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Merry Christmas to all our readers
The team at GTN and GTN Xtra wish all our readers a very Merry Christmas and a well earned break for a few days.
Happy Christmas from Trevor, Alan, Anisa and Neil, plus our valued team of Greatest Christmas Awards judges: Neil, Nicci, Roger, Peter, Lilidh, Jane and Mark.
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Voting has now closed for The Greatest Garden Centre Christmas teams
See the list of 127 garden centre teams that are being voted for as The Greatest at Christmas 2024
Thousands of garden centre customers across the UK have made their on-line votes for The Greatest Garden Centre Christmas Teams and now that voting has closed hundreds more votes collected instore are arriving daily at the GTN offices.
Here's the top 30 centres from on-line voting just before voting closed:
- Albrighton BGC
- Alton Garden Centre
- Azure Garden Centre
- Birkacre Garden Centre
- Bosworths Burton Latimer
- Bow Garden & Aquatic Centre
- Braintree BGC
- Bridgenorth BGC
- Brockworth BGC
- Charlecote BGC
- Fakenham Garden Centre
- Garden King
- Harrogate BGC
- Hillmount Belfast
- Keydell Garden Centre
- Mackenzie & Cruickshank
- Munro’s Nurseries
- Newquay Garden Centre
- Old Railway Line
- Perrywood Sudbury
- Perrywood Tiptree
- Planters Bretby
- Pughs Radyr
- Pughs Wenvoe
- Roxton BGC
- Snowdonia Nurseries
- Summerhill Garden Centre
- Trioscape Garden Centre
- Trowell Garden centre
- Wolseley Bridge BGC
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See the list of centres being voted for and download the voting posters, voting postcards and voting QR code here
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Garden centre industry loses much-respected friend and colleague
News has come through of the sad loss to the industry of David Smith, Account Manager for Taylors Bulbs in the West Midlands and Northern Ireland. David passed away suddenly on the afternoon of Saturday 7th December...
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First of closed Dobbies sites changes hands to Yorkshire Garden Centres Group
The first of the closed Dobbies sites – Pennine Garden Centre in Huddersfield – has changed hands to Yorkshire Garden Centres Group, which now has seven centres in its portfolio...

Andy Mears (Group Retail and Operations Manager) and Sharon McNair (Commercial Director) from Yorkshire Garden Centres at the former Dobbies centre.
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Scholarships for students more important than ever
The Colegrave Seabrook Foundation is seeing a significant increase in applications for scholarships in its 2025 season as the cost-of-living crisis continues to bite...

One scholarship proving popular this year is the new Wyevale Nurseries Scholarship.
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Change in Tillington chairmanship
The Tillington Group has announced that Caroline Owen, from Scotsdale Nursery and Garden Centres, will be stepping down as Tillington chairman from January 1st 2025 and that James Evans, from Ruxley Manor Garden Centre, will be taking over...
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Catering and Christmas spark 6% sales growth

The Horticultural Trades Association has reported strong sales for garden centres in November, showing a 6% increase compared to 2023, even when excluding café and restaurant sales...
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Garden centres enjoy ‘much better finish to the year’
The Garden Centre Association’s November Barometer of Trade results show "a much better finish to the year", according to GCA CEO Peter Burks...
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Houseplants could be saviours for last-minute shoppers

New information from the HTA’s Garden Retail Monitor system, which collects barcode-level sales data from UK garden centres, shows that last year (2023), 13% of all houseplant sales in garden centres took place in December and the industry is expecting a similar level of trade this year...
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Hillier Nurseries honoured with Royal Warrant

Hillier Nurseries Ltd, one of the UK’s leading horticultural businesses, is among the companies to have been granted a Royal Warrant by His Majesty King Charles III...
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Vitax granted prestigious Royal Warrant
Vitax Limited has been granted the prestigious Royal Warrant of Appointment (Royal Warrant) to His Majesty King Charles III...
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Celebrating 153 years as seedsmen to Royal Family

Suttons has been officially granted the Royal Warrant of Appointment by King Charles III. The brand has been supplying the Royal households since the reign of Queen Victoria I...
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Taylors Bulbs honoured with Royal Warrant
Taylors Bulbs has been granted the Royal Warrant of Appointment to be Bulb Growers to His Majesty King Charles III...
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Thetford Garden Centre achieves B Corp Certification

Thetford Garden Centre has announced its new status as a Certified B Corporation (B Corp). This prestigious certification, awarded by B Lab, recognizes companies that meet high standards of social and environmental performance, transparency, and accountability across five key areas: governance, workers, customers, community, and the environment...
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GIMA Awards Roll of Honour & Full Glee New Products Directory in GTN November issue – read online
In this Issue:
- GTN’s Greatest Christmas Awards – the judges hit the road to visit 120 garden centres
- Choice Marketing – winners from the conference and awards
- Opinion – retailers on implications from the Budget
- Keter celebrate 80 years of Stewart Garden
- Glee New Product Directory – every product entered this year
- GIMA Award – winners in the roll of honour
- Glee New Product Directory continued
- Review of PATS Telford
- Houseplants in the mall – a look around The RHS Plant Space
- Planteria – plants for the festive season
- HTA Viewpoint - A chance to give back
- GIMA Viewpoint – Managing Risk
Read the issue on-line here
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GIMA Buyers Guide & New Product Digest Autumn 2024
New Products for the UK Garden Trade for 2025 from GIMA Members: Ames, Auto Pot Global, Avocet Hardware – Greenman Tools, Azpects, Bulldog Tools, Burgon & Ball, Capi Europe, Coir Products, Durston Garden Products, elho, Evergreen Garden Care, Fandango Fire Tools, Fargro, Forest Garden, Gardena, Glee, Greenkey, Greenleaf Horticulture, Handy Distribution, Harvest Pet Products, Hortiwool , Hozelock, Johnsons Lawn Seeds, Kleen-Tex, LBC Ultralight Boots, Marriages, Meadow View Stone, Museums & Galleries, Panacea Products, Phoenox, PlantWorks, POTR, Primeur, Primus, Sipcam, Smart Garden Products, Sorbus, The Solar Centre, Tildenet, Treadstone, Vitavia, Vitax, Witt UK & Ireland, Woodmansterne, Zest Outdoor Living, GIMA Member Directory, Join GIMA.
Read the New GIMA Buyers Guide on-line here
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Garden centre's children's book raises £2,500 for charities

