GTN October 2022 - Garden Trade News UK

Christmasgets off to a flying start

Itmay be due to Christmas opening earlier in centresthan last year,but as this issue of GTNgoes to pressthe sales volumes of the Top50Christmas products in the GTN Bestsellers Garden Centre Epos data during the last week of September were up 75% on the same week last year and 48% up on 2019 We’vebeenout and about seeing some of the first Christmas displays in advanceofthe launch of GTN’sGreatest Christmas Awards for 2022 and we’veseenfor ourselves how avariciously the early displayed Christmas lines arebeing shopped. Hopefully that is agood omen for the rest of the season.

Details of our Greatest Christmas Awards 2022 can be found on pages 16 &17. As usual we havea team of judges,withtheir sleighs, on standbyready to come out and meet the nominated teamssoplease makeyour

nominations by the end of October

Next month we’llberevealing the winners of the GIMA Awards in our GIMA Roll of Honour special issue and then in December we’llbe bringing youthe fourth edition of GTN’s Sustainability Directory.

In the meantime, we look forward to meeting as many GTNreaders as possible over the coming weeksatawardsevents and on our Christmas judging visits. We can’twait!

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Garden Trade News

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An understanding of stone

Meadow View Stone is transforming the way decorative stone is sold in garden centres thanks to its strength as a family business and indepth knowledge of the global aggregate market.

There is a rich history behind the decorative stones sold by garden retailers for customers to brighten up their pots and gardens, and it goes back as far as the Roman times It may not seem relevant to gardeners of today but mining lead, toextract silver for coins, has shaped

events leading to Meadow View Stone now being one of the driving forces in the decorative aggregate business

Meadow View Stone is part of the much larger Long Rake Spar Co which began life in1867 as the Long Rake Mine famed for its bright whiteand sparkling calcite. Formally

a waste product of lead mining, it found new markets in the gardens, driveways and gateway columns demanded during Victorian Britain After several owners and decades, the company came up for sale and Trevor Broadhurst, whowas working with his father in theirnearby fluorspar

Thefour Long Rake Spar depots.

Left:Garston, Mersyside.

Centre: Prees, Shropshire.

Right: Youlgreave, Derbyshire. Below: Rye, East Sussex.

business, decided to invest with his mother who became company secretary By then mining had ceased at Long Rake but it’s above ground activities of preparing aggregate fromother quarries wasaliveand something Trevor planned to exploit.Since then, investments in washing, bagging and specialist mineralprocessinghas enabled the company to becomeaspecialist in supplying awide choice of products to the building industryand landscape sector Followingthe acquisitionofMeadowView Stone in 2009,ithas also brought thishigh qualityand choiceofdecorativeaggregates to thegardenretailindustrytoo.“Physically andfinanciallyweare transforming the face of gardencentres, with productthatismore superior in termsofthe packaging and quality,” says JessDabell,Brand Manager

Today Long Rake Spar Co has four production sitesinDerbyshire,Shropshire, Merseyside andEast Sussex. The latter,a 20-acredocksidedepotinRye,isthe most recent acquisition whichhas supportedthe company’s growth in the South East.Four dockside storage locations in Rye, Garston, Gunness andRosythfurther facilitatemore than 50 shipments of loose material ayear, most of whichare from Europe, butalso closertohomefromWales and theNorth East. Products arebrought into these sites andstoredinlarge bays beforebeing processed,bagged andredistributed “It gives us agreater stockholding across

Jess,Trevorand Sarah proudly showoff their latest batch of awards.Atthis year’s GLEE, MeadowViewStone displayedits Alpine Collection in large bags which received the award forthe best newproduct in theLandscaping& Garden Building category. In 2021 it wasnamed GCASupplier of the Year at the GIMAAwards.

50+ shipments annually 100,000

tonnes+ of loose stock

the group of products in logistically strong locations and puts us in completecontrol of our supply chain,”explains Jess. And with more than 100,000 tonnes of looseproduct being handled annually,it’sthought to makeLong RakeSpar Co.the largest importerofdecorative aggregates in theUK. This provedtobeahuge asset during the covid pandemic as Trevor shrewdly importedlarge amounts of stock to protect the company against unknown effects of Brexit. “Wefilled all our dockside storage

facilities and production sites with £9 million of stock,” he says As it turned out this meant the company could satisfy the spike in demand during covid when other supply chains around the world were struggling Turnover figures for Long Rake Spar in 2021 were a healthy £38,000,000 but back in the 1990’s when interest rates topped 16%, times were tough Trevor recalls the main business, around 80%, was aggregates for concrete and precast Then came demand for white concrete which couldn’t be produced from aggregate found in the UK Trevor looked to Spain for supply and his company is thought to be the first in the UK to do so “We started to import white dolomite from Spain, and this opened our eyes to other opportunities where more premium decorative products could be utilised,” says Trevor

Charlie Dimmock and Alan Titchmarsh also came to therescue with the BBC television programme Ground Force.“Decorative aggregates then became fashionable, and the demand started to dramatically increase. We were working with decorativestone for use within pebble dashing and specialist concrete at the time,”says Trevor,“so it wasn’tagreat leap to satisfy the increasing demand from gardeners.”

MeadowViewStone for garden centres only Long RakeSpar Co.had been supplying gardencentressince as early as the1993 andTrevorrecallsthe earlydeliveries.“I remember thefirstgardencentrewesold intowas near Chatsworth and we mopped up afew otherlocaloneswithonlythree pallets at thetime, which were delivered on aNissenflatbedlorry. Thefirst full articulatedlorry-load we ever sold was to what is nowHayes Garden World in Ambleside as the ownerhad just built anew gardencentre.”

It had also been supplying raw material to Meadow View Stone, which at the time was run by a father and daughter team, before it came up for sale in 2009 Once acquired, Meadow View Stone became the face for the company’s retail supply and today its products can only be found in garden centres

Its current range of gravels, chippings, slate, pebbles, cobbles, horticultural grits and sands, also come with a printed till book detailing product prices, barcodes, product attributes and suitability guides, along with inspirational POS and a multitudeofmerchandising displayoptions. Renowned forits range of exclusive premium decorative aggregates, three of which are in the top ten sellers and account for33% of sales, SarahHill, Managing

Director, comments: “It’s an easy win really for garden centres to come on board and get a great result from just a small selection of products ”

One of the company’s distinct differences and an advantage over its competitors, is that premium products are sold pre washed “If you look at our Flamingo stone, it looks likea completely different product when it’sunwashed Washing removes the silt and fines from the product so there is no horrible residue on the stone or in the bag and the gravel is also more accurately sizedasthe undersized stones areemmittedinthe washingprocess.This is the quality that garden centres want and expect,” says Sarah MeadowViewStone wasthe first company to introducesmaller10kg bags intogardencentres with 58%ofthis rangealsobeing exclusive. “Our exclusive products arekey to our growth, andthe salesgrowthofour customers. Many of ourproducts significantly contribute to increases in turnoverdue to their higherRRP,but alsoastheyare selling in considerablevolumes, so cancontributeas muchas30% to turnover,”saysSarah. Displaying product has provedtobekey “Wehavehelped to reinvigorated the in-situ displays in garden centresand lots of centres haveseen big increases in sales (between 25-40%) as aresult of these lifestyle driven displays,”says Jess. “But it’shardconvincing others that dedicating the spacetoadisplay will, in the long term, deliver better results than product left on pallets.”

Sarahadds: “There is growth to be had in our category, butyou’ve just gottohave somebody on theshop floortomanage it. We have all thetools that candrivesales and we knowthereisconsiderable growth out there. If youjust getthose productsin, look after them andmakesuretheylook right in store.”

The businesshas nowswitched from Foamextoafully recyclable material for all itspoint-of-sale presentation.“This newmediumretainsthe manybenefits of

Foamex, such as rigidity and longer lifespan, with a smooth print face, and it’s less likely to bend or warp like Correx,” says Jess

A minimum of 30% of the material used in the production of aggregate bags, stretch film, and pallet hoods is recycled and any bags, film or wrap that fails in the production process is collected by a certified recycling company, broken down and re used The company recognises there is a taste and the demand for bags that consumers can recycle kerbside, and they are in constant conversation with their supplier, but at the moment the technology just isn’t there

Pastures new

Trevor is a self confessed traveller and during covid he described himself as ‘an eagle with clipped wings’. Only a small amount of aggregate is sourced from the UK, Welsh slate, Scottish pebbles, and Gold Coast gravel being a few examples so in the search for new products he happily travels to quarries across Europe in his car equipped with roof top tent “I’ve built relationships with familyrun quarries in Norway,Turkey,Portugal and Spainand these relationships are still working 30 yearson,” hesays

The rising cost of fuelwith new legislation, resulting in plantand mobile equipment used in the quarrying and mineral processinghavingtoswitch to white diesel, is putting pressure on the aggregatemarket. “I think we will be facing adifficult time nextyear,”saysTrevor.

“Wehavemaintainedour prices through thisyearwhichhas beentight andhas squeezed us,but we’vedone it to keep our commercial edge,” says Sarah.

Customer satisfaction ratestop 90% and staff areencouraged to take pride in what theyproduce. Four of Trevor’s children now work in the businessand thereisdefinitely an appetitefor innovation and success Sarah adds: “I think we arenow seen as market leadersinproduct innovation in our category. Thereisa definitely ahunger for us to go out and explorethe wider world to find what’sout thereand see if thereare newproducts or better quality products that wouldcomplement the range.”Trevor is definitely in the long haul. “I couldhave sold the businessmany times over, but we understand stone and love what we do.” he says.

Miracle-Gro® has been helping UK gardeners grow bigger and more beautiful plants for over 35 years, but it’s not just plants we help to grow.

Miracle-Gro® is the number onegarden care brand and consistently delivers category growth through its market leading productranges, investment in NPD and advertising support,aswell as industry-leading PR and online campaigns, partnering with celebrities and influencers to reach consumers at every stage of their shopping journey and creating growth opportunities that benefit us all.

NEW for 2023

For 2023 the entireMiracle-Gro® liquid plant food range will be updated and move to yellow bottles made from 98% recycled plastic. Having the full range in yellow bottles will enhance Miracle-Gro®’s standout on fixture, providing abeacon for the plant food category. The simplified pack designs will make it easier for shoppers to choose the best product for their needs, helping to increase conversion at fixture and drive categorygrowth.

Crystal ball gazing at horticulturein2030

At September’s HTAconference, What will our industry look likein2030? delegates heardthat ablend of pessimism and optimism will be keytosuccessfullynavigating through the financial, political and climate change challenges into the next decade.

After aconsiderable break, the Horticultural Trades Association waspleased to onceagain be hosting aconference, bringing together people from acrossmanysectors to consider the futureofhorticulture. With presentations taking in financethrough to therole of robots andshoppinghabits, delegates were left with no doubt that businessisheading for arockyroad. But alongside digital opportunities, horticulture’s unrivalled role within the climatechange agenda must be fully exploited to ensure the sector’s long-term future.

