The countdown to Glee 2025 is well underway as this year's show at the NEC Birmingham opens its doors to visitors on Tuesday 16th September and runs for three days until 18th September.

Set to be one of the most vibrant editions in recent years, Glee 2025 continues to gain momentum, with the floorplan rapidly filling and every inch of halls 8 -12 being maximised to meet demand. Visitors can expect to explore over 450 brands, including an exciting 250 new and returning exhibitors, all gathered under one roof at the NEC Birmingham.

The latest additions to the Glee 2025 line-up highlight the show’s expanding scope and continued relevance. Making a welcome return after a decade, Mercia Garden Products rejoins the exhibitor roster, as does Gino Pizza Ovens, while Atom Grills makes its debut – all set to strengthen the appeal of Outdoor Entertaining, one of the most dynamic and fast-growing sectors at this year’s show.

Over in the all-new Food @ Glee area, flavour will be added by two leading coffee roasters, Ritual Coffee Roaster and CAYE Coffee Machines UK.

Elsewhere on the show floor, Fandango Fire Tools make a welcome return, while Landscape Plus andWilson strengthen the Landscape and Garden Decoration and Home, Gift and Clothing sectors respectively.

Matthew Mein, Glee Event Director, said: "The energy surrounding Glee 2025 is palpable. After such a strong season for gardening and outdoor living, the industry is eager to come together to build on that momentum. We’re proud to be welcoming so many new and returning brands, and it's clear that Glee is once again the destination for the garden retail community to connect, inspire, and do business."

With such an impressive exhibitor line-up and even more developments to come, Glee 2025 is not to be missed.

Find out more

Glee 2025 promises garden buyers an unrivalled opportunity to discover an exceptional mix of new, returning and long-standing exhibitors. From fresh innovation to trusted favourites, the show is the ultimate destination to explore the latest products, connect with industry leaders, and gain valuable insights into emerging trends. Make sure to mark your diaries for 16th–18th September 2025 and be part of the event that continues to define the future of garden retail.

For more information, to register your interest in exhibiting, or to secure your free ticket to Glee 2025 please visit www.gleebirmingham.com or call +44 (0)203 3545 9752.

Online registration for Glee is live, enabling buyers and retailers to get online and book their free ticket for the UK’s leading garden retail exhibition.

To register for Glee 2025, simply visit https://www.gleebirmingham.com/visitor-registration and confirm your attendance at the show.

Garden Centre customers are the judges of Greatness.

Over the past six weeks, garden centre customers across the country have been voting, both on-line and in-store for their favourite garden centre Food & Drink team.

As hundreds of votes pour into the GTN offices after voting closed on Sunday, the votes will be counted and the winners - The Greatest Garden Centre Food & Drink Teams will be announced and awarded on the "Feed Your Business" Stage at Glee on Wednesday 17th September, 5:00pm.

If your food & drink teams have been collecting in-store voting forms please send them in urgently to:

The Greatest Food & Drink Awards

Garden Trade News

Potting Shed Press 

Dairy House, 8 Dairy Drove

Thorney

Peterborough

PE6 0TX

For in-store paper votes to be counted in the final result they need to be received at the GTN offices by Wednesday 10th September.

Making its debut appearance at Glee 2025, lighting brand 4lite is bringing its award-winning outdoor lighting range to the show for the very first time. 

Located at stand 10864, visitors can expect to see a vibrant showcase of 4lite’s most popular collections, including its leading solar-powered range Antheia, its robust Marinus collection as well as a selection of its popular festoon lighting products.

Offering retailers a reliable revenue stream, outdoor lighting is a huge market and 4lite’s affordable, accessible, and design-led products provide the perfect solution, promising style, durability, and ease of use.

The 4lite team will be on hand throughout the event to share inspiration, insight and advice for those wishing to grow their outdoor lighting offer. Retailers can also discover the brand’s expertly designed retail-ready free-standing display units (FSDUs), created to maximise in-store impact and make lighting sales simple.

And it wouldn’t be Glee without a few extras! Visitors to the stand can also pick up some 4lite goodies and brand literature as well as taking part in a competition to win a solar garden bundle packed with products from across the Antheia range.

https://4liteuk.com/

Stand 10864

Contact: Matthew Clayton. 07976 527593. matthewclayton@4lite.com

On the 60th anniversary of the company’s formation, Garland Products is making a welcome return to Glee and introducing 30 new products for the 2026 season.

A new range of Coco Poles has been added to Garland’s product portfolio.  The poles are made from 100 per cent natural wood and coconut material, are fully biodegradable, and perfect for supporting climbing plants, especially house plants.  A purposely designed Coco Poles display stand is available for stockists to use in houseplant areas.

Garland’s range of jute products has been extended to include three sizes of Jute Rope Nets, which are a natural way of supporting climbing plants and vegetables.  Strong, yet flexible, the nets can easily be cut to different shapes and sizes.  Fully biodegradable, the nets can be added to the compost heap after use.  There are also new Jute Plant Ladders, which are a natural way of supporting climbing plants and vegetables or houseplants.  

The Brooms & Patio Range has been extended and new lower prices have been introduced across much of the range.  The new items are a Heavy Duty 46cm wide Bass Broom and two Premium Heavy-Duty Brooms measuring 46cm and 61cm wide.  These have an all-metal handle and screw fitting to provide maximum strength, and both include a hose fitting to give improved cleaning.  There is also a new heavy-duty Dust Pan and Brush and a Patio Knife. 

Garland’s Outdoor Furniture Cover Range has been extended to include five new covers that cater for the increasingly popular low lounge sets available in most garden centres. 

During the year Garland has opened anew warehouse that houses a larger showroom and conference facilities.

You can find the Garland stand at 10B61-C60.

Gardeners are asking for natural, sustainable products – and LAVA-LITE® is helping retailers meet that demand while driving strong returns.

Made from sustainably sourced volcanic stone, the range provides powerful organic, non-toxic solutions for soil improvement, pest control, aeration and moisture management. Easy to use, long-lasting, and low mess, every SKU combines consumer appeal with commercial value.

Why retailers love it:

• Fast turnover – Hero lines like NO GNATS and NO SLUGS fly off shelves.
• Strong margins – Premium look and feel, with trade-friendly pricing.
• Shelf-ready branding – Clean design, clear messaging, and consumer education built into the pack.
• Flexible displays – Works equally well on seasonal endcaps or integrated into eco-themed ranges.

The Range
From Soil Restore+ for better drainage and structure, to indoor pest control Lava-Lite No Gnats, the collection spans houseplants, borders, orchids, cacti, and composting. This breadth gives stockists multiple entry points for every type of customer.

Ethical & On-Trend
As a UK-owned, independently run business, LAVA-LITE is trusted by leading garden centres nationwide. Retailers can count on fast delivery, excellent service, and products that are proven to sell.

Contact Dominic or Kieron at enquiries@lava-lite.co.uk | 0115 9333193

Following the outstanding success of Zest’s outdoor entertaining collection during the 2024/25 season, the timber garden furniture and outdoor leisure specialist is launching a host of additional ‘al fresco’ products to extend the range next season.  

The new products add to the original modular concept, enabling consumers to customise their own outdoor cooking and dining areas.  With infinitely flexible options to suit all lifestyles and space availabilities, Zest’s enhanced range is being marketed as ‘Your Outdoor Kitchen; Your Way’ and appeals to a diverse and younger audience as well as its traditional admirers.  It won a number of awards at Solex.

Zest’s new products include additions to its stunningly successful Terraza Outdoor Kitchen including a kitchen island and a choice of ‘egg BBQ’ units, as well as a coordinating garden BBQ shelter and a great new corner pergola, ideal for any garden.  The new products are aimed squarely at the developing garden leisure market amongst younger consumers.

As Zest’s Head of Commercial Development, Simon Davison explained, “Over the last year, we’ve enjoyed massive success with our innovative on-trend products all focused on creating a nature-inspired outdoor room for entertaining, cooking and dining, and relaxing.  Now, in our 20^th anniversary year, we are launching even more products to extend and complement our existing Terraza Outdoor Kitchen concept.

