Rumours circulating in the garden industry today that Nicholas Marshall had left his job as CEO of Dobbies have proved be unfounded although two of his senior team – Lorrie Robertson and Andrew West – have left the company. Commuting to Edinburgh has been given as the reason for their decision to leave.

In a statement issued late this afternoon, the company said:

"Dobbies today announced a re-shuffle in some of its senior leadership positions. Graeme Jenkins is to become Chief Operating Officer, in addition to his present role as Chief Financial Officer. Graeme replaces Lorrie Robertson, who has left the Company.

"Marcus Eyles, currently head of online and horticulture, will take the role of Purchasing Director, replacing Andrew West, who has also left the Company for personal travel-related reasons.

"Dobbies congratulated Graeme and Marcus on their new roles.

"Nicholas Marshall, who was appointed CEO at the 35-centre chain, remains Chief Executive."

Nicholas Marshall took over at the top of Dobbies in March last year and within months of his arrival he had put together a team full of former colleagues.

In an interview with GTN last November Marshall said: “The theme here before I arrived was a pound shop. Actually it was worse than that – they had some things that cynical retailers would sell. In the DIY industry they go to China, they buy cheap products, bring it over here, put it at a price which is ridiculous and then they half-price it and people say what a good bargain, and it isn’t. Do we like garish, no.”

Venanpri Tools, the Hand Tools division of Venanpri Group and owner of the Bellota and Corona brands, announced yesterday (Thursday) it has acquired Burgon & Ball Limited. The terms of the transaction were not disclosed.

Headquartered in Sheffield, England – where it can trace its roots back to 1730 – and supported by a sales and marketing office in Poole, Dorset, Burgon & Ball’s products are primarily sold through garden centres and other fine retailers in the U.K., Europe and other countries around the world.

“Burgon & Ball has a remarkable legacy and has built an impressive reputation based on its high-quality products and customer service, which has led to strong growth and established the company as a market-leader in many of its segments,” said Cristobal Valdes, President of Venanpri Tools.

“We’re very excited to partner with the Burgon & Ball team to grow the company both domestically and internationally in the years to come.”

Heather Culpan, Managing Director of Burgon & Ball added, “The success of Burgon & Ball has been built on its commitment to the creation of design and function-led products with enhanced customer appeal and drawing on its Sheffield heritage.

“I am confident that the company will continue to progress through seizing new product and investment opportunities and synergy with the Corona and Bellota businesses.”

Venanpri Group is a global organization with two divisions (Tools and AgriSolutions) and more than 1,400 employees.

Venanpri Tools produces and distributes thousands of manual hand tool products, including pruning tools, shovels, masonry trowels, machetes, files and hoes (among many others) for professional and consumer use in the agricultural, gardening, construction, and industrial segments.

Venanpri Tools sells its products under the well-recognized brands of Bellota and Corona. Venanpri Tools sells in more than 80 countries and has manufacturing and distribution facilities in the U.S.A., Spain, Mexico, and Colombia; sales offices in more than 20 countries.

Venanpri AgriSolutions is the global market leader in the manufacturing of consumable wear components (including discs, coulters, sweeps, openers, tines, springs and blades) that are embedded into soil preparation and seeding implements such as plows, disc harrows, sugar cane harvesters, and planting/seeding machines.

AgriSolutions’ products are high precision wear components, selling under widely recognized brands including Ingersoll, Bellota, Solbjerg and Rozalma as well as the brands of its OEM customers for both new equipment and the aftermarket.

For more information on Burgon & Ball, visit its website at www.burgonandball.com.

Wyevale Garden Centres have revealed that challenging trading conditions have forced them to review their structure at head office with the risk of job losses.

GTN Xtra contacted the garden centre group after being tipped off that at least 40 jobs were are risk.

A Wyevale Garden Centre spokesperson said: “We have recently reviewed our head office structure to ensure it is appropriate for the long term and continues to support our business plans.  

“The challenging trading conditions make it even more important that we are focused on the right areas to deliver for our customers.

“Following the review, we have informed colleagues that we are making changes to the CSC structure. As a result, some colleagues will be redeployed into new roles and we also expect there to be a reduction in headcount.

“We are in consultation at present with those colleagues who are impacted and our focus is on ensuring they remain well supported during this process.”

The votes are being counted and the judges meeting to decide who will be the winners in GTN's Greatest Christmas Awards, sponsored by Gardman, ready for the announcement and presentation of awards at a special Greatest Awards Winners Breakfast Reception on Tuesday 6th February in Hall 3 as part of Glee@Spring Fair.

All of the nominated Christmas Teams and all of the winning teams from The Greatest Awards during 2017 are invited to join us at the Glee@Spring Fair Cafe in Hall 3 at 9:00am for a breakfast reception and the presentation of GTN's Greatest Christmas Awards, sponsored by Gardman, for 2017.

