On Armed forces Day, from a private grass airfield steeped in military history, Vicky Nuttall, Mark Portman and Lowri Walker took to the skies over the beautiful Cotswolds countryside to raise money for Greenfingers Charity. Blessed with glorious weather, as spectators picnicked, the trio received their instructions before donning red flying suits in readiness for their challenge of a life-time.

Not usually one to seek an adrenaline challenge, speaking about her high flying adventure Director of GIMA, Vicky said “Doing the Wing Walk has to be the most bonkers but greatest challenge I’ve ever done, I’d definitely recommend it anyone”

Grinning from ear to ear after the flight, Lowri, from SBM Life Science said “That was the most amazing experience to date and for such a worthwhile cause. Bring on the loop the loop!”

With a fear of heights, upon safe landing, Managing Director of Evergreen Garden Care simply said “It was just brilliant, I absolutely loved every minute!”

Having counted them all out and then counted them all back in again, Director of Fundraising and Communications, Linda Petrons said “I would like to say a huge thank you to them all for taking on the challenge for Greenfingers Charity and in doing so raising such an amazing amount of money. I’d like also to thank the many individuals and businesses who have donated through their Just Giving page. With more gardens now in the planning stages, the money raised really will make such a difference to life-limited children and their families.”

The trio have so far raised almost £9k and are hopeful the total will continue to rise in the days ahead. If you haven’t already sponsored the GIMA Wing Walk team but would like to, you can do so here https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/gima-wing-walkers?fbclid=IwAR2Cg3Us-ziAVEnDFTPIi_lsmvQkV8y3hTRW3PyKJ-GhipLmXZXnkt15hg4

Despite the nasty June weather we are on target to reach the half year up by around 2% year on year for garden centre volume sales. And with some hot weather forecast for the weekend a lot of hopefully pent up gardening demand could come through garden centre pay tills. 

Gardening activity this year has been very high, as demonstrated by our Growing Media sales index, up 8.4% year on year. Plant sales have lagged behind after a great start in March, so there is plenty of stock looking great ready to cope with a summer rush.

GTN Bestsellers Top 50 sales volumes compared to the same week last year (week 24)
Garden Products - down 6%
Growing Media - down 9%
Wild Bird Care - static 0%
Veg-2-Gro - up 14%
All Plants Index - down 5%
All Items Index - down 5%

The new Plant Centre at RHS Wisley (pictured below) has increased stocks to fill the new plant area. That includes 30 metres of ferns which are in great demand.

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

The rain relented and the sun almost shone across the country and plant sales were up 12% week on week. Could it be there is an even bigger uplift for the last week of June?  Or will it be too hot?

Highlights were:

• Hydrangea were the star performers of last week with sales up by 200% and climbing up the GTN Plants Chart by 28 places to No 18.
• Poppies are looking good so Papaver as a genus were the highest re-entry at No 23.
• Dianthus saw the biggest increase of all pants in the Top 10, growing sales by 66% and moving up 4 places to No 5.

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

Staff from The Gardens Group completed the equivalent of the 874 miles from Land's End to John o' Groats – and back again – in an epic static bike ride last week.

Starting the 1,748-mile round trip on Saturday 8 June at Brimsmore Gardens in Yeovil, the team has so far collected more than £6,500 for Yeovil Hospital Charity, which is raising £2 million to build a dedicated Breast Cancer Unit.

Karen Hillard, assistant manager at Brimsmore Gardens, said: "We're thrilled to have raised so much money, and to have completed this challenge sooner than predicted is a bonus! All of our riders gave so much energy and enthusiasm to the cause, which is very close to many of our hearts, and the cheers of support from customers really helped battle through the pain barrier and keep those tired muscles moving.”

Sponsorship donations can still be made via The Gardens Group's JustGiving Page.

The Gardens Group operates three garden centres: Poundbury Gardens (Dorchester), Castle Gardens (Sherborne) and Brimsmore Gardens (Yeovil).

Elho’s branded store concept has been installed across the Dobbies chain of garden centres.

Dobbies horticultural director says the “significant investment” was already seeing dividends. “Sales of elho products increased by 168% in the first 16 weeks of 2019, compared to 2018,” he added. “And for grow your own in particular, the point of sale supported stands and displays have performed extremely well."

When launching in store, elho delivers a bespoke concept based on the individual garden centre's customer demographics and ranges stocked. Stores also receive strong lifestyle branding

David Nicholson, elho sales manager UK & Ireland, said sales proved customers want to be inspired. “We attract them with beautiful displays and inspire them with lifestyle imagery. Working with Dobbies Garden Centres, we have created a great customer experience from start to finish.”

Elho products are made from sustainable materials in a factory that uses 100% wind-generated energy. Pots are frost resistant and metal components are weather proof, providing modern, flexible and practical products that appeal to a wide range of customers.

The former Wyevale garden centres sites at Cheddar, Dorking, Lechlade and Marlow are now in the throes of re-branding under the Hillier name following the acquisitions announced in April. The quartet brings the Hillier estate to 16 centres.

An ‘end of stock clearance’ promotion on discontinuing lines will kick off the transformation process pending the arrival of new Hillier ranges in the autumn.

