Following its sale to Exponent in 2017, The Scotts Company (UK) Ltd today launches its new company name - Evergreen Garden Care UK Ltd.

Evergreen Garden Care has been announced as the new Company name for the business created through the acquisition of the former international business of the Scott’s Miracle-Gro Company. Acquired by Exponent Private Equity in September 2017, the intention is to signal the new ownership and resultant change of strategy by changing the identity of the Company.

Evergreen Garden Care is the leading garden care company outside North America, producing high quality garden care products, with a mission to help people easily to create and maintain their own green oasis amid the rush of modern life. With market-leading brands in every market in which we operate, we deliver a full range of garden care products to gardeners in the UK, France, Belgium, the Netherlands, Germany, Austria, Poland, the Nordics, Australia and New Zealand.

The change has no impact on the branding of the Company’s market-leading brands – such as Miracle-Gro, Roundup, and Weedol. The only thing changing is the Company name.

Karl Kahofer, CEO of Evergreen Garden Care UK Ltd, comments:

“We’re extremely excited to relaunch our Company as Evergreen Garden Care.  This is not intended to be just a cosmetic name change, but rather a signal of a new strategy and direction for our business. 

"The focus of the new Evergreen Garden Care will be entirely on developing the best-known brands and launching the most exciting and consumer-relevant innovations as we deliver growth – literally – for our consumers and retailers.”

Following this announcement, there will be no change to the registered company number, registered address, or VAT number.

Wyevale's Marlow Garden Centre is closed today after a fire in nearby fields yesterday evening engulfed the centre and surrounding roads in smoke.

A spokesperson for Wyevale Garden Centres has told GTN Xtra: "Our Marlow Garden Centre is closed today after the fire in Pump Lane South last night. We are hoping to reopen tomorrow.

"Fortunately none of our staff have been affected by the fire, which broke out in fields near the centre.

"We would like to thank Thames Valley Police and Buckinghamshire Fire and Rescue Service for their prompt response."

The fire spread rapidly through parched fields and some buildings in an industrial complex were effected.  Over 100 firefighters tackled the blaze.  Nearby residents were advised to keep windows shut because of the smoke.

At one point Highways England tweeted: "The fire at a nearby garden centre has been dealt with by @Bucksfire and the #A404 is now fully open in both directions..." however that proved to be incorrect.

Pictures from Bucks and MK Fire twitter @Bucksfire and South Central Ambulance Service NHS Foundation Trust Twitter feed @SCAS999

Read the BBC News report on the fire at: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-beds-bucks-herts-44687197

Headline data, fresh in from GTN Bestsellers, shows that June was another great month for garden centre sales with volumes up by 14% on last year.

Gardening activity was the main driver for the increases as people made the most of the great weather.  Plant sales were the stars, finishing the month up 43% on June last year and with all that planting going on growing media sales volumes grew by19%.

See the full June and half year GTN Bestsellers sales analysis, plus the weekly GTN Bestsellers Top 50 charts by subscribing to GTN Bestsellers.

A years subscription only costs £145.  Subscribe using this link or contact karen.pfeiffer@tgcmc.co.uk

Smart Garden Products are very proud of their French team who picked up a prestigious award for Supplier of the Year in the Lighting Category, voted for by garden centre buyers in France. The decision was based on sales potential, product range and innovation, service and availability.

This is the first year for this specific Lighting Category award so underlines both the continued growth of solar lighting and Smart’s market leading position in this sector.

It is especially pleasing to be recognised by numerous garden centre customers and underlines that despite Brexit, a British company can hold its own in a challenging environment in France.

Managing Director, Jonathan Stobart said: “Apart from our fantastic Sales Team throughout France, headed by Xavier Faure and Celine Branquart, it’s a great testament to our logistics, NPD and administration teams who work so well together across the whole business.

"We really value and appreciate this recognition and it is very motivating for our whole team."

To find out more about Smart Garden’s market leading product offering please visit www.sgpuk.com

Pictured: Celine Branquart (Sales Manager) and Xavier Faure (European Director) with their award.

Dianthus and Rose sales both saw significant increases on the same week last year as garden centre planterias are looking radiant in the summer sun. 

Dianthus sales jumped 31% week on week to be 75% higher than 2017 while Roses were 59% higher on last year.

Hihglights were:

• The Dainthus sales increase sees them climb four places to No 2, just behind those Pelargoniums and Zonal Geraniums which hold onto the No 1 spot.
• Veronica are the highest chart climber, up 21 places.
• Delphinium are the highest places re-entry – back in at No 33.

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

Following a hot day of judging at Warwick Racecourse on Wednesday, where around 200 entries were considered, the winners of the 2018 GIMA Awards have now been confirmed. However, the garden retail industry has to wait a few more weeks to find out who wins, when this year’s winners are revealed on July 12th at the five-star Celtic Manor Resort.

It is safe to say that the 2018 judges had their work cut out for themselves. With around 200 products, services and campaigns fighting it out to receive the highly respected accolade of GIMA award winner, there were some tough decisions to be made. Couple this with one of the hottest days of the year, and it was certainly a day to remember.

After much deliberation the judges -  Mike Cook (Choice Marketing), Colin Dale (Notcutts Garden Centres), Mairi Devlin (Wyevale Garden Centres), Mike Lind (Monkton Elm Garden Centre & GCA Chair), Caroline Linger (Crocus), Caroline Owen (Scotsdales Garden Centres) and Neil Pope (Garden Trade News) – made their final decisions on who will be taking home one of the fourteen coveted trophies come July 12th.

Two additional awards – the Export Achievement, and Supplier of the Year – have been judged by Gardenex and the GCA respectively.