In this special issue we've included as many of the photo tours from the judges visits during the Christmas period as we can.  There will be more published later this month.  We hope they give you plenty of ideas and inspiration as you start to plan and buy your Christmas for 2018.

Ho, ho, ho!  See you on Tuesday 6th February at Glee@Spring Fair.

Click here to read a special Greatest Christmas Awards Special edition of GTN Xtra, sponsored by Gardman

Leading indoor pot suppliers Ivyline have announced their first tie-up with the garden Industry charity Greenfingers.

Ivyline’s UK and Ireland Sales Manager James Brindle visited Greenfingers Head Office to have tea with Linda Petrons, Greenfingers Head of Fundraising & Communications, ahead of the January launch.

“Greenfingers are a fantastic charity, working to bring beautiful gardens to children and their families at hospices around the country”, says James “and Ivyline are supporting the charity with their new Happiness Teacups, a set of two, fun, three pack tea cups perfect for herb or cacti planting.”

“Having launched the Greenfingers Charity Garden Teaparty FUNdraiser in 2017, we are thrilled that Ivyline have chosen to support us with this new range of Teacups.  We are sure that through the money raised by Ivyline, much “happiness” will continue to be spread amongst the many children and families who spend time in Greenfingers gardens right across the UK”, says Linda.  

Ivyline are donating 25p from all sales of the Happiness Teacups to the Charity and with pre-booked sales way ahead of expectation and large Garden centre groups signing up, “all is looking very, very positive”, say James.

Please contact your Ivyline Agent for further information or contact Ivyline direct on 0844 8002214 or on sales@ivylinegb.co.uk

UK garden centres have experienced a challenging Christmas trading period, according to a survey carried out by GTN Xtra, with the wintry weather making life difficult in some areas of the country.

We’ve been asking centres up and down the country for their verdict on sales of Christmas products. Here’s a selection of comments we received:

Matthew Bent, Bents Garden and Home

"I think the industry and retail as a whole found Christmas 2017 quite challenging and we were no exception, finishing the period slightly down on target."

"Our very own Bents Bear was top of our bestsellers this year, making this year's addition to the collection one of the most popular ever.

"We didn't really see any great benefit of the 'extra' week in the run up to Christmas.

"As usual our Christmas events proved very popular. Customers enjoyed our new format masterclass evenings and our new Winter Food Market generated some very positive feedback. The only event which was slightly down on previous years was our Festive Family Fun Weekend, which was directly affected by snowy and icy weather conditions.

"There was no increase on Christmas trees on previous years but plant sales were 5% up."

Andy Bunker, Alton Garden Centre

“It’s not a year that will go down in history. Anyone who has done very well has either only recently jumped on the Christmas bandwagon, invested in the category or changed their offer.

“Christmas was down around just shy of 10% with us, mainly due to November being -15% in the end – this would be mainly real trees, lighting and artificial trees.

“There were no real bestselling lines, although outside fresh locally made door rings went well – up about 25% on 2016 but nothing to write home about.

“The extra week had no effect apart from probably increasing the grotto footfall.

The grotto was up around 10% and our preview night was a big success. Our  BBQs night in December was also very well received.

“There was no real buzz about real trees this year with sales overall disappointing for us. Looking around at other tree retailers, there was a lot of stock sitting around even on December 21-22.

“Plants followed the poor weather and sales were nothing special although the Farplants added-value was very good. The team at Farplants put together a nice range and some fairly good price points.”

Jane Parsons, Chessington Garden Centre

“It felt like a difficult year, with a good start and then a slow November, which meant all the focus fell into December.

“We have had some changes occur through this period which put added pressure onto the shop-floor team who pulled together and worked well as a team.

“Our Christmas events were slightly down, but we still had in excess of 22,000 through the grotto.

“We’re already starting on this year's Christmas and looking forward to Harrogate.”

Sarah Squire, Squire’s Garden Centres

“My personal view on Christmas is that it is now a mature part of our mix and, as such, we cannot expect the levels of growth we have seen in previous years. “There is also, I think, much greater competition from on-line retailers and supermarkets. So whereas garden centres had the market place reasonably unchallenged, it is now a far more crowded space.

“We need to explain to the customer the advantages of good (free) parking, our diverse product range and our catering which add up to solve many of their Christmas shopping dilemmas under one roof and can make the shopping experience a pleasurable one rather than a chore.

“It is also increasingly important to keep an eye out for new and different product to differentiate us from the online and supermarket offer and each other.

“Christmas as a category was broadly flat year on year, taking into account the temporary closure of Woking and some shifts in and out of the category definition.  As a trading period (month of December), we were up marginally without Woking so would have been about 2% up with Woking.  This was driven by ATV rather than footfall.

