Buoyed up by excellent trading in 2016, Blue Diamond says it is seeking new investors for more than a quarter of a million shares not taken up by existing shareholders in last October’s offer.

In a highly positive trading statement to shareholders for the 12 months ending 31 December, the Guernsey-based garden centre group’s finance director Richard Hemans (pictured) said the £253,332 shares would continue to be available to existing investors at £9.50. An update on the offer would be issued by the end of February.

The group saw 2016 total sales increase by 10% with like-for-like sales up by 7% in a year when its garden centre sales outperformed the industry in all key categories, Hemans said.

There were exceptional performances from the fashion and garden leisure categories, whilst gardening and plants delivered excellent growth.

Harlow Garden Centre, acquired in May 2016, and Coton Orchard, near Cambridge, which joined the group in December last year, made a useful contribution. Both are scheduled for “significant development” in 2017. Trentham Garden Centre has seen strong growth since its redevelopment early in 2016 and Derby Garden Centre was refurbished in November 2016.

Chairman Simon Burke said he was happy the Group has traded so well again in 2016 after the excellent outcome in 2015. “We expect to report another significant increase in profit for the 2016 year. In common with many businesses we see challenges ahead, but Blue Diamond is well placed to meet them."

Full end-of-year results are expected in May.

Bents Garden & Home at Warrington is preparing to celebrate its 80th anniversary in 2017.

In 1937, Alfred and Margaret Bent started to sell roses from the front garden of their small terrace house. Since then Bents has evolved from a small specialist plant-based business to one of the country’s largest garden, home and leisure destinations, all of which is celebrated in a short film in which customers are thanked for their support.

Events planned for the year include seasonal surprises and random acts of kindness, all anchored by a spectacular summer garden party planned for the weekend of 7- 10 July.

Bents is now a destination that is no longer just focussed solely on the garden but also encompasses home, lifestyle, leisure and a day out. Under the guidance of three generations of the Bent family, it is a £20m turnover operation employing more than 430 people.

MD Matthew Bent said: “As a family business we’ve never been ones to rest on our laurels.  We’ve always followed our passions, taken chances and strived to innovate. And that is exactly how it all started in 1937 when my grandparents started to cultivate roses as a hobby in the front garden of their terraced house at 404 Warrington Road, just meters away from our current location.  Little did they know that it would be the start of something so unique and special.”

Milestones passed over the course of 80 years include the introduction of Christmas and catering, both helping to make it an all-year attraction and pioneering a number of key trends within the garden centre industry.

2007 saw the opening of the UK’s first Open Skies glasshouse (pictured), an all-weather destination where customers can shop for plants, and more recent years have seen the opening of a £10m extension housing new home and leisure departments, including a food hall.

Now, with its six dining destinations, adventure play area, landscaped lake and on-site nursery (where 60% of its plants are grown), Bents is a very different entity to the one Alfred and Margaret set up.

• Garden Products - up 14%
• Veg-2-Gro -up 25%
• Growing Media - up 64%
• All Items Index - up 15%

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

The Gardenex export federation will be organising the British pavilion at the 2017 National Hardware Show (NHS) in Las Vegas that takes place from 9 to 11 May.

Gardenex is currently recruiting garden, leisure and hardware product companies to join the group.  It will be the 21^st occasion that the federation has taken a British group of exhibitors to the major North American trade show, and a prime location has been reserved in the Lawn and Garden section for the UK companies.

Gardenex has submitted a bid for Government cash grants for British firms exhibiting at the NHS, and the federation will also be organising and manning a British garden industry information stand at the show.

Commenting on the excellent opportunities that the show offers to British firms, the director general of Gardenex, Amanda Sizer Barrett said: “North America has for many years been a major market for UK garden and leisure product suppliers. Recent indications from the US regarding future trading between our two countries suggest that further growth can be expected.  

