Yorkshire Garden Centres are to operate two more sites in Yorkshire.  The two Dean's Garden Centre sites at York and Scarborough will be added to the group that already has sites at Tong, Tingley, Otley and Bingley in West Yorkshire.

The Dean's business dates back to 1968 when they opened the York store on a four acre site at Stockton on the Forest. This was followed by the acquisition of the eight-acre Scarborough site in 1986.  The business now employs over 100 people and all the roles will transfer with the sale.  Richard, Helen and Sarah, who are the second generation of the Dean family to run the business, will all enjoy a very well-earned retirement.

Mark Farnsworth, MD of Yorkshire Garden Centres said: "We are delighted to welcome the Dean's sites into the Yorkshire Garden Centres group in partnership with Altia Estates. We are grateful to the Dean family for letting us take the business forward, and we intend to continue to use the Dean's name, which has become so well respected over the years.  Whilst several members of the family retire, we are also really pleased that others have agreed to stay on and continue to work in the business".

Mr. Farnsworth added: "We set out our ambitions five years ago to grow the group and our four current centres employ nearly 450 people.  Planning was approved for a new site at Thorp Arch in the middle of last year but, very sadly, the delays due to the COVID pandemic and gaining Planning Permission meant that the scheme was no longer viable which was a real blow as we felt Thorp Arch was a great site.  Having established a strong management team, when the Dean's opportunity came up we recognised it was a great way to continue our growth journey."

Richard Dean, a partner at Dean's Garden Centre said: "We are pleased our centres are joining the Yorkshire Garden Centre group. We have followed their progress with interest and feel that we have many shared values. Having grown up living on the York site, we've been involved in the business in some capacity or other from a very young age. Now though is the right time for my sisters and I to retire, something that I personally was aiming to do in 2021, before Covid hit. The business can now move forward and provide, what will no doubt be an enhanced shopping experience for our customers. We wish the group the very best of luck as they move forward."

 
"We are also incredibly grateful to Antony Harker of Altia Estates for the financial support and faith he has shown in us," added Mr Farnsworth.

Mr Harker commented: "We are delighted to support this opportunity and we wish the whole team at Yorkshire Garden Centres the very best.  I look forward to seeing the sites continue to grow and flourish under their management."

Yorkshire Garden Centres began with the acquisition of Tong Garden Centre by Mark Farnsworth and Tom Megginson in 2015. They invested £9m to turn Tong from an ailing centre with a disenfranchised team to one of Yorkshire's leading garden centres. The Group's strategy is to operate destination garden centres with a compelling mix of retail, food and play for all the family.

Westland's Boost compost, Mr Fothergill's Enriched Seed Compost and Sipcam's Slug Stoppa were amongst new products promoted by suppliers to the media at the Garden Press Event, held in London last week.

Westland's Boost All Purpose Compost is now in production and should be available for sale during March.  Stuart Staples told GTN Xtra: "Boost compost is peat free growing media and we've built on top of that a water management system. So it will deal with some of the legacy problems of moving to peat free, understanding how to water and how to water effectively. The water management system built in gives us an extra buffer between overwatering under-watering and at least get better plant health.

"And we've designed the two systems, Boost Liquid Feed and Boost compost to be worked together. So the Boost liquid will then complement the Boost growing media."

Westland also launched their new Houseplant Potting Mix with Seramis.

"It's a peat free mix, utilizing the ceramic Seramis granule, and that gives it lots of really good benefits in terms of water and nutrient holding.

"It allows when we are maintaining the plants for it to be less likely to dry out. Therefore, you need to water less often and through the watering regime we can then manage the likelihood of things like scarab flies and fungus gnats."

Mr Fothergills launched their Enriched Seed Compost to the media, with the product also available on sales during March.

Mark Wooton explained: "It's been a late launch because we wanted to get it right and it's taken us 2 or 3 goes to get it right, i.e. the product, the bag and the packaging. We are about to go on sale in 20% of our outlets, the people we sell seeds into, for the first launch in first and second week of March.

"We've done this because the biggest complaint we've had from anybody with seeds or success with seeds stems from the growing medium which the product is grown.

"So we've created this compost ourselves, slightly different from that which is in the market in terms of micro granules, slow release and enrichment seaweed. Which means it gives four weeks of perfect life and thriving for all seeds.

"It's in a very small, compact, block so that you can pick it up and take it away with ease. Each pack fills three propagators/seed trays."

The coir based product will be available for sale in display units which sit as part of the existing seed POS material.

GIMA Sword of Excellence winners Sipcam were showing their future pouch packaging for all their liquid products, which uses up to 70% less plastic and launched their new liquid Slug Stoppa.

The liquid product creates a physical barrier on the actual plant.  "For the amateur gardener, it's ideal because they don't like pellets and are nervous about it, because the pets and children, that kind of thing, explained Spicams Matt Jones. "You have wool pellets and barriers that we do as well, but this is an invisible solution. It creates a physical barrier on the leaf. If you looked under a microscope, it is slightly spikey. So it's basically not palatable for the slug to eat it. 

"And we've got a brand new trigger that I don't think has been used in the industry yet. Rather than holding the bottle and using your fingers, to take the weight, you're holding the actual trigger and it's really ergonomic. It's very, very easy for the more elderly gardener and to use while you're bending down weeding and things like that."

At the event, Blue Diamond won the best stand award for their display of British Grown Peat Free Houseplants, Primeur were displaying their range of Bree Merryn doormats as seen at Spring Fair, and Dobbies were promoting their Indoor Gardening ranges for this spring.

Watch out for more coverage from The Garden press Event in GTN magazine and see our gallery of photos below.

Kings Seeds have been supplying commercial and retail growers since 1888. They also stock a range of pictorial packets available for sale in garden centres and nurseries, and supply home gardeners themselves via mail order. 

They have a huge range of vegetable, flower and herb seeds and a range of green manures, organic seeds and unusual vegetables for their sister company Suffolk herbs.

Seed quality is such an important factor. All their seeds are tested in their own in-house laboratory by qualified analysts for germination, purity and vigour to ensure that the seeds are of the best quality. You will receive high quality seeds at a competitive price as well as great customer service!

Whether you’re looking for a seed supplier, or looking to become a stockist you can find out more information online at www.kingsseedsdirect.com, or contact one of the sales reps:

Dutch flower experts, JUB Holland, Keukenhof and Rijnbeek Perennials (H141/142) showcased many of its stunning early flowering varieties through a mini ‘perennial meadow’ display at the Garden Press Event, with the garden being donated to the Greenfingers Charity, where it is being replanted at one of its children’s hospice gardens.

Featuring over 120 plants, including Crocus 'Aqua', Helleborus orientalis, Muscari 'Baby's Breath', Primula vulgaris, Viola odorata 'Königin Charlotte' and Centaurea montana 'Tini's Pink'®, the ‘garden’ was vast, bulging with flowering naturalising bulbs and perennials and is the blueprint of the border that the companies have planted together at Keukenhof in Lisse, Netherlands. A key focus for the media at the event, this garden will also bring even more joy to those patients and staff that are on the receiving end of this generosity.

The recipient hospice is Demelza Hospice in Sittingbourne, Kent. With its second Greenfingers garden poised to officially open soon, it is the original garden – created 25 years ago – that is now bursting into technicolour joy with the arrival of the JUB Holland/ Keukenhof/ Rijnbeek Perennials ‘garden’, which landed onsite yesterday (21st February 2024).

Overseeing the planting is Tammy Woodhouse, Greenfingers Trustee and Managing Director of Millbrook Garden Centres.  With its centres located just half an hour from the hospice, Tammy has pulled together a crack team of willing gardeners to ensure these bulbs and plants are safely relocated to the heart of the hospice, where they can be enjoyed for many years to come.

Linda Petrons, Director of Fundraising & Communications at the Greenfingers Charity, said: “Thank you so much to the team at JUB Holland, Keukenhof and Rijnbeek Perennials for their incredibly generous donation. As leaders in the world of bulbs and perennials, the quality of plants is of the highest standard and are a welcome addition to the existing garden at Demelza Hospice. Even on the darkest days, these flowers will play an important role, often being adopted as flowers of remembrance for those to whom we’ve said goodbye. Their presence will mean so much and for that we will be forever grateful.”

Find out more

To stay up-to-date with all the latest news from the Greenfingers Charity, join the conversation on social media - @Greenfingerscharity on Instagram, Facebook and LinkedIn, https://www.facebook.com/Greenfingerscharity/ and @GreenfingersCha on Twitter.

Further details about the three Dutch flower experts visit 

https://www.jubholland.nl/en

https://rijnbeek.com/

https://keukenhof.nl/en/

Following the appointment of David Wright as AMES Companies Operations Director in the summer of 2023, the team has been busy delivering on the promises made regarding stock availability. 

Kelkay – the leading aggregate brand under the AMES Companies umbrella – is one brand that is already reaping the benefits, having been through a transformation process.  

Here, David tells us more about how continuous improvement is shaping the year ahead for Kelkay, including the production of over 2.5 million aggregate bags so far this year – all ready to be delivered to retailers.

The importance of stock availability

David explains that having market-leading products in your portfolio is just the start of the journey: “With great products comes great demand, often much of which bottlenecks as retailers look to secure stock at peak time within the season.  Recognising this, we have developed our internal processes to ensure that stock is available throughout the season and our retail customers can buy confidently.”

To facilitate optimal stock availability, it has been confirmed that Kelkay will hold a minimum of eight weeks of forecasted stock across all its sale lines, all of which will be held at its central Pollington site.

“Our stocking profile is there to give customers the confidence they need regarding the availability of the right product at the right time.  We naturally work to forecasts, but as a supplier of products where sales are directly affected by weather and seasonality, we must hold stock to guarantee availability.  Our manufacturing platforms are incredibly flexible and versatile, but to provide security around supply, stock is held to cover unknowns and variances.  “

Stable stock levels throughout the season

Stable stock levels lead to increased retailer confidence.  But in a marketplace where seasonal demand sees significant fluctuations, how do brands such as Kelkay ensure stability?

“Due to the significant variation in the seasonal demand for our products, we have taken a full forecast of production for the year to safeguard stock availability.  We have considered the demand variability and developed a stocking model to accommodate these unknowns.  We have also looked at our manufacturing capability, throughput, and effectiveness of our machinery to understand how capable we are of replenishing our stock throughout the year and satisfying demand.”

“Adding our minimum service level of eight weeks of stock has allowed us to define our pre-season committed stock levels for season 2024.  This has represented a significant increase in our stock holding for this season - of around 60% year-on-year.”

Futureproofing the approach

David has confidence that Kelkay’s approach is built for the future.  “Our approach has considered the total demand for 2024.  In fact, we only consider hitting our eight-week stock level in July this year, with prior months enjoying significantly higher stock availability.

“We also enjoy a very flexible and adaptive manufacturing platform, one that is capable of producing the full range of products we offer, including sand and grits, through to the larger cobble products.  Presently Kelkay aggregate products are at 91% of target stock levels, and Kelkay paving products at 97% and available for delivery.”

Looking ahead to the season, David also confirmed that should the Great British weather play ball, Kelkay can respond to any significant spikes in demand.  He said: “Our capacity and stock holding has been mapped to a limited machine availability and loading to only 75% of our capability.  Therefore, should the sun shine, we can comfortably exceed forecast with the additional capacity available to flex if required and our existing stock used to cover additional orders.”

Investing in further growth

Despite being able to respond to demand comfortably, Kelkay is not resting on its laurels.  Synonymous with the AMES Companies' promise to become the sector’s supplier of choice’, it has been confirmed that additional investments are underway to expand Kelkay’s manufacturing capability further through improved machine availability, output, and productivity.

“We have introduced new maintenance management systems, improved preventative maintenance programmes and critical spares, along with real-time data capture and monitoring of our manufacturing to identify opportunities for improvement.  This is all to improve individual product lines and capabilities.

“To support this, we have generated a wider multi-year operations strategy, focussed on our quality, cost and delivery performance.  Some exciting projects are planned for 2025 onwards that will further change our capability to ensure we continually maintain our target to be a supplier of choice across the products and services we offer.”

Customers can be confident to purchase

With all this hard work behind the scenes, David is confident that Kelkay’s approach to stock is one that retailers can believe in.  “Issues do happen; it would be foolish to suggest otherwise but given the stock profiling and machine and team developments, we are confident we will meet and exceed the expectations of our customers.”

He finished by saying, “We have an open-door policy here, and we are delighted to show customers and suppliers what we are doing and how we are doing it. I think by looking at the investment we are making in terms of plant, equipment, and our people and also the increased investment in stock, it is clear how we wish to improve the marketplace and provide clients with comfort and satisfaction in the products they purchase.”

Find out more

To stay up to date with all things Kelkay, including accessing the dedicated trade portal where you will find a comprehensive image library, POS guide and Product Database alongside the 2024 catalogue, please visit www.kelkay.com.  Further details about the AMES Companies can be found at www.ames-uk.com

Every garden retailer knows the challenges associated with merchandising and displaying bulky aggregates. Often left languishing in the back corner of outdoor areas, consumers can find the buying decision confusing and less glamorous. But with the new Home Delivery service from aggregate and paving specialists, Kelkay, times are changing and with it, the consumer shopping experience.

Gone are the days when retailers need to physically hold the stock in store. Instead, a simple yet powerful merchandising display can do the same job. In fact, the refreshed Kelkay Home Delivery merchandising display can do far more than traditional product displays whilst offering multiple benefits for retailers and consumers alike.

Freeing the retail floorspace + more products than ever

Traditionally, aggregates require a large amount of dedicated space, a space that is best suited to such bulky and “dirty” products. Furthermore, more space needs to be found to accommodate new lines and colours, a quandary that is not always available when stores become limited by their own site boundaries. Once again, Kelkay’s solution puts an end to such issues. The display can feature Kelkay’s complete aggregate and paving portfolio, which currently features 38 core aggregates, including chippings, slate, pebbles and cobbles, and 53 paving options. Never before has it been so easy to provide consumers with so many options in one handy location.

Educated, confident consumers

The shopping experience afforded by Kelkay’s new Home Delivery displays is designed to provide complete confidence. By scanning a QR code, consumers can access Kelkay’s dedicated website. Here, they can view all the information about their chosen products, including size, colour, ideal uses, multiple visuals, and related products. A dedicated aggregate calculator will also be accessible, helping to simplify the buying process further. 

From here, consumers only need to make their selection – including deciding whether to order large or bulk bags – before heading to the tills to make their purchase. Once complete, the order will be passed to Kelkay’s dedicated fulfilment team, who will ensure delivery in as little as 7 – 10 working days. 

Easy to install & optimise

For the first time, aggregate and paving products can be located anywhere. Whether it’s in its traditional outdoor location, or alongside tools, water features or even by the tills, the possibilities are endless. With the easy-to-move unit, retailers can experiment with locations until they find the perfect one. What’s more, Kelkay’s dedicated sales and merchandising team is on hand to support retailers with the complete Home Delivery merchandising installation, walking retailers through every step to ensure they are confident in the service on offer.

Nick Jones, Commercial Director at the AMES Companies, said: “With our new home delivery service, we’re reinventing how garden retailers traditionally sell bulky aggregates. Instead of dedicating huge chunks of floorspace or filling the dreary back corners of the outdoor space, retailers can now optimise sales of our bestselling core ranges right from the heart of their store. Gone are the days of consumers searching the store for these products or worrying about getting them home. Now, they can find them quickly, easily and safely in the knowledge that within a matter of days, they will receive the products they need directly at their door. This is a win/win for both retailers and consumers.”

Find out more

Please get in touch with your local AMES sales manager to learn how you can benefit from the AMES Companies’ new home delivery service in 2024.                          