James Barnes, HTAChairman, kicked off proceedings saying: “The twokey drivers areclimatechange and technology.” He asked if it is nowtime to change the term ‘ornamental horticulture’ to ‘environmental horticulture’? “I believe this wouldhavea fundamental effect on howwe'reperceived by all stakeholders, by governments, and particularly by academia,”hesays. “If we're going to attract young, talented people to our industry, then that direct association with environmental sciences must havea wider appeal and an understanding within government that climatechange policy in

the UK cannot takeplacewithout astrong domestic horticultural industry.”

Having an online and even virtual presencewould be keywithinthe digital world and, he says, arelikely to bring opportunities that haven’texisted before. “Weaving together our physical spaces and people's experiences virtually is where success will lie,”hesays.

So what does the futureofhorticulture in 2030 look like? GTNasked some of the conferencespeakers and delegates to gaze intoacrystal ball.

Josh McBain. Global Consultancy Director.Foresight Factory

Wider environmental and ecoconcerns will become decoupled from financial trends and sustainability will remain an embedded factor in consumers commercial choices.

Developments we arelikely to see are indoor hydroponic systems that use less water to grow herbs in the home and apps to trackpersonal carbon footprints so individuals can be moreinformed about the impact of their eating,travelpractices, buying decisions and lifestyles. Other

areas of research that will heighten garden product propositions include those being bred with the molecule zubrin that havea higher capacity to store carbon.

As customers increasingly demand that brands supportthe wider regeneration of biodiversity and resources, companies will move beyond net zero targets and will be showing their carbon positive(net plus) brand positioning.The garden centre industrycould easily dial up carbon positive propositions acrosspackaging and point of sale to drivefuturecustom.

Dominic Harrison. Director of Global Trends. Foresight Factory Shoppers will become moredigitally connected and will hop between buying online and instoresoretailers need to makethis progression moreseamless, both in their garden centres and howthey present themselves online. Howgarden centres and brands areperceived online will be crucial to success.Wewill also see retailersredefiningtheir sales space with moreofitbeing used as places for customers to get involved, likeclassroom, workshop or community spaces, or perhaps areas just for relaxing

Thevirtual economywill progressand garden centre retailersare ideally placed with productand plantknowledgetomake the most of thisnew opportunitytohelp

customerspopulatetheir ownmetaverse worldswith virtualplants, lifestyle and gardening solutions.

Mark Gregory. Garden designer. Landform Consultants

Will therestill be real gardens at the RHS Chelsea FlowerShowin2030? Yes, absolutely 100% but the gardens will havecleaned up their act on sustainability,impact and waste reduction. Chelsea is wheretrendsare set and careers aremade but the greatest challenge for designers, landscapers and nurseries supplying the plants will be to prove theirsustainability credentials in the application phase. By 2030, gardens will havetoberelocated afterwards or else theywon’tbeselected. This will be partofthe auditand judging criteria so they will need to designed differently,possibly almost flat packed, so theycan be easy to takedownand build again. Peoplelikemewill be teaching the next generation howtobuild sustainably,reducewaste, remove concrete, reuse landscaping products and come up with engineering solutions.

By 2030,QRcodes and other digital channels will havereplacedthe 50,000 paper leaflets given out by each garden and I think Sunflower Street will come back in acontemporaryway to focus on people's front and smaller gardens. This will also attract different investors with smaller, but equally vital, budgets.

Celebrating the best in the business

Making its debut at the conference evening dinner was the HTAOrnamental Growerofthe Year awards to recognised and celebratebestpractices in sustainable ornamental production. Launched at the association’s National Plant Showinthe summer,itattracted 45 entries acrossfive categories.Four industryjudgescame together to reviewall the submissions and consider their commitment and progresstowards criteria including

CO2reduction,peatremoval andwater resilience

Winners of the Best Inspirational Business, Best Young Plants Growerand Best Finished Plants Growercan nowbeentered intothe International Growerofthe Year competition hosted by the AIPH (the International Association of Horticultural Producers) results of which areannounced at IPM, Essen, the horticultural trade show in Germany from 24-27 January2023. “AIPH is delighted the HTAhas identified such high quality businesses to be entered intothe AIPH International Growerofthe Year Awards 2023.Inbeing partofthis process, these companies havethe opportunity to be alignedwith the very best in the world and Iwish them all the best,”says Tim Briercliffe, one of the judges and AIPH Secretary General.

• Best YoungPlantsGrower

Winner: Ball Colegrave

• Best Finished Plants Grower.

Winner: AllensmoreNurseries

Highly commended: NewLeaf Plants

• Best Inspirational Business.

Winner: Palmstead Nurseries.

Highly commended: AllensmoreNurseries and Majestic Trees.

• Best YoungGrower(under35yearsofage).

Winner: Eliot Barden. Majestic Trees.

Highly commended: Mollie Higginson, NewLeaf Plants

• Best Staff Member.

Winner: Gareth Edwards, NewLeaf Plants

Highly commended: Maria Bengtsson, Majestic Trees.

and will makethem feel theyarereally doing something to help the environment. Ican see products and plants will need additional information on their label and packaging related to carbon scoring.

Simon Reeve. Television presenter and author

Speakersat Horticulture–TheConference. What will our industrylook likein 2030? were:

• James Barnes. HTA.

• Josh McBain. ForesightFactory.

• VickyPryce.Centrefor Economics and Business Research.

• Simon Reeve. Television presenter

• Dominic Harrison. ForesightFactory.

• Tayhsan Hayden-Smith. Grow2Know project.

• Michael Perry. Mr Plant Geek.

• TimBriercliffe. International Association of Horticultural Producers.

• Mark Gregory. Landform Consultants.

• Melanie Asker.Greenwood Plants.

• Hattie Webb.Planet Mark.

I’ve seen, first-hand, the negativee

ects of climatechange which arerapidly accelerating,and shifting agricultural patterns in Africa and South America.

Over the next fewdecades we aregoing to havetoadapt our islands for the future or we will fail as acountry. We have the ability and the powertodramatically alter our world. We aregoing to havetoplant, grow,landscape and reshapethe hell out of Britain. Horticulturehas got to take its placeinthe ranks of the professions alongside law,medicineand accountancy

Michael Perry. Mr Plant Geek and social media influencer

Ithink we will be seeing customers wanting to take morecontrol of their personal carbon scoring which will flowintohow they garden and the plants theychoose to put in their gardens. It offers real guidancetoconsumers

As an industryweare very good at passing down knowledge, such as why roof andrain gardens should be considered Ithink we will see moreofanindustry focus on helping consumers appreciate and understand the wider benefits horticultureand this, along with moreready-made packages (for example combinations of plants, pots and growing media), will maketheir buying decisions easier making them morelikely to become gardeners.

Trevor Pfeiffer. Editor GTN

In 2030 bulbs will break through the soil and bloom, grasswill grow,trees will burst intolife, newplants will be planted to brighten gardens and patios, vegplants will be raised from seed, garden spaces will be used for parties and celebrations, children will play in gardens, bounteous vegand fruit crops will be harvested, birds and wildlife will be welcomed intogardens, gardens will be littocelebrate Christmas. The onlythings that will change will be the quantity of theabove,changes due to fashions,colours and difference in timingsdue to climatechange, which we

• David May. Lincoln Instituteof Agri-Food Technology

• Arit Anderson and Boyd DouglasDavies. Closing remarks.

canadapttoduringthe intervening years

So as long as we have homes with gardenspaces andbalconies thenthe futurefor horticulturefor 2030 andbeyond is far from ssimistic. No onewants to look outondrabspaces andplantsare the best wayofdecorating gardensand homes

Plants and flowers makepeople smile!

Many of the speakers at the conference commented on howgreat the floral stage display,created by TomCook from British Garden Centres, was. ‘The best conference backdrop ever’and ‘worthy of aChelsea garden’ were the exultations. What they missed howeverwas that the display was, in itself,the best clue to what horticulturewould be likein2030. Absolutely wonderful! We must all remember that and put our nurturing sense of positivity hat on to makesureweare the ones bringing joytosomany people in the UK.

Packing a

Tales from the shop floor

Mark Portman, UK Managing Director of Evergreen Garden Care, brushed up on his customer careskills by spending aSeptember afternoon working in London’s Camden Garden Centre.

It doesn’tmatterhow highupyou areonthe industryladder, gaininganunderstanding of the customers who buyand ultimatelyuse gardening products is oneofthe mostvaluable insightsinthe worldofgarden retail.The bestway to findout is to actually spend time on the shop floor, but when time is so precious this canbehardtoorganise.

This autumnMarkPortman from Evergreen Garden Careand PeterHulatt,Managing Director of Camden Garden Centre,London coordinated diaries andasa result,Mark spent an enjoyable afternoonserving customers, collatingordersand answering telephone queries. “I was really looking forwardtothe experiencebut wassurprised how nervous Iwas when Ifirst worked thetilland then againwhen answering thecustomerqueries on the phone,”saysMark.

As well as athrivingand profitable business amongthe hustle andbustle of life near Kings CrossStation,CamdenGarden Centreisalso asocial enterpriseproject enhancing, through

work and training,the employabilityofthosewith additional needs and ahistory of being outofwork. Not surprisinglythen the first thing Peterdid was to go through afew bitsofbasic training about safelifting and manual handling This is extremely importantasCamden is asmallsitewithjust 20 parkingspaces andlittle storage room.Its delivery serviceisvital and relied upon by customers.

Camdenhas around 10,000 customers signed up to its reward cardprogrammesoMarkquickly foundout that checking out itemsatthe tillis morethan just taking themoney.Mark had to alsolinkcustomerstotheirrewardcards to seeif theycould claimany specialoffers, give gardening advice andorganise delivery dates.

PeterHulatt describes his till staff as ‘ambassadorsofthe gardencentre’. “Theyare integraltothe smooth running of the garden centre, andthe lastperson customerssee when they leave,”hesays. Mark wascurious to know how thestaff dealtwithqueuesand askediftheyfelt under pressuretorush. Peter’sadvice is not to rush buttoget as many tillsopen as possible and seeif amember of staff can talk to thoseinthe queue reassuring them everything is being done.

One of Mark’s sales of around £400 included 20 bags of growing media and atrickycalculation.

Iwas really looking forward to the experience but was surprised hownervous Iwas..

The customer wanted to knowhow many bags to buy to fill apot of aknown sizesoMark and Peter worked it out longhand. However, says Mark, this has been made easier.“We have acalculator on our websitewhereyou can input the dimensions of the planter and it calculates howmuch compost youneed. The second is that the back of our newbags of growing media will showhow many pots, planters or hanging baskets each one can fill.”

Mark’sproduct knowledge is alsotestedinthe storeroom. In recent times, therange of sundries at Camden has reduced with many ranges now including thetop tenproducts only. This is partly due to spacerestrictions. “Wereviewitregularly and go forthe productsweknowcover allbases,” says Peter.

Conversely,saysPeter,the number of lines in theplantaria as increased partly because of Brexit andhavingto findother nurseriesnow not supplying gardencentres.

