The Garden Centre Association has appointed its new Chief Executive Officer.

Peter Burks, who has a wealth of horticultural industry experience, having spent nearly 40 years working in the sector, and was a previous GCA Chairman, has taken over from Iain Wylie.

Tammy Woodhouse, GCA Chairman said: “We are delighted to announce that we have appointed Peter Burks to the role of Chief Executive of the Garden Centre Association. 

“We were inundated with more than 200 applications for the job and were helped to shortlist to five candidates by external recruitment consultants. 

“A recruitment day was held in London where we put the candidates through their paces, with group exercises, a presentation and interview panel. Peter brings a wealth of experience to the role, along with the passion and enthusiasm to take the GCA forwards.”

Peter has a degree in horticulture from the University of Bath and is well known in the industry.

His family also has an extensive background in horticulture. Peter ran garden centres with his parents until they retired and three other members of the Burks family work in the industry.

Peter said: “I’m very pleased to be involved with the GCA again, as I enjoyed my many years on the Executive Committee and as Chairman. We are very fortunate to work in a great industry with a good number of excellent businesses and characters.”

He helped to set up and went on to run the multi award-winning Sanders Garden World in Somerset for more than 10 years. The garden centre was named as GCA ‘Garden Centre of Year’ twice during this period.

Peter then went on to become Regional Manager for the south west for Wyevale Garden Centres, before becoming General Manager for Trelawney’s in Cornwall, and then managing Fermoys Garden Centre in Devon, which is part of the Blue Diamond group of garden centres.

Tammy added: “We are looking forward to Peter joining us in early January 2023 and will be working hard to settle him into his new role as quickly as possible in preparation for our annual conference and the new spring inspection season, which is not far around the corner.”

The GCA represents nearly 200 garden centres nationwide.

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

The GCA’s annual conference will be held at the Mercure Blackburn Dunkenhalgh Hotel and Spa in Blackburn, Lancashire from January 22 until 25, 2023 and places can be booked via www.gca.org.uk.

The conference pages on the website will be updated with speaker announcements and full listings as the programme develops and exact timings are confirmed. There is also a dedicated email for any queries members, and those wishing to book for the event, may have: conference@gca.org.uk.

For further information, please visit www.gca.org.uk.

The directors at a Bradford Garden Centre group have announced plans for one of the sites that it acquired earlier in the year.

YGC Group, the parent company of Tong and Tingley Garden Centres, bought the two Stephen H Smith's garden centres in Otley and Harden, near Bingley and will start work on the Otley site in January 2023.

Phase one of the development plans for the Pool Road site includes new fixtures and benches for the outdoor plant area, a refurbishment of the garden space, a makeover for Hattie's restaurant, a new roof for the giftware area and the creation of a Hearty's Food Hall to showcase Yorkshire food and drink.

Of the £500,000 investment in the first phase of Otley's revamp, YGC Group MD, Mark Farnsworth said: "When we acquired the Stephen H Smith's business in July, we wanted to take some time to understand how the centre operated and how we could most effectively enhance its offer for our customers. These redevelopment plans put gardening at the heart of the business, which is as it has always been. Our first investments in the centre are to improve the gardening offer and we hope our customers will notice a real difference by the spring. We also know that Edinburgh Woollen Mill is very popular, and we are delighted they will be relocating next to the refurbished restaurant.

"The existing team are very excited by the plans; the centre is very ready for these improvements, and we hope it will offer great career opportunities for our existing team as well as creating around 10 great new local job opportunities. We will be running a series of events in the early spring, but we will remain open throughout the whole period."

YGC Group founders, Mark Farnsworth (pictured above) and Tom Megginson bought Tong Garden Centre in 2015 and opened the £14m Tingley Garden Centre in September 2022.  There are also plans to redevelop the Harden site and they hope to have these finalised by the end of the year.

As 2022 draws to a close Lava-Lite thought you should know how well the Lava-Lite collection is doing. 

We have continued to work hard to ensure our brand is recognised, trusted and the whole collection of products is available country wide. We have ensured that our advertising and brand promotion has continued helping our retailers.

We supported Dobbies Garden Centres at Chelsea Flower Show in May, continuing on to a new product reveal of our very own No Slugs, by Marcus Eyles (Horticultural Director), in a product demonstration to a famous green fingered Radio Two DJ.

With a hop, skip and bound we were back at Glee 2022. A new, bigger stand, a refreshed brand approach and another fantastic new product – Composter+. The perfect addition to compost bins and heaps across the nation.

We picked up an award for new start up in June too, recognising green credentials across our product collection.

Our Google ad campaigns have reached 11.2 million readers and our website has seen an exponential rise in views - up 60% on 2021 - resulting in vastly improved rankings across the whole Lava-Lite collection.

We have also ensured that our social life has been a very active one too!! Our following and reach across our chosen platforms have seen dramatic increases over the past 12 months.

@Mr Plant Geek has continued to work with us promoting our collection and more recently we are the series 9 sponsors of his Plant Based Podcast, with additional content by @Ellen Mary Gardening, which again has seen a marked increase in interest, generating website traffic.

Our products availability and sales have seen incredible growth during 2022, sales are up by 350% on 2021. We are now supplying many of the big horticultural wholesalers and have added a number of large independent national garden centre groups too.

We now look forward to 2023, excited to continue our growth, providing our collection to gardeners and horticulturists across the UK and beyond.

As 2022 draws to a close Lava-Lite thought you should know how well the Lava-Lite collection is doing. 

We have continued to work hard to ensure our brand is recognised, trusted and the whole collection of products is available country wide. We have ensured that our advertising and brand promotion has continued helping our retailers.

We supported Dobbies Garden Centres at Chelsea Flower Show in May, continuing on to a new product reveal of our very own No Slugs, by Marcus Eyles (Horticultural Director), in a product demonstration to a famous green fingered Radio Two DJ.

With a hop, skip and bound we were back at Glee 2022. A new, bigger stand, a refreshed brand approach and another fantastic new product – Composter+. The perfect addition to compost bins and heaps across the nation.

We picked up an award for new start up in June too, recognising green credentials across our product collection.

Our Google ad campaigns have reached 11.2 million readers and our website has seen an exponential rise in views - up 60% on 2021 - resulting in vastly improved rankings across the whole Lava-Lite collection.

We have also ensured that our social life has been a very active one too!! Our following and reach across our chosen platforms have seen dramatic increases over the past 12 months.

@Mr Plant Geek has continued to work with us promoting our collection and more recently we are the series 9 sponsors of his Plant Based Podcast, with additional content by @Ellen Mary Gardening, which again has seen a marked increase in interest, generating website traffic.

Our products availability and sales have seen incredible growth during 2022, sales are up by 350% on 2021. We are now supplying many of the big horticultural wholesalers and have added a number of large independent national garden centre groups too.

We now look forward to 2023, excited to continue our growth, providing our collection to gardeners and horticulturists across the UK and beyond.

Despite half-term holidays falling in the last week of October with above average sunshine, this did little to increase garden centre sales. According to the HTA’s latest market update, overall sales were down -8% on October 2021. 

Meanwhile the actual quantity of goods sold was -8% too, indicating that the cost-of-living crisis is taking its toll on consumers’ disposable incomes as they cut back.

More positively, catering has begun to show signs of recovery as catering sales were up +10% on October 2021, with volumes up on last year indicating growth. However, consumers eating out decisions are likely no longer influenced on the pandemic but rather by the economic situation, as 41% indicate they will spend less on eating out next year. This is reflecting in the catering Average Transaction Value (excl. VAT) that was down -18% on October 2021.

Consumers’ minds are strongly focused on the economy with one in two consumers expressing this as a concern to them in the Ipsos Mori index likely due to CPIH (a measure of inflation) reaching the highest level in 41 years to 9.6%.

Another threat to horticultural businesses is the availability of water supplies - after a long, hot, dry summer, rainfall significantly above average is required throughout the winter to replenish reservoirs and water storage to avoid drought conditions in the spring. With 14% of British adults concerned over pollution/climate change/the environment this would be an ideal time to highlight how sustainable gardening is and educate consumers on how to use less water for garden maintenance and care.

