|
|
Blue Diamond reports turnover of £332m and profits of £22m in 2024
Blue Diamond have reported profits before tax of £21.8m from a turnover of £332.4m in their 2024 Report and Accounts published today.
Managing Director Alan Roper leads on "The missing millions" in his report: "In summary, £12.5m of profit per annum has been wiped out by 3 years of government intervention on wage costs."
He goes on to say: "The garden centre industry remains one with a bright, strong future. Blue Diamond is well-positioned as the most profitable and largest garden centre group in the UK, and it continues to prosper and grow as more garden centre businesses become distressed or are sold for family reasons..."
Read more and link to the Report and Accounts
|
 |
|
|
|
Taylors Bulbs make it 32 gold medals at Chelsea
The specialist daffodil collection of Taylors Bulbs, based in Lincolnshire have worked their way through yet another nerve racking and tense build-up to put on a gold medal winning display of daffodil flowers at the Chelsea Flower Show. This Gold Medal is the company's 32nd at Chelsea Flower Show and their 30th consecutive Gold with the first being won in 1986...
Read more»
|
Mike Burks tells MPs: Small businesses deliver for net zero and nature
Mike Burks, a Board Member of the Horticultural Trades Association (HTA) and Managing Director of the Gardens Group, was the keynote speaker to a group of parliamentarians at a Westminster dinner to mark the start of Chelsea week, highlighting the important role of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in helping the UK achieve its Net Zero targets and enhance nature...
Read more»
|
|
|
|
| Response to the statement from UK-EU Leaders Summit
Fran Barnes, Chief Executive of the Horticultural Trades Association, commented: “The HTA welcomes the announcement of a commitment to deliver an ambitious and comprehensive new UK-EU Sanitary and Phytosanitary (SPS) agreement, inclusive of plants..."
Read more»
Hillmount welcomes new agri-food deal with EU
Hillmount Garden Centre’s Robin Mercer has welcomed the new agri-food deal with the EU, which will mean the reversal of a ban on some British-grown plants being sold in Northern Ireland...
Read more»
Powering growth through partnership
GTN Xtra Promotion
How garden machinery manufacturer Handy and Downtown Garden Centre drive sales together...
Read more»
GO FERROUS – A MUST for RUST!
GTN Xtra Promotion
The Patio Black Spot Removal Company Ltd has become famous, over the past fifteen years, for formulating products to cope with garden stonework cleaning issues...
Read more»
HTA calls for UK-EU leaders to ease trade burdens
The Horticultural Trades Association is making a final, urgent appeal for a UK-EU Sanitary and Phytosanitary (SPS) agreement to be negotiated that explicitly includes plant health. This crucial call comes just days before a key UK-EU Leaders' Summit in London on Monday, 19 May and at the start of the RHS Chelsea Flower Show week.
Read more»
Warm April weather prompts +22% sales growth
UK garden centres experienced a significant surge in activity and sales in April, driven by exceptionally warm and dry spring weather, which created strong consumer demand as people returned to their gardens, according to he latest data from the Horticultural Trades Association May Market Update...
Read more»
Evergreen maintains high stock levels during busy period
Evergreen Garden Care has assured stockists that the company is actively managing stock levels during the current garden season boom.
Colin Stephens, MD of Evergreen Garden Care UK said: “Appetite for gardening across the UK is exceptional right now and we’ve seen sales surge across every major category. Over the past eight weeks alone, EPOS data shows compost sales up over 30% year-on-year, and plant food demand jumping by a staggering 45%..."
Read more»
Burgon & Ball supports UK schools gardening tour
Burgon & Ball is helping to grow young people’s love of gardening as Tool Partner to a UK school gardening tour spearheaded by Lee Connelly, also known as the Skinny Jean Gardener...
Read more»
Gardenex reveals UK group at spoga+gafa
A strong contingent of British companies is set to take to the international stage when the world’s biggest garden and barbeque trade fair opens its doors from Tuesday 24 June to Thursday 26 June in Cologne...
Read more»
Westland Live – technology to unlock rapid replenishment
Westland Horticulture, home to brands such as Boost, Kent & Stowe, Peckish, and Unwins, is encouraging retailers to take full advantage of Westland Live – its dynamic ordering platform designed to keep shelves stocked and sales flowing...
