GTN March 2025 - Garden Trade News UK

KEEP MICE OUTOF HOUSEAND HOME

•Block holesand entry points permanently

•Protect cablingand vunerable cavity areas

•Prevent infestations withoutusing poisons

•Destroy odours and pheromonetrails, refresh room areas

Stealofthe Century!

Sincethe startof2024around40 garden centres havenow changed hands, some bought by newoperators to the market, some by independentswho areadding extra sites, andthe big groups havealso grown; Blue Diamond and British Garden Centres.

The closureand subsequent transfer of Dobbies centres to newownerscauses achange in the ranking of the major garden centre groups Blue Diamond continues as theNo1group by turnoverwith British Garden Centres nowthe clear leaders in terms of number of centresat72.

The marked change in operators and ownership this Spring hascome about by Dobbies decision to close “unprofitable” centres and allowlandlords to trigger exitclauses on leases by asking for rent reductions as partof their restructuringplan. Looking back at the prices that were asked forbyWyevale when those businesses were bought by Dobbies totals almost £72m of garden centrevalue.

The newoperators have gained those sites,6 years on from theWyevale “Sale of the Century”, without having to buy the businesses from

Dobbies, just by taking on newleases with the landlords.

Judging by the reaction of customersand staff that GTNhas spoken with at the re-opened andre-launched centresthiscould becomethe “Stealofthe Century” with tradeexceeding expectations withinweeks of opening

And the changes of ownership will undoubtedly continue.The latestsale and acquisition of Daisy Nook by Parkers Garden Centresshows that good garden centre operators can seegreat value in developing ongoing businessesand win through against other potential purchasers who arelooking at sitesfor otheruses.

This monthwemet with Garyand Brenda Groucottwho bought the derelict Aylsham Garden Centre at auction during Covid in 2020. What astory theyhavetotell. They are the embodiment of passionategarden centre operators,with ahugeinherent sense of nurture, that just go to show whilstthereischange, the futureofgarden centresisingood hands.

Here’stoahappy and profitable Easter!

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Experts in their field

From growing plants as ahobby,Brenda and Gary Groucott have now turned aroundthe fortunes of two garden centres.

When the gavel went down at an auction in 2020,Brenda and GaryGroucott had bought themselves their secondgarden centre.Theypaid £720,000 for the site with glasshouses and abungalow, andsincethen the speed at which they havedeveloped the businesshas been nothing shortof impressive.

It wasa passion for growing plantsand selling them on theirdoorstep andatlocal sales that forged apath to become garden centreowners. Now, 24 years later,they haveWymondham GardenCentre andamorerecent auction purchase of Aylsham Garden Centre, both on the outskirtsofNorwich.

Wymondham Garden Centre

Achanceconversation in 2000 led to Brenda and Gary hearing about the retirement of theowners of their local farm shop and the idea of anew garden centrebusiness venturefor Brenda took shape. At the time,Garywas working in the food development industry, but he soon sawtherewas enough potentialinitto supportthemboth.

“It changed our life quite quickly,”says Gary.

Businesswas restrictedtothe sizeofthe car park but in 2016 theywereableto increase it andthe shop itself,which also provided the opportunitytoincludearestaurant.

“Wedidn't havegreat belief in the restaurant,and we had alot of doubts,but of course, it flewassoonasopened it,”Garyadds.“We spent many hours washingupand preppingfood in the kitchen, but it worked very well, andit complimented the garden centrewherewesaw salestake

off,” says Brenda

From thenonWymondham Garden Centrebecame moreofa destination location withGaryand Brenda seeing customers havebreakfast, do their shopping andstay for lunch.

Coming up for auction

During the twodecades of developing Wymondham Garden Centre, Brenda and Garywereapproached to see if they would liketobuy the garden centreatAylsham but thetimingand pricewas neverright.

Eventually Aylsham Garden Centrecameupfor auction. By thenithas already closed and the sitewas quickly falling into dereliction but Brenda and Garysaw therewas an opportunity to buyitatthe market price. Theygot the keys in September of that year and by the end of October theywereopen for business.

It wasn’t that easy though. On deciding to close the business, the former owners had locked up andwalked away leavingstock on theshelvesand food in the fridges andfreezers. “Whenwecame to clearup, we thoughtwe could probably salvage quiteabit but afterjust acouple of hours we said, ‘you know what let’sget theskips in’” says Brenda. The only thing salvageable wasthe extractor fan. It wasanexcitingalthough ratherstressful time, recalls Brenda, but the team from Wymondham helped cleaning and painting

Thenew centre, with itscoffee shop of 60 covers hadn’t been for long beforethe covid restrictionshit.Inhindsight, Garysays it wasariskymove, but like many garden centres,

they were allowedtoopen and peoplewantedtobuy.“We just gotinhereand got on with it, whichiswhat we've always done. Nomatter whatpeople do,theydon't want to get stuck at home,sotheyturnedtheir garden intoa part of thehouse,”saysGary.

Quick transformation

In just fouryears andwith£1.5m investment,Brenda, Gary andtheirteams have transformed AylshamGardenCentre.

“The team has been involvedand seen it evolve.Theyfeel part of it and treat it like it's theirown,”says Gary.

Theyhaveworked within theboundaries of thesite, linkingtothe existing buildingsand developingitin phases to always makesureit’sopen.“We couldn't affordinany way, shape or form to closethe site, builda nicebig buildingand then open up.And we needed to keep thestaff andthe incomecomingin,” says Gary. “Ittook theshape that it had to be.”

Phase threewas anew steelframed building, planning forwhich beganin2023. It housesthe main shop andrestaurant but, likeWymondham, customers havea clearviewofthe whole spaceno matter from wherethey areshopping.“Iunderstandabout funnellingcustomers through each department but forme, as acustomer, if I just want to pick something up,Ijust want to pick it up.I don't want to walk through the wholeshop,”saysGary. He addsthathavinga clear view meanscustomers willspend moretimebrowsing

Wymondham haswhatBrendacalls‘arunway’–apath throughthe middle so that, withdisplays at lowerheights, customers can seethe endofthe shop. This has the added benefitofallowingspacefor staff to bring in stock on pallets to makeiteasyfor them to replenish shelves.

Large areas of glazing also help increase natural light levels and mean shoppers can easily seeand aredrawn towards the outdoorplanteria. Gettingfloor levels and slopes rightwas important and Gary wouldstand on blocks of wood to replicatethe hights as indicatedinarchitectural drawings so he could see it ‘for real’.

Brenda and Garyhavesuccessfullytransformed twogardencentres with very little input from outside consultants. By being apartofthe HTABIS and visiting lots of other centres, theyhavebecome their ownconsultants. “I don’tknowhow many photos of toilets Ihaveonmy phone,”says Brenda.

“When we didthe first changes at Wymondham in 2000 andthe big changes in the 2016,wedidn’thave much confidence,but we went round allofthese sites, saw what others were doing and we thought ‘theycan’tbeall wrong’,” says Gary. "It has definitely helpedupbut inmy head, Iknowthere's nobody more expert at knowing my businessthan me."