Shipping costs have decreased to pre-pandemic levels as demand levels off. However, this reduced expense has been counteracted by the weakened pound, higher fuel and energy bills for businesses. 

In addition, with the cost-of-living crisis many workers are expecting higher wages with the average wage increase at 6% putting further pressures on businesses with higher overheads to cover. Retaining staff may also be a challenge if businesses cannot afford to increase wages, as vacancies are high leading to increased competition for staff.

After another month of bleak financial news and outlook on sales, Christmas may be the saviour for a dull period for businesses and consumers alike. 

For the full HTA market update click here

Following on from British Garden Centres’ Boyd Douglas-Davies’ valiant effort in 2021, it has been announced that  this year’s Most Jumperful participant is Abigail Stocker! 

Abigail, who works for Woodlodge Products, will follow in Boyd and Director of Happy Plants, Natalie Porter’s fashionable footsteps by donning an assortment of wonderful festive knits throughout December. Abigail has inherited her advent calendar of Christmas jumpers from Boyd and will sport Santa-related slogans and puns, fair isle beauties, sparkles, and novelty (and garish) festive designs to raise money for Greenfingers Charity. 

Abigail will document her journey on social media channels with the hashtag #themostjumperful but is also looking for sponsors for each day of her Joyeux jumperful journey.  The jumpers can be viewed in all their glory on the website https://themostjumperful.co.uk/. If you would like to claim a day during Abigail’s jumperthon, please email her directly at abigailstocker@woodlodge.co.uk

To show your support for Abigail throughout the month, please visit her dedicated JustGiving page https://justgiving.com/page/abigail-stocker-most-jumperful  to donate. Or you can text JUMPERFUL followed by your donation amount to 70460 to give that amount. Texts will cost the donation amount plus your standard network rate message.

Greenfingers, which is celebrating its 25^th anniversary in 2024 , is a national charity that creates magical gardens for life-limited children and their families who spend time in hospices across the UK. The tranquil outdoor spaces are specifically designed for play and fun, or therapeutic rest and relaxation.

Abigail said: “The Greenfingers team does incredible work, providing beautiful gardens for those children who need it most in our local hospices. The Most Jumperful is such a fun and effortless way to get into the festive mood while doing something really important to support life-limited children and their families whilst boosting awareness of this incredible charity.”

Linda Petrons, Director of Fundraising and Communications of Greenfingers Charity said: “We would like to say a huge thank you to Abigail for putting the festive FUN into FUNdraising and for being this year’s good sport. So far, the Most Jumperful fundraiser has generated over £12,000 in donations and we are excited to see how the total will grow further this year.”

Thrive, the charity that helps people with their mental and physical health through gardening, has teamed up with the Leisure & Outdoor Furniture Association, (LOFA) to help more people access their life changing gardening sessions.  

Through a process called Social Therapeutic Horticulture, (STH) Thrive have proven that gardening can have a profound impact on physical and mental well-being. LOFA are committed to supporting their work by donating £5,000 each year. By working together, we can help more people living with disabilities, ill health, isolation, or disadvantage to enjoy the many benefits of gardening.

Thrive have three regional centres in Reading, London, and Birmingham, as well as outreach programmes in schools, hostels, hospitals, and care homes across the UK, they deliver social and therapeutic horticulture programmes that help people to improve their physical and mental health, communication and thinking skills. LOFA have made a commitment going forward to help charities that have a link to our industry as we, more than anyone know the benefits of being outside in the garden.  That is why we are committed to helping Thrive transform lives across the UK. 

Thrive supports and works with a wide range of people... Those who have physical or learning disabilities; those requiring mental health support needs, such as anxiety attacks. The charity also reaches out to older adults affected by dementia-related problems including stroke survivors and diabetes sufferers among others - alongside young individuals struggling socially/emotionally or behavioural difficulties. 

This is an amazing opportunity for LOFA to help people in local communities and we are really looking forward to working with Thrive. Gardening can be so beneficial for people's mental health, and it is great that LOFA can play a part in this. If you would like to find out more about the work that Thrive do, please visit their website, or better still donate. 

https://www.thrive.org.uk/

https://lofa.co.uk/

Spread some Christmas magic and help Thrive & LOFA raise £12000 this festive season 

THRIVE know that gardening can bring positive change to people’s lives, and LOFA support their philosophy 100% so that is why they’ve pledged to help with Thrive’s first BIG GIVE CHRISTMAS CHALLENGE! 

The BIG GIVE CHRISTMAS CHALLENGE is the UK’s biggest match funding campaign. For seven days this holiday season, donors will have their donations doubled if they support Thrive through The Big Give!

Below shows Thrive’s aims in this their first year of being a part of this fantastic opportunity. 

HOW IT WORKS

LOFA have pledged £4000 to Thrive’s Pledge pot 

The Big Give then find Champion Funders to, hopefully, match the LOFA pledge building a match pot of up to £6,000 for The Charity. 

And this is where you come in!  Starting on Giving Tuesday, 29 November – Tuesday 6 December, this pledge pot will be used to double all public donations made to Thrive through The Big Give website.

For one week only you can donate to this great cause and help LOFA and Thrive raise much needed funds to continue to use gardening to help people living with disabilities or ill health, or who are isolated, disadvantaged or vulnerable

Overall, Thrive are aiming to raise £12,000 all through the superpower of gardening. 

LOFA are excited to be helping Thrive who have proven that social and therapeutic horticulture can have a profound impact on physical and mental well-being. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oA_LoFAyhNk

In the lead up to Christmas, Perennial, the charity helping people in horticulture, is launching an urgent appeal in response to the worst cost of living crisis seen in a generation. People in horticulture are on some of the lowest incomes in the UK and the impact of the crisis is being felt across the industry as we approach the festive period.  

The charity is calling for donations to support its services and prevent people in horticulture from struggling emotionally and financially this season and beyond.  

The pressures of Christmas combined with the strain of increased energy bills, interest rates and food costs are cause for concern. Circumstances will worsen still when winter hits and freezing temperatures slow the pace of work, leaving people with less money. 

In anticipation of higher calls to its helpline and demand for its services this winter, Peter Newman, Perennial’s Chief Executive says:  

“After two years of pandemic and lockdowns, we emerged into 2022 only to encounter massive increases in energy costs along with hikes in interest rates and food costs. In the horticulture sector, where many are not well paid, people are under strain and we can see the evidence of this by the number of people contacting our helpline. We’re hearing from people on tight budgets, who are facing more than just a squeeze on their income. These are real people experiencing real difficulty. Worryingly, the worst is yet to come this winter when we must switch on our central heating, or not, as the case may be for some. Every year I am heartened by the generosity of our supporters. Please donate if you can.”   

When a Hampshire-based landscaper called Perennial for help, its team at was able to talk through the situation and provide advice. He was struggling with significant business and personal debt and had suffered a mental health crisis. He says: “Perennial was there for me in my hour of need and may well have saved my life. It sounds dramatic, but their calm guidance at a time when my life was in turmoil massively helped me. I’m in a far better place now both financially and mentally. There’s a macho thing that you have to get on with it, but sometimes you just can’t, and you’ve got to share the load. I hope that my story will help others.” 

This story echoes the lives of thousands of others who are also struggling.  

You can help people in horticulture this season by making a donation online at justgiving.com/perennialchristmas2022 

People in horticulture can call Perennial for support and advice on 0800 093 8543 or visit perennial.org.uk. 

The team at British Garden Centres has selected the best festive trends to decorate people's homes at Christmas.

Based on popular interior designs, they cater for all tastes with timeless traditions remaining strong and themes with a modern twist. There’s something special for everyone and to suit all budgets and with so many options, you'll be able to celebrate Christmas and make long-lasting memories.

Traditional

Still one of the most popular festive themes in the home at Christmas, our Traditional range is made up of shiny reds, greens and gold that will evoke the true Christmas spirit that everyone will remember when they were young.

