After dropping hints yesterday at The RHS Chelsea Flower Show that the business would be for sale within the next year, Guy Hands' Terra Firma has announced today that the garden centre group is officially up for sale either as a whole, as sub groups or as individual garden centres.

Here is the statement in full:

Wyevale Garden Centres (WGC), the UK’s biggest garden centre operator, has been put up for sale by Terra Firma as it seeks to complete a full exit for investors from its third fund, TFCPIII.

Christie & Co, the specialist business property advisor, has been appointed to explore a range of sales options for the business, from a sale of the whole business to individual garden centres. The centres are expected to be attractive to a wide range of buyers, from financial institutions through to existing garden centre operators and local entrepreneurs.

The sale comes at an advanced stage of a turnaround programme for WGC, which has seen significant investment in the core business. Customers and colleagues have responded positively to these improvements with the business now achieving sales and profit growth.

The business has enjoyed exceptionally strong sales in recent weeks, with a record breaking Mayday bank holiday weekend, the highest one-week’ sales ever and May on track to be the most profitable month in the company’s history.

WGC is the UK’s biggest garden centre chain, with 145 garden centres, ranging from local horticultural centres to major leisure destination venues. The garden centres include 144 restaurants and cafes and 700 concessions with 240 partners. These have been significantly developed during Terra Firma’s ownership and have been key to driving footfall and de-seasonalising the business, making the centres attractive all-year round destinations.

The garden centre sector is vibrant and growing with Mintel forecasting a growth rate of around 3% per annum through to 2021.

Justin King, Vice-Chairman of Terra Firma and Chairman of WGC, said:

“The improvements made by the new leadership team at Wyevale Garden Centres supported by 6,000 dedicated colleagues, means that now is the right time to seek new, long term ownership for the business.”

Roger Mclaughlan, Chief Executive of WGC, said:

“Wyevale Garden Centres has transformed beyond recognition over the last few years, and our customers are responding really positively to all the improvements we’ve been making, with improved ranges, high stock availability and exceptional garden centre standards. Our improved business has engaged colleagues and put customers at the heart of what we do. Thanks to the hard work of all of our colleagues, we remain firmly on track to grow our sales and profits this year.”

For further details on the garden centre estate please go to:
www.wyevalegardencentres.christie.com

Johnny Walkers (above) won his 25th consecutive Gold Medal for Taylors Bulbs this morning and there were also Gold Medals awarded in the Chelsea Flower Show Floral Pavillion for Hilliers, Dibleys and Cooks Garden Centre of Stourport (below.)

You can see the full list of Floral Pavillion Awards here and see the first GTN Xtra gallery of photos from Chelsea 2018 below where Lupins are the star plant - have you got plenty in stock and on order?

Mr Fothergills won the Chelsea New Product of The Year Award for their Optigrow range of Chemical Free pre treated seeds, presented by Deborah Meaden (pictured above from BBC's TV coverage of Monday at Chelsea.)

And Thompson & Morgan scooped the No 1 and No 3, Chelsea Plant of the Year Awards with Hydrangea Runaway Bride Snow White (above) and Helianthus annuus Sunbelivevable Brown Eyed Girl (below).  Both plants are amongst the 27 new varieties displayed on Peter Seabrooks display for The Sun.

Read more about the award winners in GTN Xtra at the weekend.

Summer is on its way, so it’s time to start thinking about your customers hanging baskets and patio planters. Getting the compost right is key to creating beautiful displays that continue to flourish throughout the Summer months.

Bathgate Horticulture’s Tub & Basket Compost is formulated with additional slow-release fertiliser that encourages extended plant development. Furthermore, a moisture-storing polymer is incorporated into the blend to reduce watering frequency and sustain the plants during drier periods. This polymer also helps to retain nutrients and prolong vigour.

Our light-weight Tub & Basket Compost is easy to handle, and not formulated with recycled waste. It is ideal for a range of seasonal basket plants and suitable for both indoor and outdoor use for ornamentals and edibles.

Tub & Basket Compost is available in 50 litre bags. Delivery from a single pallet to a full load nationwide across the UK.

The extensive Bathgate Horticulture product range comprises of carefully formulated growing media and associated products for both professional and retail horticulturists, that are manufactured to market leading standards.

All Bathgate Horticulture retail products are attractively packaged in conveniently sized, recyclable bags.

"In 2017 we achieved an 8% increase in profit before tax and maintained a strong debt position in the year, which is a creditable result considering the wider environment." That is the opening statement from Blue Diamond Chairman  Simon Burke in the groups Year End Accounts for 2017.

Managing Director Alan Roper adds "in a challenging year profit before tax increased from £8.4m to £9.2m. This profit increase was predominantly delivered through customer average spend, and gross margin growth."

"In 2017 average spend grew by 5.6% against a Garden Centre Association (GCA) average growth of 1.4%."

The report details the average GCA spend for 2017 at £20.75 while the average Blue Diamond spend was £23.19.

The full Blue Diamond Report and Accounts can be seen at: https://www.bluediamond.gg/financial-reports

Speaking to GTN Xtra this weekend, Alan Roper said that after the Bank Holiday week; "there is now a distinct possibility that we will be up on 2017 year to date by end of May."

Asked about his vision for the size of the Blue Diamond Group in the future, Alan added: "The operational structure which I implemented a few years ago is scalable and is designed to ensure retail standards are maintained. The recent adjustments to allow managers to focus on customer service alongside more resources being applied should also ensure high standards are maintained. Continuing to develop the teams and appoint people who share the values of standards and service is paramount.

"Existing staff in new acquisitions have been successfully retained and trained where necessary to embrace the culture of our business whose values are high retail standards, high service levels delivered with a point of difference.

"The Group is on course to surpass the budgeted £110m and I can see us being able to double the turnover and still retain those values."

“It was just like an old fashioned Bank Holiday Monday” enthused Sarah Squire to GTN Bestsellers this week as garden centre plants sales hit a a record high,

were at the forefront with sales reaching almost 50% higher than the same week last year to set a record GTN Bestsellers plant sales week to bring the year-on-year total back almost to parity. We now have only 0.7% to make up over the next few weeks for plants to be up year-on-year. Who’d have thought that six or seven weeks ago!