“The full week and weekend before Christmas seems to have worked OK for us but we can't see a dramatic sales/footfall effect.

“Events were well up on last year, with four circuses rather than two and 33k tickets against 13k tickets.

“In December, real trees were up about 2% – without Woking – and 5% like for like.  House plants were flat year on year, like for like.”

Simon Bourne, Perrywood Garden Centre

“Christmas was down slightly (maybe 6%) but we've had far less to discount so higher margin overall.

“Indoor plants were really strong (who gives a cactus as a Christmas present?), Outdoor plants strong up until colder weather in last week. Real tree sales good but not exceptional.”

Neil Gow, Fresh @ Burcot

"We were running very nicely – up approx 8% – in October and slightly more (10%) in November. December got off to a flying start, then it snowed - you saw it! The last of the snow finally went from our site on the 30th December - we had a white Christmas

"Fresh trees were our bestsellers -especially in the 5ft-7ft range in Noble, Nordmann and Fraser, plus Poinsettias.

"Christmas is getting more compressed. It kicks in later but also finishes that bit earlier other than the last minute stuff like fresh foods, foliage and plants. We were busier
than we expected in those last four or 5 days, but it's difficult to say how much of that was: people coming out again after the worst of the weather; the additional effort we had put into 'fresh'; or the 'extra' week.

"All our Christmas events were very successful, and up on last year in terms of numbers of events and those attending.

"Sales of Christmas tree were fantastic! We sold every tree we could get our hands on and now they are coming back for recycling we are getting the best feedback on quality we have ever had. One customer commented today: 'First fresh tree for 15 years and this one has shed less needles than our artificial one last year!'.

"Plant sales again good, both indoor and out. Struggled to keep up with planting containers, especially outdoor ones and pretty well sold out of everything. Missed some sales on some sizes and colours of Points in the last couple of days as we had sold through. As near to zero waste as we have ever managed.

"We lost a few key week's worth of sales because of the snow, but will probably have had our most profitable Christmas season ever when we do the final figures!"

Yvonne Ritchie, Brechin Castle Centre

"Our Christmas was slightly up on last year – fresh trees slightly down, artificial slightly up.

"The 3D glasses with reindeer and snowmen on them were very popular  – £2.99 retail – also named gifts, and anything with dog breeds, slippers, hats and gloves were popular. Clothing is my best overall category.

"The more unusual Christmas items, no matter what the price tag was, have proved exceptionally popular. Sourcing these has proved difficult but I am heading to Frankfurt this year as I have found a particular company we do well with. Both this year and last year the stock has sold out with customers not minding the hefty price tag – £600-£1000 in some cases for the larger very unusual products.

"Interestingly our plant sales were well up, and we missed opportunities as normally we don't focus on plants. The sales sneaked up on us almost unnoticed but that was a lesson learned. I have no idea what made them have such an appeal this year in comparison to others. The Poinsettias from Pentland Plants were stunning and exceptional. This year we will focus on more gift packaged (in house) plants, and bring outside plants in so we can make more of them.

"Our Diamond Gardner (club) event was slightly up overall.

"But retail bricks and mortar is concerning me, particularly as I am such a huge online shopper now. I can see some of our categories affected by this. I think artificial trees will be a big thing for people buying online. The public don't care the same way that the retailer does about the quality of the tree, as long as the size and colour is right, and they don't have to carry it home."

Andrew Wood, Silverbirch Garden Centre

"Our Christmas sales this year were up. Our bestselling line would be difficult to say, however lighting in general sold really well for us this year.

"The candle jewellery from Culinarily Concepts was a great seller.

"Because footfall was up massively our plant and real Christmas tree sales were up too. On a whole it's been a great season for us."

James Ducker, Langlands Garden Centre

"Shiptonthorpe was slightly up about 1%, Leeds and Sheffield both 1% down.
"We did really well with artificial trees and garlands and lights. Suki Personalised Angels and Santas were top selling lines.
"Santa's arrival in Shiptonthorpe was very poorly attended this year and we are not sure why. However, breakfasts and suppers with Santas were the busiest ever.
"Real Christmas tree sales were up in Shiptonthorpe but static in Leeds and Sheffield."

Jack Gates, Gates Garden Centre

"Christmas was up for us in all three months but overall up by 15% so a very good Christmas trade.

"The best selling line was Premier Oblong water spinners.

"The extra full week did help trading as we managed to recover from loss of sales from the snow and we managed to finish the month up despite going into that week down.

"We built a new purpose built grotto this year so we were a weekend later opening due to being behind on schedule but overall numbers were up by 20% even in the shorter time period – 7,500 children. We are going to open at the start of November next year.