While manningthe phones, Mark took calls from gardeners wanting advice on topicsrangingfrom howtochange the colour or hydrangeas to the best growing mediafor containerised blueberries. “I didn’tthink this was going to be quiteso difficult”says Mark, who adds: “Well hopefully they’ll be pleased we’vecomebacktothem within fiveminutes.They’ve allsaidthank youverymuch and promised to come backtocomplete thesale.”

Adevelopmenthas alsocome as aresultofthe blueberrycall.Currently thesmaller20kgand 10kg bags of growing media haveacarry handle which

often breaks. “Weare nowgoingtoreviewthe needfor handlesonthe smallerbags of compost,” says Mark

Mark’s experienceatCamden provedto be both useful and fun. “Peter has alovely team hereatCamden. Theyhavebeenhelping me understand howtowork the tills, howto manage the calls from customers and stocking the shelves. But what has come acrossreally clearly is theyare really customer focused. Theyengage with all customers and theyhave apositiveattitude. Their product knowledge levels arehighand theyhavea real passion for what theydo.”

Would youliketoinviteasenior industryfiguretocome and haveaReal Life Retail Experienceinyour centre?

Back in 2005 GTNcarried aseries of these features involving Nick Davies, Edward Conroy and David Arnold so the GTNteam wouldlove to come andcapturemoredayslikethe one at Camden Garden Centrefor futureissues.

Just drop an e-mail to trevor@ pottingshedpress.co.uk and we can synchronise diaries!

Fothergill’s rosey future

GTNspeakstoDave Carey,CEO of Mr Fothergill’s, about the company’s next stage of growth.

Following its £100m+ buyout in February, Mr Fothergill’sSeeds used its annual summer event held at its Suffolk trials ground to not only show off vegand flowercultivars of the future but also to reassurethe sector that it’s ‘businessasusual’.

Set up in 1978 by Brian Carey and Jeff Fothergill, the businesshas grown. Today alongside its core of supplying seeds, it also sells toolsand gardening sundries contributing to an annual turnoverof £50m and 250 staff.Jeff’s son John has nowleftthe businessbut Brian’sson Dave Carey remainsasChief ExecutiveOfficer.

Director.“We arestill going to be doing our trials and we notgoing to culturally change but arenow at apoint wherewecan start to reshape the businessfor its next stage of growth. We areall here forthe journeyand thereisnolossoffocus in anyarea. In fact,” adds Dave, “weare going to be providing even morefocus, effortand energy.We’ve got abrilliantgarden centre businessto businessrelationship that we want to look after even better and grow.”

He adds ‘Thereare also opportunities’. As the smallest player in the direct to consumer market thereare chancesto grow this sectorand massiveopportunities to develop the ‘good, better,best’ ranges both hereinthe UK and abroad especially in Australia.

“In reality is it businessasusual,”hesays adding that Huw Bamfordjoins as Chief Technical Officerand JessTaha as HR Dave Carey

Thetrialsground at Kentford, Suffolk in full bloom this summer

Online sales, tools and price points

In abid to distancegarden centre sales from those directly to online consumers, DT Brown, Mr Fothergill’sand Woolmans ranges arecurrently sold under the Greenregis umbrella. DaveCarey says a major pieceofbrand and insight work is currently going on so the company can fully understand howtomakethe most of all opportunities.

Newfor 2023,MrFothergill’sseed packetssold in garden centreswill be without avisible price.For the last two years it has been slowly introducing coloured roundells, but also printing the pricealongside. This year,for the first time, the pricewill not be printed with customers having to refer to the colour coding to work out howmuchtheyneed to pay.“We have hadalot andverysimilar pricepoints acrossthe ranges from Mr Fothergill’sthrough to the Sarah Raven and Jekka’sherb seeds, so nowwehavejust10 pricepoints,”explains Dave.

Another opportunity for sales growth that Davesees is with Darlac tools, which Mr Fothergill’sacquired in 2017.“We didn’t knowthe toolsmarket, but we looked at all the data and approached it in the same way we do with seeds. So rather than garden centers choosing everything,which they’re morethan entitled to do,weworked out away to get the best sellers on one stand. And then we worked out what that would look likeiftherewas spacefor twoor three stands.”Using the same techniques for selling seeds, ie regularlytopping up stock and ensuring it looks good, is paying off with toolsand nowthe Darlac range is being sold at Notcutts, ChoiceMarketing, Blue Diamond and other groups as well as independents. “Thereisstill plenty more room for growth,”says Dave, and on the subject of moreacquisitions he says: “Yes certainly,ifit[thecompany or product] was intrinsically linked with what we already do.”

Hot tubs from Celtic Spas bring rewards for retailers and consumers

I

ntoday’s world of modern technology it’sevenmore important for families to spend time together and hot tubs are aperfect solution –theyoffer screen free time for all the family Hot tubs createa unique and relaxing environment making it easy for people to talk through the trials and tribulations of the day and theyboast anumber of substantial health benefits including improvedblood circulation and the relief of joint pain leading to abetter night’ssleep

In the UK, Celtic Spas distributes anumber of products for the home leisuremarket to improve retail sales and enable consumers to expand the possibilities of their garden. It is also proud to be the UK sole distributor of quality hot tubs, swim spas and saunas produced by the European manufacturer,Hanscraft. Why add hot tubs and saunas to your storeproduct offering from Celtic Spas?

• Full training provided. From marketing through to after sales.

• 10-year structural warranty

• 2-year electrical, jets and plumbing warranty.

• Triple insulation resultinginlow runningcosts

• Made in the EU with European and American parts

• Flexible supply from UK stock wholesale to direct container orders

• Excellent ROIfor businesses.

• Achieve up to 45% margin with average order values of £8k

Winning formulation

In 2020,GSa long-established home storeselling avariety of home furnishing including sofas, carpets and beds, began to stock Celtic Spashot tubs. Full training wasprovidedfrom setting up the newdepartmentand marketing to attract new customers, to delivering the product and aftersales.Utilising its existing sales team GS decided to displayfivehot tubs near the outdoor furnituredepartment.

In itsfirst year of stocking,Celtic Spaswas the fourthbest supplierintermsofsalesturnover in thestore This wasrepeated forits second year of stocking from August 2021-2022.Asa bolt on to itsexisting product offering,GScontinues to seedemandfor quality outdoor leisure products andanticipates this to continue through 2022 –2023and beyond

Find out more

To discuss howyou couldbenefit from stocking spas, saunas and hot tubs, email sales@celticspas.co.uk or telephone 01633 848199. www.celticspas.co.uk

With full training from marketing through to after sales, stocking Celtic Spas hot tubs and saunas couldn’t be easier

• Fast deliveryonbespoke orders –fromfourweeks

We’vegot a brilliant garden centre business to business relationship that we want to look after even better and grow

Christmas

categories to

Christmas

display

marketing teams and back this year arethe much sought afterGreatest FestiveGarden CentreCatering

Christmas trees

and TheGreatest Garden CentreGrotto team

allyou have to do is nominateyourteams for the awardcategories listed in an e-mailtotrevor@pottingshedpress. co.uk. Please include afew wordsabout why our team of judges should come and meet your

aphotoortwo that we caninclude in our GTNXtraChristmas photogalleries. Theclosing datefor nominations to guarantee avisit form ourjudges is Monday31st October 2022.

Areyou serious about selling plants?

Ifyou areserious aboutselling plants then youmay havepopped over to the Four Oaks Trade ShowinCheshirelastmonth.

Staff from BartonGrange, Baytreeand Gordale garden centres were among those spotted tramping the aisles of what provedtobeavery specialevent. The show, postponed because of Covid for twoyears,was the 50th sinceits small beginnings when the industrywas just starting to use peat-based growing media. Also the first showsincethe sad death, just 12 months ago, of PatCoutts the driving force of the event for so many years.

Garden retailers who havea horticultural base will see the benefit of visiting ashow like Four Oaks. Youcan havemeaningful discussions about growing media, fertilisers and environmental controlsystems with technical representativesonirrigation, ventilation and heating systems. In today’s modern retail outlets, these specialities may not be your mainstream everyday work, but without understanding and keeping up with developments howare yougoing to explain processes and train your newerstaff,especially if theydonot havethe benefit of ahorticultural training or years of experience?

And this is all beforeyou haveconversations with plant breeders and growers about the opportunities theybring forselling new varieties, plant combinations and containers

If you want to generate colour and sales in autumn and winter,looknofurther than the rangeofconifers from Zoeand Roger at Golden GroveNursery, Lincolnshire. Their depth and breadth of range is amazing and their work towards‘net zero’is inspiring

And while youmight think the showismoreof aregionalevent, it certainly has an international flavour too. Growers from countriesincluding Holland, Belgium, Italy,Denmark, Spain and Israel provide an opportunity to access plant stock your customers will not see everywhere. Don’tget toocarried away though, as we all know, themajority of your saleswill always come from the core of your range. However, who can resist something abit different likethe newpink rose ‘Cutie Pie’ from Seiont Nurseries in Caernarfon and the benefits to be hadfor your businessfromthinking outside the box.

Neil’shighlights

While focusing on its climbing plants and ever-increasing selection of clematis, New Leaf Plants, Worcestershire, has introduced aselection of roses representing good value.

Knowing the shortsupplyofroses earlier in the year,there aresomegreat lateseason sales to be had as many varieties were still full of colour and bud.

Instant impulse sales and good value plants were on offer from Criagmarloch Nurseries, Glasgow. Its pansy and viola packs, were displayed alongside arange of heuchera which aresuretoget the tills ringing and some of the best looking cyclamen I’ve seen for a while.

Find out more

If you missed it this year,or have neverbeen, then put the dates in your diarynow.

Four Oaks Trade Show, 5-6September 2023. www.fouroaks-tradeshow.com

Eventhough your soft fruit stock is already organised for autumn sales, it might be worthreserving more from James McIntyre& Sons, Perthshire, ready for spring.Bybuilding on concerns about freshness, traceability,food miles and empty supermarket shelves, spring 2023 couldbe arenaissanceofgrowyour ownespecially if boosted with veg, herbs and fruit from

Gardeners Kitchen, Worcestershire. Its plants havebeen grownpesticide free for many years and it is nowheading towards peat free too.

ThePlant Pioneersat MNP Suntoryhas so many newvarieties to choose from. Perhaps my star of the whole showwas its Petunia Surfinia ‘Heartbeat’ which I’ve notseen before. It has some fantastic displayopportunities and could drivevolume impulse sales. Perhaps toothere arepotential links with a UK cardiovascular research charity to raisefunds and gain extraPR.

Ipomea Sunpuma Purple definitely has value as a specimen bedding plant. Usually sold forits brilliant blue flowers, this newvariety has strong foliage interest and will look particularly good displayed alongside strongly contrasting shocking pink petunias.

Find your winning New Products for

With astagging numberofnew products enteredinthe Glee NewProductShowcaseinSeptember, we decided to list themina more digestible formby splitting them into two parts.