Growing their ownplants, baking andcooking theirown food and using localfamilybusinesses where possible are important to Brenda and Gary. Alocal firm has also been employedtoinstall solar panels and storage batteries

forecast to bring financial returns in threetofour years, butlikely to be sooner.Whenitcomes to stock, it’sgiven them alarge supplierlist, buttheylikethe choiceitgives theircustomers.

With sevenchefs on thebooks, onewho justdoes baking,customers arealways guaranteed ahomecooked meal. Arecentpizza oven investment is also payingoff as itsgiven an opportunity to amember of the team to step up,learn about makingpizza andtrain the rest of the team andits attracting ayounger audience.“It’s difficultto measure but at half term our sales in arestaurant and pizza countgoesrightup,”says Brenda

At AylshamGardenCentre, its estimated around45% of turnover comesfromthe restaurant but this is expected to change in favour of gardenproducts as the centre becomesmoreestablished. “Gardensales aregrowing and quiterapidly,”says Gary.

Anew EPOSsystemfromDavidsonRichards willalso help keep aclose track on data.

Advice

Foranyonestarting outinthe gardencentretrade,Brenda hassomegoodadvice. “Bebrave,takearisk and follow your gut. If it doesn’tfeelright, it’s notright. People sometimessay we aresolucky–but we work reallyhard andthe harder we work,the luckier we get,” she says.

But they alsoappreciateand value their staff.“Stock doesn’t sell itself,’ says Gary. “Sometimes youneed knowledgestaff to helpsell it, andthe longeryou can keep staff thebetter at it they willbe.”

Thereare plansfor acoffee andcakeareaatAylsham to take thepressureoff lunchtimesatthe restaurant and afarmshopwitha butchery andadelicounterwhich will help Aylshamtoachieve itspotential of being a£5m turnover centre. But generallyit’snot numbers that motivate Brenda andGary, itshavinghappystaff,happy customers andsomeprofit to invest back intothe business that counts.

Brewing up a quality coffee

From supply through to training, specialityroaster

Clifton Coffee ensures qualityreignsfromberry to cup.

Clifton Coffee in Bristol,isquiteeasy to find –just head for the smellof roastingbeans. StartedbyJames Fisher as aone-man band maintaining espresso machines, it has grown, over the last 23 years, to become aspeciality roaster and today has customers from hotelsto high street cafes, roadsidedining and,of course, garden centres. Notonly does it supply coffee, but it also sells andmaintains coffee machines andofferstraining courses so its customers can make their customersthe best tasting cupofcoffee.

“I think the wholecoffee industryin the UK is changing,” says GeorgeMelluish, Clifton Coffee’sWholesale Manager “People might not always be able to tell youwhy something is agood product, but theyknowwhenitis. Theyare certainly becoming moreselective whenitcomes to having adecent cup of coffee.”

This desirefor quality fits perfectly with garden centres, as theytoo are aiming for the higheststandards when it comes to products and services. “Garden centres value the serviceand thecoffee that’sserved–theyput alot behind it and that leads to quality andanimproved experience.People aremaybetakinga bit moredelight in those smallparts of their day, and Ithink coffee is one of life’s affordable luxuries,”believesGeorge. He adds that as well as sharedvalues, coffee and garden centreindustries also havethe same feeling of community and willingness to shareinformation.

The team of around 46 peopleare mainly based at the Bristol hq, with Road Teams in Surrey,Manchester,Bedford and Birmingham. “Weare alittle bitunique as we deliver personally to around 75% of our customers,”says George. “The team aredelivery drivers, technicians, trainers, account managers, all wrappedupin one.”Ofthe many advantages of having aregular point of contact, solving issues with machinesisone of themost valuable. It means theycan be mended thenand

therewith minimal interruptiontoservice. Techniciansare alsoonhandtohelp customersnot on adedicatedroute.

Stories behind coffee

As with all products, consumers aregetting increasingly savvy about provenance, andthisiscertainlytrue about coffee. “Sourcingismassively important. Customers areveryinterested in thestory of theproduct andwhere it's come from,and they want to know everything hasbeen done correctly,” says George.

Clifton Coffee, aBCorporation company, hasbeen sourcing coffee forits main house lines from thesamefarmers forthe last decade, visitingfarms and buildingupclose relationships. Most comes from Brazilbut in El Salvador, RicardoLima is oneoftheirkey producers on theFinca Buena Vista farm overlooking theGueatemalan border. “Thiswas our first direct traderelationship andfrom where we get oursingle estateThe E1 Projectcoffee,”says George. “Theyknow what they'redoing andreally careabout theirplants, theproduct andthe people. Theyinvest really heavily in thelocalmill which supports therestofthe industry in that area."

Tasting noteshelp to describe the flavour of

Anewer relationshiphas beenforged with acooperativeinHonduras. The Village is the company’s first Fair Tradeorganic line. Produced by an all-female team called ComucapCooperative, it aims to give financial independence to femaleworkers and, in some cases, freedom from abusive relationships.

Over the years,asthese relationships havebeen strengthened and supplybeen moreguaranteed, it has shifted itsoffering in favourofsingle origin coffees.One outcome is that thestory is easier to tell

Anotherthought thatGeorge says reflects the natural natureofcoffee, is that from year to year depending on the weather,the tasteofasingle origincoffee mightslightly change. “It’s alldownto the harvest and that's fine because it'sa natural product growninthe ground. This tells something of the location, the way it's been produced, and theway theplants andcoffee has been lookedafter by those people. Wheresome mightsee this as a negative,wethink it’sapositive.”

Decafcomes from Colombia where caffeine is extracted by soaking green beans in asugarcane derivativeknown as the ‘sugarcane process’.Georgeexplains

that of thedifferentways to extract caffeine –Swiss waterwhere thecaffeine is flushed out, andchemical decaffeination in CanadaorGermany-thisisfavouredas it is themostnatural andcan be done in thecountryoforigin.

Training

Clifton Coffee’sevolution hasseenitgo through severalstages.Withinthe last decade it’staken roastinginhouse and centralised itsbusinessatthe Island Trade Park in Bristol

When Ed Bustoncameonboard,his experience in thehospitality sector proved valuableand soon thetrainingprogramme began. “I thinkwewereone of the first proper coffee training centres in the UK whichputs us in aunique position We roast areally nice product andit's important both forusand forthe coffee drinker,thatthe product is thebest quality that it can be. Making acup of coffee is quitesimple but it justtakes alittlebit of time to makesurepeople know howtodo it anddoitjustice,”explains George. Free training sessions areoffered online andinhouse in Bristol to all wholesale customers because, says George, its important peoplesee theroastery, andthe wholejourney of thebeans.Baristasupport sessions aretailoredtoamaximum of four peopleper classand lasttwo or threehours. Returneesare welcomeand can build on theirbasic knowledge witha course, forexample on milk steamingor latteart

Clifton Coffee is alsoapremier campus forcourses coordinatedbythe Speciality Coffee Association,the boardwhich governs coffee aroundthe world. It’s two trainers arecertified to lead thesecourses, andwholesale customers get a50% price reductionwhich can result in certificates anddiplomas forthose wantingtofurther theircareer in coffee. “Theyare areally good waytoinvest in staff andweare empowering people to go back to their ownsiteand improve theskillsofthe rest of theirteam,”says George.