Only 10 weeks after we reported the lowest sales week in garden centres, GTN Bestsellers can now report that the week beginning with the May Bank Holiday Monday was the highest week ever for garden centre sales volumes. Record Bank Holiday Monday temperatures and a week of "good" gardening weather sent sales volumes soaring to a record high, so high that the increase over the same week last year was greater than the shortfall from the last week of February when the record low was set in all that snow. Now, after 19 weeks of the year, the GTN Bestsellers All Product Sales Index is running at 6.3% down year on year to date. That is a huge swing back from the minus 16.6% it was sitting on at the end of March. If the weather holds, the bedding sales season should still have life in it.

Profits before tax rose by 24% to £5.2m at Westland Horticulture for the year ending 31st August 2017.

Sales rose by a modest 2% to £130.5m, much slower than the previous years growth when the acquisition of Sinclair Horticulture added almost a third to company turnover.

The group, which employs almost 600 people, reported a profit before tax of £5.2m despite the writing off of a £2.6m bad debt.

The directors said they were satisfied with the results and the business’s encouraging performance since the year end, which saw cash at bank increase £4m to £14m. Short term creditors increased by £10m.

The full report can be found at: https://beta.companieshouse.gov.uk/company/NI027321/filing-history

The Royal Wedding has been celebrated in style by Gouldings Garden Centre in Scotland.

As well as a stunning wedding display in their covered planteria, Shop Manager Gordon Shute told GTN Xtra: "On Saturday we will be handing out free prosecco to our customers and playing the royal wedding on our in store screens. I have also renamed the plant Dianthus pink kisses as “You may now kiss the bride” and am offering it as a “Royal Wedding” special promotion to try and drive sales."

How did you celebrate the Royal Wedding in your garden centre?  Send us your pictures and sales highlights and we'll add them to this story.  e-mail: trevor.pfeiffer@tgcmc.co.uk

Taylors Bulbs and Johnny Walkers are hoping to be in line for another Gold Medal for their stunning display of British Grown daffodils from their farm in Lincolnshire.

And who said Daffodils are just yellow? The display from Taylors exhibits over 70 varieties and 2000 flowers, full of daffodils of all colours, shapes and sizes. When stood in front of this magnificent display, you cannot help but feel in awe of these delightful blooms of yellow, red, orange, white and pink.

Unusually for the enthusiast, there is also the opportunity to see February Gold (one of the earliest flowering) featured alongside Pheasant’s Eye (one of the latest) which would normally have a flowering gap of up to 3 months between them in the garden.

This year’s display has been one of the most challenging. Soon after the bulbs went into the glasshouse, temperatures of up to 35°C over the May Day Bank Holiday meant that the flowers developed very quickly with weak stems, upward facing flowers and, in some cases, flowers that were not as colourful as nature intended. The normally reliable double-flowering variety Tahiti flowered white and red instead of yellow red due to the stress of the high temperatures. Needless to say this variety is sadly unable to be included in this year’s display.

The man behind the selection of every bloom in the display is Johnny Walkers. With 24 consecutive gold medals at Chelsea already under his belt he is hoping to continue this run, but never rests on his laurels until the final judging. “We never expect a medal. It is all down to two things – nature and hard work. Just as at every show before this one, the judges have the final say.”

Johnny and his team from Taylors Bulbs, the family bulb business based in Holbeach, Spalding, Lincs, famous for supplying garden retailers throughout the UK and Ireland, can be found in the Grand Pavilion, stand GPF212.

Gardening journalists from across Europe visited Squire's Garden Centre in Twickenham last Wednesday  on a study tour of some of the best UK garden centres. Delegates came from many European countries including Germany, France, The Netherlands, Scandinavia, Romania and Portugal.

Colin Squire and his daughter Sarah, chairman and deputy chairman of Squire's Garden Centres, showed more than 70 international gardening journalists around the Twickenham branch, gave a short talk about the history and development of Squire's and answered questions. Delegates took photographs and were particularly keen to understand how this family business operates. They were also interested in the diversity of plants and products on display, which is a different model to some European horticultural businesses.

Colin Squire said: "It was an honour to host the journalists at Squire's in Twickenham and show them our garden centre. I was particularly pleased to welcome them in May when the plant area is packed with the most beautiful plants and the shop full of key gardening lines. I am so proud of the centre and our team who work so hard to keep it looking at its best. This was one of the first garden centres to open in the UK back in 1964, and in the last five years has won the prestigious 'Best Plant Area' award from the Garden Centre Association three times, we are immensely proud of this and our aspiration is that the centre should be a credit to the borough."

The countdown is on: From 2 to 4 September 2018 the green industry will once again be meeting up at spoga+gafa, the world's no. 1 garden trade fair. Around 2,100 exhibitors from 60 countries will present the whole world of the garden to the international trade audience on 230,000 square metres of exhibition space. As such the exhibition space has increased once again by a further 5,000 square metres. The expected share of foreign exhibitors is 84 percent. "The success of spoga+gafa is based on the wide offer of top garden products, an enormous depth in themes to do with the green industry and unique added values provided through the theme islands, special events and an extensive event programme," stated Katharina C. Hamma, Chief Operating Officer of Koelnmesse GmbH. "The high level of internationality among the exhibitors and trade visitors underlines its worldwide position as the perfect industry meeting point." As of the status in May 2018, 98 percent of the planned surface area is already sold. The theme islands, POS Green Solution Islands and the Outdoor Kitchen World, which were successfully introduced in 2017, are being repeated and expanded. A further highlight at spoga+gafa 2018 is a trend show in the garden unique segment.

All segments of the garden world will be presented in Halls 1 to 10, on the Central and North Boulevard, the entire Piazza and the outdoor areas between Halls 6, 7 and 8 in the coming September. The established division into the four segments garden unique, garden living, garden creation & care and garden bbq remains unchanged.

