Shaw Trust, a charity helping to transform the lives of young people and adults across the UK that already owns Palmer Gardens Garden Centre in Trowbridge has purchased two midlands garden centres from the Hillview Group.

The centres are Billing in Northampton and Pavilion in Wolverhampton. Both are garden centres that are part of shopping villages.

Boyd J Douglas-Davies, CEO of Hillview Garden Centres, confirmed to GTN Xtra this weekend that Billing and Pavilions Garden Stores transferred to The Shaw Trust charity on Thursday 7th March.

"This is part of our on-going strategy and I'm delighted that The Shaw Trust has taken on these sites. Their unique model will suit these locations and I think they'll do very well. I wish them and our former colleagues all the best for the future"

Shaw Trust is one of the largest 25 charities in the UK. Comprising Shaw Trust, Prospects, Ixion and Shaw Education Trust, they use 75 years’ combined experience to support people to develop their potential. Their goal is to help transform the lives of one million young people and adults each year.

With 4,000 staff and 1,000 volunteers they provide joined-up services for government, local authorities, combined authorities, employers, stakeholders – including the Department for Work and Pensions, Education and Skills Funding Agency, clinical commissioning groups and NHS Trusts – and individuals.

Shaw Trusts work focuses on seven business areas:

• Employability
  Learning and skills
  Justice
  Children’s services
  Education
  Charitable services and enterprise
  Community health and wellbeing

The Trowbridge based garden centre, Palmer Gardens, not only boasts an impressive range of plant and garden products on sale to the public, and an on-site café, but also offers training and employment opportunities to local young disabled people. The Palmer Gardens Education Programme offers individuals invaluable support with their literacy and numeracy skills, helping them gain career-progressing accredited qualifications in customer service, horticulture and food hygiene. Students can then practically apply their new skills in work opportunities in the Palmer Gardens shop, café and garden centre.

Q. “Before our centre was bought up, we always used Green Magic frames. Do you still do them?”

A. “Sure. Our outdoor holders which fit laminated POS are still best sellers. Twenty years since we invented them, our durable frames are proving they are definitely not single-use plastics.”

The spokesperson from Green Magic elaborated: “We also have budget options for people who require the lowest price, but outdoors these don’t cut it. Although we’ve expanded and diversified a lot, garden centres will still find all the specialised POS display products they need.”

The company has many new lines. For those wanting to project an eco-friendly image their new wooden chalkboard stakes help reinforce a sustainable local-provenance message. Equally, today they are a leader in LED poster lightboxes - for that high-end look, with added night-time appeal. Their range is indeed diverse.

Green Magic looks forward to welcoming back old customers. These days it’s all online at www.Sign-Holders.co.uk – as well as offering friendly advice on the phone (01489 896999) as usual.

Plant sales led the way as garden centres experienced huge swings for the first week of March compared to last year. Remember the snow from The Beast from the East saw GTN Bestsellers recording the worst ever weekly sales for garden centres this time last year.

Now we can report increases of over 450% for plant sales and growing media with the overall sales increase for All Products exceeded 200%.

Comparisons just with last year, whilst spectacular are not the best to use for real sales indications, but if we compare the first week of March over the previous eight years then 2019 is within 2% of the highest week we have recorded, which was in 2012.

Without Storm Freya, which hit Sunday sales across the country, then 2019 would probably have been the best ever which is a good omen.

GTN Bestsellers Top 50 sales volumes compared to the same week last year (week 9):

• Garden Products – up 197%
• Growing Media – up 457%
• Wild Bird Care – down 27%
• Veg-2-Gro – up 213%
• All Plants index – up 459%
• All Items index – up 202%

To subscribe to GTN Bestsellers email karen.pfeiffer@tgcmc.co.uk

Garden centre plant buyers were out in force and in positive mood at the Classiflora Open Days last week..

Buyers from groups and independents were making the most of Open Day offers to buy large specimen plants, trees and other stock ready for the key selling season ahead.

Judging by the red tags out in the nursery the most popular purchases on Wednesday were Betula trees and red stemmed Acer Palmatum.

See GTN Xtra's photo tour of the nursery Open Day 2019 below.

Brechin, Angus, Scotland

Chief Executive

To take full day to day responsibility for running a family owned two unit catering/retail/ destination business – Brechin Castle Garden Centre and Peggy Scotts Restaurant - jointly turning over in excess of £3m with 90 full and part time staff.

This is a senior management position requiring a relevant qualification and experience at senior level in both retail and catering.  Skills will include staff leadership, financial disciplines, retail buying including plants, an eye for detail, exceptional standards of tidiness and a strong work ethic.  An appetite to expand and diversify the business is also desirable.

The package will reflect skills and experience and will include competitive salary, pension scheme, and company car with accommodation option if required.

Applications with full CV to rc@dalhousieestates.co.uk

Jane Lawler has joined the GCA’s team of inspectors. Jane, who has more than 35 years’ experience in marketing and business development, will be responsible for inspecting member garden centres in North Thames, Scotland and Northern Ireland.

Iain Wylie, GCA Chief Executive, said: “We are absolutely thrilled to have Jane join Alyson Haywood, Michael Cole and Gordon Emslie on our team of inspectors.

“She will be integral in helping us to ensure consistency and raising standards through our membership and will visit approximately 40 of our members’ centres each spring, scoring each one to given criteria, using our detailed inspection form, and giving objective and honest feedback on what she has seen.

“She will also make presentations at our regional meetings and during our annual conference in 2020.

“The 2019 inspections for member garden centres commence on March 18 and the inspectors are out visiting them until June 14, so those in North Thames, Scotland and Northern Ireland can expect to see Jane soon.”

Jane began her career in horticultural field trials with Pan Britannica Industries Ltd and then went on to work in customer services, advisory roles and technical product development before expanding her interest in marketing.

She developed her business and marketing skills in the 1990s through Cranfield School of Management, Henley Management College, Irish Management Institute and the Chartered Institute of Marketing. From 2008 she was Marketing Director with Gardman until 2013 when she left to establish her own business and marketing consultancy.

