Wyevale Garden Centres has confirmed that the Old Barn Garden Centre has been sold to Tates of Sussex, who will continue to run it as a garden centre. Old Barn Nursery was included in the sale and will be operated under license by WGC for a period of at least 12 months.

A spokesperson for WGC said: "We are pleased to have agreed the sale of Old Barn. We would like to thank our great colleagues at the centre, who have been central to our turnaround in the past few years, and wish them well under the new ownership."

Wyevale paid £7m for Old Barn in 2007. The published asking price for the 15-acre site was £5.2 earlier this year when Terra Firma announced they were selling the group.

It is the fourth garden centre for Tates, who own Paradise Park (Newhaven), South Downs Nurseries & GC (Hassocks) and Mayberry GC (Portslade). The group also owns the South Downs Heritage Centre at Hassocks, which boasts a Museum of Gardening.

The announcement on tatesofsussex.co.uk said: “We look forward to welcoming all new and existing Tates of Sussex customers at our new centre. A new look store is just around the corner, and we hope you will notice improvements to your shopping experience over the coming months. If you are already an Old Barn customer, we would welcome any comments and feedback you may have. You can get in touch with us by emailing enquiries@tatesgardencentres.co.uk or visiting the ‘Contact Us’ page on our website. Keep an eye on our website and social media to stay up to date with all our news and exciting future developments at Old Barn.”

The centre closed on for 2 days on 30 and 31 October while Wyevale branding was removed, re-opening on Thursday 1 November .

The Tates group, which also includes car dealerships, enjoyed a turnover of £68m last year. The Tate Brothers business had its origins in wheelwrights, car repairs and engineering. The current CEO and majority shareholder is Jonathan Tate, a horticulturist, who in 1982 established a nursery and then a garden centre business.

The Old Barn is the 31st Wyevale to be sold in the £450m sell-off. With most of the major destination sites now dispatched, attention is expected to turn to the destiny of the group’s remaining 109 centres. The hot money is on acquisition by private equity capital and the subsequent dispersal of sites to a mix of new operators and property developers.

When it comes to supplying compost, there’s no better company you can rely on than UK based Durston Garden Products Ltd.

Located in Somerset, the company supplies a wide selection of top quality growing media products to independent garden centres and retailers. Its range includes everything from Multi Purpose to Seed and Cutting Compost, Farmyard Manure and so much more.

At this year's GLEE the company rolled out its entire new look and identity as the brand took on a new make-over. The company also used the show as an opportunity to promote the fact that its sacks into which its compost is packaged are 100% recyclable, and urged other manufacturers to follow suit. They did this in a rather quirky way by dressing a model in a recyclable compost bag, and it has to be said she looked pretty amazing!

Durstons has a well established presence in Somerset as a family owned British business, and produces up to 12,000 bags of compost a day. Its growth has been steady over the years but it’s fair to say that since the introduction of its state-of-the-art facility some eight years ago, the business has taken on a new life and sales have grown significantly.  It’s a brand that is particularly popular with the independents as retailers looking for a more personal touch find the level of customer service exceptional.

It’s also a company that prides itself on its environmental responsibilities which it takes extremely seriously, and in particular Land Management. The company knows only too well the impact of peat extraction, and has stringent work practices in place to work to; and whilst the carbon issue may well be a valid point on some raised bogs, at Durstons peat is only ever extracted from land that was drained centuries ago by the monks of Glastonbury Abbey so the carbon has already been released. In fact the company has created magnificent wildlife habitats by giving straight back to nature the land which has already been exhausted.

Durstons is one of those great British family business success stories which we all like to read about and is now being managed by fifth and six generation members of the Durston family.

It prides itself on its Britishness and doesn’t export overseas which makes it quite unique. A uniqueness that the company truly believes will give it an advantage going forward, and hopefully encourage more retailers to support British business.

For details about stocking Durston garden products you can call Durstons on: 01458 442688 or visit the website: www.durstongardenproducts.co.uk

"The government needs to sit up and take notice of this sector. If it continues to be undervalued and overlooked and we carry on building houses without gardens it will have a devastating effect not only on our national economy but also on the environment and our living conditions as a whole."

Alan Titchmarsh delivered a hard hitting speech to government and the industry as a whole, following the publication of the Oxford Economics report on the size and value of the UK Horticulture sector, of which garden retailing is a key component.

"A vital part of our national economy employing more than half a million people and making a contribution to the national GDP in the region of twenty four billion pounds. But they also recognize it as a vital part of the lives both physical and spiritual of those who live on our islands. We are rightly famed for our famous gardens, they attract tourists from all over the world enriching our economy to the tune of two point nine billion pounds.

"This report is a tremendous wake up call. But if it's recommendations are not acted upon, especially in the light of Brexit, when this country's own horticultural assets are capable of playing an even more important role than they have done before. It will be a waste of all our time and the squandering of our national assets. Without a buoyant gardening and landscaping industry we find ourselves living in a concrete wasteland without gardens green landscapes and parks. We won't be able to help the government make the environment better through their 25 year plan. We won't be able to nurture our children's interest in growing and give them some sense of the understanding of the powers of nature and the opportunities in life it can provide.

"We need the support of government in order to provide a worthy legacy for our children and for future generations to realise what today we so often forget that as nation we are supported by our landscape physically and emotionally. To squander what it offers us and to undervalue and to fail to support those who work in horticulture whether in gardens or in food production is both shortsighted and dangerous. This report is not a series of options it is a series of essentials."

Listen to the complete speech by clicking on this link: link to audio file

In this year of extremes, we are now heading towards it being a record year for plant sales volumes. 

The GTN Bestsellers plants chart now shows 19 out of the last 25 weeks as being up for sales, with year to date volumes running at 8.3% up.

With houseplants continuing to grow in popularity and poinsettias starting to appear in centres there seems to be no end to plant sales being on the increase. 

