Volunteer staff at Hulme Community Garden Centre near Manchester have been getting their kit off this week to publicise their centre ahead of World Naked Gardening Day today (2 May).

Centre manager Rachel Summerscales said the team was inspired to try naked gardening during a quiet moment at the centre, according to a report on the Manchester Evening News website.

But she has assured people that their clothes will go back on during the bank holiday weekend.

She said: “We decided to get into the spirit of naked gardening to let people know that the centre is here. We’ve already had 10,000 views of Dave’s bottom on Facebook. There have even been calls for us to do a calendar.

“It’s a global day that has been going for a few years. It’s all about feeling free in your garden and we thought it would be a funny thing to get involved in.

“It can be slightly hazardous when secateurs are involved and the extremes of temperature this week haven’t helped. We didn’t appreciate the hailstones on Tuesday! But we’ve really enjoyed doing the pictures.

“We want people to know that the centre is a great place to garden with or without your clothes on. But don’t be alarmed, everybody will be clothed this weekend.”

Year-on-year growth in the GTN Bestsellers charts is hard to come by at the moment. The big question now is: Will the weather warm up for the Bank Holiday week-end?

As the deadline approaches for this week’s GTN Xtra, the outlook is unsettled with sunny periods but without the northerly winds that have plagued many areas this week.

Perhaps a cooler but sunny bank holiday will be good enough to encourage garden centre visits and more pottering in the garden. For this year’s sales performance to better last year’s, both bank holidays in May really need to be good to put a shine on the figures. The overall year-to-date movement is currently 6.4% down on 2014

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

* Garden Products – down 19%

* Veg-2-Gro Products – up 41%

* Growing Media – up 14%

* All items index – down 2%

The takeover of the Organico company, producers of 6x fertilisers and chicken pellets by Vitax earlier this year, saw the coming together of two like-minded companies. With a common aim of having more organic based products, Vitax are able to slot the 6x range in neatly alongside their earlier purchase of Slug Gone. It also reinforces the use of waste product as a reliable source of natural garden products.

With a large following of allotment holders and traditional gardeners, the 6x range is a good fit for both sides, and there will be benefits to both parties in having it in the same portfolio as Vitax’s comprehensive range.

The seven-week process that turns a waste product from deep litter chicken farms from within a 60 mile radius, into a garden fertiliser that is six times more powerful than most other fertilisers, hence the name, takes place at the Somerton site. The chopped fibrous product, that is a bit like tea leaves, is heated to 240 degrees C to kill all pathogens and stop the composting process, which means that garden centres and customers can be assured of a high quality product.

6x Chicken Manure Pellet 8kg buckets and 20kg bags are also produced at the site using only the highest quality pellets. 

Former owner Roger Cumisky, who will be staying on to oversee a smooth transition to Vitax, saw the huge potential and bought the company some 25 years ago with his business partner Jim Searle, who will continue with his current team to run production.

Having successfully got 6x well established in the market, Roger felt it was time to sell.

“I respected the way that Vitax handled their business, and I knew several of their employees over a long period of time and felt it was the right company to take the products to the next level,” he said.

Vitax Sales Manager Colin Wetherley-Mein said that the quality and pedigree of 6x matched the strong brands and traditional gardening roots of Vitax, and was confident of greater success in the future.

Distribution of full pallets will continue to be done from Somerset, and smaller quantities from Vitax’s base in Skelmersdale.

Tomatoes continue to dominate the Veg-2-Gro chart, claiming 20 of the Top 50 young plant lines. Our data shows that for the second week running Quantil young plants are still outselling all others. Only Suttons manage to break this week’s monopoly, with two grafted tomato lines.

The week’s top performers include:

* Peas 8cm, the highest new entry at No 23.

* Chilli Pepper Scotch Bonnet (left) up 36 places, from No 50 to No 14

• Sweetcorn Extra Sweet, climbing 21 places to No 28.

Aggregates manufacturer and distributor Kelkay has invested £1 million in new state of the art machinery.

It completes the commissioning of the Pollington, East Yorkshire plant, and, says the company, will mean increased efficiency, capacity to improve products and enhanced customer service.

