Joules, the premium British lifestyle brand, has announced that it has acquired The Garden Trading Company Limited (“Garden Trading”), a digitally led retailer of home and garden products inspired by the British countryside and lifestyle trends (the “Acquisition”).

Nick Jones, CEO of Joules, commented: “We are delighted to announce the acquisition of Garden Trading, which is a fast-growing and highly complementary brand to Joules in the attractive home, garden & outdoor category. The acquisition will help to increase the Joules customer base, broaden our product offering and strengthen our digital platform, which are three of the Group’s key strategic growth pillars.

“The Garden Trading brand shares similar design-led principles to Joules and, as has been demonstrated through its stand-out popularity on the Friends of Joules digital marketplace over the past 15 months, is highly relevant to our customers and their lifestyles.

“Garden Trading has a fantastic team and culture, which is closely aligned to Joules’. I am delighted to welcome Garden Trading’s team to the Joules family and look forward to working with them all over the coming years.”

Jon Holloway, Founder of Garden Trading, said: “We are delighted to be joining Joules, which is a business and brand I have long admired. Since we started selling through the Friends of Joules digital marketplace more than a year ago it has become increasingly clear how well our products and brand resonate with the Joules customer base. In addition, by working with the Joules team it is clear that we share similar values, culture and customer-centric approach.

“I would like to take this opportunity to thank all my colleagues as well as our loyal customers who have helped to develop Garden Trading into the established and popular brand it is today. With the continued dedication of the Garden Trading team alongside the support and infrastructure that Joules offers, I am very confident in the growth opportunities ahead for the Garden Trading brand.”

The Joules website states:

Garden Trading designs its own range of distinctive home, garden and outdoor products that it sells through its own digital platform direct to consumers and to more than 1,000 stockists across the UK. Garden Trading has seen rapid growth in its e-commerce revenue over recent years as it has broadened its product range and increased its customer base. Garden Trading has been a leading seller on the Friends of Joules digital marketplace since Joules launched the marketplace in 2019.

Strategic rationale
The Acquisition supports Joules’ strategy to grow its customer base, broaden its product offer and strengthen its digital platform.

The Acquisition strengthens Joules’ position in the important and fast-growing home, garden & outdoor category. Garden Trading has a close cultural alignment with Joules, and both share the same design-led approach to creating distinctive, quality products that are loved by their customers.

Joules intends to continue to develop and grow the Garden Trading brand and product range whilst also seeing opportunity to leverage Garden Trading’s design and sourcing strengths to develop a broader range of Joules-branded home, garden and outdoor products.

For the year to 30 November 2020, Garden Trading delivered revenue of £16.8 million, up more than 40% on the prior year, and a profit before tax of £2.0 million.

The acquisition is expected to be earnings accretive for Joules FY22 financial year.

Transaction overview

The consideration for the Acquisition is split between an upfront and a deferred element. The upfront consideration is for £9 million subject to certain customary completion adjustments. The upfront consideration is comprised of a £4.5 million cash payment (on a cash free, debt free basis subject to a normalised level of working capital) and 2.83 million new Joules ordinary shares of 1 pence each (“Ordinary Shares”).

The deferred consideration is for up to £3.5 million (of which at least £3 million will be paid in cash and the rest either in cash or Ordinary Shares, at the Group’s discretion), subject to Garden Trading meeting certain targets over the period to 30 November 2021. Any Ordinary Shares issued pursuant to the Acquisition are subject to certain customary lock-up and orderly market arrangements.

Garden Trading’s founder and Managing Director, Jon Holloway, will remain with the business until the end of December 2021.

https://www.joulesgroup.com/

Garden Centres in Scotland and Wales, where garden centres are currently not allowed to open, need our support with their petitions to devolved governments to allow them to re-open as soon as possible.  

To sign the petition to the Welsh Parliament follow this link: https://petitions.senedd.wales/petitions/244681

To sign the petition to the Scottish Parliament follow this link:  https://www.change.org/ReopenScottishGardenCentres 

Spring is in the air, and with it, a sense of hope. Although this current lockdown has been exceptionally challenging for many businesses, garden and farm centres have been in the fortunate position of being allowed to stay open.

With limited destination retail experiences for people to enjoy, no doubt this has reaped the benefits of a wider demographic and increased footfall. But it’s important to maintain this when mainstream retail opens up again.

Specialist designers, Catering Design Group (CDG), walk us through some fresh ideas to maintain and nurture growth ahead.

Hue got me at hello

• Colour can be a form of non-verbal messaging, subliminally affecting how we feel when we walk into a space. 
• Having the right colour palette not only reflects your ethos and values but can enhance the customer experience. Visiting a garden or farm centre is one of life’s pleasures so it’s important that you meet expectations in every area of your centre, including your catering operation. Naturally, this space should complement your retail and outdoor spaces. 
• One way of doing that is by using colour creatively and using the psychology of colour for maximum input. A change of colour is a quick, cost-effective and impactful way of refreshing your eating spaces.

A story of sustainability 

• Over the last 12 months, there has been a shift in how we view the world and what is important to us as humans, such as kindness, interest in community, health, wellbeing and the environment. There’s an opportunity for garden centres to embrace this and reflect these values in your food offer and surroundings.
• Everything from natural textures and organic shapes to the use of patterns inspired by nature tell a story about your ethos.  
• Even the tiniest finishing touches like your choice of serving bowls, your menu design or light fittings can spark an association with sustainability in a customer’s mind, speaking volumes about your quality standards, values and sustainability. 
• These design elements let visitors know that you care about the environment, energy efficiency and the community in which you operate. 
• Think about placing story boards with pictures and details about some of your local food growers and artisan producers to share the provenance of your ingredients. 

Think technology

• There is no doubt that the garden centre visitor demographic is changing, with younger people now waking up to the joys of gardening and outdoor spaces. 
• Unfortunately, there is also no doubt that social distancing will be with us for another while so anything you can do to make the customer experience safer and more convenient is a plus. 
• A well-designed App for ordering food will reduce queues, waiting times and transaction handling for this techno-savvy customer-base. Special offers and loyalty bonuses can be easily added, with the potential to increase sales and repeat business. 
• With the growth virtual platforms and on-line purchasing, all generations have become far more tech savvy so tap into that as there is a big opportunity for garden and farm centres to use technology to drive business growth. 
• The use of technology is relevant to the way that we design the restaurant/remote food areas. For example, if customers pre-order via an App, we will be thinking about collection points or table delivery from a design perspective.

Embrace the great outdoors

• Even when lockdown restrictions lift, many of us won’t feel entirely comfortable eating together in an indoor restaurant or café. 
• Giving visitors a choice of interesting eating spaces throughout the centre will add to their overall experience.
• For example, you could consider introducing moveable pods to broaden your food offer such as a takeaway juice bar, hot beverage station or a quirky place to sell street food or pizzas for increased revenue. 
• The advantage of smaller, moveable pods is that these can tailored to suit your food offer, style and branding. 
• Attractive outside seating areas also offer more flexible options for anything from takeaway picnics to al fresco working lunches or meetings.

Nurturing Potential

Ideas & inspiration to grow your catering operation

To request a copy of CDG’s free booklet on how to make the most of your garden or farm centre catering space, please contact Steve Hutchings

steve.hutchings@cateringdesign.co.uk

Catering Design Group (CDG) is one of UK’s leading restaurant and commercial kitchen design companies, offering a full design service to clients throughout the retail, leisure, hospitality and education sectors. http://www.cateringdesign.co.uk If you would like to know more about how CDG can support your vision, contact Steve Hutchings, director of CDG on 07736 479342 or email steve.hutchings@cateringdesign.co.uk

Wild Bird Care specialist Honeyfield’s have introduced a major manufacturing capability to their production site in Driby, Lincolnshire.

Now, Honeyfield’s will be producing Suet Pellets and Suet Blocks in-house and launching a refreshed Suet offering to the market. 

This development sees Honeyfield’s, a brand backed by numerous years of Bird Care expertise, further strengthen their supply chain. This means the raw ingredients are now quality UK sourced for the new improved recipes of Suet Pellets and Blocks and have been formulated and tested as a unique blend that birds will love. 

A new unique Suet formulated by experts

The Suet Pellets are available in two flavours - Mealworms & Insect and Fruity Flavour which are available in 4 sizes to fit all consumer needs, 750g, 2kg, 3kg Tub and 12.6kg.

Suet Blocks are also available in the same two flavours as the new Suet Pellets (Mealworms & Insect and Fruity Flavour) and are available as 300g single blocks, Packs of 4 blocks and a Mixed Pack of 8 (4 Fruity Flavour and 4 Mealworm & Insect).

Honeyfield’s have based these unique recipes on research and taste tests which underpin the brands palatability. Boasting a high fat content, the new recipe contains Nyjer Seed, which especially enhances the nutritional benefit to birds. In addition to this, Honeyfield’s only uses natural dye’s in the Suet range. These improvements to Suet Pellets and Blocks set’s Honeyfield’s apart from other Wild Bird Care brands by including the unique ingredient of Nyjer Seed within Suet products and being the only bird care brand within Britain to use only natural dyes.

There for customers in challenging times

Whilst last year bought many challenges to the industry, Honeyfield’s continued to service customers with their high-quality products. Throughout the year, numerous suet projects arose and allowed for Honeyfield’s to create their in-house suet operation and continue to develop and perfect their unique recipes. The development of the UK based manufacturing of their suet products has many benefits to the customer, amongst which is the opportunity for customers to receive regular suet deliveries due to the removal of a step in the supply chain. 

James Jackson, category manager of Honeyfield’s spoke of the developments saying: "We are really excited to add another manufacturing capability to our range, this allows us to choose the highest quality UK sourced ingredients for our Suet range - as we already do for most of our seed range where possible."

