There's a new category for The Greatest Christmas Awards 2014 and the team of Greatest Awards experts will be adding “Lumberjack” status to their judging visits in the search for The Greatest Winter Woodland Display of Artificial Trees.

Sponsored by Scentsicles, the fragranced tree decoration product that has featured in the Top 50 of the GTN Bestsellers Christmas Products Charts for the past two weeks, the Lumberjack Award will be presented to the retail team that have created the best display of artificial Christmas trees.

Festive Productions, who are the UK distributors for Scentsicles have already invited all stockists to enter the competition by sending in photos of their artificial tree woodland display and then The Greatest Christmas Awards “Lumberjacks” will come along and meet the teams to gather the all important background information before the winners are chosen.

The expert visits for The Greatest Christmas Awards have already started, but it’s not too late to be added to the list, just send us your nomination together with a photo and we’ll do the rest.

The Lumberjack Award for The Greatest Winter Woodland Display of Artificial Trees will be presented at The Greatest Awards Christmas Party on January 11^th in the Majestic Hotel, Harrogate.

Send your nominations and photos to: Cassie Hedlund at Festive Productions, or post onto the Festive Productions Facebook page, just as St Peters Garden Centre already have, or send them to The Greatest Awards and we will forward them on trevor.pfeiffer@tgcmc.co.uk



Watch the video ad for Scentsicles here:



The sponsors for The Greatest Christmas Awards are:  

               

Alan Roper, the boss of the Blue Diamond Group, claims that the trick to a successful garden centre is to put the ownership in the hands of the teams in the stores.

The Blue Diamond Group has increased its portfolio of garden centres to 16 with the acquisition of Trelawney Wadebridge and delivered a transformation of Redfields Garden Centre.

"You have to get the staff to own the space," Alan told GTN Xtra this week. "You have to empower them and give them the tools to do the job, so you can grow the business without slippage or weaknesses because you’ve suddenly got 30 businesses to get round instead of 15.

"For me, every time I build a garden centre they are different shapes, different sizes, and also you’re buying a lot of different buildings, some from 1970’s, 80’ glasshouses so you can’t really have a one size fits all, but every time you have an opportunity to build a new business it’s nice, like here [at Redfields], to keep pushing the boundaries, to keep trying to do something a bit different and keep moving it forward.

"But the true trick is the creativity that you want the people in the stores to deliver. The trick is that you have to put ownership in the hands of the teams in the centres.

"You do it by getting them empowered.  Highlighting missed opportunities and potential opportunities via our benchmarking tool so that they can see where they can get the growth from based on someone doing a good job in a planteria somewhere else.  They can drill in, they can see the pictures and they can share information.  It’s that free spirit and that competitive behaviour that gets ownership of the space. 

"For example the team at Le Friquet sent out an e-mail about wanting to be the No 1 in the group for Christmas, and now they’ve gone to No1 by some margin. They are really going for it." (Eds note: The Greatest Christmas Awards team are on their way to visit!)

"As a result they are getting creative, it becomes infectious.  You can’t do that top down.  I can set the framework, I can say we're going to have a point of difference, I’m going to be a little bit outside the box, a bit maverick about how we approach it.  I can define our retail standards and our retail ethos and I can create the church but the trick is to get the staff to understand it, sign up to it and the give them the space.  Give them their head  to take ownership and be proud of what they are achieving and drive it.

"If you try to do a top down approach they become over corporate and you end up with spaces that look the same.

When asked how far this model can be scaled Alan told us about the journey he is on:  "Roughly I’m doing three businesses, new ones, every two years and at the moment I’ve got a strategy in place, with a pre-agreed gearing limit that we won’t exceed and we’ll keep funding developments and acquisitions out of cash flow.  At that rate we’ll be at £200 million in 10 years.

"When I joined 15 years ago we were at £6.7 million, now next year we will be £80 million and we’ll keep growing.  It’s a pace which we can manage without damaging our existing business but still deliver this quality with new businesses.  But you can’t do it without giving the teams in the centres the space and the freedom to create within the disciplines you craft.  That’s the key thing.

Alan has clear views on the role of group management; "if the figures aren’t broken leave it alone, you don’t need to, let them do it.  If I come in have questions about merchandising I’ll talk to Adam, provided there’s a good reason for it fine.  As long as the standards are being maintained, as long as were suddenly not piling it high, selling it cheap and putting fluorescent signs up, provided it’s within the framework leave them alone.  

"I’ve got the lightest operational team of any group this size, and we’re the third largest now.  I want people to go in and support the teams, I don’t want people dictating and for me that’s the only way that we can grow as a group and feel like a collection of independents, expressing that character and passion that independents do but in a group scenario.

On the number of independents being swallowed up by the groups, Alan's view is that ultimately the independents will get stronger. "The industry is going to homogenise, which means that independents will have a strong future because they will stand out more from the everyday one strategy fits all [of the corporate’s].  It will actually strengthen a lot of independents.  The market will shrink in the number of businesses, it will get smaller, there will be less independents but the ones that remain will be stronger for it both in terms of their identity.  

"Good independents will be seen to be more credible and the footfall will steer back to them and I do believe if you are in an ABC1 demographic that there will be a re-birth of the smaller retail nursery, probably with a nice little café, not very big, good coffee, good plants, good information.