To stay updated with all the latest news from Kelkay, including accessing the dedicated trade portal where you will find a comprehensive image library, POS guide and Product Database alongside the 2024 catalogue, please visit www.kelkay.co.uk. Further details about the AMES Companies by visiting www.ames-uk.com

The Horticultural Trades Association releases its February monthly market update, which shows that despite the UK economy's recently announced recession, garden retail continues to show some green shoots to kick off the year. 

The resilience is a continuity of some positive trends, which included strong plant sales over the last year and a loyal customer base of gardeners that has been retained since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Fran Barnes, Chief Executive of the HTA, commented: "Although the weather was unpredictable in January, with cold temperatures and disruptive storms, some warmer weekends rejuvenated footfall and ignited early gardening activities in anticipation of a better Spring. Coupled with consumer confidence continuing to improve into the start of 2024, this has helped garden centres see overall sales up by 2% by value compared to January 2023, accompanied by a modest 1% uptick in sales volumes. It is worth noting the 14% increase in catering sales and a 19% increase in wild bird care sales, which shows customers searching to treat themselves and keen to support the wildlife in their gardens.

“The positive start does come with some caution on costs and confidence. Businesses continue to struggle with mounting wage bills, with the impending April increases to the National Living Wage set to hit wage bills that currently average at 24% of turnover for retailers (increasing to around 40% in the café/restaurant) and 30% for growers, amplifying financial pressures.

"Compounding these challenges are the soaring shipping costs, as evidenced by the Drewry's World Container Index, which recorded a staggering 90% increase in container costs compared to the previous year. Shipping routes have been disrupted due to the suspension of the Suez Canal since disturbances in the Red Sea towards the end of last year and January 2024. As a result, ships are being redirected through the Southern tip of Africa to avoid conflict, leading to longer journeys and higher shipping container costs. It remains to be seen how these factors will affect the costs of garden furniture and large garden equipment. Additionally, the EU's Emissions Trading Scheme will likely add to the cost burdens, necessitating a strategic re-evaluation of operational efficiencies to protect profit margins.

"Despite these challenges, garden retailers remain poised to navigate the recessionary headwind, looking at ways of becoming more efficient to maintain profit margins as we approach Spring and the peak gardening season."

Hard landscaping topped the sales table in the Garden Centre Association’s Barometer of Trade report for January with hardy plants, seeds and bulbs also doing well.

Figures recorded by GCA member garden centres last month show a good start to the new year with just three of the logged categories down on 2023.

GCA CEO, Peter Burks says: “Our BoT for January shows an encouraging result for the first month of the year, with sales overall up a touch at + 3.19%.

“Clearly garden centre customers were out in their gardens doing projects, as our hard landscaping category posted the largest increase on last year and hardy plants, seeds and bulbs, and garden sundries also recorded good positive increases.

“From my regular chats with members and my visits to garden centres, I hear that, despite the ongoing wet weather, these positive sales have continued into February too.”

Hard landscaping, when compared to the same month in 2023, was up +29.07%, followed by catering at +12.55%, excluding the miscellaneous category, which was +19.18%, with outdoor plants in at +11.26%.

The subsequent category that performed well in January was seeds and bulbs, which was up by +9.54%, then food hall/farm shop at +6.13% and garden sundries at +7.3%.

Clothing also recorded a positive return in January, in comparison to the same month last year, and was up +5.14%. Pets and aquatics also did well at +4.29%, followed by gifts at +0.07%.

However, according to January’s BoT results, furniture & BBQs did the least well, recording a -10.5% figure, with houseplants down by -9.56% and Christmas in at -5.72%.

The GCA BoT reports are compiled using actual sales figures and provide an up-to-date trading position statement. They are made available mid-month following the end of the prior month after all member garden centres have submitted their results.

The BoT allows members to compare their trading positions with other centres.

There is a new name emerging for garden furniture, Fern Living, an exciting new brand by British Garden Centres, the UK’s largest family-run garden centre group.  

Fern Living has recently launched an exquisite new collection of garden furniture that is set to elevate an outdoor living space to new heights. This beautiful range combines functionality, comfort, and style, providing homeowners with the perfect opportunity to create an inviting and relaxing oasis right in their own garden spaces.

Fern Living is made up of pieces that will create a functional and fashionable outdoor space, from corner sofa sets and dining furniture to smaller bistro sets, parasols and benches.

Drawing inspiration from nature and contemporary design, Fern Living's new garden furniture range is crafted from luxury elements including wood and rattan to modern aesthetics of lightweight aluminium. Each piece is thoughtfully designed to blend with the natural surroundings, creating a serene and welcoming outdoor environment for families and friends to gather and relax in.

The new Fern Living collection boasts exceptional craftsmanship and utilises premium materials, ensuring durability and longevity. British Garden Centres’ commitment to creating a relaxing outdoor retreat is evident in Fern Living with the comfort-focused design of the furniture. Plush cushions, ergonomic shapes, and spacious seating options ensure that every moment spent outdoors is one of pure relaxation and enjoyment.

Fern Living's furniture range is designed to offer both versatility and functionality, making it suitable for a wide range of outdoor settings. Whether you have a cosy balcony or a large patio area, there is a perfect option for you. For those who love to entertain, the Leighton Corner Sofa with its social seating is the ideal choice. If you prefer alfresco dining or just want to relax in the summer sun, the Andorra Deluxe is the perfect solution. For smaller spaces, Fern Living offers an intimate wooden Walton bistro set or a cosy Dalby bench. With such a diverse range of options, you can find the perfect piece of furniture to suit your needs and enjoy the great outdoors in comfort and style.

Get ready to impress your guests this summer with the stunning Coniston rattan set. This elegant furniture set is a must-have for anyone looking to enhance their outdoor living experience. The sophisticated design exudes style and comfort, creating the perfect socialising space for any occasion. And with the Thornton BBQ Bar, you can transform your garden into the ultimate hub of entertainment. This unique addition is sure to become the talking point of every garden party, making it the perfect place to gather and unwind after a long day. Whether you're hosting a grand gathering or simply lounging in the sun, this new range will take your outdoor living experience to the next level.

Fern Living will be available across all the British Garden Centres stores so every homeowner across the country can experience luxury outdoors whilst enhancing the overall look of your garden and creating a wonderful space for relaxing with family and friends.

Darren Craven, Group Furniture Buyer at British Garden Centres said: “Our gardens and outdoor areas have become increasingly important spaces for socialising and relaxation. That's why we are thrilled to announce the launch of the Fern Living outdoor furniture range, which brings the quality and value we are known for in our 62 stores to the dining and socialising category. This exciting venture is part of British Garden Centres' mission to offer a complete garden and home experience for our customers. The addition of the Fern Living brand is a significant milestone for our business, and we look forward to its first taste of success in 2024.”

British Garden Centres has announced the successful culmination of its recent fundraising over the past three years, raising an outstanding £60,000 in support of Greenfingers Charity.  

This amazing fundraising feat shows no sign of abating as British Garden Centres is delighted to launch Sweet Pea ‘Butterfly Blue’ by Unwins, an exclusive variety that will not only add beauty to gardens but support Greenfingers even further.

The blooming endeavour is in partnership with Unwins, part of Westland Horticulture, and will see the sweet pea seeds sold across the UK’s largest family-run group’s 62 centres, with each purchase of the Butterfly Blue seeds collection seeing 25p contributing to the worthy cause. Greenfingers is dedicated to bringing joy and solace to children and their families during challenging times. The funds raised will go towards creating magical gardens in children's hospices, providing a tranquil and therapeutic environment for those facing difficult circumstances.

The exclusive sweet pea has a distinctive butterfly-like shape and is both beautiful and fragrant and will not only create a rich purple-blue display in the garden but be the ideal addition to cut flower arrangements this summer. Sowing a packet of seeds and gardening can help improve both physical and mental health and ‘Butterfly Blue’ aims to help raise awareness and vital funds for such a good cause.

‘Butterfly Blue’ is just one of many fundraising initiatives that British Garden Centres has undertaken for Greenfingers since 2020.   The signature Hydrangea ‘Red Butterfly’ was officially unveiled at the 2022 RHS Chelsea Flower Show to celebrate the company's rebrand and supporting Greenfingers with £10 from each plant sold at the show will be donated to the charity.

From supporting the annual Garden Re-Leaf Day with cake sales, and raffles, or taking part in the sponsored 20-mile walk or cycle to more fearless challenges like Phillippa Stubbs taking part in a daring wing walk, Greenfingers is a charity that holds a special place with the British Garden Centres family. 

Amy Stubbs, Project and Development Manager said: “I hope our customers and gardeners across the country will buy packets of Sweet Pea ‘Butterfly Blue’ and help us raise precious funds for Greenfingers Charity.  As sweet pea seeds can be sown up until April and again from September to November, we hope visitors to our centres will embrace this beautiful flower and initiative to maximise income for Greenfingers' vital work.  We are delighted to have raised nearly £60,000 so far. This accomplishment reflects our commitment to giving back to Greenfingers and creating a positive impact on the lives of children who live in UK’s hospices through magical garden spaces.” 

Linda Petrons, Director of Fundraising and Communications at Greenfingers Charity commented: We are so incredibly grateful for all the wonderful support from British Garden Centres. It is a special partnership that spans all the UK stores and nearly £60,000 has now been raised for Greenfingers over three years is a testament to the dedication of everyone involved with the group. We look forward to seeing ‘Butterfly Blue’ Sweet Peas in households across the country and can’t wait to see what 2024 brings for Greenfingers and British Garden Centres.”

Malcolm Catlin, Technical and NPD Project Support - Seeds, at Unwins, added: “At Unwins, we have a history with sweet pea seeds that goes back more than a century. Sweet peas are a beautiful addition to any garden – they burst with colour and provide a wonderful scent.  The brand-new Butterfly Blue sweet peas will have a lovely blue and purple colour that will brighten up borders and are also perfect for cutting to enjoy around the home. We cannot wait to see gardeners enjoying them and help British Garden Centres continue to raise funds for Greenfingers.”

The Horticultural Trades Association organised another of its borders and trade workshop. The session, hosted by Provender Nurseries, aimed to equip members with the necessary knowledge and skills to trade internationally. It's another example of how the horticulture industry is always adapting to maintain robust and secure supply chains.

This workshop took place ten weeks before the UK government's planned switch-off of the Place of Destination (PoD) system on 30th April, when Border Control Points (BCPs) are set to become operational. The HTA is urging the government to keep PoDs successfully and securely delivering for the plant trade until BCPs and alternative border routes are fully operational, viable, affordable, and tested.

The HTA is calling on the government to listen and take action to safeguard the thousands of growers, retailers, suppliers, landscapers, and millions of gardeners whom this change will impact.

Sally Cullimore, HTA Technical Policy Manager, who led today’s workshop, commented: “We thank Provender Nurseries for hosting the sector today, a best practice example of an environmental horticulture business sharing their efforts on managing imports and some of the challenges. We need the UK government to take industry concerns as seriously as we do. The April date is just ten weeks away, and despite repeated meetings, calls and requests, we are none the wiser about how much it will cost and how BCPs will manage complex, high-risk plant loads safely and securely.

“The environmental horticulture sector has already spent at least £30 million to adapt; this new change will be more costly with no material gain. That is why we need urgent action to deliver on the HTA’s ask for at-site checks to continue as our priority. In addition, we have three clear asks: Firstly, we urgently need to see the outcome of the Common User Charge consultation to be at both a low-cost level and charged per phytosanitary consignment. Secondly, we need clear communication on the outstanding details of Border Control Points (BCPs) and how they will handle high-risk plants and plant products. Thirdly, we need to know the capacity and capability of BCPs to deal with the plant trade, and that is all before we even tackle accessibility to Authorised Operator Status and address hurdles to becoming a Control Point.”  

Richard McKenna, Managing Director of Provender Nurseries, stated: “The seamless, smooth and secure movement of plants is the top priority for our business and customers. We are experts in this and resilient, but the unknowns on the border changes mean we cannot make the urgent and informed investment decisions needed to have any confidence beyond 29 April.”

Greenfingers has announced Neil Sewell’s appointment as its new Operations Director, responsible for delivering the charity’s new garden projects and expanding the Garden Re-Fresh programme.

As well as working alongside the charity’s Director of Fundraising & Communications, Neil will work closely with the Treasurer and Finance Administrator to oversee the charity’s financial health.   

As Neil takes up his new role, the Greenfingers Charity says farewell to Sally Jenkins, Director of Finance & Resource. As Sally looks forward to her retirement, her role will be incorporated into that of the Operation Director.

Regarding Sally’s departure and Neil’s appointment, Sue Allen, Greenfingers Chairman, said: “Our thanks must first go to Sally. As her time at Greenfingers draws to a close, we would like to offer her our sincere thanks for her work and dedication during her tenure. She has been a valuable part of the team and will be much missed by us all.

“And the warmest of welcomes to Neil who, having been involved with the charity since 2016, truly understands our values as an organisation. Undoubtedly, his experience and knowledge will be an asset to our future development, helping to nurture our relationships with hospices, garden designers and landscape contractors.”

Find out more

To stay up-to-date with all the latest news from the Greenfingers Charity, why not join the conversation on social media - @Greenfingerscharity on Instagram and LinkedIn, https://www.facebook.com/Greenfingerscharity/ and @GreenfingersCha on Twitter.

The Horticultural Trades Association began its celebration to mark 125 years of dedicated support for UK Environmental Horticulture. Fran Barnes, the Chief Executive of the HTA, addressed attendees at the Garden Press Event, highlighting the association's pivotal role in advocating for industry interests, fostering growth, and stressing the significant economic contribution of the sector.

Reflecting on the HTA's evolution, Fran Barnes remarked: "The HTA has evolved alongside profound social and industry transformations. Initially established during an era when rail transport spurred concerns of plant damage and import challenges, we continue to address analogous issues in the post-Brexit landscape, from border controls to import regulations. Our legacy of resilience was evident during World War I when our lobbying efforts secured essential status for horticultural workers. More recently, our successful campaign to reopen garden centres amid the COVID-19 pandemic underscores the enduring efficacy of our advocacy.

"However, much has changed since our inception, from advancements in communication technology to the adoption of robotics in cultivation, our commitment to environmental stewardship remains unwavering. As we marvel at the innovations showcased at the Garden Press Event, I am reminded of our founders' enduring legacy, which has nurtured a thriving industry dedicated to enhancing Britain's green landscape.

"Environmental horticulture encompasses economic vitality, environmental sustainability, and public health and wellbeing. The sector's substantial contributions speak volumes, with £28 billion added to the British economy, supporting 674 thousand jobs and generating £6 billion in tax revenues. Looking ahead, with adequate support, our industry's GDP footprint could exceed £41 billion by 2030. There are very few – if any sectors – which can match the economic numbers with the environmental benefits and the social value of environmental horticulture.”

“We have a great story to tell. But we also have challenges – and we need to be clear to everyone - public and politicians alike - that gardens, and the plants and trees around us, don’t just appear by magic. They are developed, grown and planted by experts. And these experts in this industry do require government backing.

“Government support is indispensable, whether in navigating trade complexities or promoting sustainable practices such as peat-free growing media. Our manifesto and letter to the Chancellor of the Exchequer outline clear priorities, including alleviating financial burdens on SMEs, combating retail crime, and accessing apprenticeship levy funds to fortify our workforce. We hope to see these acknowledged in a couple of weeks.”

The Garden Press Event, jointly organised by the HTA and GIMA, provides an opportunity for the garden industry to introduce new and familiar products, meet with journalists, broadcasters, freelance writers, bloggers, and vloggers, and network with key influencers.

