Tributes have been pouring in for All-In-One Garden Centre founder Dave Stafford, who has died at the age of 71 following a 15-month battle against kidney cancer.

Dave passed away peacefully on March 26 with his family by his side.

Former All-In-One Garden Centre managing director Rod Slater worked for Dave for 37 years, starting as a weekend worker and moving through the ranks.

"I have known Dave all my working life and I am grateful he took me under his wing," said Rod. "He was always there to help with training and advice because he wanted knowledgeable people around him. He invested time and energy in his staff because he was a real people's person."

Dave opened the All-In-One Garden Centre in 1971, and with his then wife Beryl, it quickly grew and developed into thriving business.

In 1988 Dave used his earlier building trade experience in a significant £2 million rebuild of the centre. 

Coming from outside the industry was never seen by him as a disadvantage – quite the opposite, as he pioneered the store into new categories such as Christmas, leisure and gift products.

A former Chairman of the Garden Centre Association, Dave was a passionate supporter of the trade body and his colleagues in the trade. Dave regularly supported the association at the regional, national and international level. Indeed the opportunity to join his colleagues from around the world at their annual congress was a highlight in his year.

Another former GCA Chairman Steve Myatt had this tribute for Dave. "He was a leader and setter of standards in the North West and a business I aspired to when we first became involved in the GCA. 

"He was a tireless promoter of the benefits of being a member of  the GCA and strong figure in the organisation. A very generous man always willing to share his knowledge and successes to help you no matter how small you were. 

"I was always grateful for the time he spent giving advice in those early days, and his support when I became GCA Chairman. He will be missed."

And Guy Topping, of Barton Grange, added: "Dave was one of the legendary garden centre pioneers. He was never short of an opinion and I spent many enjoyable hours travelling by train to GCA Exec meetings. 

"Time spent with Dave was always interesting and humorous, he always had a joke up his sleeve. 

"Dave was very proud of everything he was involved in be it All-In-One, his family or Rochdale FC."

Dave retired from daily duties in the business in 2008 but remained as chairman of the board. Together with his wife Sue, they chose North Wales as his final home where he loved spending time with family and his two loyal dogs. Although his time retired was relatively brief, David lived life to the full and lead what he described as a 'privileged life'.

The final word goes to son Jason Stafford, now financial director of All-In-One.

"My father was quite unique in many ways but always thought of himself just an ordinary bloke. He touched so many people's lives with his love, support, patience and empathy. 

"Often outspoken and never one to shy away, he'd often be the guy to stand up to ask that awkward question or to say what he thought to be right. Of course, not everybody always agreed with him but one of the things most people would say is you knew where you stood with Dave Stafford.

"He was well known for his little phrases such as his standard greeting

'Happy New Christmas'. Latterly, he would be quoted as to how much he loved his grandchildren and 'how he wished he'd had them first'.

"The term 'pioneer' is sometimes used to describe colleagues in our industry – to use it to describe Dave Stafford and his achievements somehow doesn’t seem adequate. His tremendous life and legacy lives on."

A humble man taken too soon, sadly missed but fondly remembered.

Dave's funeral will be held at Rochdale Crematorium on Tuesday 7th April 2015 at 1.40pm. 

Immediate family flowers only please, however donations would be gratefully received and split between Dave's chosen charities - St David's Hospice And Save The Children.

If you planning to attend the funeral, the Stafford family would be grateful if you could let them know in advance by either email: info@allinone.co.uk or telephone: 01706 711711.

Dave was famous for his love of bright coloured stripes, and the family have stated "feel free to wear stripes on the day."

The HTA have been invited by a government department to a meeting to discuss Easter Sunday trading, the ban on which is one of the garden industry’s longest-standing grievances.

The meeting, which will be convened after the General Election, is being interpreted as the most hopeful sign yet that the government may at last be willing to discuss lifting the ban, which was imposed in 1994 when the Sunday Trading Act allowed smaller shops in England and Wales to open all day and larger ones, including most garden centres, for six hours between 10am and 6pm.

The retail-free Easter Sunday was a concession to the Act’s opponents, who included religious groups and trade unions.

Raoul Curtis-Machin, the HTA’s head of horticulture, told GTN Xtra that, following lobbying earlier in the year, the Department for Business Innovation and Skills (BIS) had requested a meeting to discuss the issue. “This wasn’t us asking for a meeting, it was them saying they would like to have a chat about it,” he said. The topic is also on the agenda for this year’s planned round table meetings with Defra. “We have an action plan – this is on the list,” he added.

Curtis-Machin says the developments were a sign that the “door is open” for a possible solution, one he believes would be welcomed as much by the public as well as the garden industry. “Things have changed,” he added. “It’s a question of people not wanting politicians to tell us what to do with our Sundays.”

He cautioned against over-optimism at this stage, in the light of ongoing delaying tactics from a “hard core” of resistance by those who want to retain the status quo. “But we detect there is a will amongst the politicians to go for change. It’s looking more positive.”