The future strategy of the Blue Diamond growth will be a mix of leasehold and freehold acquisitions.  "Leasing gives a good return on capital employed and it enables us to expand at a greater rate then if you were just buying freeholds, but the balance of our portfolio always has to be 50% leasehold, 50% freehold. 

"I’ve just done the Trelawney deal which is a lease and we’ve just put a bid in on a centre in the south which would be a freehold deal.



See below for a photographic tour of Redfields now that Phase 2 is fully open and then watch out for the December issue of Garden Trade News when we will publish Alan's unique guided tour of Redfields.

A developer whose firm is registered in an offshore tax haven has been told to forget plans to build three luxury mansions on the site of a former garden centre.

A Whitehall planning inspector this week dismissed an appeal by Omved International, registered in the British Virgin Islands, to build the high-end properties on a site known as the Highgate Bowl. The land, lying to the east of Highgate High Street, was home to the Highgate Garden Centre until last year. 

Now civic groups in the area plan to raise funds to buy the land from the developer and turn it into a London version of the Eden Project. 

Martin Adeney, of campaign group Friends of Highgate Bowl, said: “We are delighted with the inspector’s decision, particularly as it is based on protecting the conservation area. 

“Her comments are very much in line with what we would like to do with the site – keep it largely as it is, as open land, and to use it as a centre for environmental studies and horticultural education. 

“We would expect to work closely with the neighbouring Harington Scheme which has been such a success in providing training for people with learning difficulties, particularly in gardening and horticulture. They have already expressed an interest in using some of the land.”

Mr Adeney said he hoped to open talks in the coming weeks with the sites owners. He added: “Clearly the developers will be considering their position. But once we have sorted out our charity registration over the next few weeks, we would expect to have a conversation with them to see what might be possible. Then it will be a question of raising the substantial funds required and we expect to launch an appeal for pledges from local people and approach some of the major grant-giving charities. 

“This is an opportunity to secure green space in Highgate for future generations and we must seize it. 

“We welcome any support we can get and anyone interested in helping or contributing should get in touch with us, the Friends of the Highgate Bowl, initially through the Highgate Society.”

Inspector Joanna Reid’s report said the land had a crucial role in Highgate’s landscape. She wrote: “The historic development pattern, high percentage of buildings of architectural merit, topography, green open spaces and distant views are important to the character and the appearance of the Conservation Area.”

The inspector added: “The Bowl is significant as a remnant of the once rural village setting of Highgate and its spatial qualities are cherished by local people.”

The architect acting for Omved told the inspector existing greenhouses were used as an inspiration for their designs and the two-storey homes would boast landscaped gardens.

However, the inspector ruled the designs would not preserve or enhance the conservation area and therefore Haringey Council’s decision to turn down the application was correct.

The names of the five finalists of the Garden Centre Association Rising Stars Programme, sponsored by Westland Horticulture, have been announced.

Kirsty Clark (Perrywood GC), Matthew Fay (Stewarts Garden-Lands, Christchurch), Lisa Waim (Haskins Snowhill), Hannah Mason (Chessington) and Cerys Williams (Perrywood) have all made it through to the final challenge, where they will present at the GCA Conference in Chester on 26 January. The overall winner will be chosen by conference delegates.

The results are the culmination of an eight month programme in which candidates attended three merchandising Masterclasses run by IBBIS director and training facilitator Ian Boardman. Thanks to Ian’s efforts, many of the Rising Stars went on to increase sales in their departments by keeping hotspots fresh, creating clear signage and organising themed displays throughout the year.

Ian Boardman said: “All the Rising Stars who took part in the programme were top notch and I’d like to thank every single one of them for their efforts and praise them for the progress they have made. The results of their achievements in their workplace prove they are all stars in their own right!”

Keith Nicholson, Marketing Director for Westland Horticulture said: “On behalf of Westland I’d like to congratulate the Rising Stars finalists for getting this far. We now face a very exciting GCA conference final where delegates will get the chance to vote for the winner – Rising Star of the Year 2014.”

GCA chief executive Iain Wylie said: “The five finalists have some really exciting presentations prepared for delegates. It is always the highlight of the GCA conference and this year will definitely not disappoint.”

Twenty-eight of the most aspiring young representatives of the horticultural industry kicked off the Rising Stars Programme earlier this year.

The original list of 28 was whittled down to 10 in September before the final five were chosen.

GTN Xtra will be featuring a spotlight on all five over the coming weeks.

Lighting products are the star performers in the GTN Bestsellers garden centre EPoS data this week. 

Candles show the biggest sales growth in the GTN Christmas Products Top 50 and garden lighting lines dominate the GTN Garden Products chart, making up 43% of the Top 50 sales volume.

As customers’ thoughts move from outdoors to indoors, garden centres are maximising on this with great home and gift departments and the unique offering of indoor, Christmas and outdoor lighting.

All year, lighting lines have been popular with garden centre customers as the range of choice has grown and prices fallen to attractive levels.

In Dutch garden centres last year we saw lighting departments as big as gift departments – perhaps that should be happening in UK centres now, not just part of garden sundries and part of home and part of Christmas.

With such high purchase interest there must be an opportunity to sell more of lighting if brilliantly merchandised together.

We’re on the look out for great lighting displays during our visits for The Greatest Christmas Awards – extra points will be scored where there is cross merchandising of Christmas, indoor and garden lighting.

GTN Bestsellers Top 50 sales volumes compared to the same week last year...