Coffee beansare roasted in batches of 70kg, 12kgor5kg.During the 15 minuteprocess,beans areheated by infrared burnerswith temperature, gas flowand airintake monitoredon adigital screen. Onceroasted theyfall intoa vattobecooled by rotation.

In addition to training,potential customers arealsoencouraged to visit Clifton Coffee so they can seethe different machines in action,taste arange of coffees andchoosewhat’srightfor theirbusiness. Theycan alsoget help withthe design processand workflow.

Theplant itself

Although thereare 124 species of coffee, thetwo main typesdrunktoday come from robusta, (Coffea canephora accounting for 35% of global production)withastrong flavour andcaffeine kick, andarabica (Coffea arabica accounting for65%) which hasamildertaste andnaturallyless caffeine.Varieties offered by Clifton Coffee list exotic nameslikeRed Bourbon, Mundo Novo and74158Heirloom Arabica is growninhigher altitudes and produces aslightly higher grade of coffee whilerobusta is happier in lowerlying

regions. It’sahardier plant, better able to withstand weatherand attack from insects.

Because of changing weather patternsand increases of extreme weather events,global coffee production is dropping, and farmers arehaving to find newways of growing and developing newclimatetolerant plants. In Brazil some crops arestill recovering from severe frosts in 2021 and in August2024 causing coffee prices to shootup.

Clifton Coffee has previously worked with KewGardens on a project to monitornew varieties including Liberica.“Taste-wise it’snot quitethere yet. Butifthe same time,careand attention is invested,asithas been with arabica, then maybe it will work and be agood choiceinthe future,”saysGeorge.

Making coffee at Monkton Elm Family-owned Monkton ElmGardenCentre, Devon, is aCliftonCoffee customer. With afood andbeverage team of 47 it alsofits within oneof theRoadTeam’sroutes so getsregular weekly visits.

so

WendyTyzack, the centre’sFoodand Beverage Managers says they chose Clifton Coffee because they sharethe same values but alsobecause it was local andits products aresustainable, traceable andethicallysourced.“The relationship we have built withthemhas benefitted both them andour garden centreand,moreimportantly,our customers love our coffees!”says Wendy.

Thenewly refurbishedrestaurantatMonkton Elmisdue to open on 24 March andthe team at Clifton Coffee havehelped with equipmentand settingupofanew coffee counter

SuspensionEspresso hasbeen chosentobeservedatMonkton Elmbut it also offers ColombiaDecaf,the wholerangeofteas, hotchocolate, chai base as well as CliftonCoffee’smachines and equipment.

Monkton Elm hastaken advantageofall the training options. Groups have gone to Bristol, refresher courses havebeen studied on lineand thetrainers from Clifton Coffee havecometothe garden centre.Wendy says sessions areinteresting and easy to learn plus everything is implemented around thesizeofMonkton Elm’sbusinessneeds."Oneofthe most importantlessonswe take away from Clifton's training is howtomakedrinks to an excellent standardevery time," sheadds. Both Wendy and Lisa Searle, RestaurantAssistantManager,havealsocompleted SCA professional baristaintermediateskillscourses andwouldliketo take thenext step.“We arealsodeveloping amemberofstaff to move into ahead baristarole, so shewillalsobedoing this course in thenear future,”Wendy adds.“It is afascinating course that I would recommend to anyone in amanagement position working with coffee.”

from

Hornby George PR unveils new EventPR Support packages to elevate brands at trade and consumer shows

Hornby George PR is proud to introduce its newEvent PR Supportpackages, designed to help brandsmaximise their visibility and impact at trade shows and consumer events throughoutthe year.

With two decades of experienceleading the Press Office atGlee, plus the British Craft Fair anda hostofother events.Hornby George PR understands the challenges exhibitors faceinstanding out in acrowded event space. Thesebespokesupportpackages offera costeffectiveand highly efficient wayfor brands to leverage theagency’smarket-leading expertise, deep industry

knowledge, and strategic press support.

Kimberley Hornby George, owner of Hornby George PR,said: “Exhibiting at trade shows and consumer events canbedaunting, with brands competingfor attention in abusy,noisy environment.Over the past two decades, my teamand Ihavehoned the expertise needed to cut through this noise, ensuring exhibitors getnoticed -whether by buyers, the media, or the general public. We’venow formalised this experience into dedicated support packages that takethe hard work outofdeveloping PR strategy,helping brands make a real impact at whichever event they areexhibitingatthis summer and beyond.”

Designed to save exhibitorstime while delivering maximum visibility and press coverage, Hornby George PR’s new packages –which start from as little as £300 -handleall the key strategic elements-including copywriting, media relations, and ensuring your message lands at the right time within theevent calendar.This allows brands to focus on making themost of their event presence while the PR expertsensuretheir story is heard

About Hornby George PR

Founded by Kimberley Hornby George, HornbyGeorge PRhas become synonymous with excellence in garden retail, horticultural and lifestyle communications. Over thepasttwo decades, Kimberley and her team have worked with some of the biggest names in the industry, gaining an unparalleled understanding of both tradeand consumer markets.

In addition to her work with Hornby George PR, Kimberley is the Co-Chair of the Garden Media Guild – aposition thatreflects her dedication to promoting exceptional storytelling and communication within the gardening world. This dual role enhances HornbyGeorge PR’sability to deliver services rooted in deep industry knowledge and acommitment to celebrating all aspects ofgarden retail.

Getintouch

Formoreinformation about HornbyGeorgePRplease visit www.hornbygeorgepr.com

Spreadingthe gardeningmessage

Organised by theHTA andGIMA, theannual GardenPress Event enables the media andpress to discover products, suppliers and new trends forthe year ahead. Connections madepromote gardeningonall platformsand area vital link in the chain of informationfromsupplier through to homegardener.

Natural anti-bug bitepower

After trading online and through selected high street retailers, Alfresconatural insectrepellents is looking to supply garden centres which it feels offer the perfect customer base.

The range wascreated by Sarah-Lou Morris after getting fed up with being bitten by bugs while volunteeringin London’sChelsea Physic Garden. Not liking the harmful insect repellents on the market, she decided to makeher own.

Combining her love of chemistryand plants she founded Alfresconatural insect repellents. Working alongside a300-yearold perfume house and using amix of 20 essential oils, Alfesco has three scents sold in alotion, and eau de parfum spray. Theynot only smell good and are natural, butalso repel insects and mosquitos.

