Gardens are the main stage for family re-unions as England moves to the next stage of the Roadmap today, and garden centres have been reporting their busiest ever day on Saturday this weekend.

Despite continued tight management of customer numbers and social distancing GTN received various reports for garden centres across England of Saturday 27th March being their busiest ever with furniture sales featuring large in those sales figures.

British Garden Centres had its best day ever for the group, overtaking the record days of May 2020.

Alan Roper, Blue Diamond, commented that it was an "industry wide phenomenon," with centres reporting record levels of furniture sales.

Derek Bunker at Altons in Essex told GTN Xtra: "We had our busiest day ever on saturday.  Everything went crazy. Garden furniture, bbqs, outdoor plants,house plants landscape materials. It was absolutely amazing and the weather here was not particularly good with cloudy skies and a cold wind.  The trick now is to restock when most suppliers have little stock."

At Baytree Garden Centre in Spalding, Nigel Wallis described Saturday as "Blooming marvellously crackers!"

Gerald Ingram said: "Planters and Bretby both had their busiest ever days.  Planters up by about £7,000 and Bretby up by at least £15,000!  Its been unbelievable and that’s before the restaurants re-open!  Furniture accounted for 20% of all sales last week."

Some garden centres had been so busy they were unable to comment on actual sales levels yesterday; "Haven't got a bloody clue! Reported Sam at Bosworths near Kettering. "I'm too busy trying to find more stock and working out what has hit me." 

And in the South West, Charlie Groves told us: "I think it was a record day, especially if you take catering out of the figures.  It was certainly the busiest ever March day.  The customers all seemed to be very excited to see the sun come out and a chance to get back in the garden.  It was great to see plants and core gardening going so well. The only down side was the amount of furniture enquires we had and the lack of furniture we have been able to get hold of but I guess you can’t have it all."

John Ainscow at Summerseat Garden Centre, that featured on BBC Breakfast on Friday, (pictured above) said: "It was our third busiest day ever at Bradley Fold only beaten by a day last May and one last November.  Apparently Monty Don was sowing tomato seeds last Friday, quite correctly, end of March.  We’ve been selling tomato plants, not seed, which we grow ourselves, for over four weeks. To back-up our hard hit supply we contacted Quantil and Colourgrow and both said no plants available due to incredible demand. Really is amazing, we’ve probably already sold approaching 2,000 plants between our two centres, marked up of course, “Protect from frost”.  Bit ominous for the summer bedding season."

After Summerseats starring role on BBC Breakfast on Friday there was a feature on BBQ's on ITV's Good Morning, numerous local radio slots about gardens and gardening and the over the weekend as well as the usual, now regular gardening programming there was a long feature about houseplants as part of Channel 4 News on Saturday evening.

No wonder the airwaves this morning are full of stories about how people have been preparing their gardens so they can have family re-unions this week.  And to cap it all we now have three days of glorious weather forecast.  Gardening is not just centre stage right now, it is the main stage!

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Justin Williams at Fron Goch, who were only able to re-open on March 22nd says: "Everyday last week was better than any previous best days.  Furniture and trees and shrubs playing a major part of course. The furniture demand is incredible - I imagine this year is a once in Lifetime situation for gardening demand. Customers comfortable within the centre and very happy to be back. Great to see happy customers once again in the centre."

At Klondyke, who still have garden centres that have been unable to re-open yet in Scotland, David Yardley comments: "We had a very busy week last week but as the Scottish centres are closed it wasn’t our busiest ever but was our best ever week in March. We had two centres have their best day ever and best week ever but it was a long way short of the last week in May last year. We did see a jump again in ATV which is encouraging but this was caused by the increase in furniture sales more than anything else."

In the North West, Newbank's Jon Bottomley has told GTN Xtra: It isn’t just this weekend, we beat our best ever day by 30% every weekend day for the past month. We are currently trading at 4 times usual turnover since January, the decision to ship furniture in October has really paid off and we have a pre-order sheet which is like war and peace. All other departments are flying but furniture is driving the sales through the stratosphere. We honestly don’t know how we’re going to cope if this continues but we will!"

At Perrywood, Simon Bourne reports: "It was exceptionally busy and was a record day on Saturday at Tiptree. We've been busy every single day of March and for the last 10 days we've been trading at approx double our normal expectation. 

Lets hope it can continue for a few more weeks!"

Martin Davies at Raglan Garden Centre in Wales has just added: "Yes, like everywhere else Saturday was the busiest day ever and it has been unbelievably busy since we re-opened last Monday. Saturday was the perfect storm, pent up demand, money to spend and the definite feeling of get it now before it’s gone. Takings almost 40% up on our best day last May. Mark Drakeford has a lot to answer for, instead of an orderly start to the season he has created a frenzy of demand with our delayed opening, which we may not be able to cope with if this level of trade continues."

While day records weren't broken at Bents Garden & Home, Matthew Bent tells us: "it was a great weekend. We found that plants, compost, pots and gardening were selling really well.  Outdoor living, including furniture and BBQs are really booming as everyone gets ready for being allowed in their gardens.  Lets hope the spring weather is as good as last year."

Mothers Day was still the best Saturday for Longacres at Bagshot due to their on-site floristry business.  Nigel Long said however that the smaller Longacres stores were very close to their best ever Saturday this weekend.  "Bagshot has always worked on a numbers game so on a major Saturday we would have 5,000 to 6,000 customers through the door.  Obviously at the moment we are having to restrict those numbers by more than half. As with everyone else the average basket sale has increased and we have increased our opening hours in the week and on a Saturday.  So the week just gone was just shy of our best week ever!"

Did you also have your busiest ever day on Saturday?  Please use the comments link below or e-mail trevor@pottingshedpress.co.uk 

As the spring season gets underway, Primeur – the award-winning supplier of the Eco Garden range of recycled rubber planters, stepping-stones and borders – is raring to go with a warehouse full of stock, new lines added and proven merchandising displays set to drive up the average basket spend. Here the company outlines five reasons why you should make Primeur your top choice for driving sales this year.

1. Record breaking sales

2020 marked a truly record-breaking year for Primeur and the company is hoping to replicate that success in 2021 as the popularity of environmentally conscious products continues to drive the consumer agenda.

Primeur saw its sales rise in excess of 140% in 2020, despite one of the toughest environments that the garden retail sector has ever experienced. The team believe, however, that the exceptional performance of the Eco Garden range was not a coincidence. Sales Director, Jenny Douthwaite explains more: “Long before the pandemic reshaped the retail environment in a way that no-one could ever have predicted, consumers were actively seeking products with true green credentials, and lockdown only served to reinforce the nation’s desire to protect the planet for future generations. With Eco Garden products crafted from recycled rubber tyres, which would have otherwise taken 80 years to decompose if dumped into landfill, the sustainability of recycled rubber garden innovations has clearly resonated with retailers and consumers alike.

“There is no question that this trend will continue to grow in 2021, including amongst those three million new gardeners which took up the hobby during lockdown. This is a significant opportunity for retailers, and with our products they are able to give the consumers exactly what they want!”

2. UK based stock holding & warehousing

Whilst many suppliers might be struggling to gain access to stock due to the issues surrounding container availability and shipping costs, Primeur is pleased to report that its UK-based stock holding means its product availability remains at an all-time high. Having brought product into the country much earlier than normal, the company has been able to respond to the rise in consumer demand and ensure that retailers are armed with stock throughout the season.

Jenny Douthwaite, Primeur Sales Director said: “Stocking became an issue for our sector in 2020 as lockdown gardening grew in popularity, and we wanted to ensure that we countered this ahead of time. Bringing forward our delivery schedule has paid dividends. We have our stock exactly where we can see it – in our warehouse – ready and waiting to be delivered to retailers when it is needed most throughout the season.”

3. Trend-led new products bolster offering

Discerning consumers are asking more of product suppliers than ever before. Joining ‘eco-conscious’ at the top of the wish list are products that meet current interior and exterior trends, with grey once again being the top colour choice.