"I believe that 2017 could provide a golden opportunity for UK companies to present their latest innovations to the vast North American market, and there is no better platform than the NHS.  The show attracts nearly 30,000 trade visitors from the US, Canada and many other overseas markets, and at previous editions of the show the British exhibitors have secured orders from across the globe.

“The exhibition support package provided by Gardenex includes the production of a preview of the British exhibitor group sent directly to targeted buyers in the USA and beyond in advance of the show.  UK exhibitors at previous editions of the show have reported that this type of promotion has resulted in increased interest in their products on display. 

"The federation’s mailing is taken from our large database of garden product buyers across North America and is continually updated as a result of our attendance at the NHS and other American shows and through our investment in market research.”

Companies wishing to learn more about the exhibiting opportunities at the NHS or the comprehensive range of services offered by Gardenex to British exporters of garden and leisure products should contact Gardenex (The Federation of Garden and Leisure Manufacturers Ltd), the trade association that works on behalf of British companies to help its members increase sales worldwide.

For more information telephone +44 (0) 44 1959 565995, e-mail: info@gardenex.com  or visit the Gardenex website on www.gardenex.com

The HTA has arranged an inspirational study tour to the Netherlands from 8-10 February 2017, taking in an exclusive tour of Dutch design company Elho’s head office, presentations by Elho’s in-house trend specialists, and visits to some creative garden centres

Delegates will also visit the Garden Retail Experience in Boskoop (9-10 Feb), including the event’s gala dinner. The Garden Retail Experience will aim to show visitors how to connect with consumers emotionally and influence their shopping behaviour. The sixth edition is a unique event for international garden retailers with a programme designed to inform, inspire, entertain and network.

A visit to the auction in Aalsmeer will include a behind-the-scenes look at the workings of the famous clock from former buyer Paul Moors of Garden Centre Fresh and a guided tour from FloraHolland, giving an overview of the whole process.

HTA Event co-ordinator Alexa Stilwell said: “The trip promises to be an exciting and educational experience and our retailers are really looking forward to being inspired and bringing home lots or ideas and concepts to try in their own stores.”

The tour will begin on Wednesday 8 February returning on Friday 10 February and the package will include accommodation and travel once in the Netherlands as well as food throughout. Costs for the full 3 days are £395 + VAT.

If you are interested in joining the tour or want to find out more, email using this link 

More information about the Garden Retail Experience can be found here 

Hozelock new products for the 2017 season promise the ultimate in simplicity, performance, durability and comfort for gardeners.

Carol Wright, Hozelock’s UK marketing manager , says the launches guarantee hassle free reliability, allowing gardeners to spend more time relaxing in their gardens.

The Pico Power Pressure Washer (SRP £149.99) (pictured on cover page) takes the company into this growing category for the first time. It’s a compact easy-to-store unit with a powerful 140 bar (max) motor and pump. It is easy to carry or wheel using the towing handle or comfortable carry handle. The Pico Power’s new 6mm high pressure hose is 50% lighter than a conventional high pressure hose.

Hozelock’s new Patio Cleaner can also be purchased with the Pico Power, which comes with a height adjustment dial as well as handles for vertical cleaning – perfect for those who want to clean both their decking and walls.

The new Superhoze (15m SRP £29.99, 30m SRP £49.99, pre-expansion lengths) expands up to three times its original length to reach around the garden, draining and shrinking back to its original size just as quickly after use. The ingenious two-layer design creates a new standard of hose providing years of reliable kink-free and tangle-free use. Its premium patented leak-free connectors ensure the hose is watertight and has the highest quality finish. Superhoze is compatible with all systems, including Hozelock’s range of attachments, as well as being small, light and easy to manoeuvre. Its UV resistant polyester outer layer ensures long life.

The new Pure garden sprayers (7-litre SRP £44.90, 2-litre £18) are aimed at the growing number of gardeners who prefer to use natural products and homemade recipes for plant protection and fertilisers. Carol Wright believes gardeners are looking for new ways of caring for their gardens to avoid using chemical based sprays. “There are lots of home made recipes available, using easily sourced ingredients such as vinegar, comfrey or black soap,” she explained. The Pure range features highly resistant seals and filters which are unaffected by frequent applications of acidic mixtures.