From the luxurious ruby red poinsettias and gift bows to vintage nutcracker ornaments, wreaths and the quintessential Santa figurine, consumers will see a return to traditional decorations with a nod to Christmas past. 

Customary tartan prints and glass-blown decorations will also feature, creating a cosy home atmosphere for a unique and warm Christmas.  Pair with Nordic patterns and sprigs of holly berries, alongside tableware with festive essentials to provide a truly classic Christmas effect.

Winter

The modern and refined winter theme is set to be a popular theme and uses cool tones of white, silver and blues. This palette creates an extremely elegant festive environment within the home. Metallic colour palettes run throughout the collection also to depict winter in its purest form, with a hint of blue inspired by the colours of frost and ice. A winter’s tale can also be told with the addition of natural green accents to create a harmonious balance of warm and cold.  Add foliage to your white palette to add a pop of colour and resemble a field of snowdrops that have been picked from nature. Mix with snowy owl decorations which are set to be big for 2022 and add wintery silver pine garlands to create a winter wonderland.

Romantic

Delicate, rose tones combined with soft pink shades will create a dreamy and romantic mood in this festive season. This collection’s calm but romantic colourway of tree ornaments, lights, and wreaths is the perfect antidote to the busy time of year and brings light to the Christmas season. 

Pastels

Pastels will add a softness to your décor and pair with floral patterns for the icing on the perfect pastel Christmas-themed cake. Think blush pink, champagne, lilac and pearl for an overwhelmingly soft and elegant Christmas display. Pair with the pine green shades of your Christmas tree for contrasting elements to create something magical.

Lipstick

The romantic theme looks great when they're mixed with bright, bold pinks and reds. The Lipstick theme combines these colours to create an energetic, warm, and strong statement in the home that will appeal to teenagers and people who just want to have fun over the festive period.

Gingerbread

It is thought that gingerbread became associated with Christmas on the 17th. Steeped in tradition, this décor trend is made up of red and white with hints of green and biscuit brown.  From classic gingerbread houses to gingerbread people, this is a great theme to make your home feel festive and inviting.

There’s nothing like the delicious smell of gingerbread to get you into the holiday spirit so decorate with red and white striped candy canes to make you feel nostalgic for your childhood. The bright sweet shop stripes will instantly lift the Joyeux mood on the big day and produce outstanding colour and striking spaces when paired with felt figures, iced biscuits and gonks on mantelpieces and sideboards.  Scented products such as potpourri and dried fruit will bring cinnamon, spicy orange and cardamon into the home and make it a real treat for the senses.

Woodland

Our reignited love for the great outdoors continues and is the story behind the Woodland trend for the festive season.   This beautiful décor collection features a colour way of dark brown, amber, green and terracotta will bring a fresh, nature-inspired look to your Christmas interior.

Garden lovers will like this trend, as the simplicity of natural materials and this theme can be created from foraged plants gathered right from the outdoors.   Pinecones, berries, holly and ivy can be combined with the dark-on-dark and earthy tones will create a tranquil and sophisticated festive scheme.

Midnight

Deep rich blues paired with luxurious warm gold looks set to be one of the big Christmas decorating trends of 2022. Our Midnight theme will allow friends and family to chase the dawn with its Christmas decor and effortless elegance.

The navy-blue trend has continued to gain popularity this festive season and is inspired by celestial, zodiac and constellation motifs. Dark blue candles with gold holders, gift wrap and ribbon, ornaments, as well as moon and stars will adorn households offering a luxurious and on-trend Christmas look.

Glam

A touch of elegance can be brought to the home this Christmas with our Glam colourway.  Burgundy tones mixed with gold will add a glamorous feel to our living room for the upcoming festive season.

Our collection of shiny glass ornaments, gold glittered baubles, dainty silver fairies and metallic foliage are a testament to how these rich Christmas colours can be truly timeless.   These colours’ warm undertones will create a statement in any home.

Toffee

This rich neutral brings a sense of warmth and familiarity to our Christmas gatherings.  Toffee incorporates deep shades of brown like cinnamon, walnut and redwood which when paired with gold décor, bringing a nature-inspired and laid-back feeling to any room.

The brown and gold can be toned down with the purity of wool white to create a modern contemporary theme.  Our collections of candles, copper and bronze tree decorations and golden accessories will combine classic and playful elements with the grounded and the luxurious.

Natural

With our festive spending habits in 2022 a little more restrained this year, a return to authenticity is set to be key this Christmas, with decorations made in warm and classic colours, from natural materials and elements. Consumers have started to appreciate nature more since the pandemic and are seeking a more simplistic approach to their festive decorations. Our Natural collection sees a more earthy, subtle and muted palette with the rich browns of butterscotch and walnut as well as white and dried grasses and seedheads adding decorative effect in a time of goodwill and optimism.

Botanical

Botanical accents have become a staple in our interiors recently and Christmas will be no exception.  Foliage and bright blooms are what this Christmas theme is all about.

As well as the traditional red and green, colours often found in the garden such as purple, blue, and brass gold will feature in table centrepieces, mantel decoration and floral arrangements to make your festive interior pop.  Pair these with decorative garden wildlife including glass butterflies and garden bird ornaments to bring the outdoors in and create a sophisticated setting for the 2022 festivities.

Castle Gardens in Sherborne, Brimsmore Gardens in Yeovil and Poundbury Gardens near Dorchester will offer many new varieties of potted Christmas tree this year, as The Gardens Group presents its largest ever collection of living trees.

With an ever-growing demand for eco-friendly Christmas options, The Gardens Group’s selection of potted Christmas trees will range from 2ft to 6ft this year, with varieties including Fraser Fir, Nordmann Fir, Norway Spruce, Omorika Spruce, Picea Omorika and Blue Spruce.  

Bringing the traditional scent associated with cut trees into the home, while dropping less needles, potted trees can then be planted outside after use, ready to be reused year after year. Spruces in particular thrive in a pot due to their shallow root system and maintain their evergreen colouring to provide a year-round wildlife haven.  

The Gardens Group is offering customers who buy their Christmas trees a collection service throughout January. With an average of 1,500 Christmas trees to collect and 7,500 bags of peat free compost also set to be delivered, The Gardens Group has developed a clever system to maximise efficiency and reduce its carbon footprint.

Each van that leaves Castle Gardens, Brimsmore Gardens and Poundbury Gardens will be full with bags of compost and will return full of Christmas trees. These trees will then be chipped and used for soil improvement schemes on the Sherborne Castle Estate and throughout the garden centres. 

Mike Burks, managing director of The Gardens Group, explains: “We fly the flag for eco-friendly alternatives every day at The Gardens Group, so we are delighted to be able to respond to a growing demand for more potted Christmas trees, as they are undoubtedly one of the kindest options to the planet. Combined with our highly successful Christmas tree collection scheme, we believe we are making real Christmas trees more sustainable than ever, reducing their carbon footprint dramatically while still allowing people to enjoy the most traditional of festive pleasures.” 

A 15-person team at Evergreen Garden Care took on the daunting National Three Peaks Challenge, attempting to summit the three tallest mountains in the UK within 24 hours. This ambitious goal was in support of Greenfingers Charity, who work to build gardens at children’s hospices throughout the UK.

Weather was on their side as they pushed through the incredibly difficult challenge and now, a couple of months later, they have hit their incredible fundraising goal of £30,000 for Greenfingers Charity.

The team undertook a year-long training programme in order to give their best on the day, including climbing some of the steepest hills across the country over and over again throughout the August heatwave and taking up residence in local gyms on the stair machine.

The amount raised will go directly to support a specific part of the gardens being built on the ground of The Nook, a children’s hospice in Norfolk. The funds will enable the building of The Nest, a cosy spot where families and loved ones will be able to spend precious time in nature with their children.

Jessica Nicholson, organiser of the Evergreen Three Peaks Challenge, said: “The challenge was so tough and really pushed us all to our limits, both physically and mentally, but ultimately brought us all closer together as a team. Hard not to when you spend 24 hours together on a coach! We all loved every second of the challenge and we’re proud to support such an important cause, providing green spaces to The Nook. As you can see from the photos, we couldn’t have been luckier with the weather!”