• Garden Products – down 5%
• Xmas Products – down 22%
• Growing Media – up 5%
• All items index – down 14%

If you would like to subscribe to GTN Bestsellers email karen.pfeiffer@tgcmc.co.uk

Westland Horticulture remain the only UK bird food manufacturer to achieve accreditation from The British Retail Consortium.

Westland’s Driffield facility has retained its ‘A’ grade status from the BRC for the fifth consecutive year, making its products a safe bet for both retailers and consumers.

The continued success follows a two day annual audit of its state-of-the-art manufacturing facility in Driffield, which produces the leading brands Nature’s Feast, Peckish and Bucktons. The facility surpassed expectations across a stringent set of criteria, covering everything from processes, hygiene and safety, to the full traceability of ingredients.

The BRC award is testament to Westland’s commitment to excellence, quality produce and highly trained staff. In addition to the status, Westland can also provide significant support to retaillers through investments in media and marketing. This includes in-depth customer insight which has led to more effective product positioning across all bird food brands.

James Farnsworth, General Manager at Westland, said: “We are delighted to remain the only UK bird food manufacturer to achieve the BRC accreditation. The BRC is much more than just an accreditation for us. It’s about creating a culture in which everyone in the company recognises the importance of product safety and the quality of our products.

“The status, which we have achieved at Grade ‘A’ for the fifth year running, acts as an assurance to our customers that all our products, have been produced safely by experienced and professional staff, to the highest standards, using the best ingredients."

The BRC is a leading trade association providing certificates for manufacturers who can prove they implement best practice across their manufacturing processes. The BRC Global Standards are a leading global safety and quality certification programme, used throughout the world by over 17,000 certified suppliers in 90 countries

For further information about the products included in the Nature’s Feast, Peckish and Bucktonsranges, visit http://trade.gardenhealth.com/

Seven out of the Top 10 products in the GTN Bestsellers Garden Products chart are lighting lines this week, and 14 in all of the Top 50.

Compared to the same week, last year the number of garden lighting products sold is up by a staggering 149%.

With many garden lighting lines outselling Christmas lighting lines at the moment perhaps garden lighting should be positioned closer to Christmas and gifts where footfall is highest – or even at the entrance to your restaurant.

Star performers include:

• Smart Solar’s Ceramic Bird Wind Chime Light in red – it’s the highest new entry at No 15, joining the white version, which is at No 4.
• Gardman Frosted Glass Tealight Lanterns move up 10 places to take the No 1 spot.
• Stewart Clear Saucers for pot sizes 11 to 18.5cm are the week’s highest climber as planting moves indoors.

Following an exceptional 2014 season, Deco-Pak has confirmed that it is has invested over £1 million in its stock and transport systems for the coming season, to ensure even higher levels of service and customer satisfaction will be achieved.

The team at Deco-Pak is dedicated to delivering the best possible customer service to its retailers in 2015, and this additional investment will no doubt help to further cement this reputation. 

With over £500k worth of stock already on the ground for the coming year, the company intends to continue with high level of production throughout the quieter winter months to ensure retailers receive stocks in a timely manner next year.

Rod Slater, Deco-Pak’s general manager, said: “We’re always looking at ways to offer our retailers exceptional levels of service, and felt that now was the right time to invest in both our stock and transport systems.

"We’ve recently purchased two new high-tech robots which have helped to increase our manufacturing and packaging capacity by 40%, enabling us to excel when managing demand during peak periods. 

"As a result we are also able to confirm that we are on target to put over £1 million pounds worth of stock on the ground before the season starts.

"We are also extremely excited by our new transportation partnership, which will see our distribution network grow three-fold, whilst also improving our delivery lead times.

"In addition we welcomed a number of new staff to our warehousing facility, meaning we are now in a position to offer our customers even more unrivalled service levels.”

To learn more about Deco-Pak call 01422 204394 or visit www.deco-pak.co.uk.

Orchid specialists Burnham Nurseries have invested in its environmental policy and reduced its energy consumption by 27%, saving over £5,500 in the process. 

It has joined forces with Vickers Energy Group to install its energy management system which control the gas heaters throughout the Devon-based nursery after the company decided it wanted to control the rising cost of its energy bills and increase the priority of environmental issues within the business.

The advanced energy management system regulates and monitors the temperature throughout the various buildings at the nursery by using highly accurate digital air sensors, which ensures the heaters work to their optimum efficiency.   

Within the first year of installation the family run business has seen huge saving in CO2 emissions of 28 tonnes and the overall gas reduction stands at 152,906 kWh.

David Hilton from Vickers Energy said: “Working in such delicate conditions brought with it some new and exciting challenges to the project.  

"For obvious reasons the temperature of the nursery has to be maintained to cultivate the orchids. We were tasked with balancing that and, at the same time, meeting the demands of the environmental requirements of the business. 

"The carbon footprint of nurseries can be huge and our team worked closely with Burnham Nurseries to ensure that all the demands placed on the business were met.

"The savings are a testament to the system and that it can help address even the most unusual of situations.”

Sara Rittershausen from Burnham Nurseries said: “As an orchid nursery the heating issues we face in our greenhouses are on a large scale. We wanted to save money but it was a daunting prospect trying to tackle the constantly rising energy bills. 

"We have improved our environmental policy within the business and an energy management system has been a big step forward in this process. Installing the Vickers system has been a huge help and made the task of addressing our bills simple. 

"It’s effective, low maintenance and we’re really happy with the results in the first year without compromising on the quality of the orchids we grow.”

