the bed near the White Horse. In spring you can enjoy tulips, hyacinths, daffodils and crocuses here.

Flower Classics’ is the theme of Keukenhof 2022. Flowers are important to people: they have been part of our lives for centuries. Flowers are used as classic symbols in art, architecture and design. Roses symbolise love and tulips stand for spring! At Keukenhof we bring these classics together, with the wonderful tulip as the radiant centrepiece!

Plant your flower bulbs now!

If you want a colourful garden or balcony in spring, you should get started now. Buy your flower bulbs and plant them before mid-December. This is possible per colour, per species, but a nice mix of colours and species also works beautifully in spring.

Keukenhof will be open in 2022 from 24 March to 15 May. Tickets are available at www.keukenhof.nl

Sustainability is a key topic for many consumers, a trend that has only been growing over time. With the recent Intergovernmental Panel Climate Change (IPCC) report and the upcoming UN Climate Change Conference (COP26) event in Glasgow at the end of October, it has never been more prominent in people’s minds.

With so much focus on sustainability, suppliers of Christmas trees – such as market-leaders Premium Christmas Trees – are utilising the opportunity to tell retailers and consumer alike more information on how these festive favourites tap into the sustainable agenda. 

Real versus artificial

The British Christmas Tree Growers Association quotes The Carbon Trust who say that a real Christmas tree (even without roots) has a “much lower” carbon footprint than an artificial tree, particularly when disposed of thoughtfully. A two-metre Christmas tree made from plastic has a carbon footprint of around 40kg of CO2, over 10 times greater than that of a real tree. To put this into context, this means that an artificial tree would need to be used for a minimum of 10 years before its environmental impact was to be lower than that of real trees that are disposed of through burning; assuming it was made to last that long.

The environmental benefits of a real tree

Unlike artificial trees, real Christmas trees also naturally absorb CO2, acting as a vital source of carbon capture during their 10 – 12 years of growth, in turn releasing vital oxygen back into the atmosphere. The Soil Association also highlights how a real tree provides a habitat for wildlife, making them a vital part of the fight to protect the ecosystem and native species.

A pot grown tree re-planted after Christmas would have an even better story to tell.

Premium Christmas Trees is also proud to confirm that its trees are almost entirely British grown, meaning they not only arrive with the retailer in a shorter period of time after harvest, but they have also travelled a much shorter distance than an imported tree from the continent

Premium Christmas Trees’ sustainability pledge

Premium Christmas Trees’ team has been working hard on its sustainability pledge; a pledge designed to give retailers and consumers confidence in the products they buy.

Premium Christmas Trees has reviewed its entire operation and made changes where possible to meet its brand commitment to have a positive impact on the planet. This includes:

• To keep the ‘field to home’ mileage as low as possible, all Premium Christmas Trees trees are transported directly from the plantation to the retailer and not via any depots or distribution hubs.  To achieve this the team use advanced load and route planning tools to avoid excess mileage.
• All the company’s trees are purpose grown as a horticultural crop, not felled from established forest woodlands.
• Premium Christmas Trees plant at least two trees and, in some areas, up to 10 trees for every one harvested.
• The team use specialists for everything it grows. The combined experience and historical data enable Premium Christmas Trees to decide which trees to grow where, based on a number of factors including soil type, topography and microclimate. This enables them to minimise the amount of fertiliser and chemicals required.
• Premium Christmas Trees also offer an increased range of pot grown trees which can be replanted after Christmas, making an ongoing contribution to carbon capture.
• All Premium Christmas Trees branded labels are made from recyclable PPE.
• Wherever possible Premium Christmas Trees use biodegradable tree netting.
• Premium Christmas Trees only sell stands that can be reused time and time again.

The complete pledge has been set out by the Premium Christmas Trees team in a dedicated document which has been shared with its customers and will shortly be published on its website – www.premiumchristmastrees.com.

Recognising that being truly sustainable requires constant assessment, Premium Christmas Trees will continue to review everything it does to ensure the company and its specialist growers remain at the forefront of sustainability in the Christmas tree industry.

Fraser Fir Video - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_Gv5SArYx8Q

Slimline Video - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dQIhTQpEGic&t=11s

Pot Grown Video - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eWd3skuSl5g&t=3s

Salary: Negotiable

Location: Flexible

Deadline: 29th October 2021

Hours: 21 hours per week

Benefits: We can offer flexible working, 25 days holiday per year plus bank holidays (pro rata) and a work-place pension.