The popularity of grey lies in the fact that it is essentially a “colourless colour”. The neutrality of grey and its many shades means it complements all other colours, making it easy to use grey as a backdrop to wider colour schemes across both traditional and contemporary designs. In the garden, grey helps nature’s colours pop, and can help to define different areas of the garden with clear boundary lines.

Aiming to capitalise on this trend, Primeur has added a number of grey colourways to its best-selling product lines ahead of the 2021 season, including the Railroad Tie (25x60cm) in grey, as well as the popular Ultra Curve EZ Border. Previously only available in Earth, the 122cm-long Brick borders will be available in grey in heights of 9cm or 15cm, helping gardeners to add a cutting-edge look to flower borders and vegetable beds.

Grey will also feature in the new Carolina Border collection, as well as an Earth colour option, highlighting the classic new design perfectly. Dimensions of this new border will be 2x15x120cm and will be supported by a retail price of just £16.99.

Three new planters also join the Eco Garden line up. First up will be the new 15cm Octavia Planter (RRP £24.99), offering a smaller size option within this popular planter collection.

The best-selling Sonata range will see the introduction of two new trough planters in response to both retailer and consumer demand. At 71cm wide and standing at 50cm high, the larger trough will be a commanding planter in any garden setting, whilst the smaller trough (61cm wide x 15cm high) will provide the ideal solution for window boxes and herb gardens alike.

4. Updated merchandising displays

Witnessing a phenomenal response to its bespoke merchandising displays in 2020, where orders increased four-fold, Primeur has confirmed that it has updated this popular point of sale to help drives sales throughout 2021.

The new-for-2021 displays will benefit from fresh new content where the story of the recycled material and product USP’s including all-weather durability and ease of installation are clearly communicated to help convert consumer interest into purchases.

Each display unit comes fully stocked with product with borders and/or stepping-stones and the informative header border already attached so that stock can be immediate merchandised on the shop floor.

Thanks to the freestanding design, each Eco Garden display offers real flexibility for retailers, optimising multiple SKUs within a smaller, more cost-effective footprint. The pallet base means that each unit can be easily positioned both indoors and outdoors to create a stand-alone display or can be used in conjunction with other gardening sundries, lawn care, plants or pots to create appealing linked sales opportunities and help to drive up the average basket spend.

5. Virtual showroom tours

Like many, Primeur has adapted the way it operates to ensure the safety of its staff and customers. A key part of this was the introduction of its new virtual showroom, where retail buying teams were able to enjoy a detailed walkthrough of the full Primeur offering including the Eco Garden range and Mighty Mats collections. Originally launched to coincide with the virtual Glee Gathering in September 2020, the showroom tours have remained open to all Primeur customers so that they continue to get up close and personal with the products throughout the season.

Find out more

To find more about Primeur’s full product range as well as how to join one of its new virtual showroom tours, please contact the team on 01274 518800 or email sales@primeur.ltd.uk

Corby + Fellas are delighted to announce Studley Grange Garden Centre and Butterfly World & Farm Park have just installed WinRetail.

Studley Grange is located just off the M4 at junction 16 and has been under independent ownership since October 2019. Throughout 2020 and 2021 they have been investing heavily to renovate and enlarge all areas of the garden centre.

They have a fantastic butterfly world and farm park, along with a craft village, soft play and places to eat.

"We are very excited to be working with this wonderful garden and leisure park and look forward to our future with them," said Corby + Fellas.

Studley Grange Garden & Leisure Park
Hay Lane
Wroughton
Swindon
Wiltshire
SN4 9QT

01793 852736

Value garden centre group, Cherry Lane, has today, Friday 26^th March, acquired Langford Nurseries & Garden Centre in Bedfordshire,, taking their group of garden centres to 15.

Langford Nurseries & Garden Centre is located on Henlow Road, Langford. The acquisition, the latest in Cherry Lane’s strategy of ongoing expansion, brings the group total to 15 garden centres across East Anglia, Yorkshire and the Midlands.

Nick Rubins, Chief Executive of the QD Group which owns Cherry Lane, said: “The latest acquisition of Langford Garden Centre is another step in the ongoing growth and success of Cherry Lane. The centre is in a great location which is situated in the heart of our region and we are very pleased to welcome the team from Langford Garden Centre, many of whom have worked there for 30+ years and have outstanding gardening knowledge and expertise. As a family run business, we look forward to continuing the centre’s rich history of serving the local community and to introducing our great value, excellent quality and ever-changing spectacular new deals.”

The garden centre, which currently employs 28 members of staff, will be known as Langford Garden Centre by Cherry Lane. All staff will be retained and Cherry Lane hopes to expand the team by recruiting a number of additional staff in the near future. The garden centre manager is Wayne Roberts, who is the current manager and will remain in this role.

Cherry Lane will be working to introduce a number of key improvements and developments to the garden centre and café over the next few months. It aims to enhance customer enjoyment and experience of the great value and quality of products with new departments being added, including outdoor living and furniture such as solar lighting, water features and barbecues, not to mention indoor furnishings and homewares, plus a brand new pet department under Cherry Lane’s Scallywags brand. Cherry Lane is continuing the garden centre’s well-established plant growing operation, which will work alongside the group’s existing three nursery operations located across the country. The garden centre will remain open to customers throughout the improvement works.

Langford Garden Centre by Cherry Lane is located on Henlow Road, Langford, Beds SG18 9SD. For more information, visit www.cherry-lane.co.uk.

More than 180 ships remain blocked in the Suez Canal in both directions, unable to get through one of the busiest waterways in the world, LOFA have now learnt that the freeing of the ship may take longer than originally thought.

A huge backlog of vessels is building up amid warnings that the salvage team could need days or even weeks, to prise out the giant container ship that’s blocking the crucial waterway.

Work to re-float the Ever Given and allow passage for ocean going carriers hauling almost $10 billion of oil and consumer goods continued without success on Thursday. Tugs and diggers have so far failed to budge the vessel, and some experts say the crisis could drag on for several days. The Suez Canal Authority has temporarily suspended traffic along the waterway.

Many LOFA members have products on the Ever Given or held in one of the container ships behind the vessel, which means yet another setback for the outdoor leisure industry which is already dealing with issues caused by port congestion, lack of empty containers and rising shipping costs.

The incident began on Tuesday when the Ever Given, on its way to Rotterdam from China, faced strong winds which kicked up sands along the banks of the 120-mile canal. The waterway is less than 205 meters in some places, and can be difficult to navigate when there’s poor visibility. As gusts that reached as high as 46 miles an hour swept up dust around it, the crew lost control of the ship and it careered sideways into a sandy embankment, blocking nearly the entirety of the channel 

At about a quarter mile long (400 meters) and weighing in at 200,000 tons, the sheer size of the vessel is overwhelming efforts to dig it out. The vessel will most likely have to be lightened before it can be dug out either end. The salvors may have to lighten the ship by removing things like the ballast water, which helps keep it steady while at sea. Fuel could also be unloaded.

Container ships usually take 5-6 weeks to travel from China to UK ports, some shipping companies are now starting to divert their ships around the southern tip of Africa, the Cape of Good Hope, which adds about 3,500 miles to the journey and up to 12 days.

This could not have come at a worst time for LOFA Members and retailers with the Easter and May Day weekends fast approaching it will mean extra delays for products arriving in the UK. 

More detail about the Ever Given and the situation in the Suez Canal can be seen at: https://www.vesselfinder.com/news/20467-UPDATE-3-on-Suez-Canal-Blocked-by-Ever-Given-Photos-and-Videos

Last week saw garden centre volume sales climb even higher to even outsell the peak created last year by the last minute panic before Lockdown #1 was formally announced.  

GTN Bestsellers All Sales index was up by 7% compared the the week before garden centres closed last year, with All Plant Sales soaring to a new March week record high, up 25% on last year.