The Old Railway Line Garden Centre's first-ever Christmas children’s book, The Magic of a Christmas Gift, has sold out, raising an incredible £2,515.29 for their two Charities of the Year...
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Kent & Stowe's cutting-edge collection for 2025

Kent & Stowe is renowned for its high-quality tools that help gardeners achieve extraordinary results and is proud to showcase its diverse 2025 cutting collection. Designed with precision, performance, and durability in mind, this extensive range ensures garden centres can cater to every gardener, from novices to experts, with tools that truly make a difference...
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Zest smashes charity target in support of Mind

Zest has smashed its charity fund raising target for 2024, presenting a cheque for £18,800 to Mind – North East Wales...
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Leeds garden centre donates ice rink session for Inclusive Skating Awards
The team at a South Leeds garden centre ice rink hosted a group of skaters for a unique awards ceremony that coincided with World Ice Skating Day on 15th December...
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Open Day and Spring Stock Up at Allensmore Nurseries

Allensmore Nurseries are holding and Open Day and Spring Stock Up on Tuesday 28th January or Wednesday 29th January 2025...
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Source Fashion launches Source Debates for February show

Source Fashion, Europe’s leading responsible sourcing show running from 18th – 20th February 2025 at Olympia London, has announced a sneak preview of seminars and speakers including Nobody’s Child founder Andrew Xeni, Safia Minney MBE, and All Saints founder Stuart Trevor, and the debut of Source Debates...
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Geck marks a new milestone with UK launch party
Geck Solutions UK, a leader in retail display and point of sale products, recently celebrated the successful launch of its latest initiative at an exclusive UK launch party, hosted at TABU in Mayfair, London...
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Get your copy of GTN Xtra
with all the news direct to your e-mail inbox...
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Interest in green careers grows as recruitment opens for RHS School of Horticulture
The Royal Horticultural Society saw a 21% increase in applications across its School of Horticulture programmes for 2024, reflecting a surge of interest in green careers...
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RECOUP UK Plastic Packaging Collection Survey outlines 'monumental' challenge
RECOUP has launched its annual UK Household Plastic Packaging Collection Survey, which has outlined the monumental scale of the challenge ahead.
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Discover Italian horticulture
There is a lot to learn from the Italian horticulture industry, which is why AIPH and FCI have arranged a horticultural tour of the country from 2-10 May 2025.
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Collective imagination champion to speak at 2025 GCA conference
Author of ‘From What Is to What If’ and collective imagination champion Rob Hopkins is to speak at the Garden Centre Association annual conference in Reading this January...
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New top theme for spoga+gafa 2025: 'Design Gardens'
'Design Gardens' addresses two topics: Current trends in product design as well as garden design...
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The best of last week's
If you missed last week's GTN Xtra, below are the most-read stories...
Woodlodge Products to distribute renowned Jingles Christmas lighting range
Following a successful season for Snowlodge, Woodlodge Products is delighted to announce that it has officially taken over the distribution of the iconic Jingles Christmas Lighting range...
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Garden centre boss turned sleuth tracks down thief who has now been arrested
Award-winning garden centre boss Charlie Groves has been making TV and national newspaper headlines after turning detective and tracking down a woman shoplifter who stole toys from his store who has now been arrested...
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Spring Fair launches £1,000 competition
Spring Fair has announced the launch of a competition to win £1,000 to spend at the February 2025 show. To be in with a chance to win, simply register for the show before 6 January 2025...
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Visit Heaven Sends at Harrogate & Spring Fair 2025
Heaven Sends, one of the UK’s leading Home & Gift suppliers, are exhibiting at two of the industry’s biggest Trade Shows – Harrogate Christmas & Gift and Spring Fair...
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The Happy Factor: Zero In Plant Remedy
GTN Xtra Promotion
Zero In Plant Remedy is the new range for healthier houseplants. Keeping customers and their houseplants happy and healthy!
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Bulrush helps growers achieve success in 2025
GTN Xtra Promotion
With enormous investments underway aimed at maximising efficiency, increasing capacity, and ensuring reliable supply for customers, leading substrate producer Bulrush Horticulture is laying the groundwork for another successful season ahead, making it the number-one choice for growers heading into 2025...
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Corby + Fellas partners with Scott’s of Southend
GTN Xtra Promotion
Corby + Fellas has partnered with Scott’s of Southend, a stand-out nursery and garden centre located in Rochford, Essex...
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Spring Fair set to celebrate anniversary with bigger event
GTN Xtra Promotion
As the UK's largest retail trade event, Spring Fair brings together home, gift and fashion retailers and suppliers of all sizes. As the UK's most trusted retail marketplace, its legacy of expertise attracts the largest buyers from across the industry – and this year's anniversary event on 2nd-5th February 2025 at NEC Birmingham, is set to be even bigger!
Read more»
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