Dedication to innovation, backed by traditional values

Since Honeyfield’s was founded in 2015, the company has continued to innovate and grow whilst keeping their traditional values at the heart of what they do. This dedication to innovation has extended through to the new Suet range with the brand having plans to not only grow their brand but to grow the Wild Bird Care market by creating new ideas towards feeding the birds.

The new developments mean that Honeyfield’s are able to constantly innovate, test and create new products in-house.

In addition to Honeyfield’s plans to revolutionise the Wild Bird Care market, the new Suet production operation means that anyone who requires their own brand suet products can benefit from the wealth of experience, high quality ingredients and specialist tried-and-tested recipes that Honeyfield’s has to offer. 

Sam Marriage, managing director of WHM Pet Group said: "As the weather remains cold and food sources for birds are scarce alongside uncertainty within politics and the potential economic effect, our UK based suet operation couldn’t have come at a better time.

"We are already innovating and creating new, exciting products within the suet range and beyond. We are looking forward to sharing our hard work with the market in 2021."

For more information visit www.honeyfieldswildbird.co.uk

As we move into February, gardeners and garden centres are all looking forward to some better weather so they can get out on their plots to get growing. GTN Bestsellers reports sales increasing by 25% duing the last week of January and with the weather improving during the first week of February perhaps we’ll get back to sales that are on parity with last year.

As the vaccination programme progresses and the rate of new cases drops people could be starting to plan for the spring and the summer when they will undoubetdly be wanting to use their garden spaces for allowed outdoor gatherings with family and friends.

With that in mind, how will your garden centre merchandising encourage customers to: “Decorate your garden with new plants for a joyous summer with friends and family?” How many ideas can you link plant sales to garden decoration? And how many other sales can roll on from decorating with new plants?

Email your thoughts to: trevor@pottingshedpress.co.uk

GTN Bestsellers Top 50 sales volumes compared to the same week last year: week 4

• Garden Products Top 50 – down 41%
• Growing Media Top 50 – down 66%
• Veg-2-Gro Top 50 – down 40%
• Wild Bird & Wildlife Top 50 – down 30%

GTN Bestsellers All Sales volumes compared to the same week last year: week 4

• All Plants with Barcode Index – down 30%
• All Items with Barcode Index – down 56%

See the full GTN Bestsellers Top 50 charts, compiled from garden centre Epos data every week, with a year's subscription to the printed newsletter for only £145.00 using this link.

Twinkly are incredibly proud and excited to announce that their brand new UK showroom is now open! Based in Chorley, in the heart of Lancashire, you’ll be able to see the revolutionary Twinkly products in action, test the latest technology first-hand, and see what’s new for Christmas 2021. 

Twinkly for retail is the most advanced product for domestic light displays. It combines addressable LEDs, a WiFi and Bluetooth controller and a state-of-the-art smartphone app, allowing you to quickly and easily customise your entire lighting display. 

Twinkly Pro is an all-in-one commercial solution, packed with technological innovation that redefines lighting projects. Giving you the ability to control up to 60,000 LEDs locally, or an entire city remotely, Twinkly Pro makes project and commercial displays a breeze. 

The showroom showcases the versatility of these amazing lights and their numerous applications, with areas dedicated to weddings and events, Christmas, window installations, and domestic home and garden displays, to name a few. There are 31,000 LEDs in the Twinkly Pro section alone, which are all controllable via the Twinkly app or cloud; this really has to be seen to be believed!

If you’re interested in stocking Twinkly products as a reseller, contact us directly to discuss the best package for you. If you’re looking to create your own display using the Twinkly Pro range, our knowledgeable Projects team can manage any project, from design to take down, whilst boasting access to an approved installation network. 

The brand new product brochures for 2021 are out now, so make an appointment today for a socially distanced visit to this fantastic showroom!

Visits to the showroom are by appointment only, so book your visit here https://business.festive-lights.com/showroom. For pricing, brochures, and all other enquiries, call +44 (0)1257 228288.

Members of the Garden Centre Association (GCA) have recently elected new members to its board during the organisation’s virtual AGM.  David Yardley and Will Blake join the board and Will Blake is confirmed as Chairman Elect to take over as Chairman following Tammy Woodhouse who takes over in 2022 after Mike Burks the current Chairman.

The AGM meeting took place on February 2 with GCA members in attendance voting for who would join the Executive Committee and continue as the Association’s Treasurer.

Iain Wylie, Chief Executive of the GCA, said: “After so many of our events were cancelled last year for obvious reasons, we were very keen to still be able to hold this year’s AGM, and we did so in a virtual capacity.

“The meeting was a great success, and we would like to thank all the members who gave up their time to join and contribute to the discussions. We heard our GCA Chairman, Mike Burks’ report that 2020 had been a huge challenge, but with great cooperation between the team at the Horticultural Trades Association and the GCA and the way that members had supported each other, showed what a great organisation the GCA is and how important it is.

“Our members also elected two new members to our Executive Committee, these are David Yardley, Chief Executive at the Klondyke Group and Will Blake, who is Director at St Peter’s Garden Centre. We’d like to welcome them both to their new positions.

“Will has been Area Chairman for the Midlands so has sat on the committee for a number of years already, but David joins the committee for the first time. His role in running a group with centres in England, Scotland and Wales will be an invaluable and a unique perspective to add to the committee’s collective experience.”

During the AGM, David Little was also re-elected as Treasurer, however, he did confirm this would be his final year in the role and that he will not be standing again in 2022.

As part of his report, Mike also commented on the Association’s succession plan. He confirmed that current Chairman Elect Tammy Woodhouse, Managing Director of Millbrook Garden Centres will take over in 2022 when his term of office comes to an end and, in turn, Will Blake has agreed to stand as Chairman Elect to follow Tammy.

Ben Harrison of Haskins Garden Centres has agreed to take on the role of Treasurer from next year, when David retires from the role and will be working with David in the coming months to ensure a smooth transition.

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 other information, please call 01244 952170, 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.

Wildlife World, based in Chavenage, Nr Tetbury, Gloucestershire, provides another product that leads to sustainability. Cotswold Granaries new ‘Food Range’ packed in fully home compostable packaging made entirely of starch and plant fibres. The 100% naturally sourced food range is available in 6 varieties, including high-quality, nutrient dense feed for hedgehogs, squirrels, ducks and swans. Plus three mixes for wild birds with the ‘No Mess Mix’, ‘Sunflower Hearts’ and the ‘No Wheat Mix’.

Mark Pitman, General Manager at Wildlife World, said: “We’ve always had a strong sense of environmental responsibility here at Wildlife World and its great to be able to offer packaging for a product that is 100% home compostable.

"Many of our customers are looking to protect and preserve both the natural environment and the creatures that live there, so we believe this new 100% natural food range will be well received. Hopefully, other companies will follow suit, and we can start a trend towards a much more sustainable method of packaging products.”

Single-use plastic packaging accounts for an estimated 40% of all plastic produced in the world today. According to Defra, with more than half, or 51 million tonnes, recyclable waste ends up in landfills or destroyed in the UK. With stats like these everywhere and seemingly getting worse each year, the focus needs to turn to solutions for these mounting waste problems.

The ethos at Wildlife World has always been as environmentally friendly as possible, and this new food range lives up to those standards and could offer a timely solution. Individuals that believe there needs to be a shift towards zero waste packaging and lifestyles can now start to make those changes with what they choose to buy.

Cotswold Granaries wild food range with 100% home compostable packaging will hopefully be one of the first of many companies offering products that can help move towards a more sustainable future. 

Luke Davies, Product Designer at Wildlife World, explained: “Sourcing all of the home compostable materials for the packaging of the new food range proved to be quite a challenge. It seems like we’re one of the only companies offering a 100% home compostable package of this type for wildlife feed on the market, which has meant working with suppliers to create a unique product.”

To find out more details or if you’d like to purchase from our new wildlife food range, please visit our online shop at www.wildlifeworld.co.uk

About Wildlife World

Wildlife World is Europe’s leading designer and manufacturer of wildlife products, based in Tetbury, Gloucestershire. Their products cover a wide range, including; wildlife and bird feeders, nest boxes, beneficial insect houses and hotels, pollinator habitats, hedgehog houses, bat, frog and toad homes, birdbaths and sophisticated wildlife camera systems.

Conservation has been at the heart of their business since its inception in 1998, using recycled materials where possible and FSC certified timber. The UK based workshop where Wildlife World design and develop their unique products uses renewable energy to operate. More at www.wildlifeworld.co.uk

Contact:

Mark Pitman, General Manager & Head of Marketing

Wildlife World Ltd, Manor Farm Barn, Chavenage, Nr Tetbury, Gloucestershire, GL8 8XW

mark@wildlifeworld.co.uk

01666 505333

Plant sales more than doubled in the GTN Bestsellers EPOS data during the last week of January, giving indications of high volume sales to come when the weather gets warmer and drier.

Highlights of the week were:

• At the top of the GTN Plants chart, sales of Primula were up by 260% on the previous week.
• Fittonia were the highest placed re-entry to the Top 50, back in at No 14.
• Euonymus were the highest movers up the Bestsellers chart, moving up 21 places to No 24.

See the full GTN Bestsellers Top 50 charts, compiled from garden centre Epos data every week, with a year's subscription to the printed newsletter for only £145.00 using this link.

Korbond are excited to embark on a second season of virtual events and are embracing the digital arena with a series of new videos to bring their business and associated brands, Care & Repair, Creations by Korbond and navig8 to life. Their products have always been recognised for quality, value and versatility, and these new videos really do exemplify the key selling features of Korbond products for your business and the multiple uses in the home for the consumer.

Join them this week, from Monday 8^th to Wednesday 10^th February at Spring Fair @ Home where you will be able to watch their videos from the comfort of your own PC in their Product Showcase in the Everyday Edit on Tuesday 9^th at 1pm and the Garden Gift Showcase on Wednesday 10^th at 12 noon where they will be showcasing a carefully curated collection of craft storage for the home. There will be a live chat session during the videos and their expert team will be waiting at the end of the line to answer any of your questions in real time.