GTN Bestsellers Top 50 sales volumes compared to the same week last year (week 42)
Garden Products - down 1%
Growing Media - up 28%
Christmas - down 6%
Wild Bird Care - down 2%
All Plants Index - up 11%
All Items Index - down 4%

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

A Yorkshire garden centre business is looking to the future as its ownership passes to the third generation of the same family.

Langlands Garden Centre, which trades from three sites in York, Leeds and Sheffield with 180 staff, has been acquired for an undisclosed sum by James Ducker, whose grandfather Walter Ducker founded the business in 1955. James’s parents Janet and Robert will continue to be involved in the business. The deal will see Walter’s son, John Ducker, retire after 54 years in the business whilst John’s son Ian, who has also worked in the business for many years, will leave to pursue other business interests.

For over 60 years Langlands Garden Centres have grown and sold millions of plants to customers throughout Yorkshire and the rest of the UK. The business started life as a small nursery in Bingley, before moving to the current site in Shiptonthorpe, outside York, which was purchased in 1964 to allow for expansion.

The business diversified, opening giftware departments and farm shops. Coffee shops, café bars and award-winning eating outlets completed the experience that has seen customers returning for over half a decade. Two further sites were acquired in Leeds and Sheffield. Then in 2016 the business bought a nursery in Holme on Spalding Moor to develop and expand the range and quantity of plants grown.

With Walter Ducker’s passion, skill and local acclaim meant the business went from strength to strength. This month, James Ducker became the majority shareholder, with his father Robert Ducker, retaining a minority shareholding.

James says “I would like to thank my parents, Robert and Janet, wife Rebecca and daughters for all their help and support over the last year. I am looking to the future and taking the business forward with the continued support of my parents. After almost 30 years in the business I can honestly say that I love coming into work every day, and this is down to our amazing team and loyal customer base.

“For our customers, it will be very much ‘business as usual’, and our enthusiastic, knowledgeable team will continue to be on hand to help and answer questions about our products and services.

“Looking further ahead, I’m keen to make more of our nurseries and develop the food offering across the business, with more of a ‘field to fork’ focus. I know that with the team’s long-standing industry experience and expertise, customers will continue to benefit from the same high standards of service and support that we have endeavoured to provide throughout our 63-year history”.

On his retirement from the business, John Ducker said “Ian and I, together with our wives Sarah and Eileen, would like to thank all Langlands staff both past and present for all their hard work and support over the last 54 years. It is greatly appreciated, and we wish them and the business every success. Thanks also to Tony Farmer of Garbutt & Elliott and Martin Frost of Lupton Fawcett for all their help and support throughout the transaction.”

James, Robert and Janet Ducker were advised by RSM Accountants & Rollits Solicitors, with HSBC providing funding to support the deal. John, Ian and Eileen Sucker were advised by Garbutt & Elliott accountants and Lupton Fawcett solicitors.

Picture shows: James Ducker (centre) with his parents, Robert and Janet.

A whopping £22,000 was raised at Greenfingers Charity’s annual Fundraising Dinner thanks to the generosity of guests and the charity’s Patron Jim Carter who really put the FUN into FUNdraising as he persuaded the charity’s friends to part with their cash.

The evening also saw Chairman, John Ashley, presenting awards to some of the 2018 outstanding Greenfingers Charity FUNdraisers.  Collecting trophies and thanks from more than 100 guests were representatives from Garden Trade News; Great British Cards and Kew Green Hotels.

Trevor Pfeiffer, Director of Potting Shed Press, collected the award on behalf of Garden Trade News and said that he was delighted to continue to attend many of Greenfingers Charity events and fully report them so that he could help encourage the complete gardening industry to support his favourite charity.

As well as providing valuable media support, Trevor has also been instrumental in encouraging support for the charity’s ‘Turn Old into Gold’ scheme, an initiative where unwanted stock provides valuable funds to help build gardens in children’s hospices. The scheme has so far this year raised over £40k for the charity.

Chris Cox, CEO of Great British Cards collected an award in recognition of the donation of more than £19k collected from sales of their Floreo range of charity cards. This attractive range of greeting cards is stocked by many garden centres, although Greenfingers Charity is hoping that more garden centres will consider stocking it now that the resulting gardens created with the proceeds are more widely known.

Also on the list of winners were the staff of Kew Green Hotels.  Collecting the award on behalf of the hotel group was Neil Sewell, MD of their Owned Hotels division. In just under two years, as well as volunteering in gardens, staff across their 55 hotels have raised more than £200k by organising individual and team events both on and off site in a myriad of different ways. Cycle challenges; car washes; raffles; cake sales and entertainment evenings have been taking place as well as endurance events such as the Jurassic Coast 100km Challenge; Snowdon climbs and marathons have helped to raise money to create magical hospice gardens.

Speaking at the dinner, John Ashley said “I would like to thank our sponsors, Vitax and Richard Jackson’s Flower Power and to the many friends of Greenfingers Charity for their generous donations of auction and raffle prizes and bids on the night which helped to make the evening such a huge success.”   Affectionately referring to the event as the “Thanksgiving Dinner” John also said a huge thank you to all those who continued to support the valuable work of Greenfingers Charity.

As the charity looks forward to its bumper 20^th Anniversary year in 2019, plans are already in place to build three more gardens in children’s hospices across the UK which will provide solace and many memory-making opportunities for hundreds of life-limited children and their families every year. 

For more information about the charity and how you can get involved, contact Linda Petrons,  Director of Fundraising & Communications by email: Linda@greenfingerscharity.org.uk or by calling the Greenfingers Charity office on 01494 674749/07908 221240.

The HTA has awarded this year’s Pearson Memorial Medal to Baroness Fookes, co-chair of the All Party Parliamentary Gardening and Horticulture Group (APPGHG) in recognition of her outstanding services to horticulture.

HTA President Adam Taylor presented the award at the annual APPGHG reception at the Palace of Westminster.

Adam Taylor said Baroness Fookes had worked tirelessly on behalf of the sector to help raise its profile and promote its cause in Parliament, for which her efforts should be applauded.

