Garden retailers are being encouraged to sign up to the Love the Plot You’ve Got campaign and maximise the opportunities that this industry wide initiative presents.

Aimed at 30-45 year olds Love the Plot You’ve Got seeks to inspire those who have access to a garden or outdoor space but don’t currently make great use of it. Importantly the aim is to de-mystify and not dumb down gardening and provide them with achievable and realistic ideas.

Speaking about the campaign HTA Chief Executive Carol Paris said: “We cannot rest on our laurels and simply hope that when people get to 45 plus they suddenly develop an interest in gardening. The more we can do as an industry to inspire people at a younger age the better – it is about growing the size of the pie for the industry.”

Amongst the first garden retailers to sign up are: Burston Garden Centre, Coolings Garden Centres, Guyana, Merryhatton Garden Centre, New Hopetoun Gardens, St Peters Garden Centre, Cleeve Nursery, Endsleigh Garden Nurseries, Hillview Garden Centres, Ness Botanic Gardens, Perrywood and Summerhill Garden Centre.

Adam Wigglesworth from Aylett Nurseries is passionate about the opportunity that the campaign presents for the industry. He comments, “Love the Plot You’ve Got presents a fantastic opportunity for the industry. The campaign has real cross industry support, being backed by RHS , GIMA, LOFA and numerous suppliers including Westland Horticulture who are transporting the plots to the roadshow events. The research carried out shows that consumers between 30 and 45 enjoy their outdoor space for an array of uses but they need solutions, advice and inspiration to take that next step.”

He adds: “As retailers we need to capitalise on the publicity that the campaign and series of roadshows will create. Signing up and supporting the campaign will put our outlets within easy reach of consumers whose interest has been captured. This is our industry, I would encourage you to support this campaign and build on the momentum that has already started.”

Inspiration and activity will be focused around www.loveyourplot.com. There will also be a series of roadshow events across the country featuring ‘before and after’ gardens the size of a shipping container. Kindly transported by Westland Horticulture, the inspirational gardens will be visiting garden festival and city centre venues across the country with the first roadshow taking place on 20-22 March at Good Life Live at Alexandra Palace in London.

Other dates confirmed so far include:

8-10 May – Garden Show Ireland
23-24 May – George Square, Glasgow
29-31 May – Gardening Scotland

To find out more and sign up for the campaign contact Garden Industry Marketing Board Project Manager David Arnold. Tel: 07876643638. Email: daaltd@virginmedia.com

A series of Love the Plot You’ve Got masterclasses, run by Ian Boardman, have been taking place covering different aspects of the campaign picking out key points from the consumer research into what 30-45 year olds are looking for from their outdoor space. Places are still available at the forthcoming masterclasses which are taking place at

Tues 17 February:  Woodlodge, Tetbury
Thurs 19 February: Old Railway Line Garden Centre
Fri 20 February:  Sinclair, Ellesmere Port
Thurs 12 March: Glendoick Garden Centre
Tues 17 March:  RHS Harlow Carr

To find out more and book your place email Ian Boardman at i.boardman@ibbis.co.uk