After months of speculation, Town & Country has been sold to EP Barrus.  As a result Jamieson and Barry Page (pictured above at Chelsea 2016) will be leaving the business.

Barry, who started Town & Country in 1960 has told customers:  "I am writing to let you know that we have sold the business. I personally want to thank you for the support that you have given to me and to Town & Country, whose success was created through the support of customers like yourselves.

"Customer support has been essential to the growth and development of Town and Country and it is extremely important to me that it will continue.  We are very lucky to have found a company whose ethos and culture is extremely compatible to that of Town & Country.

"The sale of the business to Barrus is fully supported by our employees who are positive about the future of the brand. The majority of the personnel will become employees of Barrus; and I will be working hard to ensure a smooth transition.  I look forward to meeting you at Glee where I can introduce you to the new Barrus team who have a wealth of experience in our industry."

The Town & Country brand will join Barrus’s current extensive line-up of leading garden machinery and garden tool brands including Cub Cadet, Lawnflite, Agri-Fab, WOLF-Garten, Wilkinson Sword and Energizer.

A statement from EP Barrus states:  "Town & Country offers one of the most comprehensive collections of gardening gloves and footwear. Continued investment and a focus on innovation have brought together a range that combines quality, functionality and style with exceptional value for money."

Robert Muir, Managing Director, E P Barrus Ltd. which celebrates its 100 year anniversary during 2017, commented: “The acquisition of Town & Country reinforces our commitment to the garden sector. This well-established household name has great synergy with our current line-up of premium gardening brands and provides the potential for future growth through existing and new distribution channels.”

Tim Hart, Director of Sales & Marketing said: “We are meeting the needs of gardeners by bringing premium brands together to offer a portfolio of high quality, innovative products.  Town & Country, like all our brands, will be fully supported by our operational expertise which enables us to offer excellent distribution service levels, and we will continue to build and develop the brand into the future.”

Barrus, which is part owned by US company MTD, will be represented across two stands at the forthcoming GLEE exhibition in September with Town & Country, and WOLF-Garten and Wilkinson Sword.

www.barrus.co.uk

www.townandco.com

www.mtdproducts.com

As of yesterday, 31^st July 2017, La Hacienda Ltd became part of Griffon Corporation (NYSE: GFF), a US public company with approximately USD $2 billion of annual revenue. Griffon is a diversified management and holding company and operates in three market sectors: Home and Building Products, Telephonics Corporation and Clopay Plastic Products.

La Hacienda will form part of The AMES Companies, which is in turn part of Griffon’s Home and Building Products segment. AMES is the largest supplier of non-powered landscaping products in the USA, Canada and Australasia. The broad range includes long handled garden tools, wheelbarrows, snow tools, striking tools, pruning tools, garden hoses, planters and lawn accessories. Ames (www.ames.com) has a long history dating back to 1774 and in recent years expanded into Australia via Northcote Pottery, Cyclone and Hills. AMES has been looking for an opportunity to enter the UK market and have selected La Hacienda Ltd to work with.

Also forming part of The AMES Companies is one of America’s largest pot and planter suppliers, Southern Patio (www.planter.com). Southern Patio sources and distributes a wide range of pots and planters to many home retailers within the USA including Walmart, Home Depot, Lowes and Costco. Southern Patio is particularly strong in developing lightweight pottery made from fiberglass, resin and stonecast.

La Hacienda Ltd considers this a terrific development for our business, and has great confidence that the many employees, customers and suppliers will benefit from the new ownership structure. As part of the global AMES team, we will be well positioned to serve customers via a stronger supply chain and a broader product range.

The La Hacienda owners, John, Simon, Caroline and Maria Goodwin remain at the helm of the business, along with the wider management team, and confirm it will be ‘business as usual’ as a result of the new ownership.

Simon Goodwin told GTN Xtra: "We wish to thank all of our amazing customers for their support and loyalty over the last 28 years. There are exciting times ahead as the La Hacienda brand will go from strength to strength with the backing of a major global player. We very much look forward to introducing new products, brands and ranges for the benefit of all of our customers."

Griffon Corporation announced on it's website:  "Its subsidiary, The Ames Companies, Inc., acquired La Hacienda Limited, a leading United Kingdom outdoor living brand of unique heating and garden décor products. The acquisition broadens AMES’ global outdoor living and lawn and garden business, and supports AMES’ UK expansion strategy.

"The purchase price for La Hacienda approximated $11 million. The acquisition is expected to contribute approximately $18 million in annualized revenue and be immediately accretive to Griffon’s earnings in its first full year of operations."

www.griffon.com

www.lahacienda.co.uk

www.ames.com

Following an emergency Xylella meeting held last week at the HTA, garden retailers have signed up to support a joint industry plant sourcing statement about Xylella fastidiosa.

The statement, which incorporates the existing HTA Ornamentals Management Committee statement, reads as follows:-

“As a minimum standard, the following businesses have taken the decision NOT to knowingly purchase any host plants originating from regions where the disease Xylella is known to exist. The decision has been taken after detailed consideration as to the potential catastrophic impact the introduction of the disease could have to the UK environment, coupled with the ever increasing number of host plant genera of this disease. This is in line with DEFRA’s good practice recommendations.”

The HTA is aware that this is a minimum standard and therefore individual businesses are encouraged to develop their own policy for managing the risks posed by Xylella fastidiosa.

The following retailers have signed up to the statement.

• Orchard Park Garden Centre
• St Peters Garden Centre
• Henry Street Garden Centre
• Aylett Nurseries Ltd
• The Gardens Group
• Klondyke Group
• Scotsdales Garden Centres
• Hillview Garden Centres
• Notcutts Garden Centres
• Haskins Garden Centres
• Alton Garden Centre
• Burleydam Garden Centre
• Fresh @ Burcot
• Fosseway Garden Centre
• Squires Garden Centres
• Hillier Garden Centres

For the full list of businesses, including growers and retailers signed up to the statement, please see: https://hta.org.uk/plant-and-disease-alert-xylella-fastidiosa.html

Any businesses wishing to show their support for the statement should email policy@hta.org.uk in order for their name to be added to the list.

Commenting on this Raoul Curtis-Machin, HTA Director of Horticulture comments, “Retailers attending the meeting felt that a joined up industry statement for all sectors would be stronger. It became apparent that retailers felt inadequately informed about procedures to follow and the potential impact of Xylella fastidiosa throughout the supply chain. As a result a five point plan has been developed to inform about good practice with regard to plant health management.”

Xylella Five Point Plan

Under EU emergency measures there are additional plant passporting requirements for all professional operators sourcing Xylella host plants. This means that all those trading professionally in these plants must issue and retain passports where the plants are being supplied to another business entity, such as landscapers, designers and retailers. It also includes plants being imported direct to the final user.

All those involved in the commercial supply and receipt of host plants should:

1. Check plant passports arriving with plants are correct and keep the plant passport to aid trace back if necessary. Label and keep records of the identity of all received batches of plants, including where the plants came from and when.
2. Source from known suppliers or visit suppliers to view their processes, procedures, biosecurity arrangements and the plants they grow.
3. Make sure that imported plants both originate from, and are sourced from, disease free areas. Details on infected areas are found at: http://ec.europa.eu/food/plant/plant_health_biosecurity/legislation/emergency_measures/index_en.htm.
4. Maintain records of pesticide treatments and destroy old or unusable plants.
5. Comply with the UK national requirements to notify the UK Plant Health Service about certain species of plants under the ‘EU Plant and Tree notification scheme’.