In addition to this you can also browse their virtual showroom at your leisure, get a deeper understanding of their product ranges and a detailed view of product specifics via the downloadable Korbond brochure, learn more about their pledge to sustainability in 2021 and awards won in 2020, all while taking advantage of exclusive show offers including inspiring merchandising solutions. Korbond look forward to welcoming you, virtually.

Join us at Spring Fair 2021 (korbond.com)

The 2020 Pearson Memorial Medal for outstanding service to the garden industry has been awarded at a surprise, socially distanced presentation to Adam Wigglesworth, Director of Aylett Nurseries and former President of the HTA.

The ongoing Covid pandemic meant the usual level of pomp and ceremony was missing from proceedings but that did not dampen the atmosphere of pride and celebration.

Current HTA President, Boyd Douglas-Davies, visited Aylett’s Hertfordshire garden centre on Friday (5/2) and joined a staff briefing where he surprised everyone with a speech celebrating Adam’s contribution to horticulture over the years.

“You’ll be very familiar with the wonderful things Adam does here for Aylett Nurseries and this area and the community,” Boyd told those gathered.

“But let me tell you a bit about what he has done during his time at the HTA. He was on the Retail Management Committee since it began and was Chair between 2013 and 2016; he became a member of the Commercial Committee in 2017 and continues that commitment today; a Board Member from 2014 to 2019 and was President between 2015-2017. The huge changes Adam made during his time at the HTA were all for the better of the industry and it gives me immense pleasure to present you with this award.”

Receiving the award, Adam commented: “I was completely taken by surprise when presented with the Pearson Memorial medal by Boyd and feel honoured to be the recipient of this year's award. I couldn’t have done it without the support of my fantastic team, who all share the honour.”

The Pearson Memorial Medal for outstanding service to the garden industry has been awarded by the HTA on an annual basis since it was instigated in 1930 in memory of the HTA's first General Secretary, Charles Pearson.

Scottish ornamental horticulture growers are experiencing a sense of de-ja-vu as, once again, they face the very real possibility of significant financial damage and the loss of thousands of young plants as a result of the continued closure of garden centres in Scotland.

Classified ‘non-essential retail’, Scottish garden centres have been closed since 26 December. Tomorrow the Scottish Government will review lockdown measures and with the industry’s busiest time just around the corner, the Horticultural Trades Association is calling on them to re-assess this classification. Without a change, they say, the economic impact will be difficult to survive.

“We recognise the enormous effort that the Scottish government is making to tackling Covid and appreciate that public health must be a priority, but it is both necessary and possible to safely reopen garden centres in the first wave of relaxations,” said James Barnes, HTA Chairman.

“Our grower members need a route to market, people need access to activities they can safely enjoy as they stay home and our retailers can provide that with shopping environments naturally suited to operating with first-class social distancing measures in place.”

Pentland Plants near Edinburgh is a family business that has been supplying Scottish retailers for decades. Right now, their glasshouses are filled with tens of thousands of young plants, including Primroses, Ranunculus and Senetti, destined for sale across the nation, but with Mother’s Day on Sunday 14 March and no prospect yet of much of her customer base being open to the public, owner Carolyn Spray is beginning to get nervous.

“I'm really concerned we are back in this situation and that once again there’s a risk our route to market will be cut off by the ongoing closure of garden centres in Scotland,” she said. “Last year was bad – the stress was horrendous - but we managed to recover thanks to the re-opening of garden centres in May.

“The gardening season is about to get going - we’ve got Mother’s Day coming up and an early Easter this year. If those combine with another spell of good weather and we’re still locked down, there’s a huge risk that the between the plug plants we send all over the UK and the finished plants we sell to garden retailers here in Scotland, there is over £2 million at stake if orders are cancelled and garden centres cannot open properly for the spring season.”

Ahead of the review on tomorrow (Tuesday) the HTA has outlined the need for certainty and an agreed timescale for reopening to Scottish Ministers. In a dossier of evidence collated from its own industry data and from Scottish members themselves, it outlines the delicate balance of a supply chain where growers of perishable plants must be able to plan ahead. Without this, they risk either wasting thousands of plants or being unable to meet demand.

It also highlights the benefits of allowing garden centres to begin trading as soon as possible, pointing out that opening ahead of the main Spring season will allow footfall to be spread out over a longer period of time, making for a safer shopping environment. Garden centres also enable people to benefit from the positive effect of gardening on their mental and physical wellbeing and provide rural communities with access to local stores selling items such as pet food and winter fuel.

James Barnes concluded: “The HTA has had some positive discussions with the Scottish Government about re-opening, but our members need concrete dates to help them plan ahead and avoid terrible waste and damaging losses and to give retailers time to plan the safest possible re-opening by implementing our update Safe Trading Protocol. We call on Ministers to carefully consider the plight of Scottish horticultural businesses and take action on their behalf, soon.”

As Garden Re-Leaf turns 10 in 2021, it seems only right that the team at the Greenfingers charity celebrate in style with their own FUNdraising challenge – ladies and gentlemen, get ready for the One Million Step Challenge!

The Greenfingers team made up of Director of Fundraising & Communications, Linda Petrons, Director of Finance & Resources, Sally Jenkins, and Garden Project Manager, Holly Harrington, have pledged to walk one million steps throughout March 2021, walking no less than 10,000 steps per day. In total the team will have walked over 500miles across the month!

Talking about the challenge, Linda Petrons said: “As Garden Re-Leaf Day is celebrating such a key milestone, we knew we had to do something big to mark the occasion. Obviously with current restrictions we had to think of something that pulled the team together virtually and made the most of the extended window of fundraising. One million steps felt like a great target and as we’re all working from home it will be a fun event that we can do as a team and one that will keep us motivated and active for the whole month. We hope that what we’re doing will inspire at least 10 other teams to join us! 10 million steps has quite a ring to it don’t you think?!

Celebrate 10 years of Garden Re-Leaf throughout March

In 2021, Garden Re-Leaf Day, like many events, will take on a virtual element to enable more people to get involved from the comfort of their own homes and offices, and to ensure the necessary social distancing can be maintained. To make things a little easier for individuals and teams working within strict Covid-secure measures, the window of FUNdraising will be extended to the whole of March too. This extra flexibility provides more opportunity for not just the garden retail sector to get involved, but for supporters of the event to enlist the support of friends, family and their local communities, to make the 10th anniversary event the biggest and best yet.

Get involved in Garden Re-Leaf Day 2021

Since its inception in 2012, Garden Re-Leaf Day has been a key event within the garden retail calendar. Each year hundreds of people from across the industry, including suppliers and retailers, come together to undertake an incredible series of fundraising events. During the last nine years the event has raised over £660,000, all of which has gone towards helping the charity design and create magical gardens in children’s hospices throughout the country.

Registration for the 2021 event is now live, and Greenfingers is also on the look-out for sponsors of the event. A special FUNdraising pack is also available. To find out more please contact Linda Petrons by emailing linda@greefingerscharity.org.uk

You can sponsor Team Greenfingers here: https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/greenfingersstepchallenge

Following a record-breaking 2020, AMES UK says it is experiencing unprecedented demand from customers in the early weeks of 2021. Pre-season orders for aggregates, paving, pots, water features and outdoor heating products are, in many cases, more than double that of the same time last year.

The company already had ambitious plans for future expansion and spent much of the early lockdown investing in a series of measures to significantly expand capacity.

More than £1million has since been invested in an expanded fleet of forklifts and JCB loaders at the Pollington manufacturing site. Jon Wilson, Operations Director said “It was necessary to invest in new equipment to be able to respond to customer demand.”

New Toyota forklifts have proven to be popular with the team at the company’s Pollington site. Scott Davison, forklift operator said “They’re extremely spacious and comfortable with closed in cabs and central heating. They’re also highly manoeuvrable and the best I’ve driven.”

Further investment in headcount and productivity have helped significantly increase manufacturing capacity. Jon continues “We now operate permanent day and night shifts and we’ve significantly increased investment in Engineering to help drive productivity gains which was necessary so that we can serve the record levels of customer demand.”

Paul North, Managing Director believes the investments are worth far more to the business than the increased capacity alone. “Colleague and customer well-being is our highest priority. At AMES UK, we are committed to providing safe and rewarding environments for all our colleagues, and we are entirely focussed on supporting our customers. The investments in infrastructure to date and future investment plans will help us improve colleague engagement and better service our customers.”

David Domoney’s new book ‘My Houseplant Changed My Life’, published by DK, stormed to the top of the charts on Amazon as a pre-order, before its release date on February 4.

On Sunday January 31, David’s new book was number 1 in all gardening book sales, number 1 in ‘Home’ sales, and number 11 in the ‘Health’ section. It also took the top spot in ‘Hot New Releases’ as well as ‘Movers & Shakers’, reaching an incredible ranking of 14 on all book sales listings on Amazon.

Social media was buzzing about the title, and it has gained much traction visible on online platforms. Through Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube, news of the book has reached over 3 million people, with popularity continuing to rise. ‘My Houseplant Changed My Life’ is to be launched in America, and translated for Europe, and many other countries around the world.  

The title documents how growing indoor plants is good for your mental and physical wellbeing. It also showcases 50 of the leading houseplants and identifies their individual features that benefit the owners in their own special way.

Throughout, there are also breakouts which focus on the plants that can help to change your mood; plants to cheer you up, relax you, energise you, and spark creativity.

Author David Domoney has worked with houseplants over the last 40 years. He said: “I have a strong belief that keeping plants indoors will help the owners in so many ways. I am dedicated to spreading that word to inspire more of the population to visit their garden centres to add more plants to enjoy at home and grow indoors. I hope this book will give them encouragement and motivation to take up the hugely rewarding hobby."