Sparsholt College, Hampshire, has teamed up with the Colegrave Seabrook Foundation to create Sparsholt’s 2024 RHS Chelsea Flower Show Garden entitled ‘Plants, Routes & Branches’.

The garden has been designed by Sparsholt’s multiple medal winning team including Chris Bird and Lucy Lewis in celebration of Sparsholt College’s upcoming 125^th Anniversary of Horticultural training in Hampshire. The exhibit will explore the history of plant introductions from Hampshire whilst celebrating the impact of influential horticulturists and the role the college has played in horticultural education.

Lucy Lewis, Horticulture Lecturer at Sparsholt College, said: “Plants, Routes and Branches is about what exciting careers paths there are for people who choose a life in Horticulture.  

Our aim for the garden is to inspire young people or career changers to look at a career in Horticulture and all the potential interesting places they could go. The theme fits so well with the work of the Colegrave Seabrook Foundation do with students, they just seemed the most natural partners for us in the project.”

Most importantly, the garden will look to the future generations of horticulturists, exploring the numerous and exciting career routes they may follow. This includes continual developments of new plants with the aim to signpost potential career routes and opportunities provided by the Horticultural industry for both new learners and those looking to branch out their careers.

The design consists of four areas all essential in supporting students of horticulture to become dedicated industry professionals:

• The Plant Breeding / Laboratory Area including a Choisya timeline. 
• A Nursery/ Growing Area, home to, nursery beds, informational boards and five RHS Chelsea Plant of the Year 2024 entries including:
• Chaenomeles ‘Lemon Sorbet’
• Mahonia ‘Meteor’
• Philadelphus Petite Perfume ‘White Pearls’
• The Classroom Area, set up with desks and bookcases
• A Workshop/Breakroom Area complete with seating, lockers filled with overalls and muddy boots. 

All four areas surround a central ‘Demo Shed’ with a corrugated panel roof made of recycled plastic, one of many sustainable features.

Students and staff from Sparsholt College were joined by members of the Colegrave Seabrook Foundation team to celebrate the launch of the garden with a morning unveiling the design. They were joined by Sparsholt College Alumni and Industry Professionals and the media. Visitors gathered at the college’s Hampshire Rural Business Centre to meet the enthusiastic student team, sharing their experiences, give support and to wish them the best of luck for the project. 

The Sparsholt Chelsea Garden Team of 2024. Students with Lucy Lewis, Chris Bird and Nicci and Neil Gow from the Colegrave Seabrook Foundation.

Quin Walling, Horticulture student said:  “The launch has been an interesting networking event; we’ve got to meet lots of plant breeders and past students and it’s been really enjoyable to meet possible future employers. I can’t wait to see how the garden all comes together and the finished project at the end of it.”

The college’s team are encouraging those with a link to horticulture at Sparsholt college to share their stories, experience and images with them for the project. Please send them to Hortstories@sparsholt.ac.uk

This week has seen a big push of member support and engagement by the Horticultural Trades Association (HTA), with another successful technical workshop to support growers on the journey to peat-free, hosted at Melcourt and a meeting of the Growing Media Association (GMA). 

The HTA has built on its wide-ranging work of 2023 and continues the Growing Media: Life Beyond Peat campaign, which has encompassed its programme of activities focused on raising the importance and understanding of the value of growing media, a need for a sustainable transition to peat-free and ensuring support for the growth of UK environmental horticulture.

The new boost to this work is its outreach to members – from growers to manufacturers – directly, through workshops and at the GMA meeting, to send in details of what support they need. In particular, this call is seeking the details of machinery and equipment, with the opportunity open to see what Defra-led funds, such as the Farming Equipment & Technology Fund, could be accessed to support the transition. The HTA is also seeking other new support needs – whether fiscal or regulatory barriers – in anticipation of a Government Spending Review in 2025. 

James Barnes, HTA Chairman, commented:

“The environmental horticulture sector has made huge strides on its journey to peat-free and sustains its ambition to manufacture, grow in and retail consistent, high-quality and affordable alternative growing media. 

“Much time and resources have been spent grappling with understanding shifting ban dates and uncertainty over legislation. Our ask for clarity from the government, clear communications, and achievable dates to support our sector to thrive remains. However, given the electoral cycle and the criticality of this transition to HTA member businesses, our priority today is working with the industry and government to secure greater support for this journey.  

“We must celebrate our record lows of peat-use in bagged growing media and professional mixes, something that has been achieved through a huge commitment and dedication.”

Boyd Douglas-Davies, interim Chair of the GMA, commented:

“This week’s call to GMA and wider HTA members to help get that detail of the support needed to allow the investment, particularly on equipment and machinery, to support them becoming peat-free is a really important opportunity. From my experience in garden retail and the wider industry, I know the hurdles and challenges businesses face and how these can change from season to year, store to store, and customer to customer. The sector must work together and set out clearly to the Government what those needs are.” 

Wayne Brough, Technical Horticulture Manager at the HTA, said:

“This week’s HTA Nursery Network event, hosted at Melcourt, focused on ‘Building momentum towards peat-free production’. UK businesses are at various stages in their transition towards peat-free plant production, so it’s important that experiences and knowledge are shared to permit the entire ornamentals industry to develop and meet the challenge, alongside the various growing media manufacturers. The agenda included insights from Catherine Dawson of Melcourt Industries and Raghavendra Prasad, who is leading the RHS peat-free fellowship and shared an update on nursery consortium progress. At each workshop and technical event, we are building on knowledge sharing, awareness and practical advice for member businesses.” 

Members can submit their support needs and equipment or machinery details to wayne.brough@hta.org.uk or policy@hta.org.uk. The HTA is looking to expand the asks set out in Annex 4 of the Growing Media Task Force (GMTF) submission to the government’s 2022 consultation.

Previous technical workshop information can be found here:

​​​​https://hta.org.uk/news/hta-and-rhs-collaborate-to-support-growers-transition-to-peat-free

https://hta.org.uk/news/hta-event-shares-peat-free-best-practice-with-growers

Member updates and technical information is available on the member area of the HTA website here:

​​​​​​​https://hta.org.uk/develop-your-business/grower-support-campaign/get-involved/grower-technical-workshops

https://hta.org.uk/peat

Squire’s Garden Centres has marked the significant contribution of three of its nursery stock suppliers, with awards presented at its annual Plant Show, which took place at Squire’s West Horsley recently. 

Squire’s suppliers presented with awards in three categories were: 

Best Hardy Plant Supplier Award – Bransford Webbs (Bransford, Worcester)

Best Imported Plant Partner Award – Evergreen Exteriors (Banstead, Surrey)

Best Bedding Plant Supplier Award – Silverlands Nursery (Chertsey, Surrey)

The annual one-day event sees a host of Squire’s suppliers invited to attend and showcase a huge range  of fabulous plants, including hardy, bedding and houseplants the vast majority of which (at least 85%) are sourced from UK nurseries, including Squire’s own. The show provides a perfect platform for suppliers to talk to Squire’s Plant Managers and colleagues from their 16 centres ahead of the new season. The day was an opportunity for colleagues listen to information direct from growers and nurseries, providing insight and inspiration ahead of fresh spring season plant stock arriving in centres. 

Sarah Squire, Chairman of Squire’s Garden Centres, comments: “Our Plant Show is a fantastic opportunity to celebrate the work of our amazing partner growers and nurseries and their expertise, which is demonstrated in the first class plants they supply to our centres. 

“My father and I were delighted to present awards to three of our suppliers in recognition of their significant contribution to our business.  I would like to extend my sincere thanks to all our suppliers for their continued dedication as well as helping make our Plant Show event such a success and a perfect  celebration of horticulture and our industry.”

Green recreation area, outdoor living room, open-air office and outdoor kitchen - today in its capacity as living space the garden is a place of diversity. The garden, balcony and terrace top the popularity rankings of urban living worldwide. And here retro design is totally trendy. The biggest garden and BBQ trade fair in the world, spoga+gafa, will do justice to this diversity in Cologne from 16 to 18 June 2024. 

Namely international exhibitors will be presenting their new products in the Cologne exhibition halls again, among others from the theme worlds garden living and garden unique. A look ahead to the current trends for furnishing balconies, terraces and other outdoor areas. 

Outdoor is in: Diversity in the open air 
Whether relaxing on the sofa, while cooking and dining with friends or doing office work - activities that were mainly carried out inside in the past, are more and more frequently taking place outdoors. Hence, outdoor design is correspondingly versatile nowadays: Weatherproof, fast-drying and extendable upholstery creates a living room flair outdoors. Dining series can be combined together on the terrace for larger gatherings. Outdoor kitchens offer everything needed for open-air cooking and baking. Equipped with weatherproof business furniture, even outdoor home offices or co-working have in the meantime become the norm. 

Design for life: Furniture that grows  
The garden should be suitable for people in all phases of life – from the apprenticeship, working life through to retirement, for singles, couples and families. To this end there is plenty of growing garden furniture for both small and big outdoor areas. Modular and individually combinable elements can be adapted to suit changes. This makes furniture flexible, durable and thus also more sustainable. From the compact balcony set, to the spacious corner sofa, outdoor lounges are for instance extendable today thanks to simple connecting elements.  

The charm of yesterday: Retro design is a current trend 
Regarding new furniture for the garden not only the living environments are merging, the borders between modernity and nostalgia are also becoming more blurred. Traditional shapes are lent a contemporary touch and are modernised in a playful manner. New-style classics like the deckchair or a director's chair are celebrating a comeback. Spaghetti-style terrace chairs or sunshades made of wood and linen are reminiscent of past garden eras. Details like decorations with fringes, hinges made of brushed zinc or copper and upholstery covered with leather radiate nostalgic charm. 

Well-rounded: Soft shapes for hard times 
Many of the new products of the garden furniture industry are characterised by lavish upholstery, soft materials and organic design. The names of current models like "Paradiso" or "Peace" underpin this harmonious design trend. Soft beige and green shades as well as earthy brown create matching colour worlds. Weatherproof rope, textile fabric or extra-high backrests make relaxing in the garden more pleasant. Soft, rounded shapes are even adding new momentum to the outdoor corner sofa. There are a range of different alternatives for one and the same item of furniture. Tabletops, frames or seats are offered in different executions, so everyone can design his own green, feel-good space. 

Koelnmesse – Global Inspiration for Living, Contract and Public Spaces
Koelnmesse is the world’s top trade fair organiser for the areas of Living, Contract and Public Spaces.
At the trade fair hub of Cologne, in addition to imm cologne and interzum, other trade fair formats such as LivingKitchen, ORGATEC, spoga+gafa, FSB and aquanale are among the internationally renowned and established industry meeting places. These fairs comprehensively represent the interior and design segment, the furniture and interior construction industries' supplying sections, the kitchen world, all topics for the modern working world, garden lifestyle as well as public space, sports and leisure facilities and also sauna, pool and ambiente.

In addition to the events in Cologne, Koelnmesse is strategically expanding its portfolio in key growth markets around the globe like with the successful shows ORGATEC TOKYO in Japan, interzum bogota in Colombia and interzum guangzhou in China and interzum forum italy.
Further information: https://www.spogagafa.com/trade-fair/spoga-gafa-2024/industry-trade-fairs/

The next events:
ORGATEC TOKYO - SHIFT DESIGN - The leading international trade fair in Asia for the modern workspaces, Tokyo 29.05. - 31.05.2024
spoga+gafa - The world’s biggest garden and BBQ trade fair, Cologne 16.06. - 18.06.2024
ORGATEC - New visions of work, Cologne 22.10. - 25.10.2024

Dalefoot Composts is upping the environmental stakes by measuring how well the ingredients in its peat-free composts store carbon, as well as identifying the most eco-friendly way to restore a damaged peat bog.

The Lake District company is using 21st century science to work out the environmental benefits of the traditional ingredients in its ‘old recipe’ gardening products. Teaming up with the University of Cumbria, it is investigating how much carbon is being stored by comfrey, a key ingredient in its peat-free compost range. 

Researchers are using ground penetrating radar to carry out the work on the comfrey crop,  which is grown at Dalefoot Farm and then mixed with bracken and sheep’s wool to create the company’s unique composts. With its extensive root system, comfrey is renowned as a dynamic accumulator plant, tapping into beneficial nutrients deep underground. Knowing how much carbon it stores will enable Dalefoot Composts to share the carbon saving this carbon capture crop can yield.

In a UK-first, Dalefoot Composts’ sister company, Barker and Bland Ltd – a leading peatland restoration contractor - is also working with the University of Cumbria to pinpoint the best methods to restore peat bogs. UK peatlands are our largest terrestrial store of carbon, and when healthy, store up to 20 times more carbon than trees. However, many have been devasted by peat harvesting, including for horticulture, and now release carbon into the atmosphere rather than storing it. 

The Government has been investing millions in repairing these precious landscapes, to halt the emission of carbon through erosion – but little thought has been put into how eco-friendly each restoration technique is or how it contributes to achieving a functioning, sequestering peatland. 

Professor Jane Barker, MD of Barker & Bland and Dalefoot Composts, said: “People are now beginning to question where their gardening materials, plants and composts come from, which is great news, and with the imminent Government ban, peat-free compost is finally becoming the norm. At Dalefoot, we have always pioneered climate-friendly horticulture by making peat-free composts, whilst at the same time, restoring peatlands – a 360 degree approach to eco-conscious gardening.

“But we’ve noticed that on some restoration projects, led by other organisations, imported materials such as coir, lime and fertiliser are being used, and helicopters are then used to fly thousands of tons of these ‘alien’ materials to these remote sites as convention. We are confident our methods of using specialist equipment lighter than a human footprint and a ‘whole bog’ approach to restoration are much more environmentally effective. With this new research, we will be able to scientifically-prove the carbon footprint of our projects, something that has never been done in the UK before.”

The peatland research project is being led by Dr Simon Carr of the University of Cumbria and Professor Barker with funding from Innovate UK, the country’s national innovation agency. In another exciting project, research will also be undertaken into using wool in peatland restoration.

Dalefoot Composts is renowned for its premium composts made from sheep’s wool, bracken and comfrey. A carbon capture crop, comfrey is grown on a commercial scale at Dalefoot Farm in the Lake District and harvested up to four times a year. The company sources bracken from Wales, as well as locally in Cumbria – helping a diversity of farming communities and local landscapes.

This unique mix of fully-traceable, natural, fertilising ingredients provides slow-release nutrition for plants, so no need to feed, whilst also reducing the need to water. Dalefoot’s entire range, which includes composts for potting, bulbs, seeds, vegetables, tomatoes, clay-busting and a double strength, is Soil Association-approved for organic growing. Its Wool Compost for Potting benefits from endorsement by the world-renowned Eden Project.

Urban Gardens, a spectacular edible headline show garden by Adam Frost, orchids from all over the world, and new stages and workshops are just some of the exciting new highlights at this year’s BBC Gardeners’ World Live, returning to the NEC Birmingham from 13-16 June. It’s the perfect summer day out for green fingered folks and first-time gardeners alike, with inspiring show gardens and floral displays to enjoy, achievable ideas to try at home, plants a-plenty to browse and buy, well-known gardening faces sharing expert advice, and hands-on workshops to dive into.

BBC Gardeners’ World presenter Adam Frost’s headline Show Garden, The Chef’s Table, is sure to draw a crowd at this year’s BBC Gardeners’ World Live. The large, walk-through garden will be a vibrant celebration of home-grown produce, featuring a rustic outdoor cooking and eating space set amongst an array of tasty plants. Adam will be hosting a daily programme of ‘plot-to-plate’ themed conversations and delicious demos on his garden with chefs and culinary friends from sister event, BBC Good Food Show Summer, including James Martin, Michel Roux, and BBC Good Food’s Cassie Best.