Hillier says the centres are looking forward to becoming part of their local communities, sharing the company’s passion for plants, offering gardening expertise and becoming a friendly destination for people to meet, eat and be inspired.

Chris Francis, Hillier’s garden centre and wholesale nurseries director, said he was delighted with the additions. “They are all really impressive destinations in the south of England, just like our existing centres, so we feel they are a great fit. We are looking forward to getting to know the local gardening communities and inspiring them with our great range of quality plants and Hillier expertise. It is very exciting times ahead!”

The centres officially became part of Hillier on 26 June.

WaterSafe is alerting households about the potential health risks of using a garden hosepipe for watering and cooling off if simple safety measures aren’t followed.

The UK register (supported by all UK water companies) of approved plumbers warns that hosepipes that are incorrectly fitted, or left submerged in places like ponds, watering cans or paddling pools, can cause illness when dirty water ‘backflows’ into the drinking water supply.

The best way to stay safe – and save water – in hot weather is to swap the hosepipe for a watering can. However, for those using a hosepipe, WaterSafe has compiled a list of tips, backed by The Royal Society for Public Health.

• Fit an approved double check valve to hosepipes to prevent any water, or contaminants from the garden, ponds or paddling pools, flowing back into your mains drinking water supply.
• Don’t place hosepipes in drains, garden ponds, buckets or watering cans where they can be submerged as contaminated water could be siphoned back into your homes’ drinking water pipework.
• Turn off your hosepipe at the tap and ideally fully disconnect it when not in use.
• Fit a self-closing flow control, such as a trigger spray gun, to prevent it being used when unattended.

Hosepipes can become a breeding ground for potentially harmful bacteria including legionella, which thrives in warm, stagnant water. Aerosols (a very fine spray which cannot be seen by the human eye) are formed when the hosepipe is used and can be inhaled and lead to legionnaires’ disease.

Whilst legionnaires' disease (a form of pneumonia) is rare, it can cause serious illness or even death particularly to the elderly or those with underlying illness.  These simple steps will help to protect people:

• Keep your hose somewhere cool and out of the sun.  Particularly, don’t use a hosepipe that has been sitting around and full of warm water to fill a hot tub. The warm water within the tub will allow bacteria – including Legionella and Pseduomonas aeruginosa (a bacteria that can cause a nasty itchy rash) – to quickly grow.
• Gently run the water out of the hose before you use it – without any form of spray attachment on the end. 
•  

Julie Spinks, director of WaterSafe, said: “We’re encouraging everyone to follow these simple safety measures to not only help avoid contaminating your drinking water supply but also reduce the risk of contracting a serious illness.

“A WaterSafe approved plumber will be happy to help If you need help fitting an approved double check valve. They’re specially trained in the Water Fittings Regulations and Byelaws that help keep the UK’s drinking water safe.

“Better still, using a watering can instead of a hosepipe is much more water-efficient and won’t pose a risk to your drinking water supply.”

For more information about Legionnaires’ disease and hosepipe safety from health expert Dr Susanne Lee, director of Legionella Ltd, check the WaterSafe blog.

Catering design expert Charlie Weller of Space Catering will discuss the ins and outs of planning for or redesigning a food preparation area at this week’s HTA Catering Conference – A Slice of the Pie.

He will touch on the most effective use of space, the type of equipment to choose and effective ways to make the most of the limitations of the business.

Sponsored by Frobishers, the one-day event at Horticulture House, Oxfordshire, on Wednesday (3 July ) will offer tips and practical advice for those looking to take the next steps to grow their catering outlet, develop a pop-up or embark on catering for the first time.

Other speakers include:

• Horticultural business consultant Neville Stein, who will host the day and set the scene by looking at the benefits that a catering outlet can bring to your wider business, whether a permanent café or a seasonal offer.
• Paul Pleydell from Pleydell Smithyman, who will then outline what you need to consider in designing your service area and café space, including maximising space, layout and flow.
• Caroline Benjamin from Food Allergy Aware, who will look at how best to consider customer’s diets, from allergies and intolerances to lifestyle choices like vegetarianism and veganism.
• Helen Joyce from Thirsk Garden Centre, who will relate how they go about running their coffee shop in a rather different way, using high quality tea, coffee and cake and investing in high quality equipment that enables them to deliver simple quality food super-fast.
• James Debbage from Green Pastures Garden Centre, who will look at menu planning and how to make the best of what you offer.
• Sarah Willis, Restaurant Manager of Woodys at Thurrock Garden Centre, who will explain how they linked their ‘Summer of Fun’ campaign into the catering offer.

A panel session featuring representatives David Blair from Beanworks and David Beattie from Rounton Coffee will look at e aspects to consider before serving coffee in your garden centre.

Conference exhibitor partners include Beanworks, Change Tea, CPL Online, Dawn Foods, illy, Meiko UK, Organix, Pleydell Smithyman, Rounton Coffee and Space Group.

Kettler GB has invested £2 million to streamline distribution following growth of 15% last year and 20% this.