Spanning 121,000 square metres, the product segment garden living is the largest segment of spoga+gafa, located in Halls 1 to 4, 5.2, 9 and 10.1. The segment offers a complete overview of the theme life in the garden. It comprises of garden furniture, decorations and new products from the sport and games section as well as camping and leisure items. Within garden living the theme lifestyle in the garden and at the garden table becomes more and more present, which is for instance made clear by the further increased number of exhibitors from EFSA. garden unique also has a strong thematic orientation on garden living. Exclusive presentations of premium outdoor furniture are the focus of Hall 10.2. The product segment garden creation and care in Passage 4/5, the so-called Plant Allee, Halls 5.1 and 6, is the green lung of spoga+gafa. In addition to the appropriate machines, tools, garden equipment and the necessary accessories for the creation and care of the garden and terrace, everything on the theme of "living green" and the planting and growing thereof can be found here. Alongside their ordering days with their international alignment, in Hall 5.1 Landgard will present the international trade visitors with exciting ideas for concepts on the themes plants and the point of sale. In the garden bbq section in Halls 7 and 8 as well as their outdoor areas, the largest coherent exhibition offer of grills & BBQs worldwide is awaiting the trade visitors again: The area dedicated to grills at spoga+gafa is being extended by a further outdoor area between Halls 7 and 8 this year, increasing the overall space by a further 5,000 square metres- Through the relocation of companies like Rösle, Landman and Napoleon to Hall 8, there will be a first class level of high-quality in both halls. The product offer will be enhanced by cooking shows, live demonstrations, the increased presentation of grill accessories and focal themes such as accessories, sauces and spices. Beyond this the entire spectrum of outdoor kitchens will be on display in Hall 8 in the scope of the Outdoor Kitchen World. The format shows the purist, clear and modern furniture, accessories and appliances of a wide range of suppliers of outdoor kitchens from all over the globe - from exclusive manufacturing companies through to global players. The focus of the special event is an event area with interactive cooking shows.

spoga+gafa trend show: A future vision
For the first time, spoga+gafa 2018 is dedicating an own special zone to the furniture trends of tomorrow. On several product islands in the garden unique section, outdoor furniture that is trendsetting and ground-breaking for at least the next season will be on display. The focus here lies on materials and functionality. On the one hand it is about innovative product characteristics, new combinations and the theme sustainability, as well as comfort and ergonomics, flexibility and multifunctionality on the other. The trend show is being curated by selected international industry experts from the sections design, the retail trade, universities and trend research. In the follow-up to spoga+gafa, the Trend Islands will be presented again at imm cologne 2019. A special event entitled "Icons of Outdoor Furniture Design" offers the appropriate setting for the trend show. An emotional journey through the bestselling and most stylish garden furniture of the current and also former exhibitors of spoga+gafa.

Theme islands with added value
Innovative technologies and smart solutions for outdoor lighting, lawn care and irrigation will once again be the focus of the IVG Power Place AKKU and the Smart Gardening World. The success in 2017 laid the foundation for approx. 50 percent growth in the amount of exhibition space. Exciting lectures on current technology developments, new products and relevant trade themes as well as a talk round with decision-makers from the smart and battery world will enhance the offer of the exhibitors. True to the motto "All good things come in threes", a new addition is joining the two trend platforms: Exhibitors from the sections, soils, turf, fertilisers, substrates, plants and plant protection will be presented in a striking manner on Passage 4/5.

POS Green Solution Islands
Plant trend themes at the point of sale were already the focal point of the POS Green Solution Islands in 2017. spoga+gafa 2018 is continuing on from this success: They offer inspiration and clear examples of implementation for the campaign areas of the garden centres and DIY stores. Hereby, the theme islands always pick up on a relevant theme of how the end user can design his own four walls, or rather his garden. As such, they provide a very direct buying impulse for the customer and above all real added value for the trade visitors of spoga+gafa. This year's themes of the POS Green Solution Islands are 'Grab & Go', 'Living with plants', 'Homemade', 'Upside Down' and 'The Plant hunter'.

Koelnmesse – Global Competence in Furniture, Interiors and Design: Koelnmesse is the world’s top trade fair organiser for the areas of furnishing, living and lifestyle. At the trade fair hub of Cologne, the leading international fair imm cologne as well as the trade fair formats of LivingKitchen, ORGATEC, spoga+gafa, interzum and Kind + Jugend rank among the internationally renowned and established industry meeting places. These fairs comprehensively represent the upholstered and case furniture segment, the kitchen industry, the office furniture sector and outdoor living as well as the innovations of the furniture supply industry. Over the last few years, Koelnmesse has specifically added international fairs in the most important fast-expanding markets to its portfolio. These include CIKB in Shanghai, interzum guangzhou in Guangzhou and Pueri Expo in Sao Paulo. With ambista, the online portal for the interiors business, Koelnmesse offers direct access to products, contacts, expertise and events relevant to the industry all year round.

The spoga+gafa 2018 is open to trade visitors on 2 and 3 September from 09:00 a.m. to 06:00 p.m. and on 4 September from 09:00 a.m. to 05:00 p.m. Further information is available at www.spogagafa.com.

See GTN Xtra's photo gallery from the Press Conference below including visits to Hampton Court palace Gardens, B&Q New Malden, Squires Twickenham and Chessington Garden Centre, below:

Woodlodge, the UK’s leading supplier of garden planters and containers will be ‘top of the pots’ as the company contributes to two garden exhibits at the prestigious and world famous RHS Chelsea Flower Show (May 22 – 26 2018).

Ranges from Woodlodge’s extensive collection will take pride of place on The Sun’s Container Revolution Garden in the Grand Pavilion at Chelsea, spearheaded by industry stalwart, acclaimed garden writer and broadcaster, Peter Seabrook.   With container gardening remaining a strong trend as plots shrink, it has become the ideal solution for those with little or no garden space.  The garden aims to demonstrate how easy it is for the smallest of outside spaces to come alive when filled with pots of show-stopping plants and foliage.

Planters from Woodlodge’s Duxton, Rustic Garden, Chelsea Terrace and Heritage Garden ranges will be on show to inspire visitors and demonstrate how groups of pots in the same style and colour can make a homeowners’ container plants look more attractive.  From square planters, to cylinders and rectangular troughs, Woodlodge and The Container Revolution will showcase how assorted styles and shapes can dress up a garden with gorgeous potted plants.

The Container Revolution Garden will also be home to a raft of new plant introductions from over 20 growers, all potted in different types of planters to show the amateur gardener the ease of container gardening.  The exhibit will be made up of an impressive display which will create a pyramid of colour, achieved by featuring popular summer bedding flowers, plants and shrubs available to home owners in May. 