“Congratulations to all the team who participated in the challenge: Jess Nicholson, Nic Griffin, Kev Gwilliams, Sally Flavell-Smith, Ian Jones, Jane Hartley, Anya Yarmakovich, Hannah Mulvey, Jayne Horswill, Kirsty Taylor, Charlotte Webster, Vicki Kennard, Mateusz Lisiecki, Gemma Stephenson, Jimmy Dougherty.”

Tree shelter manufacturer Tubex has announced details on a new charitable initiative, designed to support tree planting projects through the donation of shelters.

The Grow Together scheme will enable individuals and organisations to nominate tree planting projects across the UK.  Every quarter, Tubex will select a project to receive appropriate tree shelters for the environment and type of trees being planted. 

The decision to launch Grow Together follows a recent surge in the number of tree planting projects across the world, with the UK Government confirming that over half a million trees are set to be planted this year. However, as Tubex explains, ensuring that saplings are properly protected will make all the difference to the success of these projects. 

“The threat from wildlife or extremes in environmental conditions, means tree shelters play an invaluable role in boosting sapling survival rates,” confirms James Taylor, Marketing & Product Development Director at Tubex.

“However, we’re also aware that not every initiative can afford to invest in tree protection. That’s why Tubex is looking to work with tree planting charities and community projects, in order to help everybody Grow Together.”

Those interested in nominating a particular project can do by visiting the Grow Together page on the Tubex website. Details of the project’s location, size and tree type will be required, to help Tubex recommend the most suitable shelter.

Depending on the project location and access, Tubex will either provide its recyclable shelters with up to 50% recycled content, which can then be collected and recycled at the end of the growing cycle, or biodegradable Tubex Nature shelters that can be left to biodegrade in situ, for areas with dense woodland or difficult access where collection and recycling is not practical.

“We already work with many UK tree planting charities and have seen first-hand the benefits that the right choice of shelter can make to their success. We wanted to formalise that approach and allow other charities and community projects to apply for support. We look forward to using Grow Together to extend such partnerships to many more worthwhile causes and exciting projects.”

For more details, visit: www.tubex.com/sustainability/grow-together-tree-protection-donations

Christmas is starting early, with over 180 new products being added to the NOMA Christmas range that will shape the lighting trends for Christmas 2023.

Complementing our thousands of existing products, we are introducing several new collections of flexi lights, the future of lighting strings that are strong, durable and produce a powerful ambient glow.

Proof that flowers can really bloom this Christmas, our new Stardust Range includes holographic fibre optic flowers on a battery-operated light chain, adding that extra sparkle to the delicate stardust lights of the fibre optics.

NEON lights have been reworked, using plastic instead of glass for safety and powered by an energy efficient LED light.

Also new to market is the launch of our highly anticipated 'Nostalgia by NOMA', a collection of sentimental products from our childhood, magically re-invented and re-imagined for the modern customer.  

Seeing is believing - Book your advanced preview of the NOMA Christmas range by visiting our showrooms north of London.

Make the most of your visit, with the option of a complimentary BBQ (optional festive) from one of our Grillstream chefs, and not forgetting to see the new Christmas range from the team at Petface. Alternatively, you can arrange a virtual tour with one of our Area Sales Managers. Book your visit:https://www.noma.co.uk/contact-us

NOMA Trade Platform

NOMA has launched a trade platform as part of an online multi-site ordering system that enables you to order NOMA products 24/7. Within the portal, you can access detailed product information and assets, keep track of your online order history, invoices and account information. Find out more: https://www.noma.co.uk

More pictures from the NOMA Christmas range in the gallery below...

Dobbies has launched a new festive menu that has something for all the family, with great-value Christmas food and drink to enjoy for breakfast and lunch. Whether you’re a fan of an early start or have worked up an appetite from Christmas shopping, Dobbies’ restaurants are a great place to recharge and spend some quality time with friends or family.

Building on over 34k meals Dobbies has given away across the UK so far this year, kids aged 12 and under can dine at Dobbies’ restaurants for free with an adult traditional breakfast or main course. Children can enjoy breakfast, lunch or Dobbies’ pick ‘n’ mix meal plus a drink all day every day.

The Brioche French Toast and Bacon is the perfect way to kick off the morning, with sweet brioche bread dipped in free-range eggs and toasted with crispy streaky bacon and melted mature Cheddar cheese. Customers can also start off their day with Buttermilk Pancakes, served with yoghurt and winter berries, or a Scottish Smoked Salmon and free-range Scrambled Egg Bagel, topped with chopped chives.

Enjoy Dobbies’ great value two course lunch deal, priced at £14.95 per person. Traditional roast turkey Christmas dinners will be available from midday, complete with pigs in blankets, sage and onion stuffing, roast potatoes, creamy mash, and seasonal vegetables topped with gravy. There’s also a vegetarian option for a Christmas dinner with tasty Quorn sausages and all the trimmings. Customers can also indulge in a Christmas pudding or mince pie cheesecake as part of the offer.

For a lighter option, there’s a Festive Roll – a soft roll filled with roast turkey, sage and onion stuffing and pigs in blankets with dipping gravy.

Children 12 and under can also tuck into a Christmas Dinner with a half portion of the traditional roast turkey dinner, served with a pig in blanket, sage and onion stuffing, roast potatoes, creamy mash, seasonal vegetables and gravy, all for £5.20 if not part of the kids eat free offer. A veggie option for is available for little ones too, with a free children’s drink.

For those who prefer a non-traditional Christmas dinner, there’s the option of a delicious chickpea and sweet potato curry. Served with wild rice, two onion bhajis, mango chutney and salsa, this dish is also suitable for vegans.

Customers can expect to see a range of delicious pastries and sweets from Christmas Pudding to Christmas Drizzle Cake. Dobbies’ popular scone is being given a festive twist alongside Christmas Muffins, while there’s a Mince Pie Cheesecake for the ultimate festive dessert.

New for 2022 is a selection of festive-inspired hot drinks in selected stores. Customers can choose between sipping on a Bailey’s Latte or the Christmas classic, mulled wine. There will also be a Gingerbread Latte complete with whipped cream and served with a tasty gingerbread biscuit.

Dobbies’ great value Festive Afternoon Tea is now two for £20, with free tea and coffee refills. This also includes the option to add a savoury plate for only £2.95 per person. The Festive Afternoon Tea can be booked in advance the perfect opportunity to make some time over the busy Christmas period to catch up with loved ones.

Adam Veysey, Dobbies Development Chef, said: “We are very excited to introduce our 2022 Christmas menu, having spent months finalising the details and selecting the best ingredients. There are some firm favourites and some new additions that offer Christmas with a twist. We can’t wait to introduce our great value festive menu across the UK and hope families have the opportunity to take advantage of our kids eat free offer.”

Restaurant opening times vary across the UK – visit dobbies.com for details. The kids eat free offer is valid in Dobbies’ Restaurants with the exception of Andover, Lelant, Marple, Reading and York.

Gardenex Meet-the-Buyer days are popular and unmissable events that deliver considerable success for buyers and suppliers alike. 

In the association’s latest event launch, Gardenex is giving UK suppliers a unique opportunity to secure a one-to-one virtual meeting with a buyer at Gardener’s Supply Company, one of the leading US garden specialist omni-channel retailers.

There are three buyers taking part to meet suppliers on three dates: on Wednesday 7th December 2022, Tuesday 13th December 2022 and Wednesday 14th December 2022. 

Taking place virtually via Zoom, this event is an excellent opportunity for you to introduce your company, products, explain your USP and take those first vital steps towards potential new export orders.

The 25 minute meetings will take place between 14.00 and 17.00 UK time and your meeting time and date will be allocated on payment and confirmation. The subsidised cost for members of Gardenex is £92 plus VAT per meeting; for those who are not yet members, it is £192 plus VAT. 