A garden centre owner has warned his 70 staff they face an uncertain future following the local planning authority’s refusal to grant a lawful use certificate for developments on the site after years of wrangling.

Rob Scott, owner of Hare Hatch Sheeplands near Reading – a garden centre and farm shop on the site of the former Waterers Nursery on Twyford’s ‘floral mile’ – said Wokingham Borough Council’s decision was a huge blow to the business.

The council said this week they had “exhausted all avenues to find a solution” in the dispute, which pivots on the garden centre's expansion into green belt land.

The council’s Enforcement Notice says Scott must remove illegal structures, rip up unauthorized car parking and restore the affected area to grassland. They say the developments have an “:unacceptable impact” on the Green Belt and are a breach of the council’s Green Belt planning rules.

Scott said he believed he had made a strong case in proving the centre’s retail activities over the past 10 years were enough to merit a Certificate of Lawful Use.

“Our expert consultants also believed that we had done so, but sadly the council did not agree.”

Wokingham Council spokesperson Clare Lawrence said: “We have looked at every possible option within our control in the past few years to try and find a solution that wouldn’t undermine planning policies.

“We have tried. But it is vitally important we uphold planning policy to ensure the greenbelt is protected in the future.”

The council said in a statement: “Mr Scott was asked to remove some of the unlawful activities from the site to show his commitment to reaching a compromise – only to be replaced by further unauthorised development. Not only does this significantly undermine the council’s ability to reach a suitable compromise, but it also shows a complete disrespect to greenbelt policy and the current enforcement notice.”

Wyevale's Hare Hatch centre is on the opposite side of the road to Sheeplands.

Below: spring plants at Hare Hatch Sheeplands.

Do you remember trading in March 2013?  Well, this March is significantly better than that, up by 40% for all items sold according to GTN Bestsellers Epos data. So despite sales for the month being 8% down on last year, the deficit is recoverable if we have a good April and May.

The GTN Bestsellers figures indicate that it’s the less keen gardeners who are not making garden centre visits just yet. The three key gardening indicators from GTN Bestsellers – Garden Products, Veg-2-Gro and Growing Media – are all up year-on-year this week, but total garden centre sales are down.

Once again we are being dictated to by the good old British weather. All we need is a spell of warm dry sunny weather as we move into Easter and then we’ll probably get to the April levels of last year if not slightly ahead.

GTN Bestsellers Top 50 sales volumes compared to the same week last year...

• Garden Products – up 4%
• Veg-2-Gro Products – up 4%
• Growing Media – up 5%
• All items index – down 6%

Cold winds and rain dampened growing activity after Mother’s Day weekend, but Top 50 volumes are up on the same week last year. This is mainly driven by continued growth of solar lighting sales. Lighting lines in the GTN chart, versus the same week last year, have sales totals up by 34%.

• Gardman Nickel Solar Ice Orb is the highest new entry at No 40.
• Smart Solar’s Hanging Crackle Globe jumps eight places to No 3.
• Scotts Miracle-Gro Slow Release Azalea, Camellia and Rhodo food is the highest climber – up 14 places. 

A wealth of well-known brands are set to make their return to Glee this year, which takes place at the NEC in Birmingham on September 14-16.

Following a one-year break, The Stewarts Company has confirmed its return. As UK manufacturers and market-leaders in rotational and injection moulded products, The Stewarts Company will be using Glee to showcase their 2016 range of equipment for propagating and growing flowers, vegetables and herbs.

Drapers Tools will also be returning to exhibit their extensive gardening and landscaping tool range. Designed to make garden maintenance jobs easier – whether pruning, hedge trimming, mowing, composting, transplanting, watering or weeding – the range is a one-stop shop for all types of gardening tools and accessories.

Other returning brands include 151 Products, suppliers of household, DIY and automotive brands for the general consumer market; and Doff Portland, the UK's largest independent manufacturer of insecticides, weed killers and garden care products.

Two greenhouse companies are also set to boost Glee’s dedicated Garden Design & Landscaping sector – Eden Hall Greenhouses and Elite Greenhouses, both of which will be bringing their own specialisms in greenhouse design and manufacture to the show.

Finally, Powys & Marches Stone Ltd, a family-run business specialising in Welsh slate and granite, will be joining the show, helping to bolster Glee’s hard landscape offering.

i2i’s Matthew Mein, Glee event manager said: “The aim of Glee is to deliver a varied selection of products and brands that can help retailers maximise the profit potential that gardening, and its many complementary product groups, can offer.

"The recent brands to confirm their attendance at this year’s show certainly help us to meet this objective. 

"Added to Glee’s other exhibitors, buyers can look forward to finding the most extensive, relevant and time-efficient selection of quality gardening, landscaping, home, gift, pet, and food and catering suppliers anywhere in the UK this year.”