For trade guidance and information about Xylella priority hosts, follow the links from this page: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/protecting-plant-health-topical-issues#new-eu-emergency-measures-against-xylella-fastidiosa-a-bacterial-disease-of-plants

The authorities have also identified six High Risk plants: https://planthealthportal.defra.gov.uk/assets/uploads/Xylella-host-info-note-version3.pdf

For more information about plant passports and keeping updated with legislation: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/plant-health-controls

For more information about plant health: https://planthealthportal.defra.gov.uk/ or contact: planthealth.info@apha.gsi.gov.uk, 01904 40138.

The winners of the Garden Centre Association’s South Thames regional awards were revealed during a presentation evening at Castle Gardens in Dorset on Wednesday, July 26, 2017.

The title of Garden Centre of the Year in the Destination Garden Centre (DGC) category was awarded to Haskins Garden Centre, Roundstone (above) and the Garden Centre (GC) category award went to Squires Garden Centre, Hersham (below).



Between them Haskins and Squires garden centres won eleven out of the fourteen awards presented after the GCA inspections for 2017.

Iain Wylie, Chief Executive of the GCA, said: “This was our fourth regional awards meeting of the month and it was a great success. I’d like to offer thanks to Castle Gardens for being brilliant hosts and congratulate all our very deserving award-winners, who were inspected by Michael Cole.

“Other awards on the night included The Barton Grange Trophy for Innovation and Creativity, which was awarded to Haskins Garden Centre – Roundstone and the Dick Allen Award for Most Improved Centre, which went to Hillier Garden Centre – Braishfield.

“The final GCA regioanl awards night will take place on September 7 at Klondyke Mayfield to announce the Scotland and Northern Ireland area award winners.”

The full results for the South Thames region GCA area awards are as follows for the GC and DGC categories:

Garden Centre of the Year: Squires Garden Centre – Hersham (GC) and Haskins Garden Centre – Roundstone (DGC)

Customer Service Award for Best Customer Service: Haskins Garden Centre – Ferndown

Environment and Community Award for Best Environmental Practice: Stewarts Garden Centre – Christchurch

The Barton Grange Trophy for Innovation and Creativity: Haskins Garden Centre – Roundstone

The Dick Allen Award for Most Improved Centre: Hillier Garden Centre – Braishfield

The ifse Award for Catering Excellence for Best Garden Centre Restaurant: Squires Garden Centre – Hersham (GC) and Haskins Garden Centre – Southampton (DGC) joint winner with Chessington Garden Centre (DGC)

The GIMA Award for Best Garden Products Retailer: Squires Garden Centre – Hersham (GC) and Haskins Garden Centre – Roundstone (DGC)

Best Indoor Lifestyle Retailer: Squires Garden Centre – Hersham (GC) and Ruxley Manor Garden Centre (DGC)

Best Outdoor Living Retailer: Squires Garden Centre – Long Ditton (GC) and Stewarts Garden Centre – Christchurch (DGC) joint winner with Haskins Garden Centre – Roundstone (DGC)

The GCA represents nearly 200 garden centres nationwide. Through sharing information and its inspection programme the GCA helps members to achieve high standards in customer service, plant quality and reliability.

For further information, please call 01244 952170. Alternatively, please visit www.gca.org.uk, log on to www.facebook.com/pages/GardenCentreAssociation or follow the organisation on Twitter at www.twitter.com/GC_Association.  

Members of the Garden Centre Association received awards for the Midlands region at a presentation hosted by Planters Garden Centre, Tamworth on Tuesday, July 25, 2017.

Webbs, Wychbold (above) was awarded Garden Centre of the Year in the Destination Garden Centre (DGC) category and Fairways Garden Centre, Ashbourne (below) picked up the accolade in the Garden Centre (GC) category.

Iain Wylie, Chief Executive of the GCA, said: “A great night was had by all in attendance at our third regional awards evening and the awards are testament to the dedication, hard work and effort put in by all of the garden centre teams.

“A big ‘thank you’ goes to Planters Garden Centre, Tamworth for hosting the shindig and to Inspector Alyson Haywood, who presented her findings on the night.

“Other awards on the night included the Dick Allen Award for Most Improved Centre, which went to Webbs, West Hagley and the Customer Service Award for Best Customer Service, which was awarded to Webbs, Wychbold.”

The full results for the Midlands region GCA area awards are as follows for the GC and DGC categories:

Garden Centre of the Year: Fairways Garden Centre – Ashbourne (GC) and Webbs, Wychbold (DGC)

Customer Service Award for Best Customer Service: Webbs, Wychbold

Environment and Community Award for Best Environmental Practice: Fairways Garden Centre – Ashbourne

The Barton Grange Trophy for Innovation and Creativity: Fairways Garden Centre – Ashbourne

The Dick Allen Award for Most Improved Centre: Webbs, West Hagley (above)

The ifse Award for Catering Excellence for Best Garden Centre Restaurant: Fairways Garden Centre – Ashbourne (GC) and Webbs, Wychbold (DGC)

The GIMA Award for Best Garden Products Retailer: Fairways Garden Centre – Ashbourne (GC) and Webbs, Wychbold (DGC)

Best Indoor Lifestyle Retailer: Stratford Garden Centre (GC), above, and Webbs, Wychbold (DGC)

Best Outdoor Living Retailer: Stratford Garden Centre (GC) and Webbs, Wychbold (DGC)

The GCA represents nearly 200 garden centres nationwide. Through sharing information and its inspection programme the GCA helps members to achieve high standards in customer service, plant quality and reliability.

For further information, please call 01244 952170. Alternatively, please visit www.gca.org.uk, log on to www.facebook.com/pages/GardenCentreAssociation or follow the organisation on Twitter at www.twitter.com/GC_Association.  



See our gallery of pictures from Planters Tamworth below 

With the ‘outdoor room’ trend becoming increasingly popular amongst garden designers and homeowners alike, garden screens are tipped to be the next go-to outdoor accessory. Thanks to the range of stylish and versatile options from Grange Fencing, retailers can be sure to keep one step ahead of the game.

Featuring a wide slat design, the Urban Screen offers an on-trend alternative to garden trellis and can be used to separate and define areas without losing the sense of light and space from the garden as a whole. With a choice of two sizes – four foot and six foot – the Urban Screen is part of the minimalist Urban Garden Collection pictured above).

For those looking to create the ultimate alfresco living area, the Adjustable Slat Garden Screen (left) benefits from a clever window blind design for a unique ‘outdoor room’ feel. The screen’s timber slats can be either closed to create separate and distinct pockets of outdoor space or opened, allowing for sunlight to stream through. Thanks to this innovative feature, the Adjustable Slat Garden Screen has seen great success since launching in 2016 and is continuing to prove popular within the consumer market this summer.

For more information about Grange’s range of Garden Screens, visit www.grangefen.co.uk. Retailers interested in working with Grange can contact the company on 01952 588 088 or email sales@grangefen.co.uk

Perrywood Garden Centre ( above) picked up the North Thames region award for Destination Garden Centre of the Year and Sunshine Garden Centre (below) won the North Thames Garden Centre of the Year award at Ayletts Nurseries in Hertfordshire on Thursday 27th July.

Iain Wylie, Chief Executive of the GCA, said: “Our North Thames regional awards made for a very enjoyable evening for all in attendance and it was great to see the garden centre teams be rewarded for all of the hard work they have put in this year.

“Ayletts Nurseries was the perfect host for the evening and Inspector Gordon Emslie’s findings, which he presented on the night, were extremely interesting.”

The ifse Award for Catering Excellence for Best Garden Centre Restaurant went to Poplars Garden Centre (DGC) and Thurrock Garden Centre (GC).

The Dick Allen Award for Most Improved Centre was awarded to Marlows Home & Garden Centre.

Iain added: “We will now have a break before the final regional awards evening for Scotland and Northern Ireland, which takes place on September 7 at Klondyke Mayfield.”