There is imagery and video to support stockists in engaging consumers.   As in previous years, Zest will be promoting the complete cooking and entertaining collection in high circulation national consumer magazines in its Spring and Summer consumer campaign as well as in digital media to build brand 

awareness, create desire, and signpost customers to stockists, and online retailers.  Zest’s outdoor entertaining products are made from sustainable slow-grown softwood sourced from PEFC certified (PEFC/16-37-1490) forests.  

For further information about Zest’s outdoor leisure products, visit www.zestoutdoorliving.co.uk or email sales@zestoutdoorliving.co.uk

The FELCO 481 and 482 Gardening Bags are thoughtfully crafted accessories that elevate the gardening experience with a blend of Swiss precision, style, and practicality.

The FELCO 481 Gardening Bag is a robust, multi-purpose companion ideal for serious gardening enthusiasts. Its generous dimensions (20 x 16 x 8 inches) make it perfect for carrying a wide array of tools, gloves, and even flowerpots. Made from green water-repellent canvas, it’s built to withstand the elements. The waxed buffalo leather pockets add a touch of elegance while keeping tools secure, and the water-repellent black cow leather bottom ensures durability. Inside, parachute fabric lining offers additional water resistance, making it reliable in any condition. Dori elastic straps help organize tools neatly, and the overall design balances functionality with a stylish, urban-friendly look.

For those seeking a more compact option, the FELCO 482 Gardening Bag Mini is a charming alternative. Measuring just 10 x 8 x 4 inches, it’s ideal for light gardening tasks, urban gardeners, or even children. The FELCO 482 features the same high-quality materials and craftsmanship as its larger counterpart. The green canvas, leather accents, and parachute lining ensure it’s both durable and attractive. Like the 481, it features elastic straps for tool organization and is perfect for carrying essentials like pruning shears, gloves, and small pots.

Both bags reflect FELCO’s commitment to quality and thoughtful design, making them excellent choices for gardeners who value both utility and aesthetics.

For trade sales, please contact Burton McCall Ltd - T: 0116 234 4611 E: sales@burton-mccall.com

Dobbies Garden Centre in Bury St Edmunds has become the fifth store to complete upgrades to the shopping experience as part of the retailer’s national refurbishment programme.

Customers at the Dobbies’ Bury St Edmunds store can shop expanded ranges, including their biggest ever autumn range, new plants and gardening products, as well as new clothing, home and toys, all in a new store layout.  

In the refurbished restaurant, there is now space for an additional 80 customers inside and 40 more outside, with a new seasonal menu available. 

General Manager, Kelly Box, said: “We’re proud of our refurbished store. People living in Suffolk love their gardens, so we’ve made changes to the store with these local garden fans in mind. The restaurant has also really moved on, with even more space and great seasonal dishes, as well as our famous Dobbies scones.”

“The refurbishment has been a brilliant team effort from colleagues across the business, and we’d like to say a big thanks to everyone involved. We can’t wait for customers to see the work that’s been done.”

David Robinson, CEO of Dobbies, said: “We’re investing more than £4m in store refurbishments, with five completed and more planned. It’s been great to see our national refurbishment programme gathering momentum and delivering positive results. 

“The improvements we’ve made are all about enhancing the customer experience – from showcasing our expanded ranges to creating a space that gives customers even more reasons to visit.”

Dobbies’ Brighton, Cadnam, Hungerford and Beaconsfield stores have already completed their refurbishments this year.

Below: gallery of pictures of revamped store...

Award-winning comedian and broadcaster Patrick Kielty has been confirmed as host of the 2025 GIMA Awards.

Taking to the stage on Thursday 6th November 2025 at the five-star Celtic Manor Resort in Newport, South Wales, Patrick will guide guests through a night celebrating the innovation, dedication and passion of the garden product manufacturers driving the future of garden retail.

Patrick first made his name on the stand-up circuit before becoming a familiar face on TV, with hit series including Patrick Kielty Almost Live for the BBC and numerous appearances on Channel 4 and ITV. He is also an acclaimed documentary-maker, with his BAFTA-nominated My Dad, The Peace Deal and Me earning him the Grierson Award for Best Documentary Host. Since 2023, Patrick has combined his award-winning weekly show on BBC Radio 5Live with hosting Ireland’s iconic Late Late Show – the world’s longest-running live talk show.

Known for his razor-sharp stand-up and quickfire wit, Patrick is set to bring energy, warmth and plenty of laughs to the industry’s biggest night of the year.

GIMA Director Vicky Nuttall said: “We’re thrilled to welcome Patrick to the GIMA Awards stage. His blend of humour, insight and showmanship is the perfect fit for a night that champions the very best of garden retail. We can’t wait to celebrate with the industry on 6th November.”

Important booking update – act now!

With over 440 tickets already booked, demand has been exceptional. A limited number of rooms remain, and we cannot guarantee accommodation after 24th September. Don’t miss out – book your place today.

Sponsorship opportunities

Thanks must also go to the incredible line-up of sponsors already supporting the event, including headline partner Glee. A small number of sponsorship opportunities remain for companies interested in getting involved. To find out how to get your brand featured at the 2025 GIMA Awards please contact the GIMA team for further details.

Find out more

For further information about the GIMA Awards 2025 – including booking tickets, hotel information and award categories – please visit www.gima.org.uk/gima-awards/GIMA.

Further information on the wide range of GIMA member benefits can be obtained by contacting the GIMA Press Office on (01959) 564947 or info@gima.org.uk.

Charitable garden centre Chestnut Nursery in Poole is investing in its plant-growing infrastructure – thanks to a mammoth fund-raising effort by one of the UK’s best known exotic plant specialists.

Renowned plant collector Mike Clifford and his wife Tina have spent six years opening their private Botanical Jungle Garden in Poole in aid of Chestnut, raising more than £10,000 from entry fees.

Run by the charity Plants and Minds, Chestnut – and its sister nursery Cherry Tree in Bournemouth – support people who are experiencing long-term mental health conditions (known as Team Members) via therapeutic horticulture.

Award-winning horticulturist Mike has developed a collection of several thousand rare and exotic plants in the 65x35ft garden nestled behind his Dorset bungalow, and a small 30 square foot garden at the front.

In July and August, five open days had 530 people queuing down the road for an opportunity to marvel at Mike's treasured collection of exotic and tropical plants, which has been featured on BBC Gardeners’ World.

Not content with having raised more than £8,000 for Chestnut in recent years, Mike has just handed over a cheque for £2,120, raised via entry fees to his garden openings this summer.

Transforming growing facilities

Chestnut is a rare example of a thriving town centre retail nursery. Much of the bedding, perennials and exotics are grown on-site by Team Members in glasshouses, a polytunnel and nursery stock beds.

Mike's fund-raising has enabled Chestnut, which is famous for its extensive range of exotic plants, to channel investment into infrastructure improvements, including new propagation kit used by Team Members to grow plants from seed and take cuttings.

Almost 40 tonnes of gravel has been installed to boost drainage in polytunnel and outdoor growing areas, creating optimum conditions for nurturing top-quality plants, while new paths have been laid to improve site safety.

The latest donation from Mike will see further investment, with specialist thermostat and mist irrigation equipment bought and installed on the nursery’s propagation bench, increasing the range of plants that will be grown for sale.

Andy Verreck, Nursery Manager at Chestnut, said Mike and Tina’s generosity had enabled Chestnut to invest in first-class propagation and growing facilities that would benefit Team Members, boost plant production and help the nursery stay ahead of competition.

Andy said: “Mike's enthusiasm for sharing his passion for exotics has raised thousands of pounds for our charity in recent years. We are indebted to Mike for his kindness and dedication to supporting people on their journey to improved mental health and wellbeing – and ensuring Chestnut remains a leading destination for top quality, home-grown plants.”

Mike said: "It has been a great privilege to raise funds for the incredible mental health support that's provided at Chestnut – a fantastic charity.”

