What a week that was! The dog n' bone to GTN's Newshound was red hot from Thursday lunchtime and after long hours spent sniffing out which of the many rumours was actually correct our trusty Newshound is now resting in his kennel preparing for another potentially busy week following up all of the sub plots that last weeks news has created.

The garden industry has certainly started the New Year with a frenzy of activity as major changes take place at retail giants Wyevale Garden Centres and Dobbies, plus news that award-winning Burgon & Ball has been bought by a Canadian company.

Rumours and counter-rumours were rife throughout the week, especially concerning the two major retail groups. Eventually, both Wyevale and Dobbies confirmed that they were undergoing a re-structure at their head offices.

In case you missed our coverage of these major events we have re-printed the stories in this issue of GTN Xtra, see the links below.

In the meantime, GTN's Newshound asked us to thank all the readers who called in with information, your input to GTN Xtra is greatly appreciated.

What do you think will happen next at Wyevale and Dobbies?  Please use the comments link below or e-mail trevor.pfeiffer@tgcmc.co.uk 

Rumours circulating in the garden industry today that Nicholas Marshall had left his job as CEO of Dobbies have proved be unfounded although two of his senior team – Lorrie Robertson and Andrew West – have left the company. Commuting to Edinburgh has been given as the reason for their decision to leave.

In a statement issued late Friday afternoon, the company said:

"Dobbies today announced a re-shuffle in some of its senior leadership positions. Graeme Jenkins is to become Chief Operating Officer, in addition to his present role as Chief Financial Officer. Graeme replaces Lorrie Robertson, who has left the Company.

"Marcus Eyles, currently head of online and horticulture, will take the role of Purchasing Director, replacing Andrew West, who has also left the Company for personal travel-related reasons.

"Dobbies congratulated Graeme and Marcus on their new roles.

"Nicholas Marshall, who was appointed CEO at the 35-centre chain, remains Chief Executive."

Nicholas Marshall took over at the top of Dobbies in March last year and within months of his arrival he had put together a team full of former colleagues.

In an interview with GTN last November Marshall said: “The theme here before I arrived was a pound shop. Actually it was worse than that – they had some things that cynical retailers would sell. In the DIY industry they go to China, they buy cheap products, bring it over here, put it at a price which is ridiculous and then they half-price it and people say what a good bargain, and it isn’t. Do we like garish, no.”

Read the full interview with Nicholas Marshall at: https://issuu.com/gardentradenews/docs/gtn_nov_2017

See GTN's photo tour of Christmas at Dobbies Mellville in GTN's Greatest Christmas Awards, sponsored by Gardman, photo tour special issue using this link.

Wyevale Garden Centres have revealed that challenging trading conditions have forced them to review their structure at head office with the risk of job losses.

GTN Xtra contacted the garden centre group after being tipped off that at least 40 jobs were are risk.

A Wyevale Garden Centre spokesperson said: “We have recently reviewed our head office structure to ensure it is appropriate for the long term and continues to support our business plans.  

“The challenging trading conditions make it even more important that we are focused on the right areas to deliver for our customers.

“Following the review, we have informed colleagues that we are making changes to the CSC structure. As a result, some colleagues will be redeployed into new roles and we also expect there to be a reduction in headcount.

“We are in consultation at present with those colleagues who are impacted and our focus is on ensuring they remain well supported during this process.”

Since receiving the statement from Wyevale Garden Centres, GTN Xtra has learned that up to 48 jobs are likely to be lost.  Within Wyevale Garden Centres the CSC Structure relates to all head office roles.  Some speculation received by GTN's Newshound wonders wether the losses are as a result of the implementation of a new computer system, as reported by GTN Xtra in October last year.

Venanpri Tools, the Hand Tools division of Venanpri Group and owner of the Bellota and Corona brands, announced yesterday (Thursday) it has acquired Burgon & Ball Limited. The terms of the transaction were not disclosed.

Headquartered in Sheffield, England – where it can trace its roots back to 1730 – and supported by a sales and marketing office in Poole, Dorset, Burgon & Ball’s products are primarily sold through garden centres and other fine retailers in the U.K., Europe and other countries around the world.

“Burgon & Ball has a remarkable legacy and has built an impressive reputation based on its high-quality products and customer service, which has led to strong growth and established the company as a market-leader in many of its segments,” said Cristobal Valdes, President of Venanpri Tools.

“We’re very excited to partner with the Burgon & Ball team to grow the company both domestically and internationally in the years to come.”

Heather Culpan, Managing Director of Burgon & Ball added, “The success of Burgon & Ball has been built on its commitment to the creation of design and function-led products with enhanced customer appeal and drawing on its Sheffield heritage.

“I am confident that the company will continue to progress through seizing new product and investment opportunities and synergy with the Corona and Bellota businesses.”

Venanpri Group is a global organization with two divisions (Tools and AgriSolutions) and more than 1,400 employees.

Venanpri Tools produces and distributes thousands of manual hand tool products, including pruning tools, shovels, masonry trowels, machetes, files and hoes (among many others) for professional and consumer use in the agricultural, gardening, construction, and industrial segments.