She said: “It’s a real privilege to be able to use my years of experience in the UK garden sector to support the GCA’s continued drive for excellence in garden centre retailing.

“I’ve seen from the outside how seriously members take the inspection and awards process and how it has contributed to continuous improvement in retail standards. So, I’m delighted to now have the opportunity to support and contribute to that process personally.”

Jane has run customer service teams, technical and regulatory development departments, international new product development groups and conceived and successfully launched online businesses. Some of her most notable achievements include the creation and development of brands for garden centre distribution in the UK and across Europe.

Jane is also the past Chair of Garden Industry Manufacturers Association (GIMA) and the garden product committee of the Crop Protection Association (CPA). She also served on the Horticultural Trades Association (HTA) and Garden Industry Marketing Board (GIMB).

Mike Lind, GCA Chairman, said: “Jane is very knowledgeable about consumer insight and purchasing behaviour, so she is the ideal person to inspect our member garden centres for us and the knowledge and feedback she will pass on to our members will be extremely valuable, it’s great to have her on board.”

Above: Mark Butler – national sales manager at Vitax; Paul Gooding – chairman at Vitax; Robin Bacon - Chief of Staff at ABF The Soldiers’ Charity and Charlie Strawa – ABF The Soldiers’ Charity.

Vitax Limited has announced it will be marching forward with its support for a national charity for a second consecutive year.

Announced at Scotsdales Garden Centre in Cambridge, Vitax will continue to support ABF The Soldiers’ Charity (The Soldiers’ Charity) in 2019 as its official charity partner.

Initially launched in November 2017, Vitax raised over £10,000 for the charity in its first year from the sale of special promotional packs of Q4 fertiliser.  The success of the campaign will see it return for the second year with Vitax pledging to donate 20p for every 2.5kg special pack of Q4 fertiliser sold.

The new packs featuring The Soldiers’ Charity ambassador, Andy Reid, formerly of 3^rd Battalion The Yorkshire Regiment and who lost both his legs and right arm after stepping on an IED while on patrol in Afghanistan, are already making an appearance in garden centres across the UK as part of a pre-season promotion.

Paul Gooding, Vitax’s chairman, says: “Choosing to support The Soldiers’ Charity for a second year was an easy decision as we see on a daily basis the difference the donation makes to the charity’s beneficiaries.

“In the past year alone, the charity has supported 70,000 members, the youngest just being two right through to the eldest at 106. Around seventeen per cent of the grants awarded were spent on supporting serving soldiers and their families, which is testament to the great work they do.

“We are very excited for the coming year as pre-season sales of Q4 pelleted fertiliser is up on last year, which hopefully means we will be able to match if not exceed last year’s donation.”

Established in 1944, ABF The Soldiers’ Charity is the national charity of the British Army.

Providing a lifetime of support to soldiers, veterans and their immediate families in times of need, the charity gives financial assistance to individuals and makes grants to a wide range of specialist charities and other organisations.

During the past 12 months, the charity has worked with, and provided funds to, over 85 charities and organisations to support the Army family, which is why organisations such as Vitax play such a pivotal role.

“We are delighted Vitax has chosen The Soldiers’ Charity as its partner for the second year running as the funds they raised through the sale of Q4 has made such an impact,” says Brigadier (Ret’d) Robin Bacon, Chief of Staff at ABF The Soldiers’ Charity.

“Every donation counts. Last year we provided over £69,000 a week in grants to individuals in need which is why partnerships with supporters such as Vitax are vital.”

The Soldiers’ Charity has worked with veterans of every conflict for 75 years and takes pride in being responsive, providing essential grants in as little as 48 hours to those in need. 

To find out more about Vitax, visit: www.vitax.co.uk

To find out more about The Soldiers’ Charity, visit: www.soldierscharity.org

Above: Paul Gooding – Vitax’s chairman with Robin Bacon - Chief of Staff at ABF The Soldiers’ Charity.

The funeral of Michael Cooling, son of the founder of Coolings Nurseries, will take place on Tuesday 26 March (11.30am) at St Nicholas Church, Church Lane, Chislehurst BR7 5PE.

Due to the expected crowds at the church, Paul Cooling asks readers to let him or his brother Dave know if they intend to come ( click here to email Paul or here to email Dave).

Mourners are invited to join the family afterwards at The Bull’s Head Hotel, Royal Parade, Chislehurst, Kent. BR7 6NR.

They have requested family flowers only but donations may be made

 to the British Heart Foundation (c/o Welham Jones, 4 Belmont Parade, Green Lane, Chislehurst BR7 6AN)

Michael Cooling (13/10/1934 – 28/2/2019)

Michael was the only son of Arthur and Miriam Cooling who lived in the town of Chislehurst, where Arthur was the postmaster and had built up a small but successful market garden in his spare time.

Having trained at the Kent Horticultural Institute in Swanley and completed his National Service in Germany, Michael joined his Father in business, which was then called ‘Little Farm’. Michael had many new ideas and was an early pioneer of soil-less composts, often comparing notes with Arthur Bower.

He corresponded with George Ball in USA who was achieving great results with hybrid seed of colourful annuals.  Early experiments with growing shrubs in large tin cans (salvaged from the local hospital) were quite successful, too.  These early containers allowed easy self-service by the customer and could be successfully transplanted all year round.

The early 1960s saw the first Garden Centre in Chislehurst, when Michael was allowed to take over one end of a small Dutch-light greenhouse.  The initial stock of pots, string, bamboo canes and John Innes compost cost 37 pounds and ten shillings, and was viewed with great scepticism by his father. 

Michael was an early member of the Horticultural Trades Association - Garden Centre Group (which went on to become the GCA) and along with Jeffrey Bernhard he was one of the UK delegates at the first Garden Centre Congresses held in Germany.

In 1961 Michael married Shirley and they had two sons, Paul (54) who is married Carol and has two children, and David (51).