Baroness Fookes has contributed to a multitude of organisations and is currently involved with at least 16 at a national and local level. She is the the vice-president nationally of the RSPCA and SSAFA Forces Help but also president of her local branch of both organisations.

Having started her career as a teacher, she maintains an interest in education. One her most recent written questions to the House of Lords centre on around the lack of focus on horticulture as a viable career and the quality of horticulturally related content in the National Curriculum.

A keen gardener Baroness Fookes was raised to the peerage in 1997 and has been Deputy Speaker to the House of Lords since 2010, holding several positions on various committees and groups politically. She has bneen joint chair of the APPGHG since 2010.

The Pearson Memorial Medal has been awarded annually since 1930 in memory of the HTA’s first general secretary, Charles Pearson.

Cross-party MPs and peers are calling for greater government support to secure the future of the UK's £24.2bn horticulture sector post-Brexit, in a new report published last week.

The All-Party Parliamentary Gardening and Horticulture Group (APPGHG) makes wide-reaching recommendations for how government can help drive sector growth which, despite its scale, is often undervalued, overshadowed and as a result, underdeveloped.

The APPGHG's report follows a nine-month inquiry into the key issues facing the sector. Having collected evidence from across the industry, it recommends that the government should:

• Review and improve plant-health legislation post-Brexit;
•  Implement an Investment Incentive Scheme to increase domestic horticulture production;
• Provide matched funding for horticultural science R&D projects;
• Adequately fund Further Education in horticulture to ensure consistent delivery of high-quality training;
• Expand the Seasonal Workers Pilot to include ornamental horticulture to ensure industry access to seasonal labour.

Baroness Fookes DBE and Ian Liddell-Grainger MP, Co-Chairmen of the APPGHG, said: "Once a Cinderella - largely disregarded despite her many virtues - horticulture is now being recognised for the heroine she is.

“The importance of horticulture lies not simply in the improvement of the health and well-being of individuals but in its impact on the environment, its ability to provide careers at every level and its huge contribution to the economy.

“However, if it is to fulfil its full potential for good we need the Government to recognise that horticulture affects not simply DEFRA but other Government Departments such as BEIS, Education, Health and Social Care and International Trade. We urgently need a unified approach or - to use that rather hackneyed phrase - joined-up Government." 

DEFRA minister George Eustice (pictured with Baroness Fookes and Alan Titchmarsh) said the horticulture and landscaping sectors made an important contribution to the economy. “Our Agriculture Bill sets out to reward the work undertaken to protect and improve the environment, including where benefits are delivered by the horticulture industry. I encourage all those with an interest to engage with the Bill as it goes through Parliament."

Alan Titchmarsh said the “excellent” report made a compelling case for the changes the sector desperately needed. “Horticulture plays a major role in every aspect of our lives; in our living environments and communities, in our health and social care systems, and in protecting our environment and mitigating against pollution and climate change, “ he added.

“The Government needs to sit up and take notice of the sector - which the UK is famous for around the world - and give it the crucial support it needs.”

This is the final call to join friends and colleagues attending Cultivating Retail – the new one-day Conference and Dinner – for growers, retailers and suppliers, supported by Evergreen Garden Care UK. 

Organised by HTA and GIMA, this ‘must attend’ event tackling the key issues and opportunities facing the garden retail supply chain takes place on the 13 November at the East Midlands Conference Centre in Nottingham.

The action-packed programme, hosted by journalist and Channel 4 news presenter Cathy Newman, is full of relevant and topical content from speakers from inside and outside the industry.

Know your Customer

• David Denny, HTA Marketing and Insights Manager, will set the scene for the day by looking at the economy, consumer confidence and recently launched industry sizing report.
• Keynote speaker consumer and shopping behaviourist Ken Hughes will be asking ‘Is your supply chain millennial ready?’
• How is technology in the home, in the retail environment, and in the consumer’s hand changing expectations of shopping? How are best-in-class retailers responding to these changing demands, both online and offline? Just how important is experience, and who is raising the bar of experiential retail? Futures analyser Will Seymour hopes to answer some of these important questions about the future of retail.

Business inspiration and the Environment

• Trewin Restorick, founder of Global Action Plan and founding CEO of Hubbub, will be asking whether green concerns driven by the use of single use plastics are just a blip or part of a longer-trend? Does it represent an opportunity or threat for the garden industry?
• In this panel session on plastics in horticulture we bring together growers, suppliers and retailers to look at the issue of plastic and the challenges and opportunities that lie ahead. Panellists include David Chilvers (The Bransford Webbs Plant Company), Andy Merrick (Farplants), Adam Wigglesworth (Aylett Nurseries), Mark Portman (Evergreen Gardencare) and Nick Mathias (Floramedia).

Optimising the retailer/supplier relationship

• Supply chain expert and Operations Director for Reynolds CS Paul Pegg will look at the challenges faced by the fresh produce sector and some of the innovative ways in which this sector has overcome them.
• Chaired by Cathy Newman this head to head panel session on supply chain issues brings together retailers and suppliers to look their respective needs and how they might work together to create better relationships. Key topics on the agenda include selection, pre-season ordering, and industry consolidation. Panellists include: Adrian Davey (Hozelock), Keith Nicholson (Westland Horticulture), David Hibbert (Stax Trade Centres) and Boyd Douglas-Davies (Hillview Garden Centres).

Promoting your Business

• Leading business figure Claire Harper has unparalleled experience with some of the UK’s leading brands, including Argos, Ocado, Sainsburys and Mamas & Papas before sending up her own kids clothing brand IndiaCoco in 2011. Claire’s understanding of online retail as well as ‘bricks and mortar’ shopping, and the passion that led her to take a new business into a crowded marketplace, by building it on values and customer service, and by selling the highest quality of product, makes her one of the UK’s most formidable business leaders.
• Managing Director of the newly expanded Blue Diamond Group, Alan Roper, will be sharing his thoughts on innovative and experiential retail.