Venanpri Tools sells its products under the well-recognized brands of Bellota and Corona. Venanpri Tools sells in more than 80 countries and has manufacturing and distribution facilities in the U.S.A., Spain, Mexico, and Colombia; sales offices in more than 20 countries.

Venanpri AgriSolutions is the global market leader in the manufacturing of consumable wear components (including discs, coulters, sweeps, openers, tines, springs and blades) that are embedded into soil preparation and seeding implements such as plows, disc harrows, sugar cane harvesters, and planting/seeding machines.

AgriSolutions’ products are high precision wear components, selling under widely recognized brands including Ingersoll, Bellota, Solbjerg and Rozalma as well as the brands of its OEM customers for both new equipment and the aftermarket.

For more information on Burgon & Ball, visit its website at www.burgonandball.com.

Since the initial announcement of the change of ownership GTN now understands that Heather Culpan will continue to be involved in the business in a role yet to be determined.

This week's GTN Bestsellers focussed on Christmas 2017, which many garden centres described as “Challenging.”  Indeed overall trading was down on all of the previous three years in the run up to Christmas, as our All Product index graph below shows. 

Some ground was made up with Week 51 being a full week, but not enough to make up the lost ground.

However the sales volumes of the Top 100 Bestselling Christmas product told a different story, up by 22% on last year.  Our graph of the weekly GTN Top 50 Christmas products shows the increase in these bestselling line sales ran right through the season.

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

It was a bumper year for sales of the Top 100 Christmas Products as analysed by GTN Bestsellers from garden centre EPOS data. 

Total Top 100 sales volumes were up by 22% on the same period last year with personalised Christmas lines and Christmas confectionery taking the lead shares of sales volumes. 

This year, personalised lines accounted for 28% of the Top 100 total volume, with Christmas confectionery not far behind at 23%.

• Suki Personalised Angel Ornaments are the No1 Bestselling line for the year.
• Hometown World Santas Secret Elf Personalised Books are the third highest selling personalised line at No 5 overall.
• Steenland Milk Chocolate Coins, 50grams, sell in huge numbers to reach No2.
• Lindt Chocolate Teddy Bears, 10 grams, move up 5 places to No 4.

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

Wow, what a year of change when it comes the the Christmas Bestsellers for 2017.  Sixty out of the Top 100 Bestsellers are New Entries, underlining the importance of New Product Development. 

Only ten of the 40 lines that were also in the Top 100 last year moved up the chart.  Customers are clearly looking for new Christmas ideas and voting on them with their wallets.

• Holiday Specs 3D Christmas Glasses Reindeer were the highest chart climber, up 65 places to No 19 and they were joined by three other 3D Glasses lines in the Top 30.
• History & Heraldry’s Honeycombe Tree Decoration was their highest placed new line at No 7.
• Playwrite added two new lines that are in the Top 100.  Their Christmas Plush Elf 28cm came in at No 27 and their Christmas Light Up Yo-Yo was at No 53.
• Kaemingk’s LED Bottle Red/White Warm White was the highest placed new lit Christmas line at No 16.

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

This week we’ve compiled a chart of the Bestselling plants over the Autumn and Christmas period from the end of September to Christmas Eve.

• Cyclamen are the clear No 1, outselling Pansies in second place by 66%.
• Poinsettias rank at No 4 in the chart despite only being on sale for part of the period.
• Planted Hyacinths outsold Orchids to be in the Top 10 Bestselling plants of the season.

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

The votes are being counted and the judges meeting to decide who will be the winners in GTN's Greatest Christmas Awards, sponsored by Gardman, ready for the announcement and presentation of awards at a special Greatest Awards Winners Breakfast Reception on Tuesday 6th February in Hall 3 as part of Glee@Spring Fair.

All of the nominated Christmas Teams and all of the winning teams from The Greatest Awards during 2017 are invited to join us at the Glee@Spring Fair Cafe in Hall 3 at 9:00am for a breakfast reception and the presentation of GTN's Greatest Christmas Awards, sponsored by Gardman, for 2017.

In this special issue we've included as many of the photo tours from the judges visits during the Christmas period as we can.  There will be more published later this month.  We hope they give you plenty of ideas and inspiration as you start to plan and buy your Christmas for 2018.

Ho, ho, ho!  See you on Tuesday 6th February at Glee@Spring Fair.

Click here to read a special Greatest Christmas Awards Special edition of GTN Xtra, sponsored by Gardman

Webb Garden Power has introduced two new cordless lawnmowers to its extensive range of petrol and electric walk-behind mowers for domestic users in 2018.

These cordless models are powered by the latest Lithium-Ion battery technology, with all the benefits of not having a to worry about a cable, storing petrol or upsetting the neighbours with a noisy mower.  Enjoy the freedom around your home with an easy push button start cordless mower without causing any pollution.

Both machines are powered by a 40 Volt 4Ah battery, that is where the similarity ends as the 2 machines have completely different features and applications.