A new 3,000 sq.m. distribution centre at Redditch will enable stock of its garden furniture and Heston Blumenthal barbecues, currently housed in multiple warehouses,  to be consolidated more efficiently under one roof.

The new building, which will be 18m high, will double the size of its operations at Redditch when completed in October.

Managing director Paul Bevington, said it was essential to invest in a brand new, state-of-the-art facility to ensure the company could continue to meet customer demand by improving logistics and delivery speed.

Kettler  GB, a separate entity unaffected when the rest of the group became insolvent four years ago, is now owned by a charitable foundation that supports disabled athletes.

The owners of New Hopetoun Gardens near Edinburgh have transferred ownership to an employee trust to secure the centre’s future for its staff.

In considering their own futures after 40 years running the business, Dougal Philip and Lesley Watson felt selling up to a third party would not guarantee security for the staff and customers and protect their life’s work. An Employee Ownership Trust (EOT) was suggested by their lawyer.

The arrangement hands a controlling majority of the shares to the trust, – a limited company run by three employees and an external trustee. The purchase price for the £2m turnover business will be covered by accumulating dividends over the next decade, without staff having to pay for shares.

Scottish Enterprise have provided grants to cover a proportion of the costs. Under EOT rules, owners can sell a business to employees without paying Capital Gains Tax.

New Hopetoun Gardens’ office manager Morag Macrea (above, right, with Lesley and Dougal) takes on the role of managing director, leading a staff of 36. Lesley and Dougal will remain with the business for five years but reduce their input as the new regime takes over.

Dougal Philip is a past president of the HTA a vice president of the RHS, for who he is also a shows judge.

Notcutts Garden Centre in Maidstone held a ribbon-cutting ceremony to mark the opening of a new display garden designed to inspire local gardeners with imaginative planting and landscaping ideas all year round.

Caroline Notcutt, vice-chairman and great-granddaughter of Notcutts Garden Centres founder Roger Crompton Notcutt, cut the ribbon to officially open the new garden last weekne, alongside the Mayor of Maidstone, Councillor Marion Ring, local dignitaries, customers, and the Notcutts Maidstone team.

The Notcutts Garden is a permanent display at the garden centre, with ideas and inspiration for brightening borders and garden design. Tranquillity is the theme, with a large water fountain, beautiful collection of plants and a shaded seating area.

The garden features more than 300 plants of 30 different varieties, many in elegant white and calming pastel shades, such as arum lilies, foxgloves, Dicksonia Antarctica tree ferns and Betula alba birch trees which have a majestic silver bark in winter. The Notcutts Garden was designed and built by Notcutts' head of visual merchandising Marco de Jongh, plant buyer Stuart Andrews and garden centre colleagues Paul, Suzanne and Harry.

Caroline Notcutt said: "The garden celebrates the best of what we do at Notcutts - with over 120 years' experience and 50 Gold medals won at RHS Chelsea Flower Show, we're pleased to bring our expertise in planting and garden design to our customers in Maidstone."

General manager Jon Kemp said: "We are very proud to unveil our glorious Notcutts Garden at Maidstone. It is a fantastic addition to our garden centre and we hope it will inspire customers with new and creative planting ideas. Thank you to all who joined us for our special garden opening event.”"

A number of Notcutts' 18 garden centres have a special display garden.

Suttons is to roll out new-look seed stand displays and expand its field merchandising and sales team as part of a renewed commitment to its retail channel.

The company says it will continue its partnership ethos of not discounting seeds in its direct to customer channel (online and mail order).

“We believe in investing and building good relationships with our retail outlets where we don't undercut our partners instore offer,” explained Hilary Mabbutt, Suttons’ sales and marketing director.  “Our continued brand building activity for Suttons as a whole in both retail and direct channels will secure a future year full of opportunity for excellent growth in seed sales.”

Suttons pledge to never discount seed through its direct to consumer online channel continues into its fourth consecutive year.

“I am always surprised at the amount of competitor emails I receive that are offering discounts, and sale on current ranges and even encourage customers to ‘buy now’ at discounted prices at as little as £1 a pack for the future season,” Mabbutt added. “We want to give our customers peace of mind that we don’t run any discounted promotions that can jeopardise the retailer’s business.”

Suttons focuses on ‘added value’ only to its online customers in any seed offer.

As a result of choosing not to continue to supply B&Q with seed ranges last year, Suttons says it has maximised merchandising and put its well-trained team directly back into the independent and group sector. The company boasts a very fast replenishment service.

Following feedback from customers, the new-look stands for 2020 see the retail range become easier to shop, while retaining the familiar A-Z format. New headers direct the customer to the stands, with side wings, that frame the total offer and provide a stand-out 3D approach. 

New ranges added to the A-Z collection include H is for… Houseplants featuring seven varieties and P is for… Prairie – six varieties designed to emphasise ‘relaxed natural planting’

Fifty new varieties have been added across flower, vegetable and pea and bean.

A new collection James Wong collection is all about well-being, self-sufficient gardening and natural remedies.

There is also a new stand designed for locations such as next to a restaurant, or even within a cookshop.

The view from the Apple Chair, which featured in the Greenfingers Chelsea Garden, at Richard House in East London and below the garden at Claire House in the Wirral which have been officially opened this month.

