In This Issue
Altons BBQ World, Aylett Nurseries, Barton Grange, Baytree, Busy Bee, Groves, Pengelly, Pughs, The Old Railway Line and Squires Badshot Lea are the winners of GTN's Greatest Christmas Awards
Christmas Future Trends at Glee's Festive Focus Day
Future proofing your garden centre for maximum flexibility and profitability
Blue Diamond to open the largest Home and Garden Centre in the UK
Lockdown #3 creates the slowest start to the year, but Veg 2 Gro sales are up
Harrogate Christmas & Gift moves to early May
First Hillier trees in place at new Maggie’s Centre Southampton
Southern Trident national sales team hits the road
Weber acquires smart appliance and technology company
Dobbies releases podcast to mark Stroke Prevention Day
Tuscan growers look to further expansion in 2021
Henry Bell Wild Bird Care launches elegant Sterling collection
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HTA’s Ornamental Management Committee (OMC) backs ‘yes’ call for AHDB reform and statutory levy continuation
Slowly and steadily stepping into 2021…New Year message from Vitavia
The best of last week's
Garden centre owners share their thoughts on being open during Lockdown 3
Alton's praised for tough stance on facemasks
Team Smart’s Sue Sharp retires
Boyd's 'no cake and chocolate' pledge takes him into the top 10% of New Year fundraisers
Haskins Snowhill re-opens after £15m re-vamp
Perrywood at Christmas 2020 - with correct photo gallery now...
British Garden Centres open their 58th centre at Thatcham
Barton Grange Christmas 2020 - Exclusive GTN Xtra Photo Tour
Squires Badshot Lea - Christmas 2020
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First Hillier trees in place at new Maggie’s Centre Southampton

 

The first of more than 100 British-grown trees supplied by Hillier Trees have been delivered to their final destination at the new Maggie’s Centre in Southampton. The Centre and surrounding grounds, which will be the first for Maggie’s in the South of England, is designed to create a tranquil oasis for visitors.   

 

Hillier is proud to be supporting charity partner Maggie’s as they create a brand-new Maggie’s Centre in Southampton, adjacent to the hospital. The centre will have cutting edge architectural design and beautifully landscaped surrounding gardens. Having viewed plans, Hillier saw how they could use their horticultural expertise to offer support through the supply of trees. Hillier is providing more than 100 British-grown trees from the company’s nurseries in Hampshire at no profit to the company, the first of which have now arrived at the centre.

 

The Centre is being created in partnership between award-wining architects AL_A, University Hospital Southampton NHS Foundation Trust and Sarah Price, one of the country’s most sought-after landscape designers. The design will create an oasis in the grounds of the hospital’s suburban campus. Almost three quarters of the 1,470m2 site is being given over to four distinct gardens that are inspired by the ecology of the nearby New Forest. The intention is for the garden to look as if it has always been there, providing seclusion from the outside world. 

 

A conceptual design image of the new centre 

 

In keeping with Sarah Price’s design ethos, the tree selection includes species that will create a natural, woodland look and feel; offer a colour palette that blends with the striking architectural design and provide year-round interest. 

 

Following a number of visits to Hillier Trees field and container tree nurseries in Hampshire, individual container and root-ball trees were selected by Sarah. The timing of the national lockdown in late March, as a result of COVID-19, inevitably created a delay to the originally planned planting schedule. This meant that the season for planting root-balled trees had passed. Fortunately, this did not create an obstacle, thanks to Hillier having a container as well as field tree nursery. Trees growing on the container tree nursery can be planted all year around, which meant it was possible to simply substitute some of the planned root-ball trees for container grown ones. 

 

“Sarah is a very visual, creative designer,” comments Caroline Swann, Account Manager at Hillier Trees. “With us unable to conduct an in-person tour of container trees due to Coronavirus restrictions, we had video calls instead to re-select trees. This allowed us to give a 360° walk around each one to make sure it was perfect!”

 

Tree species selected for the new Centre include Betula pendula (silver birch), Pinus sylvestris (Scots pine), Sorbus aucuparia (Mountain ash), Prunus serrula (Tibetan cherry) and Prunus avium (wild cherry). Many of these have been specified as multi-stem or more naturalistic forms, as opposed to a more traditional neat clipped form, fitting with the design ethos. 

 

The trees are all being delivered from Hillier Trees container tree nursery in Hampshire and planted over the space of a few weeks in January; an almost military operation requiring the brief closure of roads around the grounds to facilitate delivery. 

 

MJT Landscapes and Yoreland Design were contacted by Hillier and are supporting with hard and soft landscaping. 

 

MJT Landscapes, who have contributed to a number of gold-medal winning Hillier exhibits at RHS Chelsea Flower Show, will be responsible for the hard landscaping element of the build, which includes creation of planting bunds requiring nearly 1,500 tons of sub and top soil. 

 

 “MJT Landscapes are thrilled to be working with the Hillier Team on the project for Maggie’s at Southampton,” says Mark Tomlinson, Director of MJT Landscapes. “We hope the finished garden will bring comfort to those who visit.”

 

A partial view of some of the large planting bunds

 

"On behalf of the Yoreland Design team, I can say that it’s a pleasure to support such a worthwhile cause,” says Leigh Richards, Founder and Director of Yoreland Design Ltd. 

 

 

Supplier partners of Hillier Garden Centres have also offered their support for this project, including Westland, who have donated 12 pallets of mulch.

Generous support has also been given by Platipus Anchors, who have provided all the tree anchors used to support and stabilise the trees at a reduced cost, as well as making a company donation towards Maggie’s Centres. 

 

 

The official opening of the new Centre is planned for early February 2021. 

 

“Maggie's are delighted to be working closely with Hillier to realise Sarah Price's landscape at University Hospital Southampton,” says Siobhan Wyatt, Property Projects Lead at Maggie’s. “Our New Forest oasis will be a haven for anyone living with cancer, and their loved ones, while they receive support from our staff.”

 

“We are delighted that trees are now being delivered and we look forward to seeing them all in their final position,” comments George Hillier, Director of Property at Hillier Nurseries. “This Centre is going to bring a huge benefit to the community and we are proud to have been able to lend our support.”

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