British MEP Anthea McIntyre has welcomed a last minute reprieve for glyphosate after it was belatedly granted a fresh licence for continued use across the European Union.

The decision to grant the herbicide a licence for a further five years was reached today (Mon) by the EU Commission's Standing Committee on Plants, Animals, Food and Feed, comprising representatives of the 28 member states, after a series of meetings this year failed reach consensus. The approval comes just a few days before the current licence expires on December 15, which left many farmers fearing a sudden ban with drastic effects.

Miss McIntyre, Conservative MEP for the West Midlands, said: "The scaremongering and indecision over this product had left farmers and growers fearing they were staring over a cliff edge, so this will be greeted with enormous relief."

www.euronews.com reports that Germany swung the vote, coming off the fence after abstaining in previous meetings to oppose its key EU partner France, which wanted a shorter licence extension.

The Miss McIntyre, member of the European Parliament's Agriculture Committee, said: "It should never have taken this long to renew the licence and it should have been renewed for a full 15 years but the last minute reprieve and the licence for five years is welcome.

"A *de facto *ban on glyphosate would have been a shocking and unscientific backward step.

"Farmers would have had to fall back on mechanical weed control. That would mean 25 per cent increase in greenhouse gas emissions and a significant impact on farm bird life - including skylarks, partridge, lapwing. 

"For a zero Improvement in public health and safety, we would have been worsening food security, soil quality, biodiversity and climate change."

As we enter the final months of 2017, UK based supplier of compost and growing media, Durston Garden Products Ltd reflects on what has been another momentous year.  

“Whilst the company’s successful year must be attributed to a combination of factors,"  says National Sales Manager, Dan Durston, "it is without doubt that we have seen an increased level of new enquiries as a result of our recent BUY BRITISH marketing campaign.  

"The objective of the campaign was to persuade retailers that as BREXIT negotiations continue, that now is the right time to switch supplier to one much closer to home – and based on recent feedback and  orders placed, it would appear that the campaign has been a great success."

In recent weeks Durstons has also announced that it will be holding its prices for 2018, which is a complete contrast to many of its competitors.  

Other compost suppliers are finding themselves having to hike-up their prices for 2018 due in-part to the often logistical nightmare associated with shopping abroad and the lengthy supply chain involved with that process.

“The word is out,“ continues Dan, “that Durstons is a great company to do business with and  that we really can delivered products to you  anywhere in England and Wales within 5 days from receipt of order – now that’s got to be a good thing!.

"What’s more we also guarantee to HOLD our prices for 2018. Equally and unlike some other compost suppliers we have had a full harvest this year and are confident therefore that we can, and will, meet any orders and obligations that we engage in."

Family-owned Durston Garden Products is extremely proud of its 150 year-plus British heritage and its state-of-the-art packing facility in Somerset. The facility is located alongside the family owned land where the peat is harvested, processed, bagged and then shrink wrapped onto pallets before being  loaded onto Durstons  own-branded lorries ready for distribution to anywhere in the UK.

“As we end the year on a high,” says Dan, “we look back with pride at what we have achieved once again as an independent British organisation, whilst also look forward to bigger and better things to come."

The company has produced a video called Durston's Amazing Compost 2017, which can be viewed here https://youtu.be/6H95RW5fEFY

For more information about Durston Garden Products visit www.durstongardenproducts.co.uk

The new CEO of Bunnings and Homebase parent company Wesfarmers has confessed to shareholders that the company had made a mistake by changing the Homebase management team and product ranges too quickly when it took over the UK chain last year.

Bunnings' UK and Ireland (BUKI) has reported losses of Aus$89 million (£50 million) in 2017, compared to Homebase earnings of $52 (£29.7 million) in 2015, with sales falling 17.5% in the September quarter. Analysts estimate that sales have gone backwards by 20% since the Homebase acquisition.

Scott (pictured right) said he expected the losses to increase through 2018 as trading remained challenging for Homebase during the continuing conversion of stores to the Bunnings format.

However, sales in the most-recently converted stores were doing well and he was considering accelerating the conversion, although he wanted to see how the new-format stores traded during the “dark months” of the British winter before investing more capital.

 “Our focus is on strengthening the management team to support the transformation and instilling stronger execution across the business. The establishment of Bunnings in the UK will take time and we will be disciplined with how we invest further capital,” he said.

The the parent company has said it recognises the UK market will be a difficult nut to crack in the current financial climate.

Scott is resisting pressure from investors to spin off Bunnings, which generates 30% of group earnings but is estimated to be worth $23 billion (£13 billion), or almost half of Wesfarmers' $48 billion (£27.3 billion) market value

But he conceded that Bunnings' expansion into the UK and Ireland through the $700 million (£360 million) acquisition of Homebase in January 2016 had been disappointing, and a change in tack was needed to restore sales growth and profits.

"Clearly it's not performing as well as we would like," he said.

Scott warned that losses would increase this year as trading deteriorated at Homebase stores and costs were increasing.

While he believed the Bunnings format would eventually resonate with British customers, he confessed that Bunnings had erred by removing most of Homebase's existing management team and changing its offer, including the product range and prices, too quickly.

“We relied too heavily on the Bunnings team and we exited virtually all the local team," he said.

“In hindsight, the team probably moved too quickly to change Homebase and made a lot of changes to clean out a lot of the concessions and clean the stores up with a view towards converting to Bunnings,” Mr Scott said. “But unfortunately we didn't replace those concessions with product and offers that were compelling enough to get customers in the door."

Wesfarmers has strengthened the BUKI management team over the past few months, appointing former B&Q operations director Damian McGloughlin, as COO and former Officeworks chief operating officer David Haydon(left), who has also held senior roles at B&Q and Wickes,  as Homebase's managing director. There are also new merchants and regional managers.