Last year everyone was worried about when we’d be able to sell plants and gardening again. This year the biggest worry is what will be available to sell given demand is now so high.

See the full GTN Bestsellers analysis and Top 50 Bestsellers charts in the GTN Bestellers printed newsletter this weekend.  Subscribe here

Turning 10 is not a celebration to be missed and despite the challenges that we currently face there is no question that Garden Re-Leaf’s 10th anniversary was celebrated in style. Here we look back on some of the amazing FUNdraising events which took place throughout March – and look ahead to those yet to take place!

Being apart has not stopped the garden retail sector from finding ways to work together on exciting fundraising activities. Whether its walking, running or cycling, raffles and quizzes or even shaving their heads, the month of March has seen suppliers and retailers come together (both physically and virtually!) to help mark this significant milestone and raise much needed funds for the Greenfingers #

Charity. Currently the FUNdraising total stands at £35,000 with more donations expected to bolster this figure over the coming weeks.

Evergreen go everyway for Garden Re-Leaf

The team from Evergreen Garden Care used Garden Re-Leaf to get themselves moving, clocking up an impressive 1,410,580 steps throughout March. But walking wasn’t enough, they also turned to cycling, running and even horse riding to get the team active. Together the team raised over £1,000 for their efforts.

Garden Re-Leaf virtual quiz tested participants knowledge of gardening and so much more!

Evergreen also kindly sponsored the first ever Garden Re-Leaf virtual quiz, hosted by Greenfingers Patron, Anne-Marie Powell. Kickstarting the weekend the quiz covered gardening and general knowledge topics, raising £500 for the charity.

Garden Re-Leaf founder goes for a wander

Boyd Douglas-Davies, Director of British Garden Centres and the founder of Garden Re-Leaf Day pushed himself to the limits with his ambitious virtual trek between the latest British Garden Centre location in Harrogate, and Boyd’s own office in Brigg. Measuring 115km this was never going to be an easy task and sadly Boyd suffered an injury halfway. Not one to shirk responsibility however, Boyd has vowed to complete the distance, once again stepping onto his beloved (ahem!) cross trainer to ensure he crosses the finish line.

So far Boyd has raised £2,855 but there is still time to show your support by visiting https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/boyd-douglas-davies100

Walking was the order of the day!

It wasn’t just Boyd who looked to cover long distances for Greenfingers. The team at leading trade exhibition, Glee, tackled 333 miles including Event Director, Matthew Mein, who clocked up his 140th mile for Garden Re-Leaf as he walked between three Kent based garden centres – Coolings, Ruxley Manor and Gravesend’s Millbrook Garden Centre - supported by Glee’s Commercial Manager, Daniel McAlpin. Together the Glee team have raised over £1,200.

AMES completed its AMES Amble, walking over one million steps and raising £2,000, whilst multi-discipline landscapers, Scotscape – the latest charity partner of the Greenfingers charity – completed their Lands’ End to John O’Groats challenge, raising over £1,500 in the process.

Holly Parker from the HTA walked 20 miles over the weekend, bolstering her weekly 50 miles target for Garden Re-Leaf, whilst the Hozelock and Greenfingers teams also continued on their journey to rack up one million steps throughout March. Nick Adsett, Greenfingers Ambassador, also continued his quest to reach 495,000 steps throughout March, whilst Kate Ebbens continues her training ahead of her 10km run at the end of the month.

Finally, the self-named ‘Land’s End to John O’Groats Virtual Crew’ – made up of Hornby Whitefoot PR, Deco-Pak, Primeur, Gardenforum, Garden Trade News and GIMA – have decided to extend their Garden Re-Leaf challenge by doubling the distance they have earmarked for March, with the total set to be 1,206 miles. The first 603 miles (the distance between Land’s End and John O’Groats as the crow flies) was reached ahead of March 19th deadline, with just under 280 miles to go for the last week of March. You can sponsor the team by visiting https://www.justgiving.com/team/LandsEndtoJohnOGroatsvirtualcrew

They Braved the Shave!

If you visit Millbrook Garden Centre in the next few weeks you might be surprised to see four lovely ladies rocking freshly shaven buzzcuts. This is because Greenfingers Chairman Sue Allen, along with Millbrook Garden Centre’s Managing Director/Greenfingers Trustee, Tammy Woodhouse, and staff members, Jo and Danielle, all braved the barber’s chair to have their lockdown locks shaved for Garden Re-Leaf Day! Together these brave ladies have raised over £15,000 – why not help boost their efforts further by visiting https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/sueandtambraveshave

Stihl’s Minutes Mowed Challenge

Friday 19th March marked the launch date of Stihl’s Minutes Mowed Challenge. The manufacturer and its long-standing dealer Sims will be going head to head to try to clock up at least 1,000 minutes of mowing by the end of May.To donate £10 to support this challenge, simply text: MOWTEN to 70085 (Texts cost £10 plus your standard rate message).

Skipping for Greenfingers

Hannah Powell and the team at Perrywood Garden Centre raised £500 for Garden Re-Leaf by skipping their way through to Garden Re-Leaf Day, whilst others donned their favourite florals for #floralfriday!

Design consultancy raises £3,000 and rising

Rob Jones and his team at The Garden Design Company donated a day’s salary to the Garden Re-Leaf Day grand total, as well as offering free design consultations and garden blitzes in return for a donation to support the work of Greenfingers. So far, the team has raised over £3,000. To find out more please visit https://www.crowdfunder.co.uk/garden-re-leaf-day-2021

QVC and its vendors confirm their ongoing support

On Saturday (27th March), long-term supporters of Garden Re-Leaf Day, QVC along with Greenfingers Founder and President Richard Jackson and friends, will continue to use their significant platform to raise funds for the Greenfingers Charity. The shows start at 9am and mid-day.

Even without the panic of a weekend before lockdown, plant sales volumes soared last week to a record high for any week in March recorded in the GTN Bestellers Epos data.

And with a significant proportion of sales being shrubs and trees the value of plant sales will be at an all time high for the time of year. No wonder wholesales nurseries are looking bare already. 

See the full GTN Bestsellers analysis and Top 50 Bestsellers charts in the GTN Bestellers printed newsletter this weekend.  Subscribe here

Dobbies has opened a brand new format store in Bristol – little dobbies.

Located on Whiteladies Road, Clifton, this is the second little dobbies to open in the UK, following the success of the debut store which launched in Edinburgh in November 2020. Bolstering the Dobbies portfolio, this takes the total to 70 Dobbies’ stores across the UK. 

little dobbies Clifton core offering is horticulturally focused with a carefully curated range of convenience gardening products, ideal for those in urban areas with a compact gardening space. This is complemented by a range featuring houseplants and pots; a small selection of gifts; and selected seasonal ranges. For opening, spring and summer products will feature including bulbs, seeds and gardening tools. Freshly-ground takeaway coffee is also available.

Graeme Jenkins, CEO at Dobbies, said: “This is an exciting new venture for our team, as we expand our little dobbies offering into Bristol. The store features gardening essentials for urban residents and showcases some of the extensive ranges available at our larger stores and online at dobbies.com.

“We hope that residents in Clifton enjoy shopping at little dobbies. I’d like to thank everyone who has contributed to the project.”

Opening hours for little dobbies are Monday to Saturday 09:00-18:00 and Sunday 10:00-18:00. Social distancing measures are in place across the store.

For further information visit dobbies.com

Colleagues from Kelkay, Apta, La Hacienda and True Temper stepped out last Friday in support of Greenfingers and clocked up an incredible one million steps.

Sarah Winn, Marketing Director, said: “We thought it would be a great idea to encourage everyone to take an hour or two out of their day to raise money for Greenfingers. It was great to see so many people challenging themselves to add extra steps to the target and there was some friendly competition amongst the teams. Overall, it was a great achievement and everyone thoroughly enjoyed themselves, albeit separately due to the social distancing rules.”