New for 2024 and designed to inspire town and city types, the Urban Gardens space, sponsored by Blue Diamond Garden Centre group, is packed with ideas, plants and products for creative containers, brilliant balconies and wonderful window boxes. On the Urban Gardens Stage, Ade Sellars (AKA The Good Life Gardener) will be hosting daily sessions by a line-up of expert urban gardeners, and there will be a Showcase Garden showdown between the UK’s top young landscaping teams, fresh from their success at WorldSkills UK, the national youth skills event. Two talented teams will compete to create the perfect city garden, mentored by award-winning garden designer, Cherry Carmen. Blue Diamond will present their own feature garden, showcasing ten essential plants for urban gardens, with all plants featured – and more - available to buy in the dedicated Urban Gardens retail area.     

Orchid lovers will be thrilled to hear that BBC Gardeners’ World Live will be the new home for the British Orchid Council’s annual International Orchid Show. This exciting ‘show within a show’ will be a major highlight of the breathtaking Floral Marquee and will feature displays by more than 25 - 30 specialist orchid growers, offering breathtaking displays and expert advice for orchid lovers!

Clive Lloyd and Nicky Wakley from the International Orchid Show said: “We can’t wait to be in our new home at BBC Gardeners’ World Live, sharing the secrets of these exquisite plants with a huge new audience.”    

The BBC Gardeners’ World Live Floral Marquee is always a treat for the senses with its heady scents, colourful displays by specialist plant growers and nurseries, plants to buy, and feature highlights. In this year’s expanded Hot Off The Potting Bench walk-through gallery, visitors will be able to view brand new plants and varieties close-up as they vie for this year’s Peter Seabrook Award for Best New Plant at BBC Gardeners’ World Live. Horticulturalists, Lucy Chamberlain and Saul Walker will be hosting Plant Expert Workshops as well as offering one-to-one help at the popular Plant Expert advice desk and hosting garden tours and walks. Take a seat at the Floral Marquee’s Let’s Talk Plants stage to get floral advice from BBC Gardeners’ World presenters, stage sponsor Hillier’s plant specialists and special guests.  Floral Marquee sponsor, Legal & General, will again host a lounge for their retirement customers.

Also new for 2024 is the Get Growing Stage, an exciting, informal, drop-in space that’s dedicated to the joy of home growing. Garden Organic’s Chris Collins will host a daily programme of top tips and growing advice, joined by a line-up of well-known ‘Grow Your Own’ gurus, including Jason Williams (Cloud Gardener UK), Hannah Reid, Adam Kirkland and Lydia Lakemoore. Chefs from The Pig and Lime Wood hotel will be hosting alfresco cooking demonstrations on-stage, next to The Pig Allotment Garden which marks the opening of the new The Pig on the Farm near Stratford-Upon-Avon in June.

Whether your garden is postage stamp or park sized, there’s abundant inspiration at BBC Gardeners’ World Live. Stroll along the avenues and take in the impressive Show Gardens by award-winning designers and teams, including Derby College with Derbyshire Historic Building Trust, Adam Marshall (AKA @greenfingeredcityboy) and Kate Mason for an NHS establishment in Lancashire & Pippa Probert will be presenting ‘The Viewers Garden’.

Pick up interesting ideas for smaller gardens from the mid-size Showcase and Feature Gardens from designers including; A Plot Amongst the Chickens by Benjamin Shutler; Share My Space-With Nature by Carleen Osbourne; The Pig’s Allotment Garden by The Pig (Homegrown Hotels); Nature’s Embrace by Becky Sibley (Wild Thyme Designs Limited); Flora & Flavour by Hannah Reid; Take Me Home by Consuelo Franco (Franco Brain); Stop and smell the flowers by Julie Haylock (Sandhurst Garden Design). Plus border ideas from the ever-popular Beautiful Borders whose 2024 theme is ‘Share My Space’.

In the Association of Professional Landscapers’ APL Avenue Show Garden Competition, four member companies will be showcasing their skills, creating back garden designs inspired by the theme, ‘The Good Life’.  The entries this year include Anna Helps Garden Design with Costa Cadiz, Fenton Gardens with Lunatica, Dan Hartley Garden Design with Eco Oasis and Katerina Kantalis with The Mediterraneo Garden. 

You’re never far away from a familiar face at BBC Gardeners’ World Live and visitors can enjoy some entertaining gardening chat at the BBC Gardeners’ World Live Theatre. Presenters Monty Don, Adam Frost, Frances Tophill, Carol Klein and Joe Swift will be ‘in conversation’ with Nicki Chapman and swapping summer garden tips with the BBC Gardeners’ World Magazine editors. Theatre sponsor, British Garden Centres, will be hosting daily sessions with guests, Michael Perry.

Keen indoor gardeners can head straight for the new layout House Plant Hub designed by Hayley of Mint Plants with its tempting House Plant Market and Stage where host, Ellen Mary, and expert special guests will be sharing their secrets for happy, healthy house plants.

Shopping opportunities are a major attraction at BBC Gardeners’ World Live with a vast range of plants for sale in the Floral Marquee, Plant Village, House Plant Market and new Urban Gardens zone. 100s of high-quality retailers will be on site, selling garden accessories, décor, tools, equipment and furniture, both inside and outside the show halls, with plenty of show offers and bargains to be had. There’s a Plant Crèche for hands-free, hassle-free shopping and a car collection service available for heavier items.

The popular Health for Life Wheelbarrow Competition returns this year, nurturing the next generation of gardeners and growers. Children from local schools and nurseries will be creating wheelbarrow planters with a ‘food and climate change’ theme, sharing their designs with tens of thousands of visitors. There’s plenty to keep young visitors entertained at the show too, like admiring carnivorous plants and bonsai in the Floral Marquee, joining The Conservation Volunteers for a drop-in seed sowing session, or enjoying fish and chips or an ice cream. Children aged five and under go free every day (ticket required) and under 16s go free at the weekend.

Tickets for BBC Gardeners’ World Live include entry to the BBC Good Food Show Summer, featuring demonstrations, theatres, stages and talks, book signing, tastings and workshops, street food, and delicious food and drink to taste and buy. The show’s foodie stars include Nadiya Hussain, James Martin, Michel Roux, The Hairy Bikers, Becky Excell and many more. Visitors can dine in style by booking a sit-down meal at the BBC Good Food Restaurant, inspired by the country’s leading food website, bbcgoodfood.com.

Rachel Poletti-Gadd, Portfolio Director - Gardening Division at Immediate Live, organisers of BBC Gardeners’ World Events, said: “From Adam Frost’s headline Show Garden and Urban Gardens space to the Get Growing Stage, Plant Expert Workshops and more, we can’t wait to share this year’s exciting new highlights with visitors, along with the show’s much-loved favourite features. We’re also thrilled to be welcoming the annual International Orchid Show which will be a wonderful addition to our Floral Marquee. If you love gardens and plants, gardening and growing, or just enjoy a great day out with excellent food, drink and entertainment, there really is no better place to be this summer. Inspiration and new ideas to try at home, expert advice, famous faces, delicious food and unique shopping opportunities – BBC Gardeners’ World Live and BBC Good Food Summer have it all!”

Tickets for BBC Gardeners’ World Live at the NEC Birmingham (13-16 June), including entry to BBC Good Food Show Summer, are on sale now at www.bbcgardenersworldlive.com

The Garden Press Event welcomed over 300 members of the garden press and media for a day-long exhibition showcasing the entire supply chain of the environmental horticulture industry. 

Organised by the Horticultural Trades Association (HTA) and Garden Industry Manufacturers Association (GIMA), the event featured almost 100 exhibitors at the Business Design Centre in London.

Rounding off the day was the announcement of two prestigious awards: the Bob Maker Memorial Award for Best Stand Display and the Best New Product Award. Throughout the day, the visiting press voted on both awards, with entrants also donating to the Greenfingers Charity to be considered for recognition.

Blue Diamond’s British-grown houseplants won the ‘Best Stand Display’ prize.

Jill Kerr and Nick Jones from Blue Diamond expressed their delight:

“We are absolutely delighted to be presented with the Best Stand Award at the Garden Press Event for British grown and peat free houseplants and our eco range of coffee pods. We’ve had a fabulous day meeting so many members of the press and all types of different communications at the show today.”

The Dipping Tank Company emerged victorious in the 'Best New Product' category.

Their innovative product offers a new way to store harvested rainwater with beautifully designed garden Dipping Tanks, which are not only eco-friendly but also add an exciting new feature to gardens.

Andrew Cousins from the Dipping Tank Company shared his excitement: “I’m really pleased to get this award, a bit overwhelmed really – this has gone from an idea I had a few years ago, tinkering away in my spare time, and people telling me I should push it, and here we are, winning an award for it! Thank you very much to everyone that voted.”

GERMIE seed starting kits were highly commended for their ultra-compact and reusable kits, which offer an easy and efficient way to begin your seedlings.

Eric Baudouin from GERMIE commented: “I’m so grateful to win this award, with so many other people, and from 70 new products, and we’re a winner! I’m speechless, really.”

Following the poor weather over the summer last year, and the UK Met Office declaring that December 2023 was warmer and wetter than average, consumer’s lawns are crying out for attention.  While a mild winter might sound appealing to some, our ever more unpredictable weather patterns are bad news for the UK’s lawns with compacted, waterlogged grass and moss taking hold. Johnsons Lawn Seed is urging retailers to take advantage of its highly regarded portfolio to help pent-up consumers who want to give their gardens some TLC for 2024.

With prolonged rainfall and flooding increasing, garden centres should start preparing for the growing demand for quality seed for the spring lawncare cycle and meet surging customer demand.  

Consumer Manager at Johnsons Lawn Seed, Guy Jenkins said: “With homeowners getting their lawns back into peak condition becoming a top priority, Johnsons Lawn Seed products will provide retailers with top-tier seed mixtures designed to enhance grass health, prevent moss growth, and promote lush, vibrant lawns.”

Retail potential with Johnson's Lawn Seed Products

Backed by extensive research and a commitment to sustainability, Johnson's Lawn Seed products boast superior germination rates. From hardy blends for robust lawns to specialised mixes designed for specific garden conditions, each product reflects Johnson's dedication to quality and innovation. 

Quick Lawn with Accelerator-treated seed

Experience rapid germination and fast establishment with this seed. It requires only a third of the typical water amount for new lawns, ensuring quick and efficient lawn growth.

Tuffgrass with Dog Patch Resistance

A unique blend of fine-leaved dwarf perennial ryegrass doesn't turn yellow when dogs urinate, making it a sought-after choice for families, garden enthusiasts, and pet owners. Not only does it resist dog-related damage, but it also stands up to family activities, excelling in low temperatures and snow while displaying improved drought resistance.

Luxury Lawn with SeedBooster

A classic mix designed for close mowing, offering a lush, high-class appearance with exceptional drought resistance.

After Moss

Coated in a special calcium carbonate-based shell, this seed gently raises soil pH levels, deterring moss return after application.

Lawn Thickener Lawn Seed with SeedBooster

Transform tired lawns, fix patches, and sow new lawns with the latest seed technology. Consumers can benefit from a 30% increase in grass density.

Shady Place

Ideal for semi and relatively shaded areas, this seed thrives in both damp and dry shade, ensuring a vibrant lawn in challenging environments.

The Johnsons Promise

Lawn seed is a fundamental, essential product for any garden retailer. Year after year, households depend on it to establish, enhance, and restore the lawns that play a pivotal role in maximising the enjoyment of their gardens. Johnsons is unwavering in its commitment to delivering superior quality with its lawn seed products. By prioritising this in every aspect of production, Johnsons remains dedicated to providing lawn enthusiasts with the finest seeds, ensuring lush and vibrant lawns that meet and exceed expectations.  Retailers can expect:

Premium Quality

Our lawn seed formulas are meticulously selected for their superior quality, ensuring a vibrant and healthy lawn for customers.

Tried and tested varieties

From drought-resistant blends to shade-tolerant options, our diverse range of lawn seed varieties caters to different soil types and climates, providing solutions for every customer.

Expert Advice

The Johnsons team is committed to supporting retailers with expert guidance on product selection, merchandising strategies, and customer engagement on the benefits of real lawns over artificial grass,

Attractive and Informative Packaging

Eye-catching packaging and informative labelling make Johnsons’ products stand out on store shelves, enticing customers to make informed purchasing decisions. Seed packaging now includes colour-coded varieties, simplified instructions available through a QR code, and a convenient lawn sowing calendar for quick customer reference.

Unrivalled customer service

Johnsons Lawn Seed has established an exceptional reputation in the market by offering an unparalleled range of high-quality products and outstanding customer service. We understand that aftercare advice and a fully stocked warehouse are essential for retailers to achieve sales success, and we make sure to offer both.

Blue Diamond is committed to developing best practice in environmental sustainability as well as responding to growing, eco-conscious customer demand.

The company is therefore proud to be launching a new range of British houseplants which are grown in a variety of tried and tested peat-free medium. Over the next year, this range will expand to over 200,000 British houseplants on sale throughout its 44 garden centres, representing a significant shift away from the current, predominantly Dutch-based supply.  

Blue Diamond is leading the way on this initiative through its collaboration with The Horti House, a collective of growers committed to peat-free cultivation. Its founding partners are Double H nurseries and Bury Lane, two family businesses with a rich heritage of growing and sourcing plants. Double H has made the transition to peat free across all its production, specialising in British Orchids, green plants and indoor flowering plants.  Bury Lane meanwhile brings its range of foliage plants such as ficus, calathea and monstera varieties. Rather than competing against each other for a share of the UK retail market, these nurseries are working in harmony, and with other growers, through the Horti House platform to complement each other’s strengths and produce a larger range with more depth. Blue Diamond has been keen to support this innovative approach, showcasing the best of British growers and their environmental credentials. 

The move towards peat-free helps to conserve rare peatlands and their unique biodiversity, as well as combatting climate change. The new houseplant range selected by Blue Diamond has been grown in a variety of peat-free compost, including recycled coir as well as more novel waste materials. The Bury Lane plants for example have been grown in a special recycled medium created from green waste from cut flowers (such as lily and peony) and soft fruit production. The material is shredded and then steamed to create a perfect growing media with good water retention and ideal texture​. New point of sale and care instructions have been developed to help tell the peat-free story and facilitate a greater understanding of its importance.

Nick Jones, Head of Product Direction says, ‘We are delighted to be supporting this initiative to help meet our responsibility as a retailer in eradicating the use of peat. The recycled growing media has produced fantastic plants which we are excited to now stock in our centres. We will be keen to continue to work with our UK growers to ultimately develop peat free propagation material and provide a 100% peat-free range’.

Blue Diamond is committed to embracing sustainable best practice. The move towards British-grown plants significantly reduces transportation and its corresponding carbon footprint. Furthermore, the new range of houseplants demonstrates the potential for green technology using the latest developments in biomass heating, solar energy and recycled roof rainwater as part of the growing process.  

The new British grown houseplant range will be rolled out across the Blue Diamond Garden Centres in February 2024. Plants includes favourites such as phalaenopsis orchids, calathea, dracaena and monstera in addition to seasonal products, in 12 and 17cm pots. 

Blue Diamond repurposing the morning brew!

 The Blue Diamond Group of Garden Centres is launching, a new and exclusive range of stylish and contemporary, plant pot covers. The range, called ECOMADE, are British designed and made in a purpose-built facility in Glastonbury, Somerset, using 30% UK sourced coffee grounds and 55% recycled and recyclable plastic.

In the UK, we drink approximately 98 million cups of coffee per day, which means that half a million tonnes of ground coffee waste go to landfill. When breaking down in landfill this releases harmful methane gases, creating a greenhouse effect 28 times higher than carbon dioxide. The aim is to reduce this waste destined for landfill and in with the initial order of the pot covers, Blue Diamond will recycle 530kg of coffee waste destined for landfill.  From bean to pellet to pot, we like to think it’s all about repurposing your morning brew!