By 1988 it was clear the one-acre site in Chislehurst was too small to sustain the thriving business and was sold for housing. This allowed the purchase of Robinsons Gardens, a fourteen-acre site in Knockholt, whilst still having sufficient funds to build a new shop a year later.

Always one to re-invest the profits, never borrow money, and develop people who were keen to learn, the business continued to thrive.  Michael was very proud to collect the first ever “Retail Nursery of the Year” award in 1997 and this was followed in 2005 by the GCA Garden Centre of the Year.  Coolings remains the only business to have twice been voted the Best Garden Centre in the UK by readers of Which? magazine.

Over the last 20 years Mike and Shirley gradually withdrew from running the business to enjoy travelling and spending time in their own garden in Chislehurst. 

The team that Michael put together, continues to run and develop the business and this legacy now comprises three sites over 45 acres.  More than 200 families gain some or all of their income through working at Coolings.

Shirley Cooling died in February 2018 after suffering with Alzheimers disease for four years.

Cardwell Garden Centre near Gourock, Inverclyde, is offering a Grow Your Own Brexit Survival Kit - to help customers avoid food shortages in the event of a no-deal Brexit.

General manager Paul Carmichael has devised a collection of 12 packets of different vegetable seeds to plant for a year-round supply of food. The £34 kit includes carrots, peas, lettuce, tomatoes, broccoli, broad beans, spinach, kale and pumpkin.

“There has been a huge amount of publicity surrounding the potential for food shortages if there’s a no deal Brexit,” Paul told the Newsflare website.

Watch the video here.

Bridport-based Groves Nurseries has received another accolade for its award-winning violets.

Groves was awarded a first place in the annual violet festival at Toulouse, France, for a tree violet, ‘Amelia Violet Groves Stork’ (pictured), named after the granddaughter of grower Clive Groves.

The judges said the plant was an exceptional specimen.

Violets are Toulouse’s emblematic flower, harvested in the region as early as the 19th century and still popular with gardeners in the area. The city has held a violet festival since 1952.

Clive Groves said: “We have won trophies from all over Europe, including Italy and Portugal, where we won the overall prize for most medals and this was presented to me by none other than the Duke of Braganza, but I have to say winning in Toulouse again was very special.”

Mr Groves is a renowned violet breeder, the collection having been started in the 1960s by his father, Charles William Groves. The first one he bred was named ‘Clive Groves’. Most members of the family now have violets named after them.

Clive continued to grow the collection of Viola odorata and Parma violets and was awarded National Collection Status in 2002.

Groves offers a large selection of violets at its in Bridport and Beaminster nurseries.

Pictured: Clive and Diana Groves with the Toulouse award.

Hillier Nurseries divisional director Hossein Arshadi says existing initiatives to halt the spread of plant pests and diseases will not work in practice and could lead to a “very costly breakdown in bio security”.

He is urging the industry and the government to follow Hilliers’ example and accept “zero tolerance” of plant health risks, especially potentially devastating diseases like Zylella speciosa.

He believes the steps taken by Defra are not adequate to halt the spread of such problems, with a 600% increase in new pests arriving in the UK over the past 20 years. He says Defra should ban the import of host plants rather than trying to identify or control them after they have arrived, “a risky and very expensive strategy”.

He says initiatives like the proposed quarantining of imported trees for a period of one year and the HTA’s Plant Health Assurance Scheme (PHAS) lack the blueprint needed to show how they would work.

“In order for PHAS to work, all businesses without exception who handle and import plants must join the scheme. This includes nurseries, garden retailers, landscape contractors, traders, main contractors, online traders, local authorities, the Forestry Commission and any others who come into contact with plants,” Arshadi continues. “As we now know, it only took one oak tree with Oak Processionary Moth to contaminate thousands of trees. This continues to cost millions of pounds to keep under control.”

I don’t believe these initiatives are better than nothing. They create a false sense of security.

Hillier’s now refuse to import plants that are host to major pests and diseases from infected areas identified by Defra.

If Xylella spreads in the UK, Arshadi maintains,  it will need tens of millions of pounds to manage and contain the spread of this disease. “In my opinion, prevention is better than cure. It is just common sense!”

He says the issues need are the a collective responsibility of the industry, the government and the media, who need to educate and inform the public and plant buyers of the seriousness of the risks, to reduce the demand for imported, risky host plants. This may also lead to more UK nurseries growing such plants themselves – so-called import substitution.

Q: What policy support from the government would you like to see to help bolster biosecurity?

Ha also believes the government should also set aside a compensation package to support nurseries who may suffer financially through no fault of their own, with hefty fines for businesses who don’t follow the rules.

Read the full article in the forthcoming April 2019 issue of Garden Trade News.

One of the world’s leading pet product suppliers, the German based Trixie, has confirmed it will be exhibiting at Pets at Glee in 2019, further cementing the show’s value for pet and garden retailers.

Bringing with it over 40 years’ experience, world-wide knowledge of the pet market thanks to its penetration in over 80 countries, and access to over 6,500 product lines for dogs, cats, birds, small animals, fish and reptiles, Trixie represents one of the biggest pet product suppliers active today. Making its debut at Glee in 2019, Trixie’s presence at Glee marks an exciting development for the dedicated pet sector.

Ines Fanslau, Trixie Sales UK/Ireland, said: “At Trixie we pride ourselves on bringing to market the widest selection of product innovation; products that tap into the latest consumer trends and ensure pet owners are confident that they are making the best possible purchasing decisions for their much-loved pets. For us, Pets at Glee represents an unrivalled opportunity to showcase these products to a captive audience made up of both independent and multiple pet retailers. Additionally, Pets at Glee also gives us the opportunity to meet with garden retailers, online stores and high street shops – all of which represent a significant growth opportunity for us.

“We’re excited to be at Pets at Glee this September, and hope visitors will enjoy the exciting new product launches we have in store including exciting developments within dog fashion. Additionally, we’ll be showcasing our bestsellers, and helping retailers to optimise those trends currently shaping our industry such as awareness and sustainability, and innovation and technology.”