Paul North, Managing Director added: “We are proud to have such a dedicated and ambitious team at AMES UK so I guess I should not be surprised to see them absolutely smash their step target on the Garden Re-leaf day challenge. Personal achievement and wellbeing of our people is at the very core of AMES UK business strategy and events like Garden Re-leaf present a great opportunity for us all to focus on our physical and mental health whilst raising money for such a great cause.”

AMES UK doubled their donation to £2000 for Greenfingers in recognition of the extra ordinary achievements of the team.

Gardening guru, Monty Don, recently issued a rallying call to gardeners to stop mowing their lawns, claiming the process ‘burns lots of fossil fuel’, ‘makes a filthy noise’ and is ‘about the most injurious thing you can do to wildlife’. This statement has sent ripples across the gardening industry with suppliers such as DJ Turfcare wanting to actively respond as they believe such comments have potentially damaging consequences.

David Jenkins from DJ Turfcare said: “The protection of environment is of paramount importance but there are ways and means of doing this without having to neglect your lawn. Whilst I support Monty Don’s move towards environmental protection, I do believe we have to be more realistic in our expectations.

“In basic terms lawns are the centrepiece of our garden spaces and are the hub for much of our activities. If we stopped mowing the functionality of our gardens would change dramatically.  Aesthetically, lawns also set off the entire garden, providing a natural backdrop to flowerbeds and wider planting schemes, no matter how small they are. Plus, those without planting or gardening know-how enjoy the natural element that having a lawn can bring to their homes, and this would be minimised if lawns were allowed to run riot.

“The action of mowing the lawn is also one that many enjoy, both physically and mentally, whilst the scent of freshly mown grass often evokes happy memories and marks the start to the spring/summer season where evenings stretch longer and days are full of sunshine. Whilst not environmentally focused, these elements do have an important role to play when telling people to retire the lawnmower.

“From an environmental standpoint, we are seeing a more definitive move towards battery powered mowers, and as such we are becoming less reliant on fossil fuel powered mowers. Gardeners are also becoming much more environmentally conscious as seen in the significant rise in ‘naturals’ and products that are organic or veganic. The DJ Turfcare product portfolio which features all-organic based, RHS endorsed fertilisers have seen sales skyrocket over recent years as customers look to only utilise “good” products in their garden spaces. When it comes to lawns, our products contain soil-friendly microbes which work to enhance the soil, offering benefits for both the grass and the wildlife which calls it home.

“To summarise, stopping mowing just isn’t a realistic expectation for most. However, what we can do is make the switch to greener alternative such as battery powered lawn mowers, organic fertilisers and feeds, and chemical-free sprays and solutions. This way we are minimising our reliance on fossil fuels, whilst boosting our garden spaces with products that give back to the planet, support the ecosystem and help our gardens to flourish.”

To find out more about the DJ Turfcare portfolio please visit www.djturfcare.co.uk

Friday's 10th annual Garden Re-Leaf Day saw FUNdraising events taking place across the country and as this issue GTN Xtra goes to press, monies raised so far exceed £35,000 and are still growing.

Linda Petrons of the Greenfingers Charity told GTN Xtra: "Despite the restrictions of lockdown it has been an incredible Garden Re-Leaf Day this year. An event supported by the industry in a way we could never have imagined. 

"From head shaves to virtual walks, quizzes to minutes mowed, pot sales, skipping, #floralfriday and much more we really cannot thank the industry enough for their inspiration and for digging deep and putting the FUN into FUNdraising!

See our gallery of Garden Re-Leaf Day photos here and watch out for more updates in future issues of GTN Xtra.

Add your photos to our Garden Re-Leaf Day 2021 picture gallery by e-mailing trevor@pottingshedpress.co.uk 

The former Food Hall at Tong Garden Centre has been rebranded ‘Hearty's' by Huddersfield branding and design specialists Picture Smiths and features a new branded range of all Yorkshire products.

Hearty's now occupies a 425m2 space at the Tong Lane centre and is the result of a six month, £250,000 project to deliver a superior food hall shopping experience.

As part of the rebrand, space has been given to a new range of Hearty's  branded products, including beer, sweets, jams and gins from Yorkshire ‘heartisans' Wold Top, Farrah's, Bracken Hill, Raisthorpe Manor and Hooting Owl Distillery respectively. Hearty's feature beer wall now includes 135 craft ales and there is an increased range of artisan spirits.

Also new to Hearty's is a deli section featuring menu inspiration from pies to curries, a patisserie counter with a range of hand-made treats and a seasonal fruit and vegetable offering. Pizza and rotisserie chicken counters will follow at a later date.

The development of Hearty's has been led by former Nestlé Senior Commercial Manager Sarah Dwyer: "We're delighted how our vision for Hearty's has been realised.

"It is now almost double the size of the former food hall, it benefits from a strong identity and it's easy to navigate for an enhanced customer experience. We know our customers look to us for thoughtful foodie gifts, everyday treats and tasty teatime ideas so this has been central to they way we've redesigned the space and our extended offer. Provenance is important too, so we've really focused on introducing more produce from some of Yorkshire's finest artisan makers."

Picture Smiths have worked with the team at Tong on branding, campaigns and packaging since 2015 and are proud of their latest work at the Tong Lane site. Creative Director, Alex Brooke-Smith said: "This has been a fantastic project to work on. After working with Tong for almost six years, we have a good understanding of their ethos, their values and the way they work, so we were able to interpret and execute the brief for this bold and bright, fresh new brand in a creative and timely manner.

"It has been a pleasure to help Sarah and the team to deliver the Hearty's vision and we look forward to replicating it at sites that are developed in the future."

The Garden Centre Association’s recent Barometer of Trade report for February has revealed furniture and barbecue sales at garden centres saw a 79.17% year to date increase during the month.

Although Welsh, Scottish and Northern Irish centres were closed in February, as essential retailers, English centres remained open and recorded positive sales in seven of the 13 BoT categories.

Iain Wylie, GCA Chief Executive, explained: “February is normally a quieter month for our members and with centres in Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland still closed, it was a very difficult month for many and, subsequently, the majority of our members recorded figures that were down from previous years.

“There were decreases in just under 50% of our BoT categories. Cafés and restaurants normally help drive footfall in centres during quieter gardening months like February, but hospitality, understandably, remained closed.

“The weather was also challenging in February, with just a handful of dry, calm, milder days, and this will have put many off being outdoors during the month. However, those members who were open have started to see some green shoots of recovery in some areas. It’s also wonderful to continue to see gardeners braving the elements and getting ready for spring. It is clear gardening remains an essential activity to help boost the nation’s health and wellbeing too.

“Garden centres continue to be community hubs and places for people to collect all their essential shopping, including necessary gardening items and, also, food and produce from on-site food halls and farm shops. Consequently, food hall and farm shop sales for the month were up, year to date, by 25.49%.

“It was clear in February that people were preparing to spend more time in their gardens this year again and they were getting ready by buying furniture and barbecues early.

“The other categories to perform well in February included hard landscaping with sales up 24.92%, garden sundries up at 20.4% and seeds and bulbs up 19.34%.”

Sales in outdoor plants were up too at 8% and houseplants were up by 3.62%.

The six categories that were down, year to date, in February were catering at -96.45%, which is due to the closure of hospitality, clothing -36.47%, gift sales -26.23% and sales in pets and aquatics, which were down by -13.4%.

Iain added: “Christmas was also down by -54.04%, as centres didn’t have stock hanging around in the same way as they had in the previous year due to buoyant festive trading at the end of 2020. Instead, many replaced their traditional post-Christmas activity by setting up early for spring and, consequently, captured some early sales when the weather was pleasant.”

Overall sales for the month were down year-to-date by -6.89%.

