Pennells, which began in 1780, has undergone a dramatic period of growth over the past few years following the development of a 270-seat restaurant and additional retail space in 2008.

Its latest investment includes a new luxury food hall, featuring a butchers counter, an extension to the restaurant with a further 200 seats, 1,500 sq metres of additional retail indoor space and a 3,300sqm fully covered plant area.

As a result of the investment the centre's staff count has grown by 15, bringing the total number of employees to more than 80.

Richard Pennell, chairman of the business, said: "We were keen to develop the centre further in order to strengthen the appeal of the business to customers in the Lincoln area.

"The support we have received from the Clydesdale Bank has been instrumental in helping realise this ambition."

Within the development there are plans for Leading Labels Clothing, Pavers Shoes, Field & Trek and Gary Simpson Butchers – all providing a strong attraction for customers from Lincoln and the surrounding areas.

The most recent funding package was delivered by Michael Pickles, relationship manager at Clydesdale Bank's Business and Private Banking Centre in Lincoln.

Katy Simpson, head of Clydesdale Bank's Lincoln Business and Private Banking Centre, said: "It's great to work with and be able to support a thriving local business like Pennells Garden Centre.

"The company demonstrates the incredibly important role enterprising family-owned businesses play in the region and typifies their ambitious nature. We're particularly pleased to help the business expand its current offering to customers.

"Clydesdale Bank remains focussed on investing in the local economy and it's extremely rewarding to know that we can play a part in supporting the aspirations of ambitious firms like Pennells Garden Centre."

Pictured: Michael Pickles from Clydesdale Bank delivers good news of further investment to Richard Pennell.

The first judges meeting for GTN’s The Greatest Christmas Awards took place at the HTA’s offices in Theale on Friday but with so many excellent entries from the 120 garden centres they called on they will have to re-convene next week to arrive at the final list of Gold, Silver and Bronze winners.



Over the coming weeks allof the pictures taken by the judges will be available in picture galleries sponsored by Kaemingk so make sure your Christmas team members have their own subscription to GTN Xtra - use this link - then they will be able to browse images of over 100 garden centre's during the Christmas season 2015 as part of their inspiration for 2016.

The results will be announced at The Greatest Awards Christmas Party evening on January 10 at the Majestic Hotel, Harrogate, during the Harrogate Christmas & Gift Fair.

To book your ticket for what promises to be a fun-packed evening click here

• Garden Products - up 24%
• Christmas Products - up 11%
• Growing Media - up 4%
• All Items Index - up 7%

Happy Christmas to you all, we’ll see you in the New Year!

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

Using hanging containers and wall troughs to transform otherwise dull patios and balconies was demonstrated in this year’s ‘Love the Plot You’ve Got’ roadshow by the Garden Industry Marketing Board, and was one of the campaign’s most popular features

Retailers can capitalise on this evident trend by ensuring they create engaging, easy-to-shop hanging gardening displays; and boasting the most comprehensive range of hanging gardening that covers all price points and consumer tastes, Gardman is best-placed to help retailers fashion such in-store theatred display.

When merchandised in full the company’s flagship hanging gardening brand, Blacksmith, creates the ultimate shop-in-shop display.  The brand offers retailers a choice of hand-forged wrought-iron baskets, troughs, planters and brackets in a choice of sizes, plus the whole range is backed by a five-year guarantee. To further support the range, there’s a suite of consumer engaging POS and seasonal planting take-away guides, plus a tiered display plinth that can be used for link-sell opportunities such as water gel, compost or plants.

The trend towards smaller gardens will also stimulate the sales of Gardman’s new Moulton Mill ‘Budding Gardeners’ range of smaller, lightweight tools, which were unveiled to great acclaim at Glee. Ideal in compact gardens where space is limited, these premium tools are designed to suit users who may not be able to manage heavier full-size versions and, as the name suggests, they are ideal for younger gardeners too.

Packaging and merchandising material carries the slogan ‘For families that grow together’, to give emphasis that gardening is a fun and rewarding pastime that can be enjoyed by the whole family; children, parents and grandparents alike.

Made with durable carbon steel heads, all tools come with an FSC certified Ash handles and, to showcase the range in-store, a beautiful shed-shaped display has been crafted to house the entire range.