A tropical gem in Dorset

Mike initially opened his Botanical Jungle Garden under the National Gardens Scheme (NGS). However, after two years, he switched his fund-raising efforts to Chestnut because he wanted to support a local mental health charity.

Visitors have marvelled at some of Mike's most treasured plants, including the palm leaf begonia (Begonia luxurians), a Brazilian native which soars to more than three metres high each year, and the golden fuchsia (Deppea splendens), famed for its trumpet-shaped yellow, orange and burgundy flowers. Discovered in Mexico in 1973, it's now extinct in the wild.

In 2024, Mike was presented with the Maurice Mason Award by the Royal Horticultural Society's Tender Ornamental Expert Group – one of the most prestigious awards for the cultivation of tender plants in the UK, which recognised Mike's achievements in propagating endangered plants. Mike also donates plants to leading botanical establishments such as RHS Garden Wisley, Abbotsbury Subtropical Gardens and Kew Gardens.

Specialist recruitment business MorePeople has launched a refreshed website alongside an exciting new MorePeople Executive product offering, expanding its services beyond recruitment and into leadership development.

The new website has been designed to improve user experience, making it easier for candidates and clients to connect with MorePeople’s team of industry experts across food, fresh produce, agriculture, and horticulture.

Alongside the new site, the launch of MorePeople Executive introduces two core services:

1. MorePeople Executive Search

Building on 25 years of recruitment expertise, MorePeople Executive Search provides a bespoke, discreet service to help businesses secure senior leaders and board-level appointments. With a deep understanding of the industries it serves, MorePeople ensures clients access the very best executive talent to drive growth and long-term success.

Learn more here

2. MorePeople Executive Development

In a significant step beyond recruitment, MorePeople has partnered with leadership specialist Sean Sankey to start building a team offering tailored development programmes for senior leaders and future talent. 

Sean brings a wealth of experience in executive coaching, change leadership, and organisational development, and will lead this new suite of services designed to help leaders and teams perform at their best.

The four flagship development products include:

• Executive Coaching - personalised one-to-one coaching for leaders navigating complex challenges.
• Change Leadership - equipping leaders with the skills to drive transformation effectively.
• Accelerated Alignment - fast-tracking teams to work with clarity and shared purpose.
• Tier 2 Talent Development - supporting the next generation of leaders in their career growth.

Learn more here

Andrew Fitzmaurice, CEO, commented: "The launch of MorePeople Executive represents a huge milestone for us. We’ve always been passionate about connecting talent with opportunity - now we’re taking that one step further by supporting leaders and businesses to unlock their full potential. With Sean’s expertise and our deep industry networks, we’re confident this new offering will deliver real value for our clients."

The new website and expanded executive services reflect MorePeople’s ongoing commitment to evolving with client needs and investing in long-term partnerships across the food and agriculture supply chain.

For more information visit www.morepeople.co.uk.

Phillipa and Libby Stubbs from British Garden Centres were first timers to The Big Christmas Press Show.

British Garden Centres, Dobbies and a host of toy and gift suppliers joined the Christmas promotional band wagon this week at The Big Christmas Press Show in London. 

Navigating a tube strike, journalists and influencers were out in force to find the hottest new products for the festive season from companies including Baylis & Harding, Mattel and Ruggable. BGC and Dobbies were promoting their new Christmas lines and spreading the message that garden centres are the perfect place to find everything for the season.

“The garden centre isn’t just about plants,” said Phillipa Stubbs, Head of British Garden Centres. “It’s a massive part, but we are trying show how much we do at Christmas, the quality and the whole experience that you can build on. From displays, to the fun with children and families, to food in the restaurants, it can be a day out. It’s all one big memory experience.”

Libby Stubbs adds: “We have done a lot with influencers over spring summer which has been good for us. Now we have navigated that, we are looking to expand and work with more home and lifestyle people over Christmas to show that maybe even if customers are not the most green fingered, a garden centre can still be for them.”

BCG kicks off Christmas at its Bridgenorth store on Saturday September 19th, followed a day later by Brigg Garden Centre. All centres will be selling Christmas Dobbies stores will be set up for Christmas at the beginning of October and new lines include a festive plush Highland cow in a selection of sizes.by 11th October.

Dobbies welcomed visitors with foam snow and energetic elves. “This event gives us the opportunity to meet with influences, retail and consumer media to showcase what Dobbies has on offer,” said Amelia Whittaker, PR and Communications Manager.

This year it will focus on bringing Christmas to life in every sense with scent being high on the list. “We also have gifts for everyone on all budgets and gifts for gardeners including the newly launched bulb collection with £5 from every pack going towards our charity partner Alzheimers UK.” 

Christmas will be in Dobbies stores from October 2^nd with Santa from Nov 23^rd.

Tom from Burton McCall with Felco leather gardening gloves which now come with a warm lining.

Zoe Southworth of KAP Toys with Mini Garden Mermaid - new from Creativity for Kids. KAP Toys is keen to get more into garden retailers as it sees it as the perfect line for garden centres customers.

From Ravensburger – the new My Little Plants Play+Pretend Collection has a rrp of £29.99.

The Matcha Advent Calendar from Bird & Blend was a Judges Pick in the events Wishlist Awards.

With the promise of an Indian summer, the Floral Fantasia begonia trial continues to wow visitors to RHS Garden Hyde Hall, Essex.

Thanks to industry support, including Miracle Gro for the 20205-26 season, more than 130 varieties have been grown in beds and containers to show the breadth of this colourful plant group. An asset for garden centres, a visit is encouraged to help buyers with their decisions and keep planteria staff up to date.

Plants have been assessed throughout the year with a final meeting at the end of September to see which will proudly show off an RHS Award of Garden Merit. Coupled with this, is the People’s Choice visitor vote, which can help garden centres confidently choose which varieties are likely to ultimately be best sellers.

Karen Wilkinson, Marketing Director for UK & Ireland at Evergreen Garden Care, said the ideal behind Floral Fantasia, which is to encourage everyone to garden, perfectly aligned with Miracle Gro’s aims to inspire and educate. Its products are being used within the Floral Fantasia garden and results are being monitored. “It gives us feedback, insight and an independent view on how our watering and feeding products and peat-free growing media are working in a real and challenging environment,” she said.

Floral Fantasia is an independent legacy project created by the late Peter Seabrook to promote seasonal plants in a trial and garden setting. For 2026, it will be trialling antirrhinum– any breeders wanting to have their plants included in the trial, or in the garden are encouraged to contact Michael Smith at W D Smith & Son, Chair of the Floral Fantasia Working Group. Email michael@wdsmith.com

Industry supporters of Floral Fantasia

• Miracle Gro
• Volmary
• Ball
• Bpoa
• Beekenkamp
• Kerley & Co
• Syngenta flowers 
• Whartons
• Mr Fothergill’s
• Hayloft
• Kings Seeds
• The Colegrave Seabrook Foundation

Handy Andy Car Wash Limited opened its 12th car wash site, the second in Yorkshire, at Tingley Garden Centre on 8th September.

The site offers a range of car wash and valet services to visitors to the Thorpe Lane centre which is part of the Yorkshire Garden Centres group.

Yorkshire Garden Centres’ Commercial Director, Sharon McNair, welcomes the addition of a car wash: “A car wash is a perfect fit here at Tingley Garden Centre.

“Our customers typically spend leisure time with us browsing in store, selecting plants or gifts or dining in our restaurants, so this is a useful service to access when here, especially when you can prebook a car wash with your Grass Hoppers tickets. Handy Andy Car Wash has been operating successfully at our sister site at Tong since 2021, so we’re thrilled to welcome them to Tingley.”

Founder of Handy Andy Car Wash, Yorkshireman Terry Fullwood said: “We’re excited about the opportunities for Handy Andy at Tingley. We know from our experience at Tong that having a car wash on site is very convenient for customers. Tingley Garden Centre occupies a prime site with easy access from the M62, excellent footfall and plenty of space. It complements the existing food, play and retail offer at Tingley perfectly.