"Our real tree and plant sales were pretty much static compared to a year before which surprises me due to the number of artificials we are selling. We don't sell as many cut trees as we used to years ago.

Adam Wigglesworth, Aylett Nurseries

"November in all departments was strong – houseplants were up 20%.

"For the period October, November and December, Christmas departments were up by 14% – houseplants +8%, Christmas trees -6%.

"Trade for the week before Christmas was better than the same days last year but it is historically a low trading week for us because customers are out food shopping."

Justin Williams, Fron Goch

"Christmas ended up 12% up on last year. The full week before Christmas was about 10% up and last week (December 31-January 6) was well up on last year as all the schools were off which helped restaurant, clothing and general winter sale items.
"The Premier water spinners (glitter lantern) were a new winner this year. House plants were 5% up and real trees 2% down.
"We don't do a grotto but Breakfast with Santa was down as kids were at school right up until Christmas, so fewer slots available this year."

Alistair Jackson, Poplars

"Our Christmas sales were up on last year even though we lost one of the busiest Sundays due to making the decision not to open due to snow. This also affected the customer numbers for the Monday and Tuesday.

"There is a certain breed of customer that wants to be in the department and buying as soon as it opens and this year’s early sales showed this. Unfortunately there is the other breed of customer that will make you fully aware of their disgust due to seeing signs of Christmas before they’re ready. But like I point out to those customers we’re a business and if it gets the tills ringing then so be it.

"It was our first year selling the Suki named snowman, I think if we’re talking sales per sq ft then this product would be a clear winner. We also had an excellent second season selling the Konstsmide water filled lit lantern selling approximately 400 at £19.99 each. We sold out in the first week of December.

"We experienced excellent sales in the final week before Christmas in all departments but especially in our restaurant. Our Christmas Eve ‘'Pimp Up Your Pancake'’ breakfast event was a great success.

"Grotto numbers were up even though we couldn’t operate on Snow Sunday with approximate numbers of 2,000 children over a 13 day operating period.

"Real tree sales and plant sales were on a par with last year. I feel there is no growth to be had in the real tree market – we just make sure we maintain excellent margins on this product."

Conna Powles, Haskins Garden Centres

"Taking Christmas from October 1st, sales were +8%, having increased space in one of our centres and reviewed the weaker areas from last year. However,  we felt that shoppers were buying earlier, having been influenced by Black Friday (or Black Fortnight as it has now become), as it tailed off in December.
"One of the bestselling lines was microlights, which did really well, unfortunately to the detriment of core lighting. 
"We don't really do Christmas events as the restaurants drive enough footfall for us.

"With regard to Christmas tree sales, this is always a tricky one as we are usually up and down on either live or artificial but this year was more positive on both. Live trees were up 3.5%."

If you'd like to add your comments please use the Comments link below or e-mail trevor.pfeiffer@tgcmc.co.uk

Farplants’ 2017 Christmas campaign has seen a 68% increase in sales over November and December. The West Sussex plant wholesaler introduced 11 new ranges this year, which includes for the first time, pot grown Christmas trees.

The Farplants Christmas selection combined 2017’s must-have trends with traditional favourites, to provide an extensive collection to entice festive shoppers.

Brett Avery, Farplants Sales Ltd Managing Director, is delighted with the response to their new Christmas offering.

“Our new and extended collection has resulted in unprecedented sales growth for Christmas.

While traditional favourites continue to be essential, contemporary designs with the latest colours and textures have proved very popular. New for 2017, the Nordic woodland range combines the popular Scandi style with stunning winter plants for a sophisticated festive display.

Christmas is an incredibly important retail opportunity for garden retailers, we’re delighted to be able to continually bring them the very best quality and new designs.”

Brand new for 2017, Farplants’ added UK pot grown trees to their offering. The Christmas trees are grown in pots and sunk in the ground. This ensures the roots are intact and gives them the best chance of growth at home.

Farplants’ extended festive range was showcased at this year’s Four Oaks sand Glee trade shows, where garden retailers could see first-hand the new formats and planting mixes.  

The collections are designed in-house by the Farplants added value team, who continually review the latest trends to create appealing new seasonal ranges for garden retailers.

Following on from the success of Christmas, the Farplants’ Mother’s Day and Easter planted container collections are full of new ranges, available from late January.

Tildenet has announced it has acquired the specialist textiles and netting supplier Fleximas.

As a long established, family run company, the Fleximas ethos mirrors that of Tildenet, with great service and customer care at the forefront of the business.

Customers of both companies will be able to benefit from the increased breadth of range Tildenet are now able to offer across the whole market and the synergies of the two businesses operating from state of the art facilities in Bristol, which will help ensure a seamless transition and improved service levels.