A number of other leading brands and independent manufacturers have also confirmed their presence at Pets at Glee in 2019, including Canine and Co, Jacobi Jayne & Company, Marriage Specialist Foods, RSW International, The Barking Bakery, Winners Europe, Bon EOOD, Global 1^st Ltd and H.von Gimborn.

2019 marks a year of significant positive growth and development for Pets at Glee. The show has a responsibility to provide a platform for pet buyers to come together to source new product inspiration, learn more about the latest trends and issues affecting the market, and to facilitate better networking opportunities. Unlike other shows, Pets at Glee also benefits from being able to tap into additional markets to provide a more rounded and valuable business building platform.

In 2019 the event will benefit from a raft of additional big-name brands and exciting new suppliers joining the exhibitor roster, covering core product sectors such as food, pet care, accessories, bedding and housing, and health, treatment and care. Additional value services such as seminar content, will also be updated to ensure that it arms attendees with the information and inspiration they need to create a strong and profitable pet offering in 2020.

Glee’s Event Director, Matthew Mein, said: “The pet market is currently valued at £6.5 billion, with 2021 expected to be the year when it exceeds the £7billion mark. This is a significant market, and one that is developing at a rapid rate in response to changing consumer habits. Premiumisation and pet anthropomorphism are two trends that have contributed to this growth and development, and these trends are expected to continue in the coming seasons. Pets at Glee will provide an unrivalled platform for these trends and emerging ones, to take centre stage, supported by the best selection of products, brands, innovation, networking opportunities and educational content.”

Further details regarding the development of Pets at Glee in 2019 and beyond will be announced soon.

Find out more

Glee is the UK’s leading garden retail show, focusing on building year-round profits for buyers and suppliers within the core gardening, outdoor leisure and pet product categories.  To keep up-to-date on the latest Glee news visit www.gleebirmingham.com.  To enquire about exhibiting at Glee 2019 call +44 (0)203 3545 9752.

For further details about Trixie, including its forthcoming in-house exhibition (14th-16th June 2019), please visit www.trixie.de

Bird food supplier CJ Wildlife has introduced a range of organic wild flower, herb and vegetable seeds for gardeners.

The close to 100 varieties in the ‘Buzzy’ range are Skal certified which guarantees they were organically cultivated. Prices start at £1.49 per packet.

Designed to provide a nectar feast for bees, butterflies and other insects as well as a supply of ingredients for healthy meals, they complement CJ’s existing RHS Plants for Pollinators offering.

Garden Re-Leaf Day, the garden industry’s biggest charity fundraiser, has raised over £600,000 since Boyd Douglas-Davies launched the first one in 2011 – including over £70,000 in 2018 alone.

The funds raised from this year’s event (Friday 22 March) will go a long way towards funding the completion of four more much-needed garden spaces at UK children’s hospices, bringing the number created so far to almost 60 in the charity’s 21-year history.

The Nest and Rest Garden at Grace House, Sunderland, is set to become a reality under the expert eye of Sean Murray, 2015 winner of the BBC's Great Chelsea Garden Challenge. Designed to attract wildlife, this garden will utilise interactive water features, sensitive planting and sheltered areas to provide families with an invaluable outside space for respite and relaxation, as well as stimulating features that can be used for therapies and reflection.  

Over at Claire House Children’s Hospice on the Wirral, Carolyn Willetts of CW Studios, will be transforming the outdoor space into a Garden of Colour. Featuring a Creation Station, Rainbow Meadow, A Quiet Place and sensory Falling Leaves, this garden will be a feast for the senses year-round.

Little Harbour Children’s Hospice in St Austell will be transformed by local landscape architect and designer, Darren Hawkes, who takes his inspiration from the landscape. “I love the relationship between plants and hard materials,” he says. “The opportunity to highlight shapes both in foliage and form as well as in colour is one that I relish". His plans for the Little Harbour garden include all-weather facilities, including a covered hide out festooned with coloured glass panels.

At Richard House Hospice in London, Greenfingers is working with garden designer Andrew Fisher Tomlin from Fisher Tomlin & Bowyer on a brief to “create a sensory garden which takes families on a journey through the woodland area, starting with a colourful archway and then connecting with different sensory elements of the garden.” It all needs to be wheelchair accessible.

Greenfingers Director of Fundraising and Communications, Linda Petrons said: “Garden Re-Leaf Day has resulted in life-limited children and families who spend time in hospices being able to enjoy precious time together in a Greenfingers garden.  It’s really easy to take part, you can sign up and participate in one of this year's organised initiatives such as the Garden Re-Leaf Walk and Cycle Challenge.  Why not organise your own event, and register it so that it can be included in all the media briefings that raise awareness of the cause?”

Sign up to take part in 2019 Garden Re-Leaf Day events (March 22nd) or register your own on the Greenfingers Charity website.

See the next story for news of more Greenfingers challenges.

Join the Glee to Monte Carlo Banger Rally

The inaugural Greenfingers Glee to Monte-Carlo Banger Rally is an exciting new event that will see teams from across the industry pitch themselves against each other to travel from Glee at the NEC Birmingham to Monte Carlo on the French Riviera - in a car worth no more than £500!

The rally, which will be about fun with a touch of adventure rather than speed, will leave the NEC on the final day of Glee 2019 (Thursday 12 September), and will return to the UK on Sunday 15 September.

Interested parties are invited to email director of fundraising & communications Linda Petrons, linda@greefingerscharity.org.uk, or call 01494 674749/07908 221240.

Power tools giant Stihl choose Greenfingers as its Charity of the Year

Stihl, the global power tools brand with products in operation in more than 160 countries, will be raising funds after staff voted for Greenfingers to be the company’s charity of the year for 2019.

Details of fundraising events are being finalised, but Stihl staff are expected to get involved in Garden Re-Leaf Day, among other activities.