Peter Seabrook has helped mastermind many inspirational exhibits in Chelsea’s Great Pavilion over his illustrious horticultural career and is renowned for bringing the garden industry together to create impressive, medal winning displays.

Woodlodge will also be appearing on the Horticultural Trades Association’s exhibit ‘The Great Escape’.  Housed in the Discovery Zone, the exhibit will highlight some of the ways in which people of all ages enjoy their outdoor space. Woodlodge will have some planters on display in the Urban Garden on the exhibit- a pot garden to inspire the amateur gardener featuring tiered hanging baskets, containers, mounted bat box, bird boxes, weather station, hedgehog house, insect tower, barbecue, stepping stones and reconditioned decking.
 

The popular terracotta ranges will feature on ‘The Great Escape’ including Sahal Cinnamon and Dill, whilst Viking, Genoa and Bavaria from the Duxton collection will also be on show. The Rustic Garden Collection of slate pots will also be appearing on the garden, brimming with colourful blooms.

Woodlodge Managing Director, Michael Wooldridge said: “We are delighted that Woodlodge’s pots and containers have been chosen to adorn two gardens at the prestigious Chelsea Flower Show, the ultimate horticulture showcase for the garden industry.

"We are passionate about producing high quality planters and to have them selected by the elite in horticulture,such as Peter Seabrook is a great honour. Our product ranges will appeal to all gardeners’ tastes and will meet the highest of expectations for Chelsea.  The public will love the whole concept and idea of container gardening and will leave the show with some great take home ideas.”

To find out more about how Woodlodge’s market leading product offering, please visit www.woodlodge.co.uk

For more information on RHS Chelsea Flower Show, please visit www.rhs.org.uk/shows-events/rhs-chelsea-flower-show

To celebrate 80 ‘trusted years,’ British greenhouse and glasshouse manufacturer Hartley Botanic has unveiled a ‘provenance and history’ themed trade stand at RHS Chelsea this year which provides a snapshot into the incredible stories and plant hunter origins behind some of our best loved and most familiar plants.

Designed and planted by RHS winning Lee Burkhill ‘the Garden Ninja,’ with landscaping by award winning G.K. Wilson landscape services, the stand celebrates the fearless work of ‘orchid hunters’, the passion and ambition of Victorian plant collectors and the pivotal scientific discoveries which came about through botanical study. The stand’s provenance and history theme has been inspired both by the increasing importance of thoughtful plant sourcing as a way to control quality and stop the spread of disease, and by its central importance in Hartley Botanic’s own story – for 80 years the company has been making its beautiful, handmade aluminium greenhouses from the same Lancashire factory, beneath the base of the dramatic Pennines’ Chew Valley.

Provenance continues to be a subject of key importance and concern for the food industry and it is growing in momentum as an issue to take seriously within the horticultural sector. There is an increasing commitment to support UK plant production as a means to stop the spread of plant pests and diseases and this year, the RHS has banned some high-risk plants from the flower show. The use of chemicals is also a key argument in the battle for more responsible and informed plant sourcing with studies showing some plants for the domestic market contain the same levels of neonicotinoids as agricultural crops. Industry experts are also more vociferously encouraging consumers to use independent growers and nurseries. The Hartley Botanic stand will encourage visitors to discover more about where plants come from, allowing this to inform their own gardening at home. Where possible, all plants on the stand have been grown and sourced in the UK.

Of the stand Tom Barry, Managing Director of Hartley Botanic said; “Our 80^th anniversary is a time of celebration but is also an opportunity to speak to customers of our company’s heritage and back story. While our greenhouses and glasshouses look very beautiful and enticing on our stand, it is Hartley Botanic’s long history and our products’ provenance which points to their quality and uniqueness. This is what we wanted to communicate through our stand, mirroring our heritage message with the history and stories behind plants as prosaic as the humble pea. We hope it will give gardeners an even greater appreciation of the plants they already love and encourage them to interrogate new additions to their garden – not just according to look or personal taste but also according to their provenance.”

Garden designer Lee Burkhill of The Garden Ninja added; “It's a great honour to have been chosen by Hartley Botanic as the designer for their 2018 stand at the Chelsea Flower Show. Working with Gareth Wilson of G.K. Wilson Landscape Services, who have been taking the RHS Show Garden category by storm over recent years, is really exciting for an up-and-coming designer like me. Gareth and I will be looking to ‘break the mould’ this year with our combined design energy and plant enthusiasm. Taking inspiration from the plant explorer stories, the design will showcase the history of UK garden planting in an immersive and arresting way, paying homage to those who risked it all for our gardening pleasure.”

80^th anniversary – The Hartley Patio Glasshouse

Also on the stand is a special edition of Hartley Botanic’s Patio Glasshouse which is available for a limited time in an arresting ‘ruby red’, allowing customers to mark the manufacturer’s 80^th anniversary this year. Founded in 1938 by brothers Vincent (RHS fellow) and Norman Hartley, Hartley Botanic is one of Britain’s oldest and most trusted greenhouse manufacturers and was, to their knowledge, the first to develop and make entirely aluminium structures, representing a new class of greenhouse building in terms of practicality and engineering design. Vincent and Norman Hartley’s drive and ambition to create the finest greenhouses money can buy is still central to the company’s ethos which still specialises in handmade, made-to-order horticultural buildings which truly stand the test of time. Some of Hartley Botanic’s original structures are still standing and in full use, such as the Hartley Botanic greenhouse at Belgrave Hall, installed in 1950 and the glasshouse in Glasgow Botanical Gardens installed in 1988.

Hartley Botanic's impressive 1958 glasshouse for The Royal Floral Hall, Rhyl – the glasshouse showcases the company’s original, ‘clear span’ aluminium greenhouse design

All Hartley Botanic’s greenhouses and glasshouses are handmade, bespoke and made to order. Garden Centres interested in adding a Hartley Botanic greenhouse to their planteria should visit: http://www.hartley-botanic.co.uk or call 01457 819 155 for more information.

Burgon & Ball, the UK’s longest-established manufacturer of garden tools and accessories, will be showcasing its new Wonder Weed Puller, a Chelsea Product of the Year finalist, at this year’s RHS Chelsea Flower Show – as well as some astonishingly large RHS-endorsed garden tools.