GIMA Director, Vicky Nuttall said: “A huge thank you to all our judges for volunteering their time. Their input, keen eye and industry knowledge has helped us to create a final list of winners, and what a list it is! Each year the standard of entries continues to surpass expectation, so I did not envy the judges the task of picking the overall winners.

“I’d also like to extend my thanks to all those that have entered the awards in 2018. We look forward to welcoming you all to the awards ceremony in a few short weeks.”

Available spaces for the 2018 GIMA Awards are now limited so interested parties are urged to book their place as soon as possible to avoid disappointment. With celebrity host, Stephen Mangan, confirmed, and the sun anticipated to continue shining, it is set to be an incredible night of celebrations.

To find out more about how to book one of the few remaining seats at the GIMA awards 2018 please visit http://gima.org.uk/gima-awards/. Prices for GIMA members: £309 + VAT per person, or £2,899 + VAT for a table of 10, whilst non-member costs are: Non-Members:    £370 + VAT per person, or £3,465 + VAT for a table of 10 (all costs include dinner and accommodation).

A Milton Keynes businessman has rescued a second garden centre facing closure, saving a total of 40 jobs and vowing to invest in the new ventures to make them “a supplier of quality products to gardening enthusiasts.”

Just two months after taking over the Leighton Buzzard Garden Centre, businessman Ken Chen is the new owner of the Willington Garden Centre, the flagship operation of the Home & Garden Group which called in administrators in March when their operations got into financial difficulties.

Mr Chen has signed a 15-year lease with the local owner of the Willington site, strategically located in Sandy Road and convenient for Bedford, Sandy and Biggleswade communities.

Multi-lingual Mr Chen launched his Newbridge Premium Pots company based at Bradwell Abbey, Milton Keynes, in 2009.

Mr Chen told the Milton Keynes Citizen: “Having acquired both the former Home & Garden sites in Leighton Buzzard and Willington within the space of less than three months, we will be working with the experienced management teams we have retained at both locations to ensure these garden centres become the location of choice for horticulturists and gardening enthusiasts.”

To read more click here

Homebase is to cut 303 jobs at its Milton Keynes head office, the company has confirmed.

The DIY chain was bought by Australian conglomerate Wesfarmers for £340m in 2016, but was recently sold again – to restructuring firm Hilco, for £1.

A total of 24 stores trading as Wesfarmers’ brand Bunnings will revert to Homebase outlets.

The job cuts are related to the withdrawal of the Bunnings brand from the UK, and in an effort to return the current Bunnings stores back into the Homebase brand, the support centre has been dramatically reduced in size. Homebase has 250 UK stores and employs about 12,000 people.

Chief executive Damian McGloughlin said: “We have not taken this decision lightly, but decisive action is required to start rebuilding Homebase’s position in the UK market.

“We will be providing as much support as we can to help those affected through this difficult time."

Meanwhile, in the Mail Online on Friday a Press Assocaition report has been published that states Homebase is exploring a second wave of store closures that could see up to 40 DIY outlets shut, putting hundreds more retail jobs at risk.

Read the full story here

Greenfingers has bagged £4,219 thanks to Squire’s Garden Centres. The garden centre group donated the proceeds of the government carrier bag tax to the charity, as well as money raised from a 12-hour “Plant-a-thon” that the Squire’s team took part in.

Sarah Squire commented: “All of us at Squire’s are delighted to support the fantastic work that Greenfingers do. They create inspiring gardens at hospices throughout the UK that children and their families can take solace in, at a time when they are facing huge challenges.”

Chairman of Greenfingers John Ashley added: “We are extremely grateful to our friends at Squire’s for this most generous donation. With three more gardens planned for this year, the money raised will help to ensure a million precious outside memories can be created by families who spend time in hospices.”

Pictured: Sarah Squire (Squire’s Deputy Chairman) with John Ashley (Greenfingers Chairman).

Garden centres across the country saw a boost in May sales thanks to the good weather and two Bank Holidays according to the Garden Centre Association’s Barometer of Trade report.

After a rollercoaster April, outdoor plant sales rose by 27.93% in May compared to the same month last year. Furniture and barbecue sales were up 31.32% and seeds and bulbs sales were up 26.37%.

Iain Wylie, GCA Chief Executive, said: “Garden centre owners and suppliers had their fingers well and truly crossed towards the end of April for some good weather and it certainly paid off as May approached and we were treated to some of the hottest temperatures during the month for a century, as well as two Bank Holiday breaks, which allowed people to get back out into their gardens.

“The superb sales are definitely our reward for a disappointing start to the year. We just hope the good weather will continue into June as many gardeners will now be playing catch-up.”

Houseplants sales were up 17%, garden sundries were up 17.69% and pets and aquatics sales were -1.47%. Hard landscaping sales were up 13.54%.

Sales in non-traditional categories such as gifts were up 1.17%, food hall and farm shop up 7.62% and clothing up 16.76%.

Iain added: “Overall sales for the month were up 19.01% and while the year to date change is down -2.66%, it is still considerably better than the figure we saw in April.”

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

Mike Burks, Managing Director of The Gardens Group, said: “It has felt like a good old-fashioned spring, with an accentuated peak in May, and our garden centres have certainly felt the benefit catching up on what was lost earlier in the season.

“All departments were busy throughout the whole month, as well as the two Bank Holidays, with the hardy and bedding plants departments leading the way. Good weather certainly inspires people to get outside and encourages those less experienced to get into the garden, which is great news for us. 