Andrew Downey, Tildenet MD, said: "Fleximas has been established for over 40 years and are a very well-known and respected name within the industry making them a perfect fit for Tildenet and our expanding business.

"The increased product range and depth of knowledge that come with an acquisition like this will be a huge benefit for our customers and I am sure we will have some very exciting times ahead opening lots more doors to new markets.

"We welcome Sarah Hendon to the Tildenet Group and her vast experience will help ensure continuity from day one."

Sarah Hendon, Fleximas, said: "We are delighted to be part of the Tildenet Group at such an exciting time in their growth and I am looking forward to working with their talented teams and the opportunities that this move will bring to our customers."

This acquisition signals that 2018 will be another year of significant growth for the Tildenet Group which has recently made a further six-figure investment in its operations infrastructure as part of a sustained programme of modernisation and development across the whole business.

For enquiries about Tildenet and Fleximas products email info@tildenet.co.uk or call 0117 966 9684.

Each year we endeavour to be better, eat better and exercise better. Make this the year you succeed by signing up to one of the Garden Re-Leaf challenges to raise money for Greenfingers Charity.

Shed those festive pounds by signing up for the Garden Re-Leaf Day Walk which will take place on Friday 16th March starting from Wyevale’s World’s End Garden Centre, Buckinghamshire. You can either take a gentle 10-mile stroll, or complete a more challenging 20-mile route through the Chilterns which is the ideal way to get in shape following the Christmas break.

The popular Plantathon will return with Greenfingers calling for garden retailers across the country to pot up as many plants as possible.  This year the time frame to plant as many pots as possible will be 12 hours and promises to be a popular event.

Where does the Garden Re-Leaf money go?

In July 2011, Hillview Garden Store CEO, Boyd Douglas-Davies announced the inaugural Garden Re-Leaf Day at the Garden Retail Awards in London.  Now in its seventh year, Garden Re-Leaf Day is the biggest charity fundraiser in the garden industry’s calendar and has raised over £500,000.

Positioned as the garden industry’s answer to Comic Relief and Sports Relief, the aim of Garden Re-Leaf Day was to celebrate the start of the garden year with fundraising events to raise money for Greenfingers, a charity dedicated to improving the lives of children in hospices through the creation of magical gardens.

For the garden industry, the day creates valuable team building opportunities and brings more shoppers into garden centres earlier to extend the peak Spring season. Garden centre managers, staff and other industry professionals tirelessly set up fun and exciting ways to not only raise money for Greenfingers, but also to promote gardening as an enjoyable pastime.

But where do these vital funds go?  Most will already be aware that the money raised is used to build Greenfingers hospice gardens which enable children and their families to enjoy special time together outside enjoying the therapeutic benefits of nature, and away from the bedside. 

Greenfingers work exclusively with each hospice to come up with a unique design that suits the needs of the children and families they care for.  Each garden is created with top industry designers and landscapers, as well as help from the local community, volunteers and gardening clubs.

In total, 53 Greenfingers gardens have been built since the charity’s creation in 1998 with many being funded by monies from Garden Re-Leaf Day.  The inaugural Garden Re-Leaf Day in 2012 raised more than £55,000 for Greenfingers, helping a specially designed, family garden to be built at both Robin House Children’s Hospice in West Dunbartonshire, and Donna Louise Children’s Hospice in Stoke-on-Trent.  In 2017, two new gardens were opened – the new Kaleidoscope Garden at Helen & Douglas House in Oxford, which features a colourful and protected garden pavilion that is being enjoyed by patients, their families and hard-working hospice staff.

The Courtyard Garden at Keech Hospice Care in Luton was officially opened by garden designer and Greenfingers Ambassador Adam Frost and featured a multi-coloured soft, but durable, flooring in swirling shapes and will be well used by families who are now able to enjoy mealtimes and activities outside in this new bright and sheltered courtyard.

The most recent Greenfingers garden was started in October by landscaper and designer Jody Lidgard of Bespoke Outdoor Spaces. The pirate themed garden is being built at St Andrew’s Hospice in Grimsby, which provides palliative care for children and young adults suffering from progressive life-limiting illnesses. 

More gardens are in the pipeline to be built in 2018 but this is where Garden Re-Leaf Day comes into its own, raising much needed funds.  The garden industry will be exploding with colour with plenty of FUNdraising activities throughout the day. 

Boyd Douglas Davies said: “Garden Re-Leaf Day has resulted in life-limited children and families who spend time in hospices every single year being able to enjoy precious time together in a Greenfingers garden.  It’s really easy to take part, you can sign up and participate in one of this year's organised initiatives such as the Garden Re-Leaf Walk or Plantathon.  Why not organise your own event, and register it so that it can be included in all the media briefings that raise awareness of the cause?”

