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The All-In-One Garden Centre at Knutsford, Cheshire, closes today according to a notice posted on the companies website:
All-In-One Knutsford
Dear Customers, It is with much regret and great sadness that we announce the impending closure of our Knutsford Store, Allostock, Cheshire. All retail operations will cease on 31st July 2016 with the Restaurant and Miniature Railway being closed with immediate effect.
The parent company (All-In-One Garden Centre Ltd) Middleton store is unaffected and remains fully operational. It has been a very difficult decision to reach but in such economically challenging times, exasperated by successive poor Spring and Summer conditions in recent years, we have suffered unsustainable poor financial performance. Almost all of the Knutsford store's 25 staff have received redundancy consultation notices and our most sincere thoughts are with them at this difficult time. A limited number of staff will be retained to support the onsite plant production unit at the Knutsford site as that will continue to operate in supplying the Middleton store with home grown plants. We would sincerely like to thank all of you for your custom at our Knutsford store.
http://www.allinone.co.uk/instore/knutsford-branch/
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Longacres acquires Bybrook Barn Garden Centre
Award-winning Longacres Garden Centre has announced its acquisition of Bybrook Barn Garden Centre in Ashford, Kent in a growth strategy that sees it offer new life to ailing businesses. The centre started trading under the name Longacres Bybrook Barn on Saturday (30 July 2016)...
Nigel Long (left) of Longacres Garden Centre shakes hands with Terry Burch on the completion of the sale of Bybrook Barn.
Award-winning Longacres Garden Centre has announced its acquisition of Bybrook Barn Garden Centre in Ashford, Kent in a growth strategy that sees it offer new life to ailing businesses. The centre started trading under the name Longacres Bybrook Barn on Saturday (30 July 2016).
The original Longacres Garden Centre is its flagship store in Bagshot, Surrey which has been the highest turnover garden centre in the UK for 7 years*1. Three years ago Longacres took over Thompson’s Garden Centre in Shepperton which last year won ‘Best Garden Centre Development’*2 and the success of this venture has encouraged managing director Nigel Long to continue the quest for expansion.
Says Nigel Long: “Our Bagshot operation has enjoyed great success and we have been delighted with the speed with which we have been able to replicate our winning formula at Shepperton. Like Longacres Shepperton, at Bybrook Barn we have acquired a much-loved but underperforming centre that has great potential to be turned around and we are ready to embrace this challenge which will also give us a foot-hold in another county.”
He adds: “The focus will continue to be on plants and core gardening, but we will be looking to add several departments – cut flowers and floristry services being one of first we will address - along with improving the giftware and toy departments in good time for Christmas”.
From as early as August Longacres will start work to improve the layout and fixtures and fittings, and will then continue to increase the range of products available while putting in place staff training to ensure the exceptional service for which Longacres is renowned is present at this new store.
The company has recently launched an upgraded retail website and will be extending its Click & Collect service to Ashford imminently. Next year will see introduction of a drive through area similar to the one at the Bagshot store.
Concludes Long: “We are very excited about Longacres Bybrook Barn and are eager to get to work to make it the biggest and the best garden centre in Kent. We are also on the lookout for further businesses that offer potential and enable Longacres to continue its ambitious expansion plans”.
Pictured: Nigel Long (left) of Longacres Garden Centre shakes hands with Terry Burch on the completion of the sale of Bybrook Barn.
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The death was announced this week of Brian Gates, 80, son of the founder of Gates Garden Centre at Cold Overton, Leicestershire, and father of the current managing director, Nigel Gates. The funeral will be held at Cold Overton Parish Church on Thursday (4 August) at 11.00. The garden centre will be closed for the day as a mark of respect. Brian Gates was a familiar figure around the centre as it grew from a modest family nursery to its current status, following years of expansion, as a destination garden centre with a 360-seater restaurant (pictured). The original business was founded by Brian’s father, Fred Gates and his wife Ivy in 1948 within a 19th century walled garden on the site of Cold Overton Hall.