 “It really resonates with customers, and community engagement is very strong, and that gives us confidence the Bunnings offer will resonate in the UK and will be profitable in the UK,” Scott said. “The challenge is that the faster we convert the stores, the more disruption we cause and the more challenging the short-term performance will be.”

November is more than making up for a disappointing October. After three weeks the GTN Bestsellers Plant Sales volume index is up 23% for the month year on year. 

That means plant sales over the past 14 weeks are now showing a 6% increase.

• Sales of pre-planted Hyacinth made them the highest chart climber this week.
• Pre-planted daffs sent Narcissus back into the chart at No 10.
• Lithops, living stone, were the highest new entry at No 33.

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

Houseplants have seen a resurgence within the younger generation according to the Garden Centre Association’s  Barometer of Trade report for October. Compared to the same month last year (2016), sales were up 14.27%.

Iain Wylie, GCA Chief Executive, said: “Houseplants have become fashionable again with the younger generation as they need a lot less care and maintenance than most teens and young adults have the time for.

“They also play a huge part in home décor and accessorising and young people are wise to the benefits of having greenery in their homes.”

Other departments which saw improved sales during October include food hall and farm shop, which was up 6.15% and clothing up 7.12%. Catering was also up at 6.77%. Christmas sales were up 3.44%.”

Sales in outdoor plants were down -9.03%, seed and bulb sales were down -9.13% and garden sundries down 1.53%.

Furniture and barbecue sales were also down -4.49% along with pets and aquatics down -5.16%, hard landscaping down -3.8% and gifts down -0.87%.

Member garden centre sales showed an average overall increase for the month of 0.6% and a Year to Date growth of 3%.

Hannah Powell, Communications and Business Development Manager at Perrywood Garden Centre, said: “We saw a fantastic 37% increase in houseplant sales in October. We haven’t increased the space as we already had a really large floor space dedicated to houseplants, instead we are using visual merchandising, posting on Instagram and hosting terrarium workshops to encourage sales from a younger audience. Buying trips to suppliers have also helped us to source some really exciting and varied plants, and the team has been able to increase the volume sold each week.

“Early sales for Christmas have been encouraging, we saw a 10% increase in October. This year’s ‘Lost in the Forest' theme has been very well received, with repeat visits from our core Christmas market - women with disposable income in their 40s, 50s and 60s. Social media advertising encouraged groups of friends and family to start shopping in October.

“Catering was up 11% in October. We expanded our kitchen at the start of the year so we did have capacity and have used social media campaigns and blogger engagement to promote the team’s improved offering.”

The GCA BoT reports are compiled using actual sales figures and provide an up-to-date trading position statement. They are made available mid-month following the end of the prior month after all member garden centres have submitted their results.

 

Mike Burks, Managing Director of The Gardens Group, which has Castle Gardens in Sherborne, Poundbury Gardens in Dorchester and Brimsmore Gardens in Yeovil, said: “Until recently houseplants have been somewhat in the doldrums in our industry for years, but we’ve always treated them as a vital department in our garden centres.

 

“Cacti, succulents, Bonsai and airplants are increasingly popular with younger customers who understand the environmental benefits of having plants in their home. With this in mind, we feel that this may be good a route for us to make contact with younger generations that we have been missing, who could be the outdoor gardeners of the future.”

 

The BoT reports allow members to compare their trading positions with other centres.

This year sees more garden centres opening their Grottos for Santa Paws events, particularly on weekdays early in the season and GTN Xtra's Trevor and Karen Pfeiffer took their Doodles to see Santa at Frosts Woburn Sands to test the experience.

And we can report it was all we expected and more.  At Frosts we got a full on "doggy" version of their grotto experience and the welcoming, friendly and patient elves made it all the more enjoyable.  Meeting the yeti, and gift of a Petface pudding, finding biscuits and making a bag full to take away, then a photo with Santa himself and a reindeer toy as a present for each doodle.  A great time was had by all!

From a retailing point of view it was great to see pet products merchandised at the photo checkout.  "We don't normally have product here when children come through the grotto but pet owners love the opportunity to pick up and extra gift item for their pet," explained the head Elf.

As this issue of GTN Xtra goes to press we know that Santa Paws grotto events are taking at:

Frosts Millets Farm
Frosts Woburn Sands
Garden King, Swadlincote
Gordon Rigg, Rochdale
Groves, Bridport
Kershaw’s, Brighouse
Notcutts Wheatcroft
Planters Tamworth
Squire’s Badshot Lea
Squire’s Long Ditton
Squire’s Stanmore
Squire’s Washington
Squire’s West Horsley

If you have a Santa Paws event planned please let us know: trevor.pfeiffer@tgcmc.co.uk

See our gallery of pictures from Frosts Santa Paws and their Christmas displays.

Garden centre sales during November are tracking well in-line with last year with Christmas continuing to power ahead.

This week’s Christmas Top 50 index has moved even higher and is within 1% of the peak week from last year.

If overall sales move up in line with past years we could be reporting more records being broken over the coming weeks.

GTN Bestsellers Top 50 sales volumes compared to the same week last year: week 46

• Garden Products Top 50 – down 7%
• Growing Media Top 50 – up 4%
• Wild Bird Care Products Top 50 – down 3%
• Christmas Products Top 50 – up 26%
• All Plants index – up 15%
• All Items index – static 0%

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

The Gardens Group is offering customers who buy their Christmas trees from Brimsmore Gardens in Yeovil, Castle Gardens in Sherborne and Poundbury Gardens near Dorchester a free Christmas tree collection service throughout January.

