In 2011 Glencrest introduced the Katie Blake range of Rattan Garden Furniture which has taken the market by storm. Nicely designed and at competitive prices our Retailers like the fact that quality has been one of the main features and they feel confident when selling Katie Blake to their customers they will be happy with no complaints. It took two years of research, design and production techniques to put the collection together but the effort was worthwhile when we look at the products we are very proud.

Right from the beginning quality has always been the main consideration and nothing has changed since those humble beginnings. Our customers rarely have to return products which is a major bonus to everyone.

The Companies turnover has increased dramatically and Glencrest has moved to new larger premises at Leigh on Sea in Essex where everything is under one roof. There is a large showroom where customers can see the entire range and enjoy the hospitality.

Delivering nationally using our own fleet of Lorries with permanent knowledgeable drivers it’s a great help and by delivering ourselves we save on carrier damages and shortages. To be perfectly honest we try very hard to keep our customers satisfied and we offer a first class back up service through our team of office staff who are there to help customers both Large and Small.

The range of products is now considerable from our Cushions through Parasols and Furniture. Glencrest Seatex are proud of their products and it shows in everything they do. Supplying over 450 Garden Centres with one product or another Glencrest is a major player in the Garden Retail Market. We are also strictly Trade only and our products are not available to the consumer except through Bona Fide Retail outlets. 

www.glencrestseatex.co.uk

• Garden Products - up 10%
• Veg-2-Gro - up 4%
• Growing Media - up 6%
• All Items Index - up 2%

A section leader at Bents’ Cook Shop has been shortlisted in a magazine’s housewares awards.

Andrew Milward joined the Cook Shop team in January 2014 and has made a major contribution to the on-going success of the department. Under his leadership, the team provides excellent levels of customer service and product knowledge.

The Excellence in Housewares Awards, now in its 17th year, are organised by Progressive Housewares magazine in conjunction with the Cookshop and Housewares Association to recognise the UK’s top housewares retailers as well as the best new housewares products. There is also a Retailer Employee of the Year award. Bents’ Section Leader, and Andrew, has reached the 2016 shortlist.

The awards are widely recognised as the ‘Oscars’ for the housewares industry.

The finalists were chosen after an industry-wide poll of housewares suppliers.

Close proximity to the Trafford Centre sees Bents’ Cook Shop competing with main players like John Lewis, Selfridges, Debenhams and Lakeland but it continues to perform well in a challenging marketplace.

Matthew Bent, MD at Bents Garden & Home, said: “Andrew has helped establish a strong brand presence in the Cook Shop with great gadgets and unique products proving very popular with customers. He is friendly, approachable and engages with customers and is committed to providing advice, recommendations and delivering the highest levels of customer service at all times; a top priority for all our colleagues.”

Bunnings UK and Ireland managing director PJ Davis has chosen the next in the series of BHETA Networking Forums to make the first public presentation of the UK Bunnings business since its acquisition of Homebase earlier this year.

The event, on 3 November, will be open to both member and non-member companies.

Davis will reflect on the initiatives, changes and progress of the business since the acquisition and shed light on the strategy and future roll out of Bunnings stores, setting out what the business stands for in the UK and the opportunities for suppliers.  He will be one of four speakers in what promises to be an informative, insightful and thought provoking business session.

CBI (Confederation of British Industry) deputy director general, Josh Hardie (pictured right), will be exploring what the DIY and garden market might look like in post-Brexit Britain.  His presentation will also include the wider perspective on the issues that face UK PLC, based on an overview of the CBI’s 90,000 members.  Mr Hardie brings with him recent retail experience as the former group director for corporate responsibility with Tesco.

Victoria Neuhofer from FN Neuhofer HOLZ of Austria will reprise her closing speech from this year’s Global DIY Summit in Stockholm.  In a thought-provoking session, Victoria presents a compelling case for the need to grasp the digital and online nettle to talk to the DIY and garden customers of tomorrow, questioning how many supplier companies are fully ready to do so. 

Continuing the technology theme, Insight Retail Group MD Steve Collinge will present on the '4th Industrial Revolution' and how breakthroughs in fields such as artificial intelligence, the internet of things, supply chain innovation and 3D printing are likely to transform the future of our industry.