Vickers has recently been awarded with the accolades of Energy Product of the Year from the prestigious Environment and Energy Awards 2014, a Gold Green Apple Award within their Energy Saving Category, Green Business of the Year at the Trafford Business Awards and is accredited by the Carbon Trust.

For further information on how you can work with Vickers to reduce your energy consumption, call 0800 0933 588.

Ruxley Manor Garden Centreis relaunching the popular annual gardening competition, Bexley in Bloom, in 2015.

As a sponsor of the competition for many years, Ruxley has proudly agreed to take over the management of Bexley in Bloom from the London Borough of Bexley and is looking forward to building on the success of the competition.

James Evans, Managing Director at Ruxley, said: “We are very excited at the prospect of running the competition next year and hope to encourage entries from gardeners of all ages and abilities throughout Bexley and the surrounding areas. 

"The competition remains free to enter and there will be a series of talks and demonstrations at the garden centre in the spring for anyone in need of some green-fingered inspiration.”

Cllr Alex Sawyer, Bexley’s Cabinet Member for Community Safety and Leisure, said: “It was with great reluctance that the London Borough of Bexley had to announce that it would stop running Bexley in Bloom. It was one of many tough choices made in order to address the £10m funding gap in this year's budget.

“We said at the time that we would work hard to find new management for Bexley in Bloom and I believe it couldn't be in better hands than Ruxley Manor Garden Centre, who have been staunch supporters of the competition for many years and who have a long tradition of advising and providing for the borough's gardening enthusiasts."

Ruxley welcomes the opportunity to work alongside local community groups, businesses and schools who wish to brighten up their outdoor spaces and ultimately create a better place in which to live. If you would like to get involved contact Lisa, Ruxley’s Marketing Manager, via email at inbloom@ruxley-manor.co.uk.

Ruxley Manor Garden Centre is based in Sidcup and is a fifth-generation family run business dedicated to serving the local gardening community by providing quality plants, gardening and leisure products. 

www.ruxley-manor.co.uk

I am currently looking for a talented retail manager to join the team of an expanding garden centre. 

This garden centre is part of a large chain of garden centres and has the potential to grow into one of the groups largest.

I am keen to find an experienced retail manager that has ambition to be part of a growing site. You will be a strong man manager with at least 3 years of retail management experience. This could be made up for a supervisory role but you will have experience as an assistant management position.

This role will allow the applicant to take on store wide duty management and join a busy that is keen on progressing their candidates throughout their large web of stores.

Please call 01780 480530 and speak to Brad Peck or apply with your CV, quoting reference #6883 to info@morepeople.co.uk

I am currently looking for a talented retail manager to join the team of an established garden centre.   

This garden centre is part of a large chain of garden centres.  

I am keen to find an experienced retail manager that has ambition to be part of a growing company. You will be a strong man manager with at least 3 years of retail management experience. This could be made up for a supervisory role but you will have experience as an assistant management position.  

This role will allow the applicant to take on store wide duty management and join a busy that is keen on progressing their candidates throughout their large web of stores.

Please call 01780 480530 and speak to Brad Peck or apply with your CV quoting reference #6884 to info@morepeople.co.uk

My client is an independent garden centre based in the midlands. The centre is a modern successful site based in an area with good transport links and a strong existing customer base. There is a large plant area on site and we are looking for someone to join a successful team.  

The Ideal candidate will be a successful garden retailer from a plant focussed background. You will have preferably have some man management experience but this is not essential. 

The successful candidate will be detail orientated and have a record of success in retail. We are looking for someone ambitious that wishes to progress in their career.

Plant knowledge must be good, ideally supported by a qualification.

Please call 01780 480530 and speak to Brad Peck or apply with your CV, quoting reference #6846 to info@morepeople.co.uk

My client is a large independent garden centre with an award winning pedigree. 

This vacancy will be working as a part of the centre management team and will have direct responsibility for the product range of the garden care department and also the storeroom.

I am looking for an ambitious individual who wants to have a sense of ownership over the retail area and has the ability to effectively manage their team. 

Retail experience is a must and garden centre retail experience is preferred. 

Applicants must have experience of staff management, with a minimum of 3-4 years experience, and be able to lead and inspire a team of up to 13 staff. 

They must also have proven buying experience and an ability to successfully negotiate with suppliers. 

They must operate with good standards of merchandising and presentation, coupled with an element of creativity.  

Please call 01780 480530 and speak to Brad Peck or apply with your CV, quoting reference #6881 to info@morepeople.co.uk

The Garden Centre Association has revealed that Scotts and Westland Horticulture will be its headline sponsors for its annual conference in January.

Scotts is a leading producer and marketer of products for do it yourself lawn care and gardening and Westland Horticulture is a market leader in garden and environmental products.

Iain Wylie, Chief Executive of the GCA, said: “We’re delighted these two well-known industry names are supporting this year’s event. Westland Horticulture sponsored last year’s conference and we’re glad they are backing it again for a second time.

“We’ve had a lot of interest in sponsorship this year but there are still a few opportunities available for any companies wishing to get involved. We’d advise people to get in touch soon to avoid disappointment.”

The conference takes place at the De Vere Carden Park in Chester from January 25 until 28.

Iain added: “Sponsors will have access to more than 300 delegates from the nation’s leading garden centres, including independents and chains, in a relaxed and friendly environment, over lunch, dinner or in a lecture theatre.