At the event dinner delegates will be able to hear from inspirational and record breaking speaker James Golding who will tell his compelling, uplifting and honest story – ‘One Step at a Time’, along with the latest news from Greenfingers, our charity partner for the dinner.

A great forum for inspiration, discussion and debate on the industry, in an accessible location with good transport networks, this event represents amazing value – just £295 +VAT for a full conference place for HTA and GIMA members (£199 + VAT for conference only). What are you waiting for! Book your place now at www.hta.org.uk/cultivatingretail

With thanks to our Partners that include:

Gold Sponsor – Evergreen Garden Care UK

Partners – Corby & Fellas, Dura-ID Solutions, GLEE, Hozelock, Lechuza, MorePeople, Smart Garden Products, Swan Retail, Eight Days a Week

Drinks Partner - Stihl Ltd

Smart Garden Products have announced the appointment of three new team members to strengthen their Head Office Sales functions. 

Karen Gorski and Piotr Bury join the UK Sales team, and Ana Beunza joins the Export Sales team, focusing on the thriving French market.

The investment in new staff is in response to continued growth in Smart’s core markets and underlines the company’s commitment to provide outstanding service for their customers.

Johnsons says autumn lawn seed sales have broken all records in the past three months as consumers looked to repair lawns damaged by prolonged baking summer weather.

One of the hottest and driest summers on record left lawns so parched and brown that demand for lawn seed far outstripped typical demand for the time of year.

Higher than average temperatures in September and early October saw Johnsons bring forward deliveries. For six weeks from mid-September, staff were packing deliveries seven days a week.

This demand spanned all Johnsons’ ranges and and sizes, including the new and improved Luxury Lawn, as well as Shady Place, Lawn Thickener, General Purpose, Quick Fix and After Moss.

Johnsons’ latest launch, Super Smart Lawn Feed, has enjoyed strong pre-season orders following Glee. Super Smart contains a unique bacteria that fixes nitrogen from the atmosphere to grass roots, combined with soluble mycorrhizal fungi to boost the root system and seaweed extract for micronutrients.

“After a long cold winter directly followed by a prolonged heatwave, lawns were put under a lot of strain this year, turning them into dry, arid tinderboxes,” Johnsons consumer manager Guy Jenkins said “However, since the autumn bank holiday, we have seen ideal seed sowing weather and consumers have been taking advantage of the warmer soil conditions to recover their lawns. Garden centres have enjoyed a very good season for lawn seed, and for Johnsons its seen our best autumn sales ever.”

Six new roles have been created at Tong Garden Centre– all filled internally – as part of the Bradford centre’s £3.5m three-year expansion plan. There have also been three internal promotions

Former centre manager Andy Mears has been promoted to general manager and assumes responsibility for managing the entire site and its 147 staff, property, warehousing, buildings, health and safety in addition to the retail team and shop floor.

The other new roles and promotions are:

• Assistant general manager: Andrew Tyers
• Indoor manager : Dennis Keen
• Outdoor manager: Dave Clayforth
• Garden sundries and Christmas buyer: Phil Hemmings
• Inventory controller: Clair Spencer
• Sundries supervisor: James Tolson
• Senior customer services advisor: Ann Smith
• Marketing assistant: James Beaumont.

Tong's commercial director, Sharon McNair, said: “These promotions are very well deserved and I'm looking forward to seeing how everyone grows into their new roles as we embark on our next phase of growth in the business.”

Left to right: Dennis Keen, Andy Mears, Clair Spencer, Phil Hemmings, Andrew Tyers and Dave Clayforth.

Recruitment and infrastructure enhancements are just some of ways in which Yorkshire horticulture business, Johnsons of Whixley, has invested in its thriving business to continue its business growth.

The commercial nursery has invested £12,000 to update its Plant Centre software with industry leading iVend systems to enable improved functionality at its on-site Xpress cash and carry division in North Yorkshire.

As well as beginning the recruitment process for another full-time member of staff, Johnsons has already welcomed Alice Knowles into the cash and carry role of plant centre and sales administrator, joining from RHS Harlow Carr.

Further job success includes the promotion of long-serving employee, Luke Richardson (right) as cash and carry manager and will be responsible for the department and its employees. Previous manager, Robert Richardson has become production manager designate within the business.

Luke, previously Johnsons’ southern area sales rep, has worked for the business for 12 years and has experience of working with some of the company’s largest customers.

He said: “Our significant investments mean that we have a system that ensures greater stability, better reporting and – above all – a smoother and more efficient customer shopping experience.

“I have thoroughly enjoyed my time in my previous role and I’m proud for what we achieved in a very successful period. The opportunity to manage the cash and carry division wasn’t one I could refuse, and I look forward to the challenge. Rob has built a strong foundation and I’d like to build upon that success.”

Johnsons Xpress, based in Whixley – between York and Harrogate, is the trade only cash and carry arm of Johnsons of Whixley, one the largest commercial nurseries in Europe, established in 1921.

Xpress’s customers include landscape gardeners, garden designers, tree surgeons, estates, caravan parks and universities across the North of Yorkshire.

Johnsons of Whixley is a family business established over 50 years and one of the largest commercial nurseries in Europe.

Leading artificial grass provider LazyLawn has helped to transform a foster carer’s garden as part of the hit ITV show Love Your Garden.

Searching for a surface that could withstand the footsteps of the many young people that pass through the home but still look good year round, Love Your Garden worked with LazyLawn to provide the hard-wearing artificial grass for Fiona Kirlew and her family.

LazyLawn‘s award winning Wonder Yarn 26 grass was installed at Fiona’s home in Nottingham, creating a peaceful spot for her relax in. The grassed area was specifically designed to accommodate a beautiful hammock, providing Fiona with a Jamaican inspired hideaway.

Fiona said, “Being able to relax and enjoy some me time on grass I don’t have to worry about treating or cutting has been a dream of mine for many years. LazyLawn has brought me and the children so much joy and pleasure. Being able to all sit and chill on it in the summer playing board games has been amazing.