The Webb RR17LIP is a 3in1 roller rotary mower with the ability to rear discharge, collect or mulch the grass cuttings. It has 6 cutting heights that range between a true 29mm-82mm available via one single lever, suitable for an area of grass up to 200m², with its ABS deck & split rear roller the machine is very easy to turn in even the most complicated of gardens, weighing in at just over 26kg it is still enough to give you that ‘Traditional Striped Lawn’.

With a cutting width of 42cm the Webb R16LIHP cordless mower is suitable for a mowing area up to 175m². It weighs in at only 22.5kg, it offers great manoeuvrability combined with superb mowing and collection performance. A single lever makes the height of cut adjustment simple, it’s 55 litre capacity collection bag means less emptying.

As with all cordless lawnmowers they are a lot quieter than the petrol versions, are far more environmentally friendly due to no emissions, they are also ideal if you have a grass area where you have no access to an electrical power socket. These mowers are easy to operate, simple to maintain with very little regular servicing required other than replacing the blade every third season, both models come with a 2-year conditional warranty.

Their 40 Volt 4Ah Lithium-Ion batteries will perform well for all gardeners, especially for those who like to mow a little more often, a battery with a full charge will run for around 35 minutes. Charging the battery from empty to 100% will take 2.5 hours however, the battery will charge to 65% in just an hour.

For more information contact deans@handydistribution.co.uk 01793-333205

Arrange a viewing to see Gardman's Christmas Spectacular 2018 display…

Peterborough showroom – available for viewing now

Daventry Warehouse – available to view from Monday 8^th January 2018

The Majestic Hotel, Harrogate Pop-Up Showroom – Available to view on Monday 15^th January 2018. Refreshments available.

Simply contact your Gardman sales representative or call sales on 01406 372237.

This year the Gardman 2018 Christmas Spectacular includes 125 stand-out Christmas products, 84 of which are BRAND NEW and consist of a comprehensive range of battery operated lighting, dual power and solar power lighting, home furnishings, doormats, garden décor, natural botanical decorations, artificial decorations, storage solutions and tree stands…all set at attractive price points to maximise those seasonal sales.

We’ve also developed three on-trend collections, so our customers can create attractive, eye-catching Christmas displays in store. Those collections comprise Winter Sparkle, Traditional Christmas and Christmas Cottage and feature themed products your customers will love.

Michelle Taylor, Head of Brand, said: “Our research shows that customers love buying matching items, so we have developed these Christmas collections full of co-ordinating products that are displayed in eye-catching FDSU’s encouraging people to multibuy from a range."

If you would like to preview our Christmas Spectacular there is a pop up show room at The Majestic Hotel in Harrogate on Monday 15th so come along for a mince pie and glass of prosecco. This is ideal if you are attending Harrogate Christmas Gift Fair as our team will talk you through the new Christmas collections. Alternatively, you can come and visit our Christmas Spectacular displays in our Peterborough or Daventry showrooms, simply contact your Gardman sales representative or call sales on 01406 372237.

For 2018 we have also teamed up with the UK’s largest independent manufacturer and supplier of premium branded pet treats and accessories, Armitage Pet Care. We have selected a range of fun and attractive festive pet products from their market leading Christmas range to add to our portfolio to ensure that pets can join in the festivities too.

Bonnington Plastics Ltd, the Nottingham based importer and distributor of home, gardening and leisure goods, has launched a new e-commerce website.

Developed to make ordering online much easier and more reliable than ever before, the website provides the most accurate stock information to date, which is particularly essential for the company’s wholesale, retail and e-commerce customers. Since implementing the hourly warehouse-to-website stock feed, the company reports a significant improvement in order fulfilment rates and customer satisfaction.

Being fully responsive, the website is mobile friendly, so customers now find it much easier to order online at a time and place that suits them.  Users have noticed an improved navigation system, with a dynamic menu designed to locate an item in 3 or fewer clicks.  There are now also more delivery options available, with the choice of Standard, AM, Next Day and Next Day AM services.  The company is keen to point out however, that the website is not just an efficient ordering tool. 

“For many customers, the website is Bonningtons, so we wanted to include as many useful features as possible”, said Ecommerce and Marketing Manager Dawn Raymond.  “As well as placing their stock orders quickly and efficiently, users can now easily access vital information such as instruction manuals, the best-selling items for the month ahead, and other sales and marketing tools”.

Product images and instructions can now be downloaded in one click direct from the product page, and customers will continue to be able to view product information videos and download PDF catalogues in an instant.

There is also a dedicated consumer information page, so Bonningtons’ trade partners can direct their own customers to the website to access information that they may not have readily available.

The website launch comes after a very busy couple of years for the Company, which celebrated 50 years of trading in 2017, following a major rebrand in 2016.  The rebrand saw the introduction of 6 premier brands to sit alongside the company’s established Kingfisher range of everyday products, enabling the company to target markets that had been previously inaccessible.

Managing Director, Ian Fisher said: “We are very pleased with the new website, and customer feedback so far has been very positive.  The website represents the final phase of the Bonningtons rebrand, and the first step in the next growth stage of the company.”

www.bonningtons.com

Tel:  0115 985 4119

sales@bonningtons.com

Ten-year-old Aidan Parmar saw the realisation of his glove design when he received a surprise presentation of the finished article in front of his classmates and parents at Brocks Hill Primary School’s morning assembly in Leicestershire.