Job Type: Permanent Part Time

Working as part of the Greenfingers Gardens Team, this role is to project manage and support the design and build and ongoing maintenance of Greenfingers gardens in children’s hospices.  

You will need to:

•   be an excellent project manager with a garden/landscape qualification
•   be an enthusiastic team player but also have the ability to work independently
•   have strong written and verbal communication skills
•   have strong IT skills (Word, Excel, Power Point, Vector Works)
•   have the ability to build excellent relationships
•   have a positive can-do attitude

At Greenfingers Charity, we are all about creating magical and inspiring gardens in children’s hospices across the UK, gardens in which a million precious family memories can be created.  If you have a passion to make a difference through horticulture, we’d love to hear from you. 

For more information or to apply for this role, please email your CV, along with a covering letter to Sally Jenkins, Director of Finance & Resource: Sally@greenfingerscharity.org.uk. 

A once in a career opportunity has arisen to join our flagship garden centre at Twickenham.  You will be responsible for managing the outdoor plant department. This is an outstanding department which has won GCA Ruxley Rose competition on several occasions and has a reputation for excellent plant quality and the highest standards of plant care and advice. you will line manage two assistant plant department heads and a number of full time and part time colleagues who make up a motivated, responsible and committed team.

If you are energetic, highly motivated, have the ability to thrive in a fast-paced environment, demonstrate a passion for plants, are commercially aware and able to create dynamic, inspirational displays this could be just the opportunity for you. 

If you have garden centre retail experience and, ideally, horticultural qualifications, the ability to manage your department to achieve sales and profit targets, the ability to inspire your team to offer the highest standards of plant quality and customer service we look forward to hearing from you.

Hours: Full Time, including alternate weekends.

Rewards & Benefits

• Employee Discount – 50% in Restaurants and10% in Garden Centre on joining, increasing to 20% after 3 months service, 25% after 2 years’ service and 30% after 5 years’ service.
• Holiday (including bank holidays) – 5.6 weeks on joining increasing to 6.2 week after 2 years’ service and 6.6 weeks after 5 years’ service.
• Bonus – We reward our employees with a non-contractual bonus at Christmas, based on the profit of the company in any financial year.  (first year is dependent on start date)
• Pension – We are all aware of how important it is to save for our retirement. We offer a Defined Contribution Pension Plan to new employees. If you pay into the plan and meet the government criteria, the company will too, and these contributions will be invested.
• Attendance – Our employees with 100% attendance in a financial year, are rewarded with Squire’s gift vouchers.
• Made A Difference Scheme (M.A.D) – a reward scheme for team members who make a difference to our business through; outstanding customer service, over and above normal duties or initiatives that have grown / inspired the business. There is a monthly winner and a ‘team member of the year’. All winners select a gift to receive.
• Learning & Development -You can look forward to a wealth of learning opportunities with us that will enhance and develop you with the skills and confidence you need.
• Free parking – available to all employees in the designated parking areas on our sites.

Interested in this role? Call 01252 356860 or email hrtraining@squiresgardencentres.co.uk

About us

Squire’s is a family-owned group of 16 garden centres based in Surrey, Sussex, Middlesex, and Berkshire. We are committed to growing our business and to promoting the highest standards in horticultural retailing. We want our staff to enjoy working with us in a friendly, energetic customer focused environment. Our company is over 85 years old, and Twickenham was the first garden centre we opened way back in 1964. It was one of the first garden centres in the country and holds a very special place in the hearts of the family and at the heart of our business. Plants and core gardening remain central to our business.

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News has reached GTN Xtra of the passing of Roger Smalley, Smalley House & Garden Plants, last week.

His family sent this message to customer sand suppliers: "It is with great sadness that I have to inform you that my dad, who started this company in 1973, and who many of you knew, sadly passed away Thursday lunchtime.

"At the age of 79 he had had a great life, during his working years he loved what he did and during retirement spent a great deal of his time with Mum and his two grandsons. He loved taking them to London and the 6 of us had some great holidays, Dubai and Kenya on safari are 2 that particularly
stand out.

"We will of course endeavor as always, to do our best for you over the coming weeks, he would have wanted that as he wasn’t really one much for fuss, even up to last week, he was still walking round the yard and greenhouses and just loved seeing all the plants come in from everywhere and then
being loaded up on the lorries. He will be greatly missed."