The full results for the North Thames region GCA area awards are as follows for the GC and DGC categories:

Garden Centre of the Year: Sunshine Garden Centre (GC) and Perrywood Garden Centre (DGC)

Customer Service Award for Best Customer Service: Sunshine Garden Centre

Environment and Community Award for Best Environmental Practice: Squires Garden Centre – Twickenham joint winner with Squires Garden Centre – Windsor (above)

The Barton Grange Trophy for Innovation and Creativity: Perrywood Garden Centre

The Dick Allen Award for Most Improved Centre: Marlows Home & Garden Centre (above)

The ifse Award for Catering Excellence for Best Garden Centre Restaurant: Thurrock Garden Centre (GC), above, and Poplars Garden Centre (DGC), below.

The GIMA Award for Best Garden Products Retailer: Sunshine Garden Centre (GC) and Ayletts Nurseries (DGC)

Best Indoor Lifestyle Retailer: Squires Garden Centre – Shepperton (GC) and Perrywood Garden Centre (DGC)

Best Outdoor Living Retailer: Squires Garden Centre – Shepperton (GC) and Altons Garden Centre (DGC)

North Thames centres that have qualified for the Ruxley Rose Planteria Award were also announced. The list included Meadowcroft, pictured below.

The GCA represents nearly 200 garden centres nationwide. Through sharing information and its inspection programme the GCA helps members to achieve high standards in customer service, plant quality and reliability.

For further information, please call 01244 952170. Alternatively, please visit www.gca.org.uk, log on to www.facebook.com/pages/GardenCentreAssociation or follow the organisation on Twitter at www.twitter.com/GC_Association.  

July sales volumes are heading towards being the lowest for the past four years according to Epos data supplied to GTN for our weekly Bestsellers analysis.  That doesn’t equate to bad news for garden centre turnovers, however, as increased sales of higher value furniture, BBQ and other garden leisure items mean tills have been ringing and profits growing.

Time will tell if summer holiday garden centre attractions boost footfall and volume sales during August.  Will pure entertainment attractions prove to be a greater pull for business or will the garden and education related ideas deliver a better return?

At Aylett Nurseries in St Albans they have a double attraction of their Celebration Garden, which looks as good as any RHS of National Trust garden, and a “pop-up” Butterfly House.  General Manager Geoff Lucas said they were already seeing good sales of butterfly and insect related product sales and Plant Manager Marcus Cousins reports that Dahlia sales are ahead of last year as a result of people seeing them planted in the Celebration Garden.

See our gallery of pictures below.

• Garden Products Top 50 – down 30%
• Growing Media Top 50 – down 22%
• Veg 2 Gro Products Top 50 – up 15%
• All Plants index – down 11%
• All Items index – down 5%

The final 12 candidates in the Rising Stars class of 2017 have been announced.

There was friendly rivalry at both the Westland/GCA Rising Stars North and South masterclass earlier this month, when all presented the results of their projects to the group, showing they have driven sales across spring as a result of their learning.

A total of 12 made it through to the third and final masterclass in October where they will bid for a place in the final, taking place at the GCA Conference in Stratford-upon-Avon from January 21-24.

The final candidates (in no particular order) are:

Northern Group (above)
1. Andreea Robertson – GardenWise
2. Jack Moyers – Barton Grange
3. Jayne Scott – Klondyke Daleside
4. Sarah Postlethwaite – Fron Goch
5. Emma Blackmore – Bents

Southern Group (below)
1. Mathylda Mucha – Millbrook
2. Jack Shilley – RHS Wisley
3. Tora Cook – Perrywood
4. Clark Lambert – Garsons Titchfield
5. Lisa Collingbourne – Squires Twickenham
6. Alexander Cawley – Squires Stanmore
7. Samantha Davis - Haskins

Keith Nicholson, Marketing Director from Westland Horticulture said: “This is the time of year when the competition really starts! Already the Rising Stars are achieving big successes for their garden centres and this will only continue as we move into the third and final stage.”

Ian Wylie, Chief Executive of the Garden Centre Association said: “The Rising Stars Programme is all about developing the talent in the garden centre industry for its continued success. It is great to see them already putting their new found knowledge into practice at their own garden centres with great success.”

Ian Boardman, IBBIS director and training facilitator for the group said: “The standard was very high – with lots of learning and many examples of large sales increases. Managing time and communication became the secrets to doing well in their projects.”

One of the most innovative features at the annual Glee exhibition, the Retail Lab @ Glee, new for 2017, has secured backing from a wide range of leading suppliers, who have come on board as ‘Preferred Supplier Partner’ and ‘Selected Supplier Partner’ of the Retail Lab’s four trend-lead areas.  Brands confirmed as ‘Preferred Supplier Partners’ of the Retail Lab @ Glee in 2017 are Cadix, Hozelock, Petface, Ivyline, Woodlodge and Elho.

Recognising the value of the Retail Lab and what it stands for – an interactive showcase of the latest trend information and informative business building advice, best practice and self-learning content – these brands from across the garden retail market have been quick to confirm their support of the area. The area is set to receive a high footfall throughout Glee’s three days, with each brand benefitting from this increased brand awareness.

Cadix will be providing products and display ideas within the Re-Wilding area, joined by Hozelock who will be showcasing some of its latest water-saving and water-management solutions and innovations. This area – one of four within the Retail Lab – will focus on the role that nature is playing within the way that we live and interact with our surroundings, and also how retailers can optimise this within the retail environment. From ideas to growing in small spaces (85% of people now live in an urban area) to ideas to support sustainability and encourage wildlife to the garden, the Re-Wilding trend is set to be huge in 2018 and beyond.

Over in the ‘Family’ area, Petface, one of the leading suppliers of pet accessories, will be building more content around the changing role of the ‘pet’ within the family, whilst Elho will also be supplying products to both the Family and Well-being areas. The Family area within the Retail Lab will focus on how garden centres can optimise activities and products that appeal to all members of the garden, reflective of how the way we use our garden spaces has changed. From indoor grow-zones, to project based play the Family section will be an inspirational hub that will provide ideas on how to broaden the appeal of gardening throughout the home.

Woodlodge will be assisting with the Retail Lab’s Community section, using its expert merchandising display knowledge to create moveable retail units. The company will also be supplying pots for use throughout the Retail Lab area. From mobile planting tables to a greater emphasis on herbs, cut flowers, vegetable and fruit, the Community area within the Retail Lab, is designed to showcase how communities can be brought together, and how retailers can incorporate an area that enables customers the chance to get their hands dirty.

Finally, Ivyline – suppliers of trend-led pots and accessories – will be providing indoor pots, whilst also showcasing the Barry the Cactus brand, which has already captured the attention of a much younger audience through insightful and playful social media and branding.

In addition to the ‘Preferred Supplier Partners’, the Retail Lab is also being supported by a number of ‘Selected Supplier Partners’. More names are set to be finalised in the coming weeks but Glee are pleased to confirm that Traditional Garden Games, Primeur Ltd, Carnilove, Woodstock Windchimes, The Patio Black Spot Removal Company Ltd and Potters Crouch Candles are already onboard as Retail Lab sponsors.

Growers Profit Plant and Air So Pure, have also confirmed their support for the Retail Lab, and will be showcasing their latest plant innovations within the Re-Wilding and Community areas respectively.

Glee Event Director, Matthew Mein, said: “Our thanks go to all of those that have already confirmed their involvement in the Retail Lab. This is our most exciting feature ever, and having so many key brands on board adds even more weight to its proposition.

“The Retail Lab is all about helping to inspire and educate retailers, providing them with tangible trend information and merchandising ideas that they can implement in their own stores to grow both their offering and business, whilst also targeting new customers. The support and products offered by our preferred suppliers and sponsors will help the many ideas and concepts that shape the Retail Lab to come to life. What’s more, even more brands are set to confirm their support, making the Retail Lab an even more exciting and thriving proposition.”