The presentation of Aidan’s Gloves was the successful conclusion of his initial designs which were finessed with Lewis Simper, Head of Design, at Briers head office in Somerset. Since going through the manufacturing process they are now readily available in garden centres across the country and online.

Briers were treated to a warm welcome and an entertaining assembly performed by Aidan’s class. Aidan looked visibly surprised and chuffed with the unexpected visit from the Briers team arriving with a framed keepsake of his creation and gloves for all his classmates.

It all started for Aidan when he entered a glove competition in 2016 but was left disappointed when his competition win was not fulfilled and never came to fruition by the original manufacturer who ran the competition. The industry leaders, Briers, were more than happy to step in and help upon hearing of Aidan’s disappointment and get his glove design into production to add to their award-winning kids range.

Aidan’s Gloves are a unique design and raise funds for the children’s hospice garden charity, Greenfingers. They are dedicated to supporting the children who use hospices around the UK, along with their families in beautiful, well-designed outdoor spaces. A donation of 30p is made with each pair of Aidan’s gloves sold.

For more information, please visit www.briersltd.co.uk, email hello@briersltd.co.uk or call us on 01963 269077.

Pictured: Briers’ Head of Design, Lewis, was on hand again to present Aidan with the finished product in front of his school.

Johnsons of Whixley has supplied a range of trees, plants and grasses as part of the construction of a new £15m link road at Manchester Airport.

The products were supplied to the new Enterprise Way at Airport City North throughout the month of November, in partnership with landscapers Blue Wigwam.

The range supplied includes large single and multi-stem trees, ground cover flowering plants and low maintenance grasses.

The construction of the new link road, which is a part of Airport City North at Manchester Airport, marks a major milestone that will help underpin future development, including the creation of offices, advanced manufacturing units and new hotel beds, creating a total of 11,400 new jobs.

Enterprise Way will connect new development plots to the rest of the landmark site and the wider transport network.

Johnsons of Whixley senior amenity sales manager, Tony Coles, said: “The development at Airport City North is truly exciting, and it’s been a privilege to provide products to Enterprise Way section of the wider project.

“Working with our partners at Blue Wigwam, we have delivered to an exacting specification and deadline.”

Blue Wigwam director, Richard Hughes, said: “I have worked with Johnsons for the last 17 years, and in the last year they have given me support and a quality of service and product that I can’t get from other tree nurseries.

“I believe that my loyalties lie with Johnsons of Whixley, and for a good reason - they look after me and my company.”

Johnsons of Whixley is one of the largest commercial nursery businesses in Europe, and a trusted supplier of plants and trees to the amenity sector in the UK.

GTN Xtra received the sad news that Paul Dye lost his battle with cancer on Friday morning.

We first met Paul when he was at Polhill, Sevenoaks and latterly after a spell as a regional manager with The Garden Centre Group (now Wyevale Garden Centres) Paul spent the past few years working with Edward Boults Grovewell Garden Centre teams at Canterbury, Tenterden and Folkestone.  Paul has been a great friend of GTN over the years and he will be sorely missed. We send our condolences to his family.

Colin Wetherley-Mein told GTN Xtra: "The trade has lost a very good person. Paul was one of the nice guys. He faced his illness with the same courage, integrity and honesty that reflected his work and friendships. He was a very knowledgeable and enthusiastic person, who always had time for you.

"He will be sadly missed and our thoughts are with his wife Angela and their family."

We will update this story and republish as soon as further details are available.  In the meantime, please use the comments link below or e-mail trevor.pfeiffer@tgcmc.co.uk if you would like to add to this story.

Squire’s Garden Centres have announced the winners of their annual garden centre awards. With 15 centres across the South East competition was tough, but Squire’s in Long Ditton came out top and won the double – best Garden Centre and best Café Bar of the year!

They also won top awards for their Christmas Department and Pets & Aquatics Department.

The awards were voted for by the senior management team at Squire’s, and are based on results as well as customer feedback. Anne Deadman, Manager at Squire’s in Long Ditton, received the trophies from Chairman Colin Squire and Deputy Chairman Sarah Squire.

Other notable winners included Theresa Scattergood at Squire’s in Washington, and Emma Large at Squire’s in Badshot Lea, who both won Customer Service Awards for their work in the Garden Centre and Café Bar respectively.

Deputy Chairman Sarah Squire said, “These awards recognise the great effort and achievement made by our garden centres, and by individual employees, throughout the year. A big well done and thank you to everyone for their hard work which is much appreciated.”

Each year we endeavour to be better, eat better and exercise better. Make this the year you succeed by signing up to one of the Garden Re-Leaf challenges to raise money for Greenfingers Charity.

Shed those festive pounds by signing up for the Garden Re-Leaf Day Walk which will take place on Friday 16th March starting from Wyevale’s World’s End Garden Centre, Buckinghamshire. You can either take a gentle 10-mile stroll, or complete a more challenging 20-mile route through the Chilterns which is the ideal way to get in shape following the Christmas break.