You can sign up to take part in Garden Re-Leaf Day events or register your own by visiting the Greenfingers Charity website www.greenfingerscharity.org.uk/gardenreleaf

If you want to find out more about how to get involved in Greenfingers Garden Re-Leaf Day 2018, whether by putting on events in your garden centre, through sponsored solo activities or simply by donating - contact the Greenfingers office on 01494 674749 or email Linda@greenfingerscharity.org.uk.

GTN Bestsellers, the UK's weekly report of garden centre sales, has spent the Festive period analysing all the weekly EPOS data supplied by garden centres to create the Top 20 and Top 100 Christmas Products charts for the 2017 season and here is the Top 20 sold by volume from the last week of September through to Christmas Eve:

Every week GTN Bestsellers publishes Top 50 sales charts for Garden Products, Veg 2 Gro plants and seeds, Growing Media, Wild Bid Care and Plants.  During the Christmas season the weekly Top 50 Christmas Products are also published.

This year the cumulative sales volume of the GTN Bestsellers Christmas Charts, from week 39 through to week 51, shows an increase of 18.2% on 2016 levels and up 45% on data reported for 2015.  Given the comments from garden centres in the story "It was a challenging Christmas, say UK garden centres", say UK garden centres, it would appear Christmas 2017 has been one of more smaller "feel good" purchases, so we've all had to work harder to stand still turnover wise.

The rise in demand and sales for Christmas confectionery may have caught some garden centres by surprise but where "stop me and buy me" displays have been added to Christmas the results have been astounding.

Subscribers to the GTN Bestsellers weekly chart service will receive the full GTN Bestsellers Christmas Top 100 chart later this week including comparisons to 2016.  In that chart the total Top 100 volume is dominated by personalised and confectionery Christmas lines, accounting for 52% of all Top 100 sales.

To subscribe to GTN Bestsellers and get your personal copy of the GTN Bestsellers Christmas Top 100 for 2017, plus the GTN Bestsellers charts every week for 2018 click on this link.

Former England rugby player Matt Dawson MBE will share his team building and personal commitment expertise with delegates at Garden Centre Association's (GCA) 52nd annual conference which takes place in Warwickshire on January 21-24.

One of England's most capped players of all time, Matt was a scrum half and a key part of the team that won the 2003 World Cup.

Iain Wylie, Chief Executive of the GCA, said: "We've just confirmed Matt as our Tuesday afternoon speaker and we're absolutely delighted. It's quite a coup to have such a big name draw for this year's conference and someone who is well-known not just for his sporting prowess but also for his more recent media appearances on all sorts of popular television programmes including the BBC's 'A Question of Sport'. In 2006, he won 'Celebrity Masterchef' and, in the same year, came second in 'Strictly Come Dancing', so has a real drive and flair for winning."

Delegates who attend the 2018 GCA conference in Stratford-upon-Avon will be able to hear Matt speak on Tuesday, January 23.

Iain continued: "As a rugby player, he played more than 70 times for England, and famously his pass in the dying moments of the 2003 World Cup final resulted in the kick that won the game. Matt also captained England and played on three Lions' tours. As part of the world-beating team, he was involved in a revolutionary set-up that introduced new ideas and professional attitudes.

"He witnessed first-hand the organisation and team structure, the handing of responsibility to individuals and coaches, the culture of team and player accountability and the analysis of performances.

"Since his retirement, Matt has developed two parallel careers: in media and in business. He's a regular commentator on live matches for BT Sport and BBC 5Live. He's also one of the longest serving team captains on the BBC perennial A Question of Sport where his banter with opposing captain Phil Tufnell has become a popular feature of a show that's been on air for more than four decades."

In business, Matt has two jobs. He works with The Instant Group, which is a commercial property company, and with the facilities management giant, Sodexo.

"Working in these areas has given him an insight into business, how its run and the expectations of clients, and how to deal with everyday challenges, from getting groups to work together to having accountability for results.

"Matt applies lessons from the pitch and dressing room, and combines them with his

commercial knowledge to deliver messages on everything from staff engagement to leadership culture. As well as offering serious business insights, he also adds humour and understanding to his presentations."

Matt will be speaking at the GCA's annual conference on Tuesday, January 23.

The GCA represents nearly 200 garden centres nationwide. Through sharing information and its inspection programme, the organisation helps members to achieve high standards in customer service, plant quality and reliability.

The GCA's annual conference will be held Crowne Plaza Hotel in Stratford-upon-Avon from January 21 until 24, 2018. More than 300 delegates are expected to attend the event. Places for the event can be booked via the GCA website www.gca.org.uk

Following the usual festive indulgences, now is the time to make New Year’s resolutions. According to the Horticultural Trades Association (HTA) many of the most popular resolutions, such as exercise more, eat more healthily, take a more active approach to health, learn a new skill or hobby, spend more time on personal wellbeing and with family and friends, can be achieved through gardening and engagement with plants.