“The opening of the Tingley site is the first of another four openings to take place over the next 12 months, including another Yorkshire Garden Centres site. ”

The car wash will be operated by experienced franchisee Darabaz Zrar, who already manages another Handy Andy Car Wash in Leicester.

Established in 2008 and family-owned, Handy Andy washes and valets over half a million cars every year. Services on offer at the Tingley site include a full range of hand washing services plus mini and full valets.

British garden equipment manufacturer and distributor Handy has announced the launch of its 2026 trade pre-season catalogue, which introduces new product ranges and extended dealer benefits designed to maximise margins and boost sales.

Handy’s 2026 trade pre-season catalogue and pricing covers the comprehensive range of garden machinery and DIY tools available from its Webb Garden Power, Webb Eco and The Handy own-brand ranges, along with market-leading brands such as Greenworks, Ava, Flymo, Solo and Karcher.

New products for 2026 include Webb’s all-new pressure washer range, offering models from compact 105 Bar units through to a robust 165 Bar washer with enhanced accessories. Webb has also extended its Eco 20V lithium cordless line-up with three important additions: the brand’s first cordless 30cm cylinder mower, a 25cm cordless chainsaw for pruning and light logging, and a compact 20cm cordless tiller for effortless soil preparation.

Webb Eco also introduces the new X-Series 40V cordless family, designed especially for medium to large gardens. Powered by two Webb Eco 20V batteries working together, the X-Series delivers the strength of 40V across an entire suite of tools, from self-propelled lawnmowers to hedge trimmers, blowers, vacuums, scarifiers and chainsaws.

Alongside its expanded product offering, Handy is supporting dealers with a wide range of pre-season benefits, including trade discounts, extended split payment terms to help manage cash flow, priority stock allocation to secure high-demand items before they sell out, and a packed calendar of monthly promotions on selected products with strong margins.

Added-value promotions include free batteries with Webb Eco lawnmowers and hand tools, as well as complimentary lawn feed or seed packs with selected Webb models. Handy has also confirmed price reductions on selected trolleys, cordless products and lawnmowers, while improved margins have been introduced on key core lines to further support dealer profitability.

Handy Sales & Marketing Director, Mark Moseley, commented:

“Our 2026 pre-season programme is our strongest yet, combining a more competitive cordless offering with improved dealer benefits and a calendar of promotions that add value for both retailers and their customers. We’re excited to help our trade partners gear up for a successful season ahead.”

To view the full catalogue and place your pre-season order, please email sales@handys.co.uk  call 01793 333212 or visit www.handys.co.uk

Barrus is gearing up for a spectacular return to Glee 2025, bringing together the very best from Town & Country, Wilkinson Sword, and WOLF-Garten, and a compelling message for garden retailers: maximise your space, maximise your return. 

This year’s showcase promises more than just products. Alongside thrilling new launches, including Town & Country’s Dragonfly Collection, extended Go Walk range, and waterproof bobble hats, and Wilkinson Sword’s latest Ultralight tools, Barrus will reveal how its innovative blueprint merchandising system is revolutionising garden centre sales. Already rolled out to a number of key retail partners, the system replicates effective layouts tailored to individual retailers, making every square foot work harder. 

Retailers are already seeing impressive returns: “5 bays brought in £12,500 in sales — a great start for a compact install,” said one partner, while Chessington Garden Centre described the new POS setup as “a real game-changer on the shop floor.” 

And that’s not all. Visitors to the Barrus stand will get an exclusive look at MyOutdoor247, the company’s cutting-edge ordering portal, designed to make purchasing fast, efficient, and stress-free. Retailers praise it as a tool that helps them plan and manage orders with ease – saving both time and hassle. 

With a winning combination of trusted brands, innovative products, and proven sales solutions, EP Barrus promises a stand experience that’s not just informative but truly inspiring. Whether you’re looking to elevate your garden centre’s merchandising, discover the latest product innovations, or streamline your ordering, the Barrus stand is a must-visit at Glee 2025.  

Autumn Fair 2025 at NEC Birmingham closed on a high note, delivering a dynamic and productive event that attracted thousands of influential buyers and suppliers from across the UK.

Cementing its position as the definitive order-writing show for the home, gift, fashion, and garden sectors, this year’s edition saw a marked rise in retail decision-makers seizing the final major buying opportunity ahead of the crucial holiday trading season.

With a bigger event footprint and record-breaking exhibitor growth, the show saw a 16% rise in total exhibitors and a 38% surge in new exhibitors. Adding to its unique appeal, over 30% of exhibitors were exclusive to Autumn Fair. Over 800 brands presented thousands of new products and exclusive launches, and the halls were alive with colour, creativity, and commerce.

Retailers turned out in force over the last four days, with thousands of influential buyers and suppliers from across the UK and overseas, and a marked rise in retail decision-makers seizing the final major buying opportunity ahead of the crucial holiday trading season.

Buyers from a wide cross-section of the industry, from national multiples, department stores and garden centres to independents, museums, activity centres and lifestyle brands including Fenwick, M&S, Baldwins, Wilkies, Diageo, Blue Diamond, Marsdens, Tesco, Natural History Museum, Jeff Banks, Bradbeers, WM Nicholls & Co, The Dressing Room, Just Lily, Barsleys, Camerons, Bents Garden Centre, Sainsbury’s, Argos, Morley Stores, Frasers Group, TikTok, TJ Hughes, Sapcote Garden Centre, Haskins Garden Centre, HMV, British Heart Foundation, Menkind, The Original Factory Shop, Habitat, FW Homestores, W. Boyes & Co, Jones Wholesale, Trago Mills, Card Zone, Vinterior, After Noah, Merlin Entertainment, Walmart, Funstation, Graham and Green, Disney, Morrisons, NEXT plc, Dunelm, Matalan, F Hinds, Ocado, The Very Group, Wayfair, TK Maxx / Homesense, World Duty Free, MFI, Skinnydip London, Scribbler, Pyramid International, Squire’s Garden Centres, Tate’s of Sussex Garden Centres, Mole Avon Country Stores, and many more shopped the show.

More than just a buying event, Autumn Fair 2025 delivered a fully immersive retail experience, blending product discovery with an acclaimed content programme, trend insights, mentoring, and one-of-a-kind activations that inspired and energised the entire retail community.

The upbeat energy throughout the show was echoed in the glowing feedback from exhibitors and buyers alike, who praised the standout new products, robust order volumes, and meaningful relationships forged during the event. Alongside these strong commercial results, visitors also commended the inspirational content programme, networking features, and immersive show experiences that made this year’s Autumn Fair more valuable than ever.

Jeff Banks CBE PPCSD, fashion designer said, “The atmosphere across the show floor is alive and busy.  With concerns that the retail industry, and the high street particularly, is suffering and consumers not out spending money, it was encouraging when I came to Autumn Fair to see so many small businesses here and their incredible energy and desire to succeed and thrive. There is loads of positivity from both exhibitors and visitors and that feels both amazing and refreshing. I am hearing so many stories of people doing great business.”

Laura Simonyte, Buyer at Scribbler said, “We are always at Autumn Fair, it's very important for Scribbler, and especially a gift buyer, to attend. The vast majority of our suppliers exhibit here. It's also exciting to see what's new, follow up on the trends and to see what's coming up. It's an event that you can't miss, the biggest event of the year.”

Martin Barrett, Buyer, Tate's of Sussex Garden Centres said, “It's been a refreshing trade show, great to see new and exciting products from both our existing and new suppliers. We've come here for toy, game, gift pick up lines, stocking fillers and we've seen lots of newness from our existing suppliers, so it's definitely been worthwhile coming. We have also sourced some strong Christmas wins and some newness for 2026 with Easter and spring launch products. As a buyer, Spring and Autumn Fairs are the must go-to shows. We're excited to see the hybrid of Glee and Autumn Fair joining together in 2026.”

Fiona Crabb, owner of Ellesmore Antiques Emporium, Shropshire said, “We are a new business visiting Autumn Fair and have been amazed with the vast array of products and offers for buyers.  We visited to find home interiors to complement our antiques business and certainly weren’t disappointed with what was on offer.”