The popular Plantathon will return with Greenfingers calling for garden retailers across the country to pot up as many plants as possible.  This year the time frame to plant as many pots as possible will be 12 hours and promises to be a popular event.

Where does the Garden Re-Leaf money go?

In July 2011, Hillview Garden Store CEO, Boyd Douglas-Davies announced the inaugural Garden Re-Leaf Day at the Garden Retail Awards in London.  Now in its seventh year, Garden Re-Leaf Day is the biggest charity fundraiser in the garden industry’s calendar and has raised over £500,000.

Positioned as the garden industry’s answer to Comic Relief and Sports Relief, the aim of Garden Re-Leaf Day was to celebrate the start of the garden year with fundraising events to raise money for Greenfingers, a charity dedicated to improving the lives of children in hospices through the creation of magical gardens.

For the garden industry, the day creates valuable team building opportunities and brings more shoppers into garden centres earlier to extend the peak Spring season. Garden centre managers, staff and other industry professionals tirelessly set up fun and exciting ways to not only raise money for Greenfingers, but also to promote gardening as an enjoyable pastime.

But where do these vital funds go?  Most will already be aware that the money raised is used to build Greenfingers hospice gardens which enable children and their families to enjoy special time together outside enjoying the therapeutic benefits of nature, and away from the bedside. 

Greenfingers work exclusively with each hospice to come up with a unique design that suits the needs of the children and families they care for.  Each garden is created with top industry designers and landscapers, as well as help from the local community, volunteers and gardening clubs.

In total, 53 Greenfingers gardens have been built since the charity’s creation in 1998 with many being funded by monies from Garden Re-Leaf Day.  The inaugural Garden Re-Leaf Day in 2012 raised more than £55,000 for Greenfingers, helping a specially designed, family garden to be built at both Robin House Children’s Hospice in West Dunbartonshire, and Donna Louise Children’s Hospice in Stoke-on-Trent.  In 2017, two new gardens were opened – the new Kaleidoscope Garden at Helen & Douglas House in Oxford, which features a colourful and protected garden pavilion that is being enjoyed by patients, their families and hard-working hospice staff.

The Courtyard Garden at Keech Hospice Care in Luton was officially opened by garden designer and Greenfingers Ambassador Adam Frost and featured a multi-coloured soft, but durable, flooring in swirling shapes and will be well used by families who are now able to enjoy mealtimes and activities outside in this new bright and sheltered courtyard.

The most recent Greenfingers garden was started in October by landscaper and designer Jody Lidgard of Bespoke Outdoor Spaces. The pirate themed garden is being built at St Andrew’s Hospice in Grimsby, which provides palliative care for children and young adults suffering from progressive life-limiting illnesses. 

More gardens are in the pipeline to be built in 2018 but this is where Garden Re-Leaf Day comes into its own, raising much needed funds.  The garden industry will be exploding with colour with plenty of FUNdraising activities throughout the day. 

Boyd Douglas Davies said: “Garden Re-Leaf Day has resulted in life-limited children and families who spend time in hospices every single year being able to enjoy precious time together in a Greenfingers garden.  It’s really easy to take part, you can sign up and participate in one of this year's organised initiatives such as the Garden Re-Leaf Walk or Plantathon.  Why not organise your own event, and register it so that it can be included in all the media briefings that raise awareness of the cause?”

You can sign up to take part in Garden Re-Leaf Day events or register your own by visiting the Greenfingers Charity website www.greenfingerscharity.org.uk/gardenreleaf

If you want to find out more about how to get involved in Greenfingers Garden Re-Leaf Day 2018, whether by putting on events in your garden centre, through sponsored solo activities or simply by donating - contact the Greenfingers office on 01494 674749 or email Linda@greenfingerscharity.org.uk.

18902xs Natural Botanical Christmas Wreath

• Stunning natural Christmas wreath made from evergreen coniferous tree foliage, red berries and pine cones decorated with a velvet look red bow
• Real foliage has been dried, treated and preserved to maintain its natural appearance, without the maintenance real plants require
• Maintains its natural scent for a real Christmas aroma
• Perfect for decorating a front door
• Complete with 3-year guarantee
• Dia 43cms
• Packaging; Full colour window box

L27009xs Solar Santa Stop Here Stake

• Solar santa stop here stake light made from polyresin with a metal stake
• Warm white LED
• 1x AA rechargeable battery included
• H75cm
• Packaging: Swing tag and display tray

L27022XS Small Rustic Wooden Light up house

• Rustic wooden house with 10 micros LEDs
• Complete with memory timer – 6hrs on and 18 hours off
• Warm white LEDs
• Perfect for standing in windows or around fireplaces
• Made from FSC* certified wood
• 3 x AA batteries (not included)
• H30cm x W24cm x D14cms
• Packaging: Full colour box

88975xs Artificial Poinsettia hanging basket

• Realistic poinsettia filled hanging basket made from natural rope and sisal
• Secure hanging clasp to reduce the risk of wind damage
• No watering required
• UV stabilized
• Weighted for wind resistance
• Dia 30cm/12”
• Packaging: Swing tag

05502xs Christmas Robin Washable Runner

• Super soft and highly absorbent cotton with dirt-trapping fibres
• Non-slip rubber backing
• Matching doormat available (L75cm x W 45cm)
• Machine washable at 30oc
• Comes with a 3-year guarantee
• Suitable for indoor use
• L150cm x W50cm
• Packaging: Hanger and header card

There are a lot of actions which will benefit horticulture and suggestions of working together to improve the industry in the Government’s ‘A Green Future: Our 25 Year Plan to Improve the Environment’, published this week.