In the September issue we published Part 1 of the New Product Directory.Inthis October issue we completethe listingswith Part 2 covering products in the categories Wild Bird Care & Wildlife; Retail Services & Experiences; Landscaping & Garden Buildings; Homewares, iftware, Toys & Games, Clothing and last utnot least PetProducts. Plus thereare a ew late entries

Sadly, we don’t have room to include ictures of all the products but it’s easy o contact the companies for more nformation. All their detailscan be found n the Glee Show Guide or online by searching for ‘Glee 2022 show Guide’ at www issuu com

If you areworking on new products for next year, why not consider entering them into the Glee New Product Showcase 2023?

Shortlisted

part

Artisan Natural Bee Skeps. WildlifeWorld. RRP £34.99

Fair-Trade Artisan Natural Bee Skeps areafusion between traditional European bee skeps and the skilled handmade style of artisans from Bangladesh. Each is created using natural seagrassand recycled saris.

Peckish CompleteSeed Blend. Westland Unwins. RRP £4.99-£24.99

Peckish leads the wayinUKand Ireland with products that arenaturally good on the inside and out. With 100% paper,plastic free packaging that can be recycled from the kerbside.

Winged Insects WildlifePack. Field Studies Council. RRP £16.50

Featuring five-fold out guides for bees, butterflies, day-flying moths, hawkmoths and shield bugs, the Winged Insects Wildlife Pack gives information on insects that buzz, drift and zoom around the garden.

NatureSpottersInTrees &Woodland. Field Studies Council. RRP £5

Children’sNatureSpotting paperback book to help identify tree and woodland finds with a handyrecording sheet to notedownand tick off each oneas theyare spotted.

Honeyfield’s100%Recycled, Recyclable and Biodegradable Packaging: Robin Mix 1.6kg.

WHM PetGroup Limited. RRP £5.99

Feed blend formulated by experts to giverobins ahelping hand especially in the winter

Packing is 100% recycled, recyclable and biodegradable and manufactured lessthan50 milesfromHoneyfield’sheadquarters.

Forthe Love of Birds Energy Rich No Grow Mix. Plantworks Ltd. RRP£7.49

Energy Rich No Grow Mixcontains sevenno-germinating seed varieties to attractwild birds to the garden. Seeds aregrown on ‘Fair to Nature’ farms and packaging is 100% recyclable.

HiveButterfly Hotel. Capi Europe. RRP £17.99

Anew and geometric design made from 100% recycled materials. Smartclick system means hotels can be easily attached, and mixed and matched to makea butterfly mansion in the garden.

Peckish Ready to UseFeeder.Westland Unwins. RRP £4.99

Easy to use, pre-filled birdfeeders designed, manufactured and packaged in the UK, removing the requirement for shipping and transportfromthe FarEast. Twonew products and twonew display formats.

Eco –Beehive.Garden Beehives Ltd. RRP £295 Honeybee Nest-boxBeehiveislikea birdbox but for honeybees. Designed in the UK for the bees and not the beekeeper,theymakeitpossible to havehoneybees in the garden.

Flamboya Seed Feeder –Bees. SmartGarden Products Limited. RRP £14.99

Joyful bee design to delight gardeners this feeder holds sunflowerseeds and awidevariety of seed mixes. Toughglazed ceramic tops and bases arefrost resistant and easy to clean.

HiveWater/Plant Dish. Capi Europe. RRP £12.99

The geometric and contemporaryHiveWater/Plant dishes fix to awall or fencetoeither be potted up or to provide water for wildlife. Mix and match to createa larger display

NatureArk®. Rolawn Ltd/Bioscapes®. RRP £399.95

Mid-sizeunitwith11wildlife habitats to encourage species-rich ecosystems, the NatureArk is ideal for different outdoor spaces, from privategardens to educational settings and communityareas

HiveBee Hotel. Capi Europe. RRP £27.99

The hexagonal HiveBee hotel has ageometric design and due to thesmartclick system on the back gardeners can mix and match different hotels together to makeone larger hotel. Betty Bumble Seed Ball and Activity Set.

Wildlifeand BirdcareNatureRecoveryProject CIC.RRP £12.95

Made from peat free compostand in aplantable wrap,the educational Betty Bumble Seed Ball and Activity Set is made by people with learning disabilities. Includes abooklet and poem

Bird on spade birdfeeder.Eastern Connections. RRP 19.90 Ornamental free standing birdfeeder with newdesigns with ornamental laser cut robinor blue tit resting on spade.

Forthe Love of Birds Energy Sunflower Hearts. Plantworks Ltd. RRP £12.99

High quality sunflowerhearts to attract arange of wild birds intothe garden Endorsed by the RHS,seeds aregrown on Fair to Naturefarms. Packaged in 100% recyclable bags.

Forthe Love of Birds Premium Blend Mixed Seed. Plantworks Ltd. RRP £6.20

Premium blend of high energy seed mix to attract arange of wild birds intothe garden. Endorsed by theRHS,itcontains seeds grownonFair to Naturefarms.Recyclable bags.

Honeyfield’sMetroSeed Feeder.WHM PetGroup Limited. RRP £11.99

Modern twist on classic, elegant but hard-wearing feeder,perfect for all weather.Comes in arange of fivedifferent feeders perfect for wild birdenthusiasts lookingtobrighten up their garden.

NatureArk®. Rolawn Ltd/Bioscapes®. RRP £399.95

Arange of specialist planters from BioScapes, designed to quickly boost biodiversity in any residential, educational, community or commercial setting.Provides multiple habitats for butterflies, bees to hedgehogs and amphibians.

Park &GardenBirds. Field Studies Council. RRP £3.75

Designed for the speedy identification of garden birds using guide features and colour paintings by Chris Shields. Accompanying text on the reverse covers body size, food and conservation status.

Urban Garden WaterStation.WHM PetGroup Limited. RRP £9.99

Plastic bottle drinker for birds with quick filling and re-filling thanks to theeasy release twist base which can be removedtoenableefficient, easy cleaning to promotebetter hygiene and birdhealth.

No Mess, No Grow with Verm-X. CopdockMill. RRP £6.99

Nutritional, vetapproved, high energy birdseed with Vern-Xa100% natural blend of 11 herbs and spices to supporthealth and wellbeing.The first timeVerm-X has been added to wild birdfood.

Wellness Mix with Verm-X. CopdockMill. RRP £5.99

All-season mix with Verm-Xwhich provides calcium, helps repel ticks and fleas, aids recoveryfrommoulting and supports intestinal health. Vetapproved. Designed and manufactured in the UK.

Retail Services &Experiences

Winner

Westland Live. Westland Unwins. RRP £n/a Newonlineordering tool with acentral ordering and account management hub plus access to marketing assets, including imagery, descriptions andvideos. Also has atrainingacademy for each garden carecategory

Shortlisted Compost Bag Recycling Bin. EvergreenGardenCare(UK) Ltd. RRP£free

The newCompost Bag Recycling Bin allows consumers to easily dispose of their bags at garden centres. Bags arethencollected and recycled intogarden furniture. Innovative scheme with Veolia and Dobbies.

Shorlisted

Refill Stations. Evergreen Garden Care(UK) Ltd. RRP£variable

Forgrass seed,liquid and granular plant foods, the filling stations encourage shoppers to reuse their packaging saving them moneyand reducing the amount of single use plastic

Shortlisted

Garden Essentials Merchandising Solution (GEMS). Westland Unwins. RRP £n/a Newgarden essentials merchandising system from Westland designed to enhancea traditionally unlovedpartofagardencentre. GEMS is modular,weatherproof,durable and can adapt to anygarden centre layout.

Shortlisted Garden Connect AR.Garden Connect Ltd. RRP£n/a Augmented Reality allows visitors to use their smartphone to placeplants, garden furniture and other products in their home or garden. Boosts online sales by morethan 94% and reduces returns by 40%

Honeyfield’sEco Refill Wild BirdBins. WHM PetGroup Limited. RRP from £9.99 Bringing the refill concepttothe wild birdsector,Honeyfield’shas cut out single-use plastic. Using the refill station shoppers pay for the tub and return with it to refill.

Honeyfield’sWild BirdInfoHub.WHM PetGroup Limited. RRP£n/a Bringing anew levelofeducation intostorestoguide customers on what theyshould be feeding birds. The websiteisdesigned to actasa questionnaireand can be changed seasonally

ApsleyFarms Natural Plant Food

2.5L/5L

Our concentrated fertiliserisaby-product of UK-based renewableenergy production, fullytraceable,and made PURELYfromthe digestion of whole crops. Organically certified, net-zero, morenutritious thanseaweed, and packaged in a100%recycledbottle:possiblythe greenest liquid plant food on themarket. Provento doublefruitsand flowers,enhancerootdevelopment, promote vegetative growth,and prolong flowering.

ApsleyFarms SalesLtd

RRP £12.50/£20

Launched: 18/02/22 Contact:r.stewardson@apsleyfarms.com, 07932096453Website:www.apsleyfarms.com

NEWrange award winning

Luna Grey Premium Pebbles. Altico. RRP £14.99

Silver grey pebbles from premium quality natural stone. Not available or sold through any other landscape supplier within garden retailing.Packaging is made with 30% reclaimed materials and is 100% recyclable.

Pewter Paddlestone. Altico. RRP£29.99

High quality natural slatepaddlestone, hand-cut to provide multi-toned finish with marbled grey-stone colouring.Invarious sizes for rockeries or stepping-stonestoattractconsumers to purchase varying sizes.

Tweet Tweet WaterFeature. Altico. RRP£179.99

Charming traditional-style water featuring reflecting naturewith acompetitivepricepoint. Manufacturing processallows it to be made with 55% recycled materials. Packaging is 100% recyclable.

SmartSolar Hybrid Power Buddha WaterFeature. SmartGarden Products Limited. RRP £249.99

The classic Buddha WaterFeaturehas asoothingcurtain rainfall effect. Even when not working,itisa statement piecefor the garden. Powersourceautomatically switches between solar and battery.

Protek ESP Panels.Protek. RRP £25 ESP Panels extends the life of plywood and panel products by creating awatertight seal around the edge of the boards, stopping moisturepenetration to protect against delamination.

Gro-SureVisiroot 12 Tray Growhouse. Westland Unwins. RRP £69.99 Solving the problems of greenhouses blowing away or quickly falling apart. The contemporaryleaf shaped house creates an easily accessible growing spacefor 12 standard seed trays. Topand bottom anchor points.

ORGANICSUPERFOOD & PEAT-FREE COMPOST BOOSTER

Eco Stone –Terracotta Slate/Chippings. Deco-Pak. RRP £4.99 Roof tiles and plant pots rejected during production aredivertedaway from land fill to become decorativelandscaping gravel. Eco-friendly with alow carbon footprint, it is processed and packed in Yorkshire.