Find out more

Glee is the UK’s leading garden retail show, focussing on building year-round profits within core product categories including Garden Care, Outdoor Entertaining, Landscaping and Garden Design, Pet, Home, Gift and Clothing, and Plants. Each year the show attracts thousands of buyers from top retailers, such as leading UK garden centres, builders’ merchants, multiple retailers, and DIY stores. To keep up-to-date on all the latest news log onto www.gleebirmingham.com or call 020 3033 2160 to find out about exhibiting.

Bonningtons Managing Director, Ian Fisher, leads team of amateur cyclists through stage 18 of the Tour de France.

L’Etape du Tour is an annual mass participation event in which amateur cyclists gather from around the world to take on a stage of the Tour de France.  2017 marks the 27^th edition of L’Etape, and on Sunday 16^th July, over 12,000 lucky riders came together from 72 countries to take on stage 18 of the Tour.   

Not one to turn down a challenge, accomplished Triathlete and Managing Director, Ian Fisher, took a team of four to represent Bonningtons on the mountain stage.  The team, sporting company branded Lycra, was made up of Ian Fisher, Ben Simmons of BSCC Ltd, Will Newbury of 9 Endurance and Andrew McQueen of All 4 Design.

The route covers 181 gruelling kilometres through the Hautes-Alpes, beginning in Briançon and ending at Col d’Izoard – the highest summit finish in the history of the event. 

“As bike rides go, I have to say it was the most punishing I have ever done in my life,” said Ian afterwards.  “The scenery was absolutely stunning, which made the pain more bearable.  Approaching the summit finish is a moment I will never forget.  Many riders didn’t make it to the top, but after 110 miles of bike racing with a total of 3 climbs, even reaching the foot of the summit finish was a great achievement in itself!”

Following the success of the mountain stage, Ian has decided to put together an official Bonningtons Cycling Team.   The family run company has an inclusive culture and actively encourages employees to adopt a healthy lifestyle.  An onsite gym is available, free of charge to all employees, and staff regularly participate in fitness challenges such as mud runs and extreme obstacle races.  The Bonningtons cycling team’s first challenge will be a 50-mile bike ride in the UK in September 2017. 

This will ensure a busy September for the company, as it coincides with their 50^th Anniversary Celebration Open Event which takes place from 5^th – 14^th September.  During the event at the Bonningtons Nottingham showrooms, visitors will receive special offers and one-off promotions as well as a VIP tour of the premises.  To book a place, customers should ring Head Office on 0115 985 4119 or email coral@bonningtons.com

‘Anniversary Splendour’ has been chosen as the winning name for a new rose, as part of a national competition run by Notcutts Garden Centres in celebration of their 120^th anniversary this year. Christine Trickett from Pontefract in Yorkshire has been crowned joint-winner of the competition, alongside Julie Yeomans from Norfolk who suggested the same name. Both winners were amongst 4,000 people across the country inspired to enter the competition.

Caroline Notcutt, Vice-Chairman at Notcutts Garden Centres, helped to select the winning name alongside the Notcutts Planteria team.

Caroline Notcutt said: “Congratulations to Christine Trickett and Julie Yeomans for both suggesting such a wonderful name. We believe Anniversary Splendour is a natural fit for our celebratory rose. Many entries we received were dedicated to loved ones so we chose Anniversary Splendour as the perfect name to celebrate all special anniversaries, as well as our own this year.

“Thank you to everyone who suggested a name for our competition – we were delighted to see such a huge response from customers nationwide, and I enjoyed reading through all the imaginative entries.”

A special prize bundle was presented to Christine and Julie at their local Notcutts Garden Centres in Norwich and Pontefract. Both winners received a prime specimen of the new rose as well as £120 in Notcutts gift vouchers, afternoon tea for two, a bottle or rosé champagne and a pair of Felco Original No.2 secateurs.

Upon receiving her prize, Christine said: “I am thrilled that my suggestion has won and I am very excited to see the Anniversary Splendour rose at my local Notcutts Victoria centre. I thought of the name because it recognises Notcutts’ 120^th anniversary this year, which is a splendid achievement. I think the rose suits its new name and I look forward to planting it in my own garden.”

Joint winner Julie said: “I am so thrilled to have named the new rose, and for such a special occasion too. Anniversary Splendour will take pride of place in my garden!”

Three runners-up were also presented with prizes for their name suggestions; ‘Centoventi’ by Vanessa Stevens in Kent because it’s the Italian word for 120, ‘Precious Moments’ by Suzanne Wright in Buckinghamshire and ‘Raspberry Soufflé’ by Elaine Yates in Cheshire.

Anniversary Splendour is now exclusively on sale at Notcutts’ 18 garden centres nationwide, with its vivid pink blooms and superb fragrance. UK rose breeders, Harkness Roses bred the rose especially for Notcutts over the last six years, to ensure it is hardy, disease resistant and will thrive in a border or pot.

Anniversary Splendour is one of two new roses launched by Notcutts this year as part of their 120^th celebrations. Founded in 1897 by Roger Crompton Notcutt, the garden centre group has remained family-run and has had an enduring passion for roses. Notcutts launched their new Deben Sunrise rose at the RHS Chelsea Flower Show in May, with cream to yellow blooms which reflect the changing colours of Charles Notcutt’s favourite sunrise in Suffolk. 

On Monday 11th September, Glee will be welcoming award-winning gardening journalist and TV presenter, Nick Bailey, to the stage as this year’s keynote speaker.

Leading not one, but three sessions as part of Glee’s ever-popular seminar programme, Nick’s keynote speech will focus on the latest emerging trends in gardens, how garden centres can utilise garden shows as a way of promotion, and the diverse ways that the younger generations can engage with horticulture.

With 25 years’ experience under his belt, Nick has carved out a career within both the publishing and broadcasting worlds. A regular on TV and radio, his books ‘Chelsea Physic Garden’ and ‘365 Days of Colour in Your Garden’ have both toppedthe bestsellers charts, with his next foray ‘Revive Your Garden’ tipped to repeat this success. Nick also regularly contributes to Garden News, and BBC Gardeners’ World Magazine for which he was awarded Property Press Awards' Garden Journalist of the Year 2017.

As well as his notable achievements in publishing, Nick has also received prestigious awards for his work including ‘Best TV Programme’ at the 2016 Garden Media Guild Awards for his Gardeners’ World feature on Shakespearean plants, and a Silver Gilt medal for his first Main Avenue Garden creation at RHS Chelsea Flower Show.

Matthew Mein, Glee Event Director said: “I am so pleased to be able to confirm Nick as our keynote speaker. He has had such a varied career and I am sure that people will be very interested in hearing his thoughts on some of the hot topics that are currently shaping the future of our industry.”

Nick’s keynote sessions will take place three times throughout Monday 11th September, at the new seminar location within Glee’s hottest new feature – the Retail Lab. Further details can be found at https://www.gleebirmingham.com/visit/whats-on/keynote-speaker

Find out more

Glee is the UK’s leading garden retail show, focussing on building year-round profits within core product categories including Garden Care, Outdoor Entertaining, Landscaping and Garden Design, Pet, Home, Gift and Clothing, and Plants. Each year the show attracts thousands of buyers from top retailers, such as leading UK garden centres, builders’ merchants, multiple retailers, and DIY stores. To keep up-to-date on all the latest news log onto www.gleebirmingham.com or call 020 3033 2160 to find out about exhibiting.

Richard Newton and Abigail Stocker from Woodlodge Products will be taking to the skies to raise money for Greenfingers Charity on 17^th September. 

