The first of the “two acquisitions for Easter 2023” has been confirmed by Blue Diamond MD, Alan Roper as Beckworth Emporium in Northamptonshire.

Alan told GTN Xtra that Blue Diamond will build upon the great food and catering experience at Beckworth which fits exactly the Blue Diamond AB1 target demographic.  “The centre has a total turnover of £9.3m of which over 60% is restaurant and food related (£3.5m catering, 2.0m food sales) which we will develop further whilst significantly growing the horticultural and gardening sales.  A Blue Diamond clothing department will be added next year.

"Despite the challenges faced when buying a business built on an owners (David Brown’s) passion, I will make it my mission to keep the heart that makes Beckworth a unique and very special business beating strongly" added Alan.

As to the other expected acquisition announcement, Alan says “watch this space…”

British Garden Centres has announced that Boyd Douglas-Davies is leaving at the end of April. He will be setting up his own consultancy business, advising the garden industry and visitor attractions on a myriad of projects.

For the immediate future, Scott McCabe, Group Buying Director will take on the overall strategy of plant buying with Julian Palphramand promoted to Head of Plants. Amy Stubbs, Development and Project Manager will head up the marketing and communications department. Iain King, Operations Director, has assumed responsibility for the E-commerce business.

British Garden Centres credits Boyd with overhauling the family-run chain’s plant operations with the group now projected to grow over 2 million plants from three nursery sites – the most recent addition being the leasing of Temple Nursery from Hawkesmill last month. Plant buyers also took on 'plant hunters' roles to find the best and most unique plants across the globe to sell in-store and position the group as market experts in this field.

He was also the head of communications and PR, and significantly raised the profile of British Garden Centres which included the re-brand of the group and the development of the well-recognised red butterfly logo that was launched to represent the transformation and development of the business as it opened its 62 store in 2022.

Speaking of his departure, Boyd said: “Working with the BGC family has been an exciting journey since I joined in 2019. The business has grown hugely through, without doubt, the industry’s most ambitious acquisition programme ever. I’ve enjoyed being part of the transition from regional favourite to national player and I’ll be cheering the team on as they develop the business further!”

Charles and Robert Stubbs, Directors and Owners of British Garden Centres said: “Our thanks go to Boyd for his many years of enthusiasm and commitment to British Garden Centres.  We wish him much success in the future and will miss him in the BGC family but will continue to work with him. We hope to continue to see his big character create waves in the horticulture industry with his new venture. The strong team Boyd leaves at BGC are ready and determined to continue driving sales and promoting gardening to the local communities each store serves.”

Treadstone Garden’s sustainable direction is continuing, this time under their award-winning ClipGlove brand. ‘Bottle Gloves’ by ClipGlove has started to appear in UK garden centres alongside keen interest from end users.

ClipGlove is a brand that was launched by Treadstone in 2019 and the range has continued to grow since then. The range’s foundations are built on innovation as well as functionality, with each pair of gloves being held together with a carabiner clip. This clip enables gardeners to fasten the gloves onto a convenient place during and after use. This leads to a reduction in users losing their gloves, as well as making gardening tasks more efficient.

Made from 95% Recycled Bottles

The new multi-purpose ‘Bottle Gloves’ range features a stylish collection of Men’s and Ladies’ gloves made using recycled plastic bottles! The knitted glove is made from a staggering 95% recycled plastic bottles, with just a little added elastic for comfort. The Glove is then dipped in natural latex to provide grip and protection from dirt and water. The fun, colourful printed designs add a touch of style whilst giving a nod to the “bottle heritage” of the gloves. 

Eco Gloves from the Specialists

Treadstone are also known for being an innovative supplier of Safety gloves to multiple European markets. By working in close partnership with some of the finest glove manufacturers in the world, they have developed an unrivalled selection of innovative glove products, which now includes ClipGlove and the most sustainable garden gloves around - Bottle Gloves.

There are two versions available in the Bottle Glove range and both gloves are suitable for general garden jobs such as weeding, sowing, potting, and planting.

The Standard Bottle Glove (from RRP £5.99) features a textured palm coating of natural latex to provide grip and protection. Bottle Glove Plus (from RRP £7.99)  is made from the same construction as the Bottle Glove, but with an extra coating of latex, which stretches up the back of the hand to provide increased durability and protection against moisture. The Plus offers a more hardwearing option for more intense gardening tasks such as landscaping. Common to both gloves are the famous carabiner clip which keeps the gloves close and in sight.

Recommended by the media.

With such excellent pedigree as a glove manufacturer, it hasn’t taken long for the media to notice Bottle Gloves either. The new glove range was recommended as a useful and 

innovative eco gardening solution as part of the ‘Growing Greener’ feature in the March 2023 issue of BBC Gardener’s World magazine. This media attention has come at the perfect time as the product became available for retailers to stock and created extra awareness leading to an increase in enquiries from end-users.

With eco-conscious gardeners due to flock to the nearest garden centre in search, Treadstone have point of sale available to stockists to make the range stand out in store. The ClipGlove brand is known for award-winning impactful merchandising, and the Bottle Gloves merchandiser is no different, reinforcing well the eco message and bottle heritage central to the manufacturing story. 

Tom Stolworthy, Head of Sales for Treadstone Garden said:

“ClipGlove is a brand that is synonymous with functionality and now with Bottle Gloves we are adding sustainable innovation to continue the story of the brand. The new Bottle Glove range is simple and compelling by offering a multi-purpose glove for consumers who want to be kinder to the planet and in-store presentation that delivers the concept with conviction”

ClipGlove is a brand that continues to innovate and now offers gloves for environmentally conscious gardeners. If you are interested in stocking ClipGlove Bottle Gloves, DARE TO SELL DIFFERENT and get in touch today, email sales@treadstoneproducts.com.

Take a look at the Treadstone Website for further information about ClipGlove.

Garden centre sales certainly got growing this last weekend, judging by the business of Longacres Bagshot on Saturday afternoon.

There were plenty of trollies full of plants and pots going through the tills, with customers either buying for a single project or just filling their trollies with early sales of bedding plants and bigger statement plants.

At a guess the average value of trollies going through the tills on Saturday afternoon was around £200.

See GTN Xtra's photo tour of the centre from Saturday afternoon here

Friday 24th March 2023 was Garden Re-Leaf Day and this year the event was bigger than ever!  Here we find out some key stats about the event and the incredible efforts of FUNdraisers up and down the country, together helping to raise much needed funds for the Greenfingers Charity.

£51,000 and counting!

Garden Re-Leaf Day 2023 has so far raised over £51,000! Whether its sponsorship money from the walks, runs and cycle challenges, or coffee mornings, raffles or quiz nights, the money has been rushing in and even more is expected to arrive soon as final totals are totted up.