With the local councils no longer offering this service, The Gardens Group wants to make sure people have an option to recycle their trees and stop them ending up on landfill.

Collected Christmas trees will be shredded for compost and mulch and will eventually be used for soil improvement projects around the local area.

Mike Burks, managing director of The Gardens Group, explains: “There is nothing quite like a real Christmas tree, but we need to make sure that they have a minimal impact on the environment, so we want our customers to be reassured that we’ll dispose of their Christmas trees in an environmentally friendly way, which will in fact help with our gardening and wildlife projects in the future.”

Free Christmas tree collection vouchers can be picked up in each garden centre from the end of November onwards.

The New Product Development team at Thompson & Morgan has been busy.

The first item on the newly-formed team’s agenda has been to put together T&M’s biggest ever introduction of new seed varieties.

Over 60 varieties will be introduced in the company’s 2019 seed range; a significant number are from Thompson & Morgan’s own renowned breeding programme headed by Charles Valin, T&M’s resident master plant breeder.

Joseph Cordy, Thompson & Morgan’s head of B2B sales, said: “We are delighted to be able to announce the biggest ever range ‘refresh’ in our retail seed offering; this confirms our commitment to innovation and quality. There are some really exciting new varieties, including several which are completely exclusive to Thompson & Morgan.

"This is just the start of an extensive programme of innovation in which we are investing heavily and further announcements concerning the range will follow.”

T&M’s head of commercial, Chris Wright commented: “Joseph has been working closely with the horticultural team since joining Thompson & Morgan and this news is a direct result of all the hard work they’ve put in. He is already proving to be a major asset to the company and as he has said, there’s a lot more to come!”

The 2019 seed range will be available to garden centres and other retailers from July 2018.

MPs have been briefed by the HTA on the garden industry’s hopes and concerns post-Brexit

The HTA presented evidence at a Select Committee Inquiry and to 19 parliamentarians at a joint dinner held by the All Party Gardening & Horticulture Group and the EFRA Select Committee.

HTA director of horticulture Raoul Curtis-Machin gave evidence at the inquiry into Brexit - Trade in Food after the Select Committee requested that the ornamentals sector should be represented. Curtis-Machin described the opportunity for ornamental horticulture to play an important role in a future UK Agriculture and Environment policy which valued public environment benefits first and foremost. He also described the import substitution opportunity: incentivise UK plant producers to grow more UK plants to boost the economy and also mitigate against biosecurity threats such as Xylella.

The hour-long session also covered pesticides, herbicides and regulatory frameworks like water abstraction, new customs arrangements, and a replacement Seasonal Agricultural Workers Scheme. The HTA were there alongside agriculture, fresh produce and fruit, and followed up with written evidence.

At the APPGHG dinner at the House of Lords, Curtis-Machin spoke about a  ector deal for ornamental horticulture, which could be developed through the industrial strategy or through Defra as a new environmental and agricultural framework emerges post-Brexit.

Stan Green, former HTA president and MD of Growforth, highlighted the need for more ornamental and landscape horticulture expertise and knowledge in Defra. He said many problems and issues would be far more easily dealt with if there was a decent basic understanding of horticultural principles in Defra – a notion that drew resounding support from the policymakers, who offered to help HTA build its case.

Brian Fraser, general manager at Oakover Nurseries, spoke about import substitution and biosecurity. He said the UK had a great opportunity to boost production while enhancing its biosecurity. Simple fiscal incentives, including tax breaks and grants, would stimulate nursery expansion. He drew a comparison with the British film industry, which had grown under similar conditions.

John Adlam (right), HTA nursery adviser and founder of Dove Associates, introduced the topics of labour and water availability – two essential needs for the industry – mentioning a report about to be launched by the Water for Food Group (coalition of HTA, NFU, CLA and other stakeholders), which asks Government to classify water used for food and container plant production as an essential need. Currently, water supplies could be switched off to food and ornamentals producers in the event of a drought order, because their water use was not classed as essential. This proposal was also received warmly by the policymakers, who again offered support in efforts to influence Government.

No, your eyes are not deceiving you – the first snow of the winter hasn’t fallen on low ground yet. But this eye-catching display at Brookfields Garden Centre, north of Nottingham, is certainly making an impact.

These pictures were sent to us by garden centre trainer and consultant Ian Boardman, who was suitably impressed with the display and wanted to find out more about it.

So Ian approached Julie Dachey, Marketing Manager at Brookfields, who told him the story behind the display.

"The film industry experts Snow Business have many techniques in their armoury for creating amazing effects,” said Julie.

“Their portfolio includes 'The Chronicles of Narnia', 'Quantum of Solace', Harry Potter and most Christmas advertising on TV featuring snow. So we are truly in the hands of experts.

“The day the snow falls at Brookfields has become a trigger for Christmas spirit with our customers. The response has been really rewarding this year with many customers going out of their way to compliment us on the display which supports our decision to invest in this major aspect of our Visual Merchandising concept every year.

“We also run a real effect snow fall machine during busy weekends which adds to the festive feel and offers another dimension to our Grotto experience."

If you can match Brookfields’ amazing winter display let us know.

Ian Boardman is Director of Ibbis (UK) Limited, the garden centre growth and profit specialist. www.ibbis.co.uk

The response to Glee at Spring Fair 2018 has been incredibly positive, says event director Matthew Mein. "Garden centre retailers have been telling the Glee team that with shorter ordering patterns the introduction of Glee in February will be a welcome addition to the buying cycle," he said.

Matthew took the opportunity to answer questions on the new initiative.

Why has Glee added an additional show at Spring Fair?