For its twenty-second year at the event, Burgon & Ball is making a big statement with its market-leading RHS-endorsed tool range. Taking pride of place will be giant replicas of the classic RHS-endorsed mid-handled trowel and fork. The Burgon & Ball stand will be showing the only garden tools at Chelsea to carry the prized RHS endorsement.

Also in the spotlight on the Burgon & Ball stand will be the new Wonder Weed Puller.  This innovative new tool for weeding in lawns is already a GLEE New Product Award winner and is now a finalist for Chelsea Product of the Year. Designed for use while standing to eliminate backache, the Wonder Weed Puller couldn’t be simpler to use. Simply insert the prongs over the crown of the weed, rotate, and pull to extract the weed, roots and all. An addictively satisfying ejector button on the handle then consigns weeds to the waste.

The Sheffield-based manufacturer will also be showcasing a range of ideas for plastic-free gardening, picking up on the hot topic of reducing our dependence on plastic. Visitors to the stand will be able to see the Paper Pot Maker, a simple way to make an everlasting supply of paper pots from newspaper, which now has an appealing reduced RRP and easy-to-merchandise packaging. There will also be a selection of wooden and metal plant labels, as well as metal plant support rings, for gardeners who want to adopt a more sustainable approach.

Making their Chelsea debut will be Burgon & Ball’s inspirational collection of indoor pots. With houseplants making headlines, these beautiful pots bring style, fashion and flair to indoor gardening. From striking hanging pots in cool neutrals to complement ‘Scandi’ style, to stylish glazed pots with beautiful textured designs, there’s something for every plant, and every home. 

Burgon & Ball Chelsea selection will be completed by the gorgeous Garden Supplies collection of gifts, storage and sundries for gardeners. Styled with beautiful smooth curves, contemporary graphics and on-trend touches of natural materials like FSC^® beech and leather, this collection really raises the bar in the style stakes.

All ranges have sold extremely well since launching at GLEE, and are sure to create a buzz with the Chelsea crowds.

Mr Fothergill’s is delighted to announce its new partnership with BBC Children in Need, to launch two seed packets for children – Sunflower Pudsey and Pumpkin Pudsey. For each packet sold, Mr Fothergill’s will donate 30p to BBC Children in Need, to help make a real difference to the lives of children all across the UK.

The bright and fun packets have an RRP of £1.99 each and are available as a compact counter top display unit of 40 packets or as a hot spot stand of 150 packets. Colourful and eye-catching POS is included on the displays, featuring the familiar Pudsey Bear character.

BBC Children in Need believe that every child in the UK should have a childhood which is safe, happy and secure and allows them the chance to reach their potential. To help achieve their vision, they provide grants to projects in the UK which focus on children and young people who are disadvantaged. They currently support 2,400 of these projects.

Since 1980, over £800 million has been raised in aid of BBC Children in Need.

To find out more about the Mr Fothergill’s range, log on at www.mr-fothergills-trade.com or telephone 01638 554111.

We have a vacancy for Deputy Centre / Plantarea Manager at Scotland Nurseries Garden Store that we are looking to fill.

Scotland Nurseries Garden Store is a rapidly growing store in the Hillview Garden Centres group. With a 300 year heritage as a plant grower and seller it continues to punch above its weight when it comes to horticulture. From its location on the hills above Matlock it dominates the Derbyshire horticulture scene in more ways than one!

We're looking for an experienced plants/horticulture retailer to join the team at Scotlands. As well as driving the plants and gardening departments you'll also be deputy GC Manager, working closely with the store manager to ensure all budgets are achieved and the business goes from strength to strength.

Send your cv and an inspiring cover letter to boyd.ddavies@hillview-group.com

The Bank Holiday Monday weather spurred garden product sales towards the highest volume week for the year so far but plant foods, pest control and garden decoration are not moving anywhere near as fast as plants just yet.

Merchandising more alongside the most popular plants could make a vital difference to pick up sales

• Gardman Hanging Basket Easy Liner 30cm is the highest re-entry.

• Smart Garden 180cm Bamboo Cane bundles of 10, are the highest placed new entry at No 27.

• Vitax Slug Gone 1 litre grew sales by 178% to re-enter at No 48.

Rolawn topsoils ands mulches were used in 13 award-winning winning gardens at the recent RHS Malvern Spring Festival, following a request from the organisers.

They featured on five of the six gold medal gardens, four Silver-Gilts and all the Silver and Bronze winners. Another user, Bloms Bulbs, won Gold in the Floral Marquee.

Rolawn's  fast-rooting Medallion turf was used to frame the gardens for judging in time for the show's opening.

Rolawn Sales & Marketing Director, Jonathan Hill said: “We were delighted to be asked by Malvern's organisers, the RHS and the Three Counties Agricultural Society, to support the show gardens. Working closely with many of the industries finest designers is an absolute pleasure. To witness first-hand the impact their creativity and build expertise has on visitors makes our involvement very worthwhile.”

Haskins Garden Centre in Roundstone has partnered with Meadowfield Hospital in Worthing to donate gardening equipment and tools for Maple Ward, its mental health ward.

The garden centre donated compost, spades, forks, trowels and other items to be used for Maple Ward’s gardening therapy programme. Representatives from the Sussex Partnership were invited to visit the garden centre to pick up the donated items.

Nick Joad, centre manager at Haskins Garden Centre in Roundstone, commented: “We’re pleased to be able to support Meadowfield Hospital and we hope that the patients in Maple Ward will enjoy gardening as part of their therapy programme.”

Tara Williams, Occupational Therapy Technician at the Sussex Partnership NHS Foundation Trust, commented: “We are so grateful to Haskins for donating us these items. At Meadowfield Hospital, we use gardening as a means of mental health therapy and the equipment will be used specifically for the Maple Ward garden project.”

Maple Ward at Meadowfield Hospital is a mental health ward, providing services with the Sussex Partnership and Heads on Charity.

Haskins Garden Centre is located in Angmering, Littlehampton, West Sussex. Visit www.haskins.co.uk for more information.

The death of Beth Chatto OBE VMH, the acclaimed gardener, writer and plantswoman was announced last week.