The new Ultramax sprayers include the Multi Spray (SRP £35), Jet Spray (SRP £29).

The solid zinc alloy body of each Ultramax spray gun is designed to withstand the most rugged of environments and has been tested in extreme conditions to prove the value of investing in premium products that will stand the test of time. Demanding specification tests included repeatedly driving a 1600kg car over the products - the most common causes of damage to watering equipment. Ultramax spray guns guns are so robust that Hozelock has guaranteed them for 5 years.

For those who want durability without the weight of a solid metal body, the new Multi Spray Pro (SRP £25) and Jet Spray Pro (SRP £21) have a strong metal connection and polished stainless steel accents. They offer seven different spray patterns including jet, cone, fast fill, fan, mist, fine rose and aerated spray, with a lockable variable flow trigger and separate flow control, plus a three-year guarantee.

Finally, Hozelock’s new Backpack Sprayer (Plus 12L, SRP £72.99; Plus 16L, SRP £86.99) has been designed to be comfortable to carry and easy to assemble, maintain and store. The tank is curved to fit the hollow of the back and follows the shape of the shoulders, while the foam-cushioned straps provide maximum comfort while spraying. It features an ergonomic pump lever and a deep and stable filter, making filling quick and easy. The lance is interchangeable between a right-handed and left-handed grip and the integrated agitator makes it simple to mix ingredients quickly and thoroughly for an even application.

Information: use this link

A number of the country's celebrated visitor attractions will take part in one of Scotland's most popular outdoor festivals for the first time this year.

Blossoming across the country from 28 January to 12 March, the Scottish Snowdrop Festival features more than 50 properties, including 14 newly added for 2017, showing off spectacular swathes of snowdrops carpeting their grounds.

There are 300 varieties of Galanthus - to give the snowdrop its botanical name - and the versatility and hardiness of the classic winter flowering plant means it grows in a great range of locations.

New attractions set to join some of Scotland's finest gardens, woodlands and estates for the festival this year include Fyvie Castle in Turriff, House of the Binns in Linlithgow and Castle Kennedy in Stranraer. 

The annual event, now in its 11th year, aims to encourage locals and tourists alike to enjoy the wonders of Scotland's gardens during the snowdrop flowering period and highlight the diversity of the country's array of snowdrop collections.

Supported annually by VisitScotland, the festival is being organised for the first time this year by garden tourism organisation Discover Scottish Gardens.

Research shows that one in three visitors to Scotland make a trip to a forest or woodland park during their stay while 42% visit a country park or garden.

Malcolm Roughead, Chief Executive of VisitScotland, said: "Over the past decade the Scottish Snowdrop Festival has grown to become an annual calendar highlight with the first snowdrops of the year a sign that spring is just around the corner. 

"The festival provides a welcome boost for attractions during a traditionally quieter period of the year and we hope many people will be able to get out and about to enjoy this great seasonal sight around Scotland's most stunning gardens and estates."

Catherine Erskine, from Cambo Estate, Chair of Discover Scottish Gardens and founder of the Snowdrop Festival in Scotland, said: "We are very lucky in Scotland to have a fantastic climate for snowdrops, with many species thriving here and creating stunning displays. And this year, due to a mild winter, snowdrops are certainly popping their heads out earlier than they have for many years." 

New participants taking part in the Scottish Snowdrop Festival for the first time are:

* Brodie Castle, Forres, Morayshire

* RSPB Loch Garten, Nethy Bridge, Inverness-shire

* Fyvie Castle, Fyvie, Turriff, Aberdeenshire

* Braco Castle, Braco, Perthshire

* Fingask Castle, Rait, Perthshire

* Kilbryde Castle, Dunblane, Perthshire

* Langley Park, Montrose, Angus

* Dunninald Castle, Montrose, Angus

* Maolachy's Garden, Lochavich, by Taynuilt, Argyll

*         New Hopetouns Gardens, by Newton Village, Broxburn, West Lothian

* House of the Binns, Linlithgow, West Lothian

* Newhailes Estate, Musselburgh, East Lothian

* Castle Kennedy, Stranraer, Dumfries & Galloway

* Brooklands, Crocketford, Dumfries & Galloway

Nearly half the participants are opening their gardens to raise money for national charity organisation Scotland's Gardens.