The centre’s modern layout is one of the most unusual in the industry, designed to meet the challenges of a steeply sloping site.
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Love the Plot roadshow rocks up at CarFest North
Following on from its success last year, the Love the Plot You’ve Got roadshow is again providing inspiration on getting the best out of your outdoor space at CarFest North, which is taking place at Bolesworth Castle in Cheshire this weekend...
Following on from its success last year, the Love the Plot You’ve Got roadshow is again providing inspiration on getting the best out of your outdoor space at CarFest North, which is taking place at Bolesworth Castle in Cheshire this weekend.
The roadshow, put together by the industry wide Garden Industry Marketing Board (GIMB), aims to get people, particularly non-gardeners, thinking about different ways in which to use their outdoor space and encouraging them to visit their local garden centre for more information and inspiration. The Love the Plot roadshow proved to be a runaway success at last year’s CarFest North and is once again receiving a lot of interest from people not expecting to see garden room sets at the family focused motoring and music festival, which raises funds for Children in Need. This year, the inspiring Love the Plot You’ve Got Roadshow gardens have been designed by campaign ambassador Chris Collins, supported by Association of Professional Landscapers member Beesley Landscapes with further products being supplied by Pile Height, Mr. Fothergill’s, Scotts Miracle-Gro and EcoScape. 
All plants and props for the gardens are being supplied by Bents Garden & Home, who recently won the Best Show Feature award at RHS Flower Show Tatton Park.
The four gardens focus on the following themes: • The Wildlife Garden, shows how to make your outdoor space attract animals, insects and birds. Features will include wildflower turf, bug hotels, bee houses and bird boxes. • The Children’s Garden, includes sensory pots, seating, a potting bench and a wormery. • The Grow Your Own Garden combines vegetables and edible flowers into a great looking plot that provides tasty, nutritious things to eat and that’s lovely to look at, even when space is limited. • The Al Fresco Garden shows how our outdoor space can be turned into an entertaining paradise with bistro sets, decking, lighting, barbecue and a chimnea. The roadshow will also be appearing at CarFest South on August 26 – 28 at Laverstoke Park Farm, Hampshire. The roadshows are part of the innovative three-year Love the Plot You’ve Got Campaign, created following detailed research into consumer perceptions about their desires for their outdoor living spaces, especially among the key 30-45-year-old age group. Highlights of the 2016 campaign have involved RHS Chelsea Flower Show in May, Al Fresco Fortnight in June and a comprehensive social media programme.
https://twitter.com/LoveYourPlot
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Summer arrived at last and signs that customers are enjoying time outside in their gardens is evident in the GTN Bestsellers sales data.
Although volume sales dropped overall week on week sales of garden lighting, growing media, seed potatoes and plants that are looking great for instant summer colour all saw increases.
Garden lighting sales are really in full swing with 6 out of the Top 10 lines in the GTN Garden Products Chart being garden lighting. The colourful Pull lights from Premier Decorations that are ideal for hanging under gazebos and parasols are the new No 1 Bestseller.
Even this late into the season sales of Pelargoniums (including zonal and ivy geraniums) have increased week on week. Customers must be buying them to give instant decoration to patios, balconies and borders.
GTN Bestsellers Top 50 sales volumes compared to the same week last year...
- Garden Products - up 19%
- Veg-2-Gro - down 18%
- Growing Media - up 2%
- All Items Index - down 5%
To subscribe to GTN Bestsellers email karen.pfeiffer@tgcmc.co.uk
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Brazilian pitches are well prepared for the 2016 Olympic Games
Seed from DLF is returning to the sports surfaces of Brazil for the second time in two years. Following the success of the seed used at the 2014 World Cup, DLF has been chosen to help Brazilian groundsmen prepare their stadiums for the footballing element of the world’s largest celebration of sport and athletics...
 Seed from DLF is returning to the sports surfaces of Brazil for the second time in two years. Following the success of the seed used at the 2014 World Cup, DLF has been chosen to help Brazilian groundsmen prepare their stadiums for the footballing element of the world’s largest celebration of sport and athletics.