The covers are made using renewable energy sources, including solar power. The site in Somerset has over 2000 solar panels and is committed to only use 100% green energy from 2025 onwards.

The range includes 4 colours, rose, dark blue, sage and light blue and 2 pot sizes 14cm and 18cm.  The RRP’s range from £5.99 to £9.99. The 18cm pots will be launched in 44 Blue Diamond Garden Centres February 2024 with the 14cm to follow in May.  

At Blue Diamond, we are aware that we are part of a greener, cleaner future. We are taking steps to reduce our carbon footprint and promote a greener, cleaner way of working and we know there is much to do to reduce impact on our environment.  

For further information on Blue Diamonds environmental strategy visit https://www.bluediamond.gg/environment

The National Trust and Blue Diamond Garden Centres will be working with multi-award-winning garden design practice Ann-Marie Powell Gardens to create a prestigious Show Garden for the RHS Chelsea Flower Show 2024.  

The Octavia Hill Garden by Blue Diamond with the National Trust will celebrate pioneering social reformer Octavia Hill (1838-1912), a founder of the National Trust, who believed that ‘the healthy gift of air and the joy of plants and flowers’ were vital in everyone’s life [1]. 

Octavia worked tirelessly to improve urban housing and protect green space, yet today, one in three people in Britain still don't have access to nearby nature-rich spaces. While celebrating Octavia’s legacy, the garden also aims to inspire people to create innovative gardens that connect people with the beauty and complexity of the natural world.  

The National Trust, Blue Diamond and Ann-Marie Powell Gardens share the belief that gardens can and should be for all, and that they have the power to transform lives. This is reflected in the garden’s design as an urban community wildlife garden set on a brownfield site. The beautiful, plant-filled garden has been created with wellbeing, biodiversity, sustainability and accessibility firmly in mind. 

Designed by Ann-Marie Powell with the Blue Diamond team, the garden has a relaxed feel and natural planting style. It is laid out as a series of ‘outdoor sitting rooms’ – a core idea from Octavia Hill – where each individual garden compartment has its own atmosphere. Visitors are invited to feel they are part of nature, a fundamental need as important today as in Octavia Hill’s lifetime. 

Dividing the space in this way echoes the ‘winding ways’ that Octavia often referred to, offering the opportunity to wander, both physically and emotionally. 

Ann-Marie Powell said: “Research proves that access to public green space improves so many outcomes: educational; physical, mental and social; resilience and recovery. Providing green space isn’t a niche idea; it was, and still is, crucial to our health and happiness.” 

The garden features some 3,600 native and non-native plants working together for biodiversity and beauty.Bold, pollinator-attracting planting throughout the garden is set to appeal to wildlife and visitors alike. For example, Celtis sinensis, a climate resilient tree very tolerant of air pollution, provides nectar for pollinators, butterflies and bees through its green flowers, while its orange autumn berries are a food source for birds and mammals. Clematis vitalba brings attractive creamy flowers to the garden, while also providing food and even nesting material for a range of pollinators and small mammals.

Paths through the garden lead to a garden building designed by architect Giles Jollands with Sam Ogilvie which can be used for shelter, social gatherings and events, while still allowing interaction with nature.  Habitat has been incorporated into the building with thatch walls and a planted canopy providing nectar for pollinators, while an upper-level wildlife observation platform allows people views of the sky and surrounding tree canopies from a new, raised perspective. 

A wildlife pond sits at one end of the garden, edged with aquatic plants to provide maximum habitat value. A pond dipping platform and walk-through stream (which helps to mask traffic noise) encourage curiosity, exploration and adventure.

The garden is designed to be as accessible as possible, thinking about those with sensory loss and special access needs.  Sloping paths are all wheelchair accessible and include wheelchair passing spaces.

The garden includes an installation by sound artist Justin Wiggan which records the electrical impulses of the plants, the earth beneath our feet, and the colours within blooms, wind and water. This will enhance connections with the garden and provide alternative experiences for visitors who are visually impaired or blind. Thanks to geocaching, visitors will even be able to share and ‘replant’ the garden’s sounds, creating their own ‘sound gardens’ around the world. 

Importantly, this beautiful garden shows what can be achieved when working to the highest environmental standards. Reclaimed brick, timber, stone and thatch, sourced from National Trust places, have been used wherever possible to give old materials new purpose, and low-carbon or carbon-locking build techniques are used throughout. All plants are peat-free and are climate-change resilient including the trees. 

The garden will also help young horticulturists develop their skills. A number of National Trust garden apprentices are set to work on the garden build and planting, along with the Blue Diamond team and other skilled horticulturists from Blue Diamond Garden Centres.

Andy Jasper, the National Trust’s Director of Gardens & Parklands, said: “We’re so excited to have a garden at Chelsea Flower Show for the first time in a decade. What we wanted to do was ask: if Octavia Hill was alive today, what would concern her? Without a doubt, she’d want to provide access to nature for urban communities, because we believe gardens and green space have the power to transform lives in so many ways.

“We hope everyone will come away from this garden with an appreciation of Octavia Hill, what she stood for and how important she has been to the formation of the National Trust. We remain inspired by the role she played and we believe that gardens can continue to address the biodiversity crisis. 

“We’re proud to be working with Blue Diamond and Ann-Marie Powell Gardens to be part of one of the most sustainable, most accessible and most uplifting gardens to ever come to Chelsea Flower Show. And, of course, we hope people will be inspired to go on and visit the many historic gardens that we care for.”

Jill Kerr, Group Relationship Manager for Blue Diamond, said: “Blue Diamond, along with the National Trust and Ann-Marie Powell Gardens, believe in gardens for all – for people, nature and for wildlife. Research shows that spending time outdoors, whether it be in public green spaces or your own garden, results in better physical, mental and social wellbeing. 

“We had an idea for an Octavia Hill themed garden and so approached the National Trust who we were working in collaboration with, suggesting that we design a garden based upon Octavia Hill’s ideals.  Octavia believed that a garden should be the complement of every home and campaigned to save even the smallest neighbourhood open space as an ‘outdoor sitting room’ providing ‘pure earth, clean air and blue sky’.

“We hope the garden will inspire and encourage people to get involved and create gardens or areas for plants to flourish, to spend time outdoors in nature and in their gardens to enjoy the many proven benefits. Blue Diamond provides everything you could need to create your own ‘outdoor sitting room’ and nature friendly space, including a range of plants to capture the look and feel of our RHS Chelsea Garden, at home.”

Ann-Marie Powell continued: “In honour of Octavia Hill, we’ve created ‘a place to sit in, a place to play in, a place to stroll in and a place to spend the day in’. It is a place of refuge, a place to withdraw from personal challenges and the everyday. In this space, surrounded by wildlife, your spirit can be nurtured and revived.

“The garden also shows that the parks, verges and gardens of our cities and towns present a huge opportunity to increase plant diversity and provide habitats and food for wildlife including pollinators. Many people think of biodiversity as a luxury – a nice-to-have – but it’s the engine that produces everything that we consume. When it is diminished, everything loses out.”

She concluded: “To have the opportunity to design a garden whose message I feel so passionate about at the world’s most famous flower show is a dream come true for me and the wider design team. I hope this garden educates, inspires, invigorates and puts a huge smile on the face of all that visit, and highlights the importance of green space, plants, wildlife, nature and air being a basic human right that should be accessible to all.”

After the show, the garden will be rebuilt at Blue Diamond-owned Bridgemere Show Gardens (an RHS Partner Garden) near Nantwich in Cheshire, where it can be visited year-round. Please visit bridgemereshowgardens.co.uk for more information

Landscape build for The Octavia Hill Garden by Blue Diamond with the National Trust is by The Landscaping Consultants, with plants supplied by Hortus Loci.

Blue Diamond has invested in five new nurseries to supply over 11 million home-grown, locally produced, British plants to its 44 garden centres and 8.8 million customers. 

The acquisition of these nurseries will allow Blue Diamond to grow new and exciting varieties each season and to offer an even wider selection of high-quality plants for its customers. 

“We are growers, gardeners and horticulturists. We don’t just buy and sell plants, we grow plants. We are hands on and deeply invested in providing the right care for our plants so they reach our customers in perfect condition.  Our garden centres are built on strong horticultural foundations," said Jim Teague- Head of Blue Diamond Nurseries.

Gardeners’ increasingly have an expectation for healthy, British-grown plants with a minimal environmental footprint. The value added for Blue Diamond customers is the availability of a wide range and variety of high quality, British grown plants, with provenance, which have been grown with robust plant health controls, an emphasis on reducing environmental impact, produced in peat-free growing media and in the case of hardy stock, come with a 5-year plant guarantee. 

The focus on sustainability extends to packaging. Blue Diamond is aiming to be at the forefront of the development of new packaging that could reduce the use of plant pot plastic altogether. The pots the plants are currently grown in are made from recycled plastic and are fully household recyclable.

The majority of the British-grown plants are already growing in peat free compost. Blue Diamond aims to be completely peat free, in plant production, by the end of 2025. The nursery acquisitions give Blue Diamond more control in developing compost mixes and plant care techniques from nursery to point of sale in the post peat era. 

A garden centre group the size of Blue Diamond, with sales of over £330m, needs to control its own plant supply to ensure it has the range and variety of plants of the right quality for its customers.  Blue Diamond has a huge range and probably has the largest range of British-grown plants available, of any UK garden centre group. 

Blue Diamond and the National Trust are now in the second year of a collaboration, which brings together the specialisms of both organisations, to create unique collections of seeds, bulbs, roses, trees, shrubs and herbaceous plants.

New for 2024, Blue Diamond and the National Trust are launching a number of new collections.

National Trust Bulb Collection

Working with National Trust gardeners, Blue Diamond have developed a new collection of summer flowering bulbs which includes varieties of Dahlia, Lily of the Valley and Gladioli.

Crime lovers, especially fans of Agatha Christie, are sure to be interested in a new and exclusive variety; Dahila ‘Orient Express’ now in all Blue Diamond Garden Centres retailing at £4.99.  Also, the ‘Thriller Trilogy’ Dahlia collection (retailing at £9.99 for 3 bulbs). 

Agatha loved dahlia’s and she even managed to weave them into her classic murder mystery short story, ‘The Four Suspects’. 

Agatha summer home, Greenway in Devon is now cared for by the National Trust.  

Ready to Plant Trays

The summer flowering bulb range of ready to plant trays, will include bulbs inspired by National Trust cared for gardens at Dyrham Park, Clumber Park, Plas Newydd and Wimpole. The ready to plant trays come in two sizes and retail at £9.99 and £12.99 and are available in all Blue Diamond Garden Centres.

National Trust Seed Collection

The 2024 seed collection reflects the beauty of the Trust’s gardens and the planting schemes created by the gardeners.  The collection consists of 98 varieties and 19 seed mixes inspired by the colours, tones and the historic planting found in gardens cared for by the Trust. 

It includes flowering varieties which are ideal for dry flower arrangements and perfect for floral bouquets and plants which are the highlight of National Trust gardens, such as Cosmos at Mottisfont and Sweet Pea at Peckover House. 

National Trust Roses and Gardener's Favourites

New for 2024 is Rosa ‘National Trust Beauty’ an exclusive rose which will be launched in May, in celebration of our joint Main Avenue Show Garden at Chelsea Flower Show 2024. 

'The Octavia Hill Garden by Blue Diamond with the National Trust' will celebrate pioneering reformer Octavia Hill (1838-1912), a founder of the National Trust. 

The rose is named ‘National Trust Beauty’ to reflect one of Octavia’s beliefs that ‘we all want beauty, we all need space’.

Also new, is the Gardeners’ Favourites Collection which will include roses chosen by National Trust Gardeners as their favourite ‘wow factor’ varieties from Trust gardens. 

These include Rosa ‘Whiter Shade of Pale’ which has been chosen by the Head Gardener at Hinton Ampner. The rose collection at Hinton Amper features over 90 varieties. The most popular view for visitors is the bed of 100 highly scented ‘A Whiter Shade of Pale’ roses beside the pond. 

The collection also includes roses chosen by the Head Gardeners at Chartwell, Mottisfont, Cliveden and Peckover House.  

The National Trust Chelsea Plant Collection by Blue Diamond, will consist of varieties of plants that are in, or inspired by, our RHS Chelsea Flower Show 2024 Main Avenue Show Garden, The Octavia Hill Garden by Blue Diamond with the National Trust. The collection is designed to enable the public to create their own ‘outdoor sitting room’ and nature friendly space, both of which are central themes to the Main Avenue Show Garden.

The collection will be available exclusively in all Blue Diamond Garden Centres and in selected National Trust shops from early- mid May and online at store.bluediamond.gg/shop/national-trust-collection

As part of Blue Diamond’s commitment to sustainable product production, all plants in the National Trust Collections by Blue Diamond are potted in peat free compost and in recycled and recyclable pots.

Through sales generated from the National Trust Collections by Blue Diamond, a minimum of 10% of the retail sales price per product will be given to the National Trust to help look after nature, beauty and history for everyone, for ever.

For more information about the collaboration and the Collections, please visit https://www.bluediamond.gg/national-trust

British garden manufacturer Handy has announced the arrival of its new catalogue and Monthly Dealer Promotions Calendar, both designed to provide retailers with valuable increased margins on a wide range of gardening and DIY products and ensure they have everything needed for the season ahead.

The new Dealer Promotions Calendar demonstrates Handy’s ongoing commitment to providing retailers with competitively priced products. Offering fully funded monthly promotions with improved margins and discounts, retailers can benefit from cost savings across a wide selection of gardening and DIY products from well-known brands such as Webb, Greenworks Tools and The Handy. 

To further support retailers, the new 2024 catalogue from Handy highlights the top brands and prices for the 2024 season, such as its latest range of Webb Rear Roller lawnmowers. Adding a touch of elegance to lawns with an attractive striped pattern, the incorporation of the classic rear roller also helps to enhance stability and control during the mowing process, offering users an all-round more comfortable mowing experience.   

Embracing the future of gardening with products designed to meet the evolving needs of eco-conscious customers, the new product and showcase brochure also includes the new Webb Eco range of garden machinery, which has been designed to offer gardeners an environmentally friendly and versatile gardening experience. 

With Handy’s commitment not just focused on new products but also to its strengthened partnerships with renowned brands, the new Green Book also showcases its durable range of AVA pressure washer products that tie in seamlessly with the Handy commitment to delivering products that stand the test of time. 

Stocking leading brands from: 

• Webb 
• The Handy 
• Greenworks 
• Q Garden 
• AVA 
• Bosch 
• Karcher 
• Flymo 
• Solo 
• Handy Parts 

To find out about trade prices and to place an order or to view the new Handy catalogue, visit www.handys.co.uk

Primeur continues its recycled rubber revolution with the addition of stylish new warm and bold tones for its sustainable, self-watering Tierra Verde planter collection, providing greater options for gardeners seeking a greener way to grow.

Primeur’s Tierra Verde eco planters have been changing the face of gardening since their launch, helping to turn a common waste material into beautifully-crafted, high-performance pots. 

Eco planters won’t crack, split or fade and offer fantastic insulation properties that help protect delicate plant roots from the frost or searing sun. Add to that a smart self-watering system and you’ve got a winning formula, guaranteed to make growing easier than ever and help plants thrive.

Now, this favourite collection has been enhanced further with the addition of brand-new, trend-led colourways, Blossom, Cappuccino, and Oak, to complement the existing shades of Slate and Steel Grey.