In association with the Army Parachute Association, the dare devil pair will take part in a tandem parachute jump over the stunning Wiltshire countryside. 

Richard, who has recently become a Greenfingers Charity Ambassador said: “We are incredibly excited, and slightly terrified, to be fundraising for Greenfingers Charity by taking the leap, but we know the money we raise will make a real difference to children and families who face daily challenges.”

You can support Richard and Abigail in their skydiving challenge by visiting their online giving page https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/woodlodge-products. 

For more information about Greenfingers Charity, visit www.greenfingerscharity.org.uk

Abigail said: “Thank you for supporting us as we take part in this terrifying challenge and thank you for helping to make a real difference” 

In its latest partnership with the RHS, Hartley Botanic has unveiled a new, iconic glasshouse commission to form the centrepiece of the Royal Horticultural Society’s new edible gardens at RHS Hyde Hall.

With a unique octagonal design, stately roof lantern and 14 metre span, the new Hartley Botanic Hyde Hall glasshouse provides a truly arresting landmark visible far beyond the gardens themselves and is a calling card for the manufacturer’s engineering expertise.

The new glasshouse joins a long list of public commissions for the Lancashire-based manufacturer from some of the UK’s leading horticultural organisations and institutions with ‘Hartleys’ at National Trust properties, Kew Gardens and Hampton Court…to name a few.

The commission unveiling comes after Hartley Botanic was named the RHS’ recommended aluminium greenhouse and glasshouse supplier in February.

The new Hyde Hall glasshouse is a bespoke and original version of the manufacturer’s Victorian glasshouse model, in an arresting and unusual octagonal design. From above, the glasshouse’s roof is a perfect octagon, with the shape allowing for an impressive growing volume and allowing light to flood in from every angle. The glasshouse includes two sets of very large doors running from North to South and a feature roof lantern with a 3 metre span. Externally, the structure harks back to classic and beautiful feats of Victorian engineering but internally, high-tech heating and ventilation systems mean the glasshouse’s climate can be controlled at the touch of a button. The glasshouse has been powder coated in Hartley Botanic’s proprietary Verona Stone colour and, set on a rise within Hyde Hall’s gardens, the structure can be seen for miles across the Chelmsford landscape.

At a span of 14 metres the glasshouse pushes the boundaries of what is possible with a system of aluminium extrusions which are self-supporting. Hartley Botanic’s engineering expertise, honed over 79 years, has achieved a light yet strong structure of a size and scale which generally requires steel supports to hold construction in place. The challenge of the glasshouse’s dimensions also required aluminium extrusions and individual panes of glass which were the largest available in the industry today.

The glasshouse has been a year in gestation and constructed using a combination of high-tech design and traditional manufacturing methods. Advanced 3D CAD Software was used to visualise and design the structure but very little automation was involved in its construction. Although Hartley Botanic uses modern cutting equipment, much is still hand operated using traditional ways of working. Traditional mechanical joints have been used throughout the structure rather than welding and the glasshouse was trial assembled completely by hand.

As in every Hartley greenhouse or glasshouse, each pane of glass has individual, bespoke frames and there is no glass to glass contact. This means broken glass is easier to replace and can be done from the outside with minimum impact to the overall structure. Every part within the glasshouse, down to the smallest bracket and extrusion, is on record and drawn on file for easy remanufacture. In this way, Hartley Botanic can easily support the glasshouse’s ongoing maintenance and repair.

Robert Brett, Curator of RHS Garden Hyde Hall commented; “We wanted something which visitors could really enjoy to form the core of our new edible garden. The octagonal shape of the Hartley Botanic Glasshouse is the perfect centrepiece to the surrounding circular landscaping and it enables us to showcase some of the more tender exotics as well as increase our capacity for year-round displays. We hope it will inspire many visitors to try their hand at edible growing.”

Tom Barry, Managing Director of Hartley Botanic commented; “This commission was a really exciting one for us. It is always a thrill to work on projects we know the public will be able to enjoy, but the scale of the brief and challenge to create a centrepiece in keeping with the garden’s circular landscaping was very interesting. We are increasingly seeing demand from organisations who want a greenhouse or glasshouse to tap-into continued interest in growing your own, and specifically, what that means in terms of taste and variety. We are sure the new glasshouse and gardens will be a great inspirer for many gardeners.”

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

The misconception that nematodes are complicated to use could not be further from the truth. Whilst the highly effective pest control system is thoroughly modern, and the process to grow the them take place in state of the art facilities, the use of them really is as simple as watering your garden! 

Nematodes are micro-organisms which occur naturally in the soil where they hunt down and attack pests, with each nematode species having its own specific prey, meaning that they will harm their prey, and only their prey. 

To use nematodes, all you do is select the appropriate product, mix with water and either pour from a watering can or spray onto the foliage and soil, depending on the variety.   This process is repeated as required throughout the season, from the moment that the first signs of pests occur, and can be easily slotted into your regular watering routine. The only thing you need to remember is to keep the area well-watered throughout the season. There is no need to keep children or pets away from treated areas and the whole programme is entirely biological so all the Nemasys products can be used by organic gardeners.

Nemasys products include a control for slugs, leatherjackets, ants, vine weevils and chafer grubs, as well as a product containing number of different nematode species which will protect a fruit and vegetable garden from the wide range of pests that can be present there.

“Our products each work on the very simple format that the nematodes deliberately seek out their particular prey and kill them – simple as that,” says BASF’s Gavin Wood.   “Treatment can continue throughout the growing season and when the pests have all been wiped out the level of nematodes in the soil will immediately drop back to the normal concentrations.  When temperatures drop at the end of the season, the nematodes will naturally reduce in quantities until the soil warms up again.

“There is absolutely no fuss.   The packs are kept in a refrigerator until they are used and can be safely stored alongside food and drinks without the remotest possibility of contamination,” says Gavin.

BASF has the largest specialist nematode production facility in the EU – and the only one in Britain - growing trillions of beneficial nematodes for use in their Nemasys range of pest controls.

Fryer’s Roses, part of the Blue Diamond Group of garden centres, have had great success at this summer’s RHS Flower Shows over the past two months.

The success started at RHS Chatsworth (7^th – 11^th June) with a 4 Rosette Award being given to the display in the Plant Village, designed and created by the team at Chatsworth Garden Centre.

This show also saw the launch of a brand new rose, “The Duchess of Devonshire”, (above) named on behalf of the Duchess. Fryer’s Roses and Blue Diamond will be donating £1 from the sale of every “Duchess of Devonshire” rose to Helen’s Trust, a charity nominated by the Duchess.

At RHS Hampton Court Flower Show (4^th – 9^th July), a Silver Gilt was awarded to the display in the Festival of Roses Marquee as designed by Adam Leverett from Redfield’s Garden Centre and created by staff from various Blue Diamond garden centres. 2 new roses were also launched at this show. One on behalf of the charity “Tree Aid”, called “Little Angel”, and another rose named “Hope for Justice” (above) on behalf of the charity of the same name. Again £1 from the sale of each of these roses will be donated to the respective charities.

RHS Tatton Park Flower Show (19th – 23^rd July) in Knutsford, saw Fryer’s Roses celebrating even more success with Fryer’s being credited with another Silver Gilt Award for the display in the Floral Marquee as well as a 5 Rosette Award (the highest that can we awarded) for Fryers’ display in the Plant Village.

Being a show local to Fryer’s Roses, who are also based in Knutsford; Fryer’s Roses were also proud to be able to launch a new rose called “The Mayor” (above) on behalf of the former Mayor of Knutsford, Councillor Nicholson and the current Mayor of Knutsford Councillor Neil Forbes. The former Mayor and current Mayor kindly attended at the launch. £1 from every sale of this rose will be donated to charities nominated by the Mayor.