This enthusiasm was shared by exhibitors, many of whom reported strong sales and valuable new connections. Tara Carlisle Swift, Founder at Freckleface commented, “We’re thrilled to be at Autumn Fair and delighted to see old and new customers. We want our customers to come and visit us here and actually smell our products and meet us in person and experience everything in real life. It adds that value to retail that's just so important that you just lose online, especially with fragrance.  We feel the show is so important and want to energise the buyers that are coming so offer incentives on orders placed. It's just incredible to get everyone together!”

Jon Sallow, Sales Director at TY UK was upbeat following a successful four days. “This is the most successful show we have had for the last 30 years! It's been brilliant with a mix of gift and toy buyers coming to our stand and from a range of department stores, independents, garden centres and more.  The sponsorship has been huge for us, making our brand a huge focal point of the show and the new collection of bouncers we are launching.  We've opened lots of new accounts and taken lots of orders.”

Helen Marshall, Sales Director at Walton & Co was also buoyant, “The show has been a great success this year. We used it to launch our new Spring Summer collections, and they have been very well received. We've had a range of buyers, lots of independents who I would describe as lifestyle retailers, and we've taken a lot of orders. This Autumn Fair has certainly had a high calibre of buyers and decision makers as well as the owners of small stores. It’s been great.”

Amy Hogarth, Founder at CAHM said, “After a very successful Spring Fair earlier this year, we decided to venture back down to the NEC to Autumn Fair, our first time at the show, and it has been as successful as anticipated. We've seen lots of existing customers, but more importantly, we've met loads of lovely new buyers from a range of garden centres, small independents and some larger stores. We've had lots of orders placed at the show.”

4 Days of Inspirational Content & Features

Autumn Fair delivered four days of educational and inspiration content, and immersive brand activations. Highlights included the Retail Corner Stage, styled as a British high street shopfront, where sessions on trends, merchandising and retail innovation provided practical takeaways; and the Buyers Retreat, which offered, workshops, and networking. Global plush brand TY UK were unmissable with their vibrant Beanie Bouncers and Sweet Shop activations. From TV screens in the main atrium and banners across entrances to floor stickers, map borders, water fountains and lanyards, Ty filled the space with its 360-degree branding.

The Gift Of The Year Showcase which attracted buyers eager to discover the winners of The Giftware Association’s prestigious 2025 Awards, shone a spotlight on the very best in design and retail-ready gifting and bestsellers for the coming year.

Gemma Sault, Managing Director, of the Giftware Association commented, “This has been my first time at the show as an exhibitor, which has been very exciting, having attended in my previous life, in my roles within retail merchandising and trading. It has been an incredible opportunity to meet and get to know so many of our Gift Association members, to see their businesses showcase incredible products, but also to meet new members and to develop opportunities for the Association.

“I think the content, showcases and Pitch Live in particular have been absolutely fantastic, and the educational content has been brilliant to really inspire and help businesses grow and also encourage new buyers and new people who are here to learn new things that will help their businesses grow and ultimately help save our High Streets. Autumn Fair has been a win all round.”

The Retail Makeover Mission was a particular highlight. The show brought the new initiative to life with one-to-one mentoring sessions by the retail Task Team and inspiring talks. The one-to-one sessions offered personalised advice tailored to retailers’ business challenges and the expert mentors delivered over 20 hours of personalised guidance covering buying strategy, marketing, PR & customer experience, operations, data, and visual merchandising.

Jenny Brandon from Scape Interiors West in Bournemouth found the mentoring sessions invaluable. “I've spoken to three of the mentoring experts, and I think everyone's given me a very interesting perspective on marketing, on branding, and community engagement. We often get stuck in our own ways of doing things, and it's interesting to hear their perspective. I would highly recommend anybody else to do it.”

Bria Williamson and Jodie Jenkins from Lazy Lobster in Norwich commented, “We've been really excited to come to Autumn Fair, see all the exhibitors, and take advantage of the mentoring sessions. It's been a very useful experience, and we have been blown away by all of the information and learnings we have got out of our visit and will definitely be implementing.”

Tasker Teamer, Deryane Tadd from award-winning store The Dressing Room in St Albans spent the day at Autumn Fair with Katie Gibbs, owner of the Retail Makeover Mission winning store OSO Boutique. She said, “I have loved being a part of the Retail Mission Task Team. I have found it really inspiring and enjoyed working with Katie and her team and understanding the challenges they are facing. It has been an insightful process and a joy to see everything we have been working on already having a positive impact.”

Fellow Task Team member, Claire Bevan, Head of Retail at the Natural History Museum added, “I've had an amazing time at Autumn Fair, I've caught up with some existing suppliers and have found and met some new brands and products. I've been engaging with the Retail Makeover Mission content; it's been really inspiring to look at retail from the High Street view. Coming from a heritage background, seeing new trends coming through across the show and on the stages is fantastic.”

The Retail Corner also hosted live, inspiring talks and expert insights from the two Retail Makeover Mission winners and their task team helpers, exploring how independent retailers can transform their businesses and bring their brand stories to life.

Lark London’s Priya Aurora-Crowe Shares the Truth About Independent Retail Success at Autumn Fair

Independent retailers packed out the Retail Corner stage at Autumn Fair today as Priya Aurora-Crowe, owner of Lark London, joined retail consultant Graham Soult of CannyInsights.com to deliver an unfiltered look at the realities of running one of the UK’s most successful family-owned retail businesses.

Founded nearly 25 years ago, Lark London now operates over 20 stores and stocks more than 500 brands across categories from fashion and jewellery to homeware, gifts, and even pet products. Aurora-Crowe reflected on the constant adaptation required to survive and thrive on the high street: “For a retailer to survive, it’s never going to look the same as when it first started. The key of any success is the constant ability to react. Knowing your limits is also vital, if there’s something you’re not good at, see it, name it, and delegate it.”

Aurora-Crowe spoke passionately about her love of physical retail, admitting she’d “rather open ten more stores than focus online.” For her, the tactility of the in-store experience, from merchandising to customer engagement, remains retail’s biggest strength.

She also praised the role of trade shows in shaping her buying decisions and the role of the retail community; “I feel very proud to be part of the high street and the community it represents. I love being part of people’s shopping experience and journey. I love buying, I love brands, I love seeing the newness, the ideas. When I come to shows like this, I’m overwhelmed by the concepts people are bringing to market. It’s such a great industry to be a part of. Trade shows are a great representation of what we love to stock in our stores.”

However, Aurora-Crowe didn’t shy away from addressing the growing shoplifting crisis, revealing that Lark London has experienced more theft in the past six months than in the previous 25 years combined. “We’ve had to make difficult decisions, like introducing tap-in and tap-out entry systems in some locations, to protect staff. It goes against our open-door values, but adapting is the only way to survive right now. We need to see government efforts to lower the threshold for investigating shoplifting put into practice.”

Championing Small Brands

Stephen Spencer of Stephen Spencer + Associates was joined by Davesh Thakkar, VP of Commercial at Not On The High Street (NOTHS), for an inspiring session titled Not Just Another High Street Story: Championing Small Brands. Thakkar highlighted the platform’s role in helping independent makers and retailers not just survive but thrive: “Right now retailers are trying to survive, we need to make them thrive.”

“At NOTHS we see a marketplace as a partnership. If we can share insight that helps small brands skip a few steps, that’s what we’re here for, to amplify brands.” He noted the growing consumer demand for provenance, ethics, and authenticity, while also pointing to the impact of AI on shopping habits, with customers increasingly asking technology for hyper-specific gift recommendations. “Places like Autumn Fair are so important to connect digital and physical together,” Thakkar added, underlining how NOTHS’ 350,000-strong product range offers unique insights into how customers discover and connect with small brands.

Soraya Gadelrab, Event Director of Autumn Fair says, “Autumn Fair 2025 has truly been a record-breaking event, surpassing our expectations in terms of visitor numbers, order volumes, and overall energy on the show floor. It’s clear that retailers and suppliers alike see the value in coming together here to discover fresh products and build lasting partnerships ahead of the crucial trading season. We’re proud to provide a platform that continues to grow and support the retail community at such an important time of year. Autumn Fair is not just about transactions, it’s about inspiration, education, and creating an experience that empowers retailers long after the show doors close.”

