The Homebase store at St Albans will close for a re-fit later this month and re-open with an expanded gardening department in February as the UK’s first Bunnings Warehouse.

Bunnings UK & Ireland (BUKI), part of the Australian Wesfarmers Group, which bought Homebase from Home Retail Group earlier this year, says the St Albans pilot scheme will be the first of up to 10 stores to be re-branded during 2017. The re-fit will involve removing the mezzanine floor and expanding the covered plant sales area.

The store format, with a greater emphasis on DIY, timber and home maintenance, will be refined in line with customer feedback, before being rolled out to the remaining outlets, currently numbering 265. The Homebase name will then be dropped altogether.

BUKI’s MD, PJ Davis, told a meeting of the British Home Enhancement Trade Association (BHETA) on Thursday that gardening was one of the key strengths of the Homebase brand and “we don’t want to lose that”.



Davis revealed that some of the largest Homebase stores could be closed, to be replaced by smaller new ones, and the business would probably require more outlets overall, which could be new-builds or conversions. The group has £500m to spend overall on the UK & Ireland project.

Unlike the brand’s Australian website, which is purely about pre-shop information and know-how (with 760 ‘how to’ videos) the Bunnings UK online version will also be fully transactional.

Davis said his buyers would be encouraged to “work out how to sell more” and not to develop innovation, which the group was “hopeless” at. The UK’s ageing housing stock was one of the attractions of the UK market for Bunnings.

He implied that training to improve staff confidence would become a priority for the business, with 300 already engaged in leadership training programmes and 120 having already visited the parent group’s operation in Australia.

• Garden Products - up 5%
• Growing Media - up 29%
• Christmas Products - up 122%
• All Items Index - up 24%

karen.pfeiffer@tgcmc.co.uk

The site at Ingles Manor is set to be converted into private residences and office space after the proposal was granted planning permission by Shepway District Council.

Up to 20 jobs are set to be lost at the garden centre when it closes.

A Wyevale Garden Centres spokesperson said: "Our goal is to deliver the very best service and products to our customers across the UK and we've enjoyed operating Folkestone Garden Centre.

"The landlord of the garden centre has obtained planning consent to use the site for residential purposes. As a result, we have been served notice to terminate our lease with effect in March 2017.

"We will be in touch with our loyal local customers, including The Garden Club members, with further information on where their nearest Wyevale Garden Centre can be found so they can continue shopping with us."

Plans to develop Ingles Manor have proved controversial over the years, with members of protest group Go Folkestone split over environmental matters and the "adverse impact" it may have on the area.

But the granting of planning permission has spelt the end for the popular garden centre.

The WGC spokesman added: "We are very grateful for the dedication and commitment of the entire Folkestone team.

"We are currently working closely with all our colleagues to ensure we support them as best we can through this transition and we're trying our best to find alternative employment for them at other locations where possible.”

Growers, retailers and gardeners are being urged to stay vigilant to stop an invasive flatworm from Brazil from gaining a foothold in the UK and posing a threat to soil health and wildlife.

The worm, which has a 4.5cm long flattened leaf-shaped body, was discovered at an Oxfordshire garden centre during the summer in an imported potted heuchera from Holland. Its first sighting in Europe was on Guernsey in 2008, since when it has spread to France, Italy and Spain. 

In some soils where they have colonised, earthworm populations have reduced by 20%. They also eat land snails. Earthworms are vital soil conditioners, fertilising and aerating the earth, helping to maintain its structure and aiding the absorption of moisture.

UK Buglife wants the government to employ stricter screening of imports to stem what its CEO Matt Shardlow describes as “an avalanche of harmful and unwanted species” with the potential to damage farming, destroy wildlife and distress gardeners. “Our biosecurity is feeble. It is time for the government to take control of this problem before it gets completely out of hand,” he said.

Plants are moved around the globe today in increasing volumes and at greater speed, which increases the risk of invasive pests surviving on imported exotics.

A Defra spokesman told The Guardian this week that it took biosecurity extremely seriously: “We work closely with neighbouring countries, the wider international community, industry, charities, landowners and the public to reduce the risks.”

The HTA had not responded to GTN Xtra’s invitation to comment before this issue was mailed.

Marketing is of vital importance to any business. But with so many different aspects from market research and advertising to sales promotion, public relations and sales getting the marketing mix right for you can be tricky. The HTA Marketing Forum delivers a huge range of marketing insight and ideas in one action packed day; Tuesday 8th November 2016, Whittlebury Hall next to Silverstone in Northamptonshire.