It was announced last week that David is showcasing every plant mentioned in the book at the forthcoming Chelsea Flower Show. The exhibit, sponsored by Miracle Gro, will be a major feature in the main Pavilion in the Discovery Zone. 

If you are interested in stocking the book, contact your book wholesaler.

Read GTN's Christmas Special January 2021 Issue on-line here.

In this issue of news and information for garden centre professionals:

The Greatest Christmas Awards 2020, full results and comment.  

Meadow View transforming garden centres.

Whistler Grill’s Modular Kitchen.

Garden Re-Leaf Day 2021.

GTN’s Christmas Directory.

GTN Bestsellers Top 100 Christmas Products Chart.

HTA Column - United Plant Kingdom.

GIMA Column - 2021, another year of challenges & opportunity for garden retail.

Gardening personality Richard Jackson has created the Couch to Five a Day Challenge to encourage even more people to grow their own.

Richard knows that there are many people who are keen to grow their own fruit and vegetables, but don’t know where to start.

There are others who started during last year’s lockdown but have been discouraged by the results because they didn’t pick the best varieties or didn’t have the right information. This is what led to the creation of the challenge and the launch of two products kits to get people growing, each costing £19.99.

The first kit will be available in March with a second kit released in May, the challenge contains everything needed to make it easy to grow your own. Each pack contains five top varieties of fruit and vegetable seeds and plants, complete with easy-to-follow growing instructions.

The beauty of the challenge is that growers don’t even need a big garden or vegetable plot - everything can be easily grown in pots on the patio or balcony and harvesting can start just a few weeks from planting. It is easy, fun and the perfect way to start growing your own.

‘Challengers’ are encouraged to share their progress on Richard Jackson Garden’s social media sites to help get more people involved, to share tips, stories and recipes, and to create a community of passionate grow you owners!

The March challenge kit contains five varieties of fruit and vegetables, that are specifically selected to be planted or sown from the time of receipt. These include:

• a pack of Swiss chard ‘Rhubarb’ seeds
• five Charlotte potato tubers
• three Malling strawberry plug plants
• one Autumn Fruiting Raspberry cane
• one Blueberry Bluecrop plant in a 1.5 litre pot

The kit also includes an easy growing guide, containing full instructions from Richard on how to get the best from the crops.

The May kit will contain five different crops, selected for the warmer time of year. Climbing French beans, perpetual spinach, patio tomatoes, patio peppers and Malling strawberry plants will ensure a tasty, nutritious summer 2021.

Richard Jackson said: “We are really excited to launch our Couch to Five a Day Challenge, and to spread the message that growing your own food is simple, fun and delicious! All that is needed is the right plant, and a positive attitude. We want people to have a go, get involved and help us to motivate even more people to get their hands dirty.

“We’d love to see the how people get on with the challenge, as there is nothing more rewarding in gardening than charting the progress of a seed, to a plant, to a vegetable, to the plate.”

The Flower Power range is a complete range of easy to use, high quality, high performance garden products, researched and developed from professional market formulas to help everyone grow bigger, better and healthier plants.

The extensive range includes lawncare products, plant feeds, pest and weed control, a wildlife range, tools and gifts.

For more information and to buy. please visit www.richardjacksonsgarden.co.uk

As Covid-19 related mental health issues continue to spiral, a Batley based charity that offers free training sessions to help promote physical and mental wellbeing will benefit from the generosity of Tong Garden Centre's customers and staff this year.

Staff at the Bradford garden centre have announced that ‘Luke's Lads' and sister charity, ‘Butterflies' will be their Charity of the Year for 2021, following a unanimous staff vote.

Through a series of fund-raising events and collection boxes at the tills, the team at Tong hopes to raise £10,000 for the charity that provides free circuit and support sessions to encourage young people and adults to talk about their feelings/

Luke's Lads was established in 2018 after local man Luke Naylor committed suicide following a battle with mental health and depression. It was set up by his best friend, Elliot Gorman and his mother, Rachel Walmsley with the support of Luke's family: "Our aim for this group is to give people a safe place to express their feelings, get active and help promote physical and mental wellbeing.

"For someone like myself, who has experienced mental health issues, this is something I am committed to and passionate about.

"I hope that by sharing my experience, it will give at least one person the confidence, with support, to confront how they are feeling, not bottle things up and know that it's OK not to be OK."
 

The Charity of the Year fundraising is managed by a committee led by the People and Culture team at the Tong Lane site. Junior People and Culture Business Partner, Becki Smith said: "Male suicide is the biggest killer of men under 45 in the UK, with many men suffering in silence when they experience feelings of sadness, loneliness or anxiety.

​

Luke's Lads and Butterflies are brilliant groups for young people and adults to help to restore their confidence and their ability to be part of a social group. The sessions incorporate exercise and the chance to talk about sensitive subjects. The exercise helps them to feel good about themselves whilst the confidential chats enable people to open up. We really want to raise awareness of this charity as well as important funds to ensure they can help local people."

Plans to raise the funds include a virtual sponsored walk from Land's End to John o' Groats and back; a cycle challenge led by Tong's MD, Mark Farnsworth; a Valentine's raffle and a charity ball.

Mr. Gorman is delighted with Tong's support: "We have been completely overwhelmed with the support we have had since we started and it has truly confirmed to us that what we are doing is not only right, but absolutely essential.

"We are absolutely blown away by the goal of £10k that Tong Garden Centre have set themselves to raise for the Luke's Lads and Butterflies projects. With this amount, we can potentially offer almost 1500 mental health and suicide interventions for people aged 11 and over.

"If you or someone you know could benefit from attending our sessions, please email charitytcd@gmail.com for details."

Luke's Lads and Butterflies are based in the same Batley venue in Jo Cox House. Both groups are supported by the charity TCD - Tackling social isolation in the Community through Diverse activities and Mr. Gorman is its Chairperson.

Since Tong Garden Centre was acquired by new owners in 2015, the team and supporters have raised over £40,000. Previous beneficiaries of Tong's Charity of the Year initiative include Martin House Hospice, The Cellar Trust, Candlelighters and National Literacy Trust. In addition, the team has supported hundreds of smaller charities in the local community.

Tong Garden Centre occupies a 19 acre site in Tong village. It is one of Yorkshire's biggest independent garden centres with 125,000 square feet of retail space and parking for up to 700 cars.

Dobbies has partnered with surplus food app, Too Good To Go, in a bid to combat food waste across its stores. 

Leading the food waste revolution, Too Good To Go lets people buy surplus food and drink from restaurants, grocery stores, pubs and producers to stop it from going to waste. Consumers simply download the free Too Good To Go app and search for nearby businesses with unsold produce. They then purchase a ‘Magic Bag’ and collect it at an allotted time.

Customers are able purchase a Magic Bag in 43 Dobbies foodhalls across the UK, filled with fresh and delicious surplus food that would ordinarily go to waste. With an RRP of £12-14, the Magic Bags are available to buy for £3.99.

Archie Stewart, Head of Food at Dobbies, said: “Our partnership with Too Good To Go is an innovative solution for customers and Dobbies to work together on a shared goal of reducing food waste. The Too Good To Go Magic Bags can be collected with ease from our stores across the UK.”

Paschalis Loucaides, UK Country Manager at Too Good To Go, said: “We’re thrilled to have partnered with Dobbies and help reduce food waste. We’ve already seen brilliant traction for the Magic Bags on our app and know together we can make a huge difference in making sure food is eaten and enjoyed instead of wasted.”    

Coming soon, co-founder of Too Good To Go, Jamie Crummie, will feature as a guest on the latest episode of the Dobbies podcast. Joining host Louise Midgely, Jamie will talk more about the partnership, the inspiration behind the anti-food waste enterprise and share his top tips on reducing food waste at home.

Too Good To Go Magic Bags are available to purchase in the following Dobbies stores: Aberdeen, Ashford, Atherstone, Aylesbury, Ayr, Birtley, Braehead, Brighton, Carlisle, Chesterfield, Cirencester, Dundee, Dunfermline, Edinburgh, Gailey, Gillingham, Gloucester, Gosforth, Harleston Heath, Havant, Huntingdon, Liverpool, Livingston, Milngavie, Milton Keynes, Moreton Park, Morpeth, Northampton, Perth, Peterborough, Ponteland, Preston, Reading, Rugby, Shepton, Shenstone, Southport, Stapleton, Stirling, Stockton, Stratford Upon Avon, Swansea and Telford. More stores will be announced on the Dobbies website soon.

To purchase a Magic Bag, download the Too Good To Go App, available via the Apple Store and Google Play. To find out more visit toogoodtogo.co.uk

For more information visit dobbies.com

Grimsby Garden Centre knows more than most that green fingered activity is good for both physical and mental health.

Owned by leading NHS mental health services provider NAViGO, profits from the centre go back into local mental health services across North East Lincolnshire.

While the centre offers horticultural therapy and training and employment opportunities for people with mental health problems.

And with the Horticultural Trade Association estimating there are three million new gardeners since lockdown, the garden centre team are keen to share some useful hints and tips for anyone wanting to make the most of their outdoor space this winter.

NAViGO Head of Employment and Commercial Services Jo Keen said: “We’re not surprised that more people have turned to gardening over the last year – we know first-hand how it benefits mental health and wellbeing as well as physical fitness.

“January and February are damp, cold months but with us all having to spend more time within the home – be it home schooling, working from the kitchen table or being furloughed – spending time in the garden can be a great escape and has real healing power.

“At this time of year there are still lots of things that you can do in the garden including planning for spring, deadheading plants, tidying borders – or simply layering up and spending a bit of time watching the birds and taking in nature.”