Autumn Fair 2025 confirmed its role as more than a trade show, it is an essential destination where retail comes together to source, inspire, learn, and connect in one dynamic experience.

Leading wild bird food manufacturer introduces three new brands to the wild bird industry in its biggest new product launch to date.

Harvest Wildlife Products will unveil three brand-new wild bird food ranges at this September’s major trade events in Birmingham: Glee and PATS.

New brands for Harvest:

• The Little Birdhouse
• RSPB Hungry Birds
• RHS

As the UK’s number one private-label wild bird food manufacturer, Harvest has built its reputation on innovation, trusted partnerships, and a commitment to quality. All products are manufactured in Britain at the company’s dedicated site in rural Lincolnshire, where a unique on-site cleaning process ensures cleaner, more nutritious food that garden birds love.

This year’s launches are designed to appeal to a wide spectrum of consumers, from everyday shoppers to premium buyers, while giving retailers new opportunities to expand and refresh their wild bird food categories.

The Little Birdhouse
Bringing together over 125 years of Harvest expertise, The Little Birdhouse is a well-rounded, great value range of seed mixes, straights and suet products developed for everyday feeding. Perfect for budget-conscious shoppers, the range is carefully crafted using trusted ingredients and processed on-site for improved cleanliness and nutritional value. With mixes tailored to a variety of species, The Little Birdhouse provides simple, reliable and affordable options for attracting more birds into gardens throughout the year.

RSPB Hungry Birds
Developed by industry experts, RSPB Hungry Birds is a new range of high-quality suet treats designed to give garden birds the energy they need all year round. Using carefully selected ingredients to attract a wide range of species, the range features convenient pack sizes with strong shelf appeal. By stocking RSPB Hungry Birds, retailers can offer customers trusted quality products while also supporting the RSPB’s vital conservation work, with a portion of proceeds contributing directly to protecting wildlife and habitats.

RHS
Created in collaboration with the Royal Horticultural Society, this premium range of wild bird food blends and high-energy treats has been specially developed to bring more wildlife into gardens. Each recipe is carefully crafted with high-quality ingredients to attract a wide variety of birds, from robins and songbirds to finches and tits, throughout the seasons. Concepts for the range include specialist and seasonal feeding mixes, alongside gourmet suet options. This collection combines outstanding nutrition with industry expertise. Elegant packaging and premium positioning make it a perfect choice for discerning customers.

Harvest’s leadership in the category is reinforced by its BRCGS AA Food Safety accreditation and Sedex membership, demonstrating rigorous standards for food safety, ethical sourcing, and environmental responsibility.

The company uses responsibly sourced ingredients, offers recyclable packaging wherever possible, and actively reduces its carbon footprint through smarter logistics and transport optimisation. With these credentials, Harvest provides retailers with total confidence in the quality, safety, and sustainability of its products.

Matt Bryant, CEO of Harvest Wildlife Products, said: “We’re proud to bring three exciting new ranges to market this September. From value-driven everyday mixes to premium, conservation-supporting collections, each brand has been designed with both retailers and customers in mind. These launches highlight our commitment to providing the very best for garden birds, while helping our trade partners drive growth through quality, innovation, and trusted brand partnerships.”

Harvest Wildlife Products will be showcasing the new ranges at the NEC Birmingham for Glee (16^th to 18^th September, stand 12E20) and PATS (28^th to 30^th September, stand F73). Visitors to both shows will have an exclusive first look at product samples and the opportunity to meet the team of wild bird food experts behind them.

For more information or to book a meeting at the show, visit www.harvestwildlife.com/contact or email sales@harvestwildlife.com

Hug Rug, the original creators of the washable rug, is delighted to be exhibiting at Glee, the UK’s leading garden trade show, at NEC Birmingham from 16^th – 18^th September. Entirely manufactured at its mills in Huddersfield, Yorkshire, Hug Rug represents authentic British craftsmanship and continues to champion local manufacturing expertise that has been refined over decades.

Hug Rug will exhibit new launches across its range of Eco-Washable Rugs and Washable Doormats, as well as its new range of Outdoor Mats. 

Hug Rug is excited to launch its new range of Outdoor Mats, which it will debut for the first time at Glee. Crafted for durability and designed to offer a stylish and practical solution every season. Featuring a curated selection of Hug Rug’s most popular designs, the new outdoor range is made from ECONYL® yarn: ECONYL® regenerated Nylon is made by recovering nylon waste destined for landfill and turning it into nylon yarn for the fashion and interiors industries. 

Inspired by the natural beauty of its Pennine location, the new outdoor collection exemplifies Hug Rug’s continued commitment to manufacturing as sustainably as possible. Proudly a zero-waste to landfill business, Hug Rug’s outdoor rugs made from ECONYL® are its latest innovation as it strives to minimise its environmental impact during production, protect scarce natural materials, and to create products that reduce waste.

First launched in 2007, Hug Rug will celebrate its 18th birthday on the 18^th September. To coincide with the milestone, Hug Rug looks forward to the launch of its new website and comprehensive brand refresh on 18^th September, as it looks ahead to the next 18 years.

Hug Rug is the proud inventor of the washable rug, which Phoenox Textiles pioneered in 1970. As a leading manufacturer of eco-friendly, machine-washable rugs, the company's non-slip, washable designs offer the ideal combination of low-maintenance care, durability, and contemporary style for modern homes.

The brand's innovative approach addresses common consumer frustrations with traditional rugs, providing a practical solution that doesn't compromise on aesthetics or environmental responsibility.

with all the news direct to your e-mail inbox.  The best news service every weekend and all the breaking news as it happens.

Subscribe for free using this link

The Garden Centre Association has revealed that Dan Lawton from Moss & Moor has joined its Executive Committee as Area Co-Chair for the North, which includes Scotland and Northern Ireland.

Dan, General Manager at Moss & Moor, Ilkley is joining Chair of North, Justin Williams, Managing Director at Fron Goch Garden Centre, to head up the region for the organisation.

Justin explains: “It’s a pleasure to have Dan join as GCA Co-Chair for the North. Like many of us, he has grown up in the industry, which gives him the knowledge and understanding to connect to the membership in the North; to understand the challenges they face and where future opportunities lie.”

Dan’s horticultural journey started when he was aged just 14 and worked as a trolley boy at his nearest garden centre in Northumberland. After studying horticulture for three years at Kirkley Hall College, he developed a real passion for plants.

He later moved to Yorkshire to take the next step in his career, working in various roles with Klondyke before going on to become a Director at Langlands Garden Centres.

Dan says: “We’re very committed GCA members at Moss & Moor and I am delighted to have been asked to join the Executive Committee, to have the post of Area Co-Chair for the North and to work with Justin. I am looking forward to getting involved with communicating and connecting with all the members in our area.”

The GCA represents more than 200 garden centres nationwide.

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

GCA CEO, Peter Burks, adds: “Dan brings years of experience to his new role, as well as a love of all things green and a down-to-earth approach to running Moss & Moor. We’re delighted he has joined our Executive Committee and has taken on the very important responsibility of our Area Co-Chair for the North.

“Dan replaces Martin Cowell from Cowells Garden Centre who has been on the Executive Committee for many years and has been instrumental in the recent development of our organisation. We’re indebted to him for his support and dedication to his role. Thank you Martin. I am also very pleased that Dan volunteered for this position, as he neatly replaces Martin, geographically, in the North East.

“We’ve our 60th anniversary year coming up in 2026, which represents an important milestone in our history, and we’re currently working towards our special celebratory 2026 Annual Conference, so there are lots of exciting things in the pipeline that I know we’ll value Dan’s input on.”

Tickets for the GCA’s 2026 Annual Conference are now on sale via the members’ section on the body’s website or via https://gca.digitickets.co.uk/.

For further information, please go to www.gca.org.uk.