The Horticultural Trades Association (HTA) welcomes many of the actions in the plan, including the creation of more green infrastructure and ways to evaluate and improve its planting and management. The HTA and its members have been working hard for this to happen and it is very encouraging that our voice has been heard.

Much of this will be delivered locally through community projects and it will be great for garden centres to be part of the process in giving advice and selling plants and equipment to help the projects get off the ground. Engaging schoolkids in the natural environment is also to be welcomed and school gardening projects will have a strong role to play in this.

The industry has put a large amount of effort and resource into the creation of the Responsible Sourcing Scheme for Growing Media and it is very encouraging to see this mentioned in the plan with more support offered to get the scheme established. There is still some way to go on peat reduction in horticulture and the industry and Government need to work together to inform gardeners of the choice of materials available to them.

The dramatic proposals to increase tree planting and the creation of a new woodland creation grants scheme will help UK tree growers and these are exactly what the HTA and its members have been asking for recently. A new Tree Champion in the Government will help raise awareness of these vitally important plants and the role they play in enhancing everyone’s lives.

The action to ‘make biosecurity central to buying decisions’ builds on the HTA’s efforts to encourage garden retailers and growers to source plants responsibly and not to take unnecessary risks in the face of serious threats like Xylella fastidiosa.

“There are many good ideas and aspirations for the UK garden industry in this plan, and many ways for us to work together with the Government to improve the industry. We look forward to working closely with Defra on the implementation of the plan,” says HTA Director of Horticulture Raoul Curtis-Machin.

Hillier Nurseries continues to demonstrate its desire to stay abreast of a fast-changing industry with the appointment of its new Head of Wholesale Nurseries.

Charles Carr has joined the company, bringing with him 30 years’ experience within the nursery stock industry. Charles will be responsible for overseeing all areas of Hillier Nurseries including technical developments in growing, crop protection and implementing new systems.

In his career, Charles has worked at a number of leading British nurseries in senior roles, including 11 years in the role of Nursery Director. He has been responsible for major developments in nursery management, production management and product development. He has also been involved in several industry organisations, including the HTA Technical Committee and AHDB Nursery Stock Panel.

“I am passionate about new technical advances in growing and crop protection as the industry continues to become more and more innovative – it brings with it innovative, environmentally aware methods of growing which can be implemented into nurseries. It always heartens me to see the fantastic scientists that we have in the background carrying out R&D for the industry. Hillier is recognised as a leader in this and I’m excited to be part of driving this forward,” Charles commented.

“Having started my career as an apprentice at Hillier, I was delighted when the opportunity arose to re-join the team. I have always been fascinated by plants, from how to grow them to learning about new and unusual varieties. Hillier’s rich heritage, combined with its expansive plant and growing selection, is a fantastic opportunity to immerse myself in plants.”

Chris Francis, director of Hillier garden centres, said: “We are delighted to welcome Charles to the team. His expertise and knowledge within this industry is impressive and we are looking forward to working with him to improve and expand the work in our nurseries.”

After the record year 2017, spoga+gafa, the biggest garden fair in the world, is still on course for success: In the annual comparison (January), the 2018 event is recording a 5% increase in the number of exhibitors.

The early confirmation of the big names of the industry confirms the course taken: Themes and added value islands like the IVG Power Place Akku, the Smart Gardening World, the POS Green Solution Islands or the Outdoor Kitchen World went down extremely positively with both the visitors and the exhibitors and will be repeated again at spoga+gafa 2018 from 2 to 4 September.

Communicatively, the focus of the coming event will lie on the exhibitors of outdoor furniture. A further key topic of the trade fair will be the theme soil, substrate and fertilisers. An independent visitor survey came to the conclusion that this section is of particular interest to the international trade visitors.

spoga+gafa 2018 already laid the foundation for the excellent early bird result with the previous event: It impressed highly with an excellent field of participants due to numerous conceptual innovations that provided more depth of content. The organisers are now building on this success.

Numerous strong brands, who were already represented in 2017, can been found on the application list for spoga+gafa 2018, including Berger, Birchmeier, BM-Massivholz, Felco, Fitt, Freund-Victoria, Gardena, Hozelock, Mesto, Napoleon, Patzer, Rösle, Selecta, STIGA, Weber-Stephen and Zebra. Furthermore, the organisers are recording trade fair returnees in all four product sections garden living, garden creation & care, garden bbq and garden unique, including Boomex, Gloria, Otto Graf, Juwel, Profagus and Videx. The list of furniture exhibitors includes among others Barlow Tyrie, Cane-Line, Eurofar, 4 Seasons, Garden Impressions Glatz, Hartman, Higold, Hillerstorp, Kettler, Müsing, Nardi, Alexander Rose, Sieger and Stern.