For more information visit www.gleebirmingham.com

The Love Your Plot Masterclasses, aimed at helping garden centre and nursery teams to use the GIMB research to attract new 30-45 age group customers, have attracted an impressive total of over 100 delegates nationwide over the past few weeks...

Teams discussed some of the theory and opportunities – then got out into the plant areas at the various venues to build inspiring displays.

Ian Boardman, who facilitated the days, said: “The enthusiasm from teams was huge. Lots of ideas were discussed and generated. It’s about selling fun, relaxation, transforming unkempt areas and simply enjoying being outdoors.”

Some comments from delegates:

• “Great ideas to take back to work for boosting sales”
• “Clear, interesting, relevant”
• “Thought provoking and inspiring”
• “Having time to think outside the box”
• “Not just about gardening – it’s about lifestyle”

Extract from the Pentland Plants Garden Centre website 24 March: “Carolyn, Jayne and Vesta spent a fabulous day at the Love The Plot You’ve Got course yesterday. It is an initiative to show you just how easy it is to have a beautiful, inspiring garden. Do you think gardening is time consuming and sometimes daunting? We can inspire and help you to transform even the most neglected back yard into a relaxing, beautiful space.”

For more information visit the website www.loveyourplot.com

Huw Lewis, from The Old Railway Garden Centre near Brecon, hosted a Love Your Plot Masterclass in February and reported back recently how it had gone. “We had a great day with lots of ideas and discussion generated. The teams built displays during the Masterclass and we kept them in place to judge customer reaction. They love them – and our sales of planted containers are 91% up on last year!”

To get involved in Love The Plot You’ve Got – contact  David Arnold, Campaign Manager by email daaltd@virginmedia.com or call  07876 643 638.

B&Q is to close 60 stores in UK and Ireland, parent company Kingfisher announced this week. It says fewer, and in some cases smaller, stores are sufficient to meet market needs.

There is a cryptic reference in Kingfisher’s statement to future plans for “unified garden and bathroom businesses across Europe, covering the full design process from customers’ needs to customers’ homes”. This would suggest that Kingfisher predicts that the garden and bathroom categories will be the best drivers of growth in the next few years, but it has not revealed how the plans will be implemented in existing stores.

Meanwhile, Kingfisher’s thriving Screwfix network is to expand again, with 60 new stores planned this year. The division has a substantial gardening offer across tools, machinery, outdoor living and gardening equipment.

The 60 closures represent 15% of the group’s 360 B&Q stores, with shutdowns at Southampton, Dundee, Baums Lane at Mansfield, Stechford in Birmingham, Barnsley and Hyde in Greater Manchester already announced.

Kingfisher’s new CEO Véronique Laury said that although she believed Kingfisher had further further scope to grow in a sustainable way, “it is clear to me that we need to organise ourselves very differently to unlock our potential.”

B&Q’s UK and Ireland CEO Kevin O'Byrne is to leave the company in May, Kingfisher said.

Web consultants Sitemorse have ranked Dobbies’s website as the best-performing garden centre website in the country in the first quarter of the year.

When testing the UK's top 500 retail websites, in Tesco-owned Dobbies scored 6.57 out of 10, well ahead of major rival Wyevale Garden Centres, which managed 4.46.

Sitemorse’s software reads the first 125 pages of each retailer's website to generate a ranked table based on checks on quality, user experience, accessibility, performance and search engine optimisation capability.

Among the 11 garden centre websites tested, Haskins delivered the second best score, with 5.48, followed by Squire's and Klondyke, each with 4.91. Sitemorse say these scores sit well with those achieved by retailers in other sectors.

It also notes that three of the top five sites are transactional, which it says is impressive in a retail category that does not typically have a high level of online sales versus store revenues.

Regardless of whether the sites are transactional or not, Sitemorse say, the top five clearly recognise the benefit of keeping a well-maintained online presence that reflects well on their brands, across all channels.

Sitemorse advises clients on how to improve their web presence and  publishes regular benchmarks spotlighting online leaders.

Sarah Fuller, Marketing Director at Wyevale Garden Centres said: “Judging by the first few hours of trading this morning, the annual surge in spring gardening activity is certainly underway. We have seen a rush so far on instant colour plants, wild bird care and grow your own ranges. Brits are also revitalising the trend for Delphiniums in flowerbeds with our range of colourful varieties proving popular already. If this morning is anything to go by, we are set for buoyant trading this Easter weekend.”

Chris Bridgeman, Centre Manager Percy Thrower’s Wyevale Garden Centre told GTN Xtra:“With our doors only opening a few weeks ago, locals are still enjoying exploring the centre with our expert staff welcoming hundreds so far today. With the community harbouring a great affection for the legendary local celebrity gardener Percy Thrower, it is no surprise that our array of fuchsias – his favourite plant – are a favourite with our customers also.”

Briers have raised an impressive £7,000 so far from their Greenfingers #glovies campaign.

