Homebase is to double the number of employees training through its  Garden Academy.

Homebase trading director Jon Kemp told HTA Futures Conference delegates that gardening accounted for a third of the company’s £1.5 billion UK turnover. “We’re heavily weighted towards gardening and we are proud of our garden business,” he said. “We have great ideas and plans for it.” 

He said 1500 applicants had been interviewed for this year’s Garden Academy intake of 40 trainees and another 40 would join the scheme in January. “It’s infectious within the business,” he said.  “People want to be in the Academy, which shows there is an opportunity for lots more to get involved.” The trainees, who spend 200 hours with suppliers are part of their training, showed “absolute passion and will to succeed”.

Homebase’s key approach was to make gardening choices easier for customers, quoting project guides such as the one linked to their RHS Chelsea Flower Show garden designed by Adam Frost.