After 4 successful editions of the EFSA Concept Store at the Spoga Gafa Fair in Cologne, EFSA has decided that the time has come for a new formula. During the forthcoming Spoga Gafa Fair, to be held from 3 to 5 September 2017, EFSA will launch the "EFSA TrendZone" .

The Haan Group, which is once again in charge of the completely renewed concept, speaks about a crisp new interpretation.

"EFSA has developed from trends, however meanwhile this organization is active and involved in so much more. For Spoga Gafa 2017 we have chosen to really turn the trends back on track” states Laurens Doesborgh, commercial director at De Haan Group.

"We want to give a good impression of the trends for spring/summer 2018, with matching catchy colours and materials. In addition, we also want to involve the entrepreneurs in how to translate these trends for their company and consequently for their customers”.

Solution-oriented presentation is something that The Haan Group often has brought to the attention of entrepreneurs.

 "We believe in the power of a good presentation, but always in combination with conversion. You have to be aware of the fact that customers do not come to a garden centre just to see what the trend is but actually want to purchase something.  However, sometimes the goal gets lost:  A very nice presentation but no business, or (too) much products for doing business but no attractive presentation. We want to show concrete examples for challenging integrated solutions to enhance business”. 

As for the interpretation of the trends:  De Haan Group works closely together with Dedicated People. They explain trends in a clear way and describe how they arise and can be translated into product collections. This, combined with concrete in-store presentation solutions, will make sure you do not want to miss the EFSA TrendZone!

During Spoga Gafa you will find EFSA with the TrendZone at their usual location in Hall 10.

See pictures from the EFSA Concept Store at Spoga+gafa 2016 below

Good growing conditions saw sales of growing supports more than doubling last week and up 150% in the GTN Bestsellers Top 50 compared to the same week last year.  Ten of the Top 50 lines were plant or tree supports.  Garden lighting continues to be the biggest contibutor to volume sales with 12 lines in the Top 50, although sales volumes dropped by 26% week on week. 

• Smart Garden’s 0.9m Gro-Stake re-enters at No 19 with a 126% sales increase.
• Gardman Solar Hanging Globes are the highest re-entry at No 18.
• Fountasia Mini Ladybird Windmills in packs of 24 are the highest new entry at No 29.

To see the full GTN Bestsellers Top 50 Garden Products chart every week subscribe to GTN Bestsellers email karen.pfeiffer@tgcmc.co.uk

The Klondyke Group has announced the promotion of Andy Smith from Senior Plant Buyer to Group Head of Purchasing.

Andy will step into his new role from 1^st September 2017.

Andy has been with Klondyke since August 2015. Previous to joining Klondyke he was national accounts manager at Allensmore Nurseries and was garden plant buyer at Waitrose in 2013 after joining from Dobbies.

Chief Executive David Yardley commented, “Andy has over 20 years’ experience of working within the garden centre industry and I am delighted he will be working with us in this new role to help in taking the business forward.”

Stanford in the Vale CE Primary School’s Gardening Club is rounding off a summer filled with Gold Awards from RHS Wisley and nominations for ‘RHS Gardening Team of the Year 2017’, with another win. Children at the Oxfordshire Primary School have been crowned the champions of Wilkinson Sword’s Gardening for Schools competition.

The competition challenged primary schoolchildren to design their ideal fruit and vegetable garden for their school. Hundreds of youngsters submitted their painstakingly-planned plots but in the end, there could be only one winner.

On a sunny July afternoon, staff from Wilkinson Sword visited the school to meet the impressive children, and to provide them with their prizes; an extensive hamper full of all the tools they need to keep their garden growing. Diana Thomas, proud mum to Garden Club members Imogen (nine) and Joel (six), explained how both children attend the club every Wednesday, as well as tending to their own allotment. “I am extremely proud that all of their hard work is paying off,” she commented, adding that they love growing their own fruit and vegetables, and can’t wait to start using the new tools.

Helping to present the prizes was the RHS Young Gardener of the Year (2012), Lucas Hatch, who also provided a fig growing masterclass! Lucas is just approaching his 14th birthday, but has a wealth of experience under his belt already and knows all about encouraging children to garden, spending a lot of time at his old primary school helping children to develop their gardens.

The Gardening Club is run by the very dedicated Sue Finney, who commented on the day, " It is a great honour that Stanford in the Vale Gardening Club members have become overall winners of this prestigious award.  The children's garden designs shall be used to revamp our growing area with the help of our new tools. A big thank you to the Wilkinson Sword team and a very inspirational thank you to Lucas Hatch who has inspired many Stanford young garden members - we love the tools and meeting everyone." 

Nick Hills, Garden Division General Manager for Wilkinson Sword said: “We had no idea how popular this would be, or quite how high the quality of applicants would be, but the judges were so impressed with the standard of design that the Stanford in the Vale children came up with, choosing them as the winner was an easy decision. They impressed all of the judges with their imaginative and competent design.”

The school Gardening Club operates once a week, as an after-school activity and, as their application letter points out, many children still attend even once they have left the primary school. Not only that, but the children have a strong commitment to their community, and plant up the borders at the entrance to the village every year, and plant wildflowers in the park. 

Of the competition, and worthy winners Nick commented, “We are passionate about getting children more involved in the garden, and are proud to play a part in this inspirational gardening club’s ongoing horticultural education. The success of this first competition has inspired us to make it an annual event, rolling it out to the rest of the country next year. We hope that this will encourage more children to get motivated about getting their hands dirty, and their tummies full of home grown food!”

Further information about Wilkinson Sword’s range of garden tools can be found at www.wilkinsonsword-tools.co.uk.

Onion sets for autumn planting gave Veg 2 Gro sales a welcome mid-summer boost last week.  Nine onion, shallot and garlic lines re-enter the GTN chart, joining five autumn planting seed potato and two asparagus lines to give Taylors Bulbs a 51% share of the Top 50 sales volumes. 

• Taylors Onion Sets Karmen are the highest re-entry of the week, back in at No 4.
• Taylors Autumn Planting Seed Potatoes Maris Peer remain the most popular variety staying at No 1 for the second week in a row.
• Mr Fothergills Carrot Paris Market 5 Atlas is the highest placed seed pack, the highest new entry at No 16.

Two members of staff from Wyevale Nurseries in Hereford were presented with medals to honour their long service to the company earlier this month.

Director, Steve Ashworth and Production Director of the Container Division, Steve Reed both received bronze medals from the Three Counties Agricultural Society in recognition of 30 years’ continuous service at Wyevale Nurseries.

Heather Williamson, Joint Chairman of Wyevale Nurseries, said: “We’re delighted to be able to celebrate with our colleagues and share our appreciation of them. They have contributed so much to the success of Wyevale Nurseries and are each key members of our team and their dedication goes above and beyond.

“Steve Ashworth came to Wyevale Nurseries having studied and trained at the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew and in the USA at the University of Wisconsin. Returning to England after four years abroad and a period acclimatising at Hillier Nurseries, Steve then joined us and spent some 25 years starting up and running the growing of forestry seedlings at our transplants site.”

Currently he works for Wyevale Nurseries part-time on a number of special projects.

Heather added: “Steve Reed gained a Higher National Diploma in commercial plant production before he started working with us many years ago. He has experience of hardy nursery stock of all ages from cuttings to 25L specimens. Steve works closely with his knowledgeable team to produce top quality crops to the right specifications.

“Steve is so enthusiastic and loves to take visitors on tours of our nursery and explain to them what we’re all about.”

Wyevale Nurseries is a member of The Three Counties Agricultural Society, which issues medals to people who have completed 30 years’ continuous service to horticulture or agriculture with the same employer or holding company.