Grimsby Garden Centre top tips include:

• Trim and tidy: remove weeds, deadhead plants and tidy those borders
• Plan for the year ahead – order seeds and plants and consider your vegetable crop rotation
• Plant roses – now is a good time - and start off your sweet peas
• Dig over vacant plots that have not been dug already
• Prune apple and pear trees
• Clear winter debris including leaves and scrub those slimy patches from patios and paving
• Clean pots and greenhouses
• Enjoy the fresh air on dry sunny days and check your winter protection – make sure stakes, ties and supports are still doing their job after the severe weather
• Layer up and take your morning cuppa outside – take in the nature, see what new things are springing up, listen to the birds and get set for the day ahead
• Or take a ten minute time out in your garden shed.

And don’t forget our feathered friends – put out food and water for the birds and leave some garden areas uncut a little longer to provide shelter for other wildlife in your garden.

If you don’t have your own outdoor space, use balconies and window ledges to brighten the home and embrace the benefits of indoor plants too.

Lots of indoor plants can improve concentration, reduce stress and boost mood as well as purify the air.

Jo added: “Whether you’re a gardening newbie or an experienced expert, we welcome you to grow with us at Grimsby Garden Centre - we’re always on hand to provide hints and tips. And the added bonus of visiting us is that our profits go back into supporting NHS mental health services across North East Lincolnshire – so it really does go full circle.”

Grimsby Garden Centre was bought by NAViGO in October 2015.

Brought up to date by its new owners, the centre is currently undergoing transformation that will see the expansion of the popular Café Blue, the introduction of an eco-friendly green barn and the creation of an independent retail hub built from reclaimed shipping containers.

The winners of GTN's Greatest Christmas Awards 2020 have been announced LIVE! on-line during Glee's Festive Focus Day today.

And the winners are...Watch the LIVE announcement during Glee's Festive Focus Day here or click below

GTN’s Greatest Christmas Awards 2020 – The Winners

• The Greatest Christmas Houseplant Team – Sponsored by Woodlodge - £500 stock for the winner – Barton Grange. 
  • Highly Commended: Pengelly, The Old Railway Line

• The Greatest Outdoor Plant and Christmas Tree Team – Sponsored by GTN Bestsellers -subscriptions worth £580 for the winner – Pughs Radyr.
  • Highly Commended: Aylett Nurseries, Barton Grange, Pengelly

• The Greatest Festive Food Hall Team – Sponsored by Garden Radio – 1 years’ service with bespoke messages, worth over £500 for the winner – The Old Railway Line.
  • Highly Commended: Barton Grange, Colemans Garden Centre, Planters Tamworth, Squires Badshot Lea

• The Greatest Christmas Sizzle Team – Sponsored by SOLEX - 2 x Hotel Rooms at SOLEX 2021 for the winner – Altons BBQ World
  • Highly Commended: Hillmount

• The Greatest Christmas Pets Team – Sponsored by Smart Garden Products, Zöon -£500 stock for the winner – The Old Railway Line
  • Highly Commended: Planters Tamworth, Squires Badshot Lea

• The Greatest Christmas Community/Charity Initiative – Sponsored by Kaemingk – A display from their UK showroom for the winner - Pengelly
  • Highly Commended: Daisy Nook, Dobbies, Perrywood, Thetford

• The Greatest Social Media Christmas Marketing Idea – Sponsored by Glee – 2 x Hotel Rooms at Glee 2021 for the winner - Groves
  • Highly Commended: Altons BBQ World, Hillmount, The Old Railway Line

• The Greatest Garden Centre Christmas Video – Sponsored by Premier Decorations - £500 stock for the winner – The Old Railway Line
  • Highly Commended: Bosworths, Glendoick, Pengelly

• The Greatest Winter Garden Care Sales Team – Sponsored by Elho - £500 stock for the winner - Baytree
  • Highly Commended: Lakeside Plant Centre

• The Greatest Covid Safe Christmas Display Team – Sponsored by Global Journey - £500 stock for the winner – Aylett Nurseries, Barton Grange
  • Highly Commended: Baytree

• The Greatest Group Garden Centre Christmas Team – Sponsored by DCUK - £500 stock for the winner – Squires Badshot Lea
  • Highly Commended: British Garden Centres Thatcham

• The Greatest Small Garden Centre Christmas Team - Sponsored by Ascalon - £500 stock for the winner - Pengelly
  • Highly Commended: Jacksdale, Lakeside Plant Centre

• The Greatest Mid-Sized Garden Centre Christmas Team – Sponsored by Kaemingk - A display from their UK showroom for the winner – Busy Bee
  • Highly Commended: Glendoick, Planters Tamworth, Sapcote, The Old Railway Line

• The Greatest Large Garden Centre Christmas Team – Sponsored by Festive - £500 stock for the winner – Barton Grange
  • Highly Commended: Baytree, Hillmount, Perrywood

• The Greatest Christmas Supplier – As voted for by garden centres taking part in The Greatest Christmas Awards - Kaemingk
  • Finalists: Festive, Gisela Graham, Noma - Leisuregrow, Otterhouse, Premier, Smart - Three Kings, Snowtime, Swift Imports

With almost 100 individual entries for the awards submitted before the New Years Eve deadline the judges spent many hours reviewing the entries, scanning websites and social media to produce the following list of Finalists:

Altons, Aylett Nurseries, Barton Grange, Baytree, Bosworths, Busy Bee, Christies of Fochabers, Colemans Garden Centre, Daisy Nook, Dobbies, Garden Centre Overstrand, Glendoick, Grange Farm Nursery, Groves, Haskins, Hillmount, Jacksdale, Lakeside Plant Centre, Millbrook, Old Barn, Otter Nurseries, Pengelly, Perrywood, Planters Tamworth, Planters Bretby, Pughs, Rosebourne - Weyhill, Sapcote, Squires Badshot Lea, St Peters - Worcester, Thatcham - BGC, The Old Railway Line, Thetford, Waresley Park.

See photos from all the Finalist centres below.  Well done to them all!

Watch out for more detail about the winners in future issues of GTN Xtra and the January issue of GTN which will be published later this week.

It’s never too early to get your Christmas strategy in order. Festive Focus Day equips you with everything you need to know to make sure your 2021 Christmas ranges fly off the shelves.

Take a look at Christmas future with forecasters, Trend Bible as they dive into the emerging trends that will define Christmas 2021 using this link or click below

with all the news direct to your e-mail inbox.  The best news service every weekend and all the breaking news as it happens.

Subscribe for free using this link

Weekly Top 50 Garden Product sales moved closer to parity year-on year at the end of January as gardeners got itchy feet and wanted to get started with their growing for the year ahead.

Sales of pots and growing in containers related products point to this being another bumper year for container gardening.

Highlights of the week were`;

• Smart Garden Fertigel 100g was the highest new entry last week at No 3.
• Apta’s Brown Wine Crate Planter 25cm was the highest re-entry at No 4.
• Jagram’s Flat Pack Potting Bench is another Top 50 re-entry at No 14.

See the full GTN Bestsellers Top 50 charts, compiled from garden centre Epos data every week, with a year's subscription to the printed newsletter for only £145.00 using this link.

An internet garden centre boss who is now unable to fulfil hundreds of customer orders to Northern Ireland is urging relevant agencies to review new Brexit trade rules.

Chris Bonnett, founder of GardeningExpress.co.uk, has written to the Animal and Plant Health Agency as a three-month grace period that plant retailers were supposed to be getting as part of the Brexit deal has not been honoured.

New trade regulations that have been implemented have left some English plant growers unable to ship products to retail customers or supply garden centres in Northern Ireland without lengthy inspections that are causing major delays.

This is despite nurseries being told that plant and plant product suppliers were included in a list of authorised trades that were going to be given a three-month grace period, meaning that the new regulations and inspections would come into force on 1 April 2021, not 1 January 2021.

Chris now believes that the way the new rules are being implemented leaves UK growers at a severe competitive disadvantage, as well as the UK’s plant health status at risk. 

He feels that, had the sector been aware that the grace period would not be honoured, it could have been better prepared and therefore been able to continue shipping to Northern Ireland from 1st January.

Another of Chris’ concerns is that high risk species can still be shipped directly from EU states into Northern Ireland without the level of checks British agencies are trying to enforce on domestic sellers to ensure the country remains free of plant diseases.

Foreign sellers can also have a 20% advantage in their retail pricing to UK customers because they benefit from low value consignment relief and therefore do not have to charge any VAT to the UK consumer, meaning they also have a monetary advantage.

Chris Bonnett said: “When the Northern Irish trade agreement was finalised, we were told that authorised traders would be given a three-month grace period from official certification for products of animal origin, composite products, food and feed of non-animal origin and plants and plant products.

“So, the fact that we’re now unable to ship many plants without adhering to the lengthy and rigorous checks brought about by the new regulations, whilst our EU based competitors can, already is very frustrating.

“Had we known that the grace period wasn’t going to be honoured for us, we could have been much better prepared so that customer orders could have been shipped without any issues.

“Now, we’re unable to fulfil hundreds of customer orders from Northern Ireland which is extremely frustrating, detrimental to my business and unfair to the customers.

“As a UK registered company and an Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA) registered nursery and trader, I believe under the various legal definitions we are authorised, and accordingly, should be able to operate freely throughout the UK during this grace period.

“This would then allow us to ensure we are in a position to meet all the new regulations we are obliged to. Our understanding is that the new regulations would therefore commence on 1 April 2021, not 1 January 2021.

“I feel it is unfair that we are unable to ship goods within our own country, which would be controlled and regulated as they should be, yet various other parties can ship in from abroad without restriction.

“If a neighbour was to import a pathogen carrying plant in this manner and infect my entire stock, what would be my position in respect of the financial loss, both in terms of stock and effectively closing my business?

“This to me is a wholly unacceptable situation, and the industry will suffer a substantial loss of business, and it will put many jobs at risk across the industry.”