Beth Chatto, who was born on 27 June 1923, died peacefully at home in Elmsead Market, Essex, with her family by her side, on the evening of 13th May 2018, aged 94. There will be a private funeral with a memorial service to follow.

In a gardening career spanning six decades, Beth Chatto’s many awards included ten successive Gold Medals at RHS Chelsea, the RHS’s highest award, the Victoria Medal of Honour, and the RHS Lawrence Medal both in 1987, the Lifetime Achievement Award in 1998 from the Garden Writers Guild (now the Garden Media Guild), and two honorary doctorates, from Essex University in 1987, and from Anglia Ruskin University in 2009.

In 2002, Beth Chatto was awarded the OBE in the Queen’s Birthday honours, and her most recent honour came in 2014 when she received The John Brookes Lifetime Achievement Award from the Society of Garden Designers.

Beth’s spirit will live on in The Beth Chatto Gardens (Elmstead Market, Essex) and her gardening ethos will continue through the work of the Beth Chatto Education Trust, established to inspire the next generation of gardeners.

She leaves behind her two daughters, five grandchildren and five great grandchildren.

Julia Boulton, Beth Chatto’s granddaughter and Managing Director of the Beth Chatto Gardens said:  “Beth lived here on site which meant rarely a day went by without her popping into the Gardens, even when she was well into her nineties.

“She was a natural communicator, always keen to talk to visitors, sharing her love of plants and ideas, and of course with the many professional gardeners and colleagues who sought her guidance.

“The Gardens are her legacy, as are her books and other writings, which have had a tremendous influence right around the world and continue to do so.

“Beth’s way of planting and her concern for the environment have been widely adopted. It’s easy to forget how original these ideas were when she first put started putting them into practice here at Elmstead Market nearly 60 years ago.

“The fantastic gardening team Beth assembled will continue to implement her philosophies, and above all share her passion for plants with the many thousands of visitors who come each year to the Beth Chatto Gardens to admire and learn from her life’s work.”

“We are delighted that The Beth Chatto Education Trust will also preserve her legacy, by promoting her ideas and giving practical advice to future generations of gardeners.”

Wild Bird Care sales saw their best week since the cold and snow of March, increasing week-on-week by 13%.

Top 50 volumes were still considerably down, 22%, on the same period last year. Gardman lines continue to recover with eight re-entries.

• Gardman No Mess Mix, 12.75kg, was the highest re-entry at No 9.

• Tom Chambers Scrummy Sunflower Hearts 3kg climbed 19 places up the chart to No 23.

• Jacobi Jayne Flutter Butter and Flutter Butter Fruity, 330g, have re-entered the Top 50 at No’s 37 and 41.

Rapper Professor Green will officially open the RHS Feel Good Garden, which promotes gardening for health, happiness and wellbeing, at the 2018 RHS Chelsea Flower Show on the preview day next Monday (21 May).

Designed by Matt Keightley, twice-winner of the RHS/BBC People’s Choice Award at Chelsea, the garden provides a contemporary and therapeutic space that focuses on the positive impact that gardens and gardening can have on health. 

The garden will be re-builty after the show at Camden and Islington (C&I) NHS Foundation Trust, which provides care and treatment to vulnerable adults in a built-up part of London where green space is limited.  The Trust will receive the garden to mark the NHS’s 70^th  birthday. 

Professor Green, who has struggled with anxiety and depression for much of his adult life, said: “I know only too well how hard and hopeless it can feel when you suffer from anxiety and depression.  I’m opening this garden at RHS Chelsea Flower Show because if being out in a garden helps people feel better or takes their mind off their worries, then that has to be a good thing.

 “I think the Chelsea garden living on at the Camden and Islington mental health trust is a great project that will be of real benefit to both the patients, and also the staff who work there. I love my own garden and the more time people spend close to nature, away from phones and general pressure of life the better we’ll all feel.”

The garden will at C&I will be re-created in an outdoor space that is currently underused and lacks opportunities for stimulation.

Growing Media sales set a new record high from the Bank Holiday Monday onwards.

GTN Bestsellers Top 50 volumes just pipped the previous record set in early May 2016. As a result the year on year deficit has now dropped to below 10%.

How much of that will be made up during the rest of May? If plant sales keep running at all time highs too, the gap is sure to close.

• Scotts Levington Multipurpose + John Innes, 56 litres holds on at No 1 with Westland Jacks Magic, 60L moving up to No 2.

• Westland Gro-Sure Easy Container Compost, 50 litres, moves up 21 places to No 29.

• Bloomin Amazing Soil Enricher, 70 litres is the highest placed re-entry at No 44.

Covent Garden will stage an outdoor floral art gallery as part of next week’s Chelsea Fringe celebrations.

The conceptual floral installation, titled ‘Moments of Reflection’, will be built  on Covent Garden’s East Piazza, adorned with large mirrors inviting visitors to take a floral selfie and spare a moment or two for reflection. It has been designed by Gavin Jones and Covent Garden’s newly installed Head Gardener.

The living wall of the installation will be a celebration of Britain’s favourite spring blooms, with more than 20 different species including foxgloves, wallflowers, geraniums, petunias and lobelias.

A community herb garden with more than10 different herbs will be planted in the Piazza. A selection of Covent Garden’s restaurants and bars including Frenchie, Petersham Nurseries, Vini Italiani and Lima Floral have created bespoke cocktails and dishes using these herbs.

More than 40 of Covent Garden’s shops and restaurants will join in the festivities and blossom with botanical windows, in-store displays and floral products.

Petersham Nurseries, famous for its food, will welcome customers to an immersive masterclass on 30 May to learn how to create the ultimate floral arrangement and to alfresco dining in Floral Court, a beautifully planted central courtyard.

Moleskine, publisher of legendary notebooks, is pleased to announce new additions to a collection dedicated to the passions in our lives. Specially designed to help record and recall memories, thoughts and notes, the six new notebooks in the Moleskine Passions Collection provide a place for storing memories of the “loves of our lives” in an entirely new way.

The Gardening Journal, features a gardening-inspired cover and includes 202 adhesive labels for personalizing the journal.