Peat-Free Compost Booster has been created to partnerwith peat-free compost suppliers and is carefully balanced to boost compost with

of

mix it into the

SipcamHome &Garden- Launch date –June2022 RRP£6.49 www.sipcamhg.co.uk enquiries@sipcamhg.co.uk

Redfish Group Loyalty App.Redfish Group Ltd

Inspired by thesupermarkets, the Redfish Group Loyalty Appallows garden centresto replace plasticrewards cards and paper mailings. Powerful, simple and easy to use taking just minutes to set up

Landscaping &Garden Buildings

Winner

Alpine Collection in Large Bags. MeadowViewStone Limited. RRP £6.99-£8.99

Popular,cratedAlpine Collection of six premium miniaturegravels has been replicated intoa large bag rangetoaccommodatethe upsurgeinsales of smaller grade decorativealpine grits.

Shortlisted

PotstarsOutdoor Living Range. MeadowViewStone Limited. RRP£4.99

An external display stand featuring acollection of eight pot-topping slates and pebbles in handypack pouches tosatisfy the demand for smaller bags of pot toppers.

Shortlisted

Recycled Rubber MowerEdgeBorder.Primeur Ltd. RRP £19.99

Aflexible and hard-wearing border made from recycled rubber tyres. Designed to make lawn maintenanceeveneasier,doing away with the need for strimming.Won’tcrack, rot or fade -suppliedwith installation spikes.

Azpects EASYJoint Select. Azpects Ltd. RRP £45.81

EASYJoint Select retains the sweep-in application method that made EASYJoint so popular, while offering contemporary solid colours comparable to cementitious slurrygrouts. Suitable for porcelain and natural stone paving

CountryBond –Kensington Gold. Deco-Pak. RRP £4.99 Aself-binding gravel that creates functional and natural looking paths. Ablend of gravel, sand and clay it is easy to lay and maintain and will bind without additives.

Homewares, Giftware, Toys &Games, Clothing Winner

Plantsmith. Plantsmith Houseplant CareSet. RRP £14.99

The perfect gift for any indoor gardener.Combining gifting and houseplant care, the beautiful cracker contains houseplant feed tonicand mist spraymade to a professional formulation.

Shorlisted

Primus Mini Wallace&Gromit Garden Sculptures. Primus. RRP £24.99-£44.99

Based on the Wallace&Gromit phenomenon these smaller sculptures nowhavean attractivepricepoint making them an ideal gift and can decorateany space, including gardens large and small.

Shortlisted

TP Wooden DeluxePotting Bench. Mookie Toys.RRP £159.99

The TP Wooden DeluxePotting Bench gives children their very owngardening station wheretheycan experiencethe joyofgardening by taking aseed and turning it into something delicious.

Shortlisted

Berti. AirflowLtd.RRP £19.99

Quality British made Christmas tree stand designed to supporttrees from 4-9’ high with trunks up to 150mm. Can hold up to 1gallon of watertoreduceneedle drop

Unwins Gardeners’ Seed Box. Westland Unwins. RRP £19.99

The perfect gift for agardener,abeautifully crafted, high quality wooden boxtosafely storeand organise seeds and sowing essentials. Contains seeds, twine, notepad and plant labels.

ClipGlove Activity Boots. TreadstoneProducts. RRP £39.99

Stylish boots with contouredtops in men’sand ladies’styles. Easy to pull on using hand grip apertures or finger loops and

Wellies and Tulips Garden String Holder.Talking of Plants. RRP £12 Wooden string holders that double as awellington boot ornament oncethe twinehas been used. Designed by artist and gardener Hannah Weeks. Includes 10m of jutetwine, perfect for tying-in plants.

My Living World- Bug Photography Kit. PlayMonster UK Ltd. RRP £15.99 Kit to help take10x and20x magnification photos of insects. It comes with the bug guide written by Nick Baker and the capturedeviceand macrolens clip ontoyour phone.

Super Ninja Sustainable Fruit Flytraps.Super Ninja. RRP £9.99

Ready to use fly traps with self-adhesivestrip on back to attach inconspicuously.Food grade, highly effectiveand non-toxic it is made from 100% recycled materials.

GreenfingersGreetingCards.Woodmansterne Publications Ltd. RRP £2.85 Woodmansterne’snew range of garden inspired greeting cards is raisingfunds for the Greenfingers Charity.Designs use floral imageryand garden scenes to portray the beauty of nature.

Emma BridgewaterGreetingCards.Woodmansterne Publications Ltd. RRP £3.00 Woodmansterne is delighted to work with the iconic Emma Bridgewaterbrand to create abeautiful rangeofcards for all occasions. The perfect add on sale. Fully recyclable using FSCpaper

National Trust HarmonyGreetingCards.Woodmansterne Publications Ltd.

Range of beautiful greeting cards generating funds to help the vital work of the National Trust. Designed and made in the UK using vegetable-based inks and FSCpaper

My FairyGarden Hedgehog Haven. PlayMonster UK Ltd. RRP £19.99

Join Tara the Earth Fairyand herHedgehoglet friends, to grow and play in your own magicalFairyGarden. Redcabbage seeds provided to sow, nurtureand watchgrow.

Plantsmith Cacti &Succulent CareSet. Plantsmith. RRP £14.99

This eye-catching gift kit contains an environmentally friendly bug spray and specialist feed to grow strong,healthy cacti and succulents. An ideal gift for the newgeneration of gardeners.

Sachets Advent Calendar 25 TeaBag Sachets. English TeaShop. RRP £6.99

This holiday season, delight any tealover with an EnglishTea Shop advent calendar Choose from of atriangle, chest, tree or old-fashioned calendar shape filled with delicious surprises.

Spider and Insect Vacuum. Pelsis Ltd. RRP£8.99

The Pest-StopSpider&Insect Vacuum provides is the perfect solution to managing spiders and other insects in the home including cockroaches, woodlice and silverfish without the use of chemicals.

Veritable Indoor Garden -Peat-Free. Veritable Garden. RRP £149.9 Arevolution in garden technology,the Veritable Indoor Garden allows consumerstogrow their ownfresh, organic herbs, edible flowers, small fruits and salad leaves.

Plantsmith Orchid CareSet. Plantsmith. RRP £14.99

Special gift set to help orchid-lovers keep their favouriteplants thriving.Eachcolourful cracker contains a100ml bottle of orchid food and tonicand a100ml bottle of orchid care mist.

Christmas Sausage Dog BakersTwine Holder and Decoration. TalkingofPlants. RRP £12

Dachshund twine holders that double as asausage dog Christmas tree ornament, once the string has been used. Perfect for wrapping presents. Comeswith 10m biodegradable, recycled cotton twine.

Dachshund garden string holder.Talking of Plants. RRP £12

Wooden string holder which becomes asausage dogornament, oncethe twinehas been used. Perfect for tying in plants and general use around the garden –includes10m of jute twine.

Hempe CBD Hot Muscle &Joint Gel. Hempe®. RRP £17.99

Powerful warming gel enriched with CBD,clove oil, menthol, eucalyptusand vitamin Etobring rapidrelief of muscle and joint pain. Reduces the feeling of fatigue after physical exertion.

Hempe CBD IceMuscle& Joint Gel. Hempe®. RRP £17.99

Great for gardeners, this powerful coolingmenthol gel is enriched with CBD,mint, pine, menthol and laurel to giverapid relief of stiffnessinmuscles and joints and other common complaints.

Premium Liquid PlantFeeds

TheteamatMrFothergill’shavebeen working in partnership with plantnutritionexperts with avastexperience of supplying fertilisers to farmersand professional growers, combiningour passion forall things growing with their expertisetoproduce arange of six high quality, organicbased, liquid plantfeeds, and apureseaweed tonic.

Mr Fothergill’s SeedsLtd £6.49- £8.99

Launched: 27th June 2022 email address:Sales@mr-fothergills.co.uk

SuperLawn is arich blend of natural topsoil, soil improver and horticultural sand packed full of slow-releasing nutrients, trace elements and minerals. Designed to support seeding and turf laying and as alawn dressing, SuperLawn is a

dream combination for consumers and also for retailers as the 3-in-1 nature minimises its shopfloor footprint. Like all products in The Real Soil Company portfolio, SuperLawn does not feature artificial fertilisers or added chemicals.

The Real Soil Company RRP from £5.99

Launch date –June2022

VitaxOrganic Lawn Feed

Gardeners looking foralush, green lawn need look no further than VitaxOrganicLawnFeed. Chemical-free,it’spacked withnatural,plant-based ingredientswhich notonly feed the turf,but alsohelps grassedareas cope with droughtand out-compete moss and weeds to producea thicker and more durablelawn. Child and petfriendly.Suitablefor organicand vegan gardening and bearsthe Organic Farmers& Growers approved mark.

VitaxLimited £8.99

Autumn 2022

Email: info@vitax.co.uk Web: www.vitax.co.uk

Tel: 01530 510060

Hempe CBD SOS Balm. Hempe®. RRP £14.99

Amulti-purpose naturalbalm that is intensely nourishing,soothing and regenerativefor dry, inflamed or irritated skin experienced by gardeners. Fragrancefreeand free of any other potential irritants.

Battersea. UK Greetings. RRP £2.29

Battersea’snew cards areperfect for pet lovers –plusyour purchase helps Battersea continue itswork helping pets and pet owners.Designs on aveltique boardare complimented with akraft envelope.

Burgon &Ball houseplant mister.Burgon &Ball. RRP £24.99

Houseplant mister with super-fine spray and 300ml capacity.Available in achoiceofthree colours, twoco-ordinating with existing watering lines. No-fussdesign colours add acontemporaryedge.

Burgon &Ball indoor watering can. Burgon &Ball. RRP £18.99

Moulded steel indoor can with FSCbeech handle and durable powder coating.Its small size(14cm) and fine spout giveaprecise pour and its attractivedesign means houseplant lovers can haveitondisplay

Butterfly Garden. UK Greetings. RRP £2.49

Gorgeous design from acontemporarycollection called Butterfly Garden, with florals featured on premium veltique board. Multiple foil finishes and averse insertoffer amore modern twist on classic florals.

Cedarwood Moth Rings. Pelsis Ltd. RRP£4.99

TheGreen Protect Cedarwood Moth Rings provide adiscreetand effectivesolutionto deterring adult clothes moths and their larvae, without the use of insecticides. Use in wardrobes, drawers and storage boxes.

Kindling Cracker

“Kindling Cracker™ is the patented wood splitterthat makes splitting firewood safe andeasy. It makes light andsafework of splitting logs forchimineas,fire pits, outdoor pizza ovens,grills andindoor log burners.

NewZealander Ayla Hutchinson was13whenshe invented this fantastictool. Made in Australia from top-grade,recycled cast iron. Safe.Easy. Smart.”

LaunchinUK: September 2021

RRP -Kindling CrackerOriginal £119

KindlingCracker King £179

Fandango FireTools Web-www.fandangofiretools.co.uk Email -info@fandangofiretools.co.uk

Pot-mate

Awardwinning Pot-mateisthe modern alternativetopot feet.A contemporary,innovativedesign which sitsunderneath your pots creating a visually pleasing “floating” effect.We manufactureinthe UK using 100% recycled polymer,comesinthree sizes 150mm, 200mm and 250mm.

RRPs£3.99 £4,49,£4.99.