Gardenex will forward details of all applicants to the three buyers,  who will then select those suppliers they would like to meet. This means that if you are allocated a meeting, the buyers have an interest in your products and this is a genuine opportunity for new business.

The Meet-the-Buyer sessions will be co-ordinated by a member of the Gardenex team. We will introduce you to the buyer and then mute and withdraw ourselves for your 25 minute meeting, only coming back online once your meeting time has finished.  

“This is a great opportunity to put your company’s products in front of buyers at a major US omni-channel retailer," confirms Amanda Sizer Barrett, Director General of Gardenex. “Gardener’s Supply Company works with many Gardenex members already, and the buyers are eager to find new lines and new suppliers via this event. We look forward to some excellent new introductions between suppliers and the Gardener’s Supply buyers as a result of this latest initiative.”

Meeting allocations are booking fast so for further information and to request a meeting at this event, please contact Lydia Stubbs on 01959 587445 or email  lydia@gardenex.com.

Experts at GardeningExpress.co.uk have warned families they may have to pay significantly more for their trees than ever before this Christmas after record summer temperatures are leading to reduced crops.

It is believed the record temperatures experienced across the UK and much of Europe combined with many weeks without significant rainfall has meant difficult growing conditions for Christmas tree farmers.

The heatwave led many trees to shed leaves early this year in what some commentators described as a ‘false autumn’. Evergreen Christmas trees stopped growing due to the heat stress and many plantations that couldn’t irrigate experienced significant losses of growing stock.

The supply of large Christmas trees has also been impacted by a severe drought and heatwave across Europe in 2018 when younger saplings that should now be ready to harvest perished. The most impacted sizes are the best selling circa six footers - these are expected to be more scarce than usual, meaning prices are likely to be higher than previous years.

Political problems across Europe have also led to supply chain issues which could impact the importation of trees from colder climes.

It’s this combination of political and environmental issues which has led to a perfect storm this year when it comes to Christmas tree supplies.

The experts from GardeningExpress.co.uk said that reduced supply could lead to increased costs for customers just when families are struggling with the cost of living crisis.

GardeningExpress founder Chris Bonnett said: “Christmas tree growers have really struggled this year and we are expecting supplies of quality trees to be significantly impacted - so if you want a good one, you need to order as early as possible or visit a retailer in person - we only sell top grade trees, but retailers usually buy mixed pallets from plantations to offer a variety of sizes - no doubt there will be a higher ratio of lower grade trees in their this year.

“Most people order up their Christmas tree at the end of November and start of December and give it precious little thought before then.

“But for Christmas trees to be lush and verdant come December they had to be planted well in advance and they needed plenty of water in the months leading up to December.

“That just hasn’t been the case for all suppliers this year. Growers have had to struggle with record temperatures, water and labour shortages which has led to a reduction in quality and quantity of the crop.

“It will be a problem particularly for those wanting large bushy Christmas trees, there is definitely going to be fewer of those around this year, and they will carry a premium price.

“The best advice is to pre-order your tree as early as possible to make sure you don’t miss out.”

For more information on the UK’s possible Christmas tree shortage please visit https://www.gardeningexpress.co.uk/

The iconic British plant food brand, Phostrogen is set to introduce two new products for the 2023 season with the launch of Phostrogen Bug Plant Defence and Phostrogen Fungus Plant Defence, helping consumers protect their plants against a range of common garden pests and diseases.

Suitable for use on both ornamentals and edible plants, Phostrogen Bug Plant Defence is an organic preventative and curative spray for use in advance of an infestation, providing protection against pests including Greenfly Blackfly, Whitefly, Codling Moth and Flea Beetle.

The new Phostrogen Fungus Plant Defence features a natural formulation which helps to build a natural barrier against common issues many gardeners face, such as Black spot, powdery mildew, Potato Blight, Leaf spot and Rust.

With convenient, ready to use spray bottles, the new products make protecting plants easy and practically effortless. By simply spraying plants with Phostrogen Fungus Plant Defence and Phostrogen Bug Plant Defence, infestations and disease can be prevented, saving gardeners from being faced with damaged plants and lengthy treatment programmes if left unprotected.

Having welcomed a range of organic garden fertilisers to its product portfolio just last season, the latest launches will further allow retailers to meet the growing demand for organic, natural gardening products while offering a solution for every scenario, whether it is plant nutrition or defence against disease and pests. 

As well as the two new product launches, the popular household brand, Toprose, will also be welcomed into the Phostrogen family, featuring a new contemporary and eye-catching packaging to complement the fresh Phostrogen rebrand which was unveiled last season. 

Well-known and loved for its original All Purpose Plant Food, which has been feeding British gardens for over 60 years, and now also for its popular organic range, the new products will offer consumers high-quality solutions with the trust and reliability of which Phostrogen is known for by green fingered enthusiasts.

James Ramnought, Marketing Director for SBM Life Science, commented: “We are delighted to introduce two new products to market this season, as well as welcoming Toprose to the Phostrogen® brand, further strengthening our offering in the gardening space.

“As a much-loved and trusted plant fertiliser brand, the latest addition to Phostrogen’s portfolio will enable our retail partners to provide a solution for their customer’s every need, whether it is feeding and nutrition through to preventing problems caused by pests and disease.”

To support the new product launches, Phostrogen will introduce a range of eye-catching in-store point of sale display units designed to command space, attract interest and offer consumers everything they need for their gardening task in one place, whether it be to grow more vegetables or brighter blooms.  

For more information about stocking the new products and full Phostrogen collection contact your local sales representative or visit www.growwithphostrogen.co.uk

Even with stretched budgets, households around the country will be pulling out all the stops to enjoy a traditional Christmas this year complete with a cut Christmas tree. It is estimated some eight million real trees – including Nordmann fir, Norway spruce and Scots pine – are sold through November and early December as we prepare for the big day.

For the third year running Buckingham Garden Centre is working with local UK charity, Ripple Africa, to help raise money and awareness of tree planting in Malawi. The garden centre will be pledging 50p to the charity for every Christmas tree sold. For every 50p donated, that is two trees planted in Malawi.

“We are very grateful to Buckingham Garden Centre for supporting our tree planting in Malawi again this year. This has been another successful year with farmers communities and schools planting trees. A total of over two million trees will be planted out in the coming rainy season in December and then we will be registering more farmers to plant trees for the next year," said Geoffrey Furber, Ripple Africa.

To donate to Ripple Africa’s plant a tree campaign, visit www.rippleafrica.org/xmastree or text one of the following numbers:

• To Donate £3 to plant 12 trees text: XMASTREE to 70331
• To Donate £5 to plant 20 trees text: XMASTREE to 70970
• To Donate £10 to plant 40 trees text: XMASTREE to 70191

Ripple Africa plants two million trees each year with tree planting farmers and their families in Malawi, and to date over 19 million trees have been planted.

To find out more about Ripple Africa visit www.rippleafrica.org or contact Chris Day, Plant Publicity Manager on 01280 827910 or Laura Massey, Ripple Africa 07882194830.

Pictured: Celebrating Ripple Africa: Laura Massey from the Ripple Africa charity and Chris Day, the publicity manager at Buckingham Garden Centre amidst a forest of Christmas trees. Each tree sold will help plant more trees in Malawi.

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Ten ornamental horticulture growers from around the world, including Allensmore Nurseries, have reached the finals for the AIPH International Grower of the Year (IGOTY) Awards 2023.

Organised by the International Association of Horticultural Producers (AIPH) in collaboration with headline sponsor Royal FloraHolland, the IGOTY Awards champion outstanding achievement and celebrate the expertise the best growers give to the industry.

Winners will be announced at an awards ceremony on 24th January 2023 at the Atlantic Hotel in Essen, Germany. Taking place alongside IPM Essen, the evening event includes a drinks reception with a range of food to fill stomachs as guests network with others in the industry.