It follows changes to the sales team in 2014, when Liam Walsh became sales manager, Spencer Goodall took over the south west area and ARC Southern was appointed to manage the south east.

The expanding Pollington site is providing storage for back up stock, currently at 50,000 pallets, which is 30% more than this time last year. Kelkay also has more than 75,000 tonnes of aggregate stockpiled.

MD Antony Harker said: “I believe maintaining product availability especially as the popularity of hard landscaping products continues to soar, is paramount. It has played a very important part in Kelkay’s success.”

Kelkay’s brand portfolio includes Borderstone, Build Mate, easyfountain and Henri.

For many in the trade, the most interesting benefit of the RHS Chelsea Flower Show is the discovery of new plants that may spark a sales trend. It’s happened before with alliums, verbascum , iris and penstemon.

News has begun to filter through of some of the novelties we can expect at this month’s show (which opens on 19 May).

Fernando Gonzalez, returning to Chelsea Flower Show with a garden in the ‘Fresh’ category for sponsor, The Pure Land Foundation, promises two new introductions – an Arctic blackberry ‘Arom'arctic® Systrar® Rubus arcticus’, a very dainty Rubus species for the integrated containers in the gardens sparkling white marble-like boundary walls, and a newly-bred robust foxglove cross, Digitalis Illumination Series ‘Apricot’(pictured left).

The Pure Land Foundation was established by Bruno Wang, a London based Chinese business man, philanthropist and patron of the arts, to realise his charitable objectives.  Pure Land in Buddhism is the realm of higher consciousness, peace and harmony and upon seeing the preliminary garden sketches Mr Wang felt an immediate synergy with Fernando’s design, with its air of serenity and Eastern elements., Although not a Buddhist garden, it has the contemplative feel of a space to relax, unwind and even to meditate. The garden will feature a matrix of grasses and warm-coloured perennials.

Chelsea regulars and 19-times Gold medal winners Hardy’s Cottage Garden Plants will show four newcomers amongst a collection of  favourites and crowd pleasers – Pyracantha 'Golden Paradise', Rehmannia ‘Magic Dragon’, Antirrhinum ‘Pretty in Pink’ and the late comer to the party, Verbascum ‘Firedance’, with its intense dusky red flowers that will make a bold statement in any garden.

The HTA re-stated its support this week for Defra’s National Pollinator Initiative and its commitment to researching pollinator healthin the light of the current EU ban on neonicotinoids.

The EU announced a ban on cetain products containing imidacloprid, thiamethoxam and clothianidin in 2013, due to concerns about their potential impacts on bees. The UK government said at the time they did not consider  the scientific evidence to be adequate to justify the ban.

In a statement to members this week, the HTA said neonicotinoids had been widely adopted because of their effectiveness in treating insect pests and their favourable human and environmental safety profile, especially when compared to the older products they replaced. “They play a critical role in modern integrated pest management programs by targeting specific pests while helping to preserve beneficial insects. With hundreds of studies conducted, we know more about neonicotinoids and bees than about any other class of insecticide,” the statement added.

A number of neonicotinoid products believed to pose little or no harm to beneficial insects or bees are still available for amateur sale including Multirose, Provado, Bug Clear and Rose Clear. “At present, it remains legal to continue to sell these products,” the HTA continued. “These products have been fully assessed, rigorously tested and carry very clear instructions for safe application. Customers may ask about their safety and the danger to bees and there is currently insufficient scientific evidence to form a clear informed opinion on this.”

The HTA, NFU and RHS - all active supporters of the National Pollinator Strategy –acknowledge the need for more research to be carried out, including research into alternatives to neonicotinoids.

“The HTA will continue to fully support the work and aims of the National Pollinator Initiative and the commitment to researching the science behind neonicotinoids and pollinator health. More work remains to be done on wider environmental causes of bee decline and research into alternative controls to limit the damage currently being suffered by growers,” said the HTA’s message.

The EU’s review of the evidence is due to start towards the end of May 2015.

The European Commission’s original proposal included an exemption to allow treatments on bee-attractive crops in greenhouses after flowering. The HTA say they will continue to argue for a full exemption for ornamental horticulture for autumn treatments as well.