“Of course we are usually at full stretch in May anyway, so this peak put huge pressure on our systems, staff and suppliers, but everyone came together and pulled out the stops, which is a testament to the people we work with. We have an ethos of building long term internal and external relationships throughout the business and the support shown by our suppliers really demonstrated the importance of this, which is very much appreciated. June has started very positively compared to a very poor start in June 2017.”

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

Martin Breddy, Managing Director at Squire’s Garden Centres, said: “We enjoyed a record May and our highest ever sales month, in both our garden centres and our total business. The Bank Holidays were especially strong due to the excellent weather and our promotional plans.”

The first issue of this year's SOLEX SUN, published last week, has received record readership so we're expecting a busier than ever SOLEX at the NEC next week.

Openings of the Special Preview Issue were up by 35% by Friday evening with over 6,600 pages viewed already by 2,153 unique readers.

See the first issue here using this link

SOLEX SUN is published every day of the show by the team at GTN, we look forward to seeing you there!

• Survey to over 2,000 adults shows that just over three quarters of people who have a garden have actively done something to attract more wildlife into it
• 40% of people have planted wildlife friendly plants in their gardens
• Over a third report overall no change in levels of wildlife visitors to their gardens in the last three years
• Birds, bees and snails are most seen in our gardens
• Over 2 out of 5 of us have never seen a hedgehog, nearly half have never seen a bat and over a third have never seen a frog, toad or newt in our gardens
• Whilst butterflies are in the top five type of wildlife seen in gardens, nearly half of all people who have had a garden for more than 3 years think the population of butterflies has decreased
• RHS Hampton Court Palace Flower Show, 3 – 8 July, brimming with ideas for wildlife gardeners

To celebrate Countryfile’s 30th Anniversary Garden at RHS Hampton Court Palace Flower Show (3 – 8 July), the RHS has commissioned research to find out what gardeners are doing to support wildlife and what creatures are visiting our gardens.

The survey found that gardeners are very aware how important their outside space is for wildlife with just over three quarters (77%) of people, who have a garden, having actively done something to attract more wildlife into it.  And for people who have had a garden for more than three years** this rises to 79%
 
The RHS is especially encouraged that 40% of people have specifically planted wildlife friendly plants in their garden, with over a third (37%) growing plants for bees, butterflies and other precious pollinators.

RHS Chief Horticulturist, Guy Barter, says: “We’re no longer a nation of gardeners, we’re a nation of wildlife gardeners!  These results show that supporting wildlife in our outside spaces is really important to many of us.

“However the results suggest that some areas need more attention as only about one in ten of us (11%) has built a pond which is extremely beneficial to wildlife, especially when the weather is warm as they make gardens cooler and provide water for thirsty animals.

“Surprisingly twice as many people reported quite advanced wildlife friendly measures, such as leaving decaying wood (22%), nearly the same as those who put out bird boxes (28%) or made a compost heap (25%).

“It’s great to see nearly half of people with a garden are proactively planting for wildlife.  One of the biggest problems for pollinators like bees is a lack of flowering plants, which is why in 2011 we launched our Plants for Pollinators logo to encourage gardeners to grow more of them.”

The top five wildlife we see in our gardens are birds (83%), bees (66%), snails (47%), butterflies (46%) and squirrels (28%).   The wildlife we least see in our garden is moles (2%), deer (1%), badgers (1%), snakes (1%) and weasels / stoats (0%). 

Whilst a third of people overall don’t think the levels of wildlife visiting their gardens in the last three years has changed, sadly nearly half of us have never seen a hedgehog (42%) or bat (45%) in our gardens and over a third (37%) have never seen a frog, toad or newt.

Whilst butterflies are in the top five type of wildlife seen in gardens, nearly half (48%) of all people who have had a garden for more than 3 years think butterfly numbers have decreased.

Guy continues: “Whilst some gardeners probably don’t mind that we’re not seeing some wildlife like moles and deer in our gardens, there is much we can do in our outside spaces to attract and support creatures like hedgehogs, frogs, toads, newts and bats.”

For hedgehogs the RHS recommends creating a hole in your fence so hedgehogs can forage between territories, leaving log piles for a safe site for breeding or hibernating and creating compost heaps as these can provide good nesting site and food with lots of insects.  For frogs, toads and newts ponds are vital and for bats night scented flowers, ponds and reducing artificial light can help make gardens a haven.

RHS Hampton Court Palace Flower Show is brimming with ideas, plants and initiatives for wildlife lovers to take home and create their own haven for creatures that are important to our eco-system.

In the Countryfile’s 30th Anniversary Garden, designed by Ann-Marie Powell, wildlife initiatives include planting for pollinators in a garden and wildflowers both in a meadow and cropped field.  There is also a stream that runs through the garden and becomes a pond with stepping stones for both human and pond life.

Other wildlife friendly content at the RHS Hampton Court Palace Flower Show, includes The Family Garden where adults can relax and small creatures thrive.

The Urban Woodland Wonder Flower Box demonstrates how a miniature wildlife haven can be created in a city environment and the Floral Marquee will be filled with hundreds of plant displays.

The RHS Grow Your Own with The Raymond Blanc Gardening School shows how beneficial composting can be for wildlife.

The RHS top tips for supporting wildlife are:

• Choose the right flowers with pollen and nectar for bees, butterflies and other insects pollinators
• Grow a mixture of plant types including trees, and shrubs, annuals etc.
• Add water, ideally a pond, but a container of water will suffice
• Look after mature trees
• Leave a pile of dead wood in a shady spot
• Compost, compost, compost
• Provide food and water for birds all year
• Allow a patch of grass to grow longer
• Garden sustainably to help protect wildlife
• Avoid the use of pesticides and accept some plant damage

Earlier this year, the organisers of Glee undertook a tender process to source a new stand contractor to help the show’s leading feature – the Retail Lab – come to life. One company stood out, and that was GES – one of the world’s leading experiential marketing and exhibition and events management brands.