Woodlodge back in action

Woodlodge’s Richard Newton, who in 2017 undertook a daredevil parachute jump with colleague Abigail Stocker and raised around £2,300, is on a mission to generate even more this year, through a Captain’s Charity Golf Day at Erewash Valley Golf Club in Derbyshire on 19 July. “As captain, I can pick my charity of the year, and as an ambassador for Greenfingers, it was an obvious choice! All funds raised from the day will go to Greenfingers,” he said.

Erewash Valley is a manicured championship golf course featuring tree-lined fairways, set in 165 acres of parkland. Teams can register to compete for £160, while sponsorship options priced at £50 per hole are available. Email RichardNewton@woodlodge.co.uk for details.

Woodlodge’s support Greenfingers with signs and banners for events throughout the year and its bespoke flower pot (SRP £9.99, with 50p donated for each pot sold) continues to raise vital funds.

Greenfingers supporters are ‘winging it!’

Three brave souls will be taking to the skies on June 2 in an effort to raise £20,000 for the Charity. Each will be strapped to the roof of a bi-plane for a 10-minute exhilarating wing walking experience. Featuring fly-pasts, zoom climbs, steep dives and banks, the participants will have a bird’s eye view of the Wiltshire countryside at speeds of up to 100mph.

Good luck, then, to, Mark Portman, MD of Evergreen Garden Care, Vicky Nuttall, director of GIMA, and Lowri Walker, national account manager at SBM Life Science. A fourth spot was available at the time of writing for anyone with a desire to feel the wind in their hair. Prospective donors and sponsors should visit this site https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/gima-wing-walkers

Special product promotions raise essential funds

A number of suppliers have confirmed their ongoing support of the charity through dedicated product promotions.

Garden décor manufacturer Vivid Arts has announced its first product tie up for Greenfingers with the launch of its new rabbit figurine. Launched at Glee, it is equipped with a garden spade and bears the trademark Greenfingers green gloves. Withnm£1.67 from every sale being gifted, it is earmarked to raise £16,000. A special rabbit collection box has also been created for the checkout. Contact Greenfingers directly if you’d like one.

UK Doormat suppliers Primeur will donate £1 from each sale of its special Christmas doormat featuring five festive robins adorned with bobble hats, supported by a dedicated display unit.

The Great British Card Company, which raised more than £19,000 for the charity in 2018, will be looking to repeat this success with 10p from the sale of every card in its new Floreo range of photographic greetings range featuring 58 beautiful designs, including wildlife, floral displays and stunning quintessentially English landscape going directly to Greenfingers. It has also created special Notecard Packs supported by a dedicated Greenfingers-branded table top dispenser, with 20p to Greenfingers for every pack sold throughout 2019.

Under the expert eye of auctioneers, W & H Peacock, brands that have donated stock to the ‘Old to Gold’ scheme, which sees old or unwanted stock auctioned off to raise funds for the charity, raised in excess of £40,000 in 2018, with Gardman a key donor.

Cyclists sought for coast-to-coast charity ride

Regular Greenfingers fundraisers Kew Green Hotels, have pledged to raise £200,000 as 50 cyclists take on a 170-mile cycle challenge.

The Coast to Coast ride, which will take place on Monday 13 and Tuesday 14 May, will see cyclists follow the Way of the Roses route, which runs from Morecambe in the west to Bridlington on Yorkshire’s east coast, along traffic-free paths, on-road cycle lanes, country lanes and quieter roads. The challenging but hugely rewarding route reaches 403m (1,312ft) on the B6265 at Greenhow Hill.

Thorough preparation is essential, as high terrain can be exposed to poor weather. Cyclists who are keen to push their limits and raise money for a great cause should email linda@greenfingerscharity.org.uk to find out more.

GIMA rallies the garden industry to support Greenfingers

The Garden Industry Manufacturers’ Association is again throwing its weight behind Greenfingers in 2019 with a series of fundraising events, including the GIMA Golf and Activity Day on 6 June at the Telford Hotel and Golf Resort while the charity is also set to benefit from the GIMA Awards on 4 July at Celtic Manor in Newport.

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

With plant sales booming, the GTN Bestsellers Garden Products chart shows signs that customers are buying growing aids as they buy their plants, but we didn’t see the same uplift as plants year on year. 

Our Garden Products Top 50 sales volumes were up by 197% less than half the uplift of plant sales. Perhaps the need to get more growing aids merchandised along side the relevant plants is still a driver for potential growth.

Highlights of the week were:

• Tomorite jumped two places to be the No 1 Bestseller at the start of March.  That’s the earliest we can remember Tomorite moving to the top of the chart!
• Westland Fish Blood & Bone 1.5kg was the highest chart climber, up 20 places to No 14.
• Garland’s Windowsill Greenhouse was the highest new entry at No 34.

To subscribe to GTN Bestsellers email karen.pfeiffer@tgcmc.co.uk

Because of more favourable weather this year – no snow compared to last year – Growing Media sales matched the increase in plant sales: up by over 450% to move our year to date volume to up 24% on last year and even more importantly up 36% on 2017.

Highlights of the week were:

• Westland New Horizon All Plant Compost, 60 litres, launched at Glee last year hits the Bestsellers Chart for the first time at No 16.
• Evergreen Garden Care Levington Essential Multi Purpose, 50 litres, stays at No 1.
• Westland Houseplant Potting Mix with Seramis, 8 litres, is the highest re-entry at No 40.

To subscribe to GTN Bestsellers email karen.pfeiffer@tgcmc.co.uk

As plant sales soared vs last year the lack of snow had the opposite effect on Wild Bird Care sales which dropped by 27% for the first week of March.

That is despite a big increase in footfall and at a time when the birds and other wildlife need feeding most whatever the weather. What are you doing to keep Wild Bird care sales up during the milder March weather we are experiencing?

Highlights were:

• Westland Peckish Natural Balance 12.75kg was the highest climber, jumping 27 places.
• Gardman Poppy Feeder With Stem was the highest re-entry at No 5.
• Gardman Vision Window Feeder was the highest new entry.