Warmthfor smaller spaces

A fav e of the GTN team was range of small,

Afavouriteofthe GTNteamwas the range of small, clean burn firepitsexhibited by FandangoFiretools. Part of the collection from Espegard,the smallest of these sleek, stainless-steel burners, the Lue 40,is just 40cmindiameterand 33cm in height. It comes with an attractivepricerrp £219.The company’s Paul Jenkinson says Espegard has listened to customer feedback and designed the range of Lue, Brasaand Eld–fire pitstoproducea good levelof heatand flame with virtually no smoke, andyet small enough to fit on aterrace

Copper and bronzefromCrocus

Online retailer Crocus is expanding its product range with theCrocus Collection of garden accessoriesmade from materialsincluding bronze, copper and stainlesssteel.Working directlywith factories and designers in India,the ranges arenot onlyattractiveand practical but also longlasting It’scleversieve andbowlhas aretailpriceof£59.99.

Additions to the range of Growhouses include long narrowdesigns, which better suit small gardens, whileits weaver birdhangingpots andwirewreath plantdisplays adda fresh newtakeon traditional hanging baskets. Handcrafted bowlsand pot covers with etched, hammeringand rivet designs bring atouch of the exotic to houseplantsand indoorarrangements. Newdesigns in the collectionwillall be available online by June2025.

Vertical solution

Newtothe market is averticalgardening solution that not only accommodates plants butalsoprovides nests and feeders for birds and insect hotels. Revolutionary egg-shaped designs from Eggologic haveapermanent back platewithinterchangeable front piecetoallow for thefeaturetobe changed. In small spaces thisisa boon as abirdfeederornest boxnolonger visited by early summer,can becomea planterfor bring colour to the garden until early winter

Todd Wentesays allthe designs are madefrom100% post-consumer resin and polyethylene andhaveundergoneextensivetesting.Thereare currently fiveproducts in therange,each in three colours,and Todd is keen to talk to garden centres about retailopportunities

Just for seeds

Melcourthas listened to customer feedback and formulateda growing media specifically for seeds. Its SylvaGrow Seed Compost,which likeall its range is 100% peat free, is amix of finebark, wood fibre from sustainablymanaged forest and coir,also from known sustainable sources.

Availablein15L and 40L packsthe growing media provides prefect conditionsfor successfulseed germination but alsocontains enough feed to supportseedlings for between 4-6 weeks. Thebag is made from 30% postconsumerwasteand is 100% recyclable.

Gettingstarted with bees Garden centres arebeing sought to sell the newBuzzBox –The Beekeepers StarterPack,which has everything needed to begin bee keeping.With an rrp from £495 it contains everything,fromthe hive itselftothe gloves, suits and smoker to help with thehoneyharvest. It even has removeablepanels to enable keeperstosee the bees through glass without having to disturb them.

CreatorMarkMeadowsfounded Buzz Boxwith the aim of increasing the numberofbeekeepersinthe UK. “Weare shortonbeekeepers, and I'd like theretobemoreinthe UK, and Iwant to makethe journey into beekeeping as seamlessand easy as possible. I’mhoping to get them hooked intothe hobbysotheystay with it for along time.”

Beepopulations havefallen

dramatically from an estimated 1million honeybeecolonies in 1900 to around 270,000 today

“Therewere80,000 registered beekeepers in the 1950’sand after dropping to 9,000 at themillennium, thereare now47,000 –but there are20million morepeopleinthe country,”hesays.

Markislooking at garden centres as an outlet as he believes their customers arethe most likely people to want to keep bees. “Thegarden centredemographic is also the beekeeping demographic,”says Mark In aretail environment, thehive takes up just halfa squaremeter of space, and aqrcode leads buyers to where theycan purchasea colony Mark is happy to help with spreading the word by offering talks at garden centres on setting up ahiveand all things bee keeping

stland came up a novel di y to enfor message about the of its & Stowe showing it beside a number of broken ones. to replicate in any garden centre, it stop customers in tracks and

Westland came up with anovel displaytoenforce the message about the strength of its Kent &Stowe Capability Digging Spade by showingitbeside anumberofbrokenones. Easy to replicatein anygarden centre, it will certainly stop customers in their tracksand get them thinkingaboutbuying anew andstronger spade.

Congratulations, for the second year running, go to TheDipping Tank Company for winning The Best NewProduct Awardatthe GPE. Voted for by visitors, the design has movedonsincelast year with newproducts and accessories for 2025 including aBug Hotel Style and aCortonSteel Fascia to makewater collection athing of beauty rather than something to hide. Thecompany’s Andrew Cousins is seen here with Kate Ebbens, GIMA President, and Will Armitage,HTA President

Webb EcoMiniPruner Receives BBCGardeners’ World Best Buy Award

Britishgardenequipment manufacturer Webb has been presentedwithBestBuy status by BBCGardeners’ Worldmagazinefor itsWebbEco Mini Pruner

Reviewed independentlybya team of experts, theBestBuy awardispartofthe BBC Gardeners’ World‘On Test’feature. Itsrecenttestofminichainsaws involved rating four key areas: ease of use, comfort, performanceand valuefor money. Marksout of five areawarded to producea finalscore.

Puttothe test with arange of models,BBC Gardeners’ Worldrated theWebbEco WEV20PSB2cordlesspruning sawtrimmerone of its best budget mini chainsaws, scoringit4.6/5 forits performanceand overallvalue formoney.Kay Maguire, ReviewsEditorfor BBC Gardeners’ Worldmagazinesaid: “Whatwelikethe best is that youget averycapable sawfor less than £100, so we’veawarded it aBBC Gardeners’ WorldMagazineBestBuy fora budget mini chainsaw”.

Mark Moseley, Webb Sales& MarketingDirector, commentsonthis latest achievement: “Receiving positive feedback from independent reviewersisalwaysa greatvalidationofour brands andwhenit

comesfromsucha well-respectedtitle as BBC Gardeners’ World it hasgenuine value. It reinforces thetrust that retailers have in choosingtostock ourproducts, knowingtheyare reliableand of high quality.”

BecomeaWebbStockist

Emailsales@handys.co.ukTelephone01793333220

Designed foroptimal performancewitha super-fast battery recharge,the Webb Ecocordlesspruning trimmerprovidesa convenient andcost-efficientalternative to traditionalpetrol options. Quiettouse andcordlessindesign, thenew rangeofferscompletefreedom with no powercablestoget in theway or hold youup.

Acheer wasalsoraised for the team at HSK Gardening and Leisurewhich, on its firstvisitto the showas an exhibitor,won TheBest StandDisplayAward forits imaginativedisplayoftree ferns.

Royal endorsement

Awide range of products in the AutoPot automatic watering system range have been endorsed by the Royal Horticultural Society (RHS). Sustainable, space-saving and environmentally friendly,the range is stocked in around 40 garden centres and overseasthrough wholesalers inmultiple countries. The RHS logo and endorsement will nowappear on the packs of AutoPot products as well as beingonline and on pos. The partnership will strengthen AutoPot's expertise in sustainable gardening solutions, while supporting and enhancing RHS aims, such as promoting waterconservation andgreater opportunitiestoget morepeople growing plants.