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

Consumers in Northern Ireland are desperate to get back into garden centres, with a recent survey showing that 78 per cent feel confident in visiting one. The Horticultural Trades Association survey showed that only people in Scotland have more confidence (79%) in the safety of the retail environment of a garden centre, something they put down to rigorous good practice outlined in their Safe Trading Protocols.  

But as we prepare to enjoy extra daylight from next week, gardeners can only dream about how much more they could achieve in that time as they remain unable to shop at their local garden centre. To be a gardener in Northern Ireland right now is a frustrating and unsatisfying hobby.  

Lockdown restrictions prevent garden centres from trading - despite the retail environment of a garden centre often consisting of mainly outdoor areas with a large floorspace - and have done since lockdown was imposed on 26 December 2020.  

Last week the Northern Ireland

Executive announced that they can start providing a click and collect service from 1 April, but the date for any kind of opening remains in the distant future under the Executive’s current plans.  

This is incredibly frustrating for horticultural businesses and the uniquely sensitive supply chain it supports, as well as would-be customers who are stuck watching Spring arrive and unable to make progress.  

Chairman of the Horticultural Trades Association, James Barnes, said: “At this time of year, garden centre customers have so many projects they want to be getting on with – from sowing and planting to improvements to spaces for outdoor entertaining. Evidence shows plants and gardening boost mental and physical health – something that after an incredibly testing year, is surely an activity that should be encouraged and facilitated? The clocks change this weekend providing even more opportunities to make the most of being outdoors - we are calling on the NI Executive to recognise the health benefits of gardening and give horticulture the go ahead to plan re-opening as soon as possible.” 

Elaine Lee, from Larne, said: “This is the time of year when all gardeners, myself included, look forward to preparing the garden for vegetable and flower seeds.  There is a relatively small window of opportunity for purchasing and planting seeds and it is a process to which many gardeners look forward.   

"I would feel safe in my local garden centre - not only will they ensure shoppers’ safety indoors but the much of the shopping at a garden centre is outdoors, which is a major factor for allowing them to re-open in the very near future. 

Many people gain such vital health benefits from working in their garden; our gardens are sanctuaries for so many during the pandemic. This should be a major consideration in permitting the garden centres to re-open sooner rather than later.” 

The HTA’s Safe Trading Protocol provides detailed guidance on a variety of tactics to make sure the risk to staff and customers is minimised at every opportunity, with practical advice on how to set up car parks and queuing systems, how one-way systems in store can help and how to make payment quick and contact-free, for example. Members are encouraged to sign-up to the scheme and customers can see they have done so on the Plants Near Me website 

Green-fingered pupils of Littlecoates Primary Academy received a helping hand from their gardening chums at Grimsby Garden Centre in the creation of their new mini orchard.

Pupils at the school dug deep and got stuck in to planting the free fruit trees and floral seeds kindly donated by the garden centre as they enjoyed outdoor activity after months of home schooling.

The community focussed garden centre knows more than most about the positive impact of horticulture on both mental and physical health.

Owned by leading NHS mental health services provider NAViGO, profit made by the garden centre goes back into its upkeep and straight into improving mental health services across North East Lincolnshire.

Not only that, but the popular centre also encourages individuals from disadvantaged backgrounds and people with mental health difficulties to get back into work by offering skills, training and employment opportunities.

NAViGO head of commercial services Jo Keen said: “We think young people should have the opportunity to experience nature and have the chance to grow vegetables, fruit and flowers.

“We know how beneficial gardening can be for both physical and mental wellbeing – it can be very calming, inclusive, reduce stress and it’s also great to have an understanding of where food comes from.

“And as pupils return to the classroom following months of home schooling , we are determined to support young people in getting outside and having some muddy good fun.

“We love being part of the local community, we consider ourselves much more than just a garden centre and we hope this is the start of a season’s long friendship.”

Tilly, one of the academy’s pupils, enjoyed her time outdoors. “I planted a fruit tree,” she said. “We had to dig a hole, put it in, move the soil back and then stand on the soil and stamp it down. That was my favourite part.

“I also planted a sunflower seed. I am looking forward to it growing really high with a bright yellow flower on it.

“We did some weeding and digging which I enjoyed because there were lots of worms. We also got messy.”

Littlecoates Primary Academy principal Neville Wilkinson thanked Grimsby Garden Centre for their support of the mini orchard.

“We really appreciate the efforts that have been made to create a special outdoor place for our children,” he said.

“They were really excited about the plans and helping the gardeners. It is wonderful to see them outside enjoying the activity and feels like another step towards normality.”

Over the next few weeks, Grimsby Garden Centre will be sending free Grow With Us seed packs to all local primary schools across North East Lincolnshire to celebrate a return to outdoor activities, encourage the creation of garden havens and to spark an interest in nature.

Beetles are the unsung heroes of the garden and need our support urge the Royal Horticultural Society (RHS) and The Wildlife Trusts, as they launch 2021’s Wild About Gardens campaign.

The two charities are calling on gardeners to create habitats for these important but often overlooked insects which are a vital part of every healthy garden. 

Providing a patch for beetles, including ladybirds, ground beetles and rose chafers, is a great way to encourage balance in the garden and boost biodiversity, with many species under threat from habitat loss, pesticide use and climate change.       

The UK has more than 4,000 beetle species and, although a handful may eat plants, many are predators, pollinators and decomposers, feeding both the soil and larger garden visitors such as birds and hedgehogs.

Ladybirds help gardeners by eating aphids while some ground beetles feed on vine weevil grubs and water beetles keep mosquito larvae under control in ponds. Even the much-maligned lily beetle provides food for three parasitoid wasps.

A new campaign guide published today, ‘Bring back our beetles’, includes ideas for making your garden more beetle-friendly this year:

• Build a beetle bank – Adding a mound of soil, particularly in flat gardens, adds both shady and sunny habitat and provides shelter for lots of invertebrates
• Make a dead hedge – Structured piles of branches and twigs can be used to divide up an area of the garden and provide a residence for beetles as they rot away
• Create a beetle bucket – perfect for small gardens, filling a bucket with rotting wood and leaves makes a home for all sorts of beetles and other insects

Log and rock piles, plenty of pollen-rich flowers and not cutting back dead plant stems until late winter are other good ways to attract beetles and other wildlife. 

Helen Bostock, Senior Horticultural Advisor at the RHS says: “Beetles are really cool. They come in so many shapes, sizes and colours and play lots of different roles in garden life – nibblers, pest controllers, pollinators, recyclers, and even undertakers. Like so much of our wildlife, they are under threat so we hope by shining a spotlight on them people will really start to appreciate and encourage beetles in their gardens.”

Ellie Brodie, Head of Land Management at The Wildlife Trusts says: “Beetles play an absolutely crucial role in maintaining a natural balance in your garden. At a time when insect populations are on the ropes, it is so important that we create and restore wild areas to give them a fighting chance to recover. Beetles are such fascinating creatures – take the Maybug – look closely at its antennae, you’ll never see anything quite so exquisite!

“The Wildlife Trusts want to see nature recovery happening across 30% of all land and sea by 2030. Absolutely everybody can play their part by rewilding part of their garden – collectively we can do so much to give nature a boost and now’s the time to get started!”

The downloadable ‘Bring back our beetles’ guide and more information about the campaign can be found on the Wild About Gardens website at: www.wildaboutgardens.org.uk

Dobbies Garden Centres has teamed up with the UK’s largest nature conservation charity, the RSPB, to release its latest podcast episode. The podcast is available to listen to now and takes a look at how we can all protect and care for our local garden wildlife.

In the latest episode, podcast host and gardening writer Louise Midgley is joined by RSPB Conservation Officer, Ally Lemon, with the pair discussing how we can all make small changes to protect our garden wildlife. As well as practical advice on caring for our birds, insects and pollinators, the episode also has some handy tips on how to make a welcoming habitat for local species.