Sandra, Nick & Kate, William and Benjamin.

Boyd Douglas-Davies told GTN Xtra: "This is sad news from Smalleys in Spalding. Roger, Sandra and Nick were among the first people I met in this industry 35+ years ago. 

"Roger was a great friend to my father's business and wonderful help to me as I was finding my way in the world of garden centres. They supplied us with all of our houseplants and many of our seasonal bedding. Their van sales lorries were a welcome sight every Wednesday on our car parks as they were always full of goodies."

Those who did venture out to garden centres last week appear to have been panic buying pot feet with products filling the No 1, No 5 and No 10 spots in the GTN Bestsellers Garden Products Chart.

September garden products sales closed 4% ahead of 2019 levels.

See the full GTN Bestsellers Top 50 charts, compiled from garden centre Epos data every week, with a years subscription to the printed newsletter for only £145.00 using this link.

September Christmas sales in the GTN Bestselers Eops data and Top 50 Christmas Products chart have been slower than the previous two years.  

That’s most likely down to a mix of products arriving late to garden centres and last week dip in footfall due to the fuel crisis. October’s sales volumes will give a better barometer as to how Christmas is faring overall.

See the full GTN Bestsellers Top 50 charts, compiled from garden centre Epos data every week, with a years subscription to the printed newsletter for only £145.00 using this link.

Growing media sales, as reported in the GTN Bestsellers EPOS data from garden centres, for September were 28% up on 2019 levels despite a big drop off last week due to the fuel situation.

That’s a heck of a lot more autumn growing gong on!

See the full GTN Bestsellers Top 50 charts, compiled from garden centre Epos data every week, with a years subscription to the printed newsletter for only £145.00 using this link.

The Seasonal Workers Pilot should be extended in the short term to the ornamental sector to help with seasonal labour recruitment. If not, the shortage of labour is likely to result in increased prices, trees being left in the ground and plants not being processed. These were the findings from a recent meeting of the Horticultural Trades Association’s (HTA) grower group, the Ornamental Management Committee.

At the meeting, members shared their experiences of struggling to recruit seasonal workers. Agency staff being deployed to other sectors, a low take up and retention of roles that are advertised locally and being based in rural areas a recruitment challenge, were familiar stories.

Increased wages have been introduced by growers to help recruitment, but there is a concern of wage inflation impacting businesses. Committee members said that they want to recruit more as their businesses are expanding, with gardening continuing to be a growth sector, but it’s key to get the labour into the businesses to help meet this demand.

With the furlough scheme finishing last week, this may increase the number of people interested in seeking work with the sector. One member also reported launching an 18-strong apprenticeship scheme and a workplace academy, which will help them address issues of developing a future full-time workforce.

During the meeting members also called for the government to work with the industry on a more self-regulatory, more collaborative approach to plant import inspections and checks to help develop enhanced biosecure supply chains for cross-border trade. This will reduce the increasing bureaucratic and cost burden being placed on UK horticulture businesses. The HTA will propose this solution in its response to the recently published government Plant Health Strategy.

There was scepticism that the proposed Border Control Posts from July 2022 for post-Brexit trade would be ‘fit for purpose’. Struggles with importing key crop protection products was also raised as an issue frustrating growers as they seek to maintain health plants. A cross-trade body approach to government was approved.

Sustainability was also on the agenda, with the HTA agreeing to highlight to the Environment Agency the importance of water abstraction to the industry, alongside continuing their Roadmap plans to improve water efficiency. Members also endorsed continuing collaboration between the HTA and NFU to highlight growers’ needs on exemptions for certain plants and facilitating knowledge exchange between growers in adapting to peat reduced mixes.

Jonathan Whittemore, Vice-Chair of the OMC, who chaired the meeting, said:

“We’re a ‘green economy’ sector in growth, providing the very products that help tackle climate change and achieve Net Zero. Growers have always focused on recruiting locally, providing meaningful work to many. However, given the seasonal nature of our industry we need a more flexible approach from government. We’re asking for an extension of the Seasonal Workers Pilot to help bridge the current shortfall. It shows a lack of knowledge of horticulture to put an arbitrary divide between edibles and ornamentals through the Seasonal Workers Pilot scope. We want to work collaboratively with the government in how to develop a future-facing workforce, but a level of recognition of the industry’s immediate needs is crucial if we’re to progress and grow.”