Read more»
|
|
|
|
|
|
Stuart Lowen's Floral Farewell, The War for Talent, RHS Licensed Products and more in GTN's April issue, read on-line here
GTN April 2025. In this issue:
- The war for talent – More People on how to secure the best candidates
- Backing the brand – RHS Licensed products maximise sales
- Country Forge – RHS-endorsed from Tildenet
- Bramblecrest blossoms with the RHS
- Stars come out for Blue Diamond
- Plan ahead for spoga+gafa 2025
- New beginnings for centres part 2
- Best foot forward for Greenfingers – Garden Re-Leaf Day 2025
- Floral farewell – GTN interview’s Stuart Lowen
- Bedding and seasonal bonanza - GTN Planteria
- Addressing misconceptions about SOLEX – LOFA Viewpoint
- Boosting business development - HTA Viewpoint
- Sunshine, sales and supply – GIMA Viewpoint
Read the issue on-line here
|
|
|
GIMA Buyers Guide & New Product Digest Spring 2025 - A valuable source of reference for the UK Garden Trade
New Products for the UK Garden Trade for 2025 from GIMA Members:
AutoPot Global, Avocet Hardware - Greenman Garden Tools, The Big Cheese, Biohort GmbH, Biolan , Bulldog Tools, Charles Bentley & Son Ltd, Countrywide Bird Food, Deco Pak, Durstons, EKJU, elho, Evergreen Garden Care, Fandango Fire Tools, Formbar, G Plants, Gardena, Greenkey Home & Garden, GLEE, Handy, Helping Hand Environmental, Johnsons Lawn Seeds, LBC (Ultralight) Boots, Melcourt Industries, Mercia Garden Products, Museums & Galleries, Outtrade BV, Phoenox Textiles, Prestige Water, Primeur, Rocketgro, Shark Ninja, Sipcam, Defenders, SUMEC UK, UK Greetings, Vitavia, Woodmansterne, Hortiwool, Zero In, Zest, GIMA Awards 2025
Read the Spring 2025 GIMA Buyers Guide and New Product Digest here
|
|
|
|
|
|
Get your copy of GTN Xtra
with all the news direct to your e-mail inbox...
Read more»
Bradford garden centre group appoints new finance director
Yorkshire Garden Centres group has appointed Emma Bristow as its full-time finance director...
Read more»
Award winning Bridgerton Garden opens at Cambridge University Hospitals
Netflix and Shondaland have unveiled the Bridgerton Garden at Cambridge University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust - a permanent, accessible green space that hopes to bring a moment of peace and reflection to NHS patients, staff and the surrounding community...
Read more»
Celebrate National Children’s Gardening Week with The World of Peter Rabbit
Garden centres and nurseries across the UK are set to inspire the next generation of young gardeners during National Children’s Gardening Week, running from 24 May to 1 June 2025...
Read more»
Keukenhof looks back on bright and brilliant season
More than 1.4 million visitors from all over the world enjoyed the colourful spring garden between March 20 and May 11. Visitors rated Keukenhof with an impressive 8.7 – a wonderful compliment for a vibrant experience...
Read more»
UK companies look forward to GreenTech
RAI Amsterdam, 10-12 June 2025
The Commercial Horticultural Association (CHA) has confirmed the final line-up of British suppliers who will be taking part in GreenTech Amsterdam this year...
Read more»
The best of last week's
If you missed last week's GTN Xtra, below are the most-read stories...
John Ravenscroft joins Alan Roper for opening of the Octavia Hill garden at Bridgemere
John Ravenscroft, the founder of Bridgemere Garden World, joined Blue Diamond MD Alan Roper at the opening of the Chelsea Flower Show Award winning Octavia Hill garden that has become the 16th show garden at Blue Diamonds Bridgemere Garden Centre...
Read more and see GTN Xtra's photo's from the opening, the show gardens and a tour of Bridgemere Garden Centre
Garden centre opportunity at Belvoir Castle's retail village
GTN Xtra promotion
A retail unit suitable for a garden centre store has become available at Belvoir Castle's unique retail village in Leicestershire. The unit has 1,345 sq ft of indoor space which includes a glasshouse and an outdoor courtyard...
Read more»
Dobbies unveils new-look Cadnam store
Second store relaunched as part of national refurbishment programme
Dobbies Garden Centre in Cadnam has relaunched as part of a nationwide store refurbishment programme which is underway. This is the second in Dobbies’ extensive programme of investment across the store estate.
Click here to see pictures of the new store
The Gardens Group becomes first to stock Wonderfuel peat free compost
Castle Gardens in Sherborne and Brimsmore Gardens in Yeovil, which are both part of The Gardens Group, have become the first garden centres in the country to stock a brand new peat free compost called Wonderfuel...
Read more»
All change at top of National Garden Scheme
The National Garden Scheme has announced changes to two key positions – Alan Titchmarsh takes over the role of President from Dame Mary Berry and Dr Richard Claxton becomes Chief Executive.
Read more»
|
|
|
|