The pitch preparations include the venues hosting the women and men’s football and rugby-seven tournament. August is Brazil's cool season, so turf preparations must overcome the grasses natural dormancy. The solution was to build on the success of the grass technology used in 2014; overseeding with a special turf mixture developed through DLF plant-breeding research. The mixture, which has proven to be optimal for the Brazilian climate and geography, provides a perfect and uniform playing surface for all matches of the tournament. It includes the top-performing perennial ryegrass varieties and exclusive 4turf® technology.
Søren Halbye, CCO at DLF Group said: “We are proud to offer our grass seed technology for this major sports event. Based on the excellent pitch performance at the 2014 World Cup in Brazil, we are confident that the pitch quality will fulfill the high expectations.”
DLF is working closely with the grass specialists and professional contractors responsible for the pitches in Brazil, who are experienced in optimising the local sports pitches. The use of tried and tested seed together with experiences gleamed from the World Cup tournament will provide a great benefit to the games.
Alexandre Vieira dos Santos, part owner of Greenleaf Gramados, the company installing most of the pitches hosting the Olympics, added: “Our main challenge is to get all pitches looking good and into perfect shape during our winter season. Brazil is a huge continent and the logistic challenges of getting products from the North to the South are immense. Back in 2013 at the Confederation Cup, prior to the Word Cup in Brazil 2014, we identified the high-performing ryegrass mixture from DLF to have the best overseeding performance.
“The key features we consider are the best adaptability to different climate zones and a good shadow tolerance, which is critical given the architecture of the stadiums. Our experience with the pitch preparation and outstanding results at the 2014 World Cup has given us a key advantage for preparing the pitches for the 2016 Olympic Games.
“The pitches will be under intensive pressure, some of them hosting 10 games during 10-14 days, so we cannot compromise on grass quality. We have been working with the sports perennial grass seed mixture from DLF for several years now, and we know we can rely on its performance and high wear-tolerance during the competition”
“Overseeding has become a regular practice between April and August, the autumn and winter period in Brazil, in the South and Southeast regions in Brazil. Our professional groundsmen teams are very satisfied with the pitch preparations for the Olympic Games, and we can promise excellent grass pitches for the athletes for the 2016 Olympic Games.”
New technology revolutionises lawn seed
DLF’s UK-based consumer brand, Johnsons Lawn Seed, offers the same varieties of grass supplied to the majority of the Olympic pitches, through its new formula General Purpose, Tuffgrass, Quick Fix and Quick Lawn products. The new formulas feature a consumer seed first – a tetraploid lawn seed which has three times as much energy as ordinary seeds. Quite simply this means that the seed performs better than any competitor seed, including such benefits as quicker germination and establishment, the ability to sow at temperatures as low as 3°C, improved colour, better drought tolerance and the need to water and fertilise less regularly compared to other lawn seed products.
These new formulas not only offer consumers the chance to convert their garden into their own olympic pitch, but they also provide the ideal opportunity for retailers to make the most of the sporting frenzy being whipped up by the Olympics.
Rio Olympics 2016 – key facts
- 7 Stadiums hosting 58 women’s and men’s and matches at the Olympic Football tournament from 3 August – 20 August 2016
- 16 national men’s football teams and 12 women’s football teams will compete for the gold medals
- The Olympic Stadium in Rio de Janeiro will host the athletic disciplines
- The 2016 Olympics’ in Rio takes place from 5 August – 21 August 2016
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Squire's at Woking and Badshot Lea win 80th birthday display award
Squire’s centres at Woking and Badshot Lea have been announced as joint winners of a competition to create a floral display that was wildlife friendly and referenced the company’s 80 years in the horticulture industry as part of this year’s celebrate their anniversary celebrations...
 
Above: left - Colin Squire and centre manager Ed Ridgeon at the Woking display; right - the Badshot Lea entry.