Later than usual sales of onion sets, garlic and shallots were the reason Veg-2-Gro was the only GTN Chart, apart from Christmas, to show growth last week. 

That helped September Veg-2-Gro sales for the month end 13% upon 2019 volumes.

See the full GTN Bestsellers Top 50 charts, compiled from garden centre Epos data every week, with a years subscription to the printed newsletter for only £145.00 using this link.

Peterborough based charity, RECOUP, brings brands, retailers, recyclers, Local Authorities, and Waste Management companies together for the first time in 2 years to discuss climate change and net zero aspirations in relation to plastics recycling. 

This unique event at KingsGate Conference Centre, brought together 400 delegates with some delegates attending in person others were able to tune in online.

Tom Heap, TV Presenter and host of Radio 4 ‘Costing the Earth’, was delighted to return once again to moderate the morning discussions and commented “the virtues and values of plastics have really come to the fore over the last 18 months, in helping protect us from the spread of the virus.”

Heap added that the day’s discussions seemed to “incorporate the science of plastics materials, facts and fiction, good and bad and what’s changing in the chemical and design of plastics production and the impact on the wider environment.” 

Paula Chinn, WWF UK, threw down the gauntlet to the industry, with a reminder of the quote from Tanya Steele, CEO WWF-UK: “We’re the first generation to know we’re destroying the planet and could be the last to do anything about it”.  

Chinn called on the industry to” Face the fact that 90% of global biodiversity loss and water stress, and half of all carbon emissions come from resource extraction and processing (UNEP) … Plastic packaging contributes 4% to this total but is the frontline, a visible touchpoint for many consumers”.

Chinn continued that “Capital investments constrain us, but we have to make changes to systems to think of elimination, consumption reduction and reuse.  Collaboration is critical to support citizens to consume less.”

Collaboration continued to be a strong theme throughout the day with Mike Baxter, Corporate Affairs Director, Berry BPI, lead the charge calling for the industry to recognise that only by working together can change happen at the pace required.   Baxter called on Local Authorities to “be positive and say we don’t want to push back the collection of films and flexibles; we want to start working on it now! Retailers and Brands are showing it can be collected, and it can be recycled.”

Collaboration and exploring new ways of working are proof that changes can be made. Exeter Council received praise for their commitment to helping collect plastic films and created a closed loop collection scheme collaboration with JayPlas International. Sainsburys have also rolled out collection of films to over 600 stores. It is clear organisations are working together innovative recycling solutions can be found.

RECOUP is proud to be playing a part in facilitating discussions to drive change forward.   RECOUP, not only bring together sectors of the industry, but work closely with Local Authorities on citizen engagement and education programmes using the Pledge2Recycle Plastics brand. For more information about RECOUP, the work they do including how to join as a member please contact www.recoup.org.

September 2021 wasn’t a great month for Wild Bird Care sales, exacerbated by the lack of footfall due to the petrol shortages.

Sales for the month were down 21% on last year and 19% down on 2019.

See the full GTN Bestsellers Top 50 charts, compiled from garden centre Epos data every week, with a years subscription to the printed newsletter for only £145.00 using this link.

The new virtual competition was introduced this year when the charity’s annual RHS Britain in Bloom UK Finals had to be postponed.

The new Awards saw 117 entries from 55 community gardening groups representing all regions across the UK, submit a digital portfolio of their work over the summer with a panel of judges identifying outstanding projects across five categories:

• Nourishing Your Community - Growing, sharing or enjoying food with others
• Nature-friendly Gardening - Creating habitats and using wildlife-friendly gardening practices
• Green Solutions – Tackling environmental challenges such as climate change, air pollution and flooding
• Cultivating Your Community – Bringing people together by involving a wide cross-section of the community
• Planting with Purpose - Addressing specific challenges such as transforming a neglected area or reducing antisocial behaviour.

The RHS Community Awards shine a light on ingenious schemes that have been engaging communities and transforming spaces throughout the UK.

In Amersham, gardeners have looked to create pollinator corridors to offset the impact of the nearby HS2 development. This was achieved by introducing no-mow areas, sowing roadside verges with wildflowers, planting street signs with pollinator plants and switching formal floral displays in memorial gardens with pollinator beds and borders.

A project in Jersey established a community smallholding, planting alleys of fruit and nut trees, with space between the trees forming grass and wildflower pollinator patches. The site gives residents an opportunity to connect with nature, with beds of vegetables and a sensory garden planned for the future.