“These systems arenot only good for the environment but cost-savingand highly efficient– big pluses for bothgardeners and the RHS,” says Cathy Snow, RHS Licensing Manager.“Theyalso support makinggardening accessible to all, whether in agreenhouse or on apatio,balcony or allotment. All of which adds up to a wonderful growing andsustainability story that we aredelighted to support.”

Balcony birds

CJ Wildbird Care hascome up withan ingenious wayfor people with balconies to enjoywatching and feeding birds.The range of colourful and shaped dishesin different designs of theBalus Balcony Seed Feeder can be attached to abalcony railing using asimplebracket. Made from recycled plant-based products they areeasytoclean.

Next year’s event is scheduled for Tuesday 17 February 2026. Supplierswho areconsidering exhibiting can find outmoreat www.gardenpressevent.co.uk

Elevating seedsatretail

Establishedasa core line forgarden centres, seeds continue to pull in the customers. Each year seed supplies bring in enough ‘newness’ to keep gardeners keen to grow more, trysomething differentand entice newbies to haveagoatgrowing something from seed.

An inexpensiveintroductiontogardening, seeds arealso often the first portofcallfor children who in later yearsremember planting andsowing with parents and grandparents.This not only puts retailers in the unique position of nurturing generations but also guarantees steady sales through the tills.

In2024, theHTA estimated seedssales generatedaround £200m at retail and29% of adults purchasedatleast one packet

Enteranew supplier

Most seed suppliers havebeen in business for generations so it’sexciting to seeStocks &Green making aforay into theretailseed businessbringing apoint of difference with the beautifulphotography on the front andback of its seed packets.

peopletogrowmorefromseedortry somethinga bitdifferentperhaps,” says cofounder Iben Lund Gladman.

at thetrial gardens or fields to makesurewe’re keeping up withwhat’sofinterest,”says Iben Onething Stocks& Green is keen to promote is forpeople to fitmorewildflowers among the ornamentals into theirgardeners. “You can have some teasels, or bladder campion without them taking over,”she says.

Coming from agarden photography background, the company is also backing up stockist with regular images, be that step-bystep or portraits, for them to use on social media and instorepromotions. “Wewantto support their sales so theycan encourage

Based in Essex, thesmall independent merchantof flower andvegetable seed began trading online in 2021,but at SpringFair earlier in Februaryitlaunched awholesale service forretailers. “Wehaveasmall set of racks and spinners being trialled at variousplaces to make sureweget theorderingsystemright. We want everything working as smoothlyasitcan, so whenitrolls outproperly in January2026, we haveironed out anylittleniggles,”says Iben. Currently, therange covers around400 varieties,which Iben says are‘thethingswe like to grow’. Beinggardeners of alifetime, customers can be surethe rangehas been carefully considered anddecidedupon with authority.“Each year we go to Holland to look

Stocks& Green seeds aremid-range, and pricesare clearly shown usingaletter coded system. Horticultural andgrowing information is provided on thereverse of the packet providing what Iben says, is agoodchanceofbeing successfulwithseed. “Wewant people to give it ago. Thereare so many things that areeasy to grow from seeds, -why buy aplantinapot?” www.stocksandgreen.com

Kings makesbuying decisions easy Making decisionseasyfor novicegardeners is arange of 10 StarterCollection Packs from Kings Seeds. “Theseare forthe gardener that goesintoagardencentre, and theydon’tknow what they want becausethey’re dauntedbythe seedstand,” says Andrew Tokely,Horticultural Director of Kings Seeds,adding,“We’vedone thework forthem.”

Therange hasalready enteredsomegarden centres andhas been well received. It includes on trendediblecut flowers, annualclimbers andaGrowYourOwn ChristmasLunch with Brussels sprout,parsnip, carrot, redcabbageand Inventive collections, sumptuous picturesand anew supplier of retail seeds for2025.

and leeks. Thecollectionof sunflowers has been the most popular so far, alongwith the Children’sStarterPacka favouritepurchaseof grandparents. “Wehope that oncegardeners have learnt through growing seeds in these packstheywill move ontothe catalogues to get other varieties,”says Andrew.

To help further,Kingsisnow offering ablock of vegan friendly seed sowing andcutting compost made from coir,perlite andadded fertiliser.Just by addingfive litres of warm waterand waiting10minutes, the block will hydrateand expand to 15 litres of compost. It canbeused straight away or resealed foruse within 12 months. It’saneasypick-upline in

D.T.Brownseedpacksnow

Newlookfor Johnsonsflowerrange.

gardencentreswhereadumpbin of packs, with arrp of £6.95can be displayed beside the seeds or elsewhere. “We’ve trialled it with seed emergence andthe growth we get is exactly the same as with peat-based media, but theroot structureinthe coir is actually stronger,”says Andrew.

Change will be positive at Fothergills Gardencentres won’tsee anydisruptionto services followingFothergills change of logistics promises Sonila Troka, Chief MarketingOfficer. “Therewillbenoday of disruption, andweare expecting equalorbetter services from our partners,”she says.

Up until now, theFothergills businesshas hadtwo in-houselogistics centres but an expected increase in demand hasled to the company to look at outsourcing.“We arenot alogistics company, andthe MetroGroup has this at theirheartand hasa lot of experience,” says Sonila. Anycostsavings will be reinvested into thecompany andspacevacated willbeused to house other departments, such as customer care, which arecurrently acoupleofmiles from theheadquarters.

Changeshavealsobeen madetoseed lines to makeeach of itsbrandsmoredistinctive

The‘Mr’has been dropped from the traditional brandand thelogo revamped, plus there’sa newrange called Oh SowSimple with 115 SKU’s to appeal to thenoviceand beginner gardener DT Brownisnow availablefor retailers to stock, havingtraditionally been an online brand only whileJohnsonsgets afresh newlook

“Fothergill’sisall about helping everyone to grow so theideaistodemocratizethe category andbring more people in,whilewestill grow our existinggardeners by providing them solutions

Renowned forits exceptional collectionofsweet pea varieties, Unwins has branched out withtwo newadditions –spring onion Marksmanand spinach Nevada whichare both suited forcontainers and veg patches. UK-bred, the spring onion is easy to grow, robust and has along cropping period from spring to autumn. Spinach Nevada also has longharvesting windowand excellent shelflife. Anotherplusisthat is particularly resistant to downymildew.

theyneed,”explains Sonila. It’sbeing seen as a brand that bringspeople together,promoting connections and physical andmental wellbeing

DT Browns is to majoronvegetables with onlyafew flowers that promotepollination. Its focus will be growing the ingredientsneededto craft healthy meals andassuch, the packaging nowincludes images of vegetablesand the meals theycreate.

Johnsons will be the brand to celebratethe joyofcolour,and the firstnew launch will be flowers that can be cut, shared andused to decoratethe home. Branding brings attention to the Jand highlight its femininity andappeal

to women andits A-Zrange willberolled out in July.