Greenfingers opens new hospice garden at Claire House

The beautiful Greenfingers Charity ‘Garden of Colour’ has recently opened at Claire House Children’s Hospice (Bebington, Wirral - June 12th), providing a stunning sensory place of enjoyment and rest for those life-limited children and their families that call Claire House ‘home’.

This latest Greenfingers Charity garden has been designed by award winning designer Carolyn Willitts of CW Studio and created by Cheshire based landscapers, Landstruction.  The new garden at Claire House garden features a ‘creation station’ where children and their families can get their hands dirty and experience nature up close and personal whatever the weather. Falling leaves also adorn the garden, adding a touch of colour and intrigue with multi-coloured Perspex leaves that will hang perfectly to catch the light throughout the day. A rainbow garden and hangout zone will be complemented by a quiet place of reflection, and a birch grove provides a beautiful and restful sensory experience.

Work started in February 2019 as the original space lacked hard landscaping suitable for wheelchair access but was soon transformed into a multi-functional garden, giving children in wheelchairs and beds an outdoor environment for play, learning, therapy and rest. Talking about the project Carolyn said: “This garden for Claire House Children’s Hospice is to be a place with a feeling of intimacy and escape. We wanted to create a journey through this garden and a link to nature, a place where, for a moment, you can be immersed and feel calm. We wanted to inject colour, humour, curiosity, and whimsy along the way, inspiring stories and interactive play.

“The journey starts at the Creation Station, passes Falling Leaves and leads into the Rainbow Meadow, then onto A Quiet Place and finally, Birch Hill, where wildflower edges to long grass and spring bulbs line a meandering mown path through the trees.”

Speaking about the new garden, Claire House Hospice Lead Nurse, Clare Doig said “As a member of the Nursing team at Claire House Hospice, I know just how important it is for our children to experience different sensory sensations, unfortunately our old garden didn’t do that for them. We are so excited to have this opportunity of a brand new sensory garden. To be able to take the children outside, for them to experience different colours, smells and sounds from the garden of colour will be amazing, even to take part in growing their own plants. It will be a place that families can spend time together, enjoying nature and already the different insects, bees and butterflies attracted to our garden. Thank you so much for doing this for us, we are forever grateful.”

Greenfingers Charity’s 56th magical garden would also not have been possible without the help and support of all those that helped to fundraise through the annual Garden Re-Leaf Day activities, as well as the ongoing support of Kew Green Hotel, GIMA, GCA, the HTA and many others.  As well as friends of the charity who have tirelessly fundraised, others have ensured the garden could become a reality by donating gifts in kind, including Chris Nangle, Hardscape, Vestre, Kinley, CED Stone, Green-tech, Infinite Playgrounds, Cacoon World/Mojosi, Laser Lea, Woodlodge, Zest 4 Leisure, Vegepod, Barton Grange, and Burleydam Garden Centres

Linda Petrons, Greenfingers’ Director of Fundraising & Communications said: “We must thank all the individuals, groups and businesses who have supported Greenfingers Charity and made the building of this wonderful new garden at Claire House Children’s Hospice possible through their continued generosity. This magical new garden will provide life-limited children and their families with a place to create a million memories and a provide a sanctuary of care which would not be possible without the help of so many wonderful friends.”

The ‘Let’s Explore’ Greenfingers garden opens at Richard House Children’s Hospice

Greenfingers Charity was delighted to be joined by children, families and supporters at the official opening of the charity’s latest garden project at London’s first children’s hospice, Richard House, on Thursday 27^th June 2019.  

Greenfingers Charity was delighted to be joined by five-year old Myles along with parents Jerry and Myra at the grand opening. In the glorious sunshine, Myles, along with Dan and charity Patron Ann-Marie Powell planted a magnolia tree to celebrate the “Let’s Explore” Garden, the 57^th garden built by Greenfingers Charity in hospices across the UK. 

The once overgrown one-acre woodland has been completely transformed thanks to the vision and creativity of award winning garden designers Andrew Fisher Tomlin and Dan Bowyer of Fisher Tomlin & Bowyer and landscape team from Kings Landscapes.  Together they have created an enchanting accessible space in which life-limited children and their families can play and explore whilst enjoying the benefits of spending time outside and close to nature. 

Children, families and care staff who spend time in the garden will now be able to enjoy an exciting woodland journey and experience many different elements along the way; from a secret hideout, chalk board for young artist’s expressions to an intricately laid labyrinth, an intriguing nest and the gentle sound of running water from the waterfall,  This new garden really is a feast for all the senses.  The entire garden is wheelchair-friendly meaning everyone can relish the chance to be outside. 

This new garden also features some elements from The Greenfingers Charity Garden at  RHS Chelsea Flower Show.  Benches, a fabulous apple-shaped swing seat,  soft furnishings and plants, including the recently launched Choisya Greenfingers are wonderful additions to the woodland. 

Speaking about the new garden, Jo Inskip, Richard House’s Head of Communications said “You could see today the amazing effect the new garden had on our children and the staff. It really engages one's senses. A great place for our children to explore nature and a wonderfully calming place to relax. Perfect.”