Linda Petrons, Director of Fundraising & Communications at Greenfingers, said: “We can’t quite believe it. £51,000 and counting is beyond our wildest dreams. All I can say is thank you, thank you, thank you!”

And I would walk 1,516 miles……

Now a much-loved event on the   Garden Re-Leaf Day calendar, the Sponsored Walk saw a new north walk join the line-up in 2023. With two locations to choose from and the options of a 10 or 20-mile route in the south, or a 13 mile walk in the north, it’s little surprise that 135 walkers donned their boots and racked up the miles this year. Together these walkers completed 1,516 miles or just shy of 3.5million steps combined!

3 Challenges, 1 Star Performance

Anisa Gress from Garden Trade News successfully completed her Garden Re-Leaf Day triathlon in the gym. Whilst she aimed to finish in 2 hours, she actually did the entire thing in 1 hour and 50mins, which is an amazing result!

Four complete 40

Four ultra fit runners from the garden retail sector - Woodlodge’s Simon Neale, Neil Blake and Graham Park, and Blue Diamond’s Heidi Towse - decided to take on the southern 10-mile route, together running 40 miles. And if this that wasn’t enough, Simon, Neil and Heidi, along with STV’s Katy Boyd, also took part in the London Landmarks Half Marathon in the name of Greenfingers, just nine days later!

900 ÷ 12

The Garden Re-Leaf cyclists must have enjoyed the day as together 12 cyclists racked up 900miles on the day. To put that into context, that about a fifth of length of the Great Wall of China, a tenth of the Earth’s diameter, or the same distance as cycling from the UK to Andorra, which is situated on the border of France and Spain in the Pyrenees.

Top 100

Throughout Garden Re-Leaf Day and the following weekend, over 100 garden centres flung open their doors to customers, with a host of exciting events scheduled to boost fundraising totals. Participating garden centres included British Garden Centres, The Old Railway Line, Perrywood, Haskins, The Klondyke Group, Aylett’s, Brookfields Garden Centre, Longacres, St Peter’s Garden Centre and Millbrook.

1 school

Horncastle School teamed up with Horncastle in Blook to promote awareness of the Greenfingers Charity on March 24th. On the day the children and staff wore green or floral clothes! 

20 volunteers

The success of Garden Re-Leaf Day is often dependent on those people that work behind the scenes to ensure the smooth running of the day. This year 20 volunteers supported the Garden Re-Leaf Walks including Jane Lawler, Will Armitage, Jenny Douthwaite and Martin Cowell in the north. A host of volunteers also supported at the southern walk start/end point of Tring Garden Centre, including local songster, Jamie Donaldson, who motivated participants with his smooth vocals.

40 Choir Members

Local “Rock Choirs” joined walkers, runners and cyclists (and customers!) at Tring Garden Centre to entertain them with a flash mob and 20 mins of glorious singing. 

11 sponsors

Garden Re-Leaf Day sponsors were also an integral part of this year’s success. 11 brands kindly donated time, funds, and expertise. They were AMES UK, SBM Life Science, British Garden Centres, Evergreen, Mulch, Primeur, Jane Lawler Associates, Tring Garden Centre, Kings Farm Shop, The Gardeners Retreat andGarden Trade News. 

3 landscape companies

With gardening at the heart of everything Greenfingers does, and the reasons why hundreds of people get involved in Garden Re-Leaf Day every year, it makes sense that each year more and more garden landscape companies get involved. This year saw DB Landscapes and garden designer (and Greenfingers Trustee!) Richard Claxton take part in the Sponsored Walk.

Elsewhere, The Garden Design Company supported with unique hands-on learning sessions for its Garden Club members, where a £50 donation gave them unrivalled insight into how to grow their own fruit, herbs and vegetables. 

4 leading brands

Leading industry brands Husqvarna Group, Primeur, Rolawn, Woodmansterne also made sure that their office-based staff enjoyed Garden Re-Leaf Day by holding a host of events at work including cake sales and raffles.

QVC and 6 friends

QVC’s Garden Re-Leaf special took place on March 4th, with a host of garden products up for grabs. Richard Jackson’s Garden, De-Jager, Plants2Gardens, Park Promotions, Hayloft Plants and Greanbase collectively raised £14k from sales on the day.

And 6 four-legged friends!

Not wanting to miss out on the fun, the Garden Re-Leaf Walks saw six dogs join in, muddy paws and all!

Linda Petrons, Greenfingers Director of Fundraising & Communications ended by saying: “We will never stop being amazed by the phenomenal effort and dedication our supporters show us on Garden Re-Leaf Day and also throughout the year. From the bottom of our hearts, and on behalf of all those that spend time in Greenfingers funded gardens, thank you. You really are the best friends we could ever ask for!”

The full Garden Re-Leaf FUNdraising total will be revealed soon!

Find out more

Join in the conversation by joining Greenfingers on social media - https://www.facebook.com/Greenfingerscharity/, @GreenfingersCha on Twitter, and @Greenfingerscharity on Instagram and LinkedIn. 

Ahead of his presentation at the gardencenter expo and conference in Minneapolis this August, UK garden centre consultant Bob Marley has written an article about British Garden Centres that features as the cover story in the April edition of Garden Center magazine.

You can read the website version of the article using this link: https://gardencentermag.com/article/british-garden-centres-largest-family-owned/

Or read the on-line page turner version of the magazine here

In a move to further support retail customers across the garden centre, DIY and retail channels, and to ensure optimised sales opportunities on the shop floor, AMES UK has expanded its merchandising team.

With national coverage and a focus on the entire AMES UK brand portfolio, including Apta, Kelkay and La Hacienda, this new singular merchandising team will offer significant improvements for all customers, who can now access an expert team whenever needed.

Led by Dan Charles, Jack Dorien and Brian Cobb, this 40-strong team – which includes new recruits such as Martin Turner and John Evans in recent weeks - has over one hundred years of combined experience; experience that enables them to recognise new merchandising opportunities and create displays that work best for individual consumer demographics in each individual customer centre.

This new larger team not only provides an unrivalled playbook but it also means AMES UK customers, whether stocking Apta pots, La Hacienda water features or Kelkay aggregates, will benefit from a dedicated point of contact. Covering smaller areas, retailers will enjoy a more personalised and connected service, with more products brought to life instore.

Talking about this new expanded team, Nick Jones, AMES UK Commercial Director said: “Historically we have worked in specific sales channels with specific teams dedicated to these channels; this in turn has meant we only focused on certain parts of our total AMES product offer. Through the 2022 season we expanded the breadth of products that our merchandising team interacted with at store level which we know paid dividends for retailers. This latest development, with the consolidation into one cohesive team, marks a significant milestone for AMES UK and for the service levels we can provide to our customers.”