Marcus Eyles, Horticultural Director at Dobbies, said: “With spring just around the corner a lot of us will be preparing our gardens for the warmer months, and we can all do our bit to make our outdoor spaces more wildlife friendly. Helping nature starts at home, and no matter how big or small your garden, we can all create a suitable home for garden wildlife.”

The RSPB is inspiring everyone to give nature a home, and with just a little planning we can all provide safe havens for local wildlife to feed, breed and hibernate in our gardens. Following the charity’s Big Garden Birdwatch initiative in January, this year the RSPB are looking to inspire more and more people to garden for nature on their doorstep and engage in more wildlife-friendly practices in their garden, balconies and local communities

Ally Lemon, Conservation Officer at the RSPB, said: “No matter the size or type of outdoor space you have, whether it is a rural garden or a city balcony, everyone can help wildlife in their local area. There are loads of things people can do to invite wildlife into their outdoor spaces, from planting some wildflowers in flowerpots, putting up some bird boxes or creating a pond. Small steps can give nature a helping hand.”

So far, Dobbies’ podcast series has covered a host of topics, with everything from seasonal spring gardening tips and practical advice for beginners, to growing your own produce and caring for houseplants.

Dobbies’ podcast is available to listen to and download now via iTunes and Spotify https://www.dobbies.com/content/podcast.html

Inside Outside... a New Beginning. How the 5th room is changing the garden centre retailing market in the march 2021 issue of GTN.  Read on-line here.

• Fountasia, Order now for Spring and Christmas.
• Next Generation to lead the way at GCA, interview with Tammy Woodhouse and Will Blake.
• Onduline ‘clay look’ tiles transform a garden centre.
• Inside Outside… A New Beginning for the garden market.
• Watering wisdom and more marketing from Hozelock.
• Empowering Change for a brighter future, LOFA team up with Planet Mark.
• HTA Column, Tales of the unexpected.
• GIMA Column, Somewhere over the rainbow, a ‘New Normal’ exists.

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

Just as last week was a record March week for plant sales, so it was also a record for graden product sales. The GTN Bestsellers Top 50 volumes jumped by 38% week on week to surpass the peak last year as we went into Lockdown #1.

This year there was a theme of garden clean-up in the data as well as plant feeding products, together with even more pot and pot related sales.

Highlights of the week were:

• Brintons Patio Magic 5 litres was a re-entry at No 13, Algon Organic Algae Remover Patio Cleaner moved up to No 6 and Wham General Purpose Buckets were a new entry at No 31.
• Smart Garden Briers Large Yellow Ribbed Smart Grips were the highest new entry at No 3.
• Plantworks Empathy Rootgrow 150g moved 29 places up the GTN Chart to it’s highest ever position at No 16.  There must have been a lot of planteria staff recommending going on!
• Woodlodge Small Pot Feet stayed as the No 1 Bestselling garden product of the week, last year they were at No 10.

See the full GTN Bestsellers analysis and Top 50 Bestsellers charts in the GTN Bestellers printed newsletter this weekend.  Subscribe here

After the four previous weeks’ huge increases in Veg-2-Gro sales we might have expected a levelling off, but there is no sign of that. Last week’s sales matched the same week last year, which were bolstered by the impending Lockdown #1.  

If any centres had to throw or give away away young veg plant stock last year, they won’t be doing that this year. Instead we may be hoping for some extra crops to extend the season, especially young tomato plants, which are flying through tills at the moment.

Highlights of the week were:

• Quantil Tomato Moneymaker 8cm holds onto its No 1 spot.
• Quantil Tomato Tumbling Red Tom 8cm is the highest GTN Chart re-entry at No 8.
• Quantil Tomato Ailsa Craig 8cm climbed furthest up the Top 50 to No 14.

See the full GTN Bestsellers analysis and Top 50 Bestsellers charts in the GTN Bestellers printed newsletter this weekend.  Subscribe here

Growing media was the one area tracked by GTN Bestsellers that didn’t match the same level of sales compared to last week in 2020. However, sales were almost double the average for the week in the previous five years.  

After our adjustment of 2021 week numbers (see the front page) the GTN Bestsellers Top 50 Growing Media volume sales index is now 8% up on 2020 and 5% up on 2019.  

Over the next few weeks it will be the comparison with 2019 that will be most relevant.  Watch this space…

Highlights of the week were:

• Westland Multipurpose Compost with John Innes 50 litres moves up 3 places to No 1.
• Evergreen Garden Care Levington Standard Grobag moves up eight places to No 18.
• Westland New Horizon All Plant Compost 50 litres moved up one place to No 10.  Last year it was the No 2 Bestseller before Lockdown #1.

See the full GTN Bestsellers analysis and Top 50 Bestsellers charts in the GTN Bestellers printed newsletter this weekend.  Subscribe here

Experience the colours and scents of spring with beautiful flowering bulbs and cherry blossom to be found across the five RHS Gardens, including for the first time, at RHS Garden Bridgewater, Salford, which opens to visitors in May.

For full listings visit www.rhs.org.uk/gardens/whats-on-at-rhs-gardens

Due to Coronavirus, mandatory pre-booking is required to visit the gardens and we advise people to check the RHS website for the latest information as activities may be subject to change or cancellation at short notice.

March

28 March: Cherry Blossom Photography Mornings, RHS Garden Wisley
Capture on camera the beauty of spring cherry blossom. www.rhs.org.uk/wisley

29 March-18 April: Chocolate and Love Easter Hunt, all gardens, dates and times vary
The animals and flowers from the Chocolate and Love packaging have escaped into the Gardens to learn how chocolate is made. Explore the garden, find them all and discover where chocolate really comes from along the way.

www.rhs.org.uk/gardens/whats-on-at-rhs-gardens

April

10, 19 and 27 April: Walkies at Wisley, RHS Garden Wisley
Bring a furry friend along to the garden for this special dog-friendly late afternoon. www.rhs.org.uk/wisley

12 April – 13 May: Brigantia visits the Garden, RHS Garden Harlow Carr
Talented artists, crafters and designers from the Brigantia group will showcase their work in the garden’s historic Bath House. Make sure you pop by to see an Aladdin’s cave of locally-handcrafted pieces. www.rhs.org.uk/harlowcarr

25 April: Photography Morning, RHS Garden Wisley
Capture on camera the beauty of spring in the garden. www.rhs.org.uk/wisley

26 April–2 May: National Gardening Week, all gardens
Join in the UK’s biggest celebration of gardening by visiting the RHS Gardens for inspiration to get planting this spring. www.rhs.org.uk/gardens/whats-on-at-rhs-gardens

May

7, 15 and 27 May: Walkies at Wisley, RHS Garden Wisley
Bring a furry friend along to the garden for this special dog-friendly late afternoon. www.rhs.org.uk/wisley

22 May: Photography Morning, RHS Garden Wisley
Capture on camera the beauty of spring in the garden. www.rhs.org.uk/wisley

22 May-27 June: Designer Makers Market, RHS Garden Harlow Carr
Original and contemporary art and crafts by Designer Makers Market will be on show at the Bath House for the first time. Featuring handcrafted work by more than 20 local artists and craftspeople, a wide range of pieces including textiles, ceramics, glass, paper collage and wood art will be available to browse and buy. Visitors can also enjoy daily demonstrations by visiting artists. www.rhs.org.uk/harlowcarr

29 May-6 June: Get Up and Grow May Half Term, all gardens, dates and times vary
Buzz around the garden to discover the flower shapes and colours our pollinators really like. Find out how to grow at home for food, garden wildlife, and just to feel good – we’ll get you started with seed takeaways and more. www.rhs.org.uk/gardens/whats-on-at-rhs-gardens

This April, Claire Austin is due to self-publish ‘Peonies’, the most comprehensive and highly illustrated book ever published on one of the world’s best loved flowers.

‘Peonies’ has been 38 years in the making, and is the culmination of a lifetime of growing, exhibiting, selling, photographing and researching peonies around the world.