The zonal pelargonium 'Brocade Fire Night' presented by Dümmen Orange from Rheinberg (pictured on cover page) was voted best new Bedding and Balcony Plant at IPM Essen this week.

A graceful ornamental foliage plant with enchanting single red-orange flowers, it is easy-care since the flowers drop few petals and has compact, well-branching growth that makes it interesting for consumers and producers alike. Its retro style is regarded as trnedy.

In the shrubs category, the winning entry was the Helleborus Gold Collection ®Ice N‘Roses® (Helleborus x glandorfii) presented by Heuger Gartenbaubetriebe from Glandorf. The large flowers, the reliable flower base and early flowering combined the best properties of Christmas roses, lenten roses and black hellebores for the first time. Pictured right.

• Barton Grange Garden Centre
• Bents Garden and Home
• Burston Rose and Garden Centre
• Cowell’s Garden Centre
• Gordale Nurseries Ltd
• Haskins Garden Centre, Southampton
• Haskins Garden Centre, Roundstone
• Simpsons Garden Centre
• Squires Garden Centre, Milford
• Stewarts Garden Centre, Christchurch

The Pansies (garden centre's) beat The Cabbages (suppliers) in this year's GCA Greenfingers Challenge held at the Fairmont Hotel in Scotland.

The 2017 challenge involved a round of indoor "golf" devised and created by Ian Flounders and Richard Newton from Woodlodge.

The prize for best dressed golfer went to Guy Topping with his wife,Carol winning the Best dressed lady golfer award.

The sponsors for the event which raised over £27,000 for Grennfingers were:

• Airedale
• Apta
• Aylett Nurseries
• Baker & Taylor
• Barton Grange
• Bents
• Briers
• Cadix
• Castle Gardens
• Chessington
• Coolings
• Cowells
• Crest Garden
• Decco
• Deco-Pak
• Glee
• Haskins
• Hayes Garden World
• Hozelock
• IFSE
• Kaemingk
• Klondyke
• Lofa
• McKean Consulting
• Millbrook
• Monkton Elm
• MSL
• Old Railway Line
• Perrywood
• Poplars
• Premier Decorations
• Profitplant
• Ruxley Manor
• Scomac
• Smart Garden
• Squires
• St Peters
• Taylors Bulbs
• Webbs
• Whitehall
• Widdop & Bingham
• Woodlodge
• Zest4Leisure

Area Sales Manager Nursery Stock South (ref:DS9018)

• Sales to the existing customer base and potential clients
• Expansion of market position of the company
• Expansion of the range of products in the sales areas
• Support of the customer base in the culture and technical business area as a reliable partner

• Affinity with the Garden Centre and Retail Nurseries, ideally with a proven track-record of selling into these sectors.
• Good knowledge of trees, shrubs and nursery stock is desirable.
• Commercially strong, performance driven
• Good communication skills and the ability to develop lasting relationships.
• Present sales objectives and meet targets.
• Willing to travel
• The successful candidate can be based from home spending 2-3 days in their offices and out and on the road. Ideal candidate will be based anywhere within the South of England.

To apply for this role click here

Plantarea Department Head Seasonal Plants | Essex (ref:DS9011)

Location: Essex
Salary: Excellent
Date: 18 Jan
Job Type: Full-Time
Duration: Permanent


An amazing opportunity has arisen to join an expanding Garden Centre Plant team who are looking for an experienced Plant Manager to be their Department Head for Seasonal Plants, such as bedding and patio plants at their Essex based Garden Centre.