To subscribe to GTN Bestsellers email karen.pfeiffer@tgcmc.co.uk

Veg-2-Gro sales almost quadrupled compared to the first week of March 2018 when the Beast from the East was at its worst.

Highlights were:

• Farplants Mint Garden Herb was the highest chart climber, up 35 places to No 9.
• Taylors Onion Sets Stuttgarter took over at the top of the chart, knocking Red Baron off its lofty perch.
• Quantil Strawberry Fenella and Korona were new entries at No 36 and No 37.

To subscribe to GTN Bestsellers email karen.pfeiffer@tgcmc.co.uk

What a bumper start of March plant sales! While sales dropped from the previous week, which included part of half term, the GTN Bestsellers All Plants sales index reached its highest level for the first week of March.

• Pelargoniums, which include Zonal Geraniums, jumped in sales by 71% as young plants were scooped up. That moved them up to be the third most popular plant already.
• Lathyrus, sweet pea, sales saw the biggest percentage increase up by 170% to re-enter the chart.
• All Plants volume sales change: Week on week DOWN 13.3%.  Year to date vs 2018 UP 32.2%, vs  2017 UP  33.3%.

To subscribe to GTN Bestsellers email karen.pfeiffer@tgcmc.co.uk

Delegates at the one-day The Future for International Trade conference on 12^th March will benefit from hearing top level presentations covering every aspect of exporting, from mega trends in retailing worldwide to finding new and developing export markets and how to ease the path of exporting in the post-Brexit era.

In addition, experts in all aspects of exporting will be on hand throughout the day to answer the questions your company has on international trading and how you can benefit from increased sales internationally.

The event, which is being organised by leading trade associations, Gardenex, BHETA and PetQuip, and is being sponsored by Glee, is aimed at companies in the home enhancement, garden and leisure and pet product sectors.  Senior personnel from UK brand names including Smart Garden, Burgon & Ball, Ames Companies UK, Fothergills Seeds, Burgess Pet Care, Interpet, Charles Bentey, Dexam, Rollins, Creative Tops, Trend Machinery, Rosewood Pet Products, Nutriment and Concept Research, will be attending the day conference at the Stratford Manor Hotel in Stratford upon Avon, Warwickshire, which is easily accessed by road and rail.

In addition to inspirational case studies on how they are developing and expanding international sales from successful exporters WHAM (What More UK), Spear & Jackson, VegTrug and Group 55, the packed line-up of speakers will be giving delegates an intriguing behind-the scenes insight into all the current Westminster manoeuvrings, valuable practical information on export procedures and compliance and a worldwide economic forecast including predictions on potential currency fluctuations.

An expert on international business law will provide pointers on how best to prepare for trading globally and delegates will gain an insight into how British businesses can harness digital channels to expand international sales. There will also be plentiful opportunities for companies to ask Q&As, network with industry colleagues and participate in ‘ask the expert’ meetings.

The speakers taking part are:

• John Arnold, Northern Universal; UK Government Lobbying                  
• Tim Hiscock, Strong & Herd - Export Procedures and Compliance
• Lord Ivo Darnley, Rathbones - Worldwide Economic Forecast
• Dechert Solicitors - Legalities of International Trade for Businesses
• Stefano Botter, Euromonitor International - Retail Megatrends
• Sarah Carroll - Drive International Growth via Digital Channels
• Stephen Turner, Group 55
• Brett Russell, Spear & Jackson
• Joe Denham, Veg Trug
• Tony Grimshaw OBE, Whatmore UK Ltd

Among the international trade service providers taking part in the Ask the Expert Zone are Velta Freight, The Translation People, Strong & Herd, Infinity Blue Marketplaces consumer trend consultancy, GovGrant, plus representatives from the Department for International Trade; exhibition organisers Ambiente and Glee, the conference’s industry sponsor, will also be represented. 

BHETA Executive Director, Will Jones says “We have a varied and stimulating agenda comprising an array of top-level speakers and export experts which will help UK companies to develop and expand international sales in the future.” 

Director General of Gardenex and PetQuip, Amanda Sizer Barrett, commented “Gathering all these top-level experts and industry representatives at a single day event offers delegates a great industry networking opportunity and invaluable insights, inspiration and practical advice on securing, developing and expanding international trade.”  

Places can be reserved at this important conference by contacting any of the organisers.  Contact Gardenex or PetQuip on 01959 565995; email katie-mai@petquip.com or theresa@gardenex.com; or visit www.gardenex.com.  Contact BHETA  on 0121 237 1130, email nab@bheta.co.uk or visit www.bheta.co.uk. 

Members of Gardenex, PetQuip, BHETA and CHA can secure a preferential delegate rate of £69 per person at the conference. The event is also open to non-members at £149 per person (both plus VAT).

The David Colegrave Foundation (DCF) is supporting the Royal Society of Biology’s Plant Health Undergraduate Summer Studentship Programme for 2019.

The scheme invites plant health researchers to submit proposals for one of nine available funded studentships for undergraduates to run over the summer.

A key aim is to address skills and capacity challenges in plant health science by providing attractive opportunities for research experience to suitable undergraduates, offering them the opportunity to undertake supervised research with leading research groups and encourage research proposals in seven areas relevant to Defra's plant health priorities.

The proposed research project must address at least one of the following themes related to plant health, pests and diseases:

• Detection or control
• Data & modelling
• Trade
• Host plants/Earth observations
• High-risk pests or pathogens
• Knowledge exchange
• Oak health

Every year DCF supports a number of students with scholarships that provide vital funding as well as work and travel experience. The Trustees recognise the programme as a valuable opportunity to support even more students doing important work around horticulture.

DCF Chairman Jeff Colegrave said: “This is a highly topical subject currently and we believe that supporting efforts to improve plant health will be hugely beneficial to the industry.”

Alongside the David Colegrave Foundation, funding for the scheme is provided by Defra, BSPP and N8 AgriFood.