The Horti House has announced that Lester Henton has joined the team as a Sales Agent, covering areas of the  Southwest of England, South Wales and West Midlands. With decades of experience in the horticultural industry, Lester brings a wealth of knowledge, a personal touch, and a passion for helping customers succeed.

With a long-standing reputation in the industry, Lester is excited about the opportunities ahead, he said, “I’ve been in this business a long time, and I know what customers need. The Horti House has a fantastic product range, is continually growing and offers so much more than just plants to help support their customers succeed.  I want to make ordering easy for them and offer that personal touch. My goal is to help customers grow their business while driving The Horti House forward.”

The recruitment of Lester is the start of a drive from the Horti House to better support independent garden centre on the ground, giving them the data and insights from the Horti House that is focused and relevant on individual centres.   Founder Ed Hill mentioned, “We did a lot of work listening to customers and it’s clear that we need to support our independent garden centres more.   People like Lester with years of experience are key to this new drive and now we will be more in tune for what Garden Centres need and want and better placed to support them.  

Over the next few months The Horti House will be looking to expand their team of sales agents and will looking for passionate and experienced people to join the team. 

Customers can reach Lester directly via phone or email:

lester@thehortihouse.co.uk

Tel:  07775996338

The coveted ‘Sales Agent of the Year’ award presented by Garland Products has been won this year by Joe Lydon, the company’s agent for Scotland.  This is the fourth time Joe has taken the top honour having previously won in 2014, 2016 and 2022. 

The runners-up were Nathan Foster and Dan Hind who represent sales in the North East and third place went to John Ducker who covers Norwich, East Anglia, Cambridge and surrounding areas.

This year’s meeting was a milestone for Garland as its sales conference was held for the first time at the company’s brand-new distribution centre, based near its factory in Kingswinford. The conference took place on 28^th and 29^th August where the team toured the company’s full production line and manufacturing operation.  The sales meeting took place in Garland’s new showroom and conference room where the complete range of new products for next season was presented to the nationwide team of agents.

The team was also given a full insight into Garland’s new Glee stand for the upcoming show.  Garland is returning to Glee in 2025 following a brief hiatus last year due to the show’s fluctuating dates and Garland’s commitments to implement its new warehouse and distribution centre.

Garland’s sales director, Mark Dedman commented:” Our return to Glee means that we will be showing over 75 new products never exhibited before.  Included are over 30 items introduced for the 2026 season comprising coco poles, jute rope nets and ladders, furniture covers and heavy-duty brooms.  In addition to new items, our Garden Basics Range packaging will be exhibited for the first time.  It features 100 per cent recyclable cardboard packaging and high visual packaging, demonstrating Garland’s commitment to reducing single-use plastic packaging.

The Garland Products Group specialises in the manufacture of plastic injection moulded products and is one of the fastest growing suppliers to the garden industry.  The products available to both keen or hobby gardeners have been designed through the company’s own experience as keen gardeners. 

Specialist business property adviser, Christie & Co, has announced the change of ownership of Layham Garden Centre, in the village of Staple near Canterbury, Kent, which has been let on a long term lease to expanding regional operator Ripleys Garden Centres.

The garden centre was owned by brothers Mark and Peter Johnson, who had recently extended the buildings and added a large café. The site has a long history and strong reputation for its horticultural excellence, particularly its renowned rose selection.

Layham Garden Centre occupies a substantial site featuring a large retail glasshouse, twin-span poly tunnels, a newly built café with 70 internal covers, and a spacious retail plant area. The site also benefits from a large customer car park and modern commercial kitchen, and is located just eight miles from Canterbury and five miles from Sandwich.

Tom Ripley, Managing Director of Ripleys Garden Centres, said, “We’re thrilled to welcome Layham Garden Centre into the Ripleys family, which we have rebranded Ripleys Garden Centre and The Rose Garden Café. It’s a beautifully maintained site with a rich horticultural heritage and a fantastic team. Our aim is to expand the existing retail offering by enhancing the plant offering, adding many additional product categories and investing in the café experience.”

Tom Glanvill, Director – Garden Centres at Christie & Co, managed the sale and added, “Layham Garden Centre is a high-quality site in an affluent area, offering a fantastic opportunity for growth. We’re pleased to have facilitated this transaction between two committed parties and to see continued momentum in the garden centre market. This speedy letting is another example of the strong demand we’re seeing for well-established garden centre businesses and I am confident that the business will flourish under the new ownership.”

Planters Garden Centre group has opened a new Pet and Aquatic Centre, costing £2m, at its Bretby site near Burton on Trent, Staffordshire.

The centre is housed in a new standalone building (70m long by 20m wide) and includes an independent veterinary practice and a purpose-built 40 seat coffee shop and patio that is pet friendly.

The aquatic and pet accommodation was supplied by Aquaja in the Netheralnds and delivered in five arctic lorry loads.   

“The Dutch team took three weeks to build everything on site,” said Planters director Gerald Ingram. “We visited Interzoo two years ago and were very impressed by Aquaja. Our team spent a day in the Netherlands touring some of their installations.”  

Within the pet side of the centre there are eight guinea pig/rabbit enclosures as visitors enter the building plus a small animal unit for hamsters, gerbils, mice and rats. 

There are around 30 vivariums for reptiles, spiders, lizards and snakes, including a unit where children and adults can crawl through and pop their heads up in the enclosures.

The centre also includes large aviaries for birds, which are decorated with forest images.   

Gerald said the expansion at Planters Bretby should take the pet and aquatic turnover from £350,000 to £1.5m pa in two years. This would make it the largest pet and aquatic centre within the Garden Centre Association membership. Staffing has increased from five full and part time employees to a total of 10.

This development will have its own entrance from the car park, meaning that the Pet and  Aquatic and Gardening Gift and Restaurant customers are separated. It will release about 400 sq m of space within the garden centre for a new Regatta clothing store and more space for the farm shop. 

Josh Winter, Pet and Evenets Manager at Planters, said: “The opening was a great success. It was busy as soon as the doors opened. We have only done a soft opening so far while we let the staff settle in, and we’re hoping to do a big opening in a few weeks’ time.”

Josh added that sales in the Pet and Aquatic Centre were double the usual amount for the opening two days.

Capi Europe, the internationally renowned designer and manufacturer of stylish, sustainable pots and planters, has announced a new distribution partnership with UK-based Treadstone Products. The agreement brings the exciting Capi range to the UK market with local supply, significantly reducing lead times and minimum order values (MOV) for retailers.

Under this new agreement, Treadstone Products will serve as the exclusive distributor of Capi Europe’s collection in the UK, enabling garden centres and retailers to order from a UK-based warehouse. This streamlined supply chain will provide greater flexibility and faster access to the innovative Capi range, known for its striking designs and eco-conscious manufacturing.

The partnership also allows retailers to mix the Capi collection with other products from Treadstone’s award-winning garden portfolio, including the best-selling ClipGlove range, making ordering simpler and more efficient.

In a reciprocal agreement, Capi will become the sole distributor of the ClipGlove brand in Benelux, Germany & Austria.

"This is a significant step for our UK strategy," said Toine van de Ven, Managing Director at Capi Europe. "By partnering with Treadstone, we’re making our products more accessible to UK retailers, while aligning with a company that shares our values for quality, innovation, and sustainability."

Treadstone Products, known for its commitment to quality garden innovations, sees the collaboration as a natural fit. "Capi Pots are a fantastic addition to our portfolio," said Marco Abbiati, Managing Director at Treadstone Products. "This partnership gives UK retailers access to a unique, design-led pot range with the convenience of UK-based service and logistics. We're excited to be working with such an innovative brand."

The 2026 season will see Treadstone distributing pots to existing Capi stockists, whilst the two companies prepare for a launch of a revamped collection and innovative new product category at GLEE 2026. 

Retailers interested in the Capi range can contact Treadstone Products for more information: sales@treadstoneproducts.com

Henry Bell merchandising experts have revamped and refreshed the wild bird care category at Haskins Garden Centres with their innovative shop-in-shop displays, premium bird feeds and high-quality hardware.