The Show Your Colours Award IPM 2016 will be presented at the 2016 Internationale Pflanzen Messe (IPM) trade fair in Essen, Germany. All the IPM participants were invited to submit a plant and its background story. Thirteen plants and/or concepts will be competing for the award...

Emotion and perception

Buying plants often goes hand in hand with emotion and perception. At the sales outlet, they tend to be impulse buys which are guided by emotion. For this reason, it is important to attract the attention of the customer at the moment of purchase.

The Show Your Colours Award IPM 2016 responds to the emotion generated by the plant by means of the familiar emoticons: the yellow faces on our smartphones, tablets etc. which highlight how we are feeling and lend extra emphasis to our story. These emoticons have therefore been added to the communication about the plants, to capture the attention of the customers to an even greater extent. Together with a brief description of the plant, this provides an extra impetus at the sales outlet.

Show Your Colours Award IPM 2016

In alphabetical order, the thirteen plants/concepts which are competing for the Show Your Colours Award IPM 2016 are as follows:

Buxus sempervirens BUXUS JEANS OF GARDEN, Chamaecyparis pisifera 'Blue Moon', Fascicularia bicolor GARDEN BROMELIA, Gaultheria procumbens GAULTIER PEARL (‘SPECGP11’), Hebe GOLDEN ANNIVERSARY ('Lowag'), Hibiscus syriacus in varieties, Hydrangea macrophylla hybride, Hydrangea macrophylla MAGICAL in varieties, Loropetalum chinense EVER RED (‘Chang Nian Hong’), Paeonia RICH AND SPARKLING (Itoh Group) in varieties, Ribes/Rubus/Vaccinium in 100% organic cardboard pot, Skimmia japonica DWARF Series, Viburnum plicatum KILIMANDJARO SUNRISE (‘JWW5’).

Judging

Before the fair, people can vote for the twelve nominees online. From week 2 (11 January 2016), the websites www.IPM-essen.de and www.bizzcommunications.nl will have links which lead directly to the poll. At the fair, visitors can also vote using tokens until the end of Thursday morning at the BIZZ Holland stand and at the East entrance to the fair. On Thursday afternoon, the plants and their stories will be judged by an expert jury consisting of Michel Verbeek from Flora Holland, Sytse Berends Blunt Communicatieadvies|Peak Retail, Werner Oschek, trade journalist from various German trade journals and Oliver P. Kuhrt from Messe Essen, together with a mystery member. The verdict of the jury, together with the votes received via the poll and the tokens, will ultimately produce one winner. The award ceremony will take place at around 3.30 pm on the afternoon of Thursday 28 January, on the BIZZ Holland stand (stand number 12A13).

The Show Your Colours Award IPM 2016 is a collaboration between the organisers of IPM and BIZZ Communications.  

As we head towards the busiest weeks of the year it’s time to ask your customers to vote for you as The Greatest Christmas Garden Centre Team.

All you have to do is download the voting posters and voting postcard artworks from GTN’s Greatest Christmas Awards Dropbox folder or these links:


Xmas Awards postcards 2015.pdf



Xmas Awards Poster A1.pdf

Xmas Awards Poster A3.pdf

Xmas Awards Poster A4.pdf


Post Your Votes.pdf


Print them out and get your customers voting.  They can post them to our Greatest Christmas Awards office or you can create "Post your Votes" here boxes for votes to be posted in store.

You can also ask your customers to vote for you on line this year - see seperate story.

The closing date for votes, both on-line and posted in-store is 4:00pm on Christmas Eve, 24^th December.  If you collect votes in-store, please send them through to us on a regular basis to help with the counting and then make sure you send your final batch of votes off directly after Christmas.  The Greatest Christmas Awards are presented in Harrogate on January 10th 2016 so the cut off for final votes to be received and counted in our office is Monday 4th January 2016.  Remember to look through all your votes before you post them to us - your staff will love to know all the wonderful things your customers say about you as they vote for The Greatest Christmas Garden Centre Team.

When all the votes are counted, size of centre and number of staff are taken into account, so there is as much chance of a small centre winning this ultimate Christmas accolade as that of a big centre.