Squire’s centres at Woking and Badshot Lea have been announced as joint winners of a competition to create a floral display that was wildlife friendly and referenced the company’s 80years in the horticulture industry as part of this year’s celebrate their anniversary celebrations. The competition, called “Living 80 Years”, was judged by Colin Squire (chairman) and Sarah Squire (deputy chairman) in two categories – “Best Display” and “Most Innovative”. Woking impressed the judges with their fabulous flowerpot man reading George Orwell, which was published in 1936, the same year that Squire’s was founded. The winning display at Badshot Lea has a wall specially created to make it look like authentic bricks of the 1930’s, with a window through which you can see a vignette of the Squire’s Twickenham site (one of the first garden centres in the UK) and a mixture of planting including the Violet Squire Rose. The award for the “Most Innovative” display went to Crawley (right, with Colin Squire and employees Shaun, Tracey and Leanne) who created an elegant plant-focused display, using a ship’s wheel to make the number 80, and with a flowing river of blue flowers to represent the River Thames – which is very close to a number of Squire’s centres including Twickenham, Shepperton and Windsor. There were also two runners-up in the “Best Display” category – West Horsley and Long Ditton. Runners-up in this category were Cobham for bringing The Great British Bake Off to Squire’s with their magnificent birthday cake, and Milford for their superb wildlife friendly display.
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Dorset’s gardeners celebrated at Wildlife Friendly Gardening Awards
Dorset’s most wildlife friendly gardens were honoured at Castle Gardens in Sherborne. Dorset Wildlife Trust’s annual Wildlife Friendly Garden Competition, which is sponsored by The Gardens Group, saw 43 entries this year, from schools, visitor centres and tourist attractions around the county...
Dorset’s most wildlife friendly gardens were honoured at Castle Gardens in Sherborne. Dorset Wildlife Trust’s annual Wildlife Friendly Garden Competition, which is sponsored by The Gardens Group, saw 43 entries this year, from schools, visitor centres and tourist attractions around the county.
A new category was added in 2016 for rented accommodation, to promote the idea that everyone can provide a more welcoming habitat for wildlife, without necessarily making structural changes to the garden.
Before the awards were announced, British bat expert, Nick Tomlinson, conservation officer at Somerset Wildlife Trust, gave a fascinating talk about the importance of bats and their role in garden biodiversity. With Dorset home to 16 species, it is the most diverse county in the UK for bats, so Nick provided some useful advice and tips on how to give bats the best welcome and look after them in the garden.
Mike Burks, managing director of The Gardens Group, explains: “Each year the bar is raised and the entrants into the competition get more creative and sophisticated in their efforts to provide vital corridors for our wildlife.
"It is an absolute pleasure for me to visit these gardens during the judging process and see what a difference these wonderful havens are making to the county’s wildlife.”
Wildlife Friendly Gardening Awards 2016
Large gardens
- First place: Hugh Miles from Corfe Mullen
- Second place: Gillian and Allan Reese from Dorchester
- Third place: Bridget Bowen from Piddletrenthide
Medium gardens - First place: Bernard Sullivan from Bourton
- Second place: Jackie and John Lloyd from Preston
- Third place: Barry Shepherd from Wool
Small gardens
- First place: Lyn Parson from Bournemouth
- Second place: Carole Irving from Maiden Newton
- Third place: Richard and Linda Hart from Gillingham
Gardens in rented accommodation
- First place: Sarah Jane Buckle from Poole
- Second place: Lenka Provasnikova from Bournemouth
- Third place: Penny Smith from Harmon’s Cross
Community gardens
- First place: Smiley Faces Preschool in Southwell, Portland
- Second place: Michael House in Grosvenor Gardens, Boscombe
- Third place: Hengistbury Head Volunteers, Barn Cottage, Broadway
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Plant buyers face new layout at IPM Essen
New hall layouts for next January’s IPM Essen, the increasingly popular European plant show, have been announced as the €90 million modernisation of Messe Essen gets under way...