Here, we catch up with David Horne, part of GES’s Feature Creative team to find out more about the company’s plans for building even more inspiration into the 2018 Retail Lab @ Glee.

GES has been confirmed as both the stand contractor and team behind the graphic design for the 2018 Retail Lab – have you completed any similar projects? What excites your team the most about the project?

The GES Features team have worked previously with Ascential Events, as well as other organisers, to deliver high impact, industry leading Features at award winning events and exhibitions. The 2018 Retail Lab has offered us the opportunity to work closely with Trend Forecaster and Concept Developer, Romeo Sommers, on a cutting-edge exhibition space which is far removed from some of the more corporate and business-like Show Features.

Tell me more about the designs set out for the Retail Lab?

The 2018 Retail Lab will create a versatile and engaging space, with inviting nooks and niches, aimed at drawing visitors onto the stand. The visitor journey will be maximised through the use of rugged, eclectic & urban materials to give the area an on-trend ‘pop-up’ feel.

What aspect of the design are you most excited to see?

As a team we are very excited to see the culmination of all the key design aspects of the build, from the contrasting material finishes, through to the graphic treatments and flooring. We are also very much looking forward to seeing the final dressed space, with all the products and displays in-place.

Talk us through the process behind making a design become reality onsite?

From the beginning of the design process we work closely with the organiser team to absorb both the practical and creative elements of the brief. Building on the instruction from the brief we would produce mood-boards, sketches and renders of the design concept. Following further discussions with the organiser team we would hone the design through a series of developmental revisions. Once the spatial arrangement of the design has been finalized we would fully develop key elements of the feature such as the graphics, lighting and furniture. We would then specify the final materials finishes and issue production.  The GES Features team then have a presence onsite throughout the build-up to ensure a smooth delivery.

What will GES bring to the ‘party’ in 2018? What sets you apart?

GES will have a large physical presence onsite with expansive resources and experience to draw from. Our high energy team will be on hand and ready to fully meet the demands of both the Organiser team and exhibitors alike.

Find out more

Glee is the UK’s leading garden retail show, focussing on building year-round profits for buyers and suppliers within the core gardening and outdoor leisure product categories.  To keep up-to-date on the latest Glee news visit www.gleebirmingham.com.  To enquire about exhibiting at Glee 2018 call 020 3033 2160, or email daniel.mcalpin@gleebirmingham.com to find out more about sponsorship opportunities within the 2018 Retail Lab at Glee.

 

The Gardens Group has enhanced its environmental credentials once again this month, by switching to eco-friendly wrapping at all three of its garden centres.

The newly introduced gift wrap includes natural, plant-based raffia, fully biodegradable bio-plastic film and pH neutral tissue papers, which are made from recycled paper and soy-based inks.

Kyla Foster-Shaw, houseplants manager at Castle Gardens in Sherborne, explains: “Looking after the environment is at the heart of what we do at The Gardens Group, so it is brilliant to make this change at our gift-wrapping stations and to be able to give our customers confidence that their gifts are environmentally friendly.

"The new materials, which come in a vibrant array of colours, complement the plants beautifully and are going down very well at the centre.”

Complimentary gift wrapping with any purchase is offered at Brimsmore Gardens in Yeovil, Castle Gardens in Sherborne and Poundbury Gardens in Dorchester.

Over the last few weeks, The Klondyke Group’s Rose Festival has been running in full bloom.  

Launched on the 8^th June with a VIP Evening for their Grow Rewards club members, the centres have been transformed into a sea of roses, with the sight and smell of the nation’s favourite blooms a beauty to behold.

All 22 garden centres have worked hard to create a rose journey from the front entrance through to the plant area and restaurants, with colour, quality and scent being the key words.

The VIP evenings took place in glorious sunshine, with Grow Rewards members having exclusive access to the Rose Festival, accompanied by live classical music, prosecco and canapes.

An Afternoon Tea and Rose Talk has been another highlight of the event. The talks were presented by both David Austin Roses and Klondyke’s own rose experts. The Groups rose experts had spent a full day training at the David Austin nursery in May.

Through the festival period, rose sales for the group have increased by over 130%, with rose related products, feeds and pest control also seeing a marked uplift.

Johnsons of Whixley has pulled out all the stops to help staff beat the heat during the latest wave of hot weather sweeping the UK.

The horticultural nursery, which is based equidistant between York and Harrogate, has purchased and installed freezers at key locations through its 200-acre site – and filled them with complimentary ice creams and ice lollies for staff to enjoy.

Johnsons of Whixley group managing director, Graham Richardson, said: “We recognise the hard work of staff throughout our business, but those that work outside are obviously finding the heat heavy going at the moment.

“We value the wellbeing and happiness of our staff more than anything, so we were glad to make a small investment in freezers and ice lollies to help provide some cooling respite from the searing temperatures.”

Johnsons of Whixley is a family-run business, first established in 1921, and one of the largest commercial nurseries in Europe.

Six staff members from Wyevale Nurseries in Hereford were recently presented with medals to honour their long service to the company.

Sandra Boalch, Geoff Godsall, Karen Jones and Paul Pritchard all received bronze medals from the Three Counties Agricultural Society for 30 years continuous service as did Jackie Gunthorpe for 35 years’ service and Phil Smith received a silver medal for 40 years.

Heather Williamson, Joint Chairman at Wyevale Nurseries, said “Congratulations to Sandra, Geoff, Karen, Paul, Jackie and Phil for receiving their long service awards. They have given a collective of 195 years of service to the business. We can’t thank them enough for their continued hard work and support. We are blessed to have so many skilled and loyal staff members.