About the centre:

This traditional garden centre originally started life as a family-run nursery and became part of a nationwide group last year. They now have ambitious plans to transform this site from its current format, which generates £3m in sales per year, into a purpose-built Garden and Living Centre capable of generating £10m+.

This new centre is due to be developed during 2017/18 and once completed it will offer customers a truly unique retail experience, showcasing the very best in garden and home living products. With unique store design, product range and exceptional standards in visual merchandising, they will be the destination garden centre for North London.

About the role:

We are looking for a motivated and passionate individual to manage the Seasonal Plant Area, someone who can drive sales and maintain high retail standards, whilst at the same time provide a level of service that exceeds customer expectations. The successful candidate will have responsibility for overseeing the day to day running of the department ensuring that the highest standards of plant quality, visual appearance and maintenance are consistently applied.
You will ensure that customers are given the very best in service and you will provide them with expert knowledge and advice on plants. You will play an active role in the stock ordering and stock control processes for your sections and for training and developing your team.

About you:

The ideal candidates will:

• have experience of working in Garden Centres although we are open to talking to candidates from any horticultural background;
• have an energetic personality with an ability to easily engage with and connect with our AB1 target customers;
• have excellent knowledge of plants, plant care and maintenance;
• be able to recognise and act on sales opportunities;
• be meticulous to the detail in terms of product placement, standards, presentation, visual elevation and overall look and feel;
• and have an ability to manage and develop a team.

To apply for this role click here

• Staff Management - Responsible for leading, organising and managing a team of sales, admin staff and horticultural staff, including hiring, training, evaluation, guidance and discipline.
• Sales growth & development - Develop new sales channels, products and customers within the B2B category.
• Seeking out major clients and forming working relationships with the premier buyers in the industry.
• Identifying valuable emerging markets.
• Accurately forecasting future sales and forming sales plans to adapt to constant shifts in the marketplace.
• Serve as a business representative at major industry events, conferences, trade shows, and expositions.
• Maximising company profit
• Foreseeing and avoiding stagnation in the marketplace.
• Forming sales strategies to keep the company competitive and innovative.
• Client management - Manage clients/customers including negotiation, contract administration, and performance of any associated products and services as per contract.
• Stakeholder management - Responsible and accountable for communications with business stakeholders, including regular reporting on sales achievements, emerging markets and opportunities.

• Strong horticultural sales and marketing background is desirable.
• Previous senior management experience with the ability to influence results through appropriate leadership, staffing, budgetary management and maximisation of available resources.
• Experience of presenting at Board /Executive level
• Interpersonal / Communication /Management skills
• Business planning expertise, producing year on year growth.
• History of development of new markets and product/range launches.
• Analytical problem-solving skills, practical numbers-orientated thinking in hand with using people skills to keep large multi-dimensional teams working together in the most efficient ways possible.
• Ability to motivate team.
• Initiative, drive and enthusiasm

Head of Catering / Warwickshire (ref:DS8940)

Location: Warwickshire
Salary: Excellent
Date: 12 Jan
Job Type: Full-Time
Duration: Permanent


A fantastic opportunity has arisen to join a thriving independent business and shape the future of their food offering in a great environment and location. This independent Warwickshire based Garden Centre is a relatively new build and has ongoing investment that has seen the turnover grow by more than 60% in the last 4 years and has become a great destination centre.

The Role

Currently the business has circa 160 covers split into two adjoining locations a café setting and a restaurant setting. There is also an ice cream/pottery barn (with 20 covers) that would fall under the leadership of this role.
The café is currently outperforming, the restaurant, based on 2015 turnover and are now considering how best to move forward.