Speaking at the opening, Greenfingers Charity Chairman said: “The new garden at Richard House Children’s Hospice is just fabulous. It combines so many different elements that excite and stimulate, or relax and soothe. The continued generosity of our supporters means the world to not just ourselves, but to the life-limited children, like Myles, and the families that use Richard House Hospice every day. This magical new garden space provides a sanctuary of care and a place where families can create a million memories all of which would not be possible without the help of so many wonderful friends.”

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

Houseplants and catering sales were up at garden centres across the country during May according to the Garden Centre Association’s Barometer of Trade report.

Sales in houseplants were up 17.41% and catering was up 10.6% compared to the same month last year (2018).

Iain Wylie, GCA Chief Executive, said: “Compared to the Easter heatwave in April, we experienced much milder weather in May, particularly towards the end of the month with rain affecting the last Bank Holiday Weekend. This meant customers had to enjoy foliage and flowers indoors instead, causing the rise in houseplant sales.

“Once again the importance of non-traditional categories was proved as we saw a rise in catering sales during the month as garden centre customers perhaps sought shelter from the weather in restaurants and cafes.”

Gift sales were up 3.04% and pets and aquatics departments saw a rise in sales of 2.53%.

Iain added: “Outdoor plant sales were down -14.2% and seeds and bulbs down -3.83% due to the time of year. Garden sundries sales were also down -6.55% and after a flurry of sales during the April heatwave, sales in furniture and barbecues were down -14.03% this month.

“May 2018 was a bumper month for garden centre sales due to the good weather, so this year is quite a contrast. It would have been great to see the April heatwave continue, especially as the Bank Holiday weekends are crucial times of the year for garden centres, but it was simply one of those times where we were able to rely on the non-traditional categories, such as catering, instead.”

Hard landscaping sales were down -4.55% and food hall and farm shop sales were down -0.57%.

Matthew Bent, Managing Director at Bents Garden & Home (pictured above), said: “May 2019 has been a complete contrast to last year, with outside sales typically reflecting the poor weather that was a constant throughout the month.

“Customers were definitely focusing on the inside rather than out and we’ve seen the trend for houseplants continue. Green foliage is really leading the way this year, cacti and succulents are still strong and bonsais are making a resurgence.

“Even though the weather was poor, customers still wanted to get out and find something to do so our dining destinations have benefited with strong sales in catering. Compared to last year when, because of the great weather and World Cup, customers were visiting, buying, with an emphasis on outside areas, and then going home.”

Overall sales for the month were down -6.62% with a year to date change of 9.13%.

Mike Lind, Managing Director at Monkton Elm Garden & Pet Centre (pictured above) and GCA Chairman, said: “May certainly demonstrated how well GCA members have adapted their businesses over the last few years to minimise the impact on trade of un-favourable weather or other factors.

“Catering again proved to be a real driver of footfall and attraction to garden centres as a social meeting point for friends and family. The increase in sales of houseplants, gifts and pets and aquatics was encouraging against the reduction in sales of outdoor plants and garden accessories due to the cooler and wetter weather.

“Overall, the garden centre industry remains robust year to date, with GCA members leading the way in providing friendly, welcoming and pleasant surroundings to customers all year round.”

The GCA BoT reports are compiled using actual sales figures and provide an up-to-date trading position statement. They are made available mid-month following the end of the prior month after all member garden centres have submitted their results.

The BoT reports allow members to compare their trading positions with other centres.

Twelve businesseses are to get free exhibition space at this year’s Autumn Fair after winning a competition run with #SBS Small Business Sunday – the online business community founded by entrepreneur Theo Paphitis.

Autumn Fair’s #SBS showcase, hosted by small business champion Paphitis, will highlight the most unique and interesting new products from ambitious independent retailers.

Selected by Autumn Fair’s retail experts from a shortlist of 36, the winning candidates offer on-trend, cost effective and unique products.

The winners:

• A Year of Dates
• Angels’ Share Glass Ltd
• Ascent Bath & Body
• Beeutiful
• Bottled Baking Co
• Kate Chesters Art
• Little Beau Sheep Ltd
• Our Little Globe
• Sandwick Bay Candles
• The Smokey Carter
• When Lulu met Weasel
• Whispers of Wood

The winners will take centre stage at the Fair (1-4 September at Birmingham NEC), accessing thousands of buyers ahead of the busiest retail period of the year.

#SBS, which began in 2010, allows hundreds of small businesses to tweet Theo each week to secure his endorsement. Every Monday, six of are then invited to become part of the now 2,500 strong #SBS community, benefiting from boosted publicity plus attendance at a yearly conference with access to motivational speakers and workshops.

Paphitis said: “This year’s winners represent the very brightest and boldest of the UK retail sector. Their free space at Autumn Fair will provide an invaluable opportunity, offering them access and exposure to some of the retail sector’s most important and influential buyers. Presence at the show can have a significant impact on sales and leads – it’s an opportunity that can’t be wasted. Hopefully they’ll also be able to inspire visitors with their abundant entrepreneurial spirit.”