The Greenfingers glove was the highest new entry in the GTN Bestseller charts straight after launch so not only has this glove raised funds and awareness for an extremely well deserved charity but it has also been a huge success for customers.

"Briers are really grateful to all our customers whohave supported us with the Greenfingers #glovies campaign through purchasing the promotional deal and through contributing ‘glovies’," said Jackie Eades.

"A brand new #glovies world record was set – we’re still counting but so far we know that 247 people tweeted their photos at 11am on Garden Re-Leaf Day."

There are still a limited number of deals available if anyone wants to take advantage of this bestseller. Email sales@brierltd.co.uk or call 01963 269077 for more information

The organisers of the fourth annual Greenfingers Garden Re-Leaf Day are celebrating first signs of the event’s success, with a fundraising total of over £50,000 already confirmed ahead of final results.

This is the first year that Garden Re-Leaf Day has been fully integrated amongst Greenfingers’ other fundraising activities, but it remains the charity’s main drive to source funds towards its Rosy Cheeks campaign – a £750,000 fund for creating much needed hospice gardens, which is now in its final year.  Greenfingers Garden Re-Leaf Day is also embraced across the UK gardening industry as a season-starting event opportunity after the winter months.

Deborah Skillicorn, Charity Director, said:"The amount of publicity and support the charity has already received for Greenfingers Garden Re-Leaf Day across the industry has simply exceeded expectations.  I would like to thank every single person involved in raising money, and those who donated - you are all absolutely fantastic!"

The biggest single success in terms of known funds raised so far has been from Richard Jackson's four Greenfingers Garden Re-Leaf Day shows on QVC, which ran for an unprecedented six hours over three days and raised in excess of £40,000.  A minimum of £1 was donated from each unit sold by suppliers, including Plants2Gardens, Hayloft, Montrose of Guernsey, De Jager, Unwins, Golden Gark, Wet & Forget, Bernini Fountains, Gripeeze gloves, Lawn Magic and Langdon European as well as Richard Jackson's own Garden Care Range. 

Richard Jackson, who is also the Founder President of Greenfingers, said: "Our success with fundraising through the QVC shows could not have happened without the generosity of our suppliers, or indeed the viewers that purchased the products - many of which sold out in minutes.  The money we have together raised is quite simply a life changing amount for the children and families that use our hospice gardens - thank you!"

Another key fundraising success was the 20 mile Thames walk undertaken by 28 intrepid members of the garden industry on Garden Re-Leaf Day, including walk organiser and Glee event manager Matthew Mein, GIMA Director Vicky Nuttall and HTA Chief Executive Carol Paris. Walking from Ruxley Manor Garden Centre in Sidcup to Clifton Nurseries in Maida Vale, West London, the team’s efforts have already raised £7,000, with more hoped for. 

Greenfingers Charity Fundraising and Administration Officer, Sarah Lioveri, was at the finish line to greet the walkers and praised everyone who donated and took part: "Congratulations and a huge thank you to the Thames Walk team for their efforts, and to those who donated their time and money for Greenfingers on the day.  The funds that have already been raised are invaluable and will help us install more of our lovely, much needed hospice gardens."  To donate to the Greenfingers Garden Re-Leaf Day Thames Walk team follow this link: https://www.justgiving.com/greenfingersgardenreleafthameswalk/

Glovies – setting a brand new Greenfingers Garden Re-Leaf record

At 11am on Greenfingers Garden Re-Leaf Day, hundreds of people from the garden industry and beyond set a brand new record for the most selfies of people wearing gloves (aka 'Glovies') posted on social media.  The campaign was actively supported by gardening glove suppliers Briers and Town & Country.

A total of 247 posts featuring the hashtags #Glovies and #Glovie appeared via 55 different Twitter accounts, reaching 79,143 individual twitter users.  78 original #Glovies were tweeted on Twitter and 21 on Facebook. 

Greenfingers Garden Re-Leaf Day Social Media Coordinator, Robbie Cumming said: "A huge thanks to the record number of 166 different people who helped put #Glovies, and more importantly, Greenfingers Garden Re-Leaf Day, in front of a global audience.  Together we were retweeted, 'favourited' and seen a whopping 241,126 times within the space of a day."  More images are being posted - check the hashtag #Glovies on Twitter for the latest.