Here is the text of the open letter sent to APHA/Defra:

Dear Frances & Jon,

This is an open letter that I am sending to various trade press and media outlets, and serves to inform you that I am now taking this issue further with the Essex Chamber of Commerce, various MPs, and any other contacts necessary to get this issue fully aired to the highest levels. This is because as it stands I feel it is a farse that we are unable to ship goods within our own country, which would be controlled and regulated as they should be, yet various other parties can ship in from abroad without restriction.

This is by no means a reflection of the professionalism of the service and advice you have always offered and provided, and I understand you are only trying to enforce a new set of rules and regulations as you understand them, or have been advised from higher up in your department. I cannot however stand by and see the destruction of a valuable part of my business that I have painstakingly built up from nothing over the last 20 years, at the very least I owe it to my team, the staff that may be adversely affected, and indeed, feel I must speak up for the wider trade and members of the horticultural industry that will, if they are not already, be severely impacted by these measures. I genuinely fear if someone else sees the destruction of their bread and butter through no fault of their own by these measures we could see businesses fail and peoples lives destroyed.

The way the rules are being implemented now leaves us at a severe competitive disadvantage, and the UKs plant health status at risk.  e.g. High risk species can be shipped directly from EU states into Northern Ireland without the level of checks the hard working team at APHA are trying to enforce to ensure we remain free of some of the terrible plant pathogens afflicting the continent. Further, the entities shipping in from abroad have a 20% advantage in their retail pricing to UK customers because they benefit from low value consignment relief and therefore do not have to charge any VAT to the UK consumer, (unless it is covered by HMRC Distance Selling Regulation and they have declared themselves to be due to be Registered for VAT). This is thus allowing them to ship all sorts of plants, including species I'm quite certain you and your team would not like to see, to the UK under the radar of APHA, and with such a financial advantage, this is only likely to be an ever increasing problem.

If a neighbour was to import a pathogen carrying plant in this manner and infect my entire stock, what would be my position in respect of the financial loss, both in terms of stock and effectively closing my business?

This to me is a wholly unacceptable situation, and will cost the industry substantial losses of business, and put many jobs at risk across the industry.

I am disappointed that the various regulations, we are now obliged to abide by, were being drafted when the various advice and appropriate growing season inspections of all our products were taking place last year. Had we all been aware of this, we could have potentially been 100% prepared, inspected at that time, and therefore been able to ship to Northern Ireland from 1st January as previous.

I am also confused that I was given to understand that we should be under a 3 month grace period for trade with Northern Ireland, under the following terms;

"Authorised traders such as supermarkets and their trusted suppliers will be given a 3-month grace period from official certification for products of animal origin, composite products, food and feed of non-animal origin and plants and plant products." 

Therefore, to my mind, as a UK Ltd company and an APHA register nursery and trader, I believe under the various legal definitions we are authorised, and accordingly, should be able to operate freely throughout this grace period. This would then allow us to ensure we are in a position to meet all the new the new regulations we are obliged to. Our understanding is that the new regulations would therefore commence on the 1 April 2021 not the 1 January 2021.

Please clarify APHAs specific interpretation of this grace period policy. I may need to take further legal advice to progress this matter subject to APHAs interpretation. I would appreciate an acknowledgement to this email by 29th January 2021, and a full response to the above grace period question within 7 days.

Separately, in reference to the email response from Frances regards plants entering the UK to PODs and then being further traded, in which she advised they would then require UK passports, I can confirm that various continental exporters are not respecting these rules. They have set up UK addresses, such as their accountants offices,  to utilise as PODs for a full lorry, and the plants are then distributed without trace to the various outlets they sell to. They are therefore continuing to trade as they did before and without complying to the Regulations. I did previously raise my concerns that this would be a problem. It appears my concerns are coming true. It also concerns me that high risk species could already be entering the UK in this way, and you would have no knowledge of where they have ended up.

Please do not accept this a direct complaint about the action of the local APHA, or their team. They have been extremely helpful and provided excellent service and advise over the years, we are very happy to work with them and continue to do so going forward. This is a serious concern about the new Regulation and guidance. The current situation favours the traditional Garden Centre (HTA members) at the expense of the online traders. Yet it is the online traders that have in many cases kept the industry trading throughout the current pandemic.

Kind Regards

Chris Bonnett

Gardening Express Ltd

The International Association of Horticultural Producers (AIPH) is inviting all those involved in the ornamental horticulture supply chain to attend its virtual Plant Health Conference, ‘Working Together for Better Plant Health’. 

The online conference will take place on 24 March 2021 and is free to attend for registered participants.

The conference, organised in association with the International Year of Plant Health (IYPH 2020) and FloraCulture International (FCI) magazine, will focus on what the industry itself is doing to tackle the threats posed by notifiable pests and diseases.

Commenting on the need for the event, AIPH Secretary General, Tim Briercliffe said “Every country has its own regulatory framework for controlling plant health but in many cases, this has not been effective enough to prevent the spread of pests and diseases, with Xylella being an example.  In many countries growers and their associations have taken their own action to ensure best practice is followed and to inject renewed confidence into the supply chain because, at the end of the day, good plant health is essential for a thriving industry.”

The objectives of this conference are:

• To share best practice and experiences from industry-led initiatives that reduce plant health risks
• To present research on plant health initiatives in different countries
• To determine interest in more global cooperation on plant health initiatives

The conference will be opened by Mr. Ralf Lopian, Chair of the International Steering Committee for the IYPH 2020, and speakers that follow will be from the ornamentals industry and will explain about national plant health initiatives led by industry in different countries.  Many countries have introduced schemes, certification and initiatives, and this conference enables these to be reviewed and compared, and importantly, provides the platform to assess the need for more international collaboration that will further strengthen the industry and reduce plant health threats for the future.  Within the conference programme, AIPH will present the results of the first international survey of national plant health initiatives.

This conference will be of interest to growers, breeders, traders, retailers, associations, exhibitions, regulators, and anyone that cares about reducing plant health threats while maintaining a thriving horticultural trade.

The event is free, and delegates can register by visiting https://eu.eventscloud.com/aiph-international-plant-health-conference

Continued cold weather helped Wild Bird Care sales to an increase of 34% week on week, although reduced footfall means sales volumes were still 30% down on last year.

Highlights of the week were:

• RHS Suet Balls 60 Tub retain their No 1 Bestseller position as they have for all of January.
• Gardman Sunflower Hearts 1kg were the highest climber, up 28 places to No 15.
• Smart Garden ChapelWood Twist Top Peanut Feeder 20cm is the highest chart new entry at No 40.

See the full GTN Bestsellers Top 50 charts, compiled from garden centre Epos data every week, with a year's subscription to the printed newsletter for only £145.00 using this link.

Veg-2-Gro sales in the GTN Bestsellers EPOS data dropped during the last week of January but onion sets dominated the Top 10.

Highlights of the week were:

• Kapiteyn Onion Sets Sturon are the No 1 Veg-2-Gro line for the second week in a row.
• Suttons Onion White Lisbon are the highest re-entry at No 7.
• Taylors Seed Potatoes Taster Pack Charlotte are the highest placed seed potato line at No 10.

See the full GTN Bestsellers Top 50 charts, compiled from garden centre Epos data every week, with a year's subscription to the printed newsletter for only £145.00 using this link.

An uplift in demand has prompted Mr. Fothergill’s to move its mail order business away from its head office and production location in Kentford, Suffolk, to a much larger, modern warehouse and office facility in nearby Newmarket. 

Finding a new site for this part of the business had been on the cards for some time due to space constraints at Kentford, but the dramatic uplift in demand since the first Covid lockdown in March 2020, and the 200% year on year sales growth made this move essential.

John Fothergill, joint MD, said "I’m delighted to announce that Paul Pates has been promoted to Managing Director of the new standalone B2C business, Greenregis Ltd.

"Greenregis will become a subsidiary of Mr. Fothergill’s Seeds Ltd and will continue to supply all existing seeds, plants and gardening hardware products under the Mr. Fothergill’s, DT Brown and Woolmans brands direct to consumers. New product ranges and brands are planned to follow." 

Paul joined Mr. Fothergill’s as Head of Direct Marketing in June 2013 after periods at both Flying Brands and Marshall’s/Unwin’s, and has since that time professionalised our B2C business, overhauling all aspects including product range, pricing, catalogue and web offering, back office system capabilities, customer service and fulfilment services.

"We wish Paul and all of the team the very best of luck and are tremendously excited about future opportunities."

As spring approaches and gardeners start thinking about their gardens again, garden retailers will be pleased to learn that there is a new brand of high-quality organic topsoil launching to the UK market; a brand which is set to change the way we think about this often-neglected product offering – introducing The Real Soil Company.

The Real Soil Company  - previously known as EcoGro SuperSoil - has been brought to market by the team behind Boughton Loam Ltd, leading suppliers of soils, seeds and substrates to the amenity, landscape and construction industries since 1985. Aimed at the premium garden centre customer, this organic topsoil has been specially enhanced using ethically sourced natural components to create a new chapter for topsoil quality and customer loyalty, plugging the gap at the higher end of the market where products have, until now, lacked real substance and quality.

Simon Hedley, Managing Director at Boughton Loam Ltd, said: “Growing media is serious business within garden retail, but until now topsoil has been a product which has lacked any real innovation or any real connection with the consumer beyond being a necessary commodity product. However, as consumers adopt a more environmentally friendly mindset and look for products to minimise their impact upon the planet, coupled with the rise in popularity of gardening in 2020 especially Grow-Your-Own, raised bed and container gardening, it has never been more important that products are backed with a clear and defined mission statement that supports these consumer needs.

“With The Real Soil Company it is possible for retailers to offer something different; something which will drive up the average basket spend at the point of sale whilst arming consumers with a product they can really trust in. We’ve invested significantly in building a real standout brand, which draws the eye from across the sales floor and clearly outlines the products USPs such as ‘organic’ and ‘peat-free’ thanks to the unique visual branding which is unlike other growing media brands on the market today.