If you have any problems downloading any of the files please e-mail thegreatestawards@tgcmc.co.uk and we’ll send you them by e-mail straight away.

Good luck!

To make you nomination and vote, please send an e-mail today to: thegreatestawards@tgcmc.co.uk with your name, garden centre name and your job title, telling us who is your Greatest Christmas Supplier of the Year, what they do that makes them great and what is the thing they do best.

The results of The Greatest Christmas Awards will be announced at The Greatest Christmas Awards Party on Sunday January 10^th 2016 in the Majestic Hotel, Harrogate.  To book your tickets please call The Greatest Christmas Awards on 01733 775700.

Pictured: The current Greatest Christmas Supplier of the Year Premier Decorations receiving their award.

Meadow View Stone are looking to appoint a Sales Agent who is highly experienced and motivated with excellent connections and sales experience within the Garden Centre sector.  We are suppliers of decorative aggregates, paving and compost, though specific product experience is not required.

Job Description

Reporting to the Sales Director you will be responsible for securing new accounts and maintaining and managing existing stockists to ensure the continued growth of the business.  The ideal candidate will be:-

• A highly organised and motivated individual, living preferably in the above region.
• An experienced agent with proven experience of selling into the Garden Centre Sector
• Skilled in a customer-facing, new business generating role, with a proven track record
• Acquainted with connections and contacts within the Garden Centre sector
• A proficient driver with a clean driving licence.

This position provides an excellent opportunity for an enthusiastic individual to join a progressive, forward thinking company in a front line position with potential to develop a strong sales area. Applicants should apply in writing with CV to:-

Sarah Hill- Marketing Director,

c/o Long Rake Spar Co Limited, Youlgrave, Nr Bakewell, Derbyshire, DE 45 1LW

or by email to Sarah@meadowviewstone.co.uk

Do you have good horticultural skills, and understanding of conservation and some teaching/training experience? Would you like to be part of an organisation that counts on the professionalism, insight, expertise and passion of its staff to inspire individual recovery for the people they work with? Then join us as a Horticultural Trainer. 

Recovery Focus are expert partners with the shared aim to inspire individual recovery nationwide. Between us we have a track record of more than 200 years of developing and running personalised services that work with people with mental health, substance misuse and other complex needs to achieve their ambitions. Each partner organisation has its own rich history of success, but together we believe we can lead the way in evidence-based recovery pathways that we can tailor to meet local and individual needs. 

Right now, one of our partners, Richmond Fellowship, is looking for a Horticultural Trainer to join the team at The Old Moat Garden Centre in Epsom. An integral part of the local community, we provide retail and horticultural services to the public and training and work-based opportunities to adults with mental health problems. But, it’s only possible with the help of people like you.

Day-to-day, you’ll assist with the supervision and training of clients, both on and off site, and contribute to the development of the service. We’ll also rely on you to open the garden centre and serve customers to enable the sale of plants and associated products during the week and weekends as well as selected bank holidays and weekends. Providing horticultural advice and maintaining all plant stock in good condition will be important too, as will helping to assess risk and getting involved in team evaluations and reviews. And, when it comes to promoting an environment of service user involvement and recovery, again, you’ll be there, ready and willing to play your part. 

As well as a proven ability to motivate and train others, including running group activities, you’ll need good time management skills and a creative yet practical approach to problem solving. We’ll also be looking for lots of initiative and an enthusiastic, flexible and innovative approach to work. A commitment to working with people with mental health problems is, of course, a given, while a flair for maintaining appropriate records and implementing new procedures is also essential. 

In return, you can expect some great benefits, including 25 days' annual leave plus 8 public holidays, contributory pension scheme and life assurance cover. 

So, get inspired today. Visit our website and take the first steps towards a more fulfilling future.

Please quoteref: 15/316 when applying. 

Closing Date: 31 December 2015

Bedding Department Head - (full time, including alternate weekends)

West Horsley KT24 6AR

Squire’s is a family owned group of 15 garden centres based in Surrey, Sussex, Middlesex and Berkshire, with GCA award winning plant areas.  We are committed to growing our business and to promoting the highest standards in plant and horticultural retailing.  We want our employees to enjoy working with us in a friendly, energetic, customer focused environment. 