The IGOTY 2023 Finalists are (in alphabetical order):

• Allensmore Nurseries Ltd, UK
• Brookdale Treeland Nurseries Limited, Canada
• Fructoplant Sp. z o.o., Poland
• Morel Diffusion SAS, France
• Royal Base Co. Ltd, Chinese Taipei
• SB Talee de Colombia SAS, Colombia
• Società Agricola Giorgio Tesi Vivai S.S., Italy
• Xiamen Ican Seed Co Ltd, China
• Zentoo, the Netherlands
• Zhejiang Toyoshima Co., Ltd., China

The IGOTY Awards 2023 consists of four categories: Finished Plants and Trees, Cut Flowers and Bulbs, Young Plants and Sustainability. Within each category, bronze, silver and gold awards will be given. One winner will be crowned the ‘AIPH International Grower of the Year 2022’ and receive the ‘Gold Rose’ – the industry’s most coveted prize.

Commenting on the final list, AIPH Secretary General, Tim Briercliffe said “I am delighted to see this list of amazing companies from around the world. Each one is leading our industry and setting an example to the global industry. It is a huge achievement to reach this final list and I congratulate every one of them for this.”

An international jury of industry experts, led by past AIPH President Mr Bernard Oosterom, assessed the competition entries against specific criteria relating to economic performance, innovation, market insight, sustainability and human resources.

Tickets for the evening reception and awards ceremony cost only €50 (incl. VAT) per person. Groups of five tickets are available for the discounted price of €200 and groups of ten for €350. To secure your place, visit the AIPH Website. Tickets can be cancelled and refunded (minus a €10 admin fee) until 13th January 2023.

AIPH thanks Headline Sponsor Royal FloraHolland, Founding Partner FloraCulture International, and Ruby Sponsor GLOBALG.A.P. & GGN Label for their continued support of the awards.

The Horticultural Trades Association has confirmed Thursday 5th October 2023 as the date for the Ornamental Grower of the Year Awards. 

This will also be the date for the annual HTA Autumn Conference in Birmingham.

In 2022, Horticulture, The Conference, had speaker’s from industry and outside, providing insights and perspective on challenges and opportunities for the sector, economy and technology.

This also saw HTA launch the Ornamental Grower of the Year Awards to recognise and celebrate best practices in sustainable ornamental production. Further details on the conference and how to enter the 2023 awards will be announced shortly.

HTA congratulates Allensmore Nurseries Ltd, for reaching the finals of the International Grower of the Year (IGOTY) Awards 2023. Organised by the International Association of Horticultural Producers (AIPH) the IGOTY Awards champion outstanding achievement and celebrate the expertise the best growers give to the industry.

The CHA is offering companies the opportunity to promote their products to buyers at IPM Essen via a brochure display, displayed prominently on the UK industry information stand in Hall 7 of the show.

IPM Essen is the international trade fair for plants and the world’s leading trade fair for horticulture.   It is the only specialist trade fair of its kind to cover the entire value chain of plants, including production, technology, floristry, garden features and point of sale.

No other plant fair offers trade visitors such a comprehensive market overview. 1,538 exhibitors from 46 nations and over 54,000 visitors from all over the world attended the 2020 edition of the show with around 40% of these coming from outside Germany.

The 2023 IPM will bring an exciting additional promotional opportunity for UK exhibitors: every year, IPM invites a country to work in special partnership with the organisers and this year Great Britain is the focus.  

The CHA, with the support of the British Embassy and DIT, is organising a UK-themed opening ceremony, entrance displays, conference programme focusing on the UK commercial horticulture sector and cultural events, including an official reception for buyers and UK suppliers. 

A prominent area of the CHA UK information stand has been allocated for the brochure displays, drawing the attention of passing buyers and those buyers visiting the CHA stand, which will be manned by the association’s team who will collect sales leads and pass these on to all participants immediately after the fair.  

The CHA will promote the British group of exhibitors via a printed and online preview and as part of the brochure display package, your company logo will appear in the Brochure Display section of the preview, which will be sent to named buyers in advance of the exhibition and be available on the stand. 

If you are looking to sell into the world’s plant sector and want to take advantage of the promotional opportunities given by Great Britain’s partner country status and all the benefits that this brings to the British pavilion, please contact CHA by e-mail as there are limited brochure display spaces available. 

Space for up to an A4 brochure display on shelf or literature rack plus your company logo in the British Group Exhibitor Preview is £399 plus VAT for members and £499 for non members. 

Companies should contact Emma Brazier on emma@cha-hort.com or on 01959 587446 to book one of the brochure display spaces. 

Further information on the CHA is available at www.cha-hort.com

Hyderabad’s award-winning greening initiative serves as an inspiration for cities around the world to utilise the power of plants to benefit the lives of their citizens.

The Indian city was the focus of the third AIPH Green City Briefing where participants explored their flagship tree-planting programme.

Organised by the International Association of Horticultural Producers (AIPH) in collaboration with the Worshipful Company of Gardeners (WCoG) and sponsor Expo 2023 Doha Qatar, the Green City Briefings 2022/23 are a series of one-hour webinars focussing on cities around the world that demonstrate significant progress in including plants and nature in their city’s form and function.

The third session in the series featured Hyderabad, India, Grand Winner of the inaugural AIPH World Green City Awards. Their winning initiative titled ‘Green Garland to the State of Telangana’ also won the category of ‘Living Green for Economic Recovery and Inclusive Growth’.

“We strongly believe in sustainable urbanisation and that greenery is integral to any kind of urban growth which takes place,” said Arvind Kumar, Special Chief Secretary, Municipal Administration & Urban Development Department, Government of Telangana.

The Green Garland initiative has been a driving force for tree-planting in the area. In the last four years, 2.3 million saplings have been planted with a survival rate of more than 90 percent.

Other programmes undertaken by the city include the Japanese-inspired ‘Miyawaki plantation’ – tiny forests that thrive in the city’s heart – and rain gardens where specific plants are being used to protect streams. The Hyderabad Metropolitan Development Authority is also investing in Urban Forest Blocks in the greater city area, which not only provides nature-filled areas for families to visit but has also generated a positive attitude towards trees and green environment in the younger generation.

Mass tree-planting takes on a different meaning for Bishop Ngobeli, who also spoke at the Briefing. Bishop is the Manager of Protected Areas and Enforcement at Johannesburg City Parks and Zoo. In South Africa, the lack of greening in certain city areas is one of the many effects of the country’s history of segregation.

Responding to the theme of this Green City Briefing of social inclusivity, Bishop explained: “South Africa continues to be hampered by the legacy of racial segregation, poverty and exclusion from social and economic opportunities. That’s why we want to plant trees, so we can bridge the divide.”

To readdress historic spatial planning for new generations, South Africa is developing national, provincial, and local spatial frameworks to provide green areas to communities who have not had access before. Among the initiatives, the country identified connecting with the community as a key factor.

“How do we make sure people embrace tree planting?” Bishop said. “We decided that every tree planted in our country is a ‘Tree of Hope’, so we can change the perception of greening in the city.” This is an inspiring example of overcoming obstacles to gain political and community support for action.

The next Green City Briefing will focus on the winner of the ‘Living Green for Climate Change’ category of the AIPH World Green City Awards 2022: Mexico City, Mexico. The city won the award for their Environmental and Climate Change Programme which aimed to reinvigorate horticulture in the urban area. One result from this programme was an increase in annual plant production from 500 thousand in 2018 to more than 10 million in 2021.

The briefing will take place on the 6th December 2022 at 1pm GMT. For more information and to register, visit the AIPH Website.

The Royal Horticultural Society has announced that Nant y Bedd, a small nature-friendly garden within the Brecon Beacons National Park in Monmouthshire, Wales, has been voted overall winner in the RHS Partner Garden of the Year Competition 2022.

Lovingly created by Sue and Ian Mabberley and perfectly encompassing the ‘Feel Good’ theme of the competition, Nant y Bedd captured the hearts of voters with its tranquillity and natural elements. Located high up in the Black Mountains, the garden is intended to blend into its surroundings, featuring a natural swimming pond, potager and edible forest garden.

The winners said: “The garden at Nant y Bedd has been Sue’s passion for the past 42 years, so this award is a tremendous recognition of her patience and vision. Nant y Bedd has always been a place where garden and nature live hand-in-hand. To the people who voted for us, we send huge thanks.”