Koelnmesse – Global Competence in Furniture, Interiors and Design: Koelnmesse is the world’s top trade fair organiser for the areas of furnishing, living and lifestyle. At the trade fair hub of Cologne, the leading international fair imm cologne as well as the trade fair formats of LivingKitchen, ORGATEC, spoga+gafa, interzum and Kind + Jugend rank among the internationally renowned and established industry meeting places. These fairs comprehensively represent the upholstered and case furniture segment, the kitchen industry, the office furniture sector and outdoor living as well as the innovations of the furniture supply industry. Over the last few years, Koelnmesse has specifically added international fairs in the most important fast-expanding markets to its portfolio. These include the LivingKitchen China/CIKB in Shanghai, interzum guangzhou in Guangzhou and Pueri Expo in Sao Paulo. With ambista, the network of the interior decorating industry, Koelnmesse offers direct access to relevant products, contacts, competence and events.

Further information is available at: http://www.global-competence.net/interiors/
Further information about ambista: http://ww.ambista.com/

The spoga+gafa 2018 is open to trade visitors on 2 and 3 September from 09:00 a.m. to 06:00 p.m. and on 4 September from 09:00 a.m. to 05:00 p.m. Further information is available at www.spogagafa.com.

The HTA is pleased to announce Lloyds Cardnet as its new card processing Preferred Partner.

Over the last year the association has been comparing rates and services from many companies to find an improved card processing deal for its members. The HTA has been working closely with Lloyds Cardnet to ensure the new Preferred Partner can provide the services most important to HTA member businesses. All HTA Preferred Partners are assessed for value and quality so that members benefit from the best possible terms.

Lloyds Cardnet has over 25 years’ experience and provides award winning customer service. As Cardnet is a major UK acquirer, they enable payments to be accepted from a wide selection of card types, and businesses will have the assurance of working with an experienced and trusted card payment services provider. There is a clear and simple pricing structure with no hidden fees and exclusive rates are on offer to HTA members, including no authorisation fees.

Commenting of the new addition to the preferred partner scheme, Martin Simmons, HTA Operations Director said: “We are thrilled to announce that Lloyds Cardnet as our new HTA preferred partner for card processing. We’ve secured a great deal for our members and hope many of them will benefit from the exclusive rates available.”

Alexandra Lee, Strategic Channel Manager for Lloyds Cardnet, commented; “The HTA has a real passion for its members and that’s what we look for with introducers that we work with, because we have a huge passion for our sector too. The HTA has a really exciting membership base, from the small independent garden centres to the large chains and we genuinely believe we can add some real benefits to each one of those businesses.”

To ensure a seamless transfer of services, Lloyds Cardnet has a dedicated and experienced team, so switching couldn’t be easier. HTA members can get more information about the competitive rates available from Lloyds Cardnet and details about how to switch, by contacting:

Phone: 0333 234 1961

Email: lloyds@hta.org.uk

Web: hta.org.uk/cardprocessing

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.

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

Get the GTN Bestsellers charts in full every week in the GTN Bestsellers newsletters for only £145.00.

GTN Bestsellers is the only industry source of weekly garden centre sales information, collating Epos data from centres with an aggregate turnover in excess of £100m.

Use the weekly Garden Products and Growing Media Top 50 sales volumes charts to plan your hotspot and other promotions and ensure you have the right products in stock to satisfy the needs of your customers.

For further information contact karen.pfeiffer@tgcmc.co.uk or buy on-line using the button below:

For further enquires please call 07973 504214.

Bookings are now open for the HTA Catering Conference 2018, ‘A Recipe for Growth’, which takes place on Tuesday 5 and Wednesday 6 June at Birmingham Botanical Gardens. This successful two-day event and dinner is aimed at all those in garden centre catering from business owners and managers to chefs and front of house staff.

The conference this year moves to a new apt venue – Birmingham Botanical Gardens, which provides a great in-keeping back drop to the event. Alongside the conference and dinner there will be an exhibition showcasing garden centre catering suppliers with plenty of opportunity for networking with peers across the industry.

Amongst the first speakers to be confirmed for the conference are Jim Cregan, Founder of Jimmy’s Iced Coffee’s. After getting incredibly frustrated with working as a labourer, shifting bricks in the winter and hosting major UK festival stages dressed as a mermaid in the summer, Jim realised enough was enough and decided to head to Oz, it was there he fell in love with iced coffee and returned home to start his own company. Jimmy’s Iced Coffee was formed in 2011 and with his sister as his business partner, a great deal of hard work and enthusiasm, they’ve built a successful business in the UK.

Jim will be the keynote speaker on Tuesday 5 June where the focus for the day is on strategy and operations.

The second day of the conference, Wednesday 6 June, focusses on food. We will be joined by Paul Hargreaves, Founder and Chief Exec of Cotswold Fayre, a speciality & fine food wholesaler. Paul will be focusing his session on food trends to watch out for throughout 2018 and into 2019.