Allthese changeshave, andstill are, being rolled outwithpositiveresponses from retailers andcustomers. The planisfor thenew looks andrangestocompletely replacecurrent stock by 2026

Big taste, smallspace Thompson& Morgan and Suttonscontinue to work towards maximising and wideningranges with newmixes andgenetics. RobSmith, Product Development Manager, saysthe company is still seeinga strong trend towards growing in smallergardens so continues to findnew high yieldingvarieties which reap rewardsinlimited spaces. “You don’tneeda gardenoragreenhouse as we havethe choice for peopletomakethe most of what space they have,”hesays.

It’snew microaubergine ‘BabyBlack Jack’, which can be grownina2Lpot,isone example.Plants stand at just 3-35cm and producegolfball-sized fruits in clusters.

TheTiny Temptations Mix of yellow,red and orange fruiting cherrytomatoesalsomeans gardeners can grow afun selection of small fruiting tomatoeswithout having to buythree packetsofseed. Along withnew Cucumber Quick Snack F1 and Snak Hero garden pea (wherethe wholepod is eaten)these colourful tomatoesalsoanswertothe demandfor fresh vegthat can be putinalunch boxoreaten straight from the plant.

Recognising continued demandsmadefrom theincreasing cost of living, thecompany has created aVeg PatchSaver which brings togethera back to basicsyet affordable range. Holding achoiceof31varieties, allretailingat £1.50, it is one of T&M’snew Hot Spot displays in a30cm or 60cmrack.

Left:Hot offthe press is arange of 40 seedlines being soldbyCrocusinnew pictorial packets. Using inhouse images, it will gradually add pictures to itsrange of morethan seeds which arecurrently sold in plain packs.The company’s John Hiornssaystheywillpredominantly be soldinits owngarden centre at DorneyCourt,Berkshire, butalsoatthe flower showswhereCrocushas apresence. “We’ve also designed theplanting plans, sowing times andinformationonthe backofthe pack,”headds.

Growing opportunities

Vitavia is afamily run businessbased in Suffolk, selling quality hobby greenhouses and greenhouse accessories. Theyprovide home and trade deliveries throughout the UK.

Vitavia is also the UK distributor for Janssens greenhouses and garden rooms from Belgium, the perfect complement to the already well established Vitavia range.

As awholesaler,Vitavia sell via a trusted network of garden centres and garden building specialists, one of which could be you!

What makes Vitavia differentto other greenhousecompanies?

Offering ample spacefor growingplants, theSirius can also be used forrelaxing

Vitavia offer averypersonal home delivery service, using well informed drivers who will deliver the greenhouses to the customer’s preferred placeofchoice. Theyalso offer exceptional after sales servicewith direct contact to end users.

What arethe keyselling points?

All Vitavia greenhouses aremade with anodised aluminium and powder coated frames in severalcolours, withgreenhouse

accessories to match. Allproductshavefull assemblyinstructionsand videos to support customers who decide to buildthe greenhouse themselves.

What supportare youoffering garden centres?

Vitavia offer generouslydiscounted display models, product literatureand pointofsale material.Staff training canbearranged on request andthe Vitavia team aresoonhandto answer anyqueries if and whentheyarise.

Why shouldagarden centre sell theVitavia products?

Vitavia offer ahassle–free operation. Once the greenhouse is purchased, Vitavia do therest! Theytakeover from receipt of order,liaising directly with the customer to arrange delivery and allafter care is dealtwithVitavia directly. In addition, greenhouseshave a relatively high purchase price and profitmargin –soitreally is win-win!

Small andpractical, the

Getincontact with us today.Email: info@vitavia.co.uk

Retail detail

Known mainlyfor its plants, IPM Essen, theGerman trade eventheld every January, also yielded great retail ideassome of which have or arecoming our way.

Inexcess of 40,000 people visitedthe IPM Essentrade showinJanuary, allkeentosee what’snew in the gardening world. From machines using roboticarms to placecuttings in traystosilk flowers, this eventineighthuge halls is buzzing with newideasand technology in commercial plantproduction, retailingand floristry.

Easy houseplants

The presentationofhouseplants in retail situations has been givenashakeupby Feldborg Growers in Denmark. A‘supermarket’look, it has been styled to fit perfectly with garden centres andpromoteits easycarebrand. On point of sale, the concept also includes an easyscore helping newhouseplant carers andthose with moreexperience choose plants theyare most likelytohavesuccess with.

Avariety of pot sizes areavailable retailing pre-priced in apaper sleeve or ceramicouter pot and stock can be kept freshwith Feldborg’s topupordering system.

Easycare houseplants haverecentlybeen adopted by British Garden Centres andshould be appearing in some stores this spring. www.feldborg.com

Amust for everywild bird caredepartment is the feed Adventcalendar createdbyBaza HouseofSeeds in Holland. It is one in arange of gardening themed Advent calendarswhich haveprovedtobesopopular that the company hasnow repackaged some as Spring Grow Kits to extend the sales window. In addition, Baza also offersa birdfeeders to hold avariety of different seeds andwindowsill growing pots. Both ranges aremade from sacks used in the teagrowing industryand which otherwise would be destroyedafter the freshly pickedleaves havebeen transportedtothe factories. Consequently,theyall havea fantastic rustic look and no two arethe same.

The company’s owner Bert Bakker is lookingtobreak into the UK gardencentremarket and is working on alternatives to plastic nettingcurrently used in the bird feedproducts. www.baza.nl

Based in Holland, Decowraps Europe exhibited twonovel ideas to add on to houseplant sales. Both were shownoncompact display units highly suited to garden centres. TheDecowraps BucketBags aremadefromKraft paper and are waterproof. An easy‘pickup’ line forcustomers, theycome in avariety of coloursand sizes. The Fastwrap pot covers areaquick fix foradded value forretailers and an easyway forcustomers to turn aplant intoagift.Made from laminated Kraft paper theytoo come in awide rangeof colours and sizes. www.decowraps.com

The crazefor waxcoatedbulbs continuestogrow with Kebol, based in Holland,offeringaneverexpandingrange forseasonalsales.Its Christmasline willadd afun dimensiontoshelves.Hyachinth bulbs from Jansen’sOverseas were alsogiven thewax coated treatmentand were artfully arrangedhanging from twigs andbranches www.kebol.netwww.jansensoverseas.com

craze for wax coated bulbs continues to grow with Kebol, based in Holland, o ering an everexpanding range for seasonal sales. Its Christmas line will add a fun dimension to shelves. Hyachinth Jansen’s Overseas were also given the wax coated treatment and were arranged hanging from and branches. www.kebol.net www.jansensoverseas.com

Forcentres shortonspace, this method of retailing seeds from Austrian company SamenMaier GMBH mightoffer asolution. It holdsthe company’srange of seeds arrangedbytypeand priceonspinning shelves andhas astatic base shelf forboxed lawnseed. It is committed to environmental protectionand encouraging biodiversity andwithinits rangehas organicseed in ‘grasspaper’packs www.samen-maier.at

Colour themingpainted tables with product is astriking waytocatch the eye. It works particularly well forcoordinating with plants in flowerbut equally,isagreat idea forindoor plants or giftlines.