New hall layouts for next January’s IPM Essen, the increasingly popular European plant show, have been announced as the €90 million modernisation of Messe Essen gets under way. Halls 9 and 9.1 will disappear, to be replaced by the temporary Halls 13 and 14 for the Plants, Technology and Floristry exhibition areas. During the first construction phase (May 2016 to October 2017), a glass foyer covering 2,000 sq.m. is being created on the East Fair building and Halls 9 and 9.1 are being demolished. “There will be no compromises whatsoever with regard to the exhibition area, the comfort or the service. On the contrary: The temporary halls will be located in attractive positions which will permit an optimum circuit,” said Oliver P. Kuhrt, CEO of Messe Essen GmbH. “We are using the modernisation as an opportunity to combine the ranges on offer at IPM ESSEN spatially and to adjust the hall structure [to match] the target groups of visitors.” The Italian plant exhibitors, previously occupying Hall 6, will re-locate to Halls 13 and 14 and the Grugahalle. All visitors enteringf the fair site from the east will be guided through Halls 13 and 14 when entering and leaving IPM ESSEN. From there, there will be clear direct links to the other halls. The temporary halls will be aluminium delta roof structures with a ridge height of 8m and white, transparent roof tarpaulins.
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Details have been announced of more new plant introductions at this year’s Plantarium in Holland. Here is a small selection (with descriptions written by the suppliers):  Astilbe arendsii 'Lola' has dark pink flowers with white eyes/edges on red stems. The plant flowers abundantly, is strong and healthy and reaches a height of around 60 cm. Flowers in June/July. Entered by Compass Plants. - Buddleja ‘Flutterby Peace’, entered by Van Vliet New Plants, is one of a new group of compact butterfly bushes in three different colours. Flutterby hybrids are not invasive and do not set seed, and have a good second flowering period. As soon as the old flowers are spent, new flowers form constantly until the first frost. The first flowers form at the end of spring, much earlier than other cultivars. The Flutterby group is extremely fragrant, attracts large number of butterflies and are winter-hardy down to -29 °C. Once established, plants are extremely drought-resistant. ‘Flutterby Peace’ produces large numbers of mauve-pink flowers.
 - Coprosma 'Inferno', entered by Van Vliet New Plants, is a striking sight as a result of its rich, full colours. The fiery orange and red, glossy leaves catch the eye all year round. In the autumn, 'Inferno' continues to surprise when the leaves change to shades of dark red. 'Inferno' is a problem-free shrub and is an ideal pot plant.
 - Geranium cinereum 'Jolly Jewel Salmon’ is one of six cultivars from the Jolly Jewell series entered by Compass Plants of Hillegom.The striking colours make this series a genuine breakthrough in the Geranium cinereum range. ‘Jolly Jewel Salmon’ has salmon-orange flowers with slightly darker veining.
- Hebe ‘Santa Monica’, (pictured on cover page) entered by Van Vliet New Plants, has the darkest leaves of all Hebes – deep purple-red changing to extremely dark burgundy in the autumn, becoming lighter again in spring. Santa Monica produces deep pink, full flowers in the spring and early summer and makes an ideal pot plant. Requires protection from severe frosts.
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Non-traditional categories shine despite weather in June
Sales in non-traditional categories at garden centres across the country were up during June but due to wet weather traditional categories were down according to the Garden Centre Association’s Barometer of Trade report...
The Millbrook Garden Centre Gravesend team during the Rose Festival, which helped to boost plant sales at the centre.
Sales in non-traditional categories at garden centres across the country were up during June but due to wet weather traditional categories were down according to the Garden Centre Association’s Barometer of Trade report.
Outdoor plant sales were down -4.70% and sales of houseplants were down -1.33% while clothing was up 18.01% and catering was up 10.65%.
Iain Wylie, GCA Chief Executive, explained: “June’s BoT figures are a bit of a contrast to what we saw in May. Due to the May Bank Holidays we saw super sales in more traditional categories but June was a bit of a washout with lots of wet weather, leading to sales being down in the traditional categories.