One of the most common resolutions is to improve levels of fitness and in doing so improve your health and wellbeing. Indeed *52% of the population take part in some form of exercise to maintain a healthy lifestyle.

As little as 1-2 hours of gardening a day, along with other forms of moderate physical leisure activity, can help reduce stress levels, tone muscles, lower blood and cholesterol levels, reduce your risk of coronary heart disease, diabetes and strokes, and prevent other chronic diseases such as osteoporosis. A survey by the RHS revealed that 80% of UK gardeners says that gardening helps them keep fit. Just 30 minutes physical work in the garden can equate to significant calorie loss with digging the garden burning 250 calories, mowing the lawn burning 195 calories, weeding burning 105 calories and raking burning 100 calories.

However, it is not just the physical benefits that plants and gardening offer as it has been shown that they have a huge impact on our emotional and mental wellbeing as well.  Research has shown that 20 minutes spent in green settings such as park and gardens reduces the symptoms of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), compared to time spent in concrete recreation areas. Even views of greenery through a window can have a positive impact on the symptoms. **35% of the population agree that they try to stay healthy by keeping stress levels under control.

Eating more healthily is another area where people are taking much more interest and what could be better than growing and then eating your own home-grown fruit and vegetables. ***60% of the population try to stay healthy by preparing meals from scratch and 31% claim to stay healthy by avoiding processed food.

Learning a new skill or hobby is becoming increasingly important as we seek more experiences over material goods with 67% of consumers feeling moderately or strongly towards the need to learn. Garden enthusiasts are 41% more likely than the general population to definitely agree that it is important to continue learning new thing’s throughout your life. ****38% cite gardening as an activity undertaken for entertainment (compared with 37% for cooking) with the percentage increasing with age as you might expect.

Spending time with family and friends is increasingly important to us and the garden is often a focal point for this, particularly in the summer with BBQ’s, parties and al fresco dining.

So, what are you waiting for – get down to your nearest garden centre and start planning your outdoor space so that you too can reap the benefits of the garden in 2018.

Visit http://www.thevouchergarden.co.uk/find/ to locate your nearest garden centres.

Quantil Ltd has announced that Mark Clementson has joined the board of directors as Retail Sales Director.

Mark joined the company 6 years ago in the role of Retail Sales Manager, and has contributed significantly to its continued growth.  

He has helped to develop Quantil into a market leading Grow Your Own brand within the garden retail sector, now supplying over 1000 retail outlets throughout the country, in both the independent garden centre and DIY sectors.

Squire’s Garden Centres in Badshot Lea and Stanmore have a very special Pets & Aquatics event on Saturday 27^th and Sunday 28^th January.

There’ll be 20% off all pet food and accessories all weekend, as well as loads of free activities, including dietary and nutritional advice, a family quiz, children’s face painting, meet and cuddle furry animals, learn about exotic reptiles, and even free micro-chipping for your pet at Squire’s in Badshot Lea!

See www.squiresgardencentres.co.uk for full details.

Former vice chair Stefaan Vandaele has officially taken over the chairmanship of Growing Media Europe from Norbert Siebels, who stepped down from the position in the course of his upcoming retirement end of 2019.

As Board Member, vice chair and later chair of EPAGMA (the predecessor association of Growing Media Europe), Norbert Siebels has been a leading figure and a powerful driving force in the industry ́s interest representation on European level since 2004.

In his position as chairman of Growing Media Europe, he was entrusted with the transition to the new association and its successful kick-off in 2016.

“The members of Growing Media Europe and previously EPAGMA owe Norbert Siebels great gratitude for his passionate commitment, constant engagement and farsighted decisions, that were instrumental in paving the way to success for both associations," declared Stefaan, who was designated to succeed Norbert Siebels following an unanimous decision of the Board Members last year.

Stefaan Vandaele is the Managing Director of Greenyard Horticulture, one of the founding members of Growing Media Europe, and has been actively involved in the predecessor association EPAGMA since 2005.

Summarizing his vision for Growing Media Europe, he emphasized that: “Our sector is not only fit for the future, it is a strong basis for creating a more sustainable future!

"Highly innovative growing media products contribute to healthy and sustainable food production, climate change mitigation and greener living spaces.

"To assure the sustainable development of our sector and develop a constructive dialogue, we rely on Growing Media Europe to bring together our member ́s views and act as our European focal point in Brussels.

"I am eager to take on my new responsibilities as chairman and to keep moving things in the right direction for our sector.”

The Gardenex export federation has been successful in securing cash grant funding for four major international garden trade exhibitions in the Government’s latest bidding round. 