Glee at Spring Fair has been introduced for a simple reason – Spring Fair is the UK’s No.1 Home and Gift Fair, so the audience is already there, ready and willing to do business. Garden centres are already attending Spring Fair, with owner/operators and gift buyers out in force. Glee’s aim is to encourage other category buyers from across the gardening spectrum to maximise their attendance at Spring Fair.

Taking place from 4th-8th February, Glee at Spring Fair will give retailers the opportunity to see new and best-selling ranges ahead of the spring season. A second edition at this time of year will give retailers an additional destination to refresh their ranges for key retail spikes and also provide garden buyers with the latest concepts and trends for 2018, helping them to direct their buying. 

What shape will it take? What content will it have?

Glee’s concession will be located within Spring Fair’s Hall 3, located alongside popular product sectors such as Christmas Gifts, Floral and Seasonal Decorations (Hall 2), and Greetings & Gifts (Hall 3). It will be a concession that will deliver a selection of some of the best products from some of Glee’s core product sectors, retaining Glee’s signature boulevard aisle, highly-recognisable branding and with core gardening at its heart.

There will also be a Glee Café, which will act as a hub for Glee’s supporting trade associations – The HTA, GIMA and Gardenex. Offering a wealth of knowledge and benefits, the presence of these trade associations will be a well-attended part of Glee at Spring Fair. GIMA will be bringing its popular Buyer Connect event, helping those exhibiting to maximise their exposure to key garden retail buyers through special speed networking sessions. International buyers will also be able to meet with enthusiastic suppliers within Gardenex’s own International Buyer Event. With 121 networking meetings set to take place within these two events throughout the exhibition, the possibility for growth from both a supplier and retailer perspective is almost unmatched.

The New Product Showcase – a popular part of the annual Glee September show -  will also make its home within the Glee Café. This dedicated area will bring together the most exciting new products from Glee at Spring Fair exhibitors.

It has also been confirmed that on Tuesday 6^th February, GTN’s Greatest Awards Breakfast will be making its debut. This event will see all the winners of the 2017 Greatest Awards – put together by the team at Garden Trade News - come together for a special networking opportunity.

Who can exhibit?

We’ll be welcoming exhibitors from across the gardening spectrum who will showcase products that range from garden decorations, ornaments, statuary and water features, to garden structures and outdoor entertaining. Garden care, where fashion and impulse-buy potential is at its highest, will also be a key feature.

To date, we have already secured a number of key brands to exhibit at the inaugural event. Amongst the names confirmed are: Pouf Daddy, Durston Garden Products, Charles Taylor Trading, Design Toscano, Neat Ideas, Darlac Tools, Harrod Horticulture, Apac Packaging, Laurica Plants and VegTrug.

How will Glee at Spring Fair affect the main show in September?

Glee at Spring Fair will mark an additional opportunity within the buying year. The hope is that buyers that visit Glee at Spring Fair will also earmark the September show as a must-attend event to see what the exhibition has to offer on a much grander scale.

What has the response been to the recent introduction?

The response to Glee at Spring Fair 2018 has been incredibly positive. Garden centre retailers have been telling the Glee team that with shorter ordering patterns the introduction of Glee in February will be a welcome addition to the buying cycle. The second Glee show will provide an opportunity for retailers to revisit their ranges and see what else is new. Taking place at the start of the season, the concession show will enable retailers to fill last minute product gaps, ensuring a full provision for the key sales period ahead.

Who should visit?

Any retailer who wants to maximise sales of garden products in the year ahead – especially those with a strong design focus – will not want to miss out on visiting Glee at Spring Fair.

How much will it cost, and how can interested parties find out more?

Pricing depends on the size of exhibition space. The Glee team would be happy to discuss individual requirements. Booking space couldn’t be easier - simply contact the Glee team by calling 020 033 2160.

Where do I go to find out more?

Visit www.gleebirmingham.com for all the latest developments regarding the main September show as well as Glee at Spring Fair 2018.

The founder of Newbank garden centre marked his 90th birthday with family and friends at a surprise party at the company's Radcliffe branch.

John Hartle was welcomed to the centre where offices had been decked out with with pictures showing how he had built up the Newbank business over 60 years. He was presented with a cake depicting his life at the garden centre.

The Radcliffe Newbank centre, which opened in Bury 30 years ago and now ranks in the UK’s top 30 independents, is one of four owned by the family run chain.

John Hartle starting life as a farmer, raising animals and selling eggs and dairy products, but quickly developed a talent for buying and selling land at a profit. “Keep buying land as they don’t make it anymore,” was his favourite motto.

Early and success brought Mr Hartle to Turf Lane, Royton, where he sold farm produce with his cousin.

On a family trip to Wales, Mr Hartle challenged a group of youngsters who were trebling their money by selling roses at a farm gate to deliver a truck load to his farm shop. When the roses sold out in two hours, he decided to start selling plants alongside his farm produce, and Newbank, one of the country’s first garden centres, was born.

A second Newbank site was built on a disused and derelict farm site at Radcliffe in 1986. A fire in 2003 destroyed the farm's character-rich buildings but led to an ambitious rebuild. Newbank  expanded into Dobcross and Halifax 10 years later.

Jon Bottomley, John Hartle's grandson and Newbank garden centre commercial director, told the Bury Times: “Grandad has always loved plants, not just because he's been able to sell them and make money, but he has always been fascinated by them and loved learning all the names.

“My grandad has always been an extremely popular figure with the people who have worked for him, his friends and the local community, he loves a joke, a good story and having a laugh with people.

“No matter how well he has done in life, he has always been happiest at work, talking to customers and selling plants, and he has provided an amazing life for all his family.

“I know he has been dreading this milestone birthday, but he has no need to, it is a celebration of the amazing things he has achieved and the fantastic man he is.”

Festive displays at Tong Garden Centre in Bradford have been named the best in the North East of England by a trade association for the second year running.