Julie Driscoll, regional director of ITE, the fair’s organisersd, said: “They’re an exceptional cohort of businesses that reflect the current state of incredible entrepreneurialism in the retail sector. We’ve selected the absolute crème de la crème of the shortlisted businesses to come to Autumn Fair this September.”

One of the winners, Sarah Turner’s Little Beau Sheep, appeared on BBC’s ‘Countryfile’ programme earlier in June (pictured above during filming). The products – limited edition laundry balls made from wool from rare breed Hebridean sheep – will be of interest to garden centre buyers looking for a distinctive addition to the gift department.

More than 24,000 people attended the seventh annual Blenheim Palace Flower Show, which was opened by TV presenter George Clarke.

Show director Matthew Upson said it had been another amazing year for the event. “The weather was glorious all weekend and we were delighted to see so many visitors leaving the show with arms, bags and even trollies full of plants, garden accessories and more.”

This year’s show had a circus theme with multi-award-winning floral designer and show manager Mig Kimpton creating a floral carousel using more than 2,000 blooms as a centrepiece.

Members of the National Association of Flower Arrangement Societies created circus-inspired floral designs.

Visitors were able to explore the new Plant a Border Competition, won by Urology Cancer Research and Education, designed by Emily Sharpe for Garden Stories. Jamie Langlands for Jamie Langlands Garden Design took the title of Best in Show for his show garden.

The horticultural show featured more than 300 exhibitors located around a grand floral pavilion on the South Lawn of the picturesque palace, which was the birthplace of Sir Winston Churchill. The 20,000 sq.ft pavilion itself featured more than 30 floral displays, with Craig House Cacti winning the Best in Show award (pictured on cover page with George Clarke).

Visitors enjoyed garden talks (including some by George Clarke), an outdoor Plant Village and live entertainment.

Show dates for 2020 are Friday 26–Sunday 28 June.

A novel non-toxic firelighter used by British soldiers is now available for the retail market.

Cardiff-based survival equipment manufacturers BCB International Ltd (which dates back to 1855) has developed the world’s first solid bio-ethanol fuel, called ‘FireDragon’.  In 2015 following extensive laboratory and field trials against other leading household firelighters, the UK’s Ministry of Defence (MoD) decided to adopt the novel fuel as the heating source for soldiers’ operational rations.  Shoppers will now be able to get their hands on the newly-launched FireDragon retail range, which includes solid and gel variants.

BCB International’s managing director Andrew Howell, said: “ Our FireDragon fuel delivers an excellent performance.  It is non-toxic, eco-friendly, all-weather, provides a quick clean burn and can double as an anti-bacterial hand cleanser.  It is supplied in attractive and easy to use packs and pouches.

“ Earlier this year, the UK Government published its Clean Air Strategy which outlined a number of measures it will take to clean up our air, including the introduction of new legislation to prohibit the sale of the most polluting fuels.

“It shines a spotlight on the environmental health hazards associated with traditional firelighters which can emit numerous toxic fumes. We each owe it to our environment and health to do our bit to clean up our air each time.  Our choice of firelighter is an important step in that direction.

“We are encouraging retailers and shoppers alike to take a long hard look at traditional firelighters and a second look at cleaner and safer alternatives like our FireDragon fuel.”

Click here for more information www.firedragonfuel.com/

More than 7,000 unique visitors from 66 countries turned out for last month’s FlowerTrials event in the Netherlands, undaunted by the poor weather at the start.

Sixty-two breeders showed hundreds of new introductions and many more existing pot and bedding plants to growers, distributors and retailers from across the world. Michael Perry, UK social media reporter, said: “I will never get tired of going to this wonderful, creative, colourful event.”

The number of international visitors remained steady with a number of large new delegations, particularly from Taiwan, Mexico and Korea. The number of local visitors showed a slight decline over 2018, thanks to the preceding Whitsun weekend and the poor weather conditions. Later in the week when weather conditions improved, the numbers caught up, with the Thursday the best third day on record.

The average FlowerTrials visitor visited 13 exhibiting breeders at five locations, a 9% increase on 2018 and an positive endorsement of the cluster strategy adopted by the organisers. Due to the increasing number of participating companies, the FlowerTrials board has advised exhibitors to team up and share locations to ensure an efficient visitor journey.

Four members of staff from Wyevale Nurseries have been presented with medals to honour long service.

Andy Johnson, Chris Mason, John Sockett and Sheila Jackson all received bronze medals from the Three Counties Agricultural Society for 30 years continuous service.

Heather Williamson, joint chairman at Wyevale Nurseries, said: “They have given a collective of 120 years of service to the business, which is simply amazing. We can’t thank them enough for their continued hard work and support. They are very skilled and dedicated staff members. We’re very lucky to have them as part of our team.

“Andy joined us as a management trainee in July 1988, after gaining a BSC in Horticulture from Reading University. Having worked in a range of departments he was appointed Manager of Floralmile Roses Ltd specialising in the production of mass planting landscaping roses.

“After a reorganisation of Wyevale Nurseries in 1996 he took up the role of container production director, which he enjoyed for many years. This led to a greater involvement with retailers, managing contract production for group customers, as well as the full range of amenity and retail products.