“Senior Foreman, Phil has devoted his 40 years’ service to field grown nursery production. The crops he has been involved in producing over this time has evolved through many millions of roses, fruit trees, conifers and ornamental trees. Phil is an excellent grower and skilled craftsman, always consistently producing top quality work. He is particularly expert in tree budding and grafting.

“Jackie is our Potting Supervisor and started working with us in 1983 by tying canes to growing plants. Over the years Jackie has worked in all departments, but in the last 30 years she has mostly focused on potting with the production team as a Supervisor. Jackie is also our Training Coordinator for the nursery.

“Geoff, who is 65-years-old and the father of four boys, is our Trading Medium Foreman. He has worked in many areas within the company, but the section he works in currently holds a special place in his heart – the Italian area. He has a vast amount of experience especially when it comes to trees. When Geoff started with us his hourly wage was £2.01 per hour – how times have changed.”

Karen, who works in Sales Support, started her career at Wyevale Nurseries in 1988 and was involved in all aspects of office work from stock control to order processing and general administrative duties. Due to the company’s rapid growth, Karen soon developed a skill for order processing, which has become her main role.

Heather added: “At a conservative estimate Karen would have processed orders for more than 40 million plants! Meanwhile, Paul started his career working out on our field department helping with production of bare root trees and shrubs. He moved on to the potting department as a foreman and then on to the container area and was in charge of the growing and despatching of amenity crops. His current role as Container Ground Coordinator involves monitoring stock control, growing, checking for pest and diseases and acting as an advisor to other departments when needed. 

“Sandra is our Propagation Supervisor and worked for many years at our specialist heather department and carnivorous plant nursery. Since moving to the head office site, her main role has been in propagation, but she has gained experience in all departments. Sandra is a hardworking team member and plays a vital role in propagation.

“Once again we would like to ‘thank’ Sandra, Geoff, Karen, Paul, Jackie and Phil for all their hard work and dedication over the years. We are very proud of each of you.”

Alison, Simon, Beryl and Terry Shead celebrated 50 years of Brookside Garden Centre in East Peckham, Kent, last night with a party for over 400 guests that included customers, staff and suppliers.

Terry Shead, MBE, thanked everyone for their support over the years, especially their customers. "The personal relationship we have with our customers is the most important factor of our success. When you walk through the doors here you see what we mean. Our staff don’t just know their stuff – they want to share it with you."

The party was also a celebration of Simon's 50th birthday. After making all the arrangements for the gala party Simon and his team will be starting the build of the award-winning Brookside Grotto for Christmas 2018.

Tong Garden Centre has strengthened its senior management team with a board level appointment.

Sharon McNair has been promoted to the newly created position of Commercial Director as the business seeks to enter an ambitious growth phase.

Respected in the industry, Sharon has worked in the sector for her entire career and brings almost 30 years' experience to the board with a breadth of retail knowledge in leisure, gardening, catering and seasonal ranges.

Of the promotion, Managing Director, Mark Farnsworth said: "Sharon was one of the first appointments that we made and has been instrumental in the success that we have had since we acquired Tong Garden Centre in 2015.

"Sharon's wealth of garden retail experience has already helped us to re-establish Tong as one of the leading family friendly garden centres in the area and now is the right time to for her to join the board as we look to the future".

"In addition to our ambitions at Tong, we have always stated that we intend to expand and grow our business with other centres and Sharon's skills gives us additional strength as we try to turn those ambitions into reality."

Ms McNair is excited about the opportunities that lie ahead: "This is a great industry to be involved in and I am proud to be leading the commercial team who have achieved so much in such a short time. The business has ambitious plans and it's an exciting time for the entire team."

Mark Farnsworth and Tom Megginson bought Tong Garden Centre in May 2015 for an undisclosed sum. The pair have subsequently invested nearly £2 million in improvements to the centre.  Turnover has nearly trebled since they took over and the business has created over 100 new jobs.

Pictured: Sharon McNair with Tom Megginson (left) and Mark Farnsworth (right).

Plant feeds have seen huge sales increases as the summer heat continues. This week there are 13 feed lines in the GTN Bestsellers Top 50, with nine of them in the Top 20. 

Pest controls have also seen a jump in sales with seven lines in the chart.  With a distinct lack of rain on the horizon watering product sales are also starting to feature. Are they in your front of store hotspot yet?

Highlights were:

• Scotts Levington Tomorite, 1 litre + 30% Free, increased sales by 8% to stay at No 1 while the 1 litre non-promotional pack moved up 11 places to No 10.
• SBM Provado Ultimate Bug Killer, Ready To Use, 1 litre is the highest placed pest control line at No 9.

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

Fryer’s Roses, part of the Blue Diamond Group of garden centres, is to launch two new roses at this year’s RHS Hampton Court Palace Flower Show - “Eirene” to commemorate the centenary of the end of WW1 and “Sarah Elizabeth” in memory of a young lady, who tragically lost her life in 2013.

“Eirene” Rose
To commemorate the centenary of the end of WWI, Fryer’s Roses, is launching “Eirene”, a rose named after the Goddess of Peace. Eirene was the daughter of Zeus, said to be the God of Justice and Moral Order, the symbol of earthly peace. The rose with its buds, blossoms and thorns is a worldwide symbol of love, remembrance and grief, a symbol of pain and overcoming it; of reconciliation and peace.

This beautiful, full petalled Floribunda rose opens from a warm creamy apricot to a brilliant white. With a light fragrance, bushy habit and good disease resistance, this attractive rose will grow to approximately 120cm in height.