Tong was judged on the range, merchandising, marketing, presentation and displays of Christmas lines including trees, decorations, tableware, candles, giftware and food during the Garden Centre Association's (GCA) inspection for its annual Christmas Competition.

Not only did team at Tong win the prestigious accolade for a second consecutive year, but they were awarded a score 87.19 per cent. The GCA class a score between 80-90% as excellent to outstanding.

Winners are selected for their ability to demonstrate a real ‘wow factor' by showcasing their product range with innovative and inspirational displays that create excitement and a festive ambience.

Tong Commercial Manager Sharon McNair said: "Congratulations to everyone - it's a great result and well deserved. Christmas at Tong really is a massive team effort and every department within the centre has contributed to its success.

"The really significant thing is gaining a score that is over 10 per cent higher than last year's total, showing a huge jump in the team's delivery this year."

Established in 1966, the GCA champions professionalism in garden centre retailing. Every year, its 200 members throughout the UK and Northern Ireland must undergo a comprehensive annual inspection to ensure they continue to meet the stringent criteria set out by the association and therefore maintain membership.

Tong Garden Centre's Christmas offering includes a new Christmas Cabin, a giant Snow globe, Santa's Grotto, weekly tasting events in the Food Hall and extended opening hours.

Has your dog always wanted to meet Santa? Well your pooch’s dreams are about to come true, as on Tuesday 5^th December they can meet Santa for free between 9am-11am at Squire’s Garden Centres!

Squire’s in Badshot Lea, Long Ditton, Stanmore, Washington and West Horsley are all holding a special “Santa Paws” event for your dog to meet Santa. Dogs can ‘paws’ for a photo with Santa while the ‘puparazzi’ (or owners) snap away! Your photo will be a memento that will last ‘fur-ever’.

Meeting Santa is free, but Squire’s would be delighted if owners gave a donation to the local charities that they are supporting, who are the Guide Dog Association, Princess Alice Hospice, Iain Rennie Hospice at Home, the Alzheimer’s Society and Riding for the Disabled,

Squire’s Garden Centre                Charity they are supporting

• Squire’s Badshot Lea         Aldershot & Farnborough Guide Dog Association
• Squire’s Long Ditton           Princess Alice Hospice
• Squire’s Stanmore              Iain Rennie Hospice at Home
• Squire’s Washington           Alzheimer’s Society
• Squire’s West Horsley        Horsley & Bookham Riding for the Disabled

Following the announcement in September of the partnership agreement between SBM Company and Valagro, the first delivery of the Maxicrop brand of organic seaweed based fertilisers has arrived at SBM Life Science’s Shrewsbury warehouse.

With a 50-year history, Maxicrop is the leading manufacturer of seaweed extracts in the world.  Used by farmers, growers and gardeners in over 40 countries, its range of bio-stimulant products improve soil and plant productivity, and is proven and trusted by gardeners to produce amazing results.

Unlike some other seaweed extract products on the market, Maxicrop uses only the finest Norwegian seaweed from the Arctic Circle, the long daylight hours ensuring the Maxicrop seaweed builds resistance to stress and stimulates natural plant growth.  It is harvested sustainably.  An area is harvested only once every four to five years, only the top part of the plant being cut, the rest of the seaweed being left on the rocks and allowed to grow back fully.  This approach, which has been practiced for more than 60 years, ensures the wonderful resource is available for generations to come.

Garden centre and others in the trade have responded very positively to the announcement. 

Talking about the benefits of SBM Life Science taking forward the Maxicrop brand, Simon Whitehead of Hall’s Garden Centre said: “We have stocked Maxicrop products here at Hall’s Garden Centres for over 20 years and our traditional customer base come back year on year to replenish their stocks. We are delighted that SBM now have the Maxicrop brand under their belt – it will be a great asset to them and we look forward to seeing what SBM will do to push the heritage brand forward in the coming years.”

“Welcoming the first delivery of the Maxicrop brand into our warehouse was an exciting moment,” said Darren Brown, Head of SBM Life Science in the UK.

“Maxicrop has a deservedly loyal following amongst committed gardeners.  They know how effective it is and use it every season to give their plants what they need to thrive.  Our mission is to take this great range to a wider audience so everyone, from beginners to experienced gardeners, benefit from its proven positive effects.” 

An innovative range of plant nutrition solutions, the Maxicrop brand fits with SBM Life Science’s strategy of providing gardeners with effective and trusted solutions that are well balanced and ‘In Tune with Nature’.  It complements Solabiol, the company’s brand of natural plant care solutions, launched earlier this year for the 2018 season.     The integration of the Maxicrop brand means consumers can Feed & Strengthen their plants, while using the Solabiol range they can naturally Treat & Cure plant diseases and Protect & Prevent pest attacks. 

www.sbm-lifescience.co.uk

A horticultural nursery has grown and supplied more than 2.5 million trees during the last 12 months, placing it as one of the UK’s biggest net contributors to the nation’s tree population.

Johnsons of Whixley, a family-run plant nursery based in North Yorkshire, has published the figure, which includes smaller hedging plant trees, to coincide with the start of National Tree Week on 25 November.

Organised by the UK Tree Council, National Tree Week marks the start of the winter tree planting season and aims to encourage communities to do something positive for their local treescape.

Just 13% of the UK's total land area is covered in trees, compared with an average elsewhere in the EU of about 35%. In England, the figure is just 10%Estimates suggest that the firm has grown and supplied a total of 110 million trees and hedging plants since chairman John Richardson purchased the business in 1964.

And the trend shows no sign of slowing, as Johnsons continues to supply trees to high-profile projects up and down the country.