“We would love to hear from any businesses that are interested in sponsoring aspects of our conference. There are various packages we can offer.”

To find out more about the sponsorship opportunities available, please email Iain via Iain@gca.org.uk.

Iain continued: “As always our conference will provide attendees with pertinent information on key aspects of the garden centre industry to assist members in achieving their business goals.

“The information shared will focus on a wide range of topics, including merchandising, marketing and management.”

Candles, both real and battery operated, are lighting up the GTN Bestsellers Christmas chart.

This week there are 14 Christmas candle product lines in the Top 50 with a cumulative sales volume up 341% on the same week last year.

Battery operated candles are a key driver for this increase. 56% of this week’s candle products sales volume in the Top 50 is for battery operated candles.

Products shining this week include:

• Kaemingk Church Candles are the week’s highest chart re-entry at No 6.
• Premier Battery Operated Dancing Flame Cream Candles, 13cm high, are the fourth highest selling volume Christmas line in the chart, with the 18cm version at No 9.
• The Christmas Present Gift set from Yankee Candles is just outside the Top 10 at No 11.

Irish moss peat, orchid compost and bulb compost are the winners in the GTN Bestsellers Growing Media Chart this week.

After weeks of outdoor planting activity at way above last year’s levels, this week sees activity drop back to more normal sales volumes for the time of the year, and take a move indoors.

Star performers this week:

• 125 litre bales of Shamrock Irish Moss Peat are the week’s highest re-entry at No 12.
• Lorbex Orchid Compost, 2 litre packs, increased sales by 38% to re-enter at No 33.
• Bulb planting compost sales are up 20% on the same week last year as sales of amaryllis bulbs increase in the run up to Christmas.

2014 has been a good year for the horticultural and landscaping industry, especially for Essex based Holland Landscapes.

Run by father and son, Chris and Paul Baker, Holland Landscapes have seen their business expand significantly.  After such a good year, the company has had to grow with the demand they are receiving with a designer being their first appointment.

Chris Baker founded the company in 1988 and his son Paul, who is the Vice-chairman of the Association of Professional Landscapers (APL), joined the company in 1999. Holland Landscapes have won 8 APL awards since 2001 including the prestigious Supreme Award in 2011.

Since then, the company has gone from strength to strength and has seen Kate Marshall MSGD join the Holland Landscapes team.

Kate Marshall (pictured) is a qualified and experienced designer. Since studying at Otley and Writtle College, Kate has been practicing garden design in Suffolk and Essex for the past 12 years. She works with her clients to create the garden they desire, whether that is large or small, formal or informal.

Paul Baker said: “Kate combines her creativity and experience with her client’s ideas to produce original, elegant and practical solutions. Her aim is to build beautiful gardens, which become treasured parts of the home, based on sound construction and horticultural knowledge. Each design that Kate produces is exclusive to Holland Landscapes and we are delighted that she has joined our team.”

Members of a north Birmingham community have broken the world record for the number of flower bulbs planted at once, in tribute to local people who gave their lives in the First World War.

850 residents of Stockland Green, Birmingham, planted the bulbs as a lasting memorial to the fallen at a Remembrance event held in Brookvale Park over the weekend.

Each resident had to plant five narcissi bulbs within an hour to beat the previous world record for 750 people planting simultaneously. The task was verified by a representative from the Guinness Book of Records.

National green services provider Glendale, which manages Brookvale Park, organised the event in partnership with the local police, Birmingham City Council, Interserve and the Friends of Brookvale Park group.

Glendale supplied the bulbs and the company’s specialists prepared the ground by removing a strip of more than 300 metres of turf from the park, which runs parallel to George Road.

The area was seeded with wildflowers to provide blooms during the summer months, and Glendale rotovated the land to ensure it was in the best condition for the bulbs to thrive.

Tod Hale, contract manager at Glendale, said: “The event was a wonderful yet poignant way to bring a community together and commemorate the First World War. It was humbling to see the sense of pride among those who took part, many of whom were planting bulbs with a relative or friend in mind.

“We were proud to be part of this once in a lifetime event and create a lasting tribute which will be enjoyed by generations.”

The event was organised to commemorate the centenary of the First World War.

Leading garden bird food brand Peckish is thanking over 100 garden centres for their involvement in the hugely successful 'Go Wild With Peckish' campaign.

Young people across the UK and Ireland hatched into bird-feeding enthusiasts during the week-long campaign, held over October half term.  Activities included fun bird mask and fat ball making sessions and a bird spotting activity with cut out bird characters. Over 10,000 goodie bags were provided by Peckish for garden centres to issue to participants.

Plenty of great feedback about 'Go Wild With Peckish' has been flying into Peckish HQ this week, including:

Simpson’s Garden Centre in Inverness, said: “We loved having the Peckish activities and goody bags for kids visiting our garden centre this October break. It was a brilliant addition to our normal school activities programme and all the children taking part loved it!

Paul Benson, Manager at Burford House Garden Store in Worcestershire, said:  “We were delighted to stage the Westland 'Go Wild With Peckish' trail over half term. A great PR event for us and an increase in sales of Westland bird care products to boot!”

A staggering number of entries have been received so far to the drawing competition which was run through garden centres and online at the 'Go Wild With Peckish' website. Children brought the wild birds in their garden to life through creative drawings and will have the opportunity to win prizes such as a family day out and Peckish hampers.