Voting is done by RHS members and garden visitors. One visitor to Nant y Bedd commented: “It follows its own laws of nature to culminate in a bountiful and exciting setting where one can observe not just plants, but also animals, the ripples in water, the weather and the scents on the fresh air.”

Another said: “One is so aware of nature being all around with the sound of the river, birdsong and wildflowers.” Many voters also admired the eco-friendly gardening methods used at Nant y Bedd.

Nant y Bedd was selected from six regional finalists after visitors chose their favourite gardens in each of six regions. The regional winners were:

• Midlands and East Anglia: Fullers Mill, West Stow, Suffolk
• North and Northern Ireland: Holehird Gardens, Windermere, Cumbria
• Overseas: Arboretum Kalmthout, Kalmthout, Belgium
• Scotland: Dunvegan Castle Gardens, Skye, Scotland
• South-East and Channel Islands: The World Garden, Lullingstone Castle, Kent
• South West and Wales: Nant y Bedd, Powys, Wales

Helen Feary, RHS Partner Gardens Manager, said: “We are very pleased that the RHS Partner Garden of the Year competition continues to grow. The winning garden, Nant Y Bedd in Wales, is described by its owners as a ‘wild and tame garden’ and this reflects the trend towards more naturalistic gardening, as seen at this year’s RHS Chelsea Flower Show, where the ‘Best in Show’ garden had a rewilding theme. All the winners this year were again small to medium gardens, lovingly cared for by their owners and staff, and a source of inspiration, peace and joy according to the many visitors.”

Details of the 2023 RHS Partner Garden of the Year competition and how to vote will be revealed next spring. There are currently 206 gardens in the RHS Partner Gardens scheme, which allows RHS Members to visit non-RHS gardens for free at selected times of the year. They comprise some of the most famous gardens in the world as well as privately-owned hidden gems, and beyond the UK can be found in 8 countries across the globe, including Barbados, Japan and South Africa.

To find out more about RHS Partner Gardens, visit: www.rhs.org.uk/partnergardens

The two Adrian Hall Garden Centres in London’s Feltham and East Sheen which closed in August this year have opened again with new owners.

A failed sale of the sites back in the summer resulted in the appointment of liquidator FRP which announced this week the Feltham centre would reopen under the name of Growing Plants 4 U which has now taken over the lease. Growing Plants 4 U is part of the company run by Colin Roberts based at Parkview Nurseries and The Gardening Club in Crews Hill, Enfield.

Simon Carvill-Biggs of FRP said: “We’re pleased to have completed an assignment of the lease to Growing Plants 4U Ltd and that the site will reopen under the trading name Growing Plants 4 U. The purchasers have also acquired the Intellectual Property and domain name.  No doubt the acquisitions may result in employment opportunities for the local area. Hilco Global, alongside Moore Barlow LLP, assisted the Liquidators with the assignment and supplementary transactions.”

The other site has now re-opened as Sheen Garden Centre and joins the five other centres operated by Capital Gardens in and around London run by Colin Campbell-Preston.

After more than 50 years in business, Primeur Ltd is set to embark on a new phase of growth following the completion of a Management Buy Out (MBO) which will see the third generation of the family, along with one of its long-serving directors, taking the reins.

The MBO includes former sales director, Jenny Douthwaite, who becomes managing director after more than 19 years in the business, supported by buying director Rebecca Keighley and her brother, fellow director Edward Keighley. Former shareholders James Keighley and Ian Brazier will continue in their roles of chair and finance director respectively, as part of a phased retirement plan.

Founded in 1968 by James’ uncle, David Clayton, Primeur has become a market leader of domestic doormats in the UK, supplying most of the major retailers while its recycled garden products division has seen significant growth and also serves many independent garden centres. In addition to its head office and 50,000sq ft warehouse in Bingley, the company has recently invested in additional warehousing in Skipton to provide extra capacity for the garden products division. Primeur has grown to a 70-strong team.

The deal was supported by Neil Sengupta from TC Murray Harcourt who advised on the MBO from a tax perspective; and a team from Clarion with Caitlin Hare and Sarah Harrison providing legal advice to Primeur.

James Keighley, chair of Primeur Ltd, said: “Having spent so many years building up a successful business, my aim was always to keep it in the family and pass it on to my children so that, with hard work and endeavour, they could enjoy the same opportunities that I have. I am proud that they, along with Jenny, one of our most experienced directors, will be taking the helm – they are an extremely capable team and are working towards further growth with some exciting plans ahead. While it will very much be business as usual, it will be great to see this ‘fresh blood’ coming up with new ideas to take the company forward.”

Finance director Ian Brazier adds: “The MBO will enable a seamless transition with James and I on hand to mentor and support the new team in order to provide continuity for our loyal customers, suppliers and colleagues.”

Pictured (from left to right): Edward, Rebecca and James Keighley, Jenny Douthwaite and Ian Brazier of Primeur Ltd.

The Horticultural Trades Association has warned of risks to the availability of supplies for home and professional gardeners in Scotland, due to a worsening shortage of staff in the environmental horticulture sector.

The warning comes ahead of a major careers event in Edinburgh on Wednesday.

James Barnes, Chairman of the HTA said: “It takes skill to grow, nurture and manage the wide range of plants and other products that millions of gardeners and landscapers rely on in Scotland and beyond. As we look forward to meeting the next generation of horticulturists in Edinburgh this week, it is against the backdrop of a skills shortage that was first identified in 2019 – and which has only been exacerbated by Brexit and the pandemic, with a large proportion of the sector’s labour historically having come from the European Union. Many of our members have indicated that they are already feeling the effects of the shortage.

“Our sector has huge potential to contribute to UK growth through green jobs. If we are to reach that potential, industry and government must work collaboratively to find solutions to these challenges.”

Horticulture and landscaping contributed £1.4bn towards GDP and employed 42,000 people in Scotland in 2019. There are around 1.1 million regular gardeners in Scotland.

The Chartered Institute of Horticulture’s annual Grow Careers Scotland event will see those interested in either starting a career, or further developing their career in horticulture, gather to hear from leading horticulturists about the opportunities available in the sector.

Grow Careers Scotland 2022 will take place at Edinburgh’s Royal Botanic Garden on Wednesday 16 November. The HTA is a silver sponsor of this year’s event and a representative will be present on the day to speak to attendees about opportunities for careers in the sector.

Parallax Plastics is getting ready for the winter season with its UK-manufactured sledges and snow shovels. All products have recently received UKCA approval in addition to EU-CE approval. 

Parallax is a one-stop shop for all your outdoor winter toys with four types of plastic sledges, snow shovels and high-quality wooden toboggans, all in stock and ready to be dispatched. 

No need to purchase large quantities from China – save your carbon footprint and purchase products directly from manufacturers in Nottinghamshire. 

There is a 5% discount on sledges ordered and delivered before 30 November 2022, quote GTN.

www.parallaxplastics.co.uk

Hortiwool are family business, based in Staffordshire, who have worked with natural materials for almost two decades, including the invention of a pioneering insulated packaging solution called Woolcool. 

Founded on the ethos of reducing material waste, it was actively encouraged that the recipient of the packaging reused it wherever possible, later creating an online community where users share the wonderful ways in which wool is useful around the home, garden and further afield.

After years of investment in Research and Development and an abundance of feedback from those who have received the Woolcool range, the many benefits in and around the garden became the focus for investigation.

It was found that wool has amazing water absorption qualities: it can absorb up to 30% its weight in water, without even feeling wet to touch. This meant that when used to line baskets, pots or planters, it helps to keep plants hydrated and reduces the frequency of watering required.

As a 100% natural material, wool is completely compostable and breaks down in soil within 6-12 months, and during this process valuable nitrates are even added back into the ground, doubling it up as a nutritional compost aid. What’s more, coarse wool is a material that is available in abundance and often otherwise goes to waste! 