Find out more

Further details about AMES UK can be found at https://ames-uk.com/

The horticultural hub of Glee, Green Heart is THE place to be seen amongst a range of leading growers.  An integral part of the show each year, the central atrium location makes Glee Green Heart a high-profile hub to draw some of the best attendance in the show.

This year the area is about to experience even higher prominence as an exciting new show feature – the Glee Talent Store – will be located alongside Green Heart.

The new show highlight, coupled with Green Heart, will place indoor and outdoor plants front and centre, whilst demonstrating the power of visual merchandising. 

Here we find out more about why Green Heart should be on everyone’s to-do list this Glee (27th – 29th June, NEC Birmingham). 

1. Linked sales and cross-merchandising inspiration – Exhibitors within Green Heart always passionately use the area to demonstrate how to link sales and create successful cross-merchandising opportunities that can be quickly and easily implemented instore. This theme will be elevated within the all-new Talent Store, where exciting new talent from across the sector will be constructing live retail sets, each demonstrating how collaboration and fresh ideas can create a new way of merchandising indoor and outdoor plants within the retail environment. Meanwhile, Fire, Grill & Chill, Glee’s dedicated outdoor entertaining demonstration area, will be relocated to the front of the NEC near the Hall 6-8 and Hall 20 entrances, directly adjacent to Green Heart. This means even more traffic will pass by Green Heart, bringing with it new buyers and helping to forge new retail relationships.
2. Learn more about the plants of the future – Join Glee’s new ambassador, Michael Perry as he showcases the plants of the future, drawing from the latest varieties launching at Green Heart ahead of the 23/24 season. Whether you’re looking to gather inspiration or want to launch new varieties, this will be a must-see for future-facing brands and retailers.
3. See, smell & touch – Exhibiting within Green Heart provides growers with the opportunity to inspire plant buyers and retailers alike by allowing them the chance to get up close and personal with the plants themselves. From new varieties and bestselling blooms to exciting merchandising ideas, this thriving part of Glee is a must for growers, whilst for garden retailers it’s the perfect place to come if they want to step up their game when it comes to plant retailing. Additionally, Green Heart’s location within the NEC Atrium provides a unique ‘greenhouse’ setting, flooded with natural light to present plants at their best, plus with a choice of benches, growers can select the best option to suit their ranges.
4. Optimise profit potential of seasonal plants now - With seasonal plants being more topical than ever, Green Heart represents an opportunity to not just showcase these high-impact lines but also enables retailers to place orders ahead of peak sales periods, safe in the knowledge that they’ll be prepped to meet consumer demand.
5. Secure autumn sales – Glee’s late June timing provides the perfect platform for growers to showcase autumn varieties. Buyers will be looking out for ‘show only’ deals, to gain extra margin and impulse sales potential for autumn and beyond.
6. New networking opportunities – This year, in a new move, Glee’s Green Heart exhibitors will benefit from a Key Buyers Day. A special networking reception will bring growers and plant buyers together, with growers able to provide a wish list of buyers they’d like to meet.
7. View complementary products – Glee’s 400+ exhibitors and thousands of new product launches makes it the perfect place for growers to source new supply partners for collaborations and linked sales opportunities. For retailers, the opportunity to ‘shop’ all products needed to create the most comprehensive plant area is right there for the taking at Glee 2023, with everything from pots and planters, compost, fertilisers and tools all represented.  

Green Heart – key benefits for growers

Whether a grower or nursery, Glee’s Green Heart has been set up to offer a uniquely cost-effective and highly beneficial exhibiting package to ensure that plants remain at the very heart of the show.  In addition to the benefits already mentioned, Green Heart exhibitors can also enjoy:

• Free access to the Glee Exhibitors Toolkit including Glee Show Preview and Show Guide entry, customer invites and online profile
• Entry into Glee New Product Awards
• Inclusion in our feature display of new plants and recent launches and introductions to your range
• Limitless ‘pop up’ opportunities to promote your plants through podium displays
• Main stage presentations on plant retailing and trends

Still not sure? Let Will Blake from St Peter’s Garden Centre offer some more wise words. He said of Green Heart: “With plants being at the very core of the garden centre industry, it is incredibly important that they are showcased and centre at our biggest horticultural trade event of the year!”

Find out more

Glee is the UK’s leading garden retail show, focusing 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 2023, including within the Green Heart, please call +44 (0)203 3545 9752.

Dobbies is inviting Brits across the country to cast their vote and help the UK’s leading garden centre crown its Helping Your Community Grow winners.

Seventy-five groups across the country have the chance to create or refresh a community space with Dobbies’ support, and the garden centre is now asking the nation to help narrow its shortlist down, to one winner per store.

This year’s initiative has welcomed nominations from schools looking to enhance their gardens; charities supporting the most vulnerable members of the community proposing sensory gardens; and community groups and clubs looking to create a garden space where they can grow their own fruit and vegetables.

There was a notable increase in the number of entries from groups looking to grow their own this year. This follows research from Dobbies and Censuswide (commissioned in March) that found 73% of Brits plan to grow their own fruit, vegetables and herbs this spring. Tomatoes are set to be the most popular crop for this year, closely followed by potatoes, strawberries, carrots, fresh mint, lettuce and apples. 

Dobbies hopes a whole host of different projects will benefit from this community initiative, and winning groups will receive advice, gardening products and plants from their local Dobbies’ horticultural team. Dobbies’ own-brand peat-free multipurpose compost, recycled and recyclable containers, UK-sourced plants and safer pest control products are among the many products the garden centre will donate.

Graeme Jenkins, CEO of Dobbies said: "We’re overwhelmed with the response to our Helping Your Community Grow initiative and have seen a significant increase in nominations, with over 800 applications for 2023.

“Spring is a great time in the horticulture calendar and we’re looking forward to helping projects across the UK enhance their surroundings in a sustainable way.

“We hope that groups across the country benefit from our community campaign and can experience the benefits that gardening and outdoor spaces can bring. Our local communities are important and the teams are really looking forward to helping this year's projects.”

As well as there being one winner per store, there will also a national winner – this will be the project that receives the most votes. They will receive additional funding and support. Votes are open until Tuesday 25 April: Helping Your Community Grow | Dobbies Garden Centres

One vote per person: full T&Cs can be viewed on the website.

The Garden Centre Association has introduced a new module on till security through its Garden Retail Online Workshops (GROW) e-Learning platform.

The GCA’s ‘Till Security’ GROW module will help its members prevent losses at the tills.