Garden centre activities

The feedback from the dozens of garden centres that took part in Garden Re-Leaf Day this year has highlighted a wide range of events, and increased awareness for Greenfingers amongst customers. Examples included:

• Long term supporters Perrywood Garden Centre in Essex were among the most active on the day, with their team posting scores of Glovies images on Twitter, donating money for each one sent in, planting potatoes at a nearby college and filling their café with teams taking part in the Greenfingers Garden Re-Leaf Day Quiz in the evening
• Newcomers to Garden Re-Leaf, Orchard Park Garden Centre in Dorset, were one of the very first to sign up through the new 'register your event' page on the Garden Re-Leaf Day website.  Members of staff spent the day fundraising by cycling on an exercise bike, selling cakes, holding a raffle and getting  youngsters in for an Easter egg hunt, all of which raised over £500
• White Stores doubled their normal sales on Garden Re-Leaf day as customers chose to buy from them after discovering 10% of net sales (online, phone and in-store) was being donated on all products sold during Garden Re-Leaf Day 2015.  They raised over £2,690
• The Old Railway Line Nursery in Brecon also had great success, raising more than £1,570 with a wellie throwing challenge, ‘Soak the Boss’ wet sponge stall, planting activities for children and a raffle
• Altons Garden Centre in Essex ran a competition to plant up and decorate a wellie, a staff fancy hat competition and the Garden Re-Leaf quiz, beating their fund-raising target of £1,000
• Longacres Garden Centre held a charity day in the run up to Garden Re-Leaf that raised £900
• Poplars Garden Centre in Bedfordshire celebrated raising over £500 from their raffle and quiz
• Littleheath Garden Centre in Bromsgrove held a humorous 'Guess the length of a piece of string' competition to win a £150 Plant Area trolley dash.  The idea was also carried out at sister Hillview Group stores Billing, Burford, Charlecote, Hilltop, Newton Regis, Pavilion, as well as Studley and Studley Green. 
• All of the Haskins Garden Centre stores held raffles
• Klondyke/Strikes stores all put on Tea Re-Leaf events
• Scotts Miracle Gro was among suppliers that supported Garden Re-Leaf Day activities, supplying prizes for raffles being run at garden centres including Simpsons in Inverness, Cowells in Woolsington, Langlands in Yorkshire, The Old Railway in Powys, Willowbrook in Bromsgrove, Ayletts in St Albans, Poplars in Dunstable, Millbrook in Gravesend and Crowborough, Goulds in Weymouth, and Otters in Devon
• Rolawn was another supplier that made a considerable contribution to Garden Re-Leaf Day, with events ranging from fancy dress to cake sales and holding a growing competition

Auction of Easter Egg by David Cameron’s Chequers chef – your chance to bid!

The Prime Minister's personal chef at Chequers also made a special Easter egg which is currently being auctioned with the proceeds going to the Greenfingers charity. 

More details on fundraising from Greenfingers Garden Re-Leaf Day will be made available in the coming months, but for a full list of events that took place see http://www.gardenreleaf.co.uk.

3,400 and still counting...that’s the number of pairs of Town & Country gardening gloves sold on Garden Re-Leaf Day that have so far been calculated.  With more than half of garden centres still to submit their sales figures, Town & Country is confident of at least doubling that figure.

This all bodes well for beneficiaries Greenfingers.  As part of its fundraising efforts for the charity, Town & Country pledged to donate 25p for every one of its gardening gloves sold on Garden Re-Leaf Day and encouraged all Garden Centres to sell as many gloves as possible to help generate much-needed funds to help the charity continue its valuable work. 

Comments Barry Page, chief executive:  “We are delighted with the sales figures that have come in so far, which show that a whopping 3,400 pairs of Town & Country gloves were sold in the first three hours of Garden Re-Leaf Day.  We look forward to confirming the finally tally once all the figures are in and we can calculate the final donation that we will be making to Greenfingers.”

If you still need to submit your gloves sales for Friday, March 27, send details to admin@townandco.com.

Pictured: Glovies time!  Town & Country Head Office on the stroke of 11am on Garden Re-Leaf Day, Friday, 27^th March 2015.

Roundup has announced the winners from the first round of 2015’s ‘Pimp up your Roundup’, a three-month promotion that challenges independent retailers to get creative with their in store displays.

The scheme, which runs until the end of May, gives retailers a chance to win a share of the £6000 (retail value) prize by submitting photos of inventive displays.

The two winners from the March round of judging will each receive a Roundup Pump N Go Mini 2.5L x 64 unit display. They are Goonhavern Garden Centre, Truro, with a display that highlighted how Roundup takes the hassle out of weeding, and Waterside Garden Centre near Peterborough, with their impressive use of Roundup POS (pictured left).

Gary Philpotts, Roundup Lawn and Garden UK business director, said he hoped the winning entries would inspire other retailers to have a go to be in with a chance of winning free stock.

To enter, retailers should take a photo of their Roundup display and email it to pimpuproundup@roundup-garden.com before 31 May. More winners will be announced at the end of April and of May, with the remaining prizes including two Roundup Gel 150ml x 140 unit displays and two Roundup Ready to use 1L x 116 unit displays.

Find out more, and read terms and conditions, here or call 01483 410334.

Outdoor living retailers White Stores have raised £2,691.20 for the industry’s Greenfingers children's hospices charity.