£1 from every “Eirene” rose sold through Blue Diamond and Fryer's Roses online, will be donated to the charity "Action Reconciliation for Peace," (ARSP), a charity set up to help champion and promote peace throughout the World through its International Programs.

For over 50 years ARSP has been committed to working toward reconciliation and peace, as well as fighting racism, discrimination and social exclusion. Today, these aims are continued and realized through long-term international peace service programs. Every year around 180 volunteers, mostly aged between nineteen and twenty five are active for ARSP in thirteen different countries on a variety of educational, historical,

“Sarah Elizabeth Rose”
This new and exclusive rose to Fryer’s Roses and the Blue Diamond group, is named after Sarah Elizabeth Groves, a young lady who was tragically murdered on a house boat in Kashmir, India in 2013.

More than 5 years after Sarah’s death, little progress has been made through the courts in India, although a man was arrested at the time of the murder. The manner in which the case has been conducted is now the subject of a formal complaint to the authorities by Sarah’s parents. The case is on its third judge, its second public prosecutor and the accused has fired his legal team on four occasions.

Although only 24 years old, Sarah touched an incredible number of people with her selfless nature and infectious smile during her short lifetime. She was a source of kindness and inspiration for many, many people - something that became even more apparent after her passing.

The “Sarah Elizabeth” rose is a delicate pink colour, with contrasting dark green foliage. The rose is a highly fragrant floribunda with a bushy habit, good disease  esistance and grows to a height of approximately 100cm.

£1 from every "Sarah Elizabeth" rose sold through Blue Diamond and Fryer's Roses online will be donated to the Sarah Groves Foundation. The Foundation was set up by Sarah’s parents and sets out to fulfill Sarah's own ambitions in life, which were to enhance the lives of young people especially those less fortunate.

The new roses will be available to buy from Stand FR 568 at the RHS Hampton Court Palace Flower Show, online by visiting www.fryersroses.co.uk or by telephoning Fryer’s Roses direct on 01565 755455.

Both roses will also be available to buy from any Blue Diamond Garden Centre from April 2019 onwards priced at £17.99 (potted rose) and whilst stocks last.

Bare root roses can be purchased at a cost of £12 per rose (excluding delivery). Potted roses are £17.99 per rose (excluding delivery). Delivery charges apply. Please see Fryer's Roses website for details. Bare root roses will be dispatched from November 2018 onwards. Potted roses are available to buy now whilst stocks last, otherwise can be ordered now to be dispatched from April 2019.

For more information on The ARSP, visit https://www.asf-ev.de/uk/start/.
For more information on The Sarah Groves Foundation, visit http://sarahgroves.org/.

Herbs and salad leaves lead the way in the GTN Bestsellers Veg-2-Gro chart in the third week of June.

Herbs occupy six of the Top 20 places, including the No 1 spot, and lettuce plants make up another four. 

Overall, the Veg-2-Gro sector is still finding it difficult to catch up on last year, showing that grabbing interest in March and April is so important for growing your own.

Highlights were:

• Taylors Jerusalem Artichoke tubers are the highest re-entry at No 2.
• Farplants Parsley Italian Giant Leaved re-enters at No 23.
• Quantil Heritage Tomato Tigerella, 8.5cm, comes back in at No 19.

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

Fleuroselect, the international organisation for the ornamental plants industry, is proud to announce that the FleuroStar Award 2018/19 goes to Osteospermum ecklonis Purple Sun from Selecta one. Breeder Maike Boxriker accepted the prize from FleuroStar Committee Chairman Heike Gronemann and Fleuroselect President ad interim Jean-François Ignasse.

Osteospermum Purple Sun from Selecta one was competing against Begonia Bossa Nova Night Fever Papaya (Floranova), Fragraria Summer Breeze Rose (ABZ Seeds), Salvia Mysty (Florensis) and Tagetes Little Duck Orange (Ameriseed).

Heike Gronemann, Chairwoman of the Jury:"Purple Sun convinced the jury with its impressive visual impact at point of sale and commercial potential. Purple Sun will be a true Winner with the Wow Factor for the entire industry."

Purple Sun, a warm summer glow in the garden

Like the summer sun setting over the ocean, such is the colour play of the latest Osteospermum ecklonis Purple Sun from Selecta one's FlowerPower series. Several shades of orange fade into a deep purple ring that surrounds the heart of the flower. Growers will love the good branching and the easily controllable plant habit. Purple Sun can perfectly be integrated in any existing Osteo production scheme and the enchanting orange-purple colour combination will genuinely shine at point of sale. Consumers will love the non-fading colours and excellent outdoor performance.

FleuroStar Evening - Breeding meets Retail
The new 'Winner with the Wow Factor' was announced at the FleuroStar Evening on Thursday 14 June at Florensis in Hendrik-Ido-Ambacht (NL). Attended by approx. 120 persons, the second edition of the event was a big success. Jean-François Ignasse, President ad Interim of Fleuroselect: "Tonight, I saw breeders, young plant producers, distributors and retailers exchanging views on the latest pot and bedding introductions. FleuroStar truly connects the entire industry, a beautiful evolution indeed."

Jardiland joins FleuroStar Jury
Laurent Foucault of the French garden centre chain Jardiland joined his colleagues from the Dutch Intratuin and German Obi in the 2018 FleuroStar jury. In total, over 30 professionals in breeding, production, trade and retail evaluate each entry on point of sale attractiveness and commercial potential.