S&SGarden Designs Ltd. LaunchedSpring 2022 webwww.pot-mate.co.uk email phil@pot-mate.co.uk

Diffuser Décor.Jardinopia Ltd. RRP£9.99

An ideal present at any time of year,new reed diffusers aresoldin100% recycled craft cardgift package. Decorativefiguressit on topofthe reeds to addglamour

Fairford OchreSpeckle Leaf Planter.IVYLINE LTD. RRP £49.99

Handmade in Portugal, this versatile premium stoneware planter catches the eyewith its tall silhouette. Debossed with an organic speckle leaf design which adds depth and detail.

Fuzzikins Unicorn Sleepover. PlayMonster UK Ltd. RRP £13.99

Customise the three adorable unicorns and get them ready for magical dreams. Makeand decoratetheir tepeetents, sleeping bags and sleep masks. Wash the unicorns and colour them in again and again.

Garden Ankle Boots. LEON BOOTS CO UK. RRP £39.95

Garden Ankle Boots in the ULTRALIGHT range areperfect for leaving by thebackdoorand slidingonto step outside. Weighing only 219g.Durable, comfortableand in achoiceof colours.

Christmas Farm SceneSock. HJ Hall. RRP £4

HJ Hall celebrates its 140 years-experiencewith anew sock depicting aChristmas farm scene on astarrynight with an expanse of green fields ploughed by abright redtractor

FluffyTOT Cable Knit Sock. HJ Hall. RRP £10

The Cable Knit Turn Over Topsockfuses flexibility,style andcomfort, with apop of colour to brighten winter afternoons. The fluffytop can be turned down for ankle length style.

Multi Stripe ComfortTop Socks. HJ Hall. RRP £5

Exceptionalnew ComfortTop socks uses soft organic cotton and amesh knit topto alleviatecirculatory restriction while the multi-stripe design means youdon’tneed to compromiseonstyle.

Hope Bear.Moodbears. RRP £22.99

Bright and colourful, Hope Bear wears abeautiful rainbow. When days aredifficult,or much harder than usual, Hope turns storms intorainbows. Made from 100% recycled materials.

Kent &Stowe Hand Trowel &ForkSet.Westland Unwins. RRP £14.99

Aperfect gift for gardeners bringing together best-selling Kent &Stowestainlesssteel hand troweland fork hand tools with beautifully crafted FSCash wood handlesinan attractivegift box.

Ladies Adele FleeceLined Rubber AnkleBoot. Stormafit Ltd-Jane Austin & JACKDAW.RRP £44.99

NewJane Austin stylish ladies rubber ankle boot with cream fleecelining.Great for everyday wear

Link2Home SmartPlug.Link2Home. RRP £15.99

Manage electrical devices and appliances from anywhereatany time using asmart devicewith the L2HSmartPlug.Turn devices on or offand set up timers using the Link2Home Proapp

PeterRabbit. UK Greetings. RRP £2.29

Marking 120 years of Beatrix Potter’s imagination, this design encapsulates the heartwarmingand nostalgic essenceofPeter Rabbit, pairing sweet sentiment with foil finishes and akraft envelope.

Popcorn Kitchen Treat Selection Box. Popcorn Kitchen Ltd. RRP £12.99

Afestivethemedselection boxwith six full sizebagsofgourmet popcorn including ChocolateOrangeand Lemon Drizzle. Brings together forthe first time amix of family favouriterecipes.

Reclaim A5 Notebook -Blue Wool. VENT forChange. RRP £13.99

Tactile A5 notebook with 100% certified sustainable paper and covers made from reclaimed wool.Each book comes with narrow feintlined pages throughout. Page marker supplied as standard.

Recycled A5 SUCSEED Notebook –Cherry. VENT forChange. RRP £13.99

Ethically produced notebook with covers made from reclaimed cherryhusk and recycled boardproduced with 100% green energy.100%recycled paper and with apage marker made from reclaimed corn pulp

Recycled Leather A5 Notebook –Purple. VENT forChange. RRP £14.99

Abeautiful, sustainable, lined notebook. Made in Italy using offcuts of leather from the Italian fashion industryand 100% sustainable FSCpaper.Available in nine colours and three sizes.

SmartKettle. Link2Home. RRP £89.99

Four pre-programmed temperaturebuttons (70, 80,90, 100°) and modes to select for different types of beverage. Heats to thetemperature, turns itself off and will even keep warm for twohours.

TORE Ladies Boot Socks. TheSock Shop.RRP £14.99

Three pair multi pack of TORE,totally recycled socks made up of recycled cotton, polyester,polyamide and elastane. Breathable mesh and arch supportfor comfort.

Uplifting Moments -32Tea Bag Sachets. English TeaShop.RRP £11.99

Aluxurious selection of organic teas blended for superior tastes and flavours from traditional to exotic. Newsachet rangewithaselection of four blends, holding 32 teabag sachets.

VerreSnowdrop Atlantic Blue Frosted Vase.IVYLINE LTD. RRP £54.99

Forafresh botanical look at home, this premium glaze, waterproof planter is handmade from recycled, mouth-blown glassand guarantees astatement on your dining table, windowsill or mantelpiece.

Wireless charger with portable nightlight. Link2Home. RRP £24.99

Versatile charging stand to charge aportablenightlight and phone simultaneously.Dim the nightlight with touch controland mount anywhereusing the inbuilt magnet or hook.

Advent Calendar Triangular 25 Pyramid TeaBags. EnglishTea Shop.RRP £15.99

Delight any tealoverwitharevolutionaryadvent calendar and celebratethe holidays by enjoying the delicious flavours of the festiveseason with this selection of beautifully blended, organic teas.

Akemi Vase,CarbonBlack. IVYLINE LTD. RRP £34.99

Hand throwninsouthern Europe, the waterproof and UV stable Akemi planter is the perfect accent piecefor displaying blooms which will perfectly offset the hand finished, carbon black planter

BirdActivity Box. Kidzplay. RRP£12.95

Boxwith shared focus activity for all the family to connect with naturethrough screen-free and eco-friendly projects. Boxcontains apine-cone feeder to assemble anddecorateplus six activity sheets.

Tree Activity Box. Kidzplay. RRP£12.95

Shared focus activity for all the family.Learn about printing,createa woodland character and build aden while enjoying the benefits of forest bathing

Bug ActivityBox.Kidzplay. RRP£12.95

Funfor allthe family,thisbox will help youbecome abug bodyguard. Activities include using home recycling to makeahouse for bugs and aguide on howtoobserve howthey move

1000-piecejigsaw. Museums&Galleries Ltd. RRP £14.99

Arts &Crafts designer CFAVoysey’s‘Birds of Many Climes’features on this newjigsaw

Presented in areusable printed box, the jigsaw is an entertaining puzzle and work of fine artinone

OrganicCotton Tote Bag –Wildflower Hare. Museums &Galleries. RRP£15.50

Strong and stylish, this premium organic canvas tote baghas an internal pouch pocket and coordinating handles. Featuring acontemporaryfloral montage ‘WildflowerHare’ by Helen Ahpornsiri.

PetProducts

Winner

PARK LiFE Fris-Bix.PARKLiFE PET LIMITED.RRP £5.99

Frisbee shaped biscuits for throwing,catching,and playfulsnacking.Made from afew simple, human quality ingredients including organic sunflowerseeds, peas and coconutoil. Plant based and puppyapproved.

Shortlisted

Scruffs® Classic Long EaredDog Bowl. Scruffs. RRP £15.99

Modern twist of contemporarycolours to theClassic range and newdesign for long-eared dogs. Ears fall to theoutsides of the bowl rather than inside keeping them clear of food and water.

Shortlisted

Zoon Treat &Seek Farm Friends. SmartGardenProducts Limited. RRP £9.99

Treat &Seek toysbring treat dispensing fun. Durable plush toysprovideamentally challenging treat puzzle and asqueakycuddle or fetch toy.Easytoclean and long-lasting

Black Midi Dog WalkingBag.Barking Bags. RRP £29.99

Barking Bags area solution to theproblem of howdog walkers carryessential items. Appealing to urban dog owners, the newstylish Midi Bag can be worn crossbody or as a bum bag

Camouflage Dog WalkingBag.Barking Bags. RRP £39.99

Inspired by youngBritish designers, Barking Bags havemesh pockets for waterbottles and soggy toys, apoo bagdispenser,asafeplacefor keys and mobile and more. May be worn crossbody or attached to abelt.

Harriet SoftHarness.Ditsy PetLtd.RRP £22.95

Exclusivefloral design made from soft neoprene with apadded inside mesh for extra comfort. Adjustable polyesterwebbing straps at twopoints. Quickdrying with matching collar,lead and poop bag holders.

Training Treats Jar -ZeroWasteShopping.Goodchap’s. RRP £2.20 per 100g

Large Training Treats Jar perfect for zero wasteshops and packaging free environments.

Filled with 80% fish and 20% potatofish-shapedtraining treats and 1200g refill packs available.

Harriet Dog Collar.Ditsy PetLtd.RRP £11.95

Exclusivefloral design. Made from hardwearing printed polyester webbing and with a padded neoprene handle for added comfortwhen walking.Quick drying with matching harness, collar and poop bag holder

Scruffs® Scandi Non TipPet Food &Water Bowl. Scruffs. RRP £16.99

Influenced by Nordic designs this non-tip shape bowl has clean, simple lines with aflared base.Made from heavystoneware ceramicit’sdesigned to prevent pets moving the bowl around when eating

Whitefish JerkyJar -ZeroWasteShopping.Goodchap’s. RRP £1.20 per 10g (roughly one chew)

Whitefish Jerkyina half gallon jarisfilled with 100% fish skin dog chews. Refill packs of 320g available. Extra-large refillable jars also available so youcan charge per cheworgram.

Eco Fetch. Goodchap’s. RRP £7.50

An eco-friendly alternativetoplastic ball throwers and tennis balls. Easy to throw, this 100% natural cotton rope toy is hand woveninSomerset using no harmful dyes, bleaches or glues.

Blue Diddy Dog walkingbag.Barking Bags. RRP £21.99

Suitable for urban walks and countryrambles, the Blue Diddy bag,issuper stylish and neat with room forkeys, mobiles and poo bag dispenser.The solution for carrying essential items without compromising on style.

Scruffs® Kensington BoxBed. Scruffs. RRP £124.99

With acontrasting and reversible centre cushion which accentuates the bed’sdetailing,the luxuriously finished Scruffs® Kensington BoxBed has deep side walls and high-sided rear offer the ideal pet resting environment.

Weenect GPS tracker forpets. Weenect. RRP £49.95

With almost eight-years-experiencedeveloping GPS trackers, French companyWeenect is an expertinthisfield. Its animal tracker has been updated to become lighter and haveeven greaterlocation precision.

Harriet Dog WasteBag Holder.Ditsy PetLtd.RRP £8.95

Exclusivedesign made from neoprene with zip opening at the back. Easily clips ontoalead or bag and can be refilled with standardsized poop bags.Matching harness, collar and leads available.