Published in hardback, ‘Peonies’ is the ultimate guide to peonies with detailed descriptions and beautiful photographs of 350 varieties, categorised by Species, Herbaceous, Tree and Intersectional peonies.

Every single one of the 350 has been grown by Claire at some point in her career either in her private gardens, on her hardy plant nurseries (she relocated both 4 times) or as the holder of the National Collection of Hybrid Herbaceous Peonies.

In addition to the extensive A-Z section, there are 9 highly illustrated chapters on Growing peonies; Peonies in the garden; Peonies in history; My peony story; Lactiflora peonies; Garden-worthy species peonies; Hybrid peonies; Intersectional peonies; and Tree peonies.

Bursting with clear, practical advice for experts and beginners alike, the book covers every aspect of successful peony cultivation, and highlights the stand-out varieties for colour, scent, showing, cutting and to withstand wind and shade. Claire advises on perfect peony planting combinations and how to use colour in the border, illustrated in stunning photographs of her private garden in the Welsh Borders.

‘Peonies’ by Claire Austin  is now available to pre-order for £25 including post and packaging from www.claireaustin-hardyplants.co.uk.

Claire Austin will be opening her gardens and peony fields for the National Garden Scheme on 25th June from 10am to 4pm. Tickets cost £5 per adult (child tickets are free) and are available to pre-book through the NGS website www.ngs.org.uk .

Westland’s sustainable progress highlights significant action taken to date

By Keith Nicholson, Marketing Director, Westland

Westland Horticulture is significantly ahead of our plan in delivering ambitious sustainability targets across our potting soils and composts for 2021. However, we would warn that the toughest days lie ahead for the sector unless some reality is brought to the debate around peat.  If we ignore the challenges and continue down the current track, we could see significant parts of the garden sector retract by as much as 20% and gardening participation return to levels of the early 2000s.

Westland is now using more than 75% of non-peat materials to produce our range of potting soils.  This is significantly ahead of the industry standard and a result of over 18 years continuous investment in research and development into new substrates, and over £38 million investment in infrastructure, sites, and materials.

This positive progress hides a deeper challenge around the pace of change versus the clear lack of suitable alternative materials for use in the horticultural sector.

Not only is access to high quality, local, alternative materials at a critical level, but the development time for any new materials will take between 8 and 10 years - from source, to research, to full manufacture.  It is clear that we need to collaborate with government to overcome this significant shortfall in quality materials and deliver a positive road map which avoids setting unachievable targets, or worse again, simply shifts the environmental challenges elsewhere.  Any short-term thinking will undermine the positive work done by many in the sector over recent years.

Westland is one of the creators of the Responsible Sourcing Scheme, an initiative that has brought together industry, NGOs and retail, along with the Royal Horticultural Society (RHS) and the Horticultural Trades Association (HTA), to deliver a sustainable future in growing substrates.  This world leading programme assesses all substrates against several environmental benchmarks, ensuring the sector is making the right decisions for today and for the future.  The scheme will challenge all materials and will question substrates that have issues in relation to contamination, water use, ethical and labour conditions, excessive air miles, deforestation or habitat loss.  To avoid any damaging short-term decisions, it is crucial that the growing media sector has time to fully assess current and new materials to allow for a positive and sustainable transition.

The move from a reliance on a single material (peat) to multiple types of soilless mediums in order to germinate the 60 million seed packets sold annually and support all plants and edible production, is technically and operationally a massive undertaking for the industry. Some industry commentators assume that we, as an industry, can simply click our fingers and make another substrate available for gardeners. Clearly, this is not the case, and we must avoid decisions that will see the promotion of poor quality replacement materials that will have a long lasting impact on the gardening sector.

We need to recognise the importance of horticulture to our economy and the essential societal benefits that gardening has on wellbeing, health and biodiversity.  We must harness the increased interest in growing, propagating and planting, and use this momentum to deliver a realistic roadmap to support a steady transition to world leading sustainable substrates that meet the demands of our industry and helps our nation’s gardens to thrive.

After 65 years at the helm of one of the UK's most successful garden centre businesses, Eddie Topping has stepped down as Chairman of The Barton Grange Group.

Now in his late eighties, Eddie has decided to retire and has handed over the Chairmanship to his eldest son, Peter Topping, who runs the business with younger brother Guy.

Peter will continue to oversee Barton Grange Landscapes and the company’s various nurseries while Guy will continue in charge of the award-winning garden centre and the Group’s latest venture, leisure venue The Flower Bowl.

“As far as day to day operations are concerned, nothing will really change,” says Peter. “But Dad’s in his late eighties now, so we all agree he’s earned his retirement and deserves to put his feet up!”

A true retail pioneer in Lancashire, Eddie started his own market garden business in 1955, before setting up a landscaping company in 1957 and then opening the region’s first garden centre in 1963 in the grounds of the then Barton Grange Hotel.

While his horticultural businesses went from strength to strength, Eddie became an influential character in the industry, and has been President of the Horticultural Trades Association and Chairman of the Garden Centre Association over the years.

Forever loyal to his Lancashire roots, Eddie has always supported local charities and organisations in the Preston area and, in 2003, he was awarded the MBE for services to charity in Preston.

“Dad’s heart is still in horticulture and he has loved seeing the Garden Centre win multiple awards over the years,” says Peter. “The business would never have been such a success without his vision and drive, and we’ll miss him in the boardroom.”

Eddie is also a past president of Preston North Rotary Club, of which he has been a member for over fifty years, and an Honorary Fellow of Myerscough College.

Following their launch year in 2020, Whistler Grills have made huge strides in the first two months of 2021 and are rapidly becoming a major player in the premium gas barbecue market.

The business has now moved to the next level, supported by a new expanded team, a new warehouse facility and an exciting new range including the Cirencester Modular Kitchen which was launched early 2021.

With this expansion, Whistler have also dramatically improved their customer interface. The recent launch of the brand new website offers customers every conceivable piece of information that they could need for the Whistler range, covering everything from Owners Club, to warranty information, right through to delicious BBQ recipes and top video tips. This new website is the one stop shop for absolutely everything Whistler!

Check it out here: www.whistlergrills.com

Due to the ever increasing Whistler stock requirements, Whistlers warehouse partners have invested in a stunning new warehouse facility for 2021. This modern, bright, clean warehouse is absolutely perfect for storing and dispatching the Whistler range.

Despite the incredible hike in shipping freight costs Whistler Grills is committed to holding their prices for as long as possible. The theory behind this decision is that 2021 will offer Whistler Grills the opportunity to grow its market share if it can maintain availability and hold its prices. 

As we have all witnessed, the start to this year has been unprecedented with sales that no one could have predicted. After a huge amount of persuasion and having very close association with their factory, Whistler Grills have managed to get their factory to commit to around £3.5 million worth of stock for the summer season 2021. 

The business has been working hard to support existing retailers, whilst also trying to broaden distribution across the UK. Whistler Grills have now increased their retail customer portfolio considerably over the past three months and will continue to search for suitable partners. 

2021 is going to be one amazing year for Whistler Grills! 

Garden centres businesses in England with multiple sites are being warned that they face a cash cap on business rates relief under the government’s extended discount scheme, announced in the spring Budget.

Most garden centres have been eligible for 100% rates relief under the existing retail discount scheme, extended in the Budget until 30 June. For the remainder of the year (1 July until the end of March 2022), rates relief will be discounted by 66% - but the amount of relief will be capped at £105,000 per business, not per property.

Allen Evans (pictured), partner at retail property consultants Gilbert Evans, says the cap has been causing confusion among garden centre owners who have so far been eligible for full relief across all their sites.

 “The regulations are quite complicated,” he told GTN Extra. “They are geared in favour of small businesses.”

The unwritten assumption is that larger businesses will be better able to withstand the impact. Garden centres with dozens of sites, like Dobbies and British Garden Centres, will be worst hit by the cash cap.

