The Horticultural Trades Association has launched ‘Your Garden Year – a united approach to inspire gardeners all year round. It’s a simple, seasonal schedule designed to keep customers engaged week after week – in-store, online, and through everyday conversations. By aligning activity across the industry, the aim is to drive repeat visits, build loyalty and grow sales.

The initiative was revealed by Neil Grant, Chair of the HTA Retail Committee and Managing Director of Ferndale Garden Centre, during his session at the HTA’s Horticulture, The Conference, taking place on Thursday 25 September at the Barbican Centre, London, where he urged retailers, suppliers and the gardening media to work together to reignite the nation’s love of gardening.

Neil Grant said: “There are many criteria we can’t change in garden retail, but there is one area we can influence if we work together – and that’s the amount of business out there that we capture.

“During lockdown, good weather brought people into their gardens and – thanks to the HTA and the wider industry – we captured much of this demand. The gardening public grew overnight by around two million. But many of these new gardeners weren’t keen gardeners, and as soon as warm-weather holidays were possible, they flew away.

“This spring, after a great start, the weather slipped, then we hit drought, and sales flattened. Keener gardeners became our staple again. The reality is that fine-weather consumers are ‘shoppers’ rather than ‘customers’ – they shop when and where it’s convenient.

“What garden shoppers lack is stimulus, ideas and information at the right time to nudge them along. If, together as retailers, suppliers, and the gardening press, we had a way of reminding and encouraging them throughout the year about what’s on offer, we could secure their repeat custom – without a massive marketing budget.

“Today, we announce a shopper-focused campaign for the whole industry for 2026. We call it Your Garden Year – Turning Inspiration into Customers. This is not a revolution, but a restoration of seasonal garden activities that are starting to be lost with passing generations and the advancement of modern lifestyle changes and tech. Please don’t leave today thinking this is for someone else – it’s for all of us.”

The first outline of the Your Garden Year campaign was shared today with HTA members and the media. The month-by-month guide provides a shared schedule of gardening activities and themes. From spring planting to autumn lawn care, it helps remind and encourage gardeners at just the right moment. It is hoped that it will help align the entire industry, from retailers and growers to suppliers and the media, to unify messaging, inspire customers, and drive engagement throughout the year.

Supporting materials – including ready-to-use social media content, ‘Plant of the Moment’ assets, and media prompts – will follow, with the full campaign launching in Spring 2026.

Neil concluded: “Together we can keep gardening in the public consciousness all year round, restoring the rhythm of the gardening calendar and growing the market for everyone.”

More detail can be found at hta.org.uk/your-garden-year