“This then led to a period as managing director of Wyevale Container Plants Ltd. Following a further reorganisation of Wyevale Nurseries in 2013 he was appointed managing director of Wyevale Nurseries, which is his current role. We would very much like to thank him for all his hard work and dedication over the years and hope he continues to work for us for many years to come.”

Fifty-five-year-old Chris is the director of Wyevale Nurseries’ Tree Division and he has devoted his 30 years’ service to growing trees in what can be a very challenging environment.

Heather added: “Chris has shown to be totally committed to the job. He has faced all the various challenges with vision and enthusiasm and demonstrated strong leadership for his staff.”

Fifty-year-old John is a key member of the Tree Division. He started out as a craftsman learning all the nursery skills at a young age standing him in good stead for his future career.

Heather continued: “He progressed with the business as it has evolved during the 30 years of his career, always embracing new and improved tree production techniques and taking on important responsibilities within the company. John is a very popular member of staff and welcomes and supports all newcomers to the business.”

Sixty-eight-year-old Sheila is Wyevale Nurseries’ receptionist. She started working for the company on June 8, 1989. Her first role was checking orders on cash and carry. Sheila developed her skill set to book the cash and carry orders and credit notes. Progressing further Sheila went on to be the supervisor for the garden centre sales and amenity sales order processors.

Heather continued: “Around 28 years ago Sheila took over as front of house and has become the longest serving receptionist in our history. She has continued in this role while still working closely with the cash and carry sales team, supporting them with all aspects of administration.

“Sheila is a committed and highly valued member of team. Her ability to adapt over the years with changing staff and work practices has been inspiring.”

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

RHS Retail Director, Damian Powell, took GTN's Trevor Pfeiffer on a guided tour of the new plant centre and retail areas at RHS Wisley last week.

With 70% extra display space across the shop and the plant centre stocks have been increased stocks to fill the new plant area.  That includes 30 metres of Ferns which are in great demand.

Read the full interview with Damian Powell in the August Issue of GTN.

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Garden product sales took a turn back to core gardening activities as the rain relented last week.  Lawn care, pest control, pot feet and plant supports all saw big increases week on week.

Highlights were:

• Westland Lawn & Turf Dressing, 25 litres, increased sales by 144% to be the highest re-entry at No 15.
• Vitax Nippon Puffer 300g was in high demand to re-enter at No 47.
• Neudorff Sluggo Slug & Snail Killer 800g was the bestselling slug control line after the rain moving up four places to No 4.

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

There’s a good chance sales of growing media will continue at a high level through the summer if the sun shines. A slight improvement in the weather last week saw a 25% uplift week on week and the forecast going forwards is almost summery!

Highlights were

• Westland The Gardener’s Multipurpose Compost, 50 litres, was the highest Top 50 re-entry at No 18.
• Westland Cambark Premium Pine Nuggets, 50 were a new entry at No 27.
• Glee New Product Award winning Bloomin Amazing Soil Enricher, 70 litres, re-entered at No 45.

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

Veg-2-Gro sales are tailing off, as they usually do in June, but this year’s sales continue to be ahead of last year with the year to date performance for this category sitting at 48.5% up year on year. 

It really has been a great year for veg growing in gardens, allotments and in containers. Late tomato plant sales feature in the chart this week:

Highlights were:

• Quantil Tomato Shirley 8cm moves up one place to be the No 1 bestselling veg plant.
• Quantil Tomato Totem 8cm is the highest re-entry at No 5.
• Quantil Tomato Alicante 8cm increases sales by 300% to re-enter at No 19.

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

Wild Bird Care is one area that has benefitted from the horrible June weather. Sales dropped slightly week on week but the GTN Top 50 total sales volume was higher than 2017 and the same as last year when centre footfall was a lot higher.

Highlights were:

• Gardman Supreme Fat Snax, pack of 50, climbed 25 places up the chart to No 9.
• Gardman Poppy Feeder With Stem re-entered at No 21.
• Westland Peckish Complete Energy Balls, 24pk, were the highest new entry.  In at No 36.

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

Garden watering and tools brand GARDENA is making its debut at Hampton Court Flower Show appearance this week.

The stand will promote its new premium tools, including long-handled grass shears,  slimcut lopper, planting mats and the liano textile hose – a premium hose made from durable textile, supplied with a 30-year warranty. The product is flexible, kink-free, UV- resistant and frost-proof and is compatible with the full range of GARDENA hose trolleys.

The award-winning GARDENA combisystem will also be demonstrated. The range of handles with tool attachments, developed over 40 years, meets all gardening needs – from cultivating soil to tidying garden paths or cleaning fallen leaves. A Fruit Collector attachment comes with an innovative side-opening feature that enables easy emptying of fruit without having to bend or stretch. The GIMA Award-winning combisystem Gutter Cleaner , which can be used with water via a GARDENA System Connection, will also be on display.

Ulrike Nagel, GARDENA UK sales director, Ulrike commented “We are really excited to be at Hampton Court Flower Show for the first time. We love meeting consumers, sharing our passion for gardening and introducing them to innovations in the category.”