“Over the summer we have had the paddling pool out and the fact there are no muddy feet getting in or out has giving me one less cleaning job to do. We’ve also had the beanbags out on the lawn and enjoyed many BBQs. Walking barefoot on our LazyLawn is heaven. Thank you so much for your kind donation we all love it.”

Andy Driver, Sales and Marketing Director at LazyLawn said: “This was such a great project to be involved with and the final result looks stunning. The LazyLawn brings a really bright, fresh green element to the overall design which is otherwise covered in decking.

“We were really inspired by Fiona’s story and her pledge to never turn down a child in need.  We hope Fiona and her family enjoy their new garden and Fiona in particular gets to enjoy the private space created for her.”

Jim Boyers, Production Executive at Love Your Garden said: “The LazyLawn artificial grass is an extra special product serving as a practical, durable but beautiful alternative to natural grass.

“LazyLawn was the perfect answer to the challenges posed by Fiona’s garden and it cannot be recommended highly enough when real grass just doesn’t cut it.”

LazyLawn is the preferred choice for many celebrities including Amanda Holden, Sam Bailey and Real Housewives of Cheshire star Dawn Ward. National brands such as Center Parcs, The Shard, Big Brother have also chosen LazyLawn over real turf.   It is also ideal as a child friendly surface with many schools choosing it for play areas to help keep pupils mud free and able to play outside year round.  It is durable and incredibly soft to touch.

For further information, visit www.lazylawn.co.uk/

The days are gradually getting shorter and colder - and that means that Helleborus Christmas Carol’s moment has arrived! These flowering garden plants are available from today and will delight many consumers throughout Europe with their bright white flowers over the coming weeks. Christmas Carol is part of the Winter Pearls collection from Syngenta Flowers and is available in many different pot sizes. This remarkable Helleborus cultivar starts flowering before Christmas and is a jewel in any garden during the darkest period of the year!

Versatile winter bloomer

Helleborus Niger, also known as the Christmas Rose, grows wild on the slopes of the Alps. The Christmas Carol variety, a product from Syngenta Flowers, is a premium Helleborus and has the advantage that the plant blooms before Christmas. That means that - unlike traditional Helleborus varieties - Christmas Carol brightens many gardens in the weeks before Christmas with its distinctive bright white flowers and strong dark green foliage. Christmas Carol is very suitable for planting in borders or in patio pots, and thrives in both sun and partial shade. These Christmas roses will continue to flower from months after December’s festivities are over!

Availability and quality

Christmas Carol is grown by various European nurseries. The biggest supply is available in the Netherlands from Hoogeveen Plants, Montis and kwekerij Freek van der Velden. The strong Christmas roses are produced in a variety of pot sizes: 9, 10.5, 12, 13, 14, 15, 17 and 19 cm. Quality is extremely important to the growers of Christmas Carol and they therefore sort their product by size and quality. This enables them to deliver uniform shipments to various segments throughout the season. Unlike many other Helleborus cultivars, Christmas Carol is grown from seed; a method that breeder Syngenta Flowers carries out with great care. The young plants arrive at the growers in the spring and are sold on to European consumers after six months.

Admire Christmas Carol at the Royal FloraHolland Trade Fair

Christmas Carol growers Hoogeveen Plants (stand 29.2), Montis (stand 28.6) and kwekerij Freek van der Velden (stand 27.1) are proudly presenting their range at the Trade Fair in Aalsmeer between 7 and 9 November 2018. There will also be a dedicated Christmas Carol promotion stand at one of the entrances to the trade fair building. This will allow people to discover the versatility of Christmas Carol in various ways. 

About Helleborus Christmas Carol and the Winter Pearls Collection

Christmas Carol is part of the Winter Pearls Collection from breeder Syngenta Flowers. In addition to Christmas Carol, the Winter Pearls Collection also features Gaultheria Big Berry and Red Baron and Cyclamen AmazeMe and SilverMe and Cyberia. Further information is available on Winter Pearls’ updated website: www.winterpearlscollection.com

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Elho Group has appointed Melanie Meskers as chief commercial officer.

She takes responsibility for sales, marketing, product development, online and category management departments and joins Olaf Elderenbosch (CEO), Marco Wels (CFO) and director of operations Bert Bakkeren on the board.

Melanie’s sales and marketing and sales career in food and non-food FMCG includes a recent spell as global director of family cooking, baking and creams at Unilever.

She says she hopes to to help retailers inspire more consumers to bring nature into and around their homes. “In our daily lives, we are becoming increasingly isolated from nature. Technological advances and urbanisation have caused our lives to change at a rapid pace,” she said. “There is a growing need for more green in our living environment. Nature helps us to feel healthier and happier and gives us more energy. Elho inspires people to bring more green into their daily lives.”

After a summer when pot sales were at record levels the first cold snap of Autumn saw a dramatic increase in pot feet sales as gardeners moved to get their pots up off the floor to protect them from rain and frost. 

Total Top 50 Garden Product sales volumes were slightly down on the same week last year, but overall sales for October are still positive.

Highlights of the week were:

• Woodlodge Small Pot Feet moved up even places to be the No 1 Bestselling Garden Product.
• Woodlodge Small Wall Mounted Butterfly was the highest new entry at No 5.
• Woodlodge Pot Feet Large were the highest chart re-entry. Back in at No 8.

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

October is on its way to setting a new record for growing media sales. 

Week ending 21st October was the third week with substantial year on year sales increases.

 
At this rate we could see year to date growing media sales get back into the black by the year end.

Highlights were:

• Westland Gro-Sure Farmyard Manure, 50 litres, moved 10 places up the chart to No 3.
• Evergreen Garden Care Levington Multipurpose + John Innes, 56 litres, remains at No 1.
• Continuing the trend of increased sales in small bags, Westland John Innes No 3, 30 litres, is a new entry at No 28.

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

Whilst the GTN Top 50 Christmas sales volume shows sales down by 6% on the same first half term week of last year, sales of the Top 10 Bestselling Chritsmas lines were up by 4%.