Johnsons is one of the largest commercial nursery businesses in Europe, and supplies plants and trees to the amenity sector, alongside thriving Garden Centre Sales and Cash and Carry divisions.

Johnsons of Whixley group managing director, Graham Richardson, said: “National Tree Week provides an opportunity for all of us to reflect on the many benefits trees bring, including improved air quality, flash flood prevention and shelter for wildlife, and acknowledges the importance of protecting and nurturing British woodland.”

“The benefits of strong woodland coverage in the UK are clear, not least of all because wood is an essential material in construction, and we are proud to play such a significant role in boosting the nation’s tree population.”

Klondyke Garden Centres report that their 2017 Group National Managers Conference was once again a great success, with lots of positive feedback from the event and managers taking away some valuable insights from the day.

The National Conference took place at Klondyke’s Wilmslow and Brookside stores in Cheshire and the Pinewood Hotel, Handforth.

The conference focused on their brand values and employee engagement, with guest speaker John Wilks reminding the room on how humility and strong company values can make all the difference in retail success.

An update on the Group’s new loyalty scheme, which now has over 27,000 paying members and details on the roll out of the new company wide training programme were also discussed later in the day.

The conference concluded with the presentation of the Groups’ annual Awards for Garden Centre of the Year; with Houghton Hall, Wilmslow and Livingston winners of their respective categories.

Feeding houseplants for home decoration, functional garden lighting and pots for cuttings are key themes in the GTN Bestsellers Garden Products Chart this week. 

Single orchid drip feeders remain at No 1 while drip feeders for Poinsettia and Christmas Cactus move up 22 places to No 10.

Both the Smart Eureka! Switch Light and the Creative Products Shed light continue to shine in the Top 10 with the Smart Garden Wall, Fence & Post Solar Light coming into the chart, new at No 20.

Two pot lines that are most likely being used for cuttings re-enter the chart: Woodlodge 5.5 inch Standard Spang Pot is the highest re-entry at No 21 while the Stewart Flower Pot 4 inch Terracotta Multi-Pack comes back in at No 23.

Other highlights this week were:

• Fito Orchid Drip Feeders in packs of 5 are the highest chart climber, up 35 places to No 6.
• Oasis Ideal Floral Foam Brick is a mover, up 10 places as gardeners bring colour indoors.
• Smart Garden’s Fairy Spotlight benefitted from a 250% sales increase to be a new entry at No 22.

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

A reindeer was taken ill at Polhill Garden Centre's Christmas grotto launch event last weekend as children and their parents watched.

Rumours of its death spread on social media…but the animal had in fact made a full recovery and later returned to graze in the paddock after being given a clean bill of health by local vets.

Retail manager Dan Banning said the reindeers were supplied by the Reindeer Centre in Kent, which the centre had used for years. “The deer were fine on arrival but one of them was taken ill. The company took him straight back to their base.”

Despite the incident, the grotto launch was a success. “We had a full garden centre, a lot of people up here wanting to have some good, genuine family fun,” said Mr Banning. “The grotto was open, and the shop was trading. So, it was all a very positive and fun weekend.”

Decorative bird feeders are the story in the GTN Bestsellers Wild Bird Care Products chart this week. 

Combined sales of the Gardman Poppy Feeder, boxed and unboxed make it the overall bestseller once again. The boxed version, presumably bought as a gift, has sold almost the same volumes as those unboxed.

This week there are eight decorative bird feeder lines in our Top 50, including three new colourful lines from Fountasia.

This week’s highlights were:

• Fountasia’s Robin Feeder comes in at No 10, while their Grasshopper Feeder (pictured) is at No 40.
• Fallen Fruit’s Hanging Teacup Feeder is a re-entry at No 28.
• The Smart Garden Pear Hanging Glass Feeder is at No 31.

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

Former UK Ambassador Charles Crawford has been announced as the first speaker booked for the Garden Centre Association’s 52^nd annual conference in Warwickshire in January.

Garden centre owners, managers and their teams who attend the event in Stratford-upon-Avon will be offered expert advice by Charles on the art of negotiation on Tuesday, January 23.

Iain Wylie, Chief Executive of the GCA, explained: “Charles is a highly skilled negotiator and mediation specialist. He draws on 28 years’ experience in the UK diplomatic service, much of it in central and eastern Europe, where he served as UK Ambassador to Poland (2003-2007) Serbia and Montenegro (2001-2003) and Bosnia and Herzegovina (1996-1998).

“He is also a well-known commentator on international issues appearing on the BBC, Sky, ITV and CNN, has written for the Independent, Guardian, Daily Mail, Sun, National Review Online and Radio Free Europe and is also on the Daily Telegraph comment team.

“Tuesday is always our day for strategy, so Charles will be joining other keynote speakers giving talks on subjects such as the economy, challenges facing business and direction of future market trends with an emphasis on maintaining and enhancing profitability. We’ll be announcing the details of our other guest speakers very soon.”

The GCA represents nearly 200 garden centres nationwide. Through sharing information and its inspection programme, the organisation helps members to achieve high standards in customer service, plant quality and reliability.

The GCA’s annual conference will be held Crowne Plaza Hotel in Stratford-upon-Avon from January 21 until 24, 2018. More than 300 delegates are expected to attend the event. Places for the event can be booked via the GCA website www.gca.org.uk.

Another week of high volume sales sees the GTN Bestsellers Top 50 index beat the peak sales weeks of Christmas 2014 and 2015 and come within 1% of the peak week last year. 

After eight weeks of Christmas sales analysis the season is running at 15% up year on year. 

With the peak weeks for tree and light sales still to come we are surley set for a record Christmas in garden centres this year.