West Horsley, a traditional GCA garden centre and nursery with a strong horticultural background set deep in the beautiful Surrey countryside between Guildford and Leatherhead.  An enthusiastic team who know their customers as well as their subject and who strive to make the centre a hub of the local community.  

An exciting opportunity has arisen to join our forward-thinking family-owned company, which is committed to our staff, growing our business and setting high standards.

You will be responsible for the bedding plant department at our West Horsley Garden Centre which has an extensive and well stocked plant area. 

You will have extensive knowledge and experience of working in a retail bedding department and/or a horticultural qualification. A passion for customer service and the ability to thrive in a fast paced environment are essential. 

You will be flexible, enthusiastic and highly motivated, commercially aware and have the ability to create dynamic displays. Free parking on site.

To apply, please visit our website www.squiresgardencentres.co.uk 

Plant Area Manager (Full time, including alternate weekends)

West Horsley KT24 6AR

Squire’s is a family owned group of 15 garden centres based in Surrey, Sussex, Middlesex and Berkshire, with GCA award winning plant areas.  We are committed to growing our business and to promoting the highest standards in plant and horticultural retailing.  We want our employees to enjoy working with us in a friendly, energetic, customer focused environment. 

West Horsley, a traditional GCA garden centre and nursery with a strong horticultural background set deep in the beautiful Surrey countryside between Guildford and Leatherhead.  An enthusiastic team who know their customers as well as their subject and who strive to make the centre a hub of the local community.  

An exciting opportunity has arisen to join our garden centre at West Horsley. You will be responsible for managing the outdoor plant department which has an extensive and well stocked plant area.

You must have experience and/or horticultural qualifications and garden centre retail experience.

You will be able to manage your department to achieve sales and profit targets whilst motivating your team to maximise all sales opportunities and inspiring them to offer the highest standards of customer service.

You must have the ability to thrive in a fast paced environment, have a passion for plants, be highly motivated, commercially aware and able to create dynamic, inspirational display

Free parking on site

To apply, please visit our website www.squiresgardencentres.co.uk 

We have an immediate vacancy for an experienced Key Account Professional to manage a portfolio of 8 – 10 national accounts.

The job will involve some overseas travel, mainly to S. E. Asia and attendance at our Oldbury head office for 2 – 3 days each week.

The successful candidate will have a proven track record of managing and developing business with major retail accounts, preferably with Outdoor Living / Gardening products.

Consideration will also be given to anybody currently working in a field sales position selling Outdoor / Conservatory furniture.

The successful candidate can expect a substantial basic salary, bonus scheme and fully maintained company car.

Initially, please email your cv, in complete confidence, to john.chester@a-mir.co.uk

Bedding Department Head - Full Time including alternate weekends

Twickenham TW2 5PA

Squire’s is a family owned group of 15 garden centres based in Surrey, Sussex, Middlesex and Berkshire, with GCA award winning plant areas.  We are committed to growing our business and to promoting the highest standards in plant and horticultural retailing.  We want our employees to enjoy working with us in a friendly, energetic, customer focused environment. 

Squire’s oldest site with a new centre built in 1993, and is about to undergo a significant facelift.  A garden centre that takes a very high turnover for its size, with a strong horticultural focus in plants and sundries, often winning GCA category awards, with the recent addition of new Pets & Aquatics and Craft areas.

An exciting opportunity has arisen to join our forward-thinking family-owned company, which is committed to our staff, growing our business and setting high standards.

You will be responsible for the bedding plant department at our Twickenham Garden Centre which has an extensive and well stocked plant area.

You will have extensive knowledge and experience of working in a retail bedding department and/or a horticultural qualification.  A passion for customer service and the ability to thrive in a fast paced environment are essential. 

You will be flexible, enthusiastic and highly motivated, commercially aware and have the ability to create dynamic displays. Free parking on site.