 
Of these, six lines are personalised Christmas products, two are Christmas chocolates and two are Christmas pick up toys.

Highlights were:

• History & Heraldry Honeycombe Tree Decoration was the highest chart re-entry at No 9.
• Kinnerton Chocolate Sprouts Net 75g also re-entered at No 21.
• At the foot of the chart Keel Toys 10cm Christmas Mini Motsu is a brand new entry.

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Primula sales were the big movers in the third week of October as winter bedding continued to sell through at levels above last year. 

Indoors there were notable increases in houseplant sales too.

• Primula sales increased by 60% to move up to No 3.
• Schlumbergera sales increased to move them 25 places up the chart to No 21.
• Lysimachia were the highest re-entry of the week, back in at No 34.
• All Plants volume sales change: Week on week DOWN 10.7%.  Year to date UP 8.3% on 2017

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

The latest ‘Meet the International Buyers’ event, organised by the PetQuip and Gardenex associations, is due to take place on 8 November 2018 at the associations’ head office in Brasted, Kent.  

Key product buyers from The Netherlands, Spain, Switzerland and Belgium will be seeking to source a wide variety of UK products during one-to-one meetings with British suppliers.

In view of the imminent date, suppliers wishing to be involved in the meetings should make immediate contact with Katie-Mai Smith of PetQuip and Gardenex on katie-mai@petquip.com or telephone 01959 565995.

The meeting is the latest in a series of highly successful ‘Meet the International Buyers’ events that have resulted in major export contracts being won by UK firms over many years.

The buyers in attendance on 8 November are:

Altranet, The Netherlands.  The company is looking to represent and/or partner with UK suppliers who are seeking to do business in Benelux and mainland Europe.  Altranet is a Dutch importer/distributor of innovative, unique brands of functional products for dogs, focusing on items that make it easier to own, train and enjoy having a dog.  The company supplies independent pet shops, pet chains such as Faunaland, Discus, Dobey, Dierallin, Pet’s Place and Jumpers, in addition to dog trainers and groomers.  Products currently handled include cooling mats and collars, bike brackets for dog walking, sonic/ultrasonic bark control devices and feeders with timers.

Comercial Dimac SA, Spain.  The company is an importer/distributor/wholesaler and looking to expand its range of products for all types of pets.  The company supplies independent pet shops and pet chains and also has a cash & carry store in Barcelona.  The company offers foods and a broad range of accessories for dogs and cats, along with products for small mammals, reptiles, fish and caged birds.  The company’s broad range means that it able to be sole supplier for independent pet shops.

Meiko Heimtierbedarf AG, Switzerland.   This Swiss pet retailer operates 10 stores plus a web-shop, and is looking to add quality products for dogs and cats to its range.  The company offers a range of over 8,000 items for dogs, cats and their owners.  In addition to pet owners, customers include professionals such as pet clubs and breeders, along with army and police emergency medical services.  Seven of the company’s stores include grooming parlours and vet practices.

The garden product buyer is from Floralux, Belgium.  Floralux has a huge garden centre in Dadizele with an annual turnover of around €45 million and has a new second garden centre located in Ham.  During the ‘Meet the International Buyers’ meetings, the buyer will be looking for all types of practical gardening equipment and accessories, water systems, propagation equipment, greenhouses and accessories, fertilisers, garden fencing and children’s garden products.  Other products of interest include outdoor leisure items such as furniture, umbrellas and barbecues, along with outdoor and indoor decoration ranging from garden statues to candles and Christmas decorations.  Food and accessories for dogs, cats, rodents, chickens and pond fish will also be on the shopping list.  Floralux also owns Tuinadvies, the Belgian mail-order business, and Florink Nederland BV, a central buying operation for plants and flowers.

For further information on PetQuip or Gardenex, the trade associations that works on behalf of British companies to help them increase sales worldwide, contact telephone +44 (0) 1959 565 995 or email: info@petquip.com or info@gardenex.com

Forming part of an extensive programme of GIMA Knowledge Exchange Workshops will be the latest one-day session entitled ‘Finance for Non-Finance Managers’. 

Perfect for those without a finance background, this lively and interactive topic will help delegates become more comfortable with financial reporting and data. With places filling up fast, interested parties are urged to book their place now to avoid missing out. 

The lifeblood of any business, finance can often be perceived as a dry topic, however the ‘Finance for Non-Finance Managers’ – led by Cedar Associates - will showcase it in a new light.

The aim of the workshop will be to arm participants with the ability to confidently highlight what profit is, and detail how they can affect it. By the end of the day they will also be able to analyse and interpret financial information, better understand the inter-relationship  between different figures and ratios, and learn how to use financial information to make informed decisions for their department and the business.

Topics up for discussion throughout the day will include contribution of income and expenditure to profit and loss, key financial measures and ratios, forecasting and budgeting, managing costs and margin, and setting financial objectives.

Further information about Knowledge Exchange workshops can be found at www.gima.org.uk. Open to both members and non-members, GIMA is urging interested parties to secure their place now as space is limited. Bookings can be made for individual workshops (GIMA Members: £195 + VAT / Non-members: £225 + VAT) or as a suite of two or more workshops (GIMA Members: £175 + VAT / Non-members: £205 + VAT).

At the next edition of the Internationale Planzenmesse (IPM) in Germany, BIZZ Holland will again be present with a good group of Dutch ornamental horticulture businesses.

The shared BIZZ Holland stand can still be found in the familiar 'Netherlands' hall, but due to the renovation of the Messe Essen, the hall numbers have changed. The location is now Hall 8 (stand number A40), which can be reached via the East entrance. IPM will be held from 22 to 25 January 2019 in Essen, Germany.

The shared BIZZ Holland stand will be organised for the seventh time in 2019. The design of the stand is based on pallets and has a natural, fresh look. Because the design matches the new entrance to the hall, it is possible to create a clear layout of the stands. An impression of the stand and the floor plan are available on the website of BIZZ Communications.