Information:  click this link

Footnote: Bayer CropScience has received a formal notification that its granular insecticide Merit® Turf for professional users is to be withdrawn. The product contains a neoniotinoid (imidacloprid) covered by the EU’s current ban.

Formal notification of the revocation has been published on the CRD (Chemicals Regulation Directorate) website.  During the re-approval process for the existing Merit® Turf authorization, the criteria for approval was changed, resulting in revocation of the approval.  Bayer says it is working closely with CRD to collate the data required to meet the revised criteria in time for the 2017 season.

Meanwhile, the manufacturer and the distributor will have a six-month period in which to sell out stock of Merit Turf®. End users will have a further 12 months (until the end of 2016) in which to use them up.

Fleuroselect’s Home Garden Association has issued trade visual identity guidelines for the ‘2016 - Year of the Cosmos/Tomato’ campaign.

They contain conceptual and promotional ideas on point of sale material, seed packages, labels, press releases and online marketing tools together with guidance on the graphical use of the logo.

Follow this link to the website, where you can read the manual online or download it.

An extensive range of ready-made marketing materials is available for integration into promotional activities. Click on the links below to go to the Fleuroselect Home Garden Association website where you can download the artwork. These professionally designed files allow you to add your logo or other info and create personalised banners/labels/advertisements.

If you would like to receive a usb stick containing the complete assortment, email Robert.Wacker@floramedia.com.

Logos

Images

Online banners

Point of sale banners

Labels

Print advertisements

QR Codes

This year’s GIMA Charity Golf Day will be hosted by leading UK golfer Paul Broadhurst, who will join players on the course and host the prize giving and auction in the evening. 

Taking place on Thursday 4 June at Telford Hotel and Golf Resort, the day has proved to be a popular event in the industry calendar.

Paul Broadhurst enjoyed an illustrious career after joining the European Tour in 1989 being the leading amateur at the 1988 Open Championship.  An eloquent golf and sports speaker, Broadhurst experienced a fine run of form which saw him break into the World’s top 50 golfers during 2006, helping to increase his reputation.

Amassing eight professional wins throughout his career, including the 2006 Portuguese Open and the more recent Cornish Festival (PGA South West Tournament) this year, Paul is looking forward to embarking upon the Seniors tour in August after he turns 50.

The proceeds of this year’s event will be split between the Greenfingers charity dedicated to creating gardens children’s hospices, and Myeloma UK, which deals exclusively with myeloma, a bone marrow cancer for which there is no cure.

To take part either by playing, donating, sponsoring or simply joining us for dinner in the evening visit the GIMA website or call the GIMA office on 01959 564947.

Stewart Garden is returning to Glee in 2015, it’s 70th Anniversary year.  Several new products are promised.

“Glee is one of the garden industry’s major events, so we’re delighted to be returning,” said  MD Andy Burns. “As we celebrate our 70th anniversary, this year’s show allows us to show the strength and heritage of our brand.”

Now in its third year at a new state of the art factory at Banbury, gthe business continues to invest in expanding its manufacturing capacity and says it has built inventories to unprecedented levels.

Lara Anderson, account manager at i2i Events, organiser of Glee, said: “It’s great to have Stewart Garden back at Glee. It’s a fantastic heritage brand that always attracts great audiences to the show. We’re excited to see what new products Stewart Garden will launch at Glee this year.”

Glee 2015 takes place at the NEC, Birmingham from 14-16 September.

Job title          Garden Centre Manager

Salary              C. £35,000 per annum (includes outer London weighing allowance)

Location         Morden Hall Park, Morden, London

Contract         Permanent, full time (37.5 hours per week)

Job ref            IRC24757

There’s something unique about this opportunity. As the first Garden Centre owned, managed and within a National Trust property, this is an exciting chance to drive transformation at Morden Hall Park, through visitor engagement and commercial development of the Garden Centre.

About the role

Morden Hall Park is a stunning setting for a garden centre, in the middle of a London Borough, but its own tranquil world, Morden is used by locals on their way to work, walking the dog, spending time with family, as well as visited by National Trust members as a beautiful space in London, and it’s free to enter, for everyone for ever.