PARK LiFE Love-Bix RedBerries. PARK LiFE PET LIMITED.RRP £5.99

Heart-shaped cookieswithreal redberries and no added sugar.Seed based recipe and grain free, theycan even be eaten by humans. Perfect for selling in dog-friendly shops and cafes.

PARK LiFE Chill-Bix with Honey& Chamomile. PARK LiFE PET LIMITED.RRP £5.99 Star-shapedbiscuitswith honeyand chamomileand calming properties tohelp chill boisterous dogs. Seed-based recipe that’s100%natural.

PARK LiFE Milk Bones. PARK LiFE PET LIMITED.RRP £5.99(large).£3.99 (small) Long-lasting,bone-shaped chews relieve boredom for up to an hour.Made with lactosefree milk protein theyalso clean teeth and supportstrong muscles and bones.

Lateentries

Garden Decoration

ZenKojo,Wellbeing WaterFeature. Deco-Pak. Waterfeaturetochannel Eastern influences for acalming auraand tranquil experience. Mood lighting,growyour ownherb kit and scented waterfeaturecleaner included to stimulateall fivesenses.

Sisene TableLamp.SunTime. RRP £89.99

Cherrybulb system of 900 lumens and rechargeable with aUSB giving abattery life of up to 20 hours. Design is patented and the lamp can be remotecontrolled.

Garden Accessories Garden tools apron. Evercreatures.

One of three newdesigns marketed by Evercreatures for its garden ranges from Julie Dodsworth illustrations.

Garden Growing Containers

Home Garden Louis. Jagram SA.RRP £119

Elegant, light but solid timber planter for herbs and vegetables. Exceptional construction and smartdesign with 10-year guarantee.

Garden Leisure&Entertaining

Pelican on aPier.Juakali.

Made from sustainable materials, this elegant pelican decoration is perched upon apier

Master Armchair.SunTime.

UV resistant chair made from recycled materials and available in arange of colours. Made in Europe.

Palm Print Parasol. SunTime.

Multi-functional Parasol with crank and tilt functions plus on-trend palm print design available in twosizes, 2.7m and 3m. Material is resistant to UV50+.

Garden Tools &Machinery

EdgematePro.Vertak Mechanical.

Multi-functional sharpener for gardening and workshop toolssuch as an axeorchiselplus household items including bread knives. Easy to use, can sharpen almost any tool andcomes with interchangeable cartridges.

SOLEX

Best BBQ Product Winner

Flatdog.ProQBarbecues and Smokers.

Aportablegrill the same thicknessasalaptopwhen folded and ready to light in asecond. Unlikedisposable barbecues, the Flatdog can easily feed afamilytime and time again.

Second place

Pit Boss UltimateGriddle Series. Dansons. Innovation meets versatility with the UltimateGriddle by Pit Boss® Grills. Theyperfectly blend power, portability and precision to createa bigger,hotter and heavier outdoor cooking experience.

Thirdplace

Timberline. Traeger

The all-newwood pellet Timberline grills offer consistency, convenience andversatility while redefining what agrill can do.Pushing the limits of outdoor cooking, they bring people together to createwonderfully memorable meals.

AlfrescoVita Tutto. AlfrescoBrandsLtd.

Anew,innovativemulti fuelled (gas and wood)outdoor ovenfromAlfrescoBrands. Available in twosizes ready to launch intostores2023

Cabinex 6Burner Premium Outdoor Kitchen. BeefEater Europe.

This completeDIY outdoor kitchen includes the BeefEater Proline 6Burner BBQ,singledoor fridge, sink and tap,triple drawers and storage space. The outdoor kitchen platform can be used with other BBQ brands.

BeefEater 7000 Series Premium BBQ &Trolley. BeefEater Europe.

The newgeneration SignatureSeries BBQ including rear burner,hood lights, LED knobs, adjustable trolleystand andother high quality features.

PerformancePower Edition3.Char-Broil.

Infrared cookingtechnology with high performancesear burner and stainlesssteel emitter plates. Durable steel construction and porcelain enamelled cast Iron grates with five-year warranty and eco-friendly packaging

Airforce E-Cook 110cm BBQ With a58cm Induction Hob.DevineDistribution LTD.

With an all-electric system, the Airforce E-Cook is thefirst of its kind. Built to bring the kitchen outdoors it comes with a wide rangeofaccessories from spiceracks to knife blocks.

Airforce E-Cook BBQ With aTeppanyakiInduction Hob.DevineDistribution LTD.

The Airforce E-Cook canbeconfigured with either an induction or Teppanyaki cookingarea. Made from the highest quality marine steel and beech it features a weather coverand soft closedrawers.

Grillstream Classic 6Burner.LeisureGrow/Grillstream. The Classic 6Burner is Grillstream’snext generation BBQ

With acompletemodern redesign and functional outer body,italso boasts patented Grillstream technology and hybrid cooking(charcoal, gas or both).

Portable Charcoal Grill. Kamado Joe.

Providing the flavour of charcoal with the ease of agas grill on the go,the Portable Charcoal Grill has aSteadyTemp™ dial to maintain temperatureuptofour hours and easy folding with the QuickCollapse™.

Kettle Joe. Kamado Joe.

Kettle Joe® is a57cm kettle grill with ceramic features to improveheat retention, fuel efficiency and smoking ability

The 2-Tier Divide &Conquer® system means food can be cooked at different temperatures.

Katherine Wheel. Firepits UK.

Inspired by Spanish outdoor cooking, the Katherine Wheel collection features awheel mechanism to raiseand lower the grill plate. Made from British steel, theycan sit on a table or heat resistant work top.

Fryton. LANDMANN

TheFrytonisaninnovation that combines abarbecue with the flexibity of an air fryeroffering the ability to grill, fry and cook outside. It comes with acastirongrill and four burners.

Best Sustainable Product

Winner

Nassau Range. Lifestyle Garden @Scancom. Created using ethically recycled plastic, the Nassau collection of chairs and tables in arange of exciting colours is the outcome from along-term partnership with Social Plastic® and The Plastic Bank.

Second place

The Glowbus® Dewdropfire pit is made of corten steel which on average lasts eight times longer than regular steel. It’sbuilt with aperfect balanceofauthentic handicrafts and modern techniques.

Thirdplace Smokey OliveWood. Que Fresco.

The Smokey OliveWood range introduces Mediterranean aromas and flavour to barbequed food. All arebiproducts from,for example Ibericopig farming and oliveoil production and dried using solar power.

Geneva.Leisuregrow

The Geneva uses ECO-Coretechnology.Cushions arefilled with between 70% -100%recycled material, with each back cushion requiring around seven1-litre plasticbottles to makeenoughfilling for acomfortable, plump cushion Three-piecetool set. Tramontina.

This rustic style, long handled barbeque tool set comprising aknife,forkand tongs has wooden handles madefromFSC certified wood,which areergonomically designed forboth comfortand safety

Best FurnitureProduct Winner

Garden Bar and TwoStool Set. Zest.

The perfect party pieceand ideal forlarge or small outdoor places. Innovativeand versatile, it’sstorage doors open to become acounter topwhile hinged doors reveal a drinks cabinet with shelving

Second place

Height Adjustable Extending Table. Innovators International Ltd.

The Innovators ceramictiletop,height adjustable can be used for dining or loweredbypressingthe easy-to-use levertobecome a coffee table. It can also be extended to createextra space.

Thirdplace

OctoSun Lounger.Tramontina United Kingdom Ltd.

In fivecolours, the stylish and versatile OctoSun Lounger creates striking and comfortable areas. Mix and match with the Casa Delta rangefor balcony,patio,garden or commercial settings.

Knightsbridge. A.Mir &Co.

Acorner lounging set, for up to six people, designed for comfort. Waterand stainresistant cushions sit atop a lightweight but strong aluminium frame which is naturally rustproof and fully recyclable.

Monterey Adjustable Firepit Table. Bramblecrest.

The adjustable height dining firepit table

ers more versatility than its ‘fixed’ height predecessor.Perfect for dining or informal drinks, it can be used for cooking, enhancing ambienceorextending outdoor evenings

BTable. Extreme Lounging.

The Btable is the perfect side table with amultifunctional topthatcan be used as atable or taken o

to become a tray.Itiscompatible in all weather and situations.

Flamingo 2Seat Sofaset. Glencrest Seatex Limited (Katie Blake).

Every chairinthe Flamingo range reclines including dining chairs and two-seat sofas that double as sunbathing recliners. High quality,innovativeset designed by Katie Blakecapable of withstanding the British weather

Chatsworth Royal. KatieBlake(Glencrest Seatex).

The Chatsworth design with aluminium frame in creamy coloured weavehas been designed by theKatie Blaketeam. Competitively priced. Sew-in labelling has been produced from recycled polythene bags.

Ibiza Endless Modular Lounge Set. Hartman.

Venice. Leisuregrow

Venice by LG Outdoors is anew range of contemporary lightweight aluminium furniture, featuring teak-effect tabletops and EcoCorepolyester fibre.

Risha 6Seat Dining Set with Superstone Tabletop. SupremoLtd.

The Risha Dining Range, with its modern, curvedlines, is made from responsibly sourcedeucalyptus and astrong inneraluminium frame encased in recycled, marine grade rope.Exceptionalability to handle all-weather conditions

Zest Olivia Bench. Zest.

The contemporaryOlivia Bench looks at home in any garden. Robust and sturdy with an angled topsection to the front legs. Simple to build from FSCcertified sustainable slowgrown soft wood

Zest FreyaSeating and Dining Range. Zest.

The Freyapresents anew aesthetic with alternatewidth wooden slats cleverly spaced for acomfortable, ergonomic seating shape. The extended high back improvessupport adding asense of drama to outdoor dining

Zest Curved Bench Seat. Zest. Curved bench designed for informal, everyday use. The kidneyshapedseat is perfect for sitting around afire pit or and it can stand end-to-end with another for a serpentine arrangement.

Zest CherryBlossom Bench. Zest. Inspired by Japanese architectureand beautifully crafted to bring an oriental feel to thegarden, the newCherryBlossom Bench from Zest is functional, elegant and absolutely on trend.

Best Individual Product Winner

El Fuego Firepit. TheCropCandle Company. Green alternativetoconventional firepits burning 100% eco-friendly vegetable wax producing alarge, hypnotic and therapeutic flame. Smokelessand with aburn time of eight hours, it’sideal for urban gardens.

Second place

Spin Lantern. Ginique. Forhome and garden, the Spin Lantern, poweredby

bioethanol fuel, produces awarm dancing flame inside aglasstube. Its surrounding baffles circulatethe air enhancing and drawing the flame upwards.

Thirdplace

Beer Barrell &Pizza Oven. Tramontina.

Combining the passion and tradition of barbequing with contemporaryelementsand efficiency, Tramontina has re-invented the Beer Barrel Grill. Professional grade designed to be easy for beginners and exceptional for chefs

Sirius Fire Pit. GardecoLtd.

Anew firepit design from Gardeco, the Sirius comesinsix bright pastel colours. Inspired by mid-20thcenturyretro furnitureand appliancedesigns, the Sirius offers acurved, soft and gentle style.