White Stores donated 10% of net sales* (online, phone and in-store) on all products sold during last week’s Garden Re-Leaf Day. With the company’s first garden centre retail concession opening in Yarnton, Oxfordshire in the same week, it was the perfect opportunity for the White Stores team to maximise sales.

White Stores founder and MD James Whiteley said the company had more than doubled its normal day's sales on Garden Re-Leaf Day this year. “Many shoppers told us they specifically decided to buy their garden furniture from us, rather than another retailer, after our staff had mentioned Greenfingers and they'd read more about this innovative charity on our website,” he said. “Our customers, like the rest of us here at White Stores, jumped at the chance to do something positive for Greenfingers and the amazing work they do for children and families nationwide.”

Greenfingers head of fundraising Linda Petrons said: “We are thrilled that White Stores raised such a huge amount which will help us continue our work creating magical and inspiring gardens for children in hospices, and their families to enjoy.”

Pictured: James Whiteley (left) with some of the White Stores team.

•  Stone paving and products supplier London Stone is to donate £10 to the horticultural charity Perennial for every new member of its Trade Club. The free-to-join club offers unique benefits including exclusive discounts and early offers, access to the new ‘24/7 Stone’ online sales platform, online company profiles and more. Perennial is the UK’s only charity dedicated to helping all horticulturists in need. London Stone will also pledge donations to Greenfingers.

Squire’s is a family owned group of 15 garden centres based in Surrey, Sussex, Middlesex and Berkshire. We are committed to growing our business and to promoting the highest standards in plant and horticultural retailing.   

An exciting opportunity has arisen to join our business as Group Plant Buyer.

The role has responsibility for the ranging, negotiation and promotions of close to £10m plant sales.

The successful candidate will work closely with the Buying Director and the Garden Centre Plant teams to produce an interesting range of the highest quality plants at competitive prices.

The role is based in our Group Office in Farnham, Surrey, with competitive salary and benefits.  Working pattern - 5 days per week, including 2 days per month at weekends.

If you are interested in applying please send your CV in confidence, preferably by 30 April 2015, to Darran Oakley, Buying Director:  darran@squiresgardencentres.co.uk

I am currently seeking an experienced Garden Centre Manager to join the team of a well-respected group of garden centres. 

I require a talented retailer to take on the leadership of a newly refurbished site in Hampshire. The opportunity for the site is huge with potential to double the current turnover. 

There is a generous remuneration package with the potential of a vehicle. 

Candidates will ideally have experience within garden centre management previously but good retail site managers with good seasonal experience will also be accepted. 

Ideally this is a position for more of an established candidate but if you currently have experience working as an assistant manager or department manager in a large site you may be suitable.

Please submit your CV in the first instance, or to discuss further please call Brad Peck at MorePeople on 01780 480530 quoting reference #BP7231

I am currently seeking a plant area assistant for an established garden centre in Essex.

Retail experience is preferred but a good people person with a drive to succeed will be considered. 

We are looking for someone with a minimum of an interest in gardening. In depth plant knowledge is preferred but not required.

Please submit your CV in the first instance info@morepeople.co.uk quoting the reference #BP7228 or to discuss further please call Brad Peck at MorePeople on 01780 480530

Our client is horticultural business who are looking for an experienced Packhouse Supervisor to join their busy team. 

The role will be to supervise packing operations possibly 2 or 3 lines that are packing plants and other live and dried goods destined for customers across the UK. 

Knowledge of this sector would be an advantage but any fresh experience would be good. Most important is the ability to supervise a team, be hands-on, pro-active, efficient and accurate. This is not an office based role and immediate start is available.

Please submit your CV in the first instance, or, to discuss further please call Dianne Saunders at MorePeople on 01780 480530 quoting reference #DS7207

Our client is an on-line garden centre who are looking for a Grower Supervisor to look after a huge range of plants ranging from plugs to palm trees at their Peterborough based site.

They are looking for a hands-on plants person from either a growing or garden centre background who can carry out general husbandry, spot check for quality control, identify and treat pest and diseases and generally insure that all stock being dispatched is in tip top condition. 

Spray certificates are a must and this role is immediately available.

Please submit your CV in the first instance, or to discuss further please call Dianne Saunders at MorePeople on 01780 480530 quoting reference #DS7208

Young veg plants dominate the GTN Bestsellers Veg-2-Gro charts like never before. Only 11 of the Top 50 are seeds or onion set products. 

Overall volume of the Top 50 is up on the same week last year, so it’s more than likely the young  plants are growing the market and encouraging more veg to be grown.

Star performers include:

• Quantil Moneymaker Tomato takes over at No 1 from Tomato Gardeners Delight.
• Strawberry Honeoye re-enters at No 8 with Strawberry Cambridge climbing 22 places to No 17.
• Suttons Beetroot Boltardy is once again the highest placed seed product at No 22.

Growing media sales volumes in GTN Bestsellers for last week compare favourably versus the past two years but took a drop on the previous week as cold and wet weather forced customers to put gardening activities on hold.  