As the Garden Centre Manager at Morden you’ll be responsible for developing a fantastic new acquisition to our commercial portfolio. A garden centre in the middle of a park is a great opportunity in itself. There’s so much potential to build on the current visitor experience, creating a day out around our space, introducing our garden centre as a way to interact with our visitors.

We want you to bring your vision for the garden centre, to see what else we can do that we haven’t already considered, and see how we can improve the visitor experience to Morden Hall with a visit to the garden centre.

The garden centre will turn over £1.5 million per year, and those sales are yours to drive and push further. You’ll be responsible for sharing your vision with your team and making sure that everyone is delivering fantastic customer service aligned to our values and behaviours. We want our customers to understand it’s a National Trust garden centre, underpinned by our conservation philosophy and with our look and feel, but that doesn’t mean you can’t surprise or delight them with something new.

About You

You’ll be a confident leader with a dynamic approach to change management and team building. You’ll be working with a team of 18 staff and support the growth of volunteers in the team.  Your business acumen means you’ll be adept at analysing and driving sales, performance and profitability, your financial reporting will be decisive and timely and you’ll confidently articulate your vision for the garden centre.

You’ll be an experienced senior retail manager, preferably from the garden centre sector. We’ll give you the right people with technical knowledge to support you, but you will need to be team focussed and able to inspire and motivate people to deliver exceptional service every day.

We also want you to have an entrepreneurial spirit, we’ve got our own spirit of place, we know what we offer to our visitors at Morden Hall Park, but we want you to bring us fresh ideas and passion for managing and developing a significant commercial offer as part of a National Trust visitor experience.

Unique to Us

• Work in some of the most beautiful, iconic and unique locations in England, Wales and Northern Ireland.
• Staff card entitling you to free entry to National Trust properties for you, a guest and your children (under 18).
• 20% off in our retail and catering outlets.
• Discount of up to 35% off National Trust holiday cottages.

Looking after you

• Subsidised Health Cash Plan with a range of options to cover you and your children.
• Salary exchange pension scheme, with employer contribution match up to 10%
• Employee Assistance Programme.
• Generous holiday entitlement.

Looking after your career

• Grow your career with a range of professional training courses.
• Learning opportunities from eLearning to job shadowing and secondments.
• Annual pay review linked to values and behaviours with a commitment to progression.
• Ill-health benefits including group income protection.

There are lots more at www.nationaltrustrewardsandbenefits.org.uk

Apply  

For further information about this role and to apply, please visit www.nationaltrustjobs.org.uk and search using keyword IRC24757.

Closing date: Wednesday 13^th May 2015.

Interview date: TBC.

Or click to apply here

Committed to equal opportunities. Registered charity number 205846

Garden Shop Manager (ref:BP7270)

Location: Wiltshire
Salary: 20k per annum
Job Type: Full-Time
Duration: Permanent

I am currently recruiting for a large independent garden centre based in the south west who is looking for a garden shop manager to join their team. 

- I am seeking a experienced garden retailer to take control of the garden sundries department in the indoor section of the store.

- This individual will need a good understanding of the garden centre market as product knowledge will be essential in providing customer service at the required standard. 

- This role will report to the head of horticulture and will have the opportunity to be involved in buying and merchandising of the indoor of the garden centre.

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

Plant Centre Manager (ref:BP7268)

Location: Nottinghamshire
Salary: 20 to 24K pa
Job Type: Full-Time
Duration: Permanent

I am currently seeking a talented horticulturalist to join the team at a large wholesale nursery based in Nottinghamshire. 

This individual will be responsible for running the plant centre attached the the nursery which caters to the general public. I am looking for someone very knowledgeable in horticulture as this business has built up a reputation as a knowledge centre for the general public.

Repsonibilities include:
-Serving customers.
-Checking Plant Centre area for watering, weeding and general tidiness and taking action where necessary.
-Plant labelling.
-Arranging deliveries of customer orders and liasing with main office with regard to delivery vehicles.
-Completing stock requirement sheets for re-stocking.
-Re-stocking sales area with stock brought from nursery and other sources.
-Displaying 'Looking Good' stock.
-Deal with customer telephone and email enquiries.
-Keep Sales Manager informed of customer requests for plants not in stock.
-Take responsibility for cash whilst on duty and cash up and balance the till daily.
-Plan seasonal promotional sales.
-Liaise with person responsible for social media and advertising
-Undertake other such duties as may be requested by the directors from time to time.