The Forum will close with a moderated Q&A panel session.

Because of the anticipated demand, BHETA has switched venues for this event from Federation House to the Ricoh Arena in Coventry. Member price will be £45 + vat per person and the non-member will pay £95 +vat. The price includes free parking and a networking buffet lunch.  The event will start at 10 am with registration from 9.30 am.

Applications to attend should be made by email here info@bheta.co.uk

or call Member Services on 0121 237 1130

David Denny, the HTA’s market information manager, recently completed a cross-Channel swim, raising more than £2,500 in sponsorship.

The proceeds are to be shared between the Greenfingers and Clowns in the Sky charities.

David’s fascinating story about his preparations, the swim itself and what happened afterwards is told in a compelling tale on his Blogspot, which you can access via this link.

David – a keen swimmer, as you might expect – completed the swim in a little over nine hours, which far exceeded the time he was expecting.

Greenfingers raises money to create gardens at children’s hospices across the UK, while Clowns in the Sky supports children affected by brain tumours.

Staff at Pennell’s Lincoln Garden Centre said goodbye to their colleague Trevor Smith on Wednesday, who is retiring after a fantastic 53 years with the company.

Trevor started work for Pennells on 18 Jan 1963. That winter was one of the coldest on record. Cliff Richards’ film Summer Holiday premiered that year, Charles de Gaulle said "Non" to the UK joining the common market and the Beatles had their first No 1 record.

Trevor worked in many departments developing his skills and knowledge on the nursery before becoming manager of the propagation unit at the company’s Hillside nursery at Waddington.

Following changes in the nursery side in 2002, he transferred to the garden centre at Hykeham, where he was able to pass on his knowledge and skills to customers and younger staff. He also took on responsibility for the centre’s bulb buying.

Trevor comes from a family very much connected with Pennells. His wife Jane continues to work in the office and has been with the company for more than 29 years and his father Fred also worked on the nursery and retired in 1984 after 51 years with the company - so between them they have so far worked for 133 years for the company. The cutting (right) from the Lincolnshire Chronicle shows Fred on his retrirement in 1984, with Trevor in the background.

• Mid August Preview        - 17th August
• Late August Preview        - 31^st August
• Full Show Preview           - 7^th September
• Build up preview - Live from the Show - 11th September 
• Live from the Show Day 1 - 12^th September
• Live from the Show Day 2  - 13^th September
• Live from the Show Day3   - 14^th September
• Omnibus Issue                 - 27th September

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For advertorial and advertisng opportunties please contact Ben Greenwood, Alan Burdon or Mandy Davies at The Garden Communication & Media Co Ltd, 01733 775700, owners and publishers of Garden Trade News, Garden Radio and The Greatest Awards.

A documentary about the cut flowers market is due to be screened on Channel Four at 8pm on Monday (5 September).

Over the past year, the Flower Council of Holland has been assisting Films of Record with access to the industry for the documentary, which was commissioned by Channel 4.

They helped the film maker to gain access to the Royal FloraHolland Auctions Houses in Holland, traders, wholesalers, made market introductions, and recommended industry experts within the sector (both UK and European-based).

The organisation also used used consumer-facing brand, Funnyhowflowersdothat.co.uk, to offer a big UK relevant event for their programme to really help the industry shine. This was done through a larger-than-life floral installation outside the National Gallery in Trafalgar Square in June, in support of the gallery’s Dutch Flowers exhibition, using 26,430 live flowers (see picture above)

Films of Record followed the Flower Council team for three days in a row to capture the making of the display, and footage is expected to be included in the final documentary.

A plant wall that generates enough energy to charge a mobile phone and a retail range of plant kits for children were judged the Best Ideas at last month’s Plantarium exhibition in Holland.

Students from Wellantcollege in Delft received the prize of €1000 for their Power Plant, which demonstrated how plants can generate electricity. The jury said: “Power Plant is a great innovation and will certainly be used by companies as an eye-catcher in the hall or reception area. It provides power for charging a smartphone and has a positive effect on the company's desired sustainability and innovation image. It shows in a light-hearted and innovative way that the company is investing in CSR/sustainability.” 