Marketing boost

The new FleuroStar winner will receive considerable marketing support. Next to conducting an international press campaign, Fleuroselect promotes the new winner at trade fairs and industry events. Contest sponsors Pull Position, a marketing agency specialised in retail promotion, offers a tailor made marketing project whereas DeschPlantpak dedicates a full spread in its next lifestyle brochure to the new winner. Stokvis, the production house behind various Dutch gardening television programmes, offers a free product placement feature in its star show 'de Grote Tuinverbouwing'.

About FleuroStar
The FleuroStar Contest is held annually during the FlowerTrials week in June in the Netherlands and Germany. Fleuroselect members can enter their top breeding breakthrough of the season to become the new 'Winner with the Wow Factor'.

A bumper week of summer growing media sales sees June sit at 33% ahead of last year for the month to date.

Another good week will see healthy sales for June and a mega week could even see the record sales of June 2015 met or broken.

Highlights were:

• Westland Gro-Sure Farmyard Manure, 50 litres was the highest chart climber, up 22 places to No 17.
• Bloomin Amazing Soil Enricher, 70 litres, re-enters at No 34.
• Scotts Levington Rose, Tree & Shrub Compost, 56 litres, doubled sales to move up to No 8.

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

Steve Millington has joined Tom Chambers as National Account Manager.

After the successful integration of Bosmere into the Tildenet Group, Steve recently resigned from his position as Gardenware Sales Director.

Steve has great experience in the garden trade, staring with Ward Pots 34 years ago.

He worked for major companies Fiskars UK, Westland, and CPL before joining Bosmere, where he spent four years, and then Tildenet for two years.

Steve sat on the GIMA council for six years and became president in 2014, and was a LOFA Council member for two years.

Wild Bird care sales volumes saw a small increase last week and for the first time since the start of March the week was up on last year too. 

With Gardman the launch of the new Gardman Wild Bird Care range to come later this summer, the availability for their products and deliveries from Kings Lynn enable them to hold 36 of the Top 50 lines. 

Tom Chambers have seven lines in the chart, Westland Peckish stand at four with Jacobi Jayne two and Johnston & Jeff one.

Highlights were:

• Gardman Mealworms, 1.25kg + 25% Free, are the highest climber of the week, up 26 places to No 16.
• Westland Peckish Daily Goodness Nuggets 1kg + 20% free are the only new entry this week, in at No 47.
• Bubbling under this week, but a new entry last week, is the Roamwild Pest Off Squirrel Proof Bird Feeder from Oakthrift.

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

Firefighters were called to a plastic fire at a South Cheshire garden centre on Wednesday.

Fire crews were called to A P Matthews Nurseries, on Cappers Lane in Betchton just after 11am - with the blaze involving plastic garden products.

Emergency services spent 90 minutes at the scene and damped down the area.

A Cheshire Fire and Rescue Service spokeswoman said fire engines from Sandbach and Alsager, as well as specialist vehicle from Sandbach, had tackled the blaze.

She said: "At around 11.15am firefighters were called to reports of fire at a garden centre on Cappers Lane in Betchton.

"On arrival crews discovered around 10 square metres of plastic garden products well alight."

As the deadline clicked over yesterday, 26th June 2018, for bids in the first round of the sale of 145 Wyevale Garden Centres by Terra Firma, GTN’s Trevor Pfeiffer met with CEO Roger McLaughlan for the first of what we hope will be a series of meetings to keep us all updated during the potentially lengthy sales process.

Understandably Roger was not able to comment on the process right now but a Terra Firma spokesperson said: “We have been delighted by the level of interest we have received in Wyevale Garden Centres. We have received a significant number of offers for all and parts of the business from national, regional and financial operators as well as local entrepreneurs. We will now be considering the offers over the coming weeks.”

What Roger was able to do was to pass on re-assurance that it really is business as usual at Wyevale Garden Centres; “I’m greatly enjoying speaking to and supporting my great team, both here at Syon Park and out in the centres. I was able to spend all of Thursday, Friday and Saturday last week out in stores.”

Roger also stressed that it is business as usual in-terms of forward buying and ordering even as far ahead as for next summers outdoor leisure and plant ranges with his slimmed down senior management and executive team ready and able to make fast retail decisions.

So, the first round bids are in.  All we can do now is wait for the smoke signals from Christies, the sales agents, and Terra Firma, the shareholders, when decisions are made and the second round gets underway.  In the meantime, we wish Roger and his Wyevale team well in their management of the business during the coming months.

If you have a comment about the process or the speculation, please use the comments link below or e-mail trevor.pfeiffer@tgcmc.co.uk

Insight DIY has reported this week that there are now seven Homebase stores closing in the near future.

The notification of the store closures was emailed to suppliers on June 21st and includes the following branches:-

York
Chippenham
Hatfield.
Colchester, St.Andrews Avenue
Whitchurch
Wick
Splalding

Insight DIY adds that in the communication to suppliers, Homebase confirmed "the list of seven stores have been confirmed for closure in the near future. If suppliers have any outstanding orders for the stores, please contact the store order teams".

Read the full story here: http://www.insightdiy.co.uk/news/seven-homebase-stores-to-close-/6269.htm

Rose Festivals across the country have provided a boost to sales and in the second week of June Roses climbed to No 3 in the GTN Bestsellers plants chart on the back of a 35% increase year on year.

That growth in sales of roses helped deliver another week of plant sales increases, up 21% on the same week last year.  Plant sales volumes are now up by 6% cumulative for the year to date.

Peter Seabrook, who led the call for Rose Festivals to be held in garden centres was seen out at Millbrook Gravesend last week, helping sell some plants while he was there.

Prettiest rose competitions have been held at many centres including Scotsdales in Cambridge.

And at Baytree in Spalding they had over 350 entries for their Rose Queen competition, see our gallery of pictures below...

