At the annual opening of its trials ground in Suffolk, Mr Fothergill’s announced the introduction of a new sweet pea with 25p per packet going to the Greenfingers Charity.

The company’s Ian Cross reported a good year to date despite the disappointing weather. He believed experienced gardeners had the confidence to wait for the right conditions before sowing but wondered if novice gardeners had sown early and not had good results. Communication and tailoring its messaging to different sectors, he said, would be key for the future. Sales of the new coir-based seed sowing compost had been encouraging helped by positioning stock directly next to seed racks making it easy for customers to buy both at the same time.

There are new faces in the senior management team who are still settling into their new roles, but for the future new products are on the cards for introduction at Glee and in the new year.

In the trials ground new varieties of flowers and veg were looking healthy and colourful. Salad leaves continue to be popular and blight resistant tomatoes for pots and hanging baskets are a focus.

The area is also the site of a Fleuroselect trial.