Participants

The 58 participants nicely reflect what is on offer at Dutch tree nurseries. From starting material and semi-grown products to visually attractive products, and from avenue trees, perennials, conifers and roses to ornamental shrubs. Participants come from tree growing areas such as Boskoop, Opheusden, Venlo and Zundert. The companies will present their novelties and current range of garden plants and trees for 2019. The nominations for the Show Your Colours Award IPM 2019 will also be exhibited in the stand and visitors will have the opportunity to vote for their favourite plant.

Garden Trials and Trade and Plantarium 2019

The BIZZ Holland also pays attention to Garden Trials and Trade and Plantarium, two important international trade fairs for the nursery stock industry. The successful first edition of Garden Trials and Trade will have a sequel in 2019. At this event, to take place from 11 to 13 June 2019, the focus will be on the new tree nursery range. Plantarium will present the theme for the 37th edition of the trade fair, which will take place from Wednesday 21 until Friday 23 August 2019 in Boskoop/Hazerswoude.

The Show Your Colours Award will be presented during the International Pfanzenmesse (IPM) 2019 in Essen (Germany).

All IPM exhibitors with woody plants and perennials can submit plants or plant concepts for this award. The Show Your Colours Award IPM 2019 is organised by Messe Essen, in cooperation with BIZZ Communications.

Show Your Colours 2019 is all about the added value of the plant, which is expressed in the story behind it, in other words storytelling. Both plants and plant concepts can be submitted.

Products with something extra
A sole plant on the shelves sometimes does not suffice to tempt a consumer to buy. A garden plant can be very pretty by itself, but that is not always the case. With added value in the shape of a label, nice pot, well-thought-out concept, or simply by providing more information about the plant, a plant can generate additional attention. These days, companies make good use of this by giving their plant this 'something extra'. In order to motivate participants at the trade fair to put their products with something extra in the spotlight, the Show Your Colours Award IPM was introduced.

Participation

Participation in the Show Your Colours Award is free of charge. All exhibitors of IPM Essen with woody plants and perennials are requested to enter their plant and/or concept via the digital registration form. Registration closes on 21 December 2018. The professional jury will nominate 10 plants from all those submitted.

Judging

The nominated plants, one specimen per entry, will be exhibited in Hall 8 during the trade fair. The public will have the opportunity to vote for their favourite plant. On Thursday afternoon 24 January 2019, the entries will be judged by the professional jury. Following this, the result will be announced in the BIZZ Holland stand, Hall 8, stand number A40 at 3.00 pm.

Dobbies have scooped up Woodcote Green Garden Centre as the 'Sale of the Century' of Wyevale Garden Centres continues.

Woodcote Green was listed as the most expensive site, £35 million freehold, when the portfolio of garden centres went up for sale in May.

In a statement issued this morning Wyevale announced the sale of its Woodcote Green Garden Centre to Dobbies Garden Centre Centres.  It goes on:

Christie & Co, the specialist business property advisor managing the sale process on behalf of WGC, have run a two phase process that has achieved considerable interest from a wide variety of buyers. The opportunity to run one, a small group or a portfolio of garden centres has ignited interest within the sector and beyond, and Christie & Co continue to liaise with phase 2 bidders as the process continues.

Twenty-five companies were offered the opportunity to buy Gardman before the administrators accepted a £4m offer from Westland, it was revealed this week.

In details circulated to creditors, PwC said 20 of the firms approached were trade buyers and five financial. Seven parties submitted non-binding indicative offers for all or part of the business, with Westland and two others moving to the next stage of the “accelerated sale” process. Ten businesses declined to bid at all. Westland’s was the “best offer available”, despite a stock valuation of £7.4m.

PwC estimate that unsecured creditors could receive up to 15% of money owed. Secured creditors will be paid in full.

The sale only affects Gardman’s UK business, Gardman Ltd. Gardman (Australia) Pty, Gardman USA Iinc, Parnell Lang and The Little Garden Company – all part of Gardman Group – and the China-based Gardman Asia Limited (in which Gardman Ltd held shares) were excluded.

Westland will be allowed to continue to operate from Gardman’s leasehold warehouses in Kings Lynn and West Lynn and Peterborough head office for up to six months while they negotiate with landlords, safeguarding jobs for now.

Gardman’s shareholders called in administrators to handle the sale after declining to commit to additional funding of at least £10m needed to complete the company’s recovery following last year’s disastrous warehouse fire at Daventry.

The HTA Marketing Forum in October gave delegates an insight into the advances in marketing to help them stand out from the crowd.

Covering all disciplines, the key takeaways were:

Reports of retail death are greatly exaggerated. Despite 69% claiming to shop online to avoid queues, only 3% of Britons say they no longer shop in store and 64% of people still enjoy browsing in store. (Anthony Earl, POPAI UK & Ireland).

Digital marketing is the way to keep up to date with marketing trends, but print, if done properly, helps smaller business to compete with the bigger companies. (Graham Thomas, Eight Days A Week Print Solutions).

No matter who your consumer is, they will likely care about the environment in some way. Use this to your advantage. (Carol Wright, Hozelock).

Visual merchandising works around key visual principles such as symmetry, alternation, utilising height and creating visual focus points. (Sarah Manning, Visual Merchandiser, pictured).

The benefits of vlogging include increasing trust, providing added value, standing out from the crowd, showcasing strengths and awareness, maximising visual content and giving your business a voice. (Robbie Cumming, HornbyWhitefoot PR).

Boosting posts can be a great way to create more customer engagement and increase brand awareness on a small budget. –(Josie McGhee, HTA).

Remember your customers are human and you never know what they may be going through. Don’t always try to upsell and see them as more than just a number. (Annabelle Padwick, Life at No. 27).

Garden Connect's Edwin Meijer attended the recent IGCA Convention in Prague.  Here is his Blog:

A week in Prague with the International Garden Center Association: what’s in it for you? It’s a good question, and not easy to answer. But all the Dutch participants who attended learned a lot and can start improving their companies. I would like to share with you what I’m taking away from Prague.