“Garden Sundries were down -4.11% and furniture and barbecue sales were at -8.13% while seed and bulb sales were up slightly at 0.07%. Sales in pets and aquatics departments were down -1.37%.
“At times like this, when we can’t rely on the Great British weather, we can rely on the fact that many garden centre’s are now destinations with restaurants, cafes and even farm shops and people don’t visit them just for the plants anymore. This is proved in the rise in sales in non-traditional categories. Food hall and farm shop sales were up 4.32% and gifts were up 0.31%.”
Sales showed a Year to Date increase of 3.85% and June’s overall monthly sales, compared to the same month last year were -1.47% down.
The BoT reports allow members to compare their trading positions with other centres.
Justin Williams, Managing Director at Fron Goch Garden Centre in Wales, which saw good sales in its restaurant in June, said: “June, in which many core gardening lines struggled against last year’s figures, saw the restaurant hold its monthly average increase on last year of 20%. Last summer, in the restaurant, we invested in a re-fit and increased the number of covers to 200, which has delivered 20% growth since September 1, 2015.”
Tammy Woodhouse, Manging Director at Millbrook Garden Centres in Kent and East Sussex, which had good plant sales during June, said: “I would put our good plant sales in June largely down to our Rose Festival, which we have been running for three years. We find it a really good way to shift the focus from bedding and give customers a good reason to visit.
“We work with the growers and they select the best looking roses in flower to send us and we create lovely displays. We hold a preview evening for our best customers, with rose specialists on hand, customers can shop with a glass of fizz and chocolate dipped strawberries and mini rose scones. Not only do we see an increase in our rose sales but it also grows our overall plant sales.”
Pictured: The Millbrook Garden Centre Gravesend team during the Rose Festival.
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Inspired by Stewart Garden’s partnership with Ball Colegrave, Scotsdale’s Garden Centre in Cambridge has created a series of stunning displays in its designed gardens using Stewart Garden decorative planters. Stewart Garden Lead Effect Planters and the popular Varese range in sandstone, granite and dark brown, take centre stage in Scotsdale’s displays. Stewart Garden had a major presence at this year’s Ball Colegrave Summer Showcase at Milton, near Banbury in July, where exhibits included schemes pairing Ball Colegrave’s plants with Stewart Garden’s Varese, Lead Effect, Blenheim and Sylvan planters. Also unmissable was a striking red geranium display in the Stewart Garden Corinthian Black planter. Caroline Owen, owner of Scotsdales Garden Centre, Cambridge, said: “When we visited Ball Colegrave’s Summer Showcase, it was clear that its plants and Stewart Garden’s planters complemented one another beautifully. We knew a similar display would have great appeal among our customers. The designs we created have had a very positive effect on our planter sales, with Varese in sandstone proving particularly popular.”  Stewart Garden’s contemporary Varese planters have an authentic textured appearance with all the benefits of high-grade plastic. This means they’re durable, affordable and lightweight, making them ideal for creating a stylish architectural garden feature and especially suitable for palms.
Launched at Glee in 2015, the Varese planters collection has gone from strength to strength, exceeding its targeted growth. The elegant, Italian inspired planter is now available in dark brown, sandstone and granite and in two new sizes, medium (55cm) and low (35cm).
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Nursery Grower | Bedding Plants (ref:DS8547)
Location: Devon
Salary: £25,000 - £30,000
Date: 26 Jul
Job Type: Full-Time
Duration: Permanent
This Devon based bedding plant grower who supply the garden centre sector with choice plants is seeking a hands-on grower for their busy and thriving business. They grow a wide range of products including herbaceous and season plants from two sites in East Devon.