There will be man management in the role and experience in this field is preferred.

Please submit your CV in the first instance, or to discuss further call Brad Peck at MorePeople in 01780 480530

Account Manager (ref:DS7235)

Location: Wiltshire
Salary: 30-40K per annum
Date: 02 Apr 
Job Type: Full-Time
Duration: Permanent

Our client is a well-established Garden Centre Supplier who currently seeking a driven sales orientated Account Manager who has the ability to sell to the major garden centre and groups across the UK. 

The succesful candidate will be responsible for:-

-Proactively and reactively managing existing accounts within the Garden Centre Sector 
-Proactively developing new business accounts 
-Provide advice to customers and aid in queries and issues 
-Represent the company at trade shows and exhibitions 

For this role our client is seeking:-

-A proven background in territory sales to the garden sector who can demonstrate their ability to hit and exceed targets 
-Be a target driven individual who has the ability to hit sales target and achieve growth within their sector 
-A strong relationship builder who has excellent customer skills and can ensure customer satisfaction

Please submit your CV in the first instance, or to discuss further call Dianne Saunders at MorePeople on 07929 013910

Nursery Retail Sales Person (ref:DS7281)

Location: Hertfordshire
Salary: 23k to 23.5K pa
Job Type: Full-Time
Duration: Permanent

Our Client is a wholesale nursery growing hardy nursery stock. We operate from two sites in south Hertfordshire employing approximately 35 full time staff. 

They supply a wide range of plants to the landscape industry. In addition to their own grown material they source and supply almost any plants required by their customers, from other growers both in the UK and mainland Europe. Approximately one third of the sales are to customers who visit the Drive-In (Cash and Carry) to select the plants they need. 

Ideally candidates should possess either retail experience with an interest in horticulture, or other horticulture experience.

No specific technical skills or qualifications are required, but basic plant knowledge and a passion for the industry are an advantage.

Other skills needed for this position include:
-An enthusiastic and willing attitude; 
-Good communication skills
-Computer literacy
-Confidence in dealing with people
-Reliability
-Must be honest and trustworthy 

About the Job:

This position involves the day to day running of our cash and carry shop area, including serving customers and maintaining stock of sundry items, it involves:

-Obtaining and recording sales from customers
-Assisting in the day to day running and development of the shop area
-Promoting the company and its products
-Helping to achieve company aims and targets for the sales department
-Maximising sales and gross margin targets
-Maintaining a good knowledge of companies products and quote prices for products
-Managing the stock control within area of responsibility
-Supervising staff in area of responsibility
-Ensure health and safety responsibilities are fulfilled
-Accountable for the till and all monies

Please submit your CV in the first instance, or to discuss further please call Dianne Saunders at MorePeople on 07929013910

Gardeners are starting to prepare window boxes and hanging baskets ready to put out when the final threat of frosts has passed. 

Window box planters, hanging basket coco liners and sphagnum moss all show sales increases week on week in the GTN Bestsellers Garden Products Chart.

• The Burgon & Ball Window Box planter in natural willow is the highest new entry

• Large packs of Sphagnum moss from Gardman are a re-entry at No 44

• Gardman Solar Mini Ice Orb lights leapfrog Scotts Tomorite back to No 1 – perhaps they are being added to baskets and window boxes for night time illumination.

These will all have helped this week’s modest 2.9% week-on-week improvement – but the year-to-date figure lags almost 12% behind the same point in 2014, taking us back to where it stood in 2013. 

The Crop Protection Association’s Common Sense Gardening group has issued advice for consumers about how to dispose of unwanted or withdrawn garden chemicals safely. The information is well worth keeping to hand on the garden centre information desk.

* Never dispose of unwanted product in drains, sinks, lavatories, watercourses or ditches.

* If you do have unwanted garden care chemicals you will need to dispose of them through the local waste authority. To find your nearest household waste site where garden care chemicals can be disposed of, click this link

* If you have empty ready to use containers, these can now be placed in household recycling. If these containers have held concentrated product (i.e. requiring dilution for use) then the container should be rinsed three times, adding the washings to your final spray solution and then disposed of in general household waste. Containers that have held concentrated product are NOT suitable for recycling.