The funding is available to eligible SMEs under the DIT’s Tradeshow Access programme and will enable British companies to exhibit their products to international markets in a cost-effective way, while also benefiting from the wide range of practical research, logistical and promotional support offered by the Federation.

In addition to the shows in the US, Germany and Japan - where Gardenex has extensive experience of  organising exhibitor-groups - the federation has secured funding for Myplant & Garden which is held in Milan, Italy (in Spring 2019).  It is the first time that TAP funding has been offered for a British group at an Italian garden trade show.  The decision to include Myplant & Garden on the April 2018 - March 2019 schedule follows a scoping visit by Gardenex earlier this year, when it was recognised that the show offers considerable opportunities for suppliers of both plants and hard goods.

At the National Hardware Show (NHS) in Las Vegas (8-10 May 2018), the Federation will be organising the British pavilion for the 24th time.  The NHS attracts over 30,000 industry professionals, including 2,600 exhibitors from the lawn and garden, hardware and DIY industries.  Exhibiting in the Gardenex-organised group at the NHS offers a significant opportunity for British suppliers to reach the largest garden market in the world.  Firms that have participated in the group at previous editions of the show have signed significant export orders, and the fact that the federation has secured a prime location for the British pavilion in 2018 should ensure a continuation of those successes.

The major international garden and leisure trade show, Spoga+gafa in Cologne (2-4 September 2018) also appears on the 2018 Gardenex exhibition schedule.  Spoga+gafa is Europe’s largest trade show covering all sectors of practical, decorative and leisure gardening products.  Gardenex has nearly 50 years’ experience of exhibiting at the show, during which time the UK firms participating in the British pavilion have secured many millions of pounds worth of export business for the UK.  In 2017, around 39,000 trade visitors from around 113 countries attended the exhibition. 

The Federation’s experience in the Japan market also dates back for many years, and in 2018 British firms have the opportunity of exhibiting in the Gardenex group at Gardex/Ifex in Tokyo (10-12 October 2018).  Gardex/Ifex is Japan's leading garden industry trade show and is regarded as the best sourcing venue for the following spring gardening seasons among Japanese buyers.  The show now serves as the gateway to the Japanese market for overseas garden products exporters.  Almost all the Japan's leading home center buyers visit the show every year and these are joined by other retail outlets such as garden centres and garden shops, as well as wholesalers, importers, growers, landscapers and many more.

The schedule to March 2019 will culminate in the exhibitor pavilion at Myplant & Garden, which is held in Milan in Spring (2019 show dates to be confirmed).

Commenting on the programme of TAP-supported export initiatives planned for April 2018 to March 2019, Amanda Sizer Barrett, director general of Gardenex said:”I am delighted that all of the bids made by the Federation in support of the UK industry have been successful.  The cash grants available to eligible British suppliers will help pave the way for further expansion of exports to markets around the world.  In addition to major international exhibition involvement, the Federation’s 2018 schedule will encompass several of our highly successful ‘Meet the International Buyers’ events, export support at both Glee and the Spring Fair and a comprehensive range of other export services that are available on a day-to-day basis to our member companies.  2018 -19 promises to be an exciting time for British exporters of garden and leisure goods.”  

Full details on these initiatives will issued throughout the year but in the meantime interested companies should contact Gardenex to register their interest and to obtain full information on the comprehensive range of export advice, market research, sales leads and practical advice available to member companies.

Telephone:  +44 (0) 7779 617965   or   fax:  +44 (0) 1959 565885

e-mail:  info@gardenex.com  or visit the Gardenex website on  www.gardenex.com

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

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

As the year goes on we give sales volume comparisons with 2015 as well as 2016 to allow your teams to see variations over a three year period.

Access is by subscription only.  For £145.00 per year you and your team can have access to the most up-to-date gardening sales analysis that has already helped many UK garden centres increase their sales.  To subscribe call 01733 775700, e-mail karen.pfeiffer@tgcmc.co.uk or buy on-line using this link.

WARNING the GTN Bestsellers Charts seriously improve the business of our subscribers.  Invest 15 minutes each week in improving your sales using the GTN Bestsellers charts and your turnover and customer satisfaction will improve too.

Get the GTN Bestsellers charts in full every week in the GTN Bestsellers newsletters for only £145.00.

GTN Bestsellers is the only industry source of weekly garden centre sales information, collating Epos data from centres with an aggregate turnover in excess of £100m.

Use the weekly Garden Products and Growing Media Top 50 sales volumes charts to plan your hotspot and other promotions and ensure you have the right products in stock to satisfy the needs of your customers.

For further information contact karen.pfeiffer@tgcmc.co.uk or buy on-line using the button below:

For further enquires please call 07973 504214.