Stella Chimanea. GardecoLtd

Anew chimenea design from Gardecoavailable in achoice of six bright pastel colours. Inspired by mid-20th Century retrofurnitureand appliancedesigns, the Stella offers a curved, soft and gentle style.

Casa Mia TempoChiminea. Leisuregrow. Elegant Casa Mia Tempo Chimineas aremulti-use gas poweredoffering alow maintenance, easy to clean heating system.

Casa Mia Pizza Oven. Leisuregrow

Cooking pizzas to perfection, the rangeofCasa Mia Pizza Ovens incorporates aU-shaped gas burner system, which combined with aceramic stone, disperses heat evenly.Variable gas control.

EndersFlame Heater.Lifestyle Appliances.

Combining the bespokebeauty of aliving flame with warmth. The fuel efficienteco burner in the Enders heater is easy to light while LED mood lighting enhances the atmosphere.

Parasol Umbrella. MercerAgencies.

Aluminium garden parasol umbrella with bistrobar roundtable and crank and tilt functionality can be used as astandalone parasol. It’s38mm pole fits most standardtables and bases.

SquareGriddle Pan. Tramontina.

From healthy stir-fry’stosumptuous curries this 27cm cast iron squaregriddle pan with a2.2L capacity,features an ergonomic handle with hanging hole, helper handle and twopouring lips.

Change

Weare just emerging from the havoc the Covid 19 pandemic wrought, only to head intothe eyeofanother storm, as we face a cost-of-living crisis. The papers arespouting doom and gloom but, beforeI get toocaught up in that, Iamremindedofthe millions of people who turned to their gardens for sanctuaryduringlockdown and can’thelpbut feel the latest challenge couldwelloffer newopportunities forthe garden industry.

We welcomed an army of three million newgardeners during the pandemic, which helped to keep garden centres’tills ringing at atime when many businesses floundered. The wellbeing and health benefits associated with gardening were already well documented but the trend for people upping toolsaccelerated massively through lockdown, as people sought refuge from uncertainty in the world and created ahaven in their outdoor space. This did absolutewonders for our industry, although we couldcertainly have done without the supply chain issues! Lookingatthe turmoil theGreat British public is facing now, the optimist in me has astrong feeling thereisstill potential for our sector to do well. Yes, therewill be asqueezeonhousehold finances but what stands us in good stead is that gardening is arelatively inexpensivehobby. Plus, if people arecutting back on going out to eatorheading off on expensiveholidays, they will want home comforts and to enjoybeing in theirspaceasmuch as possible, which is whereareas, likegrow-your-own, may well come intotheir own.

In arecentseminar forGIMAmembers, leading trend expert, Scarlet Opus discussedhow the departureofthe pandemicismakingway for other mounting personal and societal concerns, including fears about climatechange, losing personal freedoms, inequalityand discrimination,job securityand, of course, the cost-of-living crisis. People aregoing to need reassuranceduring thistime, with gardens andoutdoor areas providing theperfect opportunitytoexploreand experiment with planting andspace, while allowingthem to be more adventurous andcelebratetheir personality andlifestyle. Expertsalsopredict more collaborative and community-minded thinking,aspeoplewillincreasingly need to

feelinvolvedand part of something. This desiretoreconnect withone another is expectedtoresultina host of newcommunity gardensand shared allotment plots. On topofthat,areallyencouraging stat Iheardrecently wasthat63% of consumers say spending time gardening makes themhappy, somethingweall knowtobetrue from botha mental andphysical wellbeing standpoint. If we canfullycommunicatethese benefits to consumers,who areseekingthings that bring joyduringtumultuous times, thenitdoes seem as though there is unrivalledpotential to seethemheading straighttotheir localgardencentre

I’ve talkedabout the potential –and it is there–but we mustn’tbe complacent.These opportunitieswon’t just fall into ourlaps. Consumers arespoiled for choice with waystospendtheirtimeand money, and if we,asanindustry,want to winthat disposable income, we need to work twice as hard to benefit.

As Iwritethis, we areincountdown mode for our annual GIMA Awards, wherewewill celebrateawealth of innovation from our members, along with their commitment to customers. So much of the innovation we will be celebrating will serve to boost consumer confidence, as theyturn to their gardens onceagainasaretreat, including those products that look to minimise environmental impact or offer waterand cost-saving benefits. It’s an exciting prospect to see the garden retail sector leadingthe way with such innovation and Iknowsomuchmoreisforthcoming Ican assureyou that, no matter what the next fewyears hold for us, commitment from our members will remainand we will endeavour to help drivesales for retailersinthe garden sector and takeadvantage of any, and all, of the opportunities that present themselves.

Getting horticulturetothe centre of government planning

verthe last threeyearsI have discoveredthe work of the Ornamental Horticulture RoundtableGroup (OHRG) –something Iknewlittle about before becomingPresidentofthe HTA. It wasno surprisethenthat when Irecently became the OHRGChair themost frequent question from friendsand colleagues (sometimes oneand the same!) was: “What‘s that?”

The OHRG is agroup of horticultural

organisations, including theRHS,British Association of Landscape Industries(BALI), HTA, Arboricultural Association (AA),and theNFU,whichhavecome togetherto champion thevalueofthe UK’s ornamental horticulture and landscapingindustry. The aimistodemonstratethat the benefits and opportunitiesarising from supporting horticulturealign with the government’s strategic objectives and DEFRA’s

departmental priorities.

Until recently,ornamental horticulture and landscapinghavebeenhugely undervalued andregularlymisunderstood.Asthe original ‘green economy’industry, the OHRG aims to demonstrate howour industrycan contribute to numerous government objectives including fulfilling its25YearEnvironment Plan, achievingambitious climate change targets, and‘building back greener’. Almost every

industryinthe world is looking to find ways to reduce theimpact it hasonthe planet. Horticultureisina uniqueposition, in my opinion, in that what we do improvesthe planet. Everyone in this countryrealized the valueofplantsand even the smallestoutdoor space duringlockdown. This wasespecially demonstrated with thereopeningofgarden centres andtheir subsequent ‘essential’ status. Ourchallenge nowistoensure theincredibly important role ourindustry hasplayedoverthe last fewyears, is not forgotten overthe next fewyears.Ours is a vital industry and we needtospeakabout that loud andclear

Huge potential for growth

Howbig couldour industry be?Pre-pandemic it wascalculated thatthe UK’s ornamental horticultureand landscapingindustrywas predicted to grow to almost £42 billionin 2030.When comparedtothe £28.8 billion from ourlast‘normal’ year,2019, it’s clear we are- pun intended -aconstantlygrowing industry. Aside from all theenvironmental benefits, ourindustrycouldcontribute up to £8.7 billion in predicted UK taxrevenues by 2030,upfrom£6.3 billionin2019. Thenumber of jobs acrossthe countrysupported by the industryalsohas thepotentialtoincrease from 674,200 in 2019 to 763,000 in 2030 Notonly arethese numbers important for our industry and thepeople who work in it, but it is also important for this new governmentthat is so focused on generating sizable economic growth

Collaboration is vital

Helping DEFRAreach its goals

DEFRA’s25Year Environment Plan established ambitiousgoals to improvethe natural environment. Its priority is to ‘furtherembed environment intowider policydevelopment anddepartmental planning’. This is great news forevery sector of our industry.Tohelp it on itsjourney the OHRG hasfour sub-committeestaking forwardits priority areas of activity.

Research& Development.Chair, AlistairGriffiths, RHSDirector of Scienceand Collections.Looking to establisha more proportionate plant health regulatoryregime for plants and seeds imports, and aplant health agreement with the EU forexports, andseeking acoordinatedresearch anddevelopment plan, including match funding, to deliverindustry growth.

Education &Employment. Chair, Martin Emmett, Director of Tristram Plants (partofFarplants)and Chairofthe NFUHorticulture and Potatoes Board.Increasing the flow of horticultural knowledge and enthusiasmand looking forevery opportunity to ensurethe 100,000+ increase in workforce is achieved at the earliest opportunitybyworking with DEFRAand departmentssuchas theDepartment forWork &Pensions. Lobbyingfor theadditional seasonal workersthis year wassuccessful and very muchdowntoMartin’s determination.

Planning &Infrastructure. Chair,

£8.7bn

in predicted UK tax revenues by 2030 onlineevent. Sadly,onlyfive ‘traditional’ garden centre/ retailnurseryoperators

turned up.Without strong representation theteamat

Wayne Grills, BALI Chief Executive Working with government and plannerstoresearchbest practice on greenspace design to ensureour landscape is agreen one. Pushing forthe ‘regreening’ of urban areas and the incorporation of more community greenspaces within theurban planning process and establishing strategiestowards simplifying waterabstraction, particularly afterthis summerwhich highlighted the challenges our countryfaces.

TheCommercial Committee. Chair, James Barnes,HTA Chair.Acting as thebridgebetween DEFRAand industrytomobiliseconsumersand businesses to backenvironmentalbased initiatives, including social prescribingschemes. Continuing to work with government to establisha pragmaticsolution to the post-Brexit trade regime andensure ourindustry has access to businessimprovement funds such as environmental land management schemes andthe Farming Investment Fund.

In short,byworking together, the OHRG cansupport DEFRA in meeting its overarching priorities: improving and protectingthe environment and growing athriving green economy.But howdoyou play your part? Consultation is atwo-way process. DEFRA has an open approach to support the decisions it is tasked with making. It is imperativethat we all speakupwhenthe opportunitypresents itself.I attended a retailermeetingrecently,hostedbyDEFRA, to discuss the potentialimpacts of the incomingpeatlegislation.Many garden retailers, including thesupermarkets and big boxoperators, were invited to the meeting –itwas availableasbothanin-person and

DEFRA will only be left with one conclusion…weare happy to let them make the decisions. Theywant to hearfrom theindustry, they areinvesting significant time in consultations so we need to playour part and shareour thoughts

As thenew Chair, one of thevital things I need to do is keep theindustryinformed of severalthings. What it has achieved, what we wantittoachieveand whatyou can do to play your part.I have already talked of the need for youtocollaboratewithDEFRA;what Ialso ask is that youlook forevery opportunity to talk with decision makers and influencers at alocal level. School teacherscould be doingmoreto explain to their pupils the benefits of working in ourindustry. Areyou reachingout to them

and offeringworkplaceopportunities, or did H&Ssay ‘too much hassle!’? Local planners and developers arebeing encouragedfrom on high to greenBritain,one plant at atime, butare youthrowing openyour doors and makingyourknowledge available? Themass plantings of berberis andvinca maynot be themost exciting –sohelp designers by inviting them into your businesstodiscover thevast array of plantsyou sell.

Find out more

TheOHRGismade up of volunteers, seeking to ensurehorticulture flourishes forgenerations to come.Weseek your supportand, hopefully,approval but most importantly,wewant your input and feedback. Iwillupdateyou through GTNon aregular basis but in the meantime don’t hesitatetoemail me. choyp16@hotmail.com