Wyevale Garden Centres has announced that Podington Garden Centre has been sold to Cherry Lane Garden Centre [CLGC]. The sale is expected to complete by the middle of August, with WGC continuing to operate the centre until this date. CLGC acquired Barnett Hill Garden Centre from WGC in March 2019.

Anthony Jones, Chief Operating Officer at WGC, said: “We are pleased to have agreed the sale of Podington Garden Centre to a well-established garden centre operator. I would like to thank our colleagues for their commitment and contribution since joining the group in 2014 and wish them all the best for the future.”
 
Nick Rubins, Chief Executive of QD Group which owns Cherry Lane, said: “The acquisition of Podington Garden Centre is another step in the growth and success of Cherry Lane. We are a family run business and are very pleased to welcome the team from Wyevale Garden Centres 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 Podington 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.
 
Podington by Cherry Lane is now the 14th garden centre owned by the QD Group.

Following the completion of this and other previously announced sales, WGC will trade 42 garden centres plus 4 centres trading under license. These include 41 restaurants and 154 concessions with 125 partners.

Three intruders were arrested after an early-hours break-in at Blue Diamond’s Sanders Garden Centre at Brent Knoll last week.

The men, aged between 23 and 29, were arrested at 1.30am near the centre shortly after the break-in.

CCTV cameras captured footage of the trio forcing their way into the garden centre grounds shortly before security staff alerted police.

The trio were released pending while police enquiries continue.

A spokesman for Sanders told Burnham-On-Sea.com: “We were notified by our security monitoring control room that three intruders had been seen entering the site at 1.40am.

”The police were alerted and attended the site with dog handlers and our control room directed them towards the intruders.

“After attempting to flee on foot, the police helicopter was called in for assistance and all three were apprehended and arrested.

The spokesman added: “This incident highlights the effectiveness of our 24-hour CCTV security monitoring facility along with the prompt and clinical way in which it was dealt with by our local police.”

An HR professional has relocated from Melbourne to Saltaire to take up a top role at a Tong Garden Centre.

Neil Barwise (pictured below, centre, with members of the Tong team) joins the team in the newly created position of head of people and culture, bringing a wealth HR experience from a career in the weddings and events industry.

MD Mark Farnsworth said: "We are delighted to welcome Neil to the team. His role will be to manage all the day-to-day HR responsibilities and to develop our biggest asset - our people - as the business expands from our single site to a multi-site operation.”

Neil is excited about the opportunities ahead: “I'm looking forward to building a strong culture to take us forward, evolving our shared values and purpose to continually engage, develop and motivate our growing team.

“The purpose of my role is to make sure that we attract, recruit, retain and develop the best people, but also to make sure that Tong continues to be a great place to work.

“I'm originally from Whitehaven in Cumbria, but studied HR in Leeds, so I feel like an adopted Yorkshire man now and it's good to be back.”

When he's not working, Neil works out, follows Rugby League and is currently planning his wedding in August.

Tong Garden Centre's owners acquired the centre in 2015 and are currently completing an ambitious £4m investment that includes a new soft play centre opening this summer and are actively seeking additional sites to replicate the successful formula.

Visitors to last week’s HTA National Plant Show at Stoneleigh Park, sponsored by Hortipak, a clematis as their favourite plant.

The Visitor Vote results, sponsored by Floramedia, were:

• Best in Show and Shrub & Climber - Clematis ‘Elodi’ from The Bransford Webbs Plant Company and The Guernsey Clematis Nursery
• Best Annual - Nemesia fruticans hybrid ‘Boysenberry’ from Kernock Park Plants
• Best Herbaceous Perennial - Geum ‘Fiery Tempest’ from Farplants
• Best Houseplant - Anthurium Livium Red from Profitplant
• Best Tree & Conifer - Cherrycot ‘Aprikyra’ from Frank P Matthews

Visitors also voted for their most inspiring retails stands and concepts at the events.

The winner of the Planting the Seed Award, which highlights stand displays that capture the imagination, provide clear information and attract attention was:

• Winner – Farplants
• Highly Commended - Pentland Plants
• Commended - Pickmere Nurseries
• The Best Plant Concept for Retail award - again voted for by visitors - went to the Love Tilly's Make Your Own Air Plant kit from Key Essentials. This standalone display is aimed at the huge on trend craft market and houseplant lovers. Customers are able, in three easy steps, to choose all they need to make their own beautiful air plant arrangement.
• The Innovation winner in the New Product Showcase was HIS Florence LED Horticultural Solutions Grow Light from Intelligent Horticultural Solution. These LED Grow Lights designed specifically for low and no sunlight applications, maximising growth potential whilst minimising both initial purchase costs and on-going running costs.
• The Sustainability winner in the New Product Showcase was Colour Your Garden Flower Mix - Zero Plastic from Javado UK. The Colour Your Garden Flower Mix - Zero Plastic - aims to inspire consumers with the takeaway boxes containing three different perennials with a colour theme. The plants are grown directly in take-away boxes made of recycled cardboard and are 100% recyclable.

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 2017 as well as 2018 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.