The new store layouts, designed to simplify the shopping journey for consumers, maximise sales opportunities and introduce wild bird care to a wider audience, have been rolled out across four Haskins centres – Ferndown (Dorset), Snowhill (West Sussex), Forest Lodge (Farnham, Surrey) and Roundstone (West Sussex) – with work at the fifth and final one, West End (Southampton), set for October.

Henry Bell has been the primary wild bird supplier for this leading independent since October 2024. Its most recent re-lay was completed at the Roundstone site this month (August). “We were thrilled to join forces with the Haskins teams to create attractive shop-in-shop arrangements with our vertical merchandising solutions where hardware and corresponding feeds are co-located,” said Henry Bell Wild Bird Care Group Account Manager Jason Perrins. “They have proved a great way to drive up sales, increase basket-spend and encourage impulse buys.”

Haskins Garden Goods/Bird Care Buyer Alan Sheppard added: “Excellent merchandising is a key player in growing our wild bird category and we couldn’t be happier with the brilliant service we have received from Henry Bell. Thanks to Jason and his colleagues, our shop-in-shop looks phenomenal and is really helping to drive sales and encourage trade-ups, while ensuring our customers enjoy a fantastically enhanced store experience. The category needed a new focus and radical change; it has had the desired effect.

The Nunhead Gardener joined CSY Retail Systems in 2017, a year after setting up their first site under the railway arches in Nunhead, London. Specialising in small gardens, balconies, indoor plants and gifts, The Nunhead Gardener provides Londoners with a way to make the most out of the smaller spaces available to them. 

Challenge

As the pandemic hit in 2019 and everyone was forced to stay indoors, the demand for appealing outdoor spaces grew and The Nunhead Gardener found business booming. They opened up a new warehouse alongside more stores in Camberwell, Elephant Park and Mayfair, ensuring that everyone had access to the supplies they needed to make their outside space their own. 

The garden centre were relying heavily on their CSY EPOS to see them through this busy period. This growth created a demand for solutions that could help future proof the business and allow them to evolve seamlessly. 

This included finding ways to ensure that sales continued after this surge in business by providing flexible shopping options, incentives and rewards to their customers.

Solution

Scaleable EPOS - When The Nunhead Gardener first implemented CSY's software they knew that growth was a possibility in their future which is why the scalability of CSY was so important to them. “If we ever did decide to grow we knew it would give us the scalability to be able to do that - which is exactly what ultimately went on to happen!”said Peter Milne, founder and co-head gardener.

The future-facing solutions included: 

CSY, WooCommerce integration - This enabled them to manage their website and start trading online, providing customers with simple convenient ways to shop with them during the pandemic and beyond.

Gift cards - With the new online capabilities The Nunhead Gardener were also able to introduce digital gift cards that are sold online and usable in stores as well as  rolling out the physical gift cards too that are also usable online and in-store.

Implementing a loyalty scheme - To ensure they could maintain future sales The Nunhead Gardener also implemented a loyalty scheme. Customised to their brand, the loyalty scheme reinforced the brand image with customers and provided them with an incentive to keep returning. 

What did the CSY and The Nunhead Gardener team have to say?

CSY team: “It's a real pleasure working with Peter and everyone at The Nunhead Gardener. They're a fantastic team - passionate, friendly, and helpful. It's great to see how they've used our EPOS system, over the past 8 years, to keep things running smoothly as the business has grown. We can't wait to see what the next 8 years have in store, and I look forward to supporting them every step of the way.” Deanna Snowden, Business Development Manager

The Nunhead Gardener team: 

“The set up (of giftcards) was really straightforward. The helpdesk and implementation guys created a new database and rolled it out, and it made the whole thing really easy. We absolutely love the help desk. They’ve always done an amazing job and seem to be available instantaneously all the time, and manage to resolve all of our issues almost immediately. 

“The loyalty programme is extremely popular with our customers and it forms a big part of our marketing.” 

If you’re interested in expanding your garden centre and need an EPOS system that can scale with you, plus provide your customers with features they love, speak to a member of the CSY team today to find out more.

Tildenet Gardenware will be showcasing the latest developments to its hugely popular Bosmere Tidy Up range at Glee 2025 – with an extended product offering and increased merchandising flexibility for retailers.

Building on the success of the Bosmere Tidy Up range, more lines are now available in branded shippers, giving retailers greater choice in how to present the collection in-store. 

The update offers retailers a flexible merchandising solution – products can be displayed in their shippers, on existing shelving, or on Tildenet’s tailor-made Flexible Retail stands, which feature both hook and shelf options depending on the retailer’s preference.

The expansion reinforces Bosmere’s reputation for practical, high-quality products designed to make gardening easier, while also ensuring retailers benefit from space-efficient, eye-catching displays that maximise sales potential.

Andrew Downey, Managing Director at Tildenet, said: “The Bosmere Tidy Up range is a bestseller for us and popular with both gardeners and retailers. By increasing the number of products available in branded shippers, we’re giving our retail partners more ways to showcase the range and adapt displays to suit their stores. It’s a simple but effective way to make bestselling lines work even harder at the point of sale.”

The expanded Bosmere Tidy Up range including the Handy Sweep in Garden Bag will be on display at the Tildenet Gardenware stand 9G100 at Glee 2025, where visitors can explore the full retail solution in action.

www.tildenetgardenware.co.uk

To compliment the growing RocketGro range of growing media products, RocketGro is launching at Glee their new Organic Fertiliser product. The product is in a granule form and is perfect for topping up nutrient levels for flower beds, pots, lawns, and older compost with a generous N:P:K of 5:3:6 and a 75+ day release.

RocketGro can now take customers on a journey through the season with their River Cottage favourite Seed Compost, to their best-selling Multi-Purpose 50L Compost, Liquid Feeds, Mulch, Soil Improver, and now fertiliser. All Soil Association Approved for Organic growing. With a flourish of Manure, Top Soil, Lawn & Turf Dressing, Chicken Manure and Bark, RocketGro can now provide the full suite of growing media products to Garden Centres and their customers. Their 25th product launches in 2025.

Managing Director Toby Thomas commented: “We are excited to launch this product into the market. The Ferts and Chems section of garden centres is far too ‘chems’ and not enough Organic. Customers want to use Organic products in their gardens, particularly when growing their own food. This easy to use granular product is user friendly, feel good, easy to understand, and a standout on the shelves with its bright colours & Organic status. 

"Too many so called environmentally friendly fertiliser products look and feel like bad synthetic chemicals. This product is Soil Association Approved and has a nice harmless crumbly texture to it, and no odour. Priced to sell, and an eye-catching linked sale to our best-selling Multi-Purpose 50L compost product.

"With the unbeatable RocketGro sustainable story behind the product, and top up deliveries at only 3 working days for this product, RocketGro will maintain their outstanding levels of service to garden centres for deliveries of this new product as we approach and move into 2026."

Find out more

If you want to learn more about RocketGro or are keen to discuss adding its product portfolio into your 2025 offering, please contact Toby Thomas (hello@rocketgro.co.uk /07936 928 981) or Andy Abraham (andy@rocketgro.co.uk / 07446 937902). View the full range and discover more about the RocketGro story at www.rocketgro.co.uk

GTN September 2025 – Bumper Glee Preview. In this issue: Westland Glee Preview Special, GTN’s Exclusive Interview with Alan Roper, AMES are back on track for 2026, Art in bone china from Museums & Galleries, Zest have awards winning flexibility, Vitavia are the smart choice, GTN’s 34 page Glee 2025 Show preview: Glee floor plan and where to meet Team GTN, What’s on at Glee 2025, Glee Exhibitor News – Latest products and services, Floral Thursday FUNdraising at Glee, Hozelock’s Solar Select watering system, Fandango Fire Tools light up Glee, GTN Planteria – Inspiration from Ball, PATS 2025, Are you up for change? Paul Pleydell viewpoint, HTA Viewpoint – Getting out and about, GIMA Viewpoint – The perfect time to reconnect.