Soft shades of nature

Warm colours are set to make a big impact in 2024, as décor schemes both indoors and out embrace rich browns, nourishing greens, and moodier palettes. Dubbed by some trend experts as the ‘new neutral’, light brown allows users to create the pared-back look they want but with a bit more depth than some of the neutral shades that have been ‘en vogue’ recently.  The colours of nature never really go out of style and experts envision an array of greens around the home and garden in 2024. Primeur’s new soft shades, tap into these trends perfectly, particularly when paired with the sleek, modern profiles of its best-selling Octavia and Sonata planters. RRPs start from £28.99 for a 15cm Octavia planter.

Designed for use both inside and outside, Tierra Verde eco planters easily enhance any space, and the new colourways make it even easier to achieve the aesthetic you want. The wide range of sizes available in Sonata – from large enough to hold small trees, right down to something you can sit on a windowsill – make this design a great solution for any area. The clean lines and tapered bottom of this popular square planter provide a real impact and complement all décor schemes.

Meanwhile, the Octavia silhouette offers simple, modern styling without the hard edge. Soft edges meet the soft, warm tones of Blossom, Oak and Cappuccino for a striking new selection this season that suits both contemporary and traditional settings.

Suitable for all-weather use, these highly-durable eco planters help plants stay properly hydrated thanks to their built-in water reservoir.

Bright hues and unexpected pops of colour

This year is also about embracing bright hues and cheerful colours, as well as unexpected colour pairings. Trend experts forecast that paler blush tones are making way for brighter coral and jewel shades of pink, whilst mustard yellows are becoming more vibrant and less muddy in tone, leaning towards a green hue. Available upon request, Primeur’s bold Heather, Lime and Terracotta colourways tap into this trend perfectly.  Available in the Sonata, Octavia, Aria, Concerto and Symphony silhouettes.

Greener growing

Renowned for its strong sustainable ethos, Primeur has a wealth of garden industry awards under its belt, while its ethical credentials and commitment to responsible sourcing and manufacturing speak for themselves. The family-run British business ensures that none of its recycled garden landscaping and decorative garden products impact the planet in a negative way, as with the showstopping collection of Tierre Verde eco planters, which help keep scrap tyres out of landfill and re-purpose them into durable, quality products.

Get in touch.

To find out more about Primeur please get in touch with the team at 01274 518800 or visit www.primeur.co.uk

GTN February 2024 - GTN's Greatest Christmas Awards Bumper Issue

In this issue:

• The Greatest Christmas Awards presentations at Spring Fair
• GCA Conference Award winners
• Primeur: the home of doormats
• Environmental perceptions of garden centres
• Westlands New Horizon Community Fund
• Busy Bee tops the customer vote for Christmas greatness
• 23 pages of judges photos and comments from The Greatest Christmas Awards start here: Barton Grange, Cooks, BGC Harrogate, Pugh’s, Gates, Haskins Snowhill, Woodlands, Kent, Squires Badshot Lea, Polhill, Old Railway Line, Klondyke High Legh, Poundbury, Birkacre, Alton, Blue Diamond Newbridge, Garsons Esher, Brimsmore, Glendoick, Chessington, Wentworth, Klondyke Astbury Meadow, Cambridge Home & Garden, Bents, BGC Studley, Coolings, Newquay, The Grange, Garsons Titchfield, Keydell, Perrywood Tiptree, BGC, Dobbies, Gouldings Santa Experience, Dobbies Edinburgh and Tewkesbury, Mackenzie & Cruickshank, Munros, Pengelly, Planters Tamworth
• Thank you to our Sponsors
• Flashes of Christmas Inspiration
• Harrogate Show Ideas for Christmas 2024
• Planting Manifesto Ideas – HTA Column
• Supply Chain Challenges – GIMA Column

Or use this link

with all the news direct to your e-mail inbox.  The best news service every weekend and all the breaking news as it happens.

Subscribe for free using this link

The Garden Centre Association is urging members to get their 2024 Rising Stars nominations in by March 1 to help showcase and develop the industry’s most talented individuals this year.

The Westland Horticulture sponsored programme offers those who participate the chance to be mentored by experts in the horticultural industry.

GCA Inspector and Rising Stars programme mentor, Gordon Emslie says: “An eligible candidate, in your opinion, should be a rising star or have the potential to be one within your garden centre, have a passion or desire to contribute to this year’s topic of environmental and sustainability and hold a position below management level.

“They need to be available to attend several workshops throughout the year and a mixture of face-to-face and virtual meetings, have access to financial data including sales and cost prices and demonstrate drive and commitment. Lastly, they need to have a sales idea for growing an area of your garden centre in a sustainable or environmental manner.”

Applications, which are available from www.gca.org.uk/applications-open-for-2024-rising-stars-programme/ should be completed and submitted before Thursday, March 1, 2024.

After all the nominations are received, they will be reviewed, and successful candidates will be invited to join the programme for 2024.

The finalists will be requested to take part in a series of workshops held by Gordon on topics such as retail disciplines, driving sales, financial awareness and presentation skills.

Their work will be assessed throughout the year to review the various elements on which they have received coaching.

Peter Burks, GCA Chief Executive, says: “Our Westland Horticulture sponsored Rising Stars programme is a wonderful opportunity for nominees to hone their skills, while being guided and supported by experts in our industry. It’s unlike any other training they may receive throughout their career. Plus, all they learn will be brought back and used at the garden centre where they work, to the benefit of everyone. We’re indebted to and can’t thank enough Westland Horticulture for sponsoring the programme and for all the support it provides.

“If garden centres think they have a team member who is a ‘rising star’ within their organisation, they need to put them forward today.

“The best performing finalists will be asked to the seventh and last workshop in the series and will then be invited to the annual GCA Conference in January 2025, where they will present the progress made on their project idea to the conference. Gordon will also provide coaching in presentation skills in advance of this. Delegates will then vote for our winner, who will receive their award at the conference too. It’s a wonderful accolade for both the winning team member you nominated and your garden centre too.”

The GCA represents more than 200 garden centres nationwide.

Through sharing information and its inspection programme, the GCA helps members to achieve high standards in customer service, plant quality and reliability.

For further information, please visit www.gca.org.uk.

The Royal Horticultural Society is sharing its peat-free advice as gardeners across the UK get ready for the growing season.

With the increasing need for all of us to adopt more environmentally friendly practices, the start of spring presents a chance for the UK’s 30 million gardeners to make a positive impact on the planet. Using peat-free compost is one of the most important and simple changes gardeners can make in the fight against climate change.

Peatlands are natural boggy habitats that store over twice as much carbon as all the world’s forests combined, as well as being unique ecosystems, with a range of wildlife depending on them. Extracting peat destroys habitats, releases stored carbon and stops peatlands acting as a sponge for the landscape, increasing flood risk downstream.

In light of the devastating impact of peat extraction, the RHS has pledged to become 100% peat-free in all its operations by the end of 2025, including shows, gardens and retail. We stopped selling peat-based composts in 2019 and all the plants we grow for RHS gardens are peat-free.

Here are some top tips to help gardeners get the best out of peat-free compost, and even make their own:

1. Choose the right compost. In recent years many new peat-free mixes have been developed meaning there is something to cater to every need. It’s important to select a compost that will suit the plants growing in it, whether they’re seedlings or long-term container plants; acid-loving or carnivorous. Check the packaging to see which plants the mix is suitable for and remember, if it doesn’t say ‘peat-free’ then it most likely isn’t.
2. Water with care. Peat-free mixes will have slightly different watering needs to peat, so gardeners that are used to peat may need to alter their watering frequency and amount. Peat-free composts can also look dry on the surface, making it easy to overwater. Use your fingers to check the moisture levels under the surface where possible, or lift the container to feel how heavy it is.
3. When it comes to sowing seeds and root cuttings, use specific seed and cuttings peat-free compost. These are milled to a finer texture which is important for smaller seeds, while multi-purpose composts are better suited to more established plants as they contain more fertiliser that is released more slowly.
4. Feed your seedlings. Seed and cuttings compost contains very few nutrients, so it’s advisable to start feeding once seedlings have produced their first true leaves, and then often enough to keep plants looking healthy. Liquid seaweed feed or similar, or home-made options such as liquid from a wormery are all good options.
5. Try making your own compost as a soil improver, to avoid wasting shop-bought compost on borders. Use a mixture of ‘green waste’ such as grass clippings, annual weeds and kitchen peelings, and ‘brown waste’ such as chopped hedge trimmings and shredded cardboard. It’s important not to let any single material dominate, and if possible compost should be ‘turned’ several times a year in order to help the ingredients break down.
6. Buy peat-free plants. Gardeners looking to buy more sustainably grown plants can use our list of peat-free nurseries in the UK. These nurseries offer a wide range of plant types and are located across the country, with many online options too. To find out more visit: www.rhs.org.uk/advice/peat/peat-free-nurseries

Nikki Barker, RHS Peat Free Transition Technician, said: “The start of the growing season presents an opportunity for gardeners to make positive changes for the environment and choosing peat-free compost is a small step with a massive impact. While there are some practical differences between using peat-free mixes and peat compost, by following these steps gardeners can continue to get brilliant results with their plants, while helping out the planet at the same time.”

For more information and advice on how to go peat-free visit: www.rhs.org.uk/advice/peat-free

A sprinkling of Sherbert through the Cottage garden; the simplicity and calmness of Urban Nature through to the mood and mystery of Moroccan Delights; these were amongst the main themes revealed at the Klondyke Group's Outdoor Living Showcase Event hosted this week at our Polmont centre.

The event launches the 2024 outdoor living ranges to our 22 centres and is attended by our Furniture Team members. It allows the teams to see, touch, feel and experience the new ranges.
With a continued focus on the garden as a space for relaxation, socialising and dining; the 2024 range includes bar concepts, tipi style dining, outdoor kitchens and modular sets, as well as dining and lounge sets, bbqs, pizza ovens and grill concepts. There was a great sense of excitement from all the teams as they explored each theme and range.

Our suppliers are integral to the success of the showcase; they provide the top tips, details and benefits of our ranges so we can pass these onto our customers so they can select the right products for their lifestyle and outdoor space.

George Summerscale, Furniture Buyer, commented: “This is the most exciting date in my diary; the one that I look forward to the most – to be able to show our team members our furniture and BBQ ranges for 2024.

“The showcase is the perfect platform for our teams to come along and get to fully know the ranges and ask our suppliers any questions they have on the products. By the end of the day everyone is excited to get back to their centres and pass on this knowledge and inspiration to their customers.”

In a Politics Home article, former DEFRA Minister Trudy Harrison welcomed the Horticultural Trades Association advocacy for an Office for Green Spaces and a bold initiative for urban greening.

Following the release of the HTA Environmental Horticulture Manifesto in January, which outlines ten key priorities for the UK's future government, Trudy Harrison highlights the critical importance of green spaces, plant health, and sustainable practices in positioning the UK as a global leader in environmental horticulture.

The HTA is keen to see the creation of a cross-government Office for Green Spaces, which would be tasked with maximising the value of green spaces in all aspects of policymaking and regulatory impact assessments.

Former DEFRA Minister Trudy Harrison MP writes:

“More than most other European countries, we in the UK are faced with a modern life health and wellbeing crisis, coupled with the undisputed and dramatic loss of nature’s habitat over recent decades,” she told PoliticsHome. “I therefore wholeheartedly welcome the HTA’s call for an Office for Green Spaces and a bold new programme of urban greening.

“It is now widely understood that gardens, parks and urban green (and blue) spaces have the potential to heal mind, body and soul whilst offering sanctuary to creatures great and small between buildings and built-up communities.

“As DEFRA’s former Minister for Nature, I have visited many nurseries and businesses operating within the horticulture sector and these opportunities and concerns are well reflected by the HTA. I support the priorities as listed and urge serious consideration and swift implementation.

“Covering nearly half a million hectares, gardens in the UK provide countless benefits for society, wildlife and the planet we all share. The sector is worth over £28bn in GDP, with huge scope to expand, and the HTA’s championing of its members – the highly skilled workforce within the environmental horticulture supply chain, ensuring 30 million gardeners continue to grow – is perfectly illustrated in their 2024 manifesto.”

Environmental horticulture is crucial to the UK's economic and environmental landscape. As well as contributing £28bn to the economy, the sector supports 674,000 jobs and plays a key role in underpinning the country's environmental and net-zero goals. 

Research conducted by YouGov on behalf of the HTA in December 2023 revealed significant recognition among MPs for the environmental horticultural industry. With 82% acknowledging its benefits to jobs and skills, 80% to national health and wellbeing, 76% to the environment and biodiversity, and 72% to the economy, there's a clear consensus on its importance. Notably, a majority of MPs, 53%, support the creation of a cross-government Office for Green Spaces, echoing the HTA's primary policy recommendation.

David Lydiat, HTA Public Affairs and Policy Manager, said:

"The HTA is delighted to have such a parliamentary advocate as Trudy Harrison MP. She has the experience, credibility and understanding of the benefits of environmental horticulture. Our Manifesto highlights how the next government can work with and support the industry. This will ensure a flourishing trade that underpins the Environmental Improvement Plan, many rural jobs and the enjoyment of 30 million British gardeners."

Trudy Harrison's support for an Office for Green Spaces underscores the importance of collaboration between government and industry to realise environmental sustainability and societal wellbeing, which is key to harnessing the full potential of environmental horticulture for the benefit of the nation.

You can read the full article on Politics Home.

The Royal Horticultural Society has revealed the 52 finalists of the 2024 RHS Britain in Bloom Finals, in the 60th anniversary year of the UK’s biggest gardening competition.

The finalists, selected from across the UK, will compete to be crowned winner in one of 11 categories, and will secure an RHS gold, silver gilt, silver or bronze award. One of the category winners will then go on to be named RHS Britain in Bloom Overall Winner for 2024.

Judges will assess each group according to criteria that evaluate their commitment to improving the local environment, community engagement and horticultural excellence.

Among this year’s finalists in the Small City category is Bath in Bloom, who were the first ever winners of the competition in its inaugural year, six decades ago. Celebrating horticultural excellence and sustainability, the group grow their plants in-house to ensure quality and variety. They take cuttings of native plants from locations across the city to be grown in their own dedicated nursery.

First-time UK finalist Wreay in Bloom, in Cumbria, is proud to represent their rural village. Community and heritage has always been paramount to the group, with a focus on planet-friendly gardening now taking centre stage through the building of community herb gardens in donated raised beds for locals, visitors and wildlife to enjoy.

Bringing people together and making gardening accessible to all remain strong themes among this year’s entrants. Haywards Heath Town is working with local schools, girl guides and scouts to try and ensure that children can get at least 25% of their daily physical activity through gardening. Meanwhile Blooming Milford is planning a Flower and Produce Show for the village for the first time in 30 years, to share the fruits of their labours with local residents and visitors.

Kay Clark, RHS Community Development Manager, said: “While planting trends may change and environmental practices evolve, the belief that plants and communal green spaces are important for creating healthy and happy communities endures. Britain in Bloom groups across the UK work to enhance the local environment, share skills and knowledge, and create opportunities to improve local wellbeing. In this special anniversary year, we’ve chosen the theme of friendship, to highlight the way in which community gardening can bring people together and enrich lives.”

As part of this year’s anniversary celebrations the RHS will be sharing ‘friendship flower seeds’ to all of the Britain in Bloom groups to celebrate the enduring friendships made through caring for plants as a community and a love of gardening. Over 2 million flowers, including sweet peas, cosmos, nigella, gypsophila, rudbeckias and zinnias will be sown and planted by Bloom groups to create spectacular displays of cut flowers for everyone to enjoy. 

There are 17 Bloom Regions that all hold their own Bloom competitions, from which they nominate their highest-performing entries to compete in the UK Finals. Each of the finalists will be visited by a pair of Britain in Bloom judges in summer 2024, and winners will be announced at an awards ceremony in the autumn.