“Additionally, the brand is backed by an established player in the world of topsoil, which means we are able to quickly meet retailer demand with our UK based manufacturing site, in-house marketing support and existing logistic partners. As 2020 showed us consumer demand can far exceed expectation, often leaving stock quantities depleted. Whilst many retailers will be looking at ways to avoid this happening again, they will be pleased to learn that The Real Soil Company can react within a matter of days to deliver stock into store. It is this level of customer support, coupled with the unrivalled quality of product, which we strongly believe means that The Real Soil Company can significantly drive growth of topsoil sales. We also believe that our offering can help to build loyalty amongst customers that, until now, lacked a brand to throw their support behind. It’s an exciting proposition for us and for garden retailers.”

The Real Soil Company – for the environmentally-friendly gardener

The hero of The Real Soil Company is the natural components which are added to enrich and enhance the soil. These natural ‘boosters’ provide quicker plant establishment, better resilience against pests and disease, whilst also enabling edible crops to benefit from nutritional enhancement and a higher crop yield.

Meeting and improving on the BS3882 standards for compliance and reliability, The Real Soil Company offers a number of other key benefits including 100% natural ingredients and material traceability. The enhanced soil also offers better water retention and release for optimum plant growth, whilst also providing a more balanced and workable material for gardeners.

Simon added: “There is no question that consumer demand for eco-friendly products will continue to rise and garden retailers will, perhaps more than most, be expected to be the forefront of this. With The Real Soil Company retailers can rest assured that they are providing a product that delivers true green credentials without compromising on quality.”

Find out more

To find out more about The Real Soil Company please visit www.therealsoilcompany.co.uk or email info@therealsoilcompany.co.uk

A Christmas spent living under Covid-19 restrictions has sparked a significant shift in the public’s gifting habits, according to data released by the Gift Card & Voucher Association (GCVA) working with GlobalData.

A survey of 2,000 members of the public has revealed that one in four Brits (25.2%) purchased gift cards for others in December, compared with 17.9% in November, with over a third of these (34.1%) directly highlighting lockdown restrictions as their reason for doing so. Furthermore, leading brands such as Tesco Bank have reported a surge in gift card sales – particularly digital gift cards, which can be sent, received and spent through smartphone apps – over the Christmas period.

Targeted, single-store gift cards were the gift of choice in December over multi-store alternatives, with 56.4% of gift card buyers purchasing single-store cards, compared with 32.4% for multi-store cards, indicating a thoughtful, considered approach to gifting from the public. Gaming gift cards also saw a notable uplift, with 11.3% of gift card buyers purchasing, compared with 7.9% in November, which is demonstrative of gaming’s continued popularity as a hobby during lockdown. 

In 2020, GCVA figures revealed that digital gifting now represents 26% of all UK gift card spend, rising to 50% accounting for all gift cards spent online. Given Christmas was the most popular gifting occasion in 2019, representing 41.7% of total gift card spend according to GCVA research, the suggested move to digital this past Christmas may be indicative of a more long-term shift in the public’s gifting habits. 

The trade body, which represents more than 80 of the UK’s largest retailers, issuers and suppliers, is now urging the public to spend any gift cards they may have received this Christmas; both treating themselves to a lockdown lift while providing a boost to the high street at a time when footfall plummeted by 46.1% year-on-year in December compared with the previous year, according to the British Retail Consortium. 

Gift cards swelled in popularity throughout 2020 as the UK sought to lift the spirits of loved ones in isolation. GCVA research found that gift cards were in fact preferred to physical gifts in the first lockdown, making up 14% of total gifting spend, compared with physical gifts at 12%. 

Gail Cohen, director general of the GCVA, commented: “It has been great to see shoppers overcoming lockdown challenges and supporting their favourite brands by opting for a gift card Christmas.  

“Over the past year, the rise of digital gifting solutions in particular is driving a major change in how we send and receive gifts, meaning they can be shared and enjoyed almost instantly, offering a safe way of gifting that still offers that truly personal touch. That said, physical gift cards having performed strongly too indicates the importance of retailers continuing to offer that tangible solution that consumers can still “unwrap” on the big day. 

“If you did receive a gift card for Christmas this year, whether physical or digital, don’t just leave it in the bottom drawer and forget about it. It’s not a savings product, it is there for you to treat yourself, and what better time could there be to give yourself a boost than now? Many gift cards can be spent online from the comfort of your home, so log on and start spending!” 

Ban Mahsoub, head of gift cards at Tesco Bank said: “We’re proud that our digital gifting service has been helping our customers give meaningful gifting experiences at a time when many have been unable to get to the shops or visit loved ones.   

“We know from customer insight and independent research that digital gifting is becoming an increasingly popular way of giving the perfect present, particularly to those hard to buy for friends and family. The recently launched service combines personalisation, digital unwrapping features and flexibility with some of the biggest brands in retail and entertainment, offering our customers even more options.”

For more information, visit www.gcva.co.uk

People in the UK horticulture industry are being urged to sign a petition to help get garden centres in Wales re-opened as soon as possible.

The petition, created by Nicola Pugh, of award-winning Pugh’s Garden Centres in South Wales, needs to attract 10,000 signatures for it to be considered in the Senedd Cymru, the Welsh parliament. So far 2,327 have signed the online petition.

Garden centre bosses in Wales have been left frustrated by having to close in lockdown while centres in England have remained open.

They feel there are lots of positive reasons why they should be allowed to re-open, citing the following:

• Gardening keeps people at home
• Gardening brings significant mental and physical benefits
• Garden centres are large, airy spaces with excellent safety measures in place
• The plant supply chain cannot be switched off and on. In many cases plants go to waste if they cannot reach garden centres
• Online, click and collect and home deliveries are not the answer. They are particularly difficult for independent garden centres

Now, Nicola is urging as many people as possible to sign the petition so that the Senedd is forced to debate the matter.

To sign the petition go to: https://petitions.senedd.wales/petitions/244681/signatures/new

Another week of Lockdown#3 and another week of cold weather with snow and garden centre sales in the GTN Bestsellers EPOS data continues at all time low levels, but there were significant increases in some areas.

Veg 2 Gro seeds saw an increase week on week of 57%, Plant sales grew by 46%, Wild Bird Care jumped by 34% and Garden Product sales climbed by 27%.  All be it these increases are from a very low base but indications that core gardeners anxious to get on with their gardening.

This weeks GTN Bestsellers Newsletter, posted to our paid for subscribers, contains the Top 100 Bestselling Garden Products of the year.  To get your copy of GTN Bestsellers every week buy a subscription using this link.

GTN Bestsellers Top 50 sales volumes compared to the same week last year: week 3

• Garden Products Top 50 – down 57%
• Growing Media Top 50 – down 75%
• Veg 2 Gro Top 50 – down 13%
• Wild Bird & Wildlife Care Top 50 – down 49%

GTN Bestsellers All Sales volumes compared to the same week last year: week 3

•           All Plants with Barcode index – down 65%

•           All Items with Barcode index – down 67%

Greenfingers Charity has announced that Guy Topping, Managing Director of The Barton Grange Group, has joined the charity’s Board of Trustees.

Guy, whose career in the family garden centre started at the age of four, is said to have garden retail in his blood. During his twenty plus years as part of the board at The Barton Grange Group, Guy has taken the garden centre division from one centre to three and then back to one again. The garden centre at Brock is often cited as the best in the world and in 2018 The Flower Bowl, a state-of-the-art leisure destination, opened its doors on the same site.

As an active tennis player, golfer and curler, Guy’s enthusiasm for sport has seen him put the FUN into FUNdraising for Greenfingers, both on and off the pitch at many GCA and more recently IGCA Conferences!  Guy’s passion to support young people doesn’t stop with Greenfingers, he is also Chairman of Preston Youth Zone which, once built will deliver twenty first-century youth provision to the young people of Preston and surrounding areas.

Talking about his appointment to the Greenfingers Board of Trustees, Guy said: “Greenfingers has always had a spot close to my heart with its combination of great horticulture and deserving young people. The gardens it builds make such a difference to people at possibly the most desperate of times. I am looking forward to joining some great people and hope to be able to contribute to a rosy future for this fantastic charity. “

Sue Allen, Chairman of Greenfingers Charity added: “I am not only delighted as Chairman of Greenfingers but also on a personal level that Guy has agreed to become a Trustee.  He and I have worked closely together over more years than I care to remember.  I was his Vice Chairman of GCA, and I also had great fun on his committee creating the International Garden Centre Congress in the UK in 2009.  He has always been a reliable supporter of Greenfingers and many of you will know of his expertise as a Master of Ceremonies and an Auctioneer extracting huge bids for the most unlikely items when raising funds for Greenfingers at GCA conferences and events.  I know he will prove to be a great addition to our already enthusiastic and energetic team of Trustees.” 

Find out more

To find out more about Greenfingers Charity, and how to get involved in a range of fundraising events please email Linda@greenfingerscharity.org.uk.

The Royal Horticultural Society has announced a new licensee for outdoor pots, one of its key gardening categories. The four-year license has been awarded to Woodlodge Products.

The first products in the partnership will be launched to retailers for pre-order in September 2021. They will be distributed to retail outlets from January 2022.

Although the partnership is still in its early stages, Woodlodge is already making preliminary plans for the first range. It will include both classic and modern designs and a full selection of sizes to accommodate any outdoor space. The final version of the first range will also incorporate standard terracotta, glazed and fibre clay pots.

For the design process, Woodlodge will have access to the whole range of RHS design assets, including its style guides and artwork from the RHS Lindley Collections, the world’s finest collection of botanical art. All product will either be embossed or debossed with the RHS logo, creating consumer confidence at point of purchase.