The journal begins with information on leaf shapes, plant habitats, size and global hardiness zones. Carlo Contesso, garden designer and consultant, provided the content. He lives in the US and is available for interview. 3 bookmark ribbons make it easy to keep track of activity in multiple sections.

A large rear pocket provides a place to discoveries while gardening. 5 themed sections provide space for organizing insights about different plants, to make notes on tools and garden design ideas, and to record observations during visits. A garden log is included for reflecting on results of the user’s actions in the garden as they unfold over the seasons.

5 additional sections, with blank tabs for personalizing, allow a user’s creativity to run free. Users might create a section for drawing plants or collecting garden logs. Include the entire family by giving everyone their own section to record memories of gardening together.

The Moleskine Passions Collection has expanded to include 6 more new titles: Style, Gardening, Dog, Cat, Travel, and Baby, that join the already pre-existing titles: Recipes, Wine, Book, Film, Music and Wellness.

All12 journals in the Moleskine Passions Collection are specifically designed as a personal archive for Moleskine lovers to fill with their notes, stories and feelings, while featuring the same rounded corners and elastic closures iconic to the Moleskine® brand. 

For further information on the Moleskine line of products, please visit www.moleskine.com

Home and Garden UK Ltd, suppliers of garden sculptures and ornaments, would like to inform everyone that the company is still alive and trading.

"We are not associated with the Home and Garden Group who went in to administration," said the company.

"We have never been in a stronger position and welcome everyone to carry on as normal regarding ordering."

Bosworths of Burton Latimer, near Kettering, have expanded to two centres by re-opening The Walled Garden Garden Centre at Elton Hall, near Peterborough.

Sam Bosworth (above) told GTN Xtra they got the keys four weeks ago and since then have been clearing and stocking the site.  "We aim to make The Walled Garden a special place for plants and food."

The liquidators from the previous tenants, who closed in February 2018, had removed almost every fitting, including the kitchen sink, so Sam is having to totally re-build the kitchen and restaurant.  "We will have 80 covers initially and I've promised Sir William that we will be open for tea and cakes, at least, by the 25th May which is when Elton Hall is open to the public for the first time this year."

"Suppliers have been very helpful over the past few weeks and it was great to be open for business last weekend, just as the weather improved!"

While staff recruitment is ongoing, Sam and one of the lads from Burton Latimer have been running the site.  "It's just like the early days, I'm really enjoying getting involved in all aspects of getting the new centre up and running," explained Sam, after he had just replaced one of the toilet seats that had "gone missing" within two days of opening.

Quentin Edwards were the agents for the site.

Only 10 weeks after we reported the lowest sales week in garden centres, GTN Bestsellers can now report that the week beginning with the May Bank Holiday Monday was the highest week ever for garden centre sales volumes.

Record Bank Holiday Monday temperatures and a week of "good" gardening weather sent sales volumes soaring to a record high, so high that the increase over the same week last year was greater than the shortfall from the last week of February when the record low was set in all that snow.

Now after 19 weeks of the year, the GTN Bestsellers All Product Sales Index is running at 6.3% down year on year to date.  That is a huge swing back from the minus 16.6% it was sitting on at the end of March.

See the headlines of the GTN Bestsellers individual Top 50 Charts in this weekends GTN Xtra, or see the full Top 50's and a lot more useful data from GTN Bestsellers with a subscription to our weekly newsletter service using this link.

A Special Report in the Financial Times in April 2018 has highlighted Smart Garden Products as one of the fastest growing companies in Europe and have been listed in the FT 1000, a Special Report listing the European companies which have achieved the highest percentage growth in revenues between 2013 and 2016.  

Along with 156 other companies from the United Kingdom, Smart Garden Products is the only UK company representing the Personal and Household Goods sector.  With an annual compound growth rate of 36.5%, an absolute revenue growth of 154%, and a revenue in 2016 of over £30m, Smart Garden products were ranked 953 out of the 1000 European companies.

Jonathan Stobart, Managing Director, says “This is an extraordinary achievement, particularly when set against the backdrop of economic uncertainty and Brexit. However, we have always set our sights high, giving ourselves demanding targets to meet.  We have not only achieved these but exceeded even our most optimistic expectations”.

To be included in the list of Europe’s fastest growing companies, a company had to meet the following criteria:

• Revenue of at least £100,000 generated in 2013
• Revenue of at least £1.5m generated in 2016
• Revenue growth between 2013 and 2016 primarily organic

To view an interactive version of the results, go to ft.com/ft1000.

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

Blue Diamond celebrated the acquisition of their 21st garden centre last week following the completion of the purchase of Orchard Park Garden Centre in Gillingham, North Dorset.

MD, Alan Roper, told GTN Xtra that it was an ideal addition to the group; "it is in a very good AB1 customer catchment area in a growing town and there is planning permission in place which will allow us to add 3,500 sq m to take the centre to 5,500 sq m overall.  Orchard Park is a very well located centre.  It has a loyal customer base and we were particularly attracted by the opportunity of developing the centre and moving the business forward.”

Richard Cumming, Managing Director of Orchard Park said: “We’re absolutely delighted that Blue Diamond will be taking over the business. We’ve worked hard with our staff to create a business which is successful at a local and regional level and has lots of potential”.

The garden centre was built in 2004 on a green field site and has developed a strong customer base. It is on an 8 acre site and has an existing planning consent to expand it more than three-fold to create a lifestyle centre.

Gilbert Evans acted on behalf of Orchard Park, Mike Gilbert commenting, “there’s a strong demand for well-run garden centres with potential.  We approached a limited number of parties and received very strong interest.  We’re all delighted with the result.”

Robbie Cumming, Richard's son told GTN Xtra: "This is great news, and I just wanted to say I am so chuffed for mum and dad who retire after having given absolutely everything to their careers in horticulture and garden retail.

"Both started from scratch with a small plant and nursery built on bare farmland (Milton Garden Plants as some may remember), battling against all odds financially (not to mention three football mad boys) to become a local institution. Outgrowing the original site, they had to start again in the larger local town and build a new business from the ground once more.

"Orchard Park is the centre of what is now a thriving business park and a genuine focal point for the local community. So congratulations to Alan and all at Blue Diamond, who obviously know a good thing when they see one."