This week’s highlights were:

• Kaemingk's LED Bottles in Red and White with Warm White lights (pictured) are the highest new entry at No 4.
• Lindt’s 10 gram Teddy Bear joins the other chocolate Christmas Tree treats in the chart at No 6.
• Holiday Specs 3D Christmas Glasses with Snowflakes are the highest re-entry at No 19.

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

The new collection of Plantpak Indoor and outdoor gardening products was launched in time to make the perfect Christmas gifts for gardeners this year.

The collection includes stylish outdoor growing solutions as well as indoor house plant terrariums and even bringing hi-tech hydroponics into the home. Prices start from just £3.99 for the beautiful mouth blown Glass Globe Terrarium; an ideal stocking filler.

While the Hydro-Pod indoor garden and Patio Grow House are stylish additions to any home and are sure to be cherished this Christmas.

The Plantpak Hydro-Pod Indoor Garden enables anyone to grow herbs, vegetables and flowers quickly and easily as no horticultural expertise is needed. Hydro-Pod has a stylish compact design which makes an attractive feature in any home. The two self-watering chambers water the plants and the grow medium automatically feeds the planter. As there is no soil, there is no mess and plants are surrounded with perfectly calibrated nutrition all of the time. RRPs start at just £39.99.

Plantpak are also on trend with their new Glass Globe Terrarium and Glass Pyramid Terrarium. Responding to the recent huge growth in demand for succulents and cacti they have introduced two gorgeous shapes of terrarium.

The elegant Pyramid shaped terrarium with its contemporary geometric design is perfect for succulents, cacti and small plants. The smaller yet equally attractive Globe terrarium can be displayed on any flat surface or hung using the traditional style hanging string. The RRP of the glass Pyramid terrarium is £14.99 and the RRP of the Globe terrarium is just £3.99.

Looking forward to the Spring, Plantpak bring style, modernity, practicality and colour to functional products with the introduction of the Patio Grow House and Cold Frame. These brand- new designs recognise that the patio is now seen as an extension of the living room.

Not only do they look superb, their performance will satisfy the most demanding gardener. Constructed in solid wood and finished in the on-trend colour of dove grey make them the perfect accessory to the patio. The Grow House RRP is £149.99 and the Cold Frame is £79.99.

For more information visit www.crest-garden.com

Wooff woof! Yes it’s me, your industrious (and occasionally industrial) Newshound reporting for duty.

You’ll be wondering if I found much to set the tail wagging at this week’s gathering of the supply chain at Fortress Wyevale. I’ll be honest…they wouldn’t let me in. Didn’t like my credentials. The cheek! I didn’t ask to see theirs.

So I’ve had to resort to sniffing the turn-ups and hemlines of the summoned horde of 100 or more after they streamed out of the Holiday Inn near Syon Park HQ from what was billed as a progress update. We can’t name names, because we promised, but we know them all and they’re not robots.

Nobody was crying, I can report, so for CEO Roger Mclaughlan and his team, it must have gone well.

“Excuse me,” I say to a man who looks to me like the chief executive of something important, “what did you think of what you heard in there?”

“Strong team,” he nods. “They’re all good individually.

“They still have a challenge in cascading direction to the rest of the business. It was well-presented plan – improvements in all areas of the business are planned.

“I still think their challenge is how do they drive footfall into the store. You need to be ‘known for something’ and I think they still aren’t quite sure what it is.

“That said, doing the basics better should give them a little bounce in 2018.”

Moving down the line, I home in on a smiling face that looks as though it liked what it heard. It was a useful meeting, he thought, clearly aimed at reassuring peoples, even though they have seriously reduced the number of suppliers they’re listing. “For those who are still trading with them, knowing they are working on things is good.”

They mentioned they were selling off  “a load of excess stock”, but politely refrained from blaming anyone…

And they mentioned how things like the new Epos system and streamlined IT and mobile phone purchases will all help the business to run more smoothly.

Your Hound liked the sound of that more than what he heard next. Apparently, at one point the suppliers were invited to join in a football crowd style chant which went something like: “We are Wyevale, Wonderful Wyevale, Wyevale of the Park…”

How did that register on the Cringe-ometer, I wonder?

Anyone hoping for spectacular revelations on the day would have been disappointed, it seems. “To be honest, there wasn’t anything especially controversial or secretive presented – essentially an honest and interesting summary of their ongoing plans and initiatives,” said another trouser-leg. “The main points were the new finance facilities already widely reported, wider adoption of the distribution centre along with some inevitable supplier consolidation, local empowerment, new recruitment, focus on serviced and so on…”

I’m getting the drift. All positive, then? “Extremely,” said another turn-up (although it could have been a hemline). “I was impressed by their optimism and enthusiasm for the business. It has given me as a supplier more confidence that they are on the right road and have the bank’s support to move forward.

“I am not prepared to divulge detail but in reality it’s not that important. It was: a) this is where we’ve got to so far and b) this is where we are going next. And the desire to form strong partnerships with suppliers.”

So there we have it, my little kennel keepers. I can’t say the tail is wagging wildly, but at least it’s still holding up.

Two garden centres who use live reindeers in their Christmas attractions have been criticised by animal rights activists over the past week.

In Yorkshire, protesters urged the Wyevale Garden Centre at Birchencliffe to cancel the live reindeer event planned for last Saturday (12 November), which it condemned as cruel.

In Kent, campaigners accused Hawley Garden Centre at Dartford of animal cruelty for featuring live reindeer in its grotto.

The Birchencliffe centre (formerly Armitages) has held a reindeer parade for many years to herald Santa’s arrival.

Urging them to cancel its plans, Animal Aid, one of the UK’s largest animal rights organisations, said research by vets showed that reindeer suffered when uprooted from their natural habitat and placed in captivity. It added: “The research shows that a poor diet, exposure to diseases and stress are prevalent and lead to a high mortality rate in captive reindeer.”