Come along to the HTA's one-day event aimed at all those involved in marketing and PR across the garden industry. There will be masses of insight, inspiration and top tips in bite sized sessions to ensure you are maximising the potential of your marketing spend.

The Programme includes:

Keynote speaker Mark Palmer, Group Marketing Director for Pret a Manger (and formerly of Burger King and Green & Blacks) looks at the importance of brand and how, at Pret, they focus spending on mproving the instore experience rather than spending on traditional media.

• Marketing consultant Nigel Temple explores the importance of having a Marketing Strategy and the need for a Marketing Mindset.

• In conjunction with Horticulture Week, Creative Solutions, Haymarket’s in-house creative agency will provide inspiration and best practice examples demonstrating the value of digital marketing as part of an overall marketing strategy

• Sally Cornelissen from Burleydam Garden Centre and Alan Down from Cleeve Nursery show how they use innovative events and community activity to reach out to new audiences
Instore – the power of visual merchandising

• Inspiration from outside the industry from ex-Liberty visual merchandiser Maxine Groucutt and trend watcher and green stylist Romeo Sommers will talk about using storytelling to help market your products, especially plants

• Pete Doyle from Social Retail will provide the latest know how on making the most of social media

• Wildfire Agency will demonstrate the effectiveness of advertising on social media in reaching new audiences

• Richard Jackson from QVC will look at online shopping and the way in which they often sell large volumes of product at strange times!

• Matt Young, Executive Producer of Spun Gold (ITV’s Love your Garden) will look at the challenges of getting more gardening on TV

The event will also incorporate the inaugural GTN's Greatest Marketing Awards

Programme

• 8.30 Registration and refreshments
• 9.30 Conference starts
• 12.45 Lunch and networking
• opportunities
• 1.35 Afternoon session begins
• 4.30 Conference close

Book now at hta.org.uk/marketingforum

• The Greatest Social Media Team of the Year
• The Greatest Marketing Event of the Year
• The Greatest Marketing Innovation of the Year
• The Greatest Supplier Marketing Team of the Year
• The Greatest Garden Centre Marketing Team of the Year

The awards will be hosted by Trevor Pfeiffer, Managing Director of Garden Trade News, and Carol Paris, HTA Chief Executive

Book your place now at  www.hta.org.uk/marketingforum

Wyevale Garden Centres launched a campaign last week to encourage gardeners to plant more trees to improve the health and wellbeing of children growing up in technology-dependent Britain.

Wyevale Garden Centres partnered with CHILDWISE to produce fresh statistics which emphasised the concern that, while schools are educating children on the practical benefits of trees, the emotive values of engaging with trees by playing outdoors are being overshadowed by the rise of modern day technology such as iPads and video games.

Key data includes:

· Over 50% of children quizzed said they would prefer to play on an iPad or tablet over a tree-house

· More than 50% of children quizzed revealed they have a tree in their garden, but one in three admitted to never playing in it and one in five don’t want a tree in their garden

·  Almost two thirds of children do not recognise the UK’s most common types of trees, including silver birch, crab apple and weeping willow/

· Whilst 82% of children recognise that trees produce oxygen and 64% understand that they clean the air, only 25% view trees as a sociable play area

David Mitchell, a plant buyer at WGC, said: “Trees have long been the plant of choice for gardeners seeking to create a shady spot, a burst of colour or a bite to eat. Once upon a time, trees were also a popular source of entertainment from swings to tree houses. Planting more trees this Autumn will not only set your garden up for Spring, but also create spaces to encourage children to put down the tablet and enjoy the outdoors.” 

Simon Leggett, research director at CHILDWISE, said: “The questions in this survey were quite unusual in the sense that they were very specific to trees and the difference these make to a child’s upbringing. They brought to light some very interesting data which shows the hold technology is increasingly having on younger generations and just how out of touch they are with the traditional enjoyment trees are known for.”

Wyevale garden centres’ top tips for parents and grandparents to encourage children to take to the outdoors include:

· Plant a tree – buy a young tree and get your child to care for it. Allow them to choose what kind of tree and where to plant it, and teach them how to care for and maintain it. Added benefits of this is that your child is not just learning how to take care of something, but also watching and understanding how a tree grows and develops.