The Hortiwool Multi-Use Garden Pad was created, offering benefits from frost protection in the winter, to boosting hydration in the summer. It’s also great for lining hanging baskets, deterring slugs and pests, mulching, capillary matting or as a growing medium.

Hortiwool now have three products available in their range:

• The Hortiwool Starter Garden Pad - RRP £2.95
• The Hortiwool Hanging Basket Liner/ Large Garden Pad which has been specifically designed to line 12, 14 and 16-inch baskets, and comes in a pack of two – RRP £11.95
• The Hortiwool Garden Pad Pouch, which contains five Garden Pads – RRP £10.00

Contact details:

www.hortiwool.com

hello@hortiwool.com

01785 262031

Video: https://youtu.be/irlMj-RiE2g

Bulldog Tools are proud to have been awarded 'Finalist' in both the Tool and Gift category at the recent GIMA Awards for their Pedigree Garden/V&A Range where the garden retail sector comes together to celebrate creativity and innovation in both the design and product areas.

The V&A Collection was developed to provide high quality gifting to all types of budding gardener in a sustainably packaged, hard wearing and fully recyclable gift box, bearing beautifully executed heritage patterns that celebrated British design patterns that in turn match the metal etching on each tool head.

The tools made from high quality FSC Ash and “easy to clean”, lightweight stainless steel and are designed to be retained and loved. Both carry a “ Lifetime Guarantee “ as standard and retail at £28.00 each.

To find out more contact Bulldog Tools on 01279 401570 or email Brand Manager Sarah Cottle on sarah.cottle@rollins.co.uk

www.pedigreegarden.co.uk

STV Little Cressingham

STV is a business with sustainability at the core, but they don’t see it just as an item on the ‘to do’ list. Their approach is to embed the improvement of environmental and social responsibility directly into their medium and long term strategy, making sustainability a key part of every business decision.

STV are proud to be able to say that they have eliminated the use of all fossil fuels in their UK manufacturing and logistics operations through the installation of biomass boilers. They already have 1,000 solar panels on the main site with plans to install a further 500 during the next phase of their expansion. This allows them to export up to 80% of the electricity they generate to the National grid. More of their unique product is now being manufactured in the UK, reducing their carbon footprint and they have removed thousands of tonnes of plastic from their packaging over the last year.

They’re not stopping there. Motivated by the progress they have already made, STV have begun their journey to achieving B Corp Certification. All certified members are business who lead the global movement for an inclusive, equitable and regenerative economy and meet the highest standards of social and environmental performance, transparency and accountability.

Katy Boyd, Brand Manager said “As far as I am aware, we will be one of the first companies in our sector to achieve BCorp Certification. It’s a unique way to demonstrate our commitment to environmental and social sustainability because the process is entirely transparent with all our performance metrics measured against the B impact assessments and made publicly available on the BCorp website. There’s absolutely no hiding!”

BCorp is a global organisation with nearly 6,000 certified members in 85 countries with a mission to transform the global economy to benefit all people, communities and the planet. 

https://www.bcorporation.net/en-us

STV intend to be fully BCorp certified by the end of 2023.

STV International Ltd Forge House, Little Cressingham, Thetford, Norfolk, IP25 6ND, GB

Phone 01953 881580                                

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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.

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.

As World Cup media coverage builds GTN’s intrepid team of Greatest Christmas Awards judges have started their tours to visit great teams at 100 nominated garden centres and found this topical red and white Christmas display at Summerhill in Essex.

The first days Christmas judging for GTN's Features Editor, Anisa Gress, and GTN Editor Trevor Pfeiffer and the day included a journey through the Christmas decades at Perrywood, meeting a very competitive team at BGC Braintree, Bavarian curling at Meadowcroft, an England World Cup Christmas display at Summerhill and a surprise visit to see Santa at Alton Garden Centre.

Andy Campbell started with judging visits in Cornwall, Steve Myatt has his Christmas jumper ready for visits in the North West, Roger Crookes is heading south towards Hastings and awards coordinators Neil & Nicci Gow are all set for a full week of visits next week in Wales and the Midlands.

In total we’ve had a record 100 centres nominated for The Greatest Christmas Awards 2022 and we will be visiting them all to meet their wonderful teams between now and the middle of December.

Here’s the Greatest Christmas 2022 visit list.

• Altons
• Azure Garden Centre
• Barton Grange
• Baytree
• Bennybeg Plant Centre
• Bents
• BGC Arcadia
• BGC Bournville
• BGC Braintree
• BGC Bridgenorth
• BGC Brigg
• BGC Burford House
• BGC Harrogate
• BGC Hatton
• BGC Hornsea
• BGC Studley
• BGC Thatcham
• BGC Tring
• BGC Woodthorpe
• Birkacre Garden Centre
• Blue Diamond East Bridgeford
• Blue Diamond Fryers
• Blue Diamond Melbicks
• Blue Diamond Three Shires
• Blue Dimond Newbridge
• Brimsmore Gardens
• Caerphilly Garden Centre
• California Lodge Garden Centre
• Castle Gardens Sherbourne
• Caulders Cumbernauld
• Caulders Erskine
• Chasewater Garden Centre
• Chepstow
• Chessington
• Colne Valley Garden Centre
• Coolings
• Dobbies Cirencester
• Dobbies Edinburgh
• Dobbies Head Office
• Dobbies Livingston
• Dobbies Tewkesbury
• Dobbies Woodcote Green
• Downtown
• Ellerker Lodge Garden Centre
• Fosseway
• Fron Goch
• Garsons Titchfield
• Gates
• Glendoick Garden Centre
• Gordale
• Gouldings Santa Experience
• Groves Bridport
• Hetland
• Highfield
• Holt Garden Centre
• Keydell
• Klodyke Houghton Hall
• Klondyke Astbury Meadow
• Klondyke Garden Wise
• Klondyke High Legh
• Klondyke Mortonhall
• Klondyke Polmont
• Klondyke Stokesley
• Litte Dobbies Richmond
• Longacres Bagshot
• Meadowcroft
• Merryhatton
• Munroes Nurseries
• Newbank
• Newquay Garden Centre
• Palmers Leicester
• Pengelly Garden Centre
• Perrywood Sudbury
• Perrywood Tiptree
• Planters Bretby
• Planters Garden King
• Planters Tamworth
• Poplars
• Poundbury Gardens
• Pugh's Radyr
• Pugh's Wenvoe
• Raemoir
• Rosebourne, Aldermaston
• Rosebourne, Solihull
• Rosebourne, Weyhill
• Ruxley Manor
• Sapcote Garden Centre
• Scotts of Southend
• Silverbirch Garden Centre
• St Peters Worcester
• Stratford Garden Centre
• Summerhill Garden Centre
• The Garden Society
• The Grange Garden Centre
• The Old Railway Line
• The Plant Place
• Tingley Garden Centre
• Wentorth
• Whitehall Lacock
• Woodland Walk Garden Centre
• Woodlands Garden Centre

After all those visits and plenty of mince pies the judges will be meeting in early January to decide the winners of the 15 categories who will be announced on The Stage at Spring Fair, Monday 6^th February 2023, 5:00pm.  We look forward to seeing as many nominated teams and GTN readers there as possible.

Thanks go to our sponsors who enable all these judging visits to take place, plus they are giving valuable prizes to the winners of certain categories:

Kaemingk are offering two displays from the stand at Spring Fair for the winners of

The Greatest Mid-Sized Garden Centre Christmas Team

The Greatest Christmas Community Event Team

Solex have 2 hotel rooms at Solex 2023 reserved for the winners of

The Greatest Christmas Sizzle Team

DCUK will be giving £500 of stock to the winners of

The Greatest Small Garden Centre Christmas Team

Smart Garden Products are offering £500 of Three Kings stock to the winners of

The Greatest Garden Centre Grotto Team

Glee have 2 hotel rooms at Glee 2023 for the winners of

The Greatest Christmas Garden Centre Marketing Team

Woodlodge will be giving £500 of stock to the winners of

The Greatest Christmas Houseplant Team

Global Journey have £500 of stock ready for the winners of

The Greatest Gardening Gifts Sales Team