New beginnings

GTN celebrates the operators breathing new life into stores formally owned by Dobbies.

For many garden centre teams, the end of 2024 was overshadowed by the news they may be out of work following the closure of 17 Dobbies stores, plus thesix high street little Dobbies outlets. Fortunately leases on some of the sites have been taken on by other garden centre operators who were keen for everyone to see thenew look storesand maximise on the busy spring season

BGC, Gosforth Garden Centre

BGC, Shinfield Garden Centre

On the weekend of 22-23 February, British Garden Centres opened Gosforth Garden Centre, Newcastle upon Tyne, the first centre fromtheseven it istaking on.Itwas officially opened by celebrity gardener David Domoney, who cut the ribbon and gave visitors a talk on all things gardening “We’re so excited to be partof the Gosforth community We’ve worked hardtobring life and enjoyment to the site so that it’s not just a garden centre but a destination for local people,” saysMalcolm Buckle, Centre Manager

so not a centre a says Malcolm Centre

Warwick Garden Centre

Centr

In Reading, Shinfield Garden Centre became part of the British Garden Centre family on the first weekend in March David Domoney wason hand againtocelebrate, as wasYuan Yang,Labour MP forEarley and Woodley “We’re thrilled to join the Shinfield community and were so happy to see the local residents come out in force to the reopening of the much-loved store,” saysEmily BartholomewBritish Garden Centres Retail Standards & Efficiency Manager “Whether seeking plant advice, browsing garden furniture, or enjoying a cup of tea, we hope they love what we have done with the store ”

1st Stratford upon Avon centre as Warwick Centre, the lease having been over by Centre. the its closure on 23rd 2024.

Centre MD, Helen Lloyd says: “We are substantial to after a while work is carried out, we a re-opening in March.”

On March 1st the Dobbies Stratford upon Avoncentre re-opened as Warwick Garden Centre, the leasehaving been taken overby Stratford Garden Centre All of the existing team were retained following itsclosure on23rd December 2024 Stratford Garden CentreMD, Helen Lloydsays: “Weare planning substantial improvements to the site at Warwick Road and, after a closure period while this work is carried out, we plan on a grand re-opening in March ”

Squire's Hare Hatch Garden Centre

Squire’s Garden Centres opened Hare Hatch Garden Centreon 3 March in the aptlynamed Floral Mile in Berkshire It takes the Squire’sfamilynumber of centres to 17 all of which now offer a new loyalty programme launched in February called Friends of Squire’s “We look forward to bringing our new customers our wonderful selection of plants – many of which are homegrownand from our ownnurseries –as we head into the exciting spring season,” says Sarah Squire, Chairman of Squire’s Garden Centres

Centres.

Customerswerequeuing around thecar park so seethe newlook HeighleyGateGarden Centre and its restaurant. Centre:Amy Stubbswith Adam

BGC, Heighley Gate Garden Centre

Thousands of customers queued in the Morpeth sunshine on Saturday 7th March in anticipation of the official re-opening of Heighley GateGarden Centre afterasixweek turnaround from an empty vacated Dobbies siteintoa buzzing,colourful, well stocked garden centre by the British Garden Centres Family TV Gardening superstar Adam Frost carried out the ribbon cutting ceremony, welcoming the customers into the centre before spending time chatting with them and presenting a talk in theplanteria.

British Garden Centres MD,Charles Stubbs arrived just as the centre opened, having travelled up from Havant where he

had been helping with the preparations for its opening on thesouth coast.

Charles told GTN: “I’m so proud of theBGC team for theefforts they have put in to open these centres, so well, so quickly I’ve probably run out of favours with suppliers, they haveall been so helpful in supplying stock and plants plus helping with merchandising”

“Thank you to all BGC Team Family members who have helped fromacross the north region.Thisisaspecialopportunity for us to further develop this amazing 40 acre site.”

BGC, Gloucester Garden Centre

the of Gloucester

centre for 35 and 28 years

to see centre restaurant, and stock up on they needed for their as the

sunshine beamed down

At the opening of Gloucester Garden Centre, also on Saturday March 8th, David Domoney was joined by Lin McNulty and Ian Pullin, who haveworked at thegarden centrefor 35 and 28 years respectively Many shoppers queued for two hours from 8am to see the refurbished centre and restaurant, and stock up on everything they needed for their gardens as the spring sun hi b d d

BGC, Havant Garden Centre

Havant MP Alan Mak, ShadowSecretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, officially opened the British Garden CentresHavant Garden Centre o Saturday 15tth March

Centres Havant on

Centre open. It is great see this in

creating what more than a store. With an restaurant an

Mr Mak says: “It wasa pleasure to cut the ribbon and declare the new Havant Garden Centreopen.It is great to see thi family-run business investing in Havant and creating what is much morethan astore With an expanded restaurant and an indoor soft play area, it is somewhere the whole familycan enjoy avisit ”

Queues of over 200customersformed outside ahead of the opening, all eager to take advantageofthe 10% off everything offer that was inplace to theweekends opening celebrations.

British Garden Centres MD, Charles Stubbs told GTN: “The team at Havant who transferred over from Dobbies have been truly fantastic The efforts they have put in to get the centre cleaned and re-stocked ready for the re-opening havereally impressed me.”

BGC, Rugby Garden Centre

Gardening TV personality David Domoney carried out the ribbon cutting ceremony on Saturday 15th March, at Rugby Garden Centre, allowing thehundreds of queuing customers into the centre to see how the it had bloomed after a four week turnaround turnaround.

By 10:30am customers were streaming through the tills with trolleys full of plants and products, therestaurant wasalmost full of happy customers and the new Outdoor Living showroom (in a section of the centrethat Dobbies had closed off) was busy taking orders for furnitureand bbq’s.

Many customers commented on how good it was to see the centre back to how it was when it was a Blooms Garden Centre, saying the choice of plants and products was very good and the prices were good too.

Northampton Garden Centre is BGC’s seventh newsite and an opening date in April has yet to be announced

Pennine Garden Centre

After weeks of dedication and hard work fromanamazing team, Pennine Garden Centreisnow partofthe YorkshireGarden Centre group

Customers canvisit BloomsKitchen for a delicious bite toeat,orexplore the stunning range of outdoor living –from beautifully crafted garden furniture to eye catching water features In Hearty’s Food Hall they can pick up something tasty, or take a stroll through the Plant Department and fill their gardens with the vibrant colours of spring!

Newlyrevitalised Gates Woodlands Hinckleyhas beenbusy sinceit reopened.

Gates Woodlands Hinckley

Five weeks of cleaning, clearing, re-flooring, creating anew restaurant atmosphere, moving the exit and tills, recruiting extra staff,plus almost £2m of stock haveseen the re-energised Gates Woodlands Hinckley Centre trade for the first two weeks of March at amazing levels.