Woodlodge has over 1,500 garden centre accounts located throughout the UK and Ireland, all of which will be the primary focus for the new range. Woodlodge has a history of creating innovative products and eye-catching in-store merchandising so the launch of the new RHS-endorsed range is eagerly anticipated by both retailers and customers.

The timing of this new partnership is highly appropriate, due to an upswing in gardening last year. Historically the demographic for purchasing outdoor garden pots has been amongst older adults with a moderate to high disposable income. However, the current pandemic has introduced a whole new range of customers from across the age spectrum and social demographic to gardening and gardening products. But they’re not just rediscovering their outdoor space. Many are also discovering the enormous benefits of gardening to physical and mental health at a particularly demanding and stressful time. The RHS ranges will therefore target all members of this fast-expanding group of budding gardeners, who have embraced nature during the lockdowns.

Michael Wooldridge – Managing Director, Woodlodge Products, says: “As the market-leading supplier of garden pottery in the UK, it’s important for us to work with brands and partners that have a strong resonance for gardeners. To be associated with the RHS, a charity that aims to inspire a passion for gardening and growing plants and promotes the physical and mental advantages of gardening, is, for Woodlodge, a natural fit. The RHS is a highly regarded and recognisable brand and will offer consumers both peace of mind and confidence when buying our range of products.”

Cathy Snow, Licensing Manager, RHS, says: “Our members and supporters are, not surprisingly, keen to have the highest-quality products in their gardens and outdoor pots are a very important category for the RHS. We are therefore delighted to be working with Woodlodge, which has always maintained high levels of quality and service while providing continual innovation and style to all its ranges.”

Jeno Floral's success with Christmas product sales in 2020 meant they grew the number of their lines in the GTN Bestsellers Top100 from three in 2019 to five this year, and one of their lines, the Floral Gold/Red/Silver Holly Pick, was in the Top 10 Bestselling Christmas lines of the year.

The Jeno Floral Gold/Red/Silver Holly Pick increased volume sales by 4% in the GTN Bestsellers Garden centre Epos data to move up one place to No 10 overall.

Their Robin Pick also grew sales by 4% to move up 14 places to No 34.

Three new Jeno lines entered the GTN Top 100 for the first time: Jeno Poinsettia Clip Gold/Red/Silver at No 20, Jeno Glitter Poinsettia Bush at No 69 and Jeno Log/Cone/Berry Pick at No 85.

"We are very proud to have 5 items in the Garden Trade News Top 100 selling Christmas list for 2020," Jeno Florals Director John Clayton told GTN Xtra.

 
"We have seen a year-on-year growth on our Christmas range.  Three of the lines in the top 100 were Christmas picks and we’ve added to the range this year with a few more fashion colours such as pink and pale blue which we were asked for a lot last year.

"Our velvet Poinsettia bush with glitter edge was in the top 100 list, which is superb."

"We’ve got a fantastic new range of single stem decorations this year that we have had an amazing response from this year.

"As we don’t have Harrogate or Spring fair to show our lines this year, we have finished a renovation on our amazing large showroom. We have the space to present the whole of the Christmas range for socially distanced appointments and for those that can’t make it to Manchester we can do virtual appointments via zoom or facetime. "

Appointments can be made to visit the Jeno Floral Showroom 7 days a week and even in the evenings to work round busy work schedules.

Contact the Jeno Floral office on 01706 624 595 or email Sales@jenofloral.com for an appointment.

Britain’s gardens are set for a make-over boom in 2021, with DIY enthusiasts putting garden sheds, summer houses and other timber outbuildings high on their agendas for a spruce up in the coming months.  

A number of independent surveys have confirmed the trend for spending time and money on making the most of our personal green oases shows no sign of letting up.

Onduline, a global leader in the manufacture of eco-friendly bituminous corrugated sheeting, has a wide range of light weight roofing products that are perfect for garden projects.

ONDULINE CLASSIC is the original ‘high performance’ bitumen corrugated roofing panel. Made from 50% to 60% recycled materials, these lightweight roofing sheets are suitable for both renovation and new construction projects.

The sheets are finished with a colour pigment and resin impregnation process that ‘stains’ the colour into the sheet to provide excellent colour retention properties and enhanced U.V. resistance.

Carrying a 15-year guarantee, ONDULINE CLASSIC roof solution is a popular roof product for guaranteed waterproofing as well as providing exceptional thermal and acoustic comfort.

The bitumen roof panels and related accessories are quick and easy to install. The panels are extremely light (only 3 kg/m²) and flexible making them easy to carry. 

To install ONDULINE CLASSIC corrugated roofing sheets is simple. No specialist tools are required.

Managing Director Paul Duffy said: “Sales of our range of lightweight roofing solutions rose significantly across the summer and autumn, and we’re confident  that trend will continue from the coming spring and onwards.

“People have rediscovered the joy of being outside in their own space, and even using it as a place to work from with a home office in their gardens.”

Discover Onduline

Click here to watch the company's video

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In advance of the launch of GTN's Greatest Christmas Awards 2020, GTN's Northern Correspondent, Steve Myatt, paid a visit to Barton Grange to bring you this first GTN Xtra Christmas photo tour.

To add your garden centre Christmas photo tour to GTN Xtra simply get snapping and enter The Greatest Christmas Awards.  See the categories here.  Send an e-mail to trevor@pottingshedpress.co.uk for more details

Here's a sneak preview of the photo tour submitted by Squires at Badshot Lea as part of their entry in GTN's Greatest Christmas Awards 2020.

There's over £7,000 worth of prizes to be won in GTN's Greatest Christmas Awards 2020 so get snapping and enter your garden centre team today!

Full details are here.

Here's a sneak preview of Perrywoods photo tour entry in GTN's Greatest Christmas Awards for 2020, including the vital ingredient for all entries, team photos. See the gallery of photos below.  Apologies for the wrong photos being included in yesterdays edition.

There's over £7,000 worth of prizes to be won in GTN's Greatest Christmas Awards so get snapping and enter today.  Full details can be found here.

Charles Stubbs, Lewis Fox and Nemanja Tintor, along with the rest of the BGC team, were proud as punch yesterday as their 58th centre at Thatcham in Berkshire opened.

The centre had been handed back to the landlords during the Wyevale Garden Centres sale of the century in and closed in September 2019 as the owners looked for a new leaseholder.  British Garden Centres took on the site in September 2020 and since then have refreshed the centre, enclosing a walkway at the Restaurant end to allow for extra covers, extending the covered sales area out into the planteria and hard surfacing the overflow car parking area which was previously a field.

See GTN Xtra's exclusive photo tour of the new centre below:

Haskins Garden Centre in Snowhill, Crawley, has opened its doors to customers following a 12-month refurbishment costing £15m.

The new centre boasts a retail space of 11,813 sq.m., including an outdoor plant area and 440-seat restaurant complete with a newly installed pizza oven. Additional space has also been created to accommodate 170 restaurant guests on an outdoor patio.

Up to 70 new jobs have been created to accommodate the centre's expansion. Car parking has increased to 346 spaces.  See GTN Xtra's photo tour of the new centre below.

Chief executive Julian Winfield said the Snowhill team worked tirelessly to ensure the centre was able to remain open for the majority of the project, with minimal disruption.

“We can't wait to receive our customers' feedback on our new and improved facilities,” he added. “Over the years, we have built a loyal customer following and we are proud to be able to give back to them in this way with our new expanded centre.”

Haskins acquired the Snowhill site in 2003, inheriting a number of ageing buildings.

Haskins also has centres in Ferndown in Dorset, West End in Southampton and Roundstone in West Sussex. The family business recently acquired Forest Lodge Garden Centre, Bird World and Garden Style in Farnham.

Pictured (left to right): Julian Winfield, Jamie Haskins, Ally Haskins (married to Jamie) and Warren Haskins, the group's chairman. 

The opening event was attended by the current GCA Chairman Mike Burks and three past Chairs; Warren Haskins, Sue Allen and Julian Winfield.

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 2018 as well as 2019 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 07973 504214, e-mail karen@pottingshedpress.co.uk or buy on-line using this link.

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

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

Highlights of the GTN Wild Bird & Wildlife Bestsellers chart for last week are here

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

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

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

GTN Bestsellers is the only industry source of weekly garden centre sales information, collating Epos data from centres with an aggregate turnover in excess of £100m.

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

For further information contact karen@pottingshedpress.co.uk or call 07973504214.

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

Lily’s Kitchen has launched a limited-edition ‘Be My Valentine’ tray for dogs, so that pet parents and pups can have a romantic meal for two this Valentine’s Day.    

To help share the love this Valentine’s Day, Lily’s Kitchen will be donating the full sales price of the trays sold on their website to Dogs Trust, so that every pup – even without a home – feels the love. 

Available through February, this limited-edition recipe is the ultimate surf and turf meal for four-legged friends.  

Lovingly made with fresh ingredients, pups can expect to tuck into succulent chunks of freshly prepared beef and responsibly sourced salmon with prawns.

The romantic dish is also packed with nourishing greens to give your dog a healthy boost, with asparagus and peas stirred throughout.

As always with Lily’s Kitchen recipes, Be My Valentine is nutritionally complete, containing a blend of natural botanicals and herbs – giving dogs all the energy they need for hugs and kisses this Valentine’s Day.   

The donation to Dogs Trust will support the charity’s ‘Change the Tale’ campaign, an initiative to support dogs, their families and pet parents who have been impacted by the pandemic.  

The charity believes more people might have to make the heart-breaking decision to give up their beloved dogs if they struggle to cope with the fallout of the coronavirus crisis or life changes for them in a way they couldn’t have foreseen.

Understanding the emotional heartbreak that comes with giving up a dog, especially when circumstances change unexpectedly, the charity’s dedicated team of experts help and advise wherever possible. Dogs Trust urges people to get in touch with them and they will do everything they can to help.

‘Be My Valentine’ is available now direct from lilyskitchen.co.uk with an RRP of £1.15 per tray.