Antony Snow, Instructional Designer for GROW at the GCA, said: “We’re delighted to be offering this new Till Security module for our members. Each year, retailers throughout the UK lose significant sums of money, and therefore profit, from theft or by becoming the victim of a scam or other fraudulent activity, so this course will help our member garden centres and their staff to prevent losses at the tills.”

The GCA’s GROW modules cover a range of valuable topics to help employees gain knowledge and confidence in products and services to provide customers with the best advice.

The new module is available immediately to existing subscribers and the GROW e-Learning facility is available to GCA member garden centres, as well as to Horticultural Trades Association (HTA) garden centre members too.

Peter Burks, GCA Chief Executive, said: “We are always looking ahead to improve GROW, which is one of our most vital services we provide for our GCA members. This recent addition has been carefully put together by Antony to complement our existing offering.

“Many of our members have commented on how effective our service has been to bring education and training to employees, which improves their knowledge to assist others in the workplace, whether colleagues or customers.

“It’s available 24/7, so garden centre staff can update their expertise when it’s suitable for them. It’s a cost-effective way of delivering training and personal developments too, which, in turn, benefits customers’ experiences when visiting a garden centre and this is good for everyone.”

GROW started as an initial idea, thought up during a strategy meeting of the GCA’s executive committee, to bring education and training tailored to individuals employed in the garden centre industry. It is a self-funding and non-profit making facility with any surpluses being reinvested into the ongoing development and improvement of GCA GROW. Currently there are 105 modules and more than 12,000 users throughout the UK.

The 105 modules include a wide range of topics that cover horticulture, customer service, food safety, regulated sales and health and safety.

The accredited food safety and health and safety topics are categorised as either level one or two.

All the modules have been written by experts in their field and are designed to apply to a garden centre environment, with the content for the horticultural modules drawing on the vast experience of members within the GCA.

Peter added: “Users can be assured that they are always receiving the correct, practical and unbiased advice, as well as solutions to problems and help with gardening projects.”

“Garden centres interested in signing up to GROW can enquire online at www.gca.org.uk/gca-grow-information or contact grow@gca.org.uk for further information.”

The platform is also available to HTA members.

As we head into Spring and gardeners around the UK get planting and digging, plans for Glee - the International Festival for Garden, Leisure and Pet being held at the NEC from 27th-29th June - are also hotting up. This year the focus will not just be on the great outdoors, as a brand new Home, Gift & Clothing sector is about to take shape on the exhibition floor.

Whilst Glee has long hosted key exhibitors in these categories, the 2023 show will be the first time that such a strong focus has been placed upon gifting, homeware, fashion accessories and apparel. This is testament to garden centres’ success in extending their instore offerings, and also offers a significant opportunity for other retailers.

As the first trade exhibition taking place in the second half of the year, Glee offers a golden opportunity for gift shops to get ahead of the curve and secure orders before Christmas. Visitors will be able to source from top-flight suppliers offering products that range from candles, toys and crafting kits to greetings cards, giftwrap and stationery, whilst specialists in hats, scarves, gloves, boots and other winter woolies will help retailers get set for the festive season.

Meet the Exhibitors Some of the biggest names in the greetings card industry will showcase their latest collections and merchandise solutions at Glee, including UK Greetings, Woodmansterne Publications, Noel Tatt Group, Giftwrap UK and Museums & Galleries.

Joining them on the show floor will be fabulous British companies exhibiting a wide variety of gift and homeware product, much of which has a sustainable angle or is made here in the UK. These include The Candle Brand, The Crafty Kit Company, Playpress Toys, The Wheat Bag Company, Out of the Kiln (Pam Peters Designs), Alex Sharp Photography, Robert Frederick, Kushboo Soaps, Tilnar Art, New English Teas, Ivy & Twine Candles, Jarapa, Hippychick, Playmonster UK, Seedball, Art on Scarves, Victoria Eggs, Freckleface Designs, Rainbow Designs, Naked Shells, Brass Bee and Soake.

One of the new exhibitors in this sector, Christina Brand, founder of The Candle Brand, said: "We are a multi award winning company having won Gift of the Year in three categories, yet this will be our first Glee show. Our awards were won based on our plantable seeded labels on our candles and diffusers, as well as our flower fragrance diffusers. We are excited to be exhibiting at a show to connect with buyers for gift and garden centres.

"We will soon be launching a new selling concept for our pick and mix wax melts, where we will now be offering them unpackaged with POS as well as packaged. As well as our brand new product 'Scented Ceramics' for use in cars, wardrobes, and drawers. Glee will be the first physical show to have these exhibited and for sale. At the stand we will be giving away promotional bags which will include our brochures, as well as first order offers, existing customer offers and a free wax melt".

Also participating in Glee 2023 within the Home, Gift & Clothing sector are major overseas manufacturers such as Pantherella International Group, Maison Bel, Bachmann Europe, Fountasia, Biohort, Hellmann-Versand and Burstenhaus Redecker.

First come, first served!

With its late June exhibition dateline, Glee takes place at the prime time for pre-Christmas buying, enabling retailers to get an angle on the hottest seasonal trends and plan their merchandise ahead of the main trading period. Glee 2022 saw retailers come out in force to do their ‘Christmas shopping’ and this year’s Home, Gift & Clothing sector has grown as a result.

Glee Director, Matthew Mein comments: “Home, Gift & Clothing is an exciting new sector for Glee, and we’re thrilled that such an exceptional mix of companies will be joining us at this year’s show, many of them for the first time. As well as inspiring garden centres to further diversify into lucrative new categories, we also want to show traditional home and gift retailers how to integrate gardening into their lifestyle merchandise mix.

“Millions of British consumers are out in their gardens digging, planting up containers on balconies or cultivating houseplants. The upsurge of interest in nature and desire to be more sustainable is driving huge interest in certain sectors – pots and planters, gardening tools, outdoor clothing and seeds, for example – and we want to show gift and home retailers how they can benefit from these vital growth areas.

“Not only can buyers take steps to break new ground at Glee, but they can also stock up on the crucial staple products which will keep tills ringing in the run up to Christmas - whether it’s home fragrances or giftwrap, flower vases or gardening gloves, wall art or woolly socks, Glee is the show which addresses all angles of the consumer lifestyle shifts that are shaping retail.”

Find out more

Glee is the UK’s leading garden retail show, focusing 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 2023, which will take place June 27th – 29th, please call +44 (0)203 3545 9752.

To celebrate the King’s Coronation next month, British Garden Centres is calling on the local communities around its 62 stores to celebrate the ascension of the new monarch with two exciting initiatives in the coming weeks.  Each store is marking this regal event by engaging with its local area and helping children to reconnect with nature and harness their creative flair.

CelebraTree

In honour of the King’s Coronation, British Garden Centres want to celebrate the people and places who have made a difference in our communities. To commemorate the occasion, we will be donating a suitably royal tree from each of our garden centres to be planted by the winner and celebrated by the local areas as they watch the Coronation CelebraTree grow year after year.

So, whether it be a community garden, allotment, retirement home or charity outdoor space, British Garden Centres will green up local areas with our CelebraTree Coronation campaign!  Local community groups can be nominated through https://britishgardencentres.com/celebratree/  and once nominations are in, they will be selected by the British Garden Centres’ team.  Entries close on the 27th of April and the winner will be announced on the 30th of April.  Trees will need to be collected before May 8th to be planted as part of The Big Help Out which some of the BGC team will volunteer for.

The Great British Garden Centre Cake Competition

Each store also invites children and schools to participate in another exciting competition. The King’s Coronation is a fitting theme which will ignite both artistic passion and creativity as we ask your little ones to draw and design a Coronation Cake!

From Union Jack designs to a cake version of Windsor Castle, we want to see what the nation’s budding Picassos/bakers can dream up for this moment in history. Judging will take place by the British Garden Centres team stepping into the roles of baking gurus Paul Hollywood and Prue Leith.  Cake designs can be submitted at  https://britishgardencentres.com/coronation-cake-competition/

The competition will close on the 3rd of May with the winner receiving an incredible gardening and baking-themed hamper and a £100 British Garden Centres Gift Card.

Amy Stubbs, Development and Project Manager at British Garden Centres said; “We want to bring the communities together for our new King Charles III and Queen Camilla. CelebraTree will recognise the hard-working groups and individuals that make our community what it is and plant a tree that will benefit future generations.  And what is a coronation party without cake? We can’t wait to see children’s designs and bring them to life, creating a cake worthy of a place in the Bake-Off final.”

For the month of May, Johnson's Lawn Seed is encouraging gardeners to say "no" to mowing their lawns to help bees, butterflies, and wildlife, as part of Plantlife’s No Mow May initiative. To further support this, the historic producer of lawn seed is set to enter new markets with a unique and easy-to-merchandise wildflower gifting solution

No Mow May returns next month and was first launched in 2019 by Plantlife to highlight the terrifying truth that almost 7.5 million acres of flower-rich meadows and pastures have been lost since the 1930s. The result is fewer pollinators and fewer insect-eating birds. With so many pollinating insects on the decline, our gardens are the perfect place to turn to counter this decline. Even small steps, such as having a slightly overgrown lawn or planting wildflowers that are rich in pollen and nectar, will attract beneficial insects and bees to gardens.

New wildflower mix from Johnsons Lawn Seed

After a fantastic year of trading in its traditional fields of the garden and commercial lawn seed, Johnsons Lawn Seed is excited to present a new wildflower gifting concept – Celebration – which will open up this lucrative product category to gift and home retailers, whilst also helping to replace Britain’s declining wildflower environments.

As consumer shifts towards sustainable living and the great outdoors, the contents of the tins, which consist entirely of wildflower, with no bulking agents or fillers whatsoever, will help them grow a spectacular annual array of wildflowers in any open space. Once scattered on the desired area, the flowering mixture will establish quickly and have a long flowering period from eight weeks after sowing, up until the first frost.

From pretty Paper Daisies and dazzling Cornflowers to delicate Chinese Forget-Me-Nots and majestic California Poppies, this unique mix of 15 of the most distinctively beautiful wildflowers* will make gardens come alive with a riot of colour for months on end.

Previewed to the trade at Glee in 2022, the Celebration tins showed garden centres how they can provide stand-out on shelves and at the tills, allowing retailers to create striking displays in-store to encourage impulse purchases and catch the eye of browsing shoppers.

Perfect for Pollinators

Not only do the Wildflower tins make ideal gifts for garden-loving friends and family, but they also offer an important gift to nature, as the wildflowers will encourage pollinators into gardens, providing nectar for these vital winged insects. Outdoor spaces will come alive with bees and butterflies for months at a time as soon as the flowers appear.

With coverage of up to 15m2 from one tin and an RRP of just £9.99, Celebration offers a lot more for your customers’ money. Not only is it great value but, coming from such a long-established expert as Johnsons, retailers can be confident that this is a top quality, best-in-class product, that delivers on the promise. Put simply, Celebration does what it says on the tin!

Consumer Manager for Johnsons Lawn Seed, Guy Jenkins, says: “We are delighted to launch our Celebration wildflower seed tins. The product has been designed with gifting in mind and is also designed to be very user-friendly with easy-to-sow seeds that will help consumers achieve beautiful results that will attract butterflies and bees to their gardens and other open spaces.

“Importantly, we have created a mix that isn’t reliant on heavy bulking agents as similar mixes on the market do. For us, this is not about having the biggest box on the shelf. Instead, we want to create something that not only looks good on the shelf or till-top display but also delivers results for anyone lucky enough to receive this as a gift. We want to keep pollinators in the gardens and customers happy and coming back for more.”

In the Tin

The Celebration Wildflower Tins contain a stunning mix of flower seeds, chosen to create a riot of colour and attract all kinds of pollinators to the garden:

What’s more, each mixture of Johnsons’ wildflowers will establish within eight weeks. By not mowing the lawn this May, the longer length will create a haven for wildlife, newts, frogs, and hedgehogs to forage, as well as beetles and worms that will also bring birds to your garden to feast on the many invertebrates.

Find out more

If you want to start stocking Johnsons Lawn Seed’s portfolio, then please call your local sales agent or visit the website http://www.johnsonslawnseed.com/product-range.aspx    

• 66cm double-sided blade makes cutting larger hedges a breeze
• Rotating rear handle provides greater versatility and comfort
• Accommodates all EGO batteries for easy gardening

Outdoor power equipment specialists, EGO, have unveiled the latest in their consumer range of cordless hedge trimmers. Brand new for 2023, the HT2600E boasts a series of features which deliver the best in user-friendly design, cutting quality and safety.

With the longest blade of any EGO hedge trimmer for home gardeners, the HT2600E features a 66cm blade which is double-sided and double-sharpened to ensure the perfect cut every time. Maximising user comfort, the tool also features a rotating rear handle and dual trigger system which makes it easier and more comfortable to trim the sides and tops of hedges.

Enhancing the tool’s safety performance, an in-built front guard is perfectly positioned to improve user visibility when trimming hedges, while protecting them from flying debris. A tip protector attached to the front of the blade also prevents any damage occurring should it come into contact with walls or fences on the job. With a well-balanced design and clever features, working outdoors is easier and more comfortable.

Engineered to deliver impressive cutting ability from a single charge, the cordless hedge trimmer is powered by EGO’s leading 56V Arc Lithium battery technology which, combined with its brushless motor, delivers low vibration and emission-free cutting. Accommodating any battery from the EGO range, users can quickly swap batteries from other tools to power through several garden jobs on a single charge. And when it comes to serving to keep the tool in optimum condition, an easy-to-reach cover makes the gearbox easily accessible.

Available either as a standalone tool (£219); or as a kit which includes a battery and charger (£339), EGO’s HT2600E hedge trimmer will see users powering through their hedge trimming tasks with precision to achieve their best-ever cuts. When registered within 30 days of purchase, home gardeners also benefit from a 5-year tool domestic warranty and a 3-year battery domestic warranty.

Find out more at: www.egopowerplus.co.uk

From new Christmas ranges to the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew Licensed collection; from Grow Your Own accessories and Spring-Summer lines to Autumn-Winter style, retailers can see it all at the Ivyline showroom in the heart of Warwickshire.

If you missed seeing Ivyline at Spring Fair but are keen to discover what this fantastic British supplier has new for 2023, have no fear! Retail buyers are warmly invited to view the Ivyline collection in full at the company’s dedicated showroom at Stoneleigh House in Kenilworth.

Already a well-established and preferred supplier in the garden centre trade, Ivyline also has much to offer gift and home retailers, especially those who are seeking beautifully coordinated merchandise for the aspirational lifestyle.

Functional beauty is the order of the day at Ivyline, achieved through excellence in design and sustainable manufacturing principles which run through the offering and across all seasonal collections. Many collections are made from recycled materials – be it glass or ceramic-based, jute, rattan or seagrass - and are handmade or hand-finished close to home in Europe by carefully selected manufacturing partners who adhere to high ethical standards.

Christmas Spirit

Pride of place will be given to Ivyline’s sensational new Christmas collection, which includes a broad selection of ornamental candleholders and tealight glasses, stunning Advent centrepieces, Christmas tree skirts, stocking hooks and decorative wreaths. All with the creative flair and special touch of luxury which is the hallmark of Ivyline’s covetable product portfolio.

If you’re more interested in Spring-Summer lines, you’ll be delighted by the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew (RBGK) licensed collection, which features distinctive RBGK artwork on some of the most giftable pieces, complete with eco-friendly gift boxes. Elegant watering cans and plant misters are also great for gifting, whilst stylish zinc or stoneware pots make for eye-catching home accessories.

A breath-taking array of indoor and outdoor planters in all shapes and sizes will leave you spoilt for choice, alongside 95% recycled glass vases that will elevate any tablescape or merchandise display. With so many houseplant lovers out there – and millions more Brits joining the ranks of devoted gardeners - Ivyline’s extensive offering has something to suit any gift or homeware retailer who wants to make the most of this unstoppable lifestyle trend.

The showroom is open Mon-Thurs 8am – 5pm, Fri 8am – 3pm and all visitors are treated to a complementary lunch. To book your visit or request a brochure email: marketing@ivylinegb.co.uk or call 024 7633 9180.

To find out more about the Ivyline difference visit www.ivylinegb.co.uk.

In this issue:

• Hillier grows – Interview with Chris Francis,
• GCA Conference 2023 – Big, bold, sustainable and £100k raised for Greenfingers,
• GCA Winners – All the winners from the GCA Conference,
• PATS Sandown Show preview,
• BeefEater – LOFA Member profile,
• Beautiful stonework from The Patio Black Spot Company,
• GTN’s Greatest Christmas Awards Presentations at Spring Fair,
• Pictures from all The Greatest Christmas Award winning centres: Barton Grange, Rosebourne, The Old Railway Line, Pughs, Gates, Longacres, Gouldings, Alton, Groves, Meadowcroft, Brimsmore and Poundbury, British Garden Centres, Pengelly, Blue Diamond, Klondyke, Gordale, Silverbirch, Woodlands, Little Dobbies, Azure, Stratford    , Chessington, Chacewater, Coolings, Sapcote, Wentworth, Perrywood, Garsons Titchfield, Keydell, The Grange, Tingley, St Peters, Garden King, Fron Goch, Ellerker Lodge, Chepstow, Birkacre, Bennybeg,
• Thank you to the judges and sponsors of The Greatest Christmas Awards 2022,
• Encouraging signs for Spring – HTA Column,
• Cash is king – GIMA Column.

with all the news direct to your e-mail inbox.  The best news service every weekend and all the breaking news as it happens.

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The Young People in Horticulture Association are excited to announce their second set of supporters for the 2023-2024 sponsorship term.

Supporters make up a second tier to YPHA’s sponsorship structure, working in unison with five ‘Key Partners’ to advocate for YPHA’s mission to engage, educate and empower horticulture’s younger contingent. With the number of available slots for supporters increasing from five to 10 for the 2023-2024 term, an ‘expressions of interest’ process was undertaken, with the final candidates selected by the YPHA committee on a blind ballot basis from a longer list.

Previously announced as supporters were BALI, MorePeople, Evergreen Garden Care, the Garden Media Guild and Majestic Trees. 

Now joining the ranks are Joseph Rochford Gardens, who produce hardy ornamental nursery stock for landscape and garden professionals.

Also newly appointed are Southern Trident – they specialise in high quality, peat-free and  coir based growing medium and doormats, manufacturing both in the UK and direct from source to UK/EU market.

The final new recruit for the 2023/24 term are English Heritage. - they are a charity that manages over 400 historic monuments, buildings and places. These include prehistoric sites, medieval castles, Roman forts, and country houses.

Fargro have renewed for a second term, having been one of YPHA’s first ever pledges of support. Fargro are a professional team providing high quality growing media, materials and equipment, advice on increasing yield, and more.

Also renewing for a second term are Output Digital, who operate cloud-based Greenhouse Management Software business ‘GrowFlo’, managing all aspects of your nursery operation from the cloud, on scalable Greenhouse Management Software.

YPHA Committee Member Sarah Want said: “We are overwhelmed, and incredibly grateful for all the support we have received from the industry. It’s fantastic seeing a wide range of businesses keen to help us in our mission, and our 10 supporters show how diverse and exciting the horticulture industry is.”

For more information on YPHA please visit, ypha.org.uk

For more information on Joseph Rochford Gardens, please visit https://www.rochfords.net/

For more information on Southern Trident, please visit: https://southerntrident.com/

For more information on English Woodlands, please visit: https://www.english-heritage.org.uk/

For more information on Fargro, please visit: https://www.fargro.co.uk/

For more information on GrowFlo, please visit: https://growflo.co.uk/

Any florist wanting to diversify and add value to their core offering of plants and flowers will love the new collection from British company, Ivyline. The garden, home and interiors specialist has brought to market a wide range of trend-led indoor planters and vases, many of which are created from ethically sourced, recycled materials, supported by thought provoking sustainable messaging.

Increase sales with trend-led designs

Drawing inspiration from the lines and textures found in nature, the colours of the coast and global travels, or the simplicity of the ‘purity’ and ‘Japandi’ trends, the extensive new collection offers florists the opportunity to upsell and support cut-flower sales whilst also increasing sales of potted plants.

Material matters

From organic textures such as macramé, jute and seagrass to value recycled materials, Ivyline’s collections is broad enough to suit most customer tastes. Many of the beautiful glass vases are made from 95% recycled glass, whilst collections such as PULA and Celine are created from 100% recycled household materials. Much of the collection has been produced in Europe by skilled artisans and ceramic experts, helping to create more sustainable design solutions.

Flexible ordering

Recognising that florists require flexible ordering from their suppliers, Ivyline has created a business model that makes it easy for shops of any size – from large multiples to artisan flower booths - to start stocking these beautiful products.

From a low minimum order value of just £450 , to products that are supplied in gift boxes, florists can manage their stock requirements via Ivyline’s handy online portal. All this is supported by a dedicated sales team, whilst immediate delivery is the icing on the cake that will enable stores to order with confidence, even during peak times.  

See it for yourself

Florists are also invited to visit Ivyline’s showroom, located at Stoneleigh Park, Warwickshire, to view the 2023 collections in more detail. From here, florists can mix and match ranges for easy styling and to curate an offering best suited to their floral style.

Maximise giftware

Finally, those florists which have branched out into giftware will be pleased to learn that Ivyline’s offering includes a dedicated Christmas portfolio, alongside desirable licensed collections such as the beautiful Royal Botanic Gardens Kew range.

Scott Thomas, Managing Director at Ivyline said: “Whether boosting cut-flower or potted plant sales by driving up the average spend, or for those looking to diversify into gift lines, we have everything the florist needs to optimise their floor space. Underpinned by great design stories, supporting European manufacturing, and showcasing recycled materials, Ivyline can offer exceptional solutions for florists who value quality and are looking for a supply partner that supports in all aspects of product development and customer service.

Find out more

To find out more about the Ivyline difference or to visit the showroom facilities at Stoneleigh Park, please visit www.ivylinegb.co.uk, email sales@ivylinegb.co.uk or by calling 024 7633 9180.

Garden centres looking to boost sales as they head into the busy Spring and Summer season are being encouraged to consider confectionery options.

The confectionery experts at World of Sweets, who have over 60 years experience, have identified the three types of shoppers who are likely to purchase at a garden centre.

Among them are the spontaneous shopper, the diligent shopper and the heavy shopper.

The Spontaneous shopper is an impulse buyer who is likely to have small children and visit a garden centre as part of a day out. Confectionery treats are a way to occupy and treat the children during the visit.

Among the World of Sweets range ideal for this customer group are the Bonds Candy Cups. These are resealable cups of tasty sweet treats which children will love. These are a good alternative to the traditional pick and mix and are more convenient to display. 

Among the options are the Happy Flowers Cup which is perfect for Spring  and dessert inspired cups, Bonds Just Desserts Candy Cups, in Eton Mess and Chocky Road pick and mixes.

Diligent shoppers are price conscious and will take their time when it comes to their purchasing decision. They shop around and look for value as well as promotions or new and unique products.

World of Sweets offer a number of ranges perfect for this shopper who’s looking for something new and unique.

They’ve recently partnered with Danish confectionery brand Anthon Berg and are their exclusive distributor in the UK.

This new and exciting gifting range includes  Premium Chocolate Liqueurs, Chocolate Cocktail Liqueurs and Chocolate Coffee Liqueurs. 

The range offers a premium look and feel range for retailers to offer to customers as a gifting option all year round with key seasonal periods still including Father’s Day & Christmas.

Another good choice for this group of shoppers are the Bonds Pun Boxes, ideal for those who appreciate light-hearted funny presents.

New additions to the range are Love you More than Pizza, alongside Hearts and Kisses, You Crack Me Up & You’re One in a Melon and finally, Turtley Love You and You’re Shrimply the Best.

The Heavy shopper will buy a lot in a short space of time and is likely to be a gardening enthusiast. However, they will be swayed by impulse purchases like confectionery and so see visiting the garden centre as a leisure activity.

For them the huge USA range of confectionery at World of Sweets is a good option with the ever increasing range of international favourites to expand your instore range. 

The confectionery experts have exclusive partners with the biggest names in the US including Nerds, Tootsie and Warheads as well as stocking America's best candy brands including Hershey’s, Reese’s, SweeTarts, Red Vines, Warheads, Cookie Dough, Faygo, Jolly Ranchers, Mike & Ike, Jelly Belly and many more. 

All imported USA ranges comply with UK food legislation and all products are screened and verified by our in-house technical experts.

Chris Smith, Partner Brand Manager at World of Sweets said: “The range of confectionery we stock is perfect for garden centres. We can offer new and exclusive to us ranges which you’ll be unable to source anywhere else - and which your nearest competitors are unlikely to stock.

“It’s about offering your customer something different and being able to make additional profit from non-garden focussed items. And about being seen as a destination - somewhere customers can visit to buy a gift or to treat themselves as well as for all their gardening needs.”

World of Sweets is the UK’s largest confectionery distributor, importer, and wholesaler, supplying thousands of customers across all retail channels.

Offering a world of distribution solutions from e-commerce sites serving 55,000 customers per week to Hancocks wholesale stores with over 22,000 customers, field sales and a direct to store team covering 36,000 independent customers and a national accounts team covering all UK retail channels.

The Royal Horticultural Society has announced that voting is now open for the RHS Partner Garden of the Year 2023.

Following the success of the first two years, people will once again have a chance to name their top ‘Feel Good Garden’ out of more than 220 RHS Partner Gardens.

Thousands of votes were cast in 2022, when Nant y Bedd garden in Monmouthshire was crowned winner and the RHS is hoping that more and more people will want to show their appreciation of their favourite gardens by clicking to vote.

Votes can be cast via the RHS website rhs.org.uk/pgoty from today until 29 September 2023 and visitors can choose their favourite garden from one of the following six regions: Midlands and East Anglia; North and Northern Ireland; Overseas; Scotland; South East and Channel Islands; and South West and Wales. All voters will be entered into a prize draw to win a pair of tickets to the RHS Hampton Court Palace Garden Festival in 2024 with a luxury two-night stay close to the showground.

The gardens will then be ranked according to the number of votes they have received relative to their total visitor numbers for the previous year, and the comments from their  voters, to determine the winner for each region and the overall winner. The winners will be revealed in December, and will receive a special plaque to display at their property as well as a professional photoshoot of their garden.

Helen Feary, RHS Partner Garden Manager, said: “The RHS Partner Garden of the Year competition is growing from strength to strength and we’re delighted that nearly twice as many votes were cast in 2022 as in 2021. It’s heart-warming to read so many wonderful comments about how good a visit to the garden makes people feel. With so many gardens taking part and encouraging their visitors to vote, it should be easier than ever for people to show their appreciation for their favourite garden.”

There are currently 221 gardens in the RHS Partner Gardens scheme, including 18 new gardens in 2023, which RHS Members can visit free of charge 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.

Planters have bought Brookfields Garden Centre, Nottinghams Premier Independent Garden Centre, to grow their business to 4 garden centres across the Midlands plus 4 high street Every Occasion Card Shops.

Company Director, Gerald Ingram told GTN Xtra: "The negotiations have taken over a year but we got there today. The Clower family have owned and run the centre for over 60 years. They have taken the centre forwards with a great restaurant, Arthurs, a wonderful pet and Aquatic centre, great gifts and some fantastic plant care.

"One of the big attractions of the centre was the management team who will be staying in place to take the centre forward under our ownership. We plan on keeping the Brookfields name although eventually branding it Planters Brookfields.

"We eventually hope to develop a covered plant area as we have at Bretby and Tamworth, increase the covered heated area and expand the restaurant including separate Coffee shop.  Our plan is to increase the turnover by 50% in a relatively short time span and get Brookfields into the Top 20 GCA audit results.

"Its great news that the centre remains an independent and we have the opportunity to build on its previous successes."

Planters existing garden centres are: Planters Tamworth, Planters Bretby, Garden King at Swadlincote, Derbyshire.

The founders of BDP Imports Holdings Ltd (T/A Bramblecrest) have announced a recent development of the business’ ownership.

The founders will retain a minority interest with the majority of shares being held by a newly established Employee Ownership Trust (EOT). The sale completed on March 3rd, 2023.

An EOT is a trust which acquires and holds a controlling interest in a company for the benefit of its employees, giving the effect of employee ownership, without directly owning or buying shares.

Bramblecrest was founded in 2000 and the Founders want to ensure that the business not only retains the values that have made the company successful but also continues to provide opportunities for its employees. For the past 23 years, the business has benefited from prudent and considered planning. The founders believe that an EOT structure is the best way to secure the long-term success of the business for its 58 employees. The founders will maintain a minority shareholding within the business and are planning to remain active directors as the business transitions to Employee Ownership.

This exciting move to employee ownership allows the business to remain independent, resilient, and sustainably financed enabling it to continue to supply its loyal customer base with high quality products and customer service. It is a long-term arrangement which means that the founders maintain a serious commitment to the business for the foreseeable future.

By giving the staff this reassurance and by placing the employees at the heart of the business, the founders sincerely hope and expect that the new structure will create fresh opportunities and a new energy. The Bramblecrest founders added: “We are working to ensure that the growth and success we have benefitted from to date, is the foundation for further expansion in the years to come. It’s therefore business as usual as we focus on continuing to do what we do well”.

To kick off the spring 2023 gardening season, Tesco has announced it will be the first supermarket retailer in the UK to sell all of its British-grown bedding plants in peat-free compost.

This joins its move earlier this year to retail only peat-free bags of growing media. Together these two initiatives have enabled Tesco to reduced its peat use by nearly 9,000 cubic metres and its carbon footprint by more than 1,200 tonnes of CO2e (carbon dioxide equivalent emissions) a year – a reduction of 75%.

Tesco sells around 40 million plants annually and its selection of bedding plants is grown by Bridge Farm Horticulture in Spalding, Lincolnshire. Alex Edwards,

Tesco Horticulture Category Buying Manager said: “Going peat free on our British-grown bedding plants is right for our customers - we've listened to their feedback and have worked hard to prove we can deliver the same great quality, but now being better for our planet. Looking ahead, we hope this approach can be adopted on a wider-scale – it’s our aim to deliver this across a broader range of plants.”

Last year Tesco’s bedding plants were around 95% peat free because a viable alternative hadn’t been found for young plant propagation. After a year of trials with growing media containing wood fibre and natural by-products, and the problem has been solved.

Louise Motala, Bridge Farm Horticulture Managing Director said: “We felt as strongly as Tesco that it was an important step to remove all peat from our compost formulations. To enable us to do so we have started propagating the majority of our seed and cutting young plants ourselves. This investment in our facility and capabilities has not only helped us to deliver on this commitment, it has also given us greater flexibility and control of the whole supply chain.” 

Melcourt’s SylvaGrow Multi-Purpose 100% peat-free compost was recognised as a top performer and a Which? Best Buy in February, earning it the right to use the prestigious endorsement.

Only products receiving a Which? Best Buy can use the logo – it can’t be bought. The Best Buy shows that properly formulated peat-free products work successfully for many crop types.

Andy Chalmers said, “It will be challenging to quantify the benefits derived from the Which? endorsement, but in a typical garden centre compost environment, the widely recognised and respected logo should help customers make the right choice. In a market with no formal product quality standards, SylvaGrow Multi-Purpose’s achievement is a testament to the diligent R&D work carried out over many years and our excellent production team.”

"For production reasons, the logo won’t appear on the SylvaGrow Multi-Purpose bags, but we can offer stockists a selection of practical point-of-sale items."

Contact Andy Chalmers, for more information.

Telephone: 01666 502711, or email: andy@melcourt.co.uk

Hawley Garden Centre in Dartford is for sale with a guide price of £5m.

The 7.6 acre site adjacent to the M25 that is also famous for its cabaret nights is being marketed by Christie & Co, the details are currently on rightmove: https://www.rightmove.co.uk/properties/129230507#/?channel=COM_BUY

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.

GTN March 2023. In this issue: Blue Diamond’s Greatest Show – Full results and exclusive pictures from the Blue Diamond Awards 2023, Press to Impress – 6 pages of product and supplier news from the Garden Press Event, Bathgate for Peat Free NOW, Fountasia bring magic to garden centres, Evergreen Garden Care’s increased Peat Free capacity – Interview with MD Colin Stephens, Nurturing future display talent – Glee’s new Talent Store, LOFA – The voice of the outdoor living industry, Stepping stones to success – Interview with Antony Harker, Keeping plants in the headlines – GTN’s new Planteria column, Spotlight on Horticulture – HTA Column