Gary Philpotts, chair of the Common Sense Gardening Group, said:

 “Spring is an exciting time of year for gardeners as they venture back outside and begin planting, fertilising and nurturing their garden, watching it come back to life.

 “Garden care chemicals play an important part in creating and maintaining a garden and now is a good time to take stock of what products you have in the garden shed, decide what you need to buy and dispose of any you no longer need.

The organiser's of FlowerTrials, the summer pot and bedding plant event in Holland and Germany, have made it easier than ever for buyers to plan their visits...

No less than 49 breeders at 30 locations in Westland and Aalsmeer in The Netherlands and Rheinland Westfalen in Germany will show their innovations, creative concepts and a wide range of crops in week 24.

As of this year, a bi-weekly FlowerTrials  online newsletter highlighting the exhibiting companies is being issued in the run-up to the event (which runs from 9-12 June).

Jeroen Egtberts, MD of Moerheim New Plant and chairman of the FlowerTrials Foundation, said: “The FlowerTrials® offers it all in pot and bedding: from technical information to retail inspiration, from breeding breakthroughs to the latest trends. Thanks to the FlowerTrials newsletters visitors can pre-discover the wide range of novelties and organise their visits accordingly.”

Register here to receive the newsletters.

Responsive website aids navigation and planning

The brand new, interactive website highlights each company’s offering in English, Dutch, German and French. Maps with locations and hotel information are available to help with planning and navigation. The new website design promises a user-friendly experience on a tablet or mobile phone. 

FlowerTrials® Connects

Visitors are encouraged to share highlights and tips on social media and this year’s event offers a dedicated FlowerTrials Facebook page allowing visitors to post images and leave comments. The hashtag #flowertrials steers the conversation on Twitter and the FlowerTrials mood boards on Pinterest are ideal for sharing pictorial inspiration during and after the event.

Sonja Dümmen, marketing manager at the Dümmen Group and in charge of social media for the Foundation said: “Next to discovering the latest assortment, the FlowerTrials® is also a key networking moment. The brand new FlowerTrials® social media channels can be used to maintain existing relationships and make new, valuable connections”.

Click here for the Facebook page and here for the Twitter conversation.

Growing activity continues apace according to the Top 50 growing media sales volumes in EPoS data supplied to GTN Bestsellers.

This week’s volume is 14% up on last year with specialist veg and young plant composts seeing the biggest week-on-week sales increases.

• Westland Gro-Sure Vegetable Compost, 50 litres climbs 13 places to No 11.

• Vital Earth Farm Manure moves up by 11 places to No 16.

• Scotts Levington Multipurpose with John Innes, 56 litres remains at No 1.

A new HTA deal with ATM supplier YourCash will help members to save money on bank charges and earn commission.

YourCash Ltd has a network of more than 5,000 cash machines throughout the UK and Europe. ATMs are fully compliant to Link, VISA and MasterCard and in 2014 handled more than 77 million ATM transactions, dispensing £3 billion across the UK, Netherlands and Belgium.

David Issac of Johnsons Garden Centre, Bolton, has seen a reduction in bank charges since installing the ATM, and is banking less cash.” Explains. “Having a free-to-use ATM has given us a competitive advantage over the local charging machines; this has drawn new customers to Johnsons and encourages spend in the garden centre,” he said.

HTA members will receive higher commission rates based on the withdrawals on the ATM, and if they choose to use the National Garden Gift Vouchers branded machines, they will receive £100 of National Garden Gift Vouchers in the month following ATM installation.

Ewan Ogilvie, MD of YourCash said: “We are delighted to be working with the HTA. Working with their commitment to their members, we are looking to ensure the ATM becomes a beneficial and welcome new service for all garden centre customers.”

Depending on the location footfall and the amount of cash available to fill the ATM each day, YourCash will advise on the most appropriate ATM to be installed. Installation, maintenance and support services for HTA members are free.

The Grand Final of the Chartered Institute of Horticulture Young Horticulturist of the Year takes place next Saturday (9 May) at the National Trust’s Barrington Court, Somerset.