More details and eligibility requirements are available here

Closing date for applications is 26 March 2019.

ScanCom (Vietnam), parent company of the LifestyleGarden outdoor furniture brand, has been shortlisted companies at this year’s Sedex Awards.

Sedex is a global membership organisation dedicated to driving improvements in ethical and responsible business practices in global supply chains.

The  Awards celebrate the efforts of its members to ensure the work they carry out is done so in a sustainable fashion and impacts upon the environment in the least possible way.

This year there are five awards categories highlighting collaboration, environmental and labour programmes. Award entries were shortlisted based on their level of innovation, scale of impact and implementation, possibility of replication and transparency of communication and leadership.

ScanCom is one of three companies shortlisted for the highly-contested ‘Best Collaborative Effort’ award, which showcases how members are collaborating or partnering with customers, suppliers or other stakeholders to improve working conditions or to solve a responsible sourcing challenge.

The award will be judged by Mark Driscoll, founder and director at Tasting the Future, Svetlana Yarovikova, senior risk manager at Carlsberg, Doroteya Vladimirova, senior research associate, Centre for Industrial Sustainability Institute at University of Cambridge, and Jermyn Brooks, chair, Business Advisory Board, Transparency International.

ScanCom aims to create outstanding products that combine international design expertise with state-of-the-art production techniques and a proven commitment to corporate social responsibility.

The winners will be announced at the awards dinner on 26 March at the De Vere Grand Connaught Rooms in London, following the Sedex 2019 Conference.

Wyevale Garden Centres has today announced the sale of two centres, Barnett Hill and Seven Hills.

Barnett Hill has been sold to Cherry Lane, the value garden centre group (part of QD Group) and will continue to be run as a garden centre by the new owners. Staff at Barnett Hill will transfer to the new ownership.

Seven Hills has been sold to a property development and investment company. WGC will continue running Seven Hills under licence for up to six months during which time the company will be looking to find alternative employment for all staff members.

The deals are expected to complete during March.

Anthony Jones, Chief Operating Officer of WGC, said: “We are pleased to have agreed the sale of two more garden centres, taking the total sold since the start of the process to 48.

"We would like to thank our great colleagues at these centres and wish them well for the future, whether under new ownership or within Wyevale Garden Centres.

"We continue to evaluate and discuss a wide range of competitive offers and look forward to further positive discussions with all potential buyers.

"Meanwhile, the Spring gardening season has well and truly started and we are focusing our efforts on trading our remaining portfolio during this important period in the year.”

Christie & Co, the specialist business property advisor managing the sale process on behalf of WGC, has achieved considerable interest from a wide variety of buyers. The opportunity to acquire garden centres has ignited significant interest within the sector and beyond, and as part of the process Christie & Co continue to liaise with bidders.

Cherry Lane said it was delighted to announce the acquisition of Barnett Hill, Worcester Road, Stourbridge. This represents the third acquisition of its type over the last 12 months for the group as they continue to look for further sites as part of their on-going fully funded expansion strategy.
 
Nick Rubins, Chief Executive of the QD Group which owns Cherry Lane, said: “The acquisition of Barnett Hill Garden Centre is another great landmark in the ongoing growth and success of Cherry Lane. We are a family run business and this is a major purchase for our Group. We are very pleased to welcome the team from Wyevale and are looking forward to sharing with our customers our great value, excellent quality and ever-changing spectacular new deals.”
 
The Garden Centre will be known as Barnett Hill by Cherry Lane and will retain all staff enabling them to remain in their existing roles.
 
Cherry Lane will be working to introduce a number of key improvements and developments to the garden centre over the next few months to enhance customers enjoyment and experience of the great value and quality of products from garden furniture, comprehensive pet department and wild bird care not to mention seasonal special offers and the wonderful array of plants, many grown within the Group’s three nursery operations, located across the country.
 
Barnett Hill by Cherry Lane is now the 13th garden centre owned by Cherry Lane, the UK’s eighth biggest garden centre group.
 
For more information on Cherry Lane, visit www.cherry-lane.co.uk.

Gardening is hot!  As temperatures soared to record levels for February the nation's gardeners got out to garden centres in record numbers to add some cheer to their outside spaces. 

The GTN Bestsellers All Sales Index was up 8% on last year to be 15% higher than the average for February over the previous eight years.

One record month doesn’t necessarily mean we will have a bumper year, but with sales for March to compare with last year's “Beast from the East” lack of sales we are confident (given the Met office is only forecasting snow on higher ground during the latter part of March) that we will reach the end of March significantly up on last year.

The issue of sales then going forwards may be more of availability of plants and products as lines mature and sell through early and possible transport issues that could be caused by Brexit.

GTN Bestsellers Top 50 sales volumes compared to the same week last year: week 8

•           Garden Products Top 50 – up 27%

•           Growing Media Top 50 – up 76%

•           Wild Bird Care Top 50 – down 10%

•           Veg 2 Gro Top 50 – up 26%

•           All Plants index – up 72%

•           All Items index – up 43%

To subscribe to GTN Bestsellers email karen.pfeiffer@tgcmc.co.uk

Newspan Building Solutions Ltd have started work at Tong Garden Centre as part of the site's £4million investment. Mark Farnsworth and Tom Megginson took over the centre in 2015 with the aim to not only re-establish Tong GC as the local icon it once was but to also further enhance the centres reputation and offering. The award-winning garden centre is now one of the biggest independently owned garden centres in Yorkshire and their new project will see them get even bigger.

Phase 1 of the new development will include a new warehouse, plant canopy, indoor soft play facility with family friendly coffee shop and an events building. Planning approval for the project, which is located in the Green Belt, was secured by Pleydell Smithyman and the work is already well underway.