Volunteers in County Antrim transformed a neglected area of open space with bee-friendly plants; engaging several generations of locals from elderly residents to schoolchildren to provide the community with a completely reinvigorated space.

The judging panel was impressed with the number of high-quality projects in every region of the UK, with a particularly large number of projects championing environmental issues such as promoting pollinators and wildlife.

RHS Community Development Manager Kay Clark said: “We were delighted to see so many projects put forward for the inaugural RHS Community Awards and the Outstanding Entries show community gardening as its very best. Considering the difficulties of the past 18 months, the level of engagement and achievement has been astonishing.

 “Community gardening has moved way beyond traditional eye-catching floral displays. Groups are driven by social and environmental purposes, and set out to make a tangible difference in their communities. Whether it be supporting wildlife, regenerating neighbourhoods, helping communities access nutritious food, mitigating the impact of climate change, or simply bringing people together; community gardeners are having a significant impact on the liveability of their local area.”

The RHS Community Awards will return in 2022, and will be open to a wider range of community groups. The Britain in Bloom UK Finals will also return in 2022. Further information on both competitions will be announced by the RHS in due course.

For more information about the RHS Community Awards visit: https://www.rhs.org.uk/get-involved/community-gardening/news/articles/rhs-community-awards and for more information about community gardening, including how to get involved, visit: https://www.rhs.org.uk/get-involved/community-gardening.

The warmth of Martin Stewart’s tribute to Eddie Topping at the service celebrating the founder of the Barton Grange Group’s life was a moving testimony to the deep affection in which Eddie was held throughout the garden industry.

Martin told how his own father had been the first to pick up on the concept of garden centres, but Eddie had “all the skills, energy and ambition required to do it better”.

His father, an RAF pilot in World War II, had been reluctant to return to the Stewart family’s “dark, dingey and basically bankrupt” nursery business after the war but wrote home before returning from a trip delivering a plane to the United States in 1955: “I have seen the future – they are called Garden Centres.” The subsequently converted Stewart potting sheds became what was almost certainly the UK’s first embryonic garden centre.

It was in that same year that Eddie Topping took over the Rochdale Market fruit and veg stall from his father who (with his wife Ada) was by then busy building up business at the newly-developed hotel at Barton near Preston, adding a modest landscaping business two years later.  Over the decades ahead, Eddie (helped by his three sons, Guy, Peter and Ian) moulded the flourishing Barton Grange Group we know today, with the flagship multi-award winning Brock garden centre at its core, augmented more recently by the enterprising Flower Bowl leisure and entertainment centre. By any measure, it became one of the UK’s most spectacular garden retail, landscaping and leisure businesses.

When Martin Stewart’s father, Edward, was elected president of the Horticultural Trades Association in 1960, he would have met Eddie, 12 years his junior. Twenty-two years later, in the year of Edward Stewart’s death, Eddie was also to become HTA president. “He was a huge support to me at that time,” Martin recalled in his tribute. “For those of you not familiar with our trade, it is the most extraordinarily open, warm and friendly industry imaginable. It is now and it was then.”

“What a proper pioneering spirit. The finest example of his legacy can be seen within his offspring and the enterprises that they are involved with now. The Barton Grange business with its unique culture has Eddie written right through it like a stick of rock. What an extraordinary legacy.”

Martin summed up Eddie Topping as “amazing – a proper entrepreneurial pioneer, someone loved and respected more than anyone I have met in our trade. He earnt his reputation in the most beautiful, calm unruffled manner….”

Perhaps the last word should go to one of Eddie’s grandsons, Andrew, who said at the service: “I won the lottery having Eddie as our grandad.”

Read a fuller version of Martin Stewarts tribute to Eddie Topping in the upcoming October issue of GTN.

Amid all the media hype about fuel shortages, empty supermarket shelves and a shortage of labour in so many sectors of industry the GTNXtra news hound recalls mention of a shortage of Pigs in Blankets this Christmas.

Well this week our industries gardening guru and strongest supporter of UK horticulture in its broadest sense was himself like a pig in...  when he dropped into an Essex Garden Centre.

Peter Seabrook, journalist, broadcaster and gardening correspondent for The Sun newspaper popped into Meadow Croft Garden Centre near Wickford in Essex and was pleased to find a plentiful supply of lots of things including plenty of Pigs in Blanket flavoured crisps from leading supplier Mackies of Scotland!