If you are inspired to get involved in community gardening in your area find out more at www.rhs.org.uk/community

Full breakdown of the 2024 finalists in their respective categories:

Water availability, urban heat island effect, and energy use are major concerns shared by desert cities around the world. Taking place on 5th and 6th March 2024 at Expo 2023 Doha Qatar, the AIPH Green City Conference will showcase urban greening strategies that cities in arid zones can adopt to create liveable environments.

The Conference is organised by the International Association of Horticultural Producers (AIPH) with the support of Host Expo 2023 Doha Qatar and Headline Sponsor Biblo. Prominent speakers from around the world will present on the Conference theme of ‘city greening solutions for arid environments’.

In the opening session, AIPH is pleased to welcome Prof David Simon, Professor of Development Geography at Royal Holloway, University of London. Prof Simon’s research focuses on cities, climate change and sustainability, and the relationships between development theory, policy and practice. His recent book ‘Sustainable Human Settlements within the Global Urban Agenda' explores the dynamics of the UN’s SDG 11 – Sustainable Cities and Communities – and how it is understood in different regional and national contexts. This opening presentation will showcase Prof Simon’s work with Earthna on arid cities.

The second speaker in the opening session is Kishor Rajhansa, Chief Operating Officer of the Global Carbon Council (GCC). Based in Qatar, Mr Rajhansa is a climate change, energy, and sustainability leader with 28 years of experience. He is responsible for operating GCC, a carbon-offsetting programme that assists organisations in reducing their carbon footprint. This is achieved by developing stringent but simplified standards and establishing transparent certification processes.

During the second session, the Conference will focus on local and regional initiatives that combat challenges that arise in desert cities. Founder and Chair of the Society of Sustainability & Green Materials (SSGM), Dr Ali Al Jassim will present the non-profit’s work to raise awareness and improve knowledge sharing in sustainability, green materials, and circular economy in the UAE. The Society’s work involves supporting the development of policies and regulations that advance these goals.

Joining Dr Al Jassim in this session is Jala Makhzoumi, Vice President of the International Federation of Landscape Architects (IFLA) and Acting President of IFLA Middle East. In her presentation, Ms Makhzoumi will motivate the focus of greening to go beyond the physical space to embrace intangible processes and consider perceptual and emotional perspectives of urban nature. Through this, an enduring stewardship of natural resources in cities and globally can be achieved. Dr Saeed Alhassan Alkhazraji continues the theme of caring for natural resources to describe innovative research for solving water issues using nature. Technologies developed at Manhat produce water by mimicking the natural water cycle.

The issues faced by arid cities are not unique. In the afternoon session of the Conference, speakers from other regions will present the living green solutions being employed to combat shared issues. Speakers will showcase the initiatives being employed to mitigate urban heat in Asia, re-naturing cities through nature-based solutions, and how AI can offer easy access to nature data.

Conference speakers include:

• Prof. David Simon, Professor of Development Geography at Royal Holloway, University of London, and author of 'Sustainable Human Settlements within the Global Urban Agenda'
• Kishor Rajhansa, Chief Operating Officer, Global Carbon Council
• Dr Ali Al Jassim, Chair of the Society of Sustainability & Green Materials (SSGM)
• Jala Makhzoumi, Vice President of the International Federation of Landscape Architects (IFLA) and Acting President of IFLA Middle East
• Huda Shaka, Director of Urban Strategy and Planning, Gehl
• Dr Saeed Alhassan Alkhazraji, Founder, Manhat
• Dr Mario V Balzan, Senior Lecturer at the Malta College of Arts, Science and Technology (MCAST), and Managing Director at Ecostack Innovations
• Diane Lee, Media Relations Manager – Asia Region, AIPH
• Thomas Gooch – Founder/CEO of Office of Planetary Observations (OPO)

On the second day of the Conference, on 6th March 2024, delegates will visit key green city sites in the Doha municipality.

For more information about the speakers and the programme, and to book your place at this inspiring meeting, visit the AIPH Website. Tickets for the AIPH Green City Conference cost only £325 GBP.

AIPH thanks Host Sponsor Expo 2023 Doha Qatar, Headline Sponsor Biblo, Green City Conference Partners Earthna, IFLA, and ISOCARP, and Media Partners Exhibitor Magazine, FloraCulture International, Floriculture Today, Guiaverde, and Host City for their support of this event.

Leading garden ladder specialist, Henchman, has been crowned a double winner at the prestigious European Product Design Awards 2023, for its new Fully Adjustable Tripod Ladder and Henchman Lifting Harness.  

Created and produced in partnership with Tone Product Design, the innovations topped the “Outdoor Equipment” category after being hailed by judges for their precision engineering, high-quality finish, usability and functionality. 

Following a redesign of its popular Tripod Ladder last summer, the new and improved Fully Adjustable Tripod Ladder is the only of its kind on the market to be certified to EN131 standards. It features three individually adjustable legs with extra wide feet, patent-pending hedge-proof locking pins and a platform with guardrail, allowing users to work wobble and hands-free at height. Available in both standard and Pro ranges, the ladders range from 5ft to 16ft. 

The Henchman Lifting Harness, which comes to market this month, takes up to 100% of the weight of heavy garden tools and is compatible with gardening equipment such as hedge cutters, pole saws, strimmers and blowers. The clever piece of kit is designed to reduce back strain and arm fatigue, allowing users to work in greater safety and with more concentration and control.    

Owen Simpson, managing director of Henchman, commented on the win: “We’re absolutely delighted to have received not one, but two awards in the European Product Design Awards. We’re committed to providing our customers with innovative, high-spec equipment that allows them to work safely, and these products do just that, with precision engineering and structural excellence at the core of both designs.  

“This year marks Henchman’s 30th anniversary, so what better way to kickstart a year of celebrations than by receiving such a fantastic accolade for both of our latest product launches.” 

Now in its fourth year, the European Product Design Awards were created to recognise and honour the expertise of international product and industrial designers who strive to improve people’s daily lives with practical and well-thought-out creations. 

Find out more about the awards and view the winners at: https://www.productdesignaward.eu/  

To browse Henchman’s range of ladders and gardening equipment visit https://www.henchman.co.uk/.  

Naylor Gardenware has agreed to merge with Smith & Jennings with effect from Friday 1 March 2024.

Naylor is a 4th generation family business which has been manufacturing clay pipes and other ceramic products since its foundation in 1890; its Yorkshire Flowerpot range dates back to the early 1990’s. Smith & Jennings is a Welsh based manufacturer of high quality glazed & terracotta ware, founded by ceramicist Simon Smith in 2013.

The combined entity will be called British Flowerpots and will be based in new purpose-built manufacturing premises in Barnsley. The business will be headed by MD Simon Smith & General Manager Liz Hudston & will offer a comprehensive range of British made glazed & terracotta pots, complemented by a select range of imported items.

MD Simon Smith commented: “This is an exciting new venture and we look forward to supplying the UK market with high quality British made pots- glazed and unglazed.”

Pictured from left: Edward Naylor (Director), Liz Hudston (General Manager) and Simon Smith (Managing Director).

As 15th March fast approaches, garden centres from across the country are busy making preparations for one of their biggest fundraising days of the year – Garden Re-Leaf Day - together raising vital funds for the children’s hospice garden charity, Greenfingers. This year, the charity has set the “250 challenge” which they hope could help retailers to become the biggest combined contributors to this special event.

What is the 250 Challenge?

Whilst many garden centres go above and beyond, each year raising thousands of pounds across the Garden Re-Leaf weekend, the charity recognises that not all centres have the time or capacity to support at this level. With the 250 challenge, garden centres can still get involved but on a smaller scale. Here’s everything you need to know.

• The aim of the 250 challenge is to raise a minimum of £250. If every garden centre in the UK raised this sum on Garden Re-Leaf Day this would total in excess of £1.5million, proving the old adage that ‘every little helps!’
• With the 250 challenge, garden centres have the option to raise funds across one day (ideally 15^thMarch to align with Garden Re-Leaf Day) or they can utilise the whole month, week or weekend to reach their fundraising target. 

Ways to raise funds

There are a million different ways to raise funds. Some can be done slowly, and others require a little bit more fanfare! Here are some ways to put the fun into FUNdraising.

• Plantathons are perfect for generating some buzz in-store whilst simultaneously generating more stock and donating to Greenfingers. Previous events have included 12- and 24-hour Plantathons. To undertake a Plantathon you need lots of pots, growing media and plant stock. Simply plant up as many as you can during your chosen duration and sell them off to boost your fundraising total.
• Hold a quiz, with a minimum donation for all entrants. Guaranteed fun and some friendly competition.
• Why not set yourself a 25-minute challenge? Get the whole team involved to all undertake a 25-minute sponsored challenge. It’s a small investment of time that not only fosters a great sense of team achievement but also, once again, adds up to a superb, combined effort. Get your customers to sponsor you – whether it’s standing on one leg, or running on a treadmill, this is your chance to create a real buzz in-store.
• Raffles and tombolas are a great way of getting lots of people involved. Gather prizes from around your store, or ask friends and colleagues to donate prizes, before selling raffle tickets ahead of the grand unveiling of the lucky winner!
• Cake sales and coffee mornings – are simple yet effective FUNdraisers, whilst drawing more people into your café area. 
• Team up with colleagues to complete a walk or cycle challenge. Set yourselves a target – 100 miles for example – and work together to achieve it. Walk around your local area, on a treadmill, or add an exercise bike to the store for an afternoon of cycling excellence, with customers invited to donate by throwing loose change into a bucket or via a QR code. 
• In-store talks and workshops – do you know a local gardening group, or expert rose grower that could come into your store to run a special talk or workshop? Or perhaps one of your team is amazing at creating Easter wreaths and would run a special session with customers. This is a great way to raise money whilst also engaging with your customers and showcasing your in-house skills.
• Countertop fundraising – with a bucket, a bit of signage and teams briefed, it is easy to get customers to throw their spare coins at the end of every transaction. Plus, with the inclusion of a dedicated QR code those more generous customers can donate larger sums of money via their phones.
• Plant sales – consider a special Greenfingers plant display where a percentage or set fee from each sale is donated to the charity. This is a great way of creating a talking point in the store, whilst promoting the charity. It can also help drive impulse sales and push those hard-to-sell or seasonal plants.

Last but not least - maximise social media. Whatever you do to support Garden Re-Leaf Day don’t forget to shout if from the rooftops via your social media channels. In doing so, you can encourage more customers into your store to support your fundraising efforts.

Don’t miss out – register today!

Getting involved in the 2024 Garden Re-Leaf ‘250 Challenge’ please visit https://www.greenfingerscharity.org.uk/garden-re-leaf-day-own-event or reach out to Linda Petrons, Greenfingers Director of Fundraising & Communications via linda@greenfingerscharity.org.uk for more information and to grab your fundraising pack.

.

The charity also offers a wealth of additional collateral that can help garden retailers to make the most of the Garden Re-Leaf weekend, including t-shirts, collection buckets and posters to name but a few. Garden Re-Leaf is also a great local PR opportunity which helps to drive customers into your store, and, again, Greenfingers can offer support to maximise this with draft news releases, and advice on which media to contact.

Mike Burks, managing director of The Gardens Group, which owns Castle Gardens in Sherborne, Brimsmore Gardens in Yeovil and Poundbury Gardens near Dorchester, has been awarded Honorary Membership of the Garden Centre Association (GCA). 

Presented by GCA Chairman Will Blake,  at the GCA’s 57th annual conference, held at the De Vere Cotswold Water Park Hotel near Cirencester last week, this accolade comes in recognition of Mike’s commitment to and achievements on behalf of the industry.

William Blake, managing director of St Peter’s Garden Centre and Chairman of the GCA, commented: “As Mike Burks steps down from the GCA Executive Committee, with his role as Past Chairman coming to an end, the Committee board members wanted to recognise the extraordinary work he has done over the Past six years.  Mike took the reins just two months before the first Covid lockdown. He was instrumental in getting garden centres listened to by government, so that they could reopen after just seven weeks, undoubtedly saving many businesses within our industry. His guidance, support, leadership and environmental focus for the GCA and our industry is undeniable, and he will be sorely missed at Executive Committee meetings.”

Mike Burks, (pictured above centre) explains: “I am bowled over by this announcement. The GCA represents the UK’s leading garden centres, so to be recognised and celebrated for my contribution is such a privilege. We are always inspired and motivated following the GCA Conference, and this year is no exception. Our team is already looking at ways to implement their new ideas at each garden centre this year.”

Lancashire entrepreneur Gemma Connolly, whose unique edible greeting cards for dogs Scoff Paper won a Glee New Product Award in 2021, has secured major backing from BBC Dragons’ Den star Sara Davies to allow her business to take full advantage of the growing pet treat market. 

Volunteer guide dog puppy raiser, Gemma, who appeared on the show on Thgursday with golden retriever Leo, clinched the deal with her clever idea and the tenacity she’s maintained in building her business from the ground up, which involved the development of never-before-seen manufacturing processes and machinery. 

As such, the famous businesswoman, known for her ability to spot big business potential, offered Gemma £50K for 25% of the company, with the option to claim 5% back if Sara recoups her investment within the first 12 months of their collaboration. With Sara’s expert eye and rich retail experience, Gemma, plans to make her world-first product accessible across the UK and internationally in the near future. 

Gemma said: “I’m not good at blowing my own trumpet, but I gave it everything I had when I went into The Den and was proud of my presentation and my responses to the Dragons’ subsequent grilling. It probably helped that I had Leo by my side. 

“When Sara said she believed in me and my vision, it meant so much. I’m over the moon that she chose to invest in my little company that’s got its eye on global domination. After all, is there a dog on this planet that doesn’t love a tasty treat? With Sara’s know-how and support, I can put 100% of my time and focus into our business and get the bespoke manufacturing facility running at maximum capacity.” 

Sara Davies added: “Gemma’s belief in her fantastic product was clear from the moment she stepped into the Den. I have so much respect and admiration for the work she’s put in to grow her company to the level she has. I’m excited to work alongside Gemma to mentor her through the next exciting stage of growth as she goes on to inspire dog owners around the world to celebrate their pets’ special occasions with edible cards.” 

Scoff Paper’s HQ, aka ‘The Scoffice’, is based in Buckshaw Village, Chorley, where all the design, marketing and manufacturing takes place. As the business grows, Gemma plans to offer more career opportunities to local people across all departments. 

Click here to watch Gemma face the business moguls on BBC iPlayer. Gemma appears 16 minutes into the programme.

Scoff Paper won a New Product Award at Glee in 2021.

Corby + Fellas have announced the partnership with The Plant Place and the implementation of their acclaimed WinRetail System to run the Garden Centres Retail, Hospitality, Loyalty and Events operations. 

"We look forward to a long standing and mutually beneficial partnership with Simon, Diane and the team, such a fabulous family run Garden Centre business," said Corby + Fellas.

This family business started its journey in 1998 and has blossomed into a remarkable garden centre with driven staff, lots of amazing visitors and an exceptional range of quality plants. In recent years, they have focused on growing their houseplant department and as a result, they have become the number-one destination for houseplants in the North West.

Wildlife World, a pioneer in biodiversity products, has launched a range of premium wildlife habitats tailored for nature restoration and biodiversity net gain projects through habitat supplement intervention.

Available to commercial developers and retail consumers alike, these habitats are manufactured in Wildlife World's UK workshop using sustainably sourced and recycled materials, backed by a 20-year structural guarantee. 