· Schedule ‘nature’ breaks – ensure your child gets some fresh air, away from any electronic influence, for at least an hour every day. Going for a leisurely walk or playing an outdoor sport is a great way to approach this

· Walk the dog – dogs are a great excuse to force your child to get some fresh air and outdoor exercise as they require daily walks. If you don’t own a dog of your own then offer to walk with a friend or neighbour who does. Make sure your child takes a ball or toy with them so as to engage in game-playing to make the task more fun

· Planned days out – try as much as you can to plan at least one family day out a week where everybody leaves behind the TV, laptop, iPad and video games and spend the day being active, like spending the day in a country park on planned walks or wildlife watch

· Traditional fun – rediscover traditional games and take your children conker picking. You can teach them how to play once they’ve picked the best bunch, and it’s a great way to get outdoors in the slightly chillier months.

Leading UK nurseries have agreed to trial a prototype for a Plant Health Management System in 2017 following new fears over the spread of diseases in UK plant stock.

At the suggestion of the HTA, Boningale Nurseries, developed the template and will have the support of Johnsons of Whixley, Hillier Nurseries, Bransford, Allensmore, The Newey Group, Oakover Nurseries and Farplants during the trial. The government’s Chief Plant Health Officer, Professor Nicola Spence, has been invited to join the working group.

If implemented, possibly by 2018, the system would ensure total traceability of all plants traded in the UK.

The HTA’s Raoul Curtis-Machin says designers and landscapers would be able to specify ‘approved’ plants and garden centres would have the assurance they were selling healthy stock.

The latest international plant health scare involves outbreaks of Xylella fastidiosa, a disease that has been devastating olive trees in southern Italy, with various sub species causing damage in Corsica, the South of France and a small nursery in East Germany. It affects host plants by invading their water-conducting systems.

It has not reached Britain, but if it did, it would mean a five-year ban on plant movements within 10km of the outbreak. All potential host plants within 100m would be destroyed.

Left: Xylella on prunus. The disease affects a plant's ability to take up water.

Self-watering planters manufacturer Amberol has announced the winners of its national photo competition celebrating ‘Blooming Britain’.

Councils, Britain in Bloom groups and the public were invited to submit photos of floral displays using the company’s planters in gardens, streets, parks and other public places. Prizes totalling more £2000 in value were awarded this year.

The 2016 winning entry was entitled ‘Jack Pot’ and included figures made from flower pots in front of one of a beehive planter. It was taken by Gill Matthews of Kingsbridge in Bloom in South Devon (picture on the opening page). 

Other winning photos included street scenes from Rayleigh in Essex (pictured here) and Norwich city centre. An image of a tired planter on the streets of Belgium took joint third place and there were also two special Judges’ Awards for Draycott in Bloom and Gravesend Town Council.

A family run company based in Derbyshire, Amberol works with councils, businesses, Britain in Bloom groups and public organisations as well as individuals. They also supply litter bins.

Colourful cornus  – the dogwood -  is the HTA’s Plant of the Moment for November.

These reliable hardy shrubs provide a leafy backdrop to summer flowers before transforming into a rainbow of autumn colours that drop away to reveal brilliant wand-like stems.

This seasonal transformation is just the start of a host of new planting partnerships that can be enjoyed right through until spring. During winter the brightly coloured stems of dogwoods catch sunlight to create dazzling displays. Small gardens might only have space for a single plant, so position it where the low piercing winter sunlight will shine through, catching stems in its spotlight.

Many shrubby dogwoods also carry clusters of tiny flowers through summer. These are usually creamy-white, often leading to the formation of dense heads of white berries in autumn.

Shrubby dogwoods grow well in almost any soil, even moist sites and heavy clay ground. They’ll do best in a sunny position, but will tolerate some shade. Contrasting colours always work well when developing planting combinations, so consider planting groups of two or more together.

Try planting dogwoods in large patio containers to create seasonal displays with a difference, under-planting them with low winter bedding, leafy perennials and small shrubs.

There are dozens of plants to choose from as partners for dogwoods. Some can be planted as a background to show off the stems, while others provide flowering companions through winter. Low growers like bergenia and heuchera, can be planted in clumps to carpet the ground, or underplant with early flowering bulbs like snowdrops, crocus and narcissus.