Therefore, the person we are looking for must be able to carry out the following key aspects of this new role:

• Visionary leadership - ability to see the next stages of development, map them out and plan how these are executed over time. For example, the food offering has reached phase two in its plan so what might phase three look like?
• Personality Profile - the ability to work with the owners and sit alongside the more senior leadership of the business day to day. Also, the ability to work, motivate and create a great team spirit amongst and with the café/restaurant staff. Giving clear leadership whilst playing your part in the team and the wider team in the business. The business has a great mix of family feel with a professional dynamic environment.
• Commerciality - the ability to analyse current performance and situations and then look at creative ways of moving the business forward. The feeling is that the food offer could grow by 25% in the shorter term how do we do that? Beyond that there is a further 50% growth so what does that next phase look like and how do they get there? The business also recognises that the food sales as a % of the overall site could become a larger part of the sales mix so creating a plan to execute this is vital.

The Candidate

Personal skill set - the business would consider various backgrounds and garden centre experience is not essential. As a real example a member of the team came from a background in marketing and is now running front of house. Candidates with a food, food service, retail type background will be considered.

We are looking for someone who will fit the culture and ethos of this dynamic family business.

The business is open as to what background the person comes from but they must possess the skills, personality profile and the ability to perform the key aspects of this role. Ideally food retailing and or catering will have been part of their career but they will look outside of these areas as well.

To apply for this role click here

• Vitax Q4 is the highest re-entry at No 4.
• Scotts Tomorite follows hard on its heels at No 5.
• Westland Sulphate of Potash, 1.5kg, re-enters at No 31.

• Thompson & Morgan Beetroot Boltardy stays at No 6.
• Mr Fothergills Beetroot Boltardy moves up 22 places to No 7.
• Suttons Beetroot Boltardy re-enters at No 10.

• Arthur Bowers Multipurpose Compost 50 litres moves up to No 1.
• Scotts Levington Organic Blend Topsoil 25 litres is the highest re-entry at No 20.
• Westland’s The Gardener’s Seed & Potting Mix 50 litres is the highest climber, up 28 places to No 13.

• Primula – primroses – are clearly the most popular plant to buy as we move towards spring, up 53% to sell over 60% more than Cyclamen.
• Oriental Poppy sales drove Papaver back in at No 7 to be the highest re-entry.
• Heather sales performed well, climbing 20 places up to No 16.

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

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

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

Access is by subscription only.  For £195.00 per year you and your team can have access to the most up-to-date gardening sales analysis that has already helped many UK garden centres increase their sales.  To subscribe call 01733 775700, e-mail karen.pfeiffer@tgcmc.co.uk or buy on-line using this link.

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

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

Highlights of the GTN Veg-2-Gro 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.

A garden centre is not the first place that you might think of to host a church but at Green Pastures that’s exactly what’s happening! 

In the Gardeners Kitchen restaurant, every day the tills ring through the takings, customers are served and the business of retail is carried on.  But, once a month, the restaurant becomes a place of Christian worship and a true community hub.  Green Pastures now plays host to the Yare Valley Filling Station, a Christian gathering designed to bring together rural Christian communities that might otherwise be isolated.

Alwyn Evans, who started the Yare Valley Filling Station last spring said ‘We are incredibly lucky to have found such a fantastic space for our gatherings.  Initially we started meeting in the local school hall but our numbers grew to the point where we needed a bigger venue. 

"James and Michelle Debbage (owners of Green Pastures) were very helpful in offering us the use of the Gardeners Kitchen.  It’s a great space with the bonus of the kitchen facilities that we need for our teas and coffees, sufficient seating for our visitors and on-site parking.  We feel truly blessed to have this facility."

The Filling Station meets on the third Thursday of every month except for August and December.  Their next meeting will be on Thursday 16^th February, opening at 7pm for a 7.30 start.  The last meeting attracted over 90 visitors.

James, owner of the Gardeners Kitchen, says: "We are immensely proud of being able to offer true community facilities from our site.  The Filling Station is one more way that we can meet the needs of our local community alongside other such things as the Post Office and events like our Pumpkin Day.  Many of our customers also attend the Filling Station and it’s a great way to connect with them in a different way to the typical retailer/consumer relationship."

More information about the Filling Station can be found at:  www.thefillingstation.org.uk/station/yare-valley/ or by phoning Alwyn Evans on 07760 770797.