Ken Nottage, CEO of the Three Counties Agricultural Society, said: “Here at the Three Counties Agricultural Society, we are delighted to recognise the loyal commitment of Steve Ashworth and Steve Reed from Wyevale Nurseries with our 2017 awards.

“The Three Counties Awards seek to champion the long-standing contributions made by horticulture and agricultural businesses such as Wyevale Nurseries to the communities of the Three Counties. They should be extremely proud of their achievements.” 

The society is a registered charity working for rural industry, the environment and countryside life. It is committed to supporting farmers, growers and horticulturists in the region and developing understanding between urban and rural communities.

The product selection available from Wyevale Nurseries is enviable across the industry and the talented team regularly introduces new, award-winning plant varieties.

Its main business is to supply garden centres, landscape contractors, local authorities, foresters and landowners with a comprehensive array of trees, shrubs, hedging, herbaceous and specimen plants.

For further details about Wyevale Nurseries, which is based in Hereford, please call 01432 845 200, visit www.wyevalenurseries.co.uk, follow the company on Twitter at www.twitter.com/WyevaleNurs or log on to www.facebook.com/WyevaleNurs. 

After a start to the year when plant sales were up significantly the steam has run out for summer.  GTN Bestsellers Plant sales analysis shows volume sales down 12% over the past five weeks.  Instant summer colour continues to provide sales highlights and houseplants are selling in higher volumes than last year. 

• African Daisies, Arctotis, are the highest re-entry at No 16 with sales up by over 300%.
• Chrysanthemum are the highest chart climber, up 21 places to No 20.
• Streptocarpus sales jumped by almost 150% week on week and sold 60% more than in the same week last year. 

What is the threat?

Xylella fastidiosa is one of the most harmful bacterial plant diseases in the world. It can cause severe losses in a wide range of hosts and there would be a massive impact on the plant trade across all business sectors in the event of an outbreak in the UK.

An outbreak of this disease, where several different plants are infected, will trigger immediate stock destruction within 100 metres and a movement ban of host plants within a 10-kilometre radius for up to five years. This will dramatically and immediately affect most plant selling operations, as well as impacting on all businesses dealing in plants within the 10km zone. Gardens could also be affected.

What should businesses do to stop it coming into the UK?

Only buy potential host plants from trusted plant passported suppliers who know where their plants come from. We strongly recommend that potential host plants are not sourced from or near regions where there have been findings of Xylella fastidiosa. Current demarcated areas can be seen at: http://ec.europa.eu/food/sites/food/files/plant/docs/ph_biosec_legis_list-demarcated-union-territory_en.pdf

The list of host plants is growing and includes many popular garden and landscape plants, such as lavender, rosemary, oak and many others. The current list of confirmed hosts is at:https://ec.europa.eu/food/plant/plant_health_biosecurity/legislation/emergency_measures/Xylella-fastidiosa/susceptible_en

What happens if the disease is found in the UK?

The full emergency measures imposed at EU level are only triggered when the disease has spread and there is an outbreak. The full emergency measures are not triggered if the disease is found on a single plant or within a batch of plants and is diagnosed and contained before it spreads. This is known as an interception. Stock will still be destroyed in this circumstance but the movement ban is very unlikely to come in force.

Several wholesale nurseries have signed up to plant sourcing statements such as the one below:

“The following nurseries have taken the decision NOT to knowingly purchase any host plants originating from regions where the disease Xylella is known to exist. The decision has been taken after detailed consideration as to the potential catastrophic impact the introduction of the disease could have to the UK environment, coupled with the ever increasing number of host plant genera of this disease. This is in line with DEFRA’s good practice recommendations.”

These nurseries include:

• Bransford Webbs Plant Company
• Christies of Fochabers Ltd.
• Country Garden Plant Sales Ltd.
• Farplants Group
• Golden Grove Nursery
• James Coles and Sons (Nurseries) Ltd.
• Johnsons of Whixley
• Lovania Nurseries Ltd.
• Lowaters Ltd.
• Oakover Nurseries Ltd.
• Plants for Europe Ltd.
• R V Roger Ltd.
• Wykeham Mature Plants

If you wish to add your nursery name to the list, please email Policy@hta.org.uk with confirmation that you agree to the statement.

While overall growing media sales continue to dip to mid-summer lows, sales of garden soils grew by 26% week on week as some gardeners take advantage of the summer holidays to carry out garden improvement projects.  Compared to the same week last year garden soils sales are up by 88%. 

• Scotts Levington Organic Choice Top Soil,  25 litres doubled sales week on week to re-enter at No 31.
• Westland Top Soil, 35 litres value bag moves up three places to No 4.
• Westland Indoor Plant Compost, 10 litres saw the biggest percentage week on week growth, up 257% to re-enter at No 47.

A Lisburn, Northern Ireland, student is youngest BBQ enthusiast to graduate from Hillmount BBQ Academy.

Finn Sinclair (12), pictured above, centre, graduated from Hillmount BBQ Academy at Hillmount, Upper Braniel Road, Belfast.

Finn, from Lisburn, said he had a great time attending the academy with his dad and the team enjoyed teaching him all the tricks and tips for creating delicious dishes on the BBQ.

Alan Mercer, Managing Director, Hillmount Garden Centre, said: “The Hillmount BBQ Academy is the only one of its kind in a garden centre in Ireland. We welcome all ages and all abilities to learn at the academy, from the novice BBQ enthusiast who has just bought their first BBQ to the expert who cooks on theirs every day of the year.”

Martin Vergien has been promoted with immediate effect to become Vice President and Managing Director of Coleman EMEA GmbH.

Through this promotion, he takes on responsibility for managing the brands belonging to the Newell Group (Coleman, Campingaz, Sevylor and Aerobed) in the EMEA region. He is stepping up as the official successor to Marc Hill, having already held this post on an interim basis for several months. In addition to his new role, he retains his responsibility as Vice President for Finance.

Martin Vergien is ideally qualified for his new assignment: he has already proven himself in various positions in the international environment, including in the UK, France and China. He began his career at the prestigious consumer goods manufacturer Mars, where he worked in various international positions, ultimately serving as the Finance Director for Petcare Europe. After a period working as the Finance Director at Belron/Carglass in London, in 2010 he came to Frankfurt as the Vice President for Finance & IT at Coleman EMEA GmbH.

In this role, he has successfully collaborated with the regional management team to significantly improve cost and profit structures over recent years in order to secure the long-term success of the EMEA organisation.

Rich Wuerthele, CEO of the Newell Outdoor & Recreation Division, congratulates Martin Vergien on his new role: “Under his leadership as interim general manager, the Coleman team has been able to continue delivering strong results. I would like to thank him especially for this work and congratulate him on this well-deserved promotion.”

Martin Vergien, who is married and has four children, is himself a passionate barbecue fan and outdoor enthusiast (hiking, mountain biking and road racing). He feels he is well equipped to handle the challenges of the outdoor and barbecue markets with innovative products such as the Coleman tents with BlackOut bedrooms and the Campingaz Master Series gas barbecues with unique features. Vergien comments, “Over recent years, we have constantly developed our organisation across Europe and we are in an excellent position to win additional market shares in the growing barbecue and outdoor markets.”

This year Glee will be home to its strongest pet contingent for many years. From the PetQuip Business Village that has doubled in size, to the wealth of UK and international exhibitors and the newly introduced Buyer Connect event, pet buyers and garden retailers will be spoilt for choice. 

With a recent report suggesting that 70% of UK garden centres now feature a dedicated pet care section, it is clear that the UK’s love for their pets shows no sign of slowing.  In fact, total spending on pet care in the UK reached a record high of around £5.08bn last year as the role of the ‘pet’ continues to evolve into something beyond a secondary addition to the family, to an integral part of the family unit.