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 2016 as well as 2017 to allow your teams to see variations over a three year period.

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

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

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

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

Highlights of the GTN Veg-2-Gro chart for this week are here

Highlights of the GTN Wild Bird Care chart for this week are here

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

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 £120m.

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 call 01733 775700.

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

A record 370 exhibitors - from the biggest to the newest names in food-to-go, are preparing to showcase 1000s of innovations at lunch! 2018, when it returns to London ExCeL on 20-21 September.

The premier trade event for the sector, lunch! has been serving the nation's food-to-go operators and retailers for over a decade.  Having sold out of all available space three months in advance, its 6,300+ attendees will be able to see and sample more new food and drink products, packaging, equipment and catering technology than ever before.

"The support from the industry as always has been phenomenal," says group event director Chris Brazier.  "Not only have we sold 10% more stand space this year - providing even more quality, innovation and differentiation to our visitors - but demand has been such that there's already a waiting list for companies interested in exhibiting in 2019.

"It really does demonstrate just how important lunch! has become to suppliers looking to do business with coffee shops, cafés, food-to-go multiples, supermarkets, contract caterers, wholesalers and distributors.  While for food-to-go buyers, lunch! has proved itself year after year to be an essential visit to see what's new and compare the latest products from leading and emerging brands.

"lunch! 2018 is not just our biggest event.  It also boasts our most eclectic line-up yet.  Every new product innovation that food-to-go buyers need to know about - from ingredients to kitchen equipment and counter displays, from food and drink to packaging, payment solutions and business services - will be on show this September," he says.

"lunch! is a key date in the diary for the food-to-go and the coffee shop sector.  It is great to see so much innovation from such passionate people under one roof," says Hannah McKay, head of food & beverage at Caffè Nero.

Exhibitor list goes live
The full exhibitor list - featuring the 370 companies that will be helping to shape the future of the food-to-go sector over the next twelve months - is now available online at www.lunchshow.co.uk/visiting/2018-exhibitor-list<http://www.lunchshow.co.uk/visiting/2018-exhibitor-list>.

Eat Natural, Wholegood Supply, The berry company, Schur Star Systems, Sabert Europe, Kepak, Impress Sandwiches, HIPPEAS, Bord Bia, Raynor Foods, Natural Balance Foods, Magrini, Around Noon, The Alan Nuttall Partnership, UFit Drinks, NutriPot, Go2Grocery, Pip & Nut, RAP, Europastry, Menter a Busnes, Country Choice, Norseland, Karma Cola, Breckland Orchard, Tea Pigs, Doughlicious, Spare Fruit, POPS: Premium Popsicles, Bounce Energy Balls, Spikomat, Propercorn, Tom Chandley Ovens, Colour Heroes, Roller Grill UK, Welbilt UK, and Brands Unlimited are just some of the returning exhibitors listed.

First time exhibitors - there are 144 to choose from this year- include Panasonic UK, Mother, LBP Bakeries, Brazilian coconut water brand Obrigado, Yoyo Wallet, Simply Lunch, Remedy Kombuch, Fresh Marketing, Döhler, Curators of Flavour (100% natural British beef jerky), Rushdi Food Enterprises (Mighty Sesame Co), Bravura Foods, Creeds Direct, Daelmans Group, Honesty Group, Upbeat Drinks, No1 Rosemary Water, Pots & Co, Popcorn Shed, BEPPS Snacks, Huel, Luv Sum, Infinity Foods, Jude's Ice Cream, Avery Dennison, Pactiv (the world's largest foodservice packaging company), and Fine Cheese Company / Artisan Biscuits.

While over in the Start-up Zone, 28 emerging brands will be introducing their launch innovations to the market.  Among them are: Boundless (activated nuts and seeds), Green Sisters (vegan samosas), The Healthy Protein Co (vieve protein water), Modern Contradiction (Something & Nothing - low calorie, lightly carbonated seltzer), Push Chocolate (high protein, dairy free chocolate), Roqberry (tea blends and infusions), and Wallaroo Foods (children's fruit snacks).

Buyers looking to refresh their coffee menus will also find plenty of choice for 2018.  From specialist Cold Brew companies - Sandows, Farside Coffee, Cool Cold Brew, Fitch Brew, Point Blank, Califia Farms, and Land & Tide, to big name artisan roasters and equipment suppliers, such as UCC Coffee UK & Ireland, Rombouts Coffee, Douwe Egberts, Union Hand-Roasted Coffee, CoffeeBAY, Modern Standard Coffee, Tudor Tea & Coffee, Beanies Flavour Coffee, Single Source, Wessenan UK, My Coffee Station and Melitta UK.

For eco-friendly coffee cups, check out Pockito, Ecoffeecup, Huskup, Benders Paper Cups, ButterflyCup, and Biopac UK.

Free visitor registration
"lunch! is the only show dedicated to the best sector in food and moving to ExCeL makes it even better.  Don't miss it!," says Guy Meakin, head of buying at Pret A Manger.

"ExCeL it is the perfect space for this on trend, innovative and brilliant event.  lunch! is definitely not one to miss," says Sandy Anderson, senior buyer at Elior.

"lunch! is definitely the essential trade show if you're in food-to-go," says Patrick Crease, product development manager - food to go at Sainsbury's Supermarkets.

lunch! will return to ExCeL London on 20-21 September 2018.  For further information and to register for a free trade ticket, please visit www.lunchshow.co.uk<http://www.lunchshow.co.uk> and quote priority code LU26 (direct link: http://www.eventdata.co.uk/Forms/Default.aspx?FormRef=Lun98Visitor&TrackingCode=LU26).