Buying two packets does not constitute ‘panic buying’ insisted Peter, simply one for Christmas day and one for the days following to go with the cold turkey.

Meadow Croft Garden Centre is owned by W.D. Smith & Son, a local family of nurserymen who have been growing plants for gardeners for nearly ninety years.

They are putting the finishing touches to their Christmas display and have just opened their traditional German Market at the centre for the trading period up to Christmas.

Their concept of the German Christmas Market is really very simple but so effective. A fantastic range of products, many which despite all my years in the industry, I have not seen in other retail outlets. Little wonder the centre is such a draw to people from the heart of Essex and beyond.

After five years as Managing Director of Farplants, Brett Avery will be leaving at the end of the year to join UK soft fruit grower, Hall Hunter Partnership, as MD. 

During his time at Farplants, Brett has helped the business to grow and develop, and more recently provided support and stability to the team during the pandemic, culminating with this year being the company’s most successful yet. 

Brett has relished his time at Farplants and has said: “Thank you to Mike Tristram and the Farplants Board for providing me with the opportunity of running & leading such a wonderful business, nearly five and a half years ago. A huge thank you to my fantastic team.

"I am very proud of the amazing developments we have achieved and records that we have continuously broken across all areas of the business, year after year. I will look on from the sidelines with interest as Farplants continues to thrive and reach new heights. I wish them all the very best - onwards and upwards.”

The Farplants Group Chairman, Mike Tristram, said: “Brett Avery has brought great positive energy to the business.  He leaves a strong and confident team, united in our aim to be resilient and best in class for our customers and staff alike.  We were delighted to attract Brett into ornamentals horticulture, and though he is now leaving our sector, we are glad that his skills will continue to benefit growers.”

The HTA has also issued this statement: “With Brett Avery, HTA Vice-President, taking up employment with Hall Hunter Partnership, a UK soft fruit grower outside of HTA membership, he will regrettably not be able to put himself forward for the President-role at this year’s AGM on 7 October.

"We were obviously looking forward to Brett being proposed as the new HTA President. He has served just over a year as Vice-President and chaired a number of committees and groups over the years – bringing his expertise and enthusiasm to the roles.

"Current HTA President, Boyd Douglas-Davies has kindly agreed to continue in the role while we conclude the appointment of a successor. We wish Brett the very best in his new job."

Hannah Powell suffered burn out and was diagnosed with a Functional Neurological Disorder in 2009. She has now published a book called The Cactus Surgeon: Using Nature to Fix A Faulty Brain.

It’s a nature and health memoir which explores the possible reasons for Hannah’s burnout and investigates her connection with Mother Nature. It’s a book of mindful moments, savouring the small wonders of flora and fauna. Cactus Surgeon was her dream career when she was six.

Hannah Powell, Communications & HR Director for Perrywood Garden Centres, says, "My Functional Disorder meant I would twitch and jerk in response to sound or touch. I looked like a peculiar air drummer with no rhythm. There was no information available to help me, so I found my own way to get better.

"Growing up in a garden centre, my childhood was full of nature and plants. This was in stark contrast to the concrete of London, where I became unwell. After seeking alternative therapies and moving back to the countryside, I began to feel myself again. My 'green recovery' followed. I believe we all benefit from having mindful moments, and this can easily be done by savouring the small wonders of nature around us."

“I wrote the book primarily to help others. I want to raise awareness of functional neurological disorders and I’ve found that every time I open up and tell my story it encourages somebody else to ask for help.”

Functional Neurological Disorders affect one in three people attending neurology outpatient clinics. Yet, it is not something that most people have heard of. They can affect anyone. The diagnosis covers a range of difficulties in how the body works, including paralysis, seizures, pain, anxiety and difficulty speaking. 

The book is available to buy via Hannah’s website www.thecactussurgeon.com, at Perrywood Tiptree and Perrywood Sudbury, through independent book shops including Red Lion Books in Colchester, via e-book providers and on Amazon.

Hannah can be contacted via thecactussurgeon@gmail.com for bulk orders.

Woodlodge is celebrating its return to Glee with its order books full and a new accolade under its belt as the garden retail industry returned to trade events this month.