Rachael Dickinson, Senior Brand Manager for Peckish said: “We initiated the 'Go Wild With Peckish' campaign to encourage ‘generation digital’ to switch off their devices and experience the enjoyment of bird-feeding. We were astounded by the support that we got from garden centres up and down the UK and would like to thank them for getting behind the campaign.

“Research carried out by Peckish have time and again suggested that once young people have enjoyed feeding the birds with a loved one, they are more likely to continue this activity throughout their lifetimes. It’s important to the industry that we encourage children to take an interest in feeding the birds. As one of the leading bird food brands in the UK, we feel it’s our responsibility to be driving this forward.

“We will be looking to stage the 'Go Wild With Peckish' campaign again next year and will be seeking additional initiatives throughout the next 12 months to increase the number of people feeding the birds.”

The results of a trade competition in which one lucky garden centre will win Merlin annual passes for its staff will be announced shortly.

Photograph shows (from L-R) – Jasmine (aged 8) and Jaiden (aged 7) with their 'Go Wild With Peckish'goodies after completing the activities at Burford House Garden Store in Worcestershire.

William Sinclair have reported that sales of their products were flat for the year ended 30 September 2014 with sales during the second half of the year being slightly lower than for the comparable period in 2013.

This was in part due to the unusually late growing season in 2013 which led to stronger than normal performances during the later months of April and May. In addition, some sales were lost by the company's professional division following the closure of its Boothby site and during the transition to Ellesmere Port.

The news was released in a trading update ahead of the company's preliminary results for the 12 months ended 30 September 2014, which will be released in January 2015.

With the peat harvest being slightly behind our expectations, the underlying EBITDA loss for the year will be approximately GBP1 million, compared with our earlier expectation of a broadly breakeven underlying EBITDA.

Despite the peat harvest being lower than anticipated the company has successfully built up its stock levels and now has surplus amounts of high quality peat over and above what will be required for the coming selling season.

Net bank debt as at 30 September 2014 was GBP3.5m. This reflects the trading results, the significant level of exceptional items in the year caused by refinancing costs, dual running costs related to the move from Boothby to Ellesmere Port (which were at a higher level in the second half as Ellesmere Port built up its staffing levels), the significant capital expenditure during the year at Ellesmere Port as well as the receipt from Natural England.

The development of Ellesmere Port continues according to plan and budget. The growing media plant has been fully commissioned and high quality product is being produced and sold. Some additional building works are now being completed to ensure that the peat at Ellesmere Port is further protected from the weather and that, as a result, the product exceeds our customers' expectations for the coming selling season.

Production of SuperFyba, the best alternative to peat, is increasing and now forms a significant component of a high quality retail product going forward.

William Sinclair has been through a period of significant change with the substantial part of its main investment at Ellesmere Port now complete. The company is now well placed to grow following this very significant capital investment, alongside its investment in an exciting new range of products and its brand rejuvenation.

British garden, leisure and petcare products suppliers will have the opportunity to acquire a wealth of valuable export information and also to present their products to important overseas buyers at an Open Day and Meet-the-Buyer event being organised by Gardenex on Wednesday 3 December.

The event, to be held at the Federation’s head office in Brasted, Kent is open to federation members and potential exporters. 

 The key elements of the day include the opportunity to:

• book one-to-one ‘business creating’ meetings with key buyers from the US and Europe.

• take part in round-table workshop discussions with a US distributor of garden products and a Danish pet product distributor.  This is an ideal opportunity to discover what a successful distributor seeks from its suppliers, to understand the markets they cover and to find out which product ranges they are seeking to source.

• receive details of the Federation’s range of export events planned for 2015.

• explore the Federation’s research library which includes market reports, export information, tradeshow and company catalogues.

• view the latest editions of the US garden and pet market reports.

• network with like- minded exporters, trade contacts and the Gardenex and PetQuip team.

The meet-the-buyer element of the day will involve a US distributor of garden products, a Danish pet product distributor, a Belgian importer/distributor of pet products and a Romanian wholesaler/pet retail chain. 

Additional buyers have been invited by the Federation, and the British participating firms will be notified when details are known. 

Commenting on the success of previous meet-the buyer events, which have been organised by Gardenex and PetQuip for many years, the federation’s director general, Amanda Sizer Barrett (pictured) said; “These popular meetings provide an opportunity for regular exporters and new-to-export firms to present their ranges to individual buyers. 

"The pre-arranged meetings provide a cost-effective way for British suppliers to meet with buyers that have already confirmed their interest in the specific products being offered by the supplier. This eliminates wasted time and enables a productive discussion to take place. The resulting successes in terms of new business are manifold.”

The deadline for registering interest in the event is Wednesday 19 November. 

Contact:  emma@gardenex.com or theresa@petquip.com

Members of the Garden Centre Association wishing to attend the organisation’s annual conference can take advantage of an early bird discount when they book their place this month.

People who book to attend the conference before November 30 will benefit from a 10% reduction in price for the event, which takes place in Chester in January.

Iain Wylie (pictured), Chief Executive of the GCA, said: “Following on from the success of last year garden centre delegates can book their place at the conference online via the members’ area on our website and qualify for a discount.

“This offer is only available until the end of the month and is an opportunity for people to save 10% on the cost of their booking regardless of whether it is for a single day or for the a full conference including accommodation.

“We hope as many people as possible take advantage of the saving to be made.”

The GCA conference takes place at the De Vere Carden Park in Chester from January 25 until 28. More than 300 delegates are expected to attend.