More than 1,800 young horticulturists from all over the UK and Ireland entered the prestigious competition this year, and the eight finalists, who have battled their way through both local heats and regional finals, will take part in a nail-biting and fiercely-fought competition, answering a wide range of horticultural questions to compete for the much sought after title and the £2,500 Percy Thrower Travel Bursary.

The Bursary is awarded by the Shropshire Horticultural Society, enabling the winner to undertake a trip anywhere in the world to study a subject related to their chosen field of horticulture. Additionally, there are cash prizes for all finalists, as well as other prizes, totalling in excess of £13,000 for those who have taken part in the heats and the regional finals.

The finalists are:

Jonathan Davies-Coleman, Student at Royal Botanic Gardens Edinburgh/Scotland's Rural College Edinburgh - representing the Scotland Branch

Sian Nichol, Student at Kirkley Hall Campus, Northumberland College - representing the Northern Branch

Samuel Moore, Student at Writtle College - representing the Eastern Branch

Franics Mulholland, Student at Greenmount Campus, CAFRE - representing the Ireland Branch

Alexander Hankey, Student at the Royal Botanic Gardens Kew - representing the South East Branch

John Grundy, Student at Myerscough College - representing the North West and North Wales Branch

Jessica Evans, Head Gardener, Tintinhull Gardens, National Trust - representing the South West Branch

Josh Egan-Wyer ACIHort, Nursery Manager, Pershore College - representing the West Midlands and South Wales Branch

Previous YHoY winners have found that the status and prestige of winning has given them the confidence to further their careers beyond their wildest dreams and have used the bursary to travel as far afield as China and Borneo.

Chris Parsons, the 2014 YHoY winner said “The YHoY competition has been brilliant and over the last four years that I have entered I have met some excellent like-minded people from all over the country. The competition this year was exceptionally strong. The mountains of Vietnam and Taiwan both seem to be botanically very interesting and are places that I may visit with my travel bursary.”

Andrew Gill C Hort FCIHort, President, Chartered Institute of Horticulture said “The Young Horticulturist of the Year competition epitomises many of the values of The Chartered Institute of Horticulture, the things we stand for; the professional standing of horticulture, the community of professional horticulturists and developing professional horticulturists. The competition gets better every year and the knowledge of horticulture demonstrated by the finalists is often astounding! I am hugely looking forward to being there and very grateful to the sponsors and organisers for an event which does great credit to all involved.”

Rosie Yeomans, garden consultant, lecturer, writer and broadcaster said: “It’s exciting to know that as question master at the Young Horticulturist of the Year Grand Final I’ll be in front of the greatest young talent in horticulture. The future holds so many opportunities for them and best of all, no matter who wins, they’ve all chosen a winning career with the most job satisfaction.”

The Shropshire Horticultural Society, the major sponsor for the past 25 years, through the Percy Thrower Trust, provides the Travel Bursary prize for the winner and sponsorship of the Grand Final.

The other National sponsors for 2015 are MorePeople, the Horticultural Development Company (HDC) and Wyevale Garden Centres. There are also many regional and local sponsors.

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

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

As the year goes on we give sales volume comparisons with 2012 as well as 2013 to allow your teams to see variations over a three year period.

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

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

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

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

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

The sixth HTA Catering Conference 2015 takes place on 9 and 10 June 2015 at The Belfry, Sutton Coldfield, West Midlands. 

The two-day conference (sponsored by Vision Commercial Kitchens), complete with conference dinner and exhibition will cover hot topics that impact garden centre catering, such as the importance of using local suppliers.  

Emma Milton, catering manager, and Beverley Spindler, marketing manager, of The Mains of Drum Garden Centre, along with Brian Turner, Chatsworth Estate Food Buyer and ex-National Trust Food Development Manager, will explain why provenance is becoming increasingly important to the discerning customer, how to plan menus using locally sourced ingredients and how to make the most out of using suppliers close to your door-step. 

Throughout the two days, there will be plenty of time for networking, with the conference exhibition, providing a great opportunity to meet with catering product suppliers. 

If you book by Friday 15 May, you can take advantage of the Early Bird booking rate. Click here to find out more.