High growths in top soil and lawn seeding soil indicates that when the weather warms up there is plenty of activity waiting to happen.

Star performers this week include:

• Scotts Levington Organic Choice Top Soil (25 litres) is this week’s highest re-entry at No 26.
• Westland Gro-Sure Lawn Seeding Soil is a new entry at No 31 with a 147% sales increase.
• 20 litre bags of Scotts Levington Ericaceous compost is the highest chart climber, up 26 places – a good link sale with rhododendrons and other acid loving plants. 

To subscribe to GTN Bestsellers email karen.pfeiffer@tgcmc.co.uk

QVC Garden Presenter Richard Jackson is launching a new garden destination website with a difference.

Designed for everyone with gardens, especially new gardeners, the aim is to engage, inspire and inform all how to use their outdoor space.

Featuring Richard Jackson and his gardening friends, the new site will include inspiring, creative content from a versatile mix of plant and garden experts and enthusiasts including some new gardening talent. Contributors will be sharing their expertise and knowledge in an easy to access and friendly magazine style format.

The new site www.richardjacksonsgarden.co.uk, will be launched on Easter Sunday.

“I am really excited to be launching my new information destination website," said Richard.

"It’s something I’ve wanted to do for a long time. I want to encourage more people into the wonderful world of gardening. We will be featuring lots of creative projects for new gardeners and for children too.

"We’ve got some great seasonal recipes to help users to make the most of their garden pickings, as well as short, informative ‘How To’ video clips of garden techniques and skills. We want to take the myth out of gardening, but keep the magic.

“We also aim to have a vibrant presence on social media, so everyone can also follow us on Twitter and FaceBook for real time updates.” 

An outline programme has been announced for this year’s HTA Catering Conference, sponsored by Vision Commercial Kitchens.

The conference, complete with conference dinner and exhibition takes place on June 9-10 at The Belfry, Sutton Coldfield, West Midlands.

Hot topics that impact garden centre catering will be top of the agenda in both conference and workshop format. There will be plenty of time for networking, with the conference exhibition providing a great opportunity to meet with catering product suppliers.

Day one of the event will focus on Strategy and Operations – where we are as an industry, latest trends, growing and expanding your catering offer, driving footfall and reaching out to a wider audience, managing people and how to create ambience on a budget. Paul Pleydell, a Director of Pleydell Smithyman Limited will host the first day.  With some 30 years’ experience in the garden centre sector, Paul specialises in design and business consultancy heading a team delivering creative retail, catering and business solutions. Working with market leaders he is constantly looking ahead to find new ways to shape tomorrow’s garden centres.

Tim Greenway, Director at Highfield Garden World, will present a case study on how you can manage growth and expand your catering business.  Highfield opened a £2.5 million, 450-seat restaurant with floor to ceiling glass walls, a vaulted ceiling and indoor and outdoor seating areas, and has gone from strength-to-strength over the past year.       

The conference dinner, also held at The Belfry, will round off an inspirational day one. The dinner will be another chance to network and share experiences with fellow industry colleagues. An after-dinner speaker will be announced in the coming weeks.

Day two’s programme will focus on food – innovation and inspiration, provenance, menu planning and cost control – and will be hosted by Doug Stewart, owner and CEO of Waring Stewart Associates, who works with clients to improve their business through business consultancy, marketing and staff training.  Waring Stewart Associates work with Garden Centres to help them to establish their first coffee shop, or take their catering offer to the next level.

Rebecca Rayner, Joint Managing Director of Glebe Farm Foods, will talk about how garden centre catering outlets can make the most of the gluten free market and how to ensure your restaurant or tea-room isn’t left behind. 

Booking for the HTA Catering Conference 2015 is now open, visit www.cateringconference.co.uk

Gardeners are being encouraged to share their #GardenSecretsas part of an integrated TV, press and digital campaign launched by Gro-Sure Planting Magic. 

The campaign – which started on Thursday – aims to boost the nation’s gardening expertise. It offers a way to share lots of handy hints and tips with fellow gardeners via social media. Gardeners simply write their top tips on Facebook and Twitter and end the message with #GardenSecrets 

It’s endorsed by none other than Charlie Dimmock, who herself helped a generation of gardeners with her down-to-earth, relaxed gardening advice. Charlie is back on our TV screens again this year promoting Gro-Sure Planting Magic, a planting mix designed to give everyone the results of a professional gardener. 

Those taking part in the campaign will be able to quiz Charlie on her own garden secrets in a live Twitter Q&A on May 21 from 7pm to 9pm. 

One lucky gardener will win their own personal garden consultation session with Charlie herself. They would welcome the gardening celebrity into their own garden in the morning, get tailored garden advice and then £250 to spend with Charlie at their local garden centre in the afternoon, before returning to transform their garden together! 