The SUCCESSFUL candidate will be responsible for:
- The growing and husbandry of the bedding plant lines
- Working within a team to ensure production targets are met
- Daily monitoring for pests and diseases and taking action when needed
- Be involved in all aspects of production from potting to despatch
- Supervision of staff in busy periods
- Ensuring that quality control procedures are adhered to
The candidate
- Good technical horticultural experience and training
- Hands-on growing skills in the ornamental sector and in particular pack and pot bedding
- A forward thinking outlook with a background within a busy nursery
- Spraying certificates PA1 & PA6 desirable
To apply for this role click here
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Account Manager Horticultural - Office Based (ref:DS8542)
Location: Oxfordshire
Salary: £28,000 - £30,000
Date: 25 Jul
Job Type: Full-Time
Duration: Permanent
Our client is a trade association that leads and supports their membership through providing an extensive programme of conferences, workshops, training courses, trade shows and other horticulture industry events. They have an excellent reputation and provide their members with the opportunity to learn, be creative and network with other people within the Horticultural industry. Currently they are seeing an Office based Account Manager to join their team.
The role
Account Manager - Office Based Role / Salary Circa £30,000 / Location Oxfordshire
This is a head office sales role, you will be pro-actively interacting with members through outbound calling. This role will provide the successful candidate with the opportunity to continue to build and maintain and successful relationships with members, potential members and industry stakeholders. The member interaction will optimise opportunities to drive the sales of the Associations products and services.
The candidate
The right candidate for this role will have previous experience in a sales or account management role with the ability to influence, negotiate and network effectively. Previous experience within the horticultural industry will be an advantage. They will be self-motivated, with excellent organisational and communication skills.
To apply for this role click here
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Policy Co-Ordinator - Trade Association (ref:DS8541)
Location: Oxfordshire
Salary: £23,000 - £25,000
Date: 25 Jul
Job Type: Full-Time
Duration: Permanent
Our client is a trade association that leads and supports their membership through providing an extensive programme of conferences, workshops, training courses, trade shows and other horticulture industry events. They have an excellent reputation and provide their members with the opportunity to learn, be creative and network with other people within the Horticultural industry. Currently they are seeing an Office based Account Manager to join their team.
The role
Policy Co-Ordinator - Office Based Role / Salary Circa £25,000 / Location Oxfordshire
This exciting role offers a great opportunity for the right person looking to build upon their horticulture experience and broaden their knowledge of the political landscape.
The changing political and regulatory landscape has a huge impact on members and policy work is a key role which they provide. The role is extremely varied in helping develop and deliver Association policy work at both national and European level.
This role will support the development and delivery of the policy agenda, providing knowledge and expertise in any matters related to compliance, regulation and policy changes. Managing the running of a number of the committees and groups and supporting these groups and our members by keeping abreast of policy topics as appropriate.
The candidate
The right candidate for this role will have an interest and awareness of the political landscape and ideally experience within horticulture. They will take responsibility for identifying, implementing and maintaining the most effective communication methods to achieve our business objectives. They will be self-motivated, with excellent organisational and communication skills.
To apply for this role click here
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Horticultural / Plantarea Manager (ref:DS8535)
Location: Berkshire
Salary: £20,000 - £24,000
Date: 29 Jul
Job Type: Full-Time
Duration: Permanent
We are seeking an outstanding plants person with great merchandising and retail skills to take the role of Horticultural Manager of this Berkshire based garden centre which is part of a Nationwide group that are continually growing and developing their leading garden centres across England and Wales.
The Role
The role will be to take responsibility for one of the largest departments within the centre. As Horticulture / Plantarea Manager you will look after the day to day merchandising and maintenance of the plant stock as well as motivating the team to provide the highest standard of customer service. The role will also have duty management responsibility across the entire centre.
The Candidate
For this role we are seeking a leader with superb retail experience to head this busy department.
Candidates MUST HAVE strong horticultural knowledge both practical and academic and be able to demonstrate a very high level of plant knowledge.
The plantarea is the focus point of any garden centre and your standards for customer service, merchandising and the little details that make a department special will make you stand out. Experience within a garden centre is desirable as is supervisory skills.
To apply for this role click here
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| The B & P team with their new logo outside the new premises. |
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B&P Handelskwekerijen from Kesteren, Netherlands, has moved to a new location in the heart of standard tree centre Opheusden. 