Every week GTN receives and analyses epos data from a number of UK garden centres to produce the GTN Bestsellers charts and weekly bestsellers sales tips.

The full charts which provide useful insight into product sales peaks, new trends and new link sales opportunities are published in the weekly GTN Xtra newsletter.

As the year goes on we give sales volume comparisons with 2016 as well as 2017 to allow your teams to see variations over a three year period.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Get the GTN Bestsellers charts in full every week in the GTN Bestsellers newsletters for only £145.00.

GTN Bestsellers is the only industry source of weekly garden centre sales information, collating Epos data from centres with an aggregate turnover in excess of £120m.

Use the weekly Garden Products and Growing Media Top 50 sales volumes charts to plan your hotspot and other promotions and ensure you have the right products in stock to satisfy the needs of your customers.

For further information contact karen.pfeiffer@tgcmc.co.uk or call 01733 775700.

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

Now in its third year at the NEC Birmingham, over 2,000 attendees are expected to pack the aisles again when Commercial Kitchen returns on 5-6 June.

Over 100 exhibiting companies are lined up for this year’s event, showcasing the complete range of innovative equipment, services, devices and utensils required to run, refurbish or build a commercial kitchen; including cooking equipment, refrigeration, storage, warewashing, fit out and design.

Big name exhibitor highlights include Unox UK, Panasonic UK, Welbilt UK, Meiko UK, Adande Refrigeration, Purified Air, Regale Microwaves, Carpigiani UK, Cuisinequip, DC Warewashing & Icemaking Systems, Fire and Ice, Reco-Air, Retigo, Roller Grill UK, Samsung, Sterling Foodservice Design, Synergy Grill, Target Catering Equipment, True Refrigeration UK, Univent Systems, Viessmann Refrigeration Systems and Blue Badger Wholesale.

“This year’s visitors will enjoy opportunities to experience first-hand, ground breaking new products and services from leading industry innovators,” explains Commercial Kitchen’s event manager Katie Tyler. 

“Being able to compare what’s on offer in the market from the best brands in one visit and get advice and inspiration to ensure you make the best decisions for your commercial kitchen, whatever your size or need, is what makes the show such an invaluable experience to its visitors,” she says.

Visitors to the show can see the most exciting new products that have launched in the market in the Innovation Challenge Gallery. They’ll be able to vote for their favourites and be part of the audience to find out which ones win a coveted Commercial Kitchen Innovation Award.

FREE keynote seminars

As in previous years, the show’s expert seminar content will cover key themes that focus specifically on the kitchen or back of house, including equipment innovations, technology, procurement, design, efficiency, and best practices. 

Confirmed speakers and panellists at the show include Arnaud Kaziewicz, executive chef & head of food at EAT, Martyn Clover, head of food at Tortilla, Alasdair Murdoch, ceo of Burger King UK, Jane Treasure, F&B director at PizzaExpress plus many more. 

The Keynote Programme is now available to view at www.commercialkitchenshow.co.uk/education  

For more information and to register for your free trade ticket in advance (saving the £20 door fee), please visit www.commercialkitchenshow.co.uk and quote priority code CK151.

Family-led Bridport based business Groves Nurseries welcomed visitors last week at the launch of the Ivy House All Day Kitchen, their impressive new onsite restaurant, designed by architects Malcolm Scott Consultants.

"Ivy House is more than a Cafe, but not a formal restaurant, hence our decision to brand it as an All Day Kitchen," MD Charlie Groves told GTN Xtra on Friday during a break from helping with the washing up.  "We've had loads of good feedback since we opened on Tuesday and the car parking is coping OK for the time being."

"It's been five years hard work from initial concept to opening the doors to the public, and that it has gone so smoothly is testament to the fantastic team working with us on this exciting project" Charlie explained. 

“It’s been a huge learning curve for me and the result is something that I am extremely proud of. We have always tried to stay true to our horticultural roots and we wanted a restaurant that would reflect this both in design and operation.  It is a standalone building situated in our plant area and takes full advantage of existing features such as our koi pond and stone pergola. The borders around the restaurant have been planted up with potager style planting and our menu has been designed to encourage gardeners to use what they can be harvesting in their garden at this time of year, so we are hoping that it will be a source of inspiration for gardeners to make the most of what they grow in the garden”

With 160 covers inside and a further 100 'al fresco' the setting is led by highly experienced catering manager Steve Smith, previously landlord of the popular and acclaimed Pilot Boat Inn in Lyme Regis. 

The smart new venue was project managed by IDCM, while main contractor's C G Fry led the build, which was successfully completed within 10 months.   

The distinctive main shell of Ivy House was manufactured and supplied by Smiemans Projecten and for the outside landscaping Groves worked with Little Fones to produce seamless blending between the existing site and the new building. 

Breakfast, lunches and afternoon teas will all be produced from a state of the art Gratte Brothers kitchen and Ivy House is fully licensed to serve alcohol, while the restaurant furniture was supplied by Abbey Business. 

Bringing the new setting a strong and modern identity, the team at 3 Hours West have overseen branding for the new venture, which looks set for a busy and successful summer ahead. 

Adande Refrigeration’s Aircell^® Sarma open front, integral refrigerated Grab & Go cabinet has won the Packaging & Equipment category at the British Sandwich Association’s Sammies Awards 2018.

The award follows the success of the Aircell® Grab & Go cabinet at the Food & Hotel Asia SCI Equipment Awards in Singapore and the FCSI UK & Ireland Sustainable Catering Equipment Awards 2017.

The judging panel recognised that the display case demonstrated genuine product innovation. The Aircell system works by dividing the cabinet’s merchandising envelope into separate air flow-managed cells with small, low pressure air columns. Each cell has its own air curtain, which is more efficient than a full height canopy-to-base air curtain on a conventional multi deck case. The net result is less pressure on the inside of the air curtain of each cell and a substantial reduction in cold air spillage. The technology is particularly suited to harsh environments, often found in food to go outlets and convenience stores, where cross draughts can exacerbate cold air spillage.

Pictured: Adande’s National Project Manager, Jan Quilliam (centre), receives the award from Nitesh Shah (left) Director of Business Development at Geeta’s Foods and Theo Randall (right) Michelin Star celebrity chef and head judge of The Sammies Awards.

Information: adandeaircell.com