Mark Pitman, Managing Director, emphasises, "Our new range of premium ecology products not only enhance biodiversity through rapid habitat increase, but also play a crucial role in achieving zero net gain, a vital objective for the UK's environmental sustainability. By offering habitats designed for long-term usage and monitoring, we empower individuals and businesses to contribute positively to our ecosystem's health and resilience via sustainable growth and regeneration."

Designed with longevity and monitoring capabilities in mind, essential for habitat restoration, the range includes nesting boxes and habitats/refuges for a diverse array of species:

• Avian Species: Tawny and Barn owl via a multi-species large cavity nester suitable for kestrel, stock dove, mandarin duck, as well as passerines such as blue tit, great tit, coal tit, marsh tit, pied flycatcher, tree sparrow, house sparrow, redstart, blackbird, robin, and wren.
• Invertebrates: Solitary bee and small invertebrate nesters
• Reptiles, Amphibians, and Small Mammals: Refugia
• Small Mammals: Dormouse boxes
• Endangered Species: Red squirrel boxes and Pine Marten Dens
• Birds of Prey: Peregrine nest ledges

Wildlife World's commitment to sustainability and conservation extends to every aspect of production, ensuring that each habitat contributes positively to biodiversity enhancement efforts.

To learn more about our premium wildlife habitats or to make a purchase, don't hesitate to get in touch with your Wildlife World representative, call us at 01666 505333, visit our website at www.wildlifeworld.co.uk, or email our sales office at info@wildlifeworld.co.uk.

BGC Harrogate, Squires Badshot Lea, Cooks, Birkacre, Pugh’s Radyr, Barton Grange and Busy Bee have picked up Greatest Garden Centre Christmas Team golds in GTN’s Greatest Christmas Awards, presented at Spring Fair on Monday. Kaemingk walked away with The Greatest Christmas Supplier gold.

Here are all the winners:

The Greatest Christmas Houseplant Team

GOLD AWARD: Haskins Snowhill

SILVER AWARD: Newquay

BRONZE AWARD: BGC Studley 

FINALISTS: BGC Studley, BGC Tring, Blue Diamond Newbridge, Brimsmore Gardens, Dobbies Brighton, Dobbies Edinburgh, Dobbies Richmond, Gates, Haskins Snowhill, Klondyke High Legh, Newquay, Perrywood Tiptree, Whitehall Lacock

The Greatest Outdoor Plant & Christmas Tree Team

GOLD AWARD: Old Railway Line

SILVER AWARD: Pugh’s Radyr

BRONZE AWARD: Coolings, Rushmore Hill

HIGHLY COMMENDED: Planters Tamworth

FINALISTS: BGC Bournville, BGC Playhatch, BGC Winnerash, Brimsmore Gardens, Coolings, Rushmore Hill, Garsons Titchfield, Haskins Snowhill, Jacksons Boutique, Klondyke Astbury Meadow, Klondyke Mortonhall, Old Railway Line, Pengelly, Perrywood Sudbury, Planters Tamworth, Pugh's Radyr, Squires Badshot Lea, St Peters Worcester, Tong

The Greatest Gardening Gifts Sales Team

GOLD AWARD: Gates

SILVER AWARD: Blue Diamond Newbridge

BRONZE AWARD: Newquay

HIGHLY COMMENDED: Pugh’s Wenvoe

FINALISTS: BGC Bournville, Blue Diamond Newbridge, Castle Gardens Sherbourne, Fron Goch, Garsons Titchfield, Gates, Newquay, Pugh's Wenvoe

The Greatest Wild Bird Care & Pet Team

GOLD AWARD: Barton Grange

SILVER AWARD: Bents

BRONZE AWARD: Old Railway Line

FINALISTS: Barton Grange, Bents, Blue Diamond Newbridge, Garsons Esher, Garsons Titchfield, Groves Bridport, Old Railway Line

The Greatest Festive Retail Food Hall Team

GOLD AWARD: Pugh’s Radyr

SILVER AWARD: Garsons Esher, Old Railway Line

BRONZE AWARD: Barton Grange

FINALISTS: Barton Grange, Bents, Chessington, Garsons Esher, Klondyke Mortonhall, Longacres Bagshot, Old Railway Line, Pugh's Radyr, St Peters Worcester, Whitehall Lacock

The Greatest Festive Outdoor Living Team

‘The SOLEX Sizzle’

GOLD AWARD: Polhill

SILVER AWARD: Alton

BRONZE AWARD: Cambridge Home & Garden

HIGHLY COMMENDED: Newquay

FINALISTS: Alton, Cambridge Home & Garden, Chessington, Newquay, Old Railway Line, Polhill

The Greatest Festive Garden Centre Catering Team

GOLD AWARD: Woodlands, Kent

SILVER AWARD: Bents

BRONZE AWARD: Pughs Wenvoe & The Garden Kitchen

HIGHLY COMMENDED: Dobbies Tewkesbury, Haskins Snowhill

FINALISTS: Bents, Dobbies Tewkesbury, Haskins Snowhill, Holt, Jacksons Boutique, Munros Nurseries, Newquay, Pengelly, Pugh's Wenvoe, Squires Badshot Lea, The Garden Kitchen By Pugh's, Woodlands, Kent

The Greatest Christmas Marketing Team

GOLD AWARD: Barton Grange

SILVER AWARD: Pugh’s

BRONZE AWARD: Gates

FINALISTS: Barton Grange, Bosworths, Burton Latimer, Cooks, Fron Goch, Garsons Esher, Garsons Titchfield, Gates, Hall's Garden centre, Pugh's Radyr, Pugh's Wenvoe, The Garden Kitchen By Pugh's

The Greatest Garden Centre Christmas Video

GOLD AWARD: Old Railway Line

SILVER AWARD: Alton

BRONZE AWARD: British Garden Centres, Dobbies

HIGHLY COMMENDED: Pengelly

FINALISTS: Alton, Barton Grange, British Garden Centres, Dobbies, Keydell, Old Railway Line

Pengelly, The Grange, Tong , Wentworth

The Greatest Christmas Grotto Team

GOLD AWARD: Chessington

SILVER AWARD: Gouldings Santa Experience

BRONZE AWARD: Keydell

HIGHLY COMMENDED: Birkacre, Coolings Lifestyle, Ruxley Manor

FINALISTS: Barton Grange, Baytree, BGC Arcadia, Birkacre, Chessington, Coolings Lifestyle, Gouldings Santa Experience, Keydell, Ruxley Manor, Tong , Wentworth

The Greatest Christmas Supplier

GOLD AWARD: Kaemingk

SILVER AWARD: Gisela Graham

BRONZE AWARD: Smart Garden Three Kings

FINALISTS: Festive, Florasilk, Giftware Trading, Gisela Graham, Kaemingk, Premier Decorations, Richard Lang, Smart Garden Three Kings

The Greatest Group Small Centre Christmas Team

GOLD AWARD: BGC Harrogate

SILVER AWARD: BGC Studley

BRONZE AWARD: Klondyke Astbury Meadow

FINALISTS: BGC Bournville, BGC Braintree, BGC Burford House, BGC Charlbury, BGC Harrogate, BGC Playhatch, BGC Studley, Klondyke Astbury Meadow

The Greatest Group Large Centre Christmas Team

GOLD AWARD: Squires Badshot Lea

SILVER AWARD: Klondyke High Legh

BRONZE AWARD: Haskins Snowhill

HIGHLY COMMENDED : Dobbies Edinburgh

FINALISTS: BGC Woodthorpe, Blue Diamond Bridgemere, Blue Diamond Newbridge, Blue Diamond Van Hage, Dobbies Edinburgh, Haskins Snowhill, Klondyke High Legh, Klondyke Mortonhall, Klondyke Stokesley, Squires Badshot Lea, Tong

The Greatest Small Garden Centre Christmas Team

GOLD AWARD: Cooks

SILVER AWARD: Poundbury Gardens

BRONZE AWARD: The Grange

HIGHLY COMMENDED: Munro’s, Pengelly

FINALISTS: Bennybeg Plant Centre, Cooks, Munros Nurseries, Pengelly, Poundbury Gardens, The Grange, Whitehall Pewsey

The Greatest Mid-Sized Garden Centre Christmas Team

GOLD AWARD: Birkacre

SILVER AWARD: Glendoick

BRONZE AWARD: Woodlands, Kent

HIGHLY COMMENDED: MacKenzie & Cruikshank

FINALISTS: Birkacre, Bosworths, Burton Latimer, Brimsmore Gardens, Castle Gardens Sherbourne, Glendoick, Hall's Garden centre, Holt, Jacksons Boutique, Mackenzie & Cruickshank, Newquay, Pugh's Wenvoe, Silverbirch, Whitehall Whitchurch, Woodlands, Kent

The Greatest Large Garden Centre Christmas Team

GOLD AWARD: Pugh’s Radyr

SILVER AWARD: Wentworth

BRONZE AWARD: Garsons Titchfield

FINALISTS: Fron Goch, Garsons Titchfield, Old Railway Line, Pugh's Radyr, Wentworth

The Greatest Giant Garden Centre Christmas Team

GOLD AWARD: Barton Grange

SILVER AWARD: Gates

BRONZE AWARD: Perrywood Tiptree

FINALISTS: Barton Grange, Bents, Garsons Esher, Gates, Longacres Bagshot, Perrywood, Tiptree, Whitehall Lacock

Voted The Greatest Christmas Garden Centre Team

GOLD AWARD: Busy Bee (1^st)

SILVER AWARD: Cooks (2^nd)

BRONZE AWARD: Bosworths Burton Latimer (3^rd)

HIGHLY COMMENDED (Top 20): Garden King (4^th), Jacksons Boutique (5^th), Gates (6^th), Southwood Garden Centre (7^th), Birkacre (8^th), Old Railway Line (9^th), Trowell (10^th), Pughs Rady'r (11^th), Planters Tamworth (12^th), Munro's (13^th) Keydell (14^th), Newquay Garden Centre (15^th), Summerhill (16^th), Azure Garden Centre (17^th), Hillmount Belfast (18^th), Allbrighton BGC (19^th), Planters Bretby (20^th)

FINALISTS: Allbrighton BGC, Azure Garden Centre, Birkacre, Bosworths Burton Latimer, Bow Garden and Aquatic Centre, Braintree BGC, Brigg BGC, Busy Bee, Cooks, Ferndale, Garden King, Gates, Hillmount Belfast, Jacksons Boutique, Keydell, Munro's, Newquay Garden Centre, Old Railway Line, Pengelly, Perrywood Sudbury, Perrywood Tiptree, Planters Bretby

Planters Tamworth, Pughs Rady'r, Pughs Wenvoe, Roxton BGC, Southwood Garden Centre, Summerhill, Trowell, Woodthorpe BGC

The Greatest Christmas Award judges.

Watch out for The Greatest Christmas Awards photo tours of the centres in future issues of GTN Xtra, starting this coming weekend and in the next issue of GTN magazine.

See more pictures from the presentations in the gallery below....

Our team of judges have now completed the task of visiting the 100 garden centres who were nominated for GTN’s Greatest Christmas Awards 2023.  And our sponsors have been lining up prizes of stock or hotel accommodation for the category winners.

Here are the categories for GTN’s Greatest Christmas Awards 2023

• The Greatest Christmas Houseplant Team
• The Greatest Christmas Tree and Outdoor Plant Team
• The Greatest Christmas BBQ and Outdoor Leisure Team – The Solex Sizzle
• The Greatest Christmas Wild Bird Care & Pet Team
• The Greatest Christmas Marketing Team
• The Greatest Christmas Community Event
• The Greatest Festive Gardening Gifts Team
• The Greatest Festive Retail Food Hall Team
• The Greatest Festive Garden Centre Catering Team
• The Greatest Garden Centre Christmas Video
• The Greatest Garden Centre Grotto Team
• The Greatest Group Small Garden Centre Christmas Team*
• The Greatest Group Large Garden Centre Christmas Team*
• The Greatest Small Garden Centre Christmas Team
• The Greatest Mid-Sized Garden Centre Christmas Team
• The Greatest Large Garden Centre Christmas Team

*The Group Garden Centre awards are for centres that are part of groups with 5 or more centres

Judging visits will take place during November and December with the winners being announced on The Stage at Spring Fair on Monday 5^th February 2024.

As well as the kudos and fame from winning a Greatest Christmas award, our Gold winners in each category will win prizes including stock, services or hotel accommodation from our sponsors, which at time of going to press include:

• AMES
• Garden Radio
• Glee 2024
• Kaemingk
• LeisureGrow - NOMA
• PATS 2024
• Smart Garden Products – Three Kings
• Solex 2024
• Stars for Europe
• Woodmansterne

Watch out for details of the prizes on offer in issues of GTN Xtra: www.gardentradenews.co.uk and in the next issue of GTN.

What the judges will be looking for when they visit:

As GTN's Greatest Christmas Awards firstly recognise the amazing teamwork involved in garden centre Christmas retailing excellence we asked our judges what specific things they will be looking for in each Christmas Awards category this year:

• The Greatest Christmas Houseplant Team
  • Christmas theming of the displays, link sales and plants as Christmas presents 
• The Greatest Christmas Tree and Outdoor Plant Team
  • Extending the Christmas experience out into the Planteria, not only making the sale of cut trees fun and different but what is being done to promote link sales to trees as well as plants as presents. 
• The Greatest Christmas BBQ and Outdoor Leisure Team – The Solex Sizzle
  • Effort (and success) being put to inspiring  sales of BBQ’s, firepits, furniture, arbours and leisure items normally associated with summer rather than Christmas
• The Greatest Christmas Wild Bird Care & Pet Team
  • From a gondola end of Christmas pet treats to a whole department dedicated to wild bird care or pets of all shapes and sizes. The festive feeling generated by the team, from their attitude for sales to their inspirational displays.  Who has been bold enough to include a pet or wild bird care display in the main Christmas area?
• The Greatest Christmas Marketing Team
  • On and off centre Christmas marketing activity: advertising, p.o.s. video, social media, influencer promotions. We are looking for originality, execution and sucess.
• The Greatest Christmas Community Event
  • A one off ‘launch’ or an ongoing feature – for example a zoo, woodland walk, colouring competition, cookery demonstration or a charity fundraiser that engages the community and extends the Christmas experience.
• The Greatest Festive Gardening Gifts Team
  • This is all about creating sales at this time of year through inspirational use/display/promotion of regular gardening tools and sundries items in a festive setting /department which are capturing sales to both new annd experienced gardeners.
• The Greatest Festive Retail Food Hall Team
  • Food Hall, Farm Shop or just a department in the retail area. Looking for seasonal lines, offers and services to build unit sales as well as dressing of the area. What is special to your Garden Centre offer over other food retailers?
• The Greatest Festive Garden Centre Catering Team
  • What have you done to make your restaurant or coffee shop a part of the Christmas experience? Looking for dressing of the seating area, servery, menu, special offers, link sales, promotions and of course, Festive staff!
• The Greatest Garden Centre Christmas Video
  • Simply a Christmas promotional video that creates garden centre visits and sales.
• The Greatest Garden Centre Grotto Team
  • What have the team done this season to create a really memorable and enjoyable experience.
• The Greatest Group Small Garden Centre Christmas Team*
• The Greatest Group Large Garden Centre Christmas Team*
• The Greatest Small Garden Centre Christmas Team
• The Greatest Mid-Sized Garden Centre Christmas Team
• The Greatest Large Garden Centre Christmas Team
  • For all of the overall team awards the judges are looking for happy, festive garden centre teams who can keep their Christmas retailing standards at their best throughout the Christmas sales period. 

By popular demand we have brought back Customer Voting for The Greatest Garden Centre Christmas teams, after all it is what customers think that is most important. See the details here

The first Greatest Christmas Awards Team visit the judges carried out this year was at British Garden Centres Woodthorpe, back in August.  See our gallery of pictures below: