Scotts Miracle-Gro UK MD Martin Breddy said this week the company had made a long-term commitment to its newly-acquired Solus brands and urged retailers to ”give us a little time”.

He said that, like others, Scotts had short-term financial pressures but had made a long-term commitment to innovation, advertising and brands to help consumers enjoy gardening. “We are here to to create sustainable value in horticulture,” he said.

He told an audience at the All-Party Parliamentary Gardening & Horticulture Group at the House of Commons that, following a10-day sourcing trip to China and Hong Kong, it was clear to him there were are great opportunities to innovate the Solus categories populated by price competition and me-too products.

He dismissed accusations by a “well known retailer” that he had been been out there “buying a lot of that cheap rubbish. That is absolutely not what we are going to do,” he said. “We are going to buy products that add value and provide a better experience for a new generation of gardeners.

“So all I ask, especially from our retail partners, is for a little bit of time; trust us to add value and not just cut price, and to create demand with great products and through advertising.”