Garden centres are well positioned to take full advantage of this market potential - there has never been a more exciting time for pet product suppliers to greatly expand their stockists and market visibility.  

This year Glee will provide the widest range of profit-boosting products, advice and ideas that businesses need to stay ahead and capitalise on this ever-expanding sector.  Visitors to Glee – including the vastly expanded PetQuip Business Village -should look out for a host of big name brands and niche suppliers from both the UK and international markets, as well as exclusive show offers and innovative products across the food, accessories, bedding, and fashion sectors.

Matthew Mein, Glee’s Event Director said: “We have invested a lot into our pet offering in 2017 and can assure the market that we have taken great strides in creating something unlike anything we have offered previously. Pet products is a huge part of garden retailing and we wanted this reflected in what we offer to the market. From an exciting collection of exhibitors to business support, pet buyers at Glee will be able to arm themselves with everything they need to build profits throughout the 2018 season and beyond.”

The shop window for pet retail

Pet food, treats and complementary foods, by far the largest segment of the UK pet sector, will be well represented at the show, with extensive ranges from currently confirmed exhibitors such as Burgess Pet Foods, GA Pet Food Partners, Supreme Petfoods Ltd, Carnilove, The Dog Treat Company, TDHGroup (Pet Cuisine), Feelwells, and The Barking Bakery.

Pet accessories also represent a huge area of growth for garden retailers as consumers look for new ways to treat their pets.  From dog leads and harnesses to pet beds and cages, Glee has it all from leading exhibitor such as PetFace, Unipet, Scruffs, Trilanco, Group 55, Aristocrats, Loving Pet Products, PacDog, Pet Rebellion, Pet’s Up Products, PetMaxi and many more.

The PetQuip Business Village at Glee 2017 – bigger than ever before

Introduced in 2015, the PetQuip Business Village is designed to offer pet suppliers wanting to build their presence within garden retailers, a platform to launch and showcase their latest ranges. This year the area has doubled in size, providing more space for suppliers to showcase their pet ranges to garden retailers.

Open to both PetQuip members and non-members, the Business Village will make its home at the heart of Glee, bringing together pet brands with garden retail buyers and key decision makers.  Led by PetQuip - the UK’s leading trade association for suppliers of pet products, accessories and services – the ‘village’ is set to welcome even more pet suppliers in 2017.

Pat Flynn, Trade Association Manager at PetQuip said: “The garden centre market offers great potential growth for pet suppliers.  Garden centres usually have a larger footprint than most High Street independents, which aids effective product displays, and also being able to supply a wider range of products instore.  Customer loyalty and repeat visitors are the cornerstone of garden centre business, and pet ranges – especially pet food – is a proven way of achieving this, offering profitability for both the retailer and the supplier.

Pet Buyers Connect

For the first time Glee 2017 will be introducing a special pet focused Buyers Connect networking event. These special 10-minute speed networking sessions taking place throughout the show within the PetQuip Business Village, will place pet suppliers directly in front of buyers from key garden retailers. These retailers are actively looking for new and innovative pet product suppliers, and for many Buyers Connect will be the place where long-term and profitable relationships are forged.

So much to see

As well as leading brands and specialist pet care suppliers Glee will be home to a wide range of visitor attractions and events that will showcase the best the industry has to offer.

The New Product Showcase and Glee Awards

The New Product Display is the place to head to see the most innovative, unique and commercial products from the hundreds of suppliers at Glee. The competition sees new designs and products perfectly displayed for your consideration,with the best of each category receiving the accolade of a ‘Glee Award.’ This year the awards roster will also include a Consumers’ choice and Best of British award. Show visitors can also cast their vote for their favourite, awarding one lucky entrant with the title of Retailers Choice award.

Glee Innovators Zone

This year Glee’s Innovators Zone will be home to over 30 brand new companies.  Launched in 2009, the Glee Innovators Zone has already helped more than 200 companies break into the garden retail market.  This special area is designed to help nurture valuable grass-roots product development and one-off design ideas, whilst also bridging the gap between market-ready new product launches from established companies and pre-commercial product ideas. 

Innovation will also be celebrated within GIMA’s Innovators’ Seed Corn Fund (GISCF). Since its launch in 2014, the GISCF has already witnessed great success. All previous winners have gone on to enjoy great commercial success; evolvingfrom new brands to established and growing suppliers within the garden retail market. Vicky Nuttall, director of GIMA said: “The GISCF is designed to help start-up businesses take their product from concept to reality, and with a £5,000 prize fund up for grabs, it is always a hotly contested part of our annual programme of activities. The calibre of entries in recent years has been of the highest quality, and this year is certainly no different. We look forward to announcing the 2017 winner at Glee in September.”

Buyers Power List

First launched to the market at Glee 2015 – and receiving a wholly positive response from the garden retail industry - the Buyers Power List is designed to provide suppliers and retailers with a platform to recognise the individual buyers and buying teams who have gone above and beyond to make a difference, and whose decisions are helping the garden retail industry to thrive.

This year there will be five individual categories - Best Independent Garden Centre, Best Multiple Garden Centre, Best DIY / Builder Merchant Buying Team, Best Online Buyer/ Buying Team and Best ‘Other’ Garden Retail Buyer/Buying Team - with votes invited from across the industry, with everyone from heads of purchasing to suppliers eligible to vote. 

GIMA Business Village

The GIMA Business Village is home to a great selection of up and coming companies exhibiting with the support of GIMA.  Glee is also pleased to present the GIMA Business Lounge, an ideal place to take a break, arrange meetings and catch up with key suppliers. It is also home to the “Buyers Connect” speed networking sessions which will see selected exhibitors meet with show visitors for 10-minute power-networking sessions.

International Buyers Centre

International visitors will find the International Buyers Centre (IBC), in partnership with Gardenex, a useful resource.  Located in Hall 18, the IBC will be led by the team at Gardenex, who will be on hand to provide support and advice as well as translation services to international buyers and visitors.  The International Buyers Centre will also be home to a two-hour session of “Meet the International Buyer”, enabling UK suppliers to have short introductory meetings with a few selected international buyers.

Find out more

Glee is the UK’s leading garden and outdoor living trade retail show, focussing on building year-round profits within core product categories including Garden Care, Landscaping & Garden Decoration, Outdoor Entertainment, Pet Products, Speciality Food and Catering, Home, Gift and Clothing, Plants and a dedicated Retail Experiences section. Each year the show attracts thousands of buyers from top retailers, such as leading UK garden centres, builders’ merchants, multiple retailers, and DIY stores. To keep up-to-date on all the latest news log onto www.gleebirmingham.com/news or call 020 3033 2160 to find out about exhibiting.

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 2015 as well as 2016 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

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.

See the full story in the Knutsford Guardian here:  http://www.knutsfordguardian.co.uk/news/15421162.Restaurant_at_garden_centre_takes_action_after_food_hygiene_is_slammed_as__unacceptable_/

Blue Diamond have responded as follows:

"In response to the report in the Knutsford Guardian and the comments made we would like to reassure all our customers that Fryers Restaurant was reviewed by the EHO Officer for Cheshire East Council on the 4th of July 2017 and has received a revised EHO rating of 4*, which will be updated on their website in the next few weeks."

"Here at the Rosary Restaurant at Fryers Garden Centre we are totally committed to the highest of standards in both food quality and customer service. Fryers is part of a group of 19 garden centres and every restaurant has a minimum EHO rating of 4*."

"In June we appointed a new Front of House Manager by the name of Paul Harris who was part of the Management team at Grosvenor Garden Centre where we have a 5* rating. In the same month we appointed Louis Byrne as our new Head Chef. Louis used to work at Church Green and comes with an excellent reputation."