To apply, please visit our website www.squiresgardencentres.co.uk 

Job Title:

• Management of dedicated accounts with account development proposals & guidelines

Scope:

• Management of assigned key accounts
• Development of business within assigned accounts, the general customer base and through identified and agreed opportunities

The role is office based and required travel to customer premises and trade fairs

Key Responsibilities:

General:

1. Preparing sales budgets and forecasts
2. Identifying gap closing actions
3. Identifying business opportunities
4. Management of designated key accounts and development of account development plans
5. Preparation of promotional campaigns
6. Liaising with marketing to ensure that sales and customer collateral are available in a timely manner (copy, photographs, images etc.)
7. Prepare, produce and implement sales strategies, promotions & rep incentive plans
8. Attend trade shows in the UK, USA & Canada
9. Liaising with sales administration and logistics to ensure timely and accurate delivery of customer orders
10. Resolving customer issues, problems or concerns
11. Ensuring that cash is received within payment terms
12. Work with Marketing & PR Manager to manage, maintain and improve the sales routes to market, using them to increase brand awareness across our territories and monitor any competitor activity – always being understanding of and one step ahead of competition.

1. Work with the MD to coordinate budget preparations
2. Provide management information (pipeline metrics, KPIs etc.) for review & analysis
3. Appraise monthly the performance of within account base & a revised  forecast
4. Reporting weekly metrics and KPIs.

Administration

1. Monitoring invoicing and accounts receivable
2. Recording of travel and expenses
3. Maintaining accurate customer records.

Metrics:

1. Delivery of revenue growth and targeted GP
2. Timely preparation of budgets and forecasts
3. Communication of customer requirements and expectations
4. Development and timely reporting of key performance indicators and pipeline activity e.g. Customer based net promoter score.

Personal Attributes:

A leader through influence with specialism expertise required to support the company’s ambitious growth targets:

1. Excellent interpersonal and influencing skills
2. Strong business and commercial acumen.
3. Proven sales experience and analytic capabilities
4. Strong negotiation skills
5. Strong project management skills
6. Ability to deliver against tight deadlines
7. Competent in MS Office software packages incl. excel and PowerPoint.

Company Values: Able to demonstrate a good fit with the company values

• Honesty, integrity and respect
• Creativity
• Speed of thought
• Sparky and energetic
• Flexibility
• Problem solving / solution finding
• Always learning & remaining aware of & 1 step ahead of the competition
• Strong work ethic – work hard / play hard.

The successful candidate will:

• Be technically savvy with strong experience in the Microsoft Office software packages including Word, Excel, PowerPoint and Outlook as a basic requirement with experience in other software packages such as Sales Force, Infusionsoft, Adobe Photoshop and InDesign as a bonus. 
• Good written & spoken communication skills in the English language
• Have a full UK driving license.
• Have a passport & be able & willing to travel internationally
• Have experience of Sales
• A good understanding of a second language would be an advantage. 

Reports to: MD

Works with:

• MD, H.O Marketing and Marketing assistant, Sales & Administration assistant
• Assigned customers.

Apply here

Bedding Department Head - (full time, including alternate weekends)

Stanmore HA7 3JF

Squire’s is a family owned group of 15 garden centres based in Surrey, Sussex, Middlesex and Berkshire, with GCA award winning plant areas.  We are committed to growing our business and to promoting the highest standards in plant and horticultural retailing.  We want our employees to enjoy working with us in a friendly, energetic, customer focused environment. 

Stanmore is a thriving site in a busy suburb of North London, winner of GCA category awards, also featuring a large Pets & Aquatics department and cafe.

An exciting opportunity has arisen to join our forward-thinking family-owned company, which is committed to our staff, growing our business and setting high standards.

You will be responsible for the bedding plant department at our Stanmore Garden Centre which has an extensive and well stocked plant area.

You will have extensive knowledge and experience of working in a retail bedding department and/or a horticultural qualification. A passion for customer service and the ability to thrive in a fast paced environment are essential.

You will be flexible, enthusiastic and highly motivated, commercially aware and have the ability to create dynamic displays. Free parking on site.

To apply, please visit our website www.squiresgardencentres.co.uk 

Your opportunity to join a forward thinking, fast growing business.

This is a key “front-line” position, directly connecting and working with the Vivid Arts customer base (and sales-force) to ensure individual customer display and turnover goals are achieved.

You will be required to merchandise product and assist in creating customer displays to best display practice guidelines. A creative approach and the ability to “communicate, transfer and implement” successful merchandising initiatives are vital to the role.