The result will be even even faster delivery, says director Gijs van Sette. “Our basis is and remains modern technology, combined with real craftsmanship.” B&P Handelskwekerijen is a cooperative of four production companies that work together under one joint trade name and are characterised by flexibility. On total acreage of 120 hectares a large assortment of standard avenue trees and fruit trees, root-balled or container, plus hedge plants are grown. For more information, click here.
Above: the B & P team with their new logo outside the new premises.
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While plant sales monitored by GTN’s Bestsellers Epos data dropped overall on last week by 9%, almost half of the genus in the GTN Top 50 Plants chart increased sales.
The biggest percentage increase came from Chrysanthemums, up by 232% to enter our chart at No 21.
Hebes were the highest climber in the Top 50, moving up 17 places with a 67% sales leap week on week.
There are five other newcomers to the chart this week, all looking great and increasing sales. These are:
- Rudbekia
- Sedum
- Agapanthus
- Clematis
- Echinacea
Are you making the most of these sales opportunities? Are they featuring in your hotspots to reflect their popularity?
To subscribe to GTN Bestsellers email karen.pfeiffer@tgcmc.co.uk
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Aylett Nurseries at St Albans is considering expansion options after buying 2.5 acres of land next door to the garden centre. The company had apparently been trying for many years to purchase the land but has had to make do until now with a lease while they used it for overflow car parking and dahlia demonstrations – facilities they are now thought to be prepared to invest in. “We had seven acres for 60 years but now we have got another 2.5,” MD Adam Wigglesworth is reported as saying. GTN Xtra attempted to contact Mr Wigglesworth for further clarification but without success before the deadline.
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With gardeners making the most of warming evenings of late, it’s no surprise that lighting lines are dominating the GTN Bestsellers Garden Products chart.
The most notable performances in the Top 50 this week were:
- Premier Decorations Coloured Led Pull Light & Bulb takes over at the top of the chart, moving up six places.
- Smart Garden Solar Crystal Glass Stake Light is the highest climber, jumping 30 places to No 9.
- Gardman Solar Stainless Steel Glass Marker Light is the highest re-entry at No 25.
- Away from lighting products, Neudorff Ant Killer Granules 500g is the highest new entry.
To subscribe to GTN Bestsellers email karen.pfeiffer@tgcmc.co.uk
Sales of compost improve on the previous week
This week’s GTN Bestsellers Growing Media chart has witnessed an upturn in sales volumes compared to the previous week. Scotts Miracle Gro Moisture Control Bark (55 litres) re-entered the chart...
This week’s GTN Bestsellers Growing Media chart has witnessed an upturn in sales volumes compared to the previous week.
This week’s Growing Media star performers were:
- The highest climber was Scotts Levington Organic Choice Farmyard Manure (56 litres), which rose 17 places to No 21.
- The highest re-entry was Westland Multipurpose + John Innes (40 litres) at No 26.
- Other re-entries were Scotts Levington Original Compost (50 litres) + 50% Free and Scotts Miracle Gro Moisture Control Bark (55 litres).
To subscribe to GTN Bestsellers email karen.pfeiffer@tgcmc.co.uk
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The August issue of Garden Trade News is packed full of advice and information for garden retailing professionals.
- 8-page special on the GIMA Awards - all the winners and pictures.
- Smart Garden Products' Eureka! moment.
- Generation Game spotlight on Squire's Garden Centres.
- Reviews of SOLEX and the HTA National Plant Show.
- Insight into what makes a great plant retailing team.
- Preview of PATS Telford - the UK's No.1 pet trade exhibition.
To find out how you can receive your copy of Garden Trade News every month email karen.pfeiffer@tgcmc.co.uk
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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 £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 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.
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Get the GTN Bestsellers charts in full every week in the GTN Bestsellers newsletters delivered via the post 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 receiveing the GTN Bestsellers charts this week.
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All the latest news from the world of garden centre catering
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