With a larger stand in the heart of Hall 6 that showcased the company’s entire portfolio, the UK’s leading supplier of pots, planters and gardenware had an extraordinary three days of sales at the show and won the coveted New Product Award for Garden Decoration. Woodlodge cemented its position as one of the market leaders in garden décor with its new solar mirror range, winning the category from an impressive amount of entries. 

Judges and visitors to the show were impressed with the clean, green solar-powered Heart Mirror which brightens up shade-filled spots and illuminates evening social spots in the garden. 

The show saw Woodlodge return to live events for the first time in two years with a larger 870 square metre stand packed full of new product ranges and innovation. Leading the way was the launch of the highly anticipated RHS planter collaboration. Having recently made an agreement with the RHS to become its licensee of outdoor pots, the carefully curated collection features glazed botanical designs, ageless terracotta and fibreclay that celebrate the charity’s history and the nation’s love of gardening.   The range was warmly received by all visitors and orders are well above initial expectations.

Other launches for 2022 included the new brand, Emberwood, Woodlodge’s new outdoor heating range of gas and wood firepits, fireplaces and chimineas to get retailers all fired up. Following on from extensive customer research and product development, the company’s furniture range has expanded to include on trend cocoon chairs, as well as new rattan designs that encompass sophistication, style and practicality.

The return to Glee also saw been Woodlodge build on additional product ranges that complement its core offer.  Garden décor brand Honey & Wild saw new additions to its range as consumers continue to extend interior design to their outdoor space.  This trend also saw an extension to Woodlodge’s successful Water Studio collection, a calming range of plug in and go water features with strong appeal for consumers who are looking to create a sense of tranquillity at home.

Visitors were treated to an early festive cheer through Snowlodge, Woodlodge’s Christmas range that was launched earlier this year. From ornaments to traditional décor, Christmas trees and plushes, winter stars and baubles, festive lighting and seasonal wreaths, the range, which combines innovation with quality, helps to provide retailers with a real point of difference and the potential to capture a greater share of the expanding Christmas market.

Woodlodge completed its extensive line-up of new product launches at Glee 2021 with the introduction of Down to Earth’s Garden sundries and essentials which will spur on impulse purchases instore,  and new on-trend designs within its Root Indoor interior range to capitalise on the popularity in houseplants with the younger generation.

Throughout the show, the company received great feedback on the ranges on display from a variety of garden centres, high street and DIY stores and other retail outlets that visited its stand.

Michael Wooldridge, Director of Woodlodge said: “ Glee 2021 was an amazing show for Woodlodge. Not only was it the opportunity to meet all of our customers that have supported us over the last 24 months, but also to showcase our entire product portfolio. With the increasing trend in gardening set to continue, it is more important than ever for Woodlodge to continuously develop products for both novice gardeners and experienced greenfingers.   We were delighted with the very positive response to our products at Glee and the quality of leads we received as a result of exhibiting.”

For more information on Woodlodge’s new ranges for 2022, please contact your local sales representative or visitwww.woodlodge.co.uk. 

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 Garden 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 Christmas Bestsellers chart for last week are here

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

Highlights of the GTN Wild Bird and Wildlife 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.

Final preparations are being made as the AQUA 2021 industry exhibition gets set to open its doors at Telford International Centre at 9am on Wednesday, October 13th. 

With an impressive line-up of exhibitors unveiling an exciting range of new products, there will be lots to keep visitors busy during this eagerly awaited aquatics and water gardening industry event.

The excitement has been building for months with companies planning their new launches around AQUA 2021. It will also be the first chance for suppliers to meet face to face with retailers since the Covid-19 pandemic began.

Now the wait is almost over for both exhibitors and visitors…and the two-day show can soon begin.

PondXpert is one company that acknowledges the benefits of exhibiting at such a prestigious show. Sales and operations manager Tom Jeffery said: “We are very excited about the show. Due to the pandemic we have not been able to see all of our retailers as much as we would have liked. It will be a fantastic opportunity to be able to showcase our full range and new products in front of both our existing retailers and potential new accounts. This will be our biggest show to date and we can’t wait for the doors to open on the 13th.”

On arrival at Telford International Centre, a large majority of visitors are expected to head for the New Product Showcase, sponsored by pbwnews. This year’s Showcase has attracted 80 entries, which will be judged by a panel of independent retailers for the New Product Awards on the first morning of the show. The winners will be announced at 1pm.