Gates owner, Nigel Gates, told GTN: “The business of the centre amazes me already withdaystakings getting very close to days back at Cold Overton.

“Moving the tills and exit so that people have to walk through the food hall has resulted in many more food hall sales than we expected ”

Garden centre team members have received many positive comments from customers regarding dogs not being

allowed in thecentre a decision that hascaused asocialmedia storm in the area Judging by the number of people eating in the restaurant (which is now cook to order) and shopping on Saturday afternoon, the decision appears to have been well received by the majority of customers

Three more for Blue Diamond

Bringing the total number of centres to 50 are the takeovers of garden centresat Harlestone Heath, Huntingdon and Worlds End at Aylesbury by Blue Diamond Each is benefitting from multi-million-pound investments and the first to open on 24 March is Harlestone Heath Garden & Home near Northampton followed by Huntingdon Garden Centre, in Cambridgeshireon10 April The site at Aylesbury will revert to its original name of World’s End Garden Centreand havea phased opening on a date to be confirmed The first phase will be gardening with everything nongardening following

Back after 25 years

As thisissue of GTNgoes to presswe understand that the previous owners of Rowena Garden Centre in Leicester have acquired the site and are bringing their passion for plants, gardens, and great service to customers once again

Dobbies Centres closed andno one taking on the leases (yet)

• Inverness

• King’s Lynn

• Altrincham

Little Dobbies

• Cheltenham

• Chiswick

• Clifton

• Richmond

• Stockbridge

• Westbourne Grove

Promising fragrance

StockistsofDavid AustinRoses focus on fragrance whilean exciting pear,ideal for gardens, and anew euphorbia make their debut.

Someapproved retailers of David Austin Roses havejust rolled out a newpromotion using scent as the hook to grab theattentionofcustomers and offeranopportunity for earlier sales.

Point of sale in the form of pillars and bench endbanners is encouraging customers to think about their preferredscents when choosing English roses. In buying and planting them now, theycan getthe whole summer to enjoythe fragrance. “Every centrehas roses in the autumn and really go to townwhenthey’re in bud andflower. Highlighting the collectionoffragranced roses is the perfect starttothe season,”says Andrew Rollings, Account Manager

By siting displays at the entranceto the planteria or under acanopy, Martin Ward, B2B Marketing Manager,says customerswill starttoengage withthe promotionstraight away.“Fragrancemeans different things to different people. Most people will go for a colour or arose for apurpose or location, but actually what we arenow askingis ‘what fragrancedoyou like?’. It’squitea difficult thing to extract from somebody perhaps, but it makes them think.”

Promotions were rolled outinthe beginning of March.

Juicy choicefor garden orchards

It’sbeen alongtime since gardeners had the choiceofbuying anew variety of pear, so Cornishgold™, from Frank PMatthews, is welcome indeed. Not exactly new, it’s been growing for around300 years pretty much unnoticed in the kitchen garden of an historic farmhouse in Cornwall, but has only now become available for garden centres to stock.

Known locally as the Treburrow Pear,itis excellent for cookingand makes the sweetest juice. It came to the notice of Dr JoanMorgan, arenowned pomologist,and afterDNA testing wasconfirmed to be unique. Graft wood was subsequently taken and nowFrank PMatthews has delivered the firsttrees to garden centres.

Euphorbia Walberton’s LittleTreasurewill being awealth of display opportunities.

Unliketraditional dessertpears, CornishgoldTM is prized for its exquisite juiceand is idea for cooking. Harvest is lateSeptember with storage potential until November.Itisalsoself-fertile,trouble free and resilient, even thriving in exposed locations making it afantasticchoicefor retailers and their customers acrossthe UK.Trees areavailable in 12L pots.

Gardening treasure

TheFarplants Group is promoting a hard-workingnew euphorbia which will look good in any gardenand provide good ideasfor planteria promotions. Euphorbia x martiniiWalberton’sLittle Treasurehas a list of benefits includingrich yellowfoliage whose tips turns warm copper in cool weather,acompact naturewith aheight and spreadof25cm x50cm and zesty flowers in early summer.Proving yearround interest Little Treasurewill provide an ever evolvingdisplay in containers or borders.

Forretailers, plants provide awealth of themed displays ideas, including pirate, explorer or gem themed opportunities. Available from TheFarplants Group from August 2025

ening national

Strengtheningnational reach

Will Armitage, HTAPresident

Eventhough spring has startedslowly this year,myroleasthe HTAPresident hasbeen as busy as ever with member meetingsand events.

The joint HTAand GIMA Garden Press Event in Februarywas hugely successful. Over 100 garden brands andmorethan 400 journalists, influencers, and bloggersmet under oneroof at The BusinessDesign Centre in London. It wasanamazingevent andthe perfectplacefor the industry to plan content forthe year ahead. Iwas also very pleased to seeThe Dipping Tank Co winthe New ProductAward for asecond year in arow, and Ihad the pleasureofpresenting theBest StandAward to HSK Gardening &Leisure. Congratulations again to all involved.

Ialso recently attended the HTA’sregional member meeting at RHS Garden, Harlow Carr, Harrogate, to hear from APHA and Plant Healthyaboutwhat they aredoing to keep our industry safe and discussfirst hand experiences with our members.

Notforgetting the HTA’sBIS Scotland meeting Iattended atThe House of Bruarin

the Cairngorms, where members and Ihad an inspirational tour from the Managing Director, PeterBirkbeck. It wasgreat to hear adifferent take on retailing and catering to the model most traditional garden centres chose.

Over in Northern Ireland,I met withstaff and students at TheCollege of Agriculture Food and RuralEnterprise in Belfast alongside HTAmembers. Thelevel of optimism for the comingseason is almost palpable, and with a lateEasterthisyear,weshould be morelikely to enjoywarmer weather for the startofa peak season.

Positivetakeovers

Iwas alsopleased to see that other HTA members havetaken over manyofthe old Dobbie’scentres, ensuringthe staff and customers willcontinue to havealocalgarden centre. However, like many, it wassad to see Homebasegointoadministration,which affected suppliers. Let’shope for agood springseason to see the industry bounce back, and let’suse these experiencestobuild closer relationships acrossthe sector

We’ve alsohad morechances for HTA members to get involved and sharetheir thoughts. Forexample, we hosted aRetailer PlantHealth eventinearly March at HorticultureHouse along with APHA and Defra,followedbythe APL Awards on 14 March. We alsohavearegional meetingin Scotland on the 8April and visitor registration is nowopen for the National Plant Show2025, taking place18June.

As always,all HTAmembers should be receivingmyweekly vlogsand member updates as well as our monthly Market Update, if youare notand would liketo, please get in touch.

Find outmore

TheHorticulturalTrades Association is the UK industry’s leading membershiporganisation and welcomes all sectorsofenvironmental horticulture.Tolearn more, please visit www.hta.org.uk or to enquire aboutmembershippleaseemail: membership@hta.org.uk