Popular dogwood varieties for the garden

For summer foliage and winter stems:

Cornus alba varieties – such as ‘Elegantissima’,  ‘Aurea’, ‘Spaethii’, and Siberian dogwood ‘Sibirica’

Small trees with attractive flowers and foliage:

Cornus controversa ‘Variegata’ (AGM)

For winter flowers:

Cornus mas – dainty yellow flowers in winter, red fruits in late summer

Planning and planting advice for your information centre

• Where dogwoods are specifically grown for their winter stems, they’ll need annual pruning. This is simply done by cutting all stems down to their woody base close to ground level every spring. This encourages new stems to develop during the year, and it’s these you’ll enjoy the following winter.
• Try taking hardwood cuttings. Once leaves have fallen, lengths of stem can be prepared and inserted into slits in the ground filled with gritty sand. Heal in firmly and keep watered if conditions are dry. Cuttings should root over spring/summer and produce well rooted new plants by next autumn. They’re fun to take, so check online gardening websites (like the RHS) for full advice on taking hardwood cuttings.

Planting partners for winter displays

· Ajuga varieties

· Brachyglottis ‘Sunshine’

· Euphorbia varieties

· Snowdrops (Galanthus varieties)

· Winter Flowering Jasmine (Jasminum nudiflorum)

Photo - © Adam Pasco Media

A member of staff at Wyevale Nurseries is growing a moustache during November in aid of a local hospice. 

Geoff Godsall, who has worked at Wyevale Nurseries for 29 years and is currently a trading foreman, is hoping to raise more than £200 for St Michael’s Hospice in Bartestree before he shaves it off on 1 December.

Geoff, 63, said: “I choose to support St Michael’s Hospice as it is a wonderful local charity, which offers a fantastic service to the community during particularly hard times. Both the hospice and Macmillan Nurses have helped my friends and family in the past.

People can sponsor Geoff via www.justgiving.com/fundraising/Geoff-Godsall.

The Company:

Apta is the leading supplier of quality flower pots and accessories to the UK garden trade, under its own brand and iconic UK brands, The Royal Horticultural Society (RHS) and Laura Ashley.

The company has achieved very considerable growth and now wishes to strengthen its sales team with the recruitment of two motivated and ambitious sales professionals.

Job titles: Area Sales Manager

Territory 1: Oxfordshire, Gloucestershire, Warwickshire, Worcestershire, Herefordshire.

Territory 2:  Bedfordshire, Hertfordshire, Buckinghamshire, Cambridgeshire, Northants.   

Salary: Very attractive salary, bonus, company car and benefits.

Progression: There will be opportunities to progress to senior sales positions.

The Role of Sales Representative:

Our new Sales Representatives will have responsibility for:

• Ensuring that every sales appointment has an objective
• Driving sales growth and tracking performance
• Building upon strong partnerships with existing customers
• Developing new customers and securing sales orders
• Working with head office and a team of merchandisers to ensure that customer experience is always exceptional
• Planning and working to an effective journey plan, maximising customer contact

The person for this Sales Representative opportunity:

We are looking for high calibre, ambitious and self motivated Sales Professionals with excellent communication skills. Specific qualities will include:

• Proven experience of working as a successful Sales Representative or Area Manager
• Experience closing sales with a decision maker
• Proven business development skills
• Skilled at fact finding, questioning and verbal clarity
• Strong negotiation and objection handling skills
• Empathy and the ability to build strong working relationships

To apply for this role click here

• Smart Garden Solar Crystal Glass Stake Light was the highest climber, jumping 36 places to No 19.
• Woodlodge Spang Pot 4-inch was the highest re-entry at No 14.
• Woodlodge Mint Green Pot Feet was the highest new entry at No 24.
• Fito Drip Feeder For Orchids 32ml retained the top spot.

• Suki Personalised Angel Ornament was the highest new entry.
• Premier 7.5cm Battery Operated LED EVA Robin with Hat was the highest re-entry.

• Scotts Levington Rose, Tree & Shrub Compost (56 litres) was the highest re-entry at No 34.
• Scotts Levington Organic Choice Top Soil (25 litres) was the highest climber, jumping 23 places to No 13.
• Scotts Levington Multipurpose + John Innes (56 litres) retained the top spot.

• Skimmia moved into the Top 10, up 7 places with a 51% increase.
• Lavandula sales accelerated again, up over 300% to move up 25 places to No 20.
• This week sees the first entry of Poinsettias, in at No 47.

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

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

As the year goes on we give sales volume comparisons with 2014 as well as 2015 to allow your teams to see variations over a three year period.

Access is by subscription only.  For £195.00 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 Christmas Products Bestsellers chart for this week are here

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

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