As well as getting to see all the new products to be launched on to the market and getting the chance to meet up with exhibitors, visitors will be well looked after during their stay. There are extensive catering facilities, and everyone will receive a free refreshments and lunch voucher. Visitors can also benefit from free parking next to the exhibition hall.

There’s still time to register for free entry on the AQUA 2021 website www.aquatelford.co.uk where a full list of exhibitors can also be found.

Opening times

Wednesday, 13^th October, 2021: 9am-5.30pm

Thursday, 14^th October, 2021: 9am-4pm

Paleo Ridge, a leading UK producer of high-quality raw dog food, is strengthening and expanding its business with the appointment of Gill Synnuck as Trade Account Manager.

The appointment follows the promotion of Will Green to the role of Head of Sales and Marketing.  Will joined Paleo Ridge in March 2020 having held various marketing roles. He now runs an extended team of six covering sales, marketing and customer services.

Gill’s appointment is the latest to the team and signals an increased emphasis on business and customer relations, as well as a desire to expand trade accounts as Paleo Ridge continues to experience strong growth. Gill has joined the Paleo Ridge team from tour operator Serenity Holidays with 17 years of experience as their Trade Relations Manager. Gill will develop crucial relationships with retailers, new and existing, whilst introducing exciting new trade plans for the benefit of retailers and their customers. 

Commenting on her appointment, Gill says, “I am delighted to be joining the Paleo Ridge team. From the moment I read about their company ethos, and outstanding attention to detail, from ethically sourcing their meat to using biodegradable packaging, I knew it was somewhere I wanted to work. I look forward to supporting the business through its exciting expansion so that its products can help more dogs to live happier and healthier lives.”

Having recently reached the milestone of selling 4 million meals, Paleo Ridge is continuing to see strong growth, leading the industry with its high-quality products, ethical stance, and environmental focus.

Will says, “We are very excited to welcome Gill to the Paleo Ridge family and know she will be an excellent addition with her strong skill set, experience and passion making her perfectly suited to driving further growth. At Paleo Ridge, we pride ourselves on our innovation and our devotion to being a manufacturer that is trusted by pet-owners and retailers alike.”

Celebrating its 50th year of feeding the nation’s canine companions, heritage dog food brand Skinner’s has combined their reputation with their love for dogs to create the new range Get Out & Go! 

The range is designed to support the diet of active dogs whilst inspiring owners to reconnect with the great outdoors.

Life with an energetic dog is bundles of fun and with the Skinner’s Get Out and Go! Range you can be secure in knowing your dog has the right balanced diet full of delicious nutrition to keep them going all day.

Good Boy's TV ad campaign, which hit screens in October, focusses on the sheer joy dogs experience when they get a tasty real meat treat.

The brand hopes to harness the funny side of the UK’s favourite pet with super slow motion action shots of dogs ‘trying’ to catch Good Boy treats. This will not only put a smile on the viewers’ faces but also remind them, when it comes to their dogs, they should ‘treat them good’ with Good Boy. The campaign will also be supported through You Tube and Facebook advertising as well as a PR campaign. 

Good Boy has been creating delicious dog treats since 1962, when its original treats became a mainstay in households across the UK, helped of course by the Royal Warrant achieved in 1976 as Pet Food Manufacturer to Queen Elizabeth II. The brand has come a long way since then, with Good Boy treats enjoyed by 2 million UK households. 

Good Boy has been at the heart of the real meat sector since its inception and has played a large part in developing it into the fastest growing sector in the past year. Each variety and flavour of Good Boy real meat treats are roasted in their natural juices to lock in the delicious meaty flavour. The range offers options that are naturally low in fat and salt, grain free and contain no artificial nasties, meaning not only are they super tasty, but offer a nutritious and wholesome snack for dogs.

Discussing the brand’s growth and move towards TV advertising Aimee Smith, Communications Manager for Good Boy comments: “The growth we’ve seen in recent years has been phenomenal, but we don’t want to stop there. We want to show pet-parents that we love their pups as much as they do, and every dog deserves a delicious and nutritious Good Boy treat.

"At Good Boy we’re all about cultivating the unconditional love between dogs and their owners and we wanted to capture that on camera in our new ad campaign. It’s a really fun campaign that captures the warmth and joy that dogs bring to our lives. Because as much as treats are used to reward our pooches or keep them occupied, bringing them joy with a treat or two seems like the least we can do.” 

To get a first glimpse of the ad, click here.