Charlie said: “#GardenSecrets will offer gardeners of all ages and abilities the chance to share their own growing secrets and also pick up some new ones along the way! 

“I’m really looking forward to picking up a few new tricks myself and can’t wait to meet the gardener with the winning secret!” 

Find out more by searching for #GardenSecrets, or logging onto the campaign page www.gardenhealth.com/plantingmagic 

GreenThumb, the UK’s leading lawn care specialist, is to be one of the first in the country to take delivery of a huge fleet of all-new Mercedes-Benz Vito vans, part of a growth strategy which also sees new managerial appointments,  the creation of a training academy and the introduction of new products.

North Wales-based GreenThumb’s nationwide network of franchisees runs a fleet of more than 750 vans, used as part of a fast-expanding lawn care service that treats over two million lawns each year. This year around 120 vans, wearing the company’s distinctive new GreenThumb livery, will be supplied through North West dealer Roanza Mercedes-Benz, with the remainder of the fleet due to be replaced before the end of 2017.

GreenThumb’s Managing Director, David Griffiths, said the decision to switch from its previous vans to new Mercedes-Benz vehicles was part of the company’s growth strategy, which includes the appointment of new National Sales and Customer Service Managers, the creation of a customer service training academy for operatives and the introduction of advanced new fertilisers and grass feeds.

“We have ambitious plans to expand our share of the UK lawn treatment market through new products and outstanding customer care and these distinctive and high quality new Mercedes-Benz vehicles underline our commitment to that strategy,” said Mr Griffiths. “We already have more than half a million happy customers served by a network of over 220 branches, making us one of the most successful franchise operations in the UK.”

The latest generation Mercedes-Benz Vito model is set to make its debut at this year’s Commercial Vehicle Show in Birmingham (NEC April 14-16). As well as being more economical than its predecessor, the new Vito offers lower emissions. It is also unique in the medium-sized van segment in offering a choice of front- or rear-wheel drive.

Exhibitor bookings for the 25^th anniversary edition of the popular  GrootGroenPlus autumn trade fair in The Netherlands are 18% ahead of this time last year, the organisers report.

More than 210 participants have registered, with around one in five an international exhibitor. Among the companies represented to date are France, Germany, England, Italy, Poland and Morocco. A current list can be found in the online catalogue on the GrootGroenPlus website.

The anniversary show will take visitors on a journey through the developments that helped shape the fair – and there will be a glance towards the future.

A new element this year is the release of a special that will be sent along with the trade journals in September and distributed as City Guide at the trade fair. With this, GrootGroenPlus offers even more in-depth information and added value. The general program will be set up in the following months. However, one can be sure that the plant, the tree nursery, the participants, and sharing knowledge will play a central role this year. Prior to the trade fair, substantive information will be provided through the media, and this will also be done during the trade fair.

Visitors can register online at by following this link. 

Gardman has donated £20,000-worth of dog food from its new Ernest Charles pets range to the Wood Green animal welfare charity.

Canine residents at the famous Cambridgeshire-based animal shelter have been tucking in to two tasty Ernest Charles flavours – Turkey & Rice and Salmon & Potato.

The majority of the 930 donated packs of food, though, will help Wood Green to raise funds for the centre and help educate dog owners on first-class pet care, by:

• supporting their outreach work in the community,
• incentivising dog owners to book into their dog-related workshops by offering a free bag of food.
• making the food available in their charity shops against a donation
• offering the food as prizes in fund-generating competitions.

Tim Goff, who heads Gardman’s pets category, says the initiative will give Gardman valuable insights into the dog food market as well as support the charity’s vital animal welfare work.

“We have big plans for this category, and we believe the initiative will help us find out how dog owners – new and existing – respond to this new range,” he said.

“Wood Green and its work is so well known that it enhances the excellent profile of the Ernest Charles brand.”

Ernest Charles premium feeds are 100% wheat-free, UK sourced and include a variety of blends to cater for puppies, adult and senior dogs. Display instore on a fully branded wooden display stand.

For more information about Gardman, visit www.gardman.co.uk

For information about Wood Green, go to: www.woodgreen.org.uk

Picture shows: Wood Green staff with some of their residents after delivery of the Ernest Charles consignment from Gardman. Back row, left to right:  Sue Butler (Deputy Section Manager Dogs), Tim Goff (Gardman), Tracey Jane Bingham (Departmental Manager, Dog Welfare), Richard Parris (Corporate Fundraiser). Front row, left to right: Tracey Hill (Deputy Section Manager, Dogs), Katja Jones, (Major Donor Officer), Helen Prestage (Animal Rehomer).

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 printed newsletter.

As the year goes on we give sales volume comparisons with 2012 as well as 2013 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.

Highlights of the GTN Garden Products Bestsellers chart for this week are here

Highlights of the GTN Veg-2-Gro Products Bestsellers chart for this week are here

Highlights of the GTN Growing Media Bestsellers chart for this week are here

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.