Jane Land, Founder of Veganuary, a charity that has encouraged over 200,000 people to try vegan for the month of January, will also be joining us on day two. With millennials moving towards meat free and free from foods, Jane will be talking about how you can make sure you are catering for all diets and why this shift in attitude towards plant based diet is gaining momentum.

HTA Communications Manager Gill Ormrod comments, “The HTA Catering Conference provides an unrivalled opportunity for all those involved in garden centre catering to get the latest ideas and inspiration about trends, issues and views from the industry and the wider hospitality sector. With the new venue of Birmingham Botanic Gardens this year’s events promises to be better than ever!”

Look out for further details about the programme which will be available in the coming weeks.

Book your place at www.hta.org.uk/cateringconference

Exhibitors booked to attend so far include BIRA, Citation, Frobishers Juices Ltd, Newbery International Produce Ltd, The Handmade Cake Company and Vision Commercial Kitchens.

For details about sponsorship opportunities at the event please contact the HTA Commercial team:  Tim Bell on 07808 775177 /  tim.bell@hta.org.uk or Phil Swainston on01235 776181 / phil.swainston@hta.org.uk

With a keynote talk from food critic, writer and broadcaster, Jay Rayner, The Jolly Tasty pop-up pub sampling Great Taste award-winning beers & ciders, retail clinics with the School of Fine Food and Shopper’s Anonymous all on the line up, the new look Fine Food Show North (formerly Harrogate Find Food Show) is set to be bigger and better than ever before.

Extended to three days and moved from June to February in response to popular demand, this trade-only event from the Guild of Fine Food will showcase more than 180 food and drink exhibitors and will take place at the Yorkshire Event Centre in Harrogate on Sunday 11 February from 11am – 4pm, Monday 12 February from 10am – 6pm and Tuesday 13 February from 10am – 4pm.

Registration is now open for deli, farm shop, café and garden centre owners, along with chefs, publicans, hoteliers, bar owners and restaurateurs, to visit this jam-packed three-day event and discover emerging food and drink trends, along with buyers from Selfridges, Harrods and Fenwicks.

Visitors to Fine Food Show North 2018 can also expect to learn how to tap into tourism during a Gastro Tourism Business Builder workshop with Sir Gary Verity, CEO at Welcome to Yorkshire, explore ‘off the wall’ accompaniments for cheese and watch producers pitch new products to the experts on the Feed the Dragon panel.

What’s on at Fine Food Show North 2018

Throughout the show

180 food and drink exhibitors, some never before seen at a tradeshow
Pavilion of the best northern producers in association with Deliciously Yorkshire, Taste Lancashire and Taste of Cumbria
Jolly Tasty pop-up pub, hosted by Taste Distribution, where visitors will be able to sample Great Taste award-winning produce
Complimentary goody bags for all visitors on Sunday 11 February
Free parking at Yorkshire Event Centre
Free shuttle bus service to and from Harrogate train station
Fine Food Live! Theatre

Sunday 11 February

1200 – 1300: Product Knowledge Workshop –  Pushing the boundaries of the cheeseboard with food writer, Patrick McGuigan

1400 – 1500: Feed the Dragon, hosted by John Farrand, managing director of the Guild of Fine Food


Monday 12 February

1100 – 1200: Product Knowledge Workshop - Better tea for better margins, in association with National Tea Day

1245 – 1345: Business Builder Workshop – Stake your claim in the gastro-tourism goldmine hosted by John Farrand, Sir Gary Verity, CEO of Welcome to Yorkshire and other guest speakers

1430 – 1530: Feed the Dragon, hosted by John Farrand, managing director of the Guild of Fine Food

1630 – 1730: Keynote Address – Greedy Man in a Hungry World with Jay Rayner, followed by Q&A

 

Tuesday 13 February

1100 – 1145: Chef Demonstration – Stephanie Moon’s Pancake Day menu

1200 – 1300: Product Knowledge Workshop: Match speciality teas with a range of foods in association with National Tea Day

1315 – 1415: British and Continental Charcuterie tastings with BBC Radio 2 broadcaster and cook, Nigel Barden, and editorial director of Fine Food Digest, Mick Whitworth

1445 – 1545: Feed the Dragon, hosted by BBC Radio 2 broadcaster and cook, Nigel Barden

 

Business Workshops

Sunday 11 February

1200 – 1500: Retail Merchandise Workshop, hosted by School of Fine Food’s Jilly Sitch

 

Monday 12 February

1200 - 1300: Forage the Show 1 with BBC Radio 2 broadcaster and cook, Nigel Barden

1330 – 1430: Forage the Show 2 with BBC Radio 2 broadcaster and cook, Nigel Barden

1545 – 1615: Sampling of award-winning beers & ciders in The Jolly Tasty pop-up pub and an opportunity to meet special guest speaker, Jay Rayner.

 

Tuesday 13 February

1200 – 1245: Retail workshop and Q&A with John Farrand, managing director of the Guild of Fine Food

1300 – 1400: One-to-one mentoring sessions

Trade visitors can register now for their FREE Fine Food Show North tickets at gff.co.uk/shows/ffsn.

Picture credit: John Arandhara Blackwell.