Iain continued: “As always our conference will provide attendees with pertinent information on key aspects of the garden centre industry to assist members in achieving their business goals.

“The information shared will focus on a wide range of topics, including merchandising, marketing and management. There will also be plenty of opportunities for delegates to network and socialise.”

To take advantage of the 10% discount, please visit www.gca.org.uk and log in to the members’ area of the website.

Latest figures from BNM UK show the combined growth of its Vital Earth and Growise brands over the last calendar year as outstripping the rest of the growing media and soil improvers market seven times over. 

The statistics are based on GfK’s latest reporting of this sector being 2.5% up and with major competitors reporting flat or lower sales over the same period, BNM UK’s performance accounts for the overall growth.

 Furthermore, with GfK quoting overall gardening sector growth at 9.8%, BNM UK is growing at nearly twice the rate of the retail garden market in total.

Commenting on the 2014 performance, Head of UK, Steve Harper said: “Clearly this is very exciting and will yield a number of new investments in the UK in 2015 covering premises, jobs and marketing.

“In terms of the background to this impressive performance, our growth is attributable to a mixture of trade and consumer activity. 

"Our development of an environmentally and commercially sound one stop shop approach to peat-based, peat reduced and peat-free is unique in the market and will stay that way as it cannot be copied. 

"We are committed to education as a means to drive both the growing media and soil improver markets and we are building our consumer franchise exponentially, in particular through our involvement with the award-winning Rich Brothers at the Chelsea Flower Show. 

"This is leading directly to product development with the launch of Chelsea Mix, ready for the coming season.”

Bord na Móna is a pioneer in its native Ireland in recycling and green energy.  In the UK, Growise and Vital Earth are stocked in garden centres nationwide - visit www.thegreenergardener.com for more details.

The Garden Industry Manufacturers’ Association has confirmed that it recently attracted 20 new members in the past few months, further boosting its thriving membership base.  

The increase in numbers comes after a successful year for GIMA, with events such as Buyer’s Connect at GLEE, Charity Golf Day, and the re-vamped GIMA awards fronted by TV comedian Russell Kane.

Smaller businesses such as The Floral Company, large distributors such as Stax, and big name brands such as Jeyes all became members of the organisation during the last six months.  

For well-known household brands breaking in to the garden care market, such as Kärcher UK, joining GIMA is an integral part of the business’ growth.  Phil Springall, Marketing Manager, Karcher UK said: “We chose to become a member of GIMA because the association sits at the very centre of the garden industry. The Kärcher brand enjoys sales of over £100m in the UK, but as relative newcomers to the garden industry it greatly values the connections and support GIMA provides.”

SteadyPost, the start up company behind ‘FenceFins’, were winners of the GIMA Innovators’ Seed Corn Fund 2014, which also included full membership as part of the prize. Susanne Pinnock, Sales & Marketing Manager for SteadyPost Ltd, said: “Joining GIMA has helped us gain insight more quickly and reliably than we could otherwise have done, and in a very friendly and supportive environment too.  GIMA membership offers the opportunity to make great new contacts – not just buyers but other industry retailers and suppliers too. ” 

For small to medium sized companies, GIMA is a positive move in the right direction, said Plant Magic Plus Ltd Managing Director Steve Webb: “We wanted to become part of an organisation and what a great organisation to be a member of.  Good people to deal with, and some fantastic opportunities to meet like minded folks at organised networking events.”

For most new members the benefits to signing up with the association are obvious.  “We chose to become a member of GIMA because of the discounts available for relevant trade shows and the opportunity to attend the meet the buyer events”, said David Johnson, Anglo American Distributors.  

For others such as Paul Warner, Head of Marketing, Green Velvet Lawn Seed, joining GIMA is an essential part in building contacts and new product development:  “We want to forge relationships with others and gain a wider understanding of the needs of the industry. We aim to shape our products to meet the demands of our customers and consumers, and GIMA gives us an excellent forum to open up this dialogue.”

Overseas businesses continue to look to GIMA as a way in to the UK market, said Gert Johanssen, from Danish supplier CombiPot: “In launching a patented product such as our new PotatoPot, joining GIMA allows us to benefit from the best network for distribution of gardening retail in supermarkets, DIY stores and garden centres.”

Other full members joining during this time included Chervon Europe, DJ Turfcare, LLC Ltd, Wholesale Garden Furniture, Panacea Products Ltd, AFK Garden, Grono Lawns Ltd and Bowland Stone.

Four new associate members bring the overall total to 20, and include Besurance Consultancy Ltd, Merzario and Redhead PR.

Welcoming all new members, GIMA Director, Vicky Nuttall said: “This is great news for us all, especially the members themselves and the industry as a whole.  As more companies are recognising the benefits of joining the association, our increased numbers mean we are able to continue to build even further on our range of services and strengthen our position as a leading voice in the UK gardening industry.”

To keep up to date with GIMA news, visit the GIMA website, get in touch with the GIMA office on 01959 565885 or email info@gima.org.uk.

Wyevale Nurseries has unveiled its first Landscape & Amenity Catalogue in 17 years. The new 169-page catalogue lists more than 2,500 lines, and all the plants are all grown by the company.

Adam Dunnett, Sales and Marketing Director at Wyevale Nurseries, which is based in Hereford, explained: “We are one of the UK’s largest amenity growers, something we are very proud of, but with our tree, transplant and container grown plant nurseries all being separate up until this year, we have struggled to get the message out about our incredibly wide range of plants.