The Amazing World range of playfully-packaged plants from aquatic, swamp desert habitats was entered by Van der Velde Waterplanten bv from Bleiswijk, winning the business category, with a €1000 PR package as the prize. The judges said: “It is an appealing total concept which is well thought out and geared towards a specific target group: children. It fits well into the gift segment and is definitely intended for pleasure shopping. The fact that the plants in Swampworld also catch mosquitoes is a nice bonus.”

There were 14 entries for the Best Idea, three of them from students.

Late-flowering perennials for late summer colour in the planteria are the HTA’s ‘Plant of the Moment’ for September.

Several hardy perennials have been patiently growing all year, waiting for their turn to take centre stage. And now their time has come to burst into bloom and fill the garden with vibrant colour.

Japanese anemones (pictured right) are always a favourite. Tall and bold, their simple flowers in shades from pink to white really celebrate the season. They’re adaptable too, growing in sites from full sun to partial shade.

The thick fleshy foliage of sedum varieties – commonly known as Ice Plants – add interest throughout the year. Foliage colours vary from green to grey and deep purple, and some with variegated green and white leaves look particularly impressive grown individually in small terracotta pots. Their flowers come in eye-catching colours from pure white to pink and red, proving as attractive to us as they are bees and butterflies.

Michaelmas Day, celebrated on 29 September, and lends its name to one of the most valuable hardy perennials to flower through September and October, the Michaelmas Daisies. Many are varieties of the New York aster, Aster novi-belgii, but several other types are available. A succession of blooms gives them long-lasting appeal. They make great cut flowers. 

Planning and planting tips to pass on to customers

* When planning borders, choose a selection of plants that flower at different times through the year so there’s always something colourful to enjoy.

* Plant taller growing autumn flowering varieties behind low growing summer ones so they’ll grow up above them once summer displays fade away.

* A small group of, say, three plants of one variety often looks more impressive than choosing three different things.

* Leave old flowers on Verbena bonariensis to set seed and release this over the surrounding border to develop into new plants that will flower in following years.

To apply for this role click here

• Chrysanthemum and Capsicum (Ornamental peppers) both grew sales by 300%.
• Helianthus (Sunflowers) blossomed with a 150% increase.
• Calluna’s doubled their sales to move up 7 places to No 8.

• Gardman Post Light Stainless Steel is the highest new entry at No 5.
• Gardman Solar Black Nickel Glass Marker Light is the highest re-entry at No 14.
• Smart Solar Eureka! Lightbulb Lantern returns to the top.
• The highest climber was Westland Lawn & Turf Dressing (25 litres), moving up 23 places to No 27.

• Profitplants Asparagus Mixed was the highest new entry at No 18.
• Taylors Bulbs Windowsill Herb Pots Basil, Parsley and Chive was the highest climber, moving up 33 places to No 15.
• Taylors Autumn Planting Seed Potatoes Duke Of York retained the top spot.

• Arthur Bowers New Horizon Multi-Purpose Compost (50 litres) was the highest climber, rising 21 places to No 13.
• The highest re-entry was Taylors Bulb Fibre at No 19.
• Westland Ericaceous + John Innes (30 litres), Arthur Bowers Chunky Chip Bark (70 litres) and Arthur Bowers New Horizon Multi Purpose (60 litres) all had good sales weeks to re-enter the Top 50 chart.

• 8-page special on the GIMA Awards - all the winners and pictures.
• Smart Garden Products' Eureka! moment.
• Generation Game spotlight on Squire's Garden Centres.
• Reviews of SOLEX and the HTA National Plant Show.
• Insight into what makes a great plant retailing team.
• Preview of PATS Telford - the UK's No.1 pet trade exhibition.

The 2017 Salon du Végétal plant show in Nantes (20-22 June) has adopted the slogan ‘Dream up easy plants!’

The show will put the spotlight on plants, innovations, products and services that contribute to make the use of plants and their surroundings easy in gardens.

The theme will embrace ideas like maintenance-free plants, equipment that is easy to use, ranges that are easy to identify at a glance, easy to pick up and use. A handy guide to make the most of the theme will be sent out to exhibitors in September.

Conferences, debates and demonstrations centred around the ‘Dream up easy plants!’ concept will be staged each day.

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 printed newsletter.

As the year goes on we give sales volume comparisons with 2014 as well as 2015 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 Garden Media Bestsellers 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.