The stress of being carted around the country to busy, noisy brightly-lit environments was “a huge welfare concern. This applies to reindeer whether imported from the wild or bred in captivity”.

WGC said health and safety checks were made to ensure the reindeer were comfortable and came to no harm.

Animal Aid campaign manager Tod Bradbury told the Huddersfield Examiner: “Reindeer should be living free in the tundra, not placed in a busy street. Not only is it cruel to transport these often shy, reserved animals around the country and force them into stressful environments, it also gives the wrong impression to the public – in particular, young children. It teaches them that animals are mere props and decorations, rather than sentient beings deserving of respect.

“We are absolutely sure that Wyevale Garden Centre’s motives were related to bringing festive joy to local residents. However, this can be achieved without putting the well-being of animals at risk.”

A WGC spokesperson said: “The reindeer parade is actually a part of our Christmas Charity Grotto…all moneys raised go to local charities. The parade is an activity that locals within the areas of which they’re running look forward to every year, making this a fun-filled safe activity for all to enjoy and health and safety checks are thoroughly made before, during and after the parade to ensure that the reindeers involved in the parade are comfortable and not harmed in any way.”

At Dartford, local activist Rob de Silva collected almost 500 signatures on a petition calling for the centre to “stop exploiting reindeer this Christmas”.

“Loud crowds and noises can be very stressful for them, never mind the fact that they'll be stuck in a small space all day being prodded by children,” he added.

The centre’s director Janice East said the petition was unfair. “We are an animal-friendly garden centre, where all the staff love animals. We do not hire the reindeer in, they are our own reindeer that we bought when they were just four months old. They are ours, and all the staff know and care for them. They have their own purpose-built Christmas pen with a second fence so people can't get too close. They come out of their pen themselves though, and they like people.”

Ms East said they had declined past requests to hire out the reindeer because they felt that changing their surroundings would distress the animals.

Christmas is either peaking too soon or we are just in for a bumper season, according to EPOS data supplied by garden centres for GTN Bestsellers. 

As the graph below shows, last week the sales volume of the GTN Christmas Top 50 products matched the peak of 2014 in the second week of December and was only 7% behind last year’s bestselling week at the start of December.

With ice rinks opening, grottos already fully booked and plenty of other Christmas events planned, our gut feel is that despite the economic uncertainty at the moment, customers are using Christmas as a ‘feel good’ excuse, and where garden centres have visually appealing displays with a mix of great products on sale, high levels of purchase are inevitable.

What do you think about the prospects for the rest of the Christmas Spirit? Have we peaked too soon? Do let us know by email: trevor.pfeiffer@tgcmc.co.uk

GTN Bestsellers Top 50 sales volumes compared to the same week last year...

Garden Products - down 21%

Growing Media - down 3%

Wild Bird Care - down 8%

Christmas Products - up 38%

All Plants Index - up 45%

All Items Index - up 5%

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

Castle Gardens (above) have won the GCA Christmas competition for Best Garden Centre for the eighth successive year and Bents (below) have been awarded Best Christmas Destination Garden Centre in the UK.

After the results were confirmed last week Bents posted "Voted Best Christmas in the UK!" on their facebook page and Louise Burks, director of The Gardens Group, explained in a press release; “We’re delighted to win this national award for the eighth time, it’s a real achievement and one we are extremely proud of. Our Christmas displays demonstrate a real team effort across The Gardens Group, as everyone works hard to make sure they look their absolute best, from the opening in October, right up until Christmas.

Brimsmore, another of The Gardens Group centres came third in the national garden centre category. This year marked the first time that The Apple Tree Farm Shop, based at Brimsmore Gardens, was judged and it received high praise from the judges for its “enticing, comprehensive and easy to shop range of local products”, as well as the Christmas hampers available, filled with a selection of goods from the farm shop, which is all stocked “in wonderful little huts.”

Louise added: "For The Apple Tree Farm Shop to receive such high praise in its first year being judged is incredible. We make a real effort to stock the very best produce from local makers, growers and butchers, so it’s fantastic to get this recognition on a national scale.”

See GTN Xtra's photo gallery of Christmas at Bents 2017:

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 2015 as well as 2016 to allow your teams to see variations over a three year period.

Access is by subscription only.  For £145.00 per year you and your team can have access to the most up-to-date gardening sales analysis that has already helped many UK garden centres increase their sales.  To subscribe call 01733 775700, e-mail karen.pfeiffer@tgcmc.co.uk or buy on-line using this link.

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

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

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

Highlights of the GTN Wild Bird Care 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.

Adande Refrigeration’s Aircell open front, integral refrigerated Grab & Go cabinet has been announced as winner of the FCSI UK & Ireland Sustainable Catering Equipment Award 2017.

The award was presented at a gala dinner during the Catering Equipment Suppliers’ Association (CESA) annual conference in Reading.

Presenting the award, FCSI UK & Ireland chairman Julian Edwards said: “Adande has brought an open front cabinet to the market which not only keeps food fresher for longer, reducing food wastage, but also achieves a significant reduction in energy consumption.”

FCSI recognition comes hot on the heels of field trials of the prototype product at Le Pain Quotidien food to go outlet in London. Over a three week test period, energy consumption of the Aircell® cabinet was measured as 33% less than the store’s existing open front multi deck display, representing an annual saving in electricity costs of £365. Cabinet air temperature was measured to a bandwidth of 4°C in the Aircell® model, compared to an average range of 11°C in the store’s existing display.

Caption: Adande’s sales director, Karl Hodgson (right), receives the award from Julian Edwards.