PRAGUE IS VIBRANT

When you think new retail concepts, you think London, New York, Amsterdam, and really any city in Europe other than Prague. But Prague is an incredibly vibrant city and offers many great, beautiful shops. The shoes/lifestyle shop Vnitroblock with art and cosy café (pictured below) and design shopping centre Stockist are two examples of shops with an appealing concept. These aren’t your run-of-the-mill shops and wouldn’t look out of place in any of the cities mentioned above.

VIBRANT GARDEN CENTRES

When it comes to garden centres, the Czech Republic is also vibrant. The shops are young, fresh and don’t have a long history, since the concept of ‘garden centre’ didn’t appear here until 1989. This means that garden centres are fully embracing innovation and change, as can be seen clearly. Sure, we’re not talking about Polhill or Frosts, but they are looking at what’s happening around them and visiting many other garden centres and congresses. Almost every shop will surprise or amaze you.

A few examples: 

• Garden Centre Lisy has created an incredible design garden which hosts around 25 parties and weddings a year.
• Chladek Garden Centre, right in the middle of Prague. Has a fantastic outdoor section and, following earlier IGCA trips, they have added a great restaurant, which has been a huge success since its opening. 
• Libeznice Garden Centre, which sold over 2,500 pot & plant combinations on their website this spring at €40 a piece.

So yes, I was sceptical beforehand, but every visit gave me more than enough to think about. Truly inspiring! 

PRAGUE SHOPS ONLINE

We also visited Starkl, one of Central Europe’s largest online shops for gardening items and greenery. We were taken on an enjoyable tour through their logistical centre which showed clearly that online shopping is also on the rise in Prague and its surroundings. This online shop sells a lot of plants: so yes, it is possible, as long as you put your heart into it!

PRAGUE INSPIRES

But the real source of inspiration still lies in discussions with colleagues from abroad. On the Interactive Tour, every day has set themes for discussion.

Of course, good old John Stanley had more than enough to talk about, and under the leadership of “our” Ronald Brand we spent hours discussing e-commerce and online marketing. It was very instructive to hear how the Chinese participants manage to run a web shop, which by now has 80 (!) employees in its online department. The German entrepreneurs shared their experiences with the collective online shop set up by the German Centre Association (spoiler: it doesn’t work at all). The English were very open in discussing their problems, profits and challenges surrounding e-commerce.

I’ve also come along to share knowledge, so I speak openly about the things that are or aren’t working, and share useful tools and information. The atmosphere encourages opening up and is unique, as everyone participates in the conversations or shares their experiences. And, you know, it’s kind of fun to talk about your profession!

Guy Topping also had a special story to share: he built an indoor amusement park next to his garden centre Barton Grange (UK) with indoor golf, bowling alleys, a hotel and whatnot. A true entrepreneur everyone can learn from.

"WHY DO YOU ACTUALLY GO?"

It may seem a bit odd for a supplier to attend the IGCA, but it’s more than worthwhile. It’s great if it brings you clients, but for me, what matters more is knowing what’s going on and what entrepreneurs are doing. The better I know them, the better I can help our clients. I genuinely didn’t hand out a single business card.

The first result? In the next months, two (young) entrepreneurs from England and Germany will come to our office in Zwanenburg for a one-day internship. We’ll share our knowledge with them and they’ll discuss the problems they encounter in their companies. Of course, this immensely helps my team and me, as there is no better source from which to learn what we can do better. We’ll also visit a few garden centres to tag along for a day, to get practical experience of what we can improve.

Next stop: Windsor, UK in September 2019. I visit the UK almost every week, but I’ll still join his congress. You know, why don’t you do something a little bit crazy and sign up yourself at www.igca2019.co.uk? I promise that you won’t be disappointed.

See you in Windsor!

Sales in garden centre houseplants departments remained strong during September according to the Garden Centre Association's barometer of trade report.

Compared to last year (2017) sales in houseplants were up 16.49%. Outdoor plants followed close behind at 15.75% up.

Iain Wylie, GCA chief executive, said: “It looks like there is no stopping the resurgence we've seen in houseplants during the past few years. They have really struck a chord with the younger generation and are now seen as a vital part of home décor and accessorising.

“People are becoming increasingly aware that plants are good for wellbeing and, according to research by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), the right indoor plants could reduce susceptibility to stress, allergies, asthma, fatigue, headaches and respiratory congestion.

“We expect the sales of houseplants to continue doing well for the rest of the year as people opt to bring colour indoors with festive plants such as poinsettias, cyclamen and hyacinths."

During the month, seed and bulb sales were up 15.4%, garden sundries sales were up 15.15% and furniture and barbecue sales were up 3.32%.

Pets and aquatics were up 0.25% and gifts up 2.55%. Hard landscaping sales increased by 6.57% and food hall and farm shop sales by 6.11%.

Clothing  dropped 4.25% but catering increased by 7.58%.

Overall, sales revenues for the month were up 8.12% with a year to date change of 1.87%.

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 newsletter.

As the year goes on we give sales volume comparisons with 2016 as well as 2017 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 Garden Plants Bestsellers chart for this week are here

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

Highlights of the GTN Christmas Products 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.

Get the GTN Bestsellers charts in full every week in the GTN Bestsellers newsletters for only £145.00.

GTN Bestsellers is the only industry source of weekly garden centre sales information, collating Epos data from centres with an aggregate turnover in excess of £120m.

Use the weekly Garden Products and Growing Media Top 50 sales volumes charts to plan your hotspot and other promotions and ensure you have the right products in stock to satisfy the needs of your customers.

For further information contact karen.pfeiffer@tgcmc.co.uk or call 01733 775700.

Buy your subscription today and start receiving the GTN Bestsellers charts this week.

Squire’s Garden Centre in Chertsey has installed a specially designed kitchen pod to extend the current kitchen and expand the menu offering in their Café Bar (pictured).