Qualifying garden centres in Scotland and Wales will continue to get relief at 100% until 31March 2022. 

You can check out the government guidance using this link:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/business-rates-expanded-retail-discount-2021-to-2022-local-authority-guidance

You can contact Allen Evans on 07540 268866 or by email (aevans@gilbertevans.com)

In advance of the launch of GTN's Greatest Christmas Awards 2020, GTN's Northern Correspondent, Steve Myatt, paid a visit to Barton Grange to bring you this first GTN Xtra Christmas photo tour.

To add your garden centre Christmas photo tour to GTN Xtra simply get snapping and enter The Greatest Christmas Awards.  See the categories here.  Send an e-mail to trevor@pottingshedpress.co.uk for more details

Here's a sneak preview of the photo tour submitted by Squires at Badshot Lea as part of their entry in GTN's Greatest Christmas Awards 2020.

There's over £7,000 worth of prizes to be won in GTN's Greatest Christmas Awards 2020 so get snapping and enter your garden centre team today!

Full details are here.

Here's a sneak preview of Perrywoods photo tour entry in GTN's Greatest Christmas Awards for 2020, including the vital ingredient for all entries, team photos. See the gallery of photos below.  Apologies for the wrong photos being included in yesterdays edition.

There's over £7,000 worth of prizes to be won in GTN's Greatest Christmas Awards so get snapping and enter today.  Full details can be found here.

Every week GTN receives and analyses epos data from a number of UK garden centres to produce the GTN Bestsellers charts and weekly bestsellers sales tips.

The full charts which provide useful insight into product sales peaks, new trends and new link sales opportunities are published in the weekly GTN Xtra newsletter.

As the year goes on we give sales volume comparisons with 2018 as well as 2019 to allow your teams to see variations over a three year period.

Access is by subscription only.  For £145.00 per year you and your team can have access to the most up-to-date gardening sales analysis that has already helped many UK garden centres increase their sales.  To subscribe call 07973 504214, e-mail karen@pottingshedpress.co.uk or buy on-line using this link.

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

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

Highlights of the GTN Growing Media Bestsellers chart for last week are here

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

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

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

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

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

For further information contact karen@pottingshedpress.co.uk or call 07973504214.

Buy your subscription today and start receiving the GTN Bestsellers charts this week.

The UK water gardening and aquatics industry is eagerly anticipating the return of AQUA 2021 at the Telford International Centre on Wednesday 13th and Thursday 14th October.

Now firmly established as a biennial event, AQUA 2021 is set to attract the major companies in the industry, who acknowledge the importance of exhibiting their products and services to aquatic and garden centre retailers face to face.

Since Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced in February how the UK would emerge from lockdown, including the resumption of indoor and outdoor events from the 17th May (with limits on capacity), preparations for AQUA have gathered pace.

Organiser Gordon Thomas said: “Already we have seen a good uptake in stand bookings from leading companies, and we’ll be working hard over the coming months to ensure the aquatics and water gardening industry can re-unite in the best possible way after such a challenging period.

“Registration for entry via the AQUA website is now open and already there has been a good response from retailers and buyers, and that shows there is a real thirst for the show.”

With more than six months still to go before the show, many of the industry’s leading companies have booked stand space, including Aquadip, Aqua One, D-D The Aquarium Solution, Evolution Aqua/Bermuda, Fish Science, OASE and Seneye.

Mark Winter, managing director of Aqua One, said: “This show is the perfect opportunity for retailers and suppliers to reunite after all the pains of the past year. If there was ever a time to freshen up your retail offering and get your business ready for the future, then make sure you visit AQUA 2021 in October.”

Mark, who is also chairman of AQUA 2021, added: “As far as the aquatic and water gardening industry is concerned, this is the event that everyone looks forward to every two years.”

Dominic Whitmee, chief executive of the Ornamental Aquatic Trade Association (OATA), said: “With last year’s surge in interest for garden ponds and home aquariums AQUA 2021 should provide an excellent opportunity for businesses to discover the latest the industry has to offer to help them build on this momentum.”

The show is also crucial to European companies such as Aquadip from The Netherlands, whose Joey Abrahams, commented: “This event is crucial for our business and is the ideal opportunity to meet current and new UK customers. It’s always a good show.”

The importance of the exhibition to retailers and buyers was emphasised by Simon Jenkins, of Ripples Waterlife, who said: “It’s always great to get everyone from the trade together, and it’s important this happens every two years. I thought the 2019 show was a huge success and look forward to AQUA 2021.”

Following the announcement of the roadmap out of lockdown, the Event Industry Alliance said: “The inclusion of events in the latter stages of the reopening roadmap is a welcome development and we are confident that we will be able to further demonstrate our ability to deliver Covid-secure events in the pilot the government has announced.” 

Details of the 2021 event can be found on the exhibition’s new-look website  www.aquatelford.co.uk, which includes the latest show news and how to register to visit.

To discover more reasons why AQUA has become a vital date in the water gardening and aquatics trade calendar, retailers and suppliers can view a special video of the 2019 event at https://vimeo.com/371139081.

The Kennel Club has decided to cancel Crufts 2021, which was due to take place from 15 – 18 July, due to the ongoing uncertainty surrounding the Covid-19 pandemic and in consideration for the health and safety of all its volunteers, judges, exhibitors, sponsors, trade stand holders, visitors and staff. 

For many months, ongoing discussions have been taking place with the NEC and other parties in trying to find a way forward in making it possible to run this year’s show in a Covid-secure way.

The opening up of events in general, especially those that take place inside is still unclear and The Kennel Club’s priority must be the health and safety of all those mentioned above. The Kennel Club also recognised that clarity was required now to mitigate any commitments that all our potential participants may undertake. 

Over the past few weeks, The Kennel Club commissioned a survey asking for opinions from those in the canine world on returning to events and although it has been very reassuring to see that 60% would like to get back to their dog activities as soon as it is safe to do so, it was noted that 63% did not feel comfortable or were unsure about attending an inside event in the near future.

Tom Mather, Crufts Chairman, said: “We are very disappointed that we have had to cancel Crufts for the first time since 1954, in what would have been its 130th anniversary year, and it is a decision we have not taken lightly.

“We have tried desperately hard to make this year’s show happen, including the decision we took last November to postpone the event to July. However, of course this was before we were hit by the devastating second wave of the pandemic.

“When this decision was taken, we were optimistic that the situation would be such that the show could be held. However we appreciated that there was a possibility that holding the show in the summer under certain restrictions could also, in some respects, do the show a disservice. We were disappointed that, even though we carried over the qualification from 2020, we would still be limited on our entry numbers and wouldn’t be able to welcome as many dogs back as we would have liked. 

“It would also be regrettable that there was a strong possibility that many of the popular events and features of the show, such as obedience, the Good Citizen Dog Scheme, Young Kennel Club ring and Discover Dogs, would not have been able to be included under the restrictions which could be imposed.

“Finally, in light of recent announcements and the emergence of a third wave of coronavirus in Europe, it was looking extremely unlikely that both our overseas judges and exhibitors would be able to attend.”

Further discussions will be taking place regarding the impact of the cancellation of Crufts over the next couple of months, such as the qualification criteria for Crufts 2022 for all disciplines, including the Young Kennel Club.

The Kennel Club appreciates that judges from this year’s show will be very disappointed and the committee will be looking at the options to invite them to judge at a future Crufts and will be making further announcements in due course.

The Kennel Club would like to take this opportunity to thank the shows who were willing to partner with Crufts due to the clash of dates when Crufts was moved to July and also all the other shows and canine events that had been affected by the date change. We would also like to thank the NEC, its sponsors and Channel 4, for the understanding that everyone has shown. It is very much appreciated.

Meanwhile, The Kennel Club will continue to provide any assistance it can with shows and events this year and to try and ensure canine activities get up and running in the safest possible way. We look forward to welcoming everyone back to Crufts next year in its full glory from 10-13 March 2022.