The ideal candidate will be :-

• a highly organised, physically fit individual.
• preferably living on the East / South side of Manchester, ideally within 5 miles of the M60
• conscientious with the natural drive to maintain high standards in their daily work.
• computer literate
• willing and able to occasionally work away from home involving overnight stays 
• proficient driver with a clean driving licence

Closing date for applications is Sunday 29^th November.

Interviews will take place locally in December.

Initially, please submit a covering email and your CV to Paul McGuire : paul.mcguire@vividarts.co.uk

• Responsibilities will include
• Overseeing the implementation of contracts to strict deadlines and budgets
• Assisting in development and bidding for new works
• Liaison with clients
• Implementation and management of health & safety and quality procedures
• Supervision of Teams
• Maintaining contract files
• Reporting to the Regional Manager and Operations Director

• Scheurich Pot Cover, 7cm, is the highest re-entry at No 13.
• Stewart Clear Drip Saucer 25.5cm is the highest new entry at No 40.
• Scheurich Cover Pot Dark Red 15cm takes over at the top.

• Premier LED Battery Operated Lights Multi Action 20 Warm White are the highest re-entry at No 6.
• Premier Battery Operated Warm White 35 LED Lights are the highest new entry at No 11.
• Playwrite Magic Snow Tube (pictured) is also a new entry at No 12.

A well-known name within the garden industry, Tara will be responsible for all garden centre groups and independents, working closely with Outback’s established team of sales agents.

“We are delighted that Tara has joined us at Outback - she brings a wealth of knowledge and understanding of the industry as well as experience of our products, having been a leisure buyer for Wyevale," said chief executive Mark Osborne.

With 25 years garden retail experience Tara joins Outback from Sinclair’s Horticulture, where she was a key account manager responsible for groups such as Tillington, Choice, Hilliers and Klondyke.

Said Tara: “I am very excited to be back working in the industry and for such a great company. Outback is an extremely strong brand in the UK barbecue market, and I am confident that with our excellent new product range and distribution facilities we will continue to grow our account base in the UK garden centres."

Tara can be contacted on 07792098040 or tara@outbackbbqs.com

• Scotts Levington John Innes No 2 (25 litres) is the highest climber, jumping 25 places to No 15.
• Westland Plant Protection Bark (90 litres) is the highest re-entry at No 21.
• Westland Horticultural Sand 20kg is the highest new entry at No 40.

The ‘Grow Your Own Profits’ roadshow sessions, running over February and March next year, are designed to help garden centres maximize sales of bulbs, seeds, plants, garden sundries, irrigation and bird care. A key aim is to increase footfall and average spend, particularly in core gardening, via as many channels as possible.

Topics will include:

• Why sales of core garden products and many plants fail to reach their full potential, despite customer demand
• How to target customers of all ages and abilities, using internal and external means
• Training for appropriate plant and product groups with quick and easy references to rapidly increase staff knowledge and enthusiasm
• Thinking outside the box
• Making the most of all resources and opportunities
• Implementing a sustainable and realistic strategy

The courses are intended for planteria and sundries staff, owners, managers and marketing employees. Delegates will take away a comprehensive set of training materials.

Liz Hutson says core garden products remain something of a mystery to many customers. “While many other departments may be peaking in terms of potential, there is still a long way to go in order to make the most of the sales opportunities in core gardening in most centres”

She adds: “Improving product knowledge and increasing staff motivation and confidence will have a marked impact on the bottom line and if this is combined with better internal and external communication with the consumer, it can only enhance sales further and help centres make the most of every square metre of selling space.”

Gardman’s Director of Business Development, Lolly Lee, said: “As leading suppliers of core gardening and bird care products, Gardman had no hesitation in offering its support for Liz’s initiative. Good product knowledge helps staff to engage with customers and improve the retail experience, and we believe garden centres will find this a great way to up their game.”

Dates and venues:

• Maidstone – 16 February (Marriott Tudor Park)
• Guildford – 18 February (Barnett Hill Hotel & Conference Centre)
• Cambridge – 23 February (Menzies Hotel)
• Birmingham – 25 February (Holiday Inn)
• Chester – 29 February (Carden Park Hotel)
• Perth – 2 March (Murrayshall House Hotel)

Prices start at £70 plus VAT per delegate (depending on numbers) for early bird booking. Lunch, refreshments and all course materials are included.