“The fact that we have brought our three key landscape amenity production companies back together into one it seemed the perfect year to produce a catalogue which represented the new collective company, Wyevale Nurseries.”

The Landscape Amenity sector accounts for nearly 70% of Wyevale Nurseries turnover.

Adam added: “Having spent a number of years as a buyer, I’ve seen lots and lots of supplier catalogues and one thing in particular that used to frustrate me was the unrealistic prices. We have aimed our catalogue prices at market rates with price bands, which we hope makes this catalogue a useful working document.

“We grow all the plants listed in the catalogue, a claim very few of our competitors could make, we are a one stop shop for companies working in the landscape amenity market.”

Wyevale Nurseries sells more than 125,000 trees annually. They are available bare root, rootballed and container grown. Its sells more than five million hedging transplants and 1.5m shrub, hedging and herbaceous container plants.

If you would like to receive the new Landscape & Amenity Catalogue, please contact Carol Dickinson, Customer Support and Innovation Manager at Wyevale Nurseries via carol@wyevale-nurseries.co.uk.

Wyevale Nurseries is one of the largest family-run wholesale nurseries in the UK. It was established in 1928 by Harry Williamson, a horticulturist and entrepreneur. It became the company it is today under the leadership of his son, Peter, who sadly passed away in 2011.

The Williamsons’ saw the opportunity to sell their product to an undeveloped retail market, creating one of the first garden centres, followed by a chain. In 1987, the retail side needed to expand and the 19 garden centres were sold as a PLC.

The family then turned its focus to Wyevale Nurseries Ltd. It continues to be a family-run business with ownership and joint chairmanship currently being held by the third generation, Heather and Simeon Williamson, with plans for the fourth generation to takeover in the future.

Wyevale Nurseries has a significant product range and is regularly introducing new plants. It offers a large variety of trees, shrubs, hedging, herbaceous and specimen plants to garden centres, landscape contractors, local authorities, foresters and landowners.

For further details about Wyevale Nurseries, which is based in Hereford, call 01432 845 200 or visit www.wyevalenurseries.co.uk.

Pictured: Andy Congera from Wyevale Nurseries.

Matthew Vowels of Monkton Elm GC is pictured receiving a bottle of champagne after being judged one of the winners of the F1 driving challenge on the Johnsons stand at Glee.

A leading UK nursery has unveiled some of the nation’s favourite landscaping trees this month to link in with National Tree Week 2014.

The top ‘old faithfuls’ that nearly every landscaping project involves include Acer campestre ‘Elsrijk’, Betula utilis ‘Jacquemotii’, Prunus avium ‘Plena’, Pyrus calleryana ‘Chanticleer’ and Tillia cordata ‘Greenspire’ says Wyevale Nurseries.

Sales and Marketing Director at Wyevale Nurseries, Adam Dunnett said: “These are tree varieties that just seem to appear on every list sent through to us each year and are so well-known and well-loved they probably always will do!

“But although they remain the firm favourites for landscaping projects we’re also seeing some other interesting developments and requests coming through. For example, trees in the rosacea family, such as Amelanchier, Malus, Prunus and Sorbus, are becoming more popular because these tend to be quite ornate and reasonably compact, so suit urban planting schemes where space is at a premium.

“We’ve also been asked for other varieties that are not as commonly grown and so offer something a little different, such as Acer platanoides ‘Crimson Sentry’ and ‘Columnare’, Alnus glutinosa ‘Imperialis’, Betula albosinensis ‘Fascination’, Corylus colurna, Parrotia persica ‘Vanessa’, Quercus palustris and rubra, Sorbus commixta ‘Olympic Flame’ and Zelkova serrate ‘Green Vase’, which is an excellent alternative to elm.”

National Tree Week takes place from November 29 until December 7. It initially took place in 1975 and is the UK’s largest tree celebration annually. It also signals the start of the winter tree planting season.

Adam continued: “Although there is a trend towards the tried and tested, we are also seeing increasing requests for ‘something a little different’ and as a result are offering improved selections of old favourites such as Betula pendula ‘Select’, Carpinus betulus ‘Lucus’, Prunus padus ‘Select’, Quercus robur ‘Wonder’, Sorbus ‘Blackberry’ and Tilia cordata ‘Select’.”

Wyevale Nurseries is one of the largest family-run wholesale nurseries in the UK. It was established in 1928 by Harry Williamson, a horticulturist and entrepreneur. It became the company it is today under the leadership of his son, Peter, who sadly passed away in 2011.

The Williamsons’ saw the opportunity to sell their product to an undeveloped retail market, creating one of the first garden centres, followed by a chain. In 1987, the retail side needed to expand and the 19 garden centres were sold as a PLC.

The family then turned its focus to Wyevale Nurseries Ltd. It continues to be a family-run business with ownership and joint chairmanship currently being held by the third generation, Heather and Simeon Williamson, with plans for the fourth generation to takeover in the future.

Wyevale Nurseries has a significant product range and is regularly introducing new plants. It offers a large variety of trees, shrubs, hedging, herbaceous and specimen plants to garden centres, landscape contractors, local authorities, foresters and landowners.

For further details about Wyevale Nurseries, which is based in Hereford, call 01432 845 200 or visit www.wyevalenurseries.co.uk

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 2012 as well as 2013 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 upto 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 Christmas Products 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.