Newspan have already completed the new warehouse and have started work on the new plant canopy, which is being extended off the existing building’s steelwork. Once complete the new plant sales area will feature overhead sectional glazed doors, providing a flexible covered sales area. Newspan will then move on to erect the 4-span building that will house the events area, soft play area and family coffee shop. The site will eventually welcome a two-storey building on site and lakeside cabins which will allow various educational and horticultural visits. Once the project is complete Tong will create additional 40 -50 jobs for the local community, something that is very important to the owners.

With garden centre buildings at the core of Newspan’s operation Mark Murray, the Director of Newspan, is thrilled to be a part of the job: “Tong is a fantastic project and we are excited to be underway. We knew of Tong Garden Centre before we became involved with the project and we really like what Mark and Tom have done with the site since taking ownership. The new development will no doubt have a fantastic response from their loyal customers and bring in a host of new ones”.

Wyevale Nurseries is now using recyclable plant pots for all future retail plants that it’s currently potting.

The company has started to phase out its black plastic pots replacing them with taupe coloured pots, supplied by Aeroplas in the West Midlands, in a bid to fight the war on plastic. 

Steve Reed, Production Director of the Container Division at Wyevale Nurseries in Hereford, explained: “We’re pleased to announce that we’re now starting to pot up our retail plants into recyclable taupe plant pots starting with our Astilbes. These pots can then be recycled kerbside by consumers.

“We plan to produce plants in more than 700,000 of the new recyclable pots this year. There will be a big overlap for customers as everything we have potted in 2018 is in black pots but by the autumn most of our stock will be supplied in taupe pots to retailers.

“It’s fantastic that the general public can recycle the taupe pots kerbside with other household waste, which has not been possible before. The black pots would previously end up in landfill because they contain carbon black pigment. The new taupe pots are carbon black pigment free polypropylene, which can be identified by near infrared (NIR) analysis and therefore can be recycled through kerbside collections.

“The recyclable taupe pot is an industry initiative being led by representatives from the Horticultural Trades Association (HTA) and UK growers. It’s great to see many growers’ backing the taupe pot.

“We are also ISO 14001 certificated, this is an international standard for environmental management, and switching to taupe pots is one of our key targets for the year, to reduce our impact on the environment. We’re very keen to look at the other ways we use plastic within the company to furthermore improve our environmental credentials.”

Currently Wyevale Nurseries uses plant labels from Floramedia and these are all recyclable via the kerbside collection.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Over 5,000 attendees – representing the UK’s best restaurant, pub and bar operators – were out in force at Casual Dining show last week...

The UK’s flagship casual dining trade event of the year made an unforgettable first impression at its new home of ExCeL London, enjoying another successive record turnout.  220 exhibitors, 50 Keynote speakers in two standing-room only theatres, and 5,038 unique attendees (up 5% on 2018) – are the top line figures from this year’s action-packed edition.

“Casual Dining is where the industry does business,” says event manager Eva Ellis.  “Once again, it welcomed leading innovators, influencers, trailblazers, key buyers and senior decision makers – the who’s who of this dynamic sector – in their thousands.  This year’s stand-out, sell-out edition at its new home of London ExCeL was easily our biggest, busiest and best yet.”

She continues: “There was such a fantastic buzz from the moment doors opened, and the show just looked incredible.  The feedback about the move has been incredibly positive, with the biggest buyers and operators in the country having enjoyed increased opportunities to meet with even more innovative suppliers, listen to even more great speakers and do even more business than ever before.

“Our exhibitors have also been thrilled with the seniority and sheer number of relevant industry buyers that they got to meet – from multi-site restaurant, pub and bar groups, to hotels, contract caterers and the nation’s best independents.  We’re delighted to report that 65% of exhibitors have already rebooked for next year, with many asking to take substantially bigger stands.

“Huge thanks, as always, to all of our exhibitors, visitors and partners for their continued support, it’s been phenomenal.  See you at Casual Dining 2020!”

Summing up his show experience (as a speaker and visitor), Chris Hill, CEO of The New World Trading Company (NWTC), says: “Casual Dining at ExCeL is the premium sector show, bringing together fantastic debate, content and innovation."

“I loved this year’s show,” agrees Paul Lewis, head of food and drink at Prezzo, “It really delivered on showcasing new trends and growth markets.  Great panels, and the new venue was fantastic, it gave more space to be able to network.”

“Casual Dining really is the show that does exactly what it says on the tin – an event that has operators of casual dining concepts big and small as its singular focus.  I challenge you to attend and not have at least three interesting conversations with new suppliers, potential customers or even just old friends,” says Thom Elliot, co-founder of Pizza Pilgrims.

“Casual Dining 2019 provided a great opportunity to engage with innovative new suppliers, network with existing contacts and listen to some informative keynote speakers.  A great event and one I look forward to returning to in 2020,” says Mark Carter, head of drinks category management at Marston’s Pubs & Bars.

Known for being a magnet for top buyers and brands from across the casual dining sector, this year’s attendees included: Accor Hotels, Aramark, Azzurri Group (ASK Italian, Zizzi and Coco di Mama), BaxterStorey, Benugo, Bill’s Restaurants, BrewDog, Cafe Rouge, Carluccio's, Casual Dining Group, CH&Co Group, Charles Wells, Center Parcs, Côte Restaurants, Daniel Thwaites, Dishoom, Domino's Pizza Group, DoubleTree By Hilton, Ei Group, Elior UK, Flat Iron, Fuller's, Greene King, Hall & Woodhouse, Hard Rock Café, ISS UK, Jamie Oliver Restaurant Group, Las Iguanas, Loungers, Marston’s, Mitchells & Butlers, Nando's, National Trust, NWTC, Oakman Inns, Papa John's, PizzaExpress, Pizza Hut Restaurants UK, Pizza Pilgrims, Prezzo, Punch Taverns, Revolution Bars Group, Shepherd Neame, Sodexo, SSP, Stonegate Pub Company, TGI Fridays, The Restaurant Group, wagamama, YO! Sushi, Young's, and many more.

Notably, nearly one in three visitors cited a corporate spend in excess of £1m (15% reported £10m-plus budgets).