Garden centres may book via a special HTA mailing, direct through Liz Hutson (01531 631592, liz.hutson@ledburybband.co.uk) or online at www.bookwhen.com/growprofits

• David Denny, HTA Market information manager, previewing the launch of the Garden Centre Sales Benchmarking System.
• 2 Circles - Complete business solutions.
• Edwin Meijer - Garden Connect, Apps and EPoS.
• Barclaycard – flexible payment options.

• line the bottom of a large deep container such at a Stewart Garden Blenheim planter with 15cm (6 inches) of potting compost
• plant the seed potato just below the surface
• as new stems grow, keep adding compost until the container is full
• keep your growing potatoes away from frost pockets as these can cause damage to the vegetable. Potatoes need to be where they’ll get the sun.

The Thompson & Morgan seed retailing year runs September to September. The Ipswich based mail order expert has reported an impressive 24 per cent rise in seed sales through September to end of November 2015, compared to the same period in 2014. While flower seed sales remain strong it is vegetable seed that has driven the increase.

Interest in grow your own hit an all time high in 2009, when industry wide sales of vegetable seeds peaked at an historic £60million for the year. Some said the bubble would soon burst but Thompson & Morgan customers are showing no sign of giving up on the good life. Thompson & Morgan Horticultural Director Paul Hansord says if vegetable seed sales continue to perform at current levels then the firm will be reporting its best ever year for the category.

Tomato seeds sales have jumped 51 per cent in the three month period. Much of this growth has been generated by sales of Thompson & Morgan’s Vegetable of the Year for 2016 – Tomato Mountain Magic, a fully blight resistant variety ideal for a trouble-free late season outdoor crop. Akron and Sweet Aperitif join with blight buster to form T&Ms top three tomatoes.

Brassica seed sales have risen 52 per cent, while onion seeds have seen an impressive growth of 67 per cent. T&M says the loss of show bench favourite Onion Kelsae from other retailer’s 2016 catalogues (the Italian seed crop was destroyed by a hail storm and will not be available again until at least 2017) has driven growers towards other large varieties including Onion Bunton’s Showstopper, an exclusive show bench variety developed by one of Thompson & Morgan’s customers. Pea and Bean sales have risen 82 per cent, with Runner Bean Firestorm  - the 2016 Thompson and Morgan Seed Catalogue cover star - alone seeing a 75 per cent rise in sales.

Thompson & Morgan’s Chilli and Pepper range has seen the biggest growth, with sales rising a staggering 111 per cent. This has been driven by a complete overhaul of the category for 2016. Paul said: “Much of our product development focus has been on making growing from seed as easy as possible. Our redesigned sweet and hot pepper range does away with the complicated Scoville Heat scale. Each variety has been given a 1-10 heat rating, from cool & sweet to explosive, allowing gardeners to make a quick informed decision on which varieties are right for them.

Thompson & Morgan is also helping veg growers to take the guesswork out of crop timings in 2016 with All Season Vegetable Collections. Each packet contains at least three top- performing varieties of the same vegetable that can all be sown in one hit but will crop at different stages to give the longest harvest window from a single sowing. The All Season Mange Tout Pea collection for example contains Oregon Sugar Pod, Sweet Horizon and Kennedy for a 16 week harvest from June through to October, while the All Season Leeks collection provides a massive 36 week crop window from August through to the following April.

Thompson & Morgan has a long history as market leader in the mail order supply of seed and young plants, direct to gardener’s doors since 1855. Its award winning website and seasonal catalogues have undergone a massive product expansion through 2015, now listing 10,000+ items covering most areas of garden supply, from sheds, greenhouses and mature plants to garden machinery, composts, fertilisers and hand tools.

Despite this, Paul says Thompson & Morgan remains committed to offering the best selection of garden seeds on the market. He says: “Seed sowing is economy-proof, remaining core to our customers’ garden experience in both good and bad years. Nothing beats the satisfaction of nurturing a seasonal crop from plot to plate, especially when you can make a huge saving against supermarket produce and slash your weekly spend.”

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 2013 as well as 2014 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 Christmas 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.