The race to be voted The Greatest Christmas Garden Centre Team Award comes to an end at midnight on Thursday 22nd December and with over 15,000 votes having been made prior to this last weekend garden centre teams are pulling out the stops to claim the top spot or one of the regional awards we will be presenting at Spring Fair on Monday 5th February.

Last week several centres doubled their number of on-line votes with Southwood Garden Centre in Hull increasing their votes by 177%.  And we are starting to receive daily packages of votes collected in store.

As a result we are not able to publish a chart update on voting today.  That now has to wait until we all meet up on The Stage at Spring Fair, 5pm on Monday 5th February 2024 when the results of the customer voting and the results of all the judges visits will be announced.

With voting closing at the end of Thursday, Christmas teams who are collecting votes in store should package them up and send them to the GTN offices to arrive no later than Thursday 28th December when the final count will begin.

From the comments made by customers with their votes and from the Greatest Christmas Awards judges feedback it's clear that garden centres and their customers have really enjoyed a great build up to Christmas.

Now all we have to do is sign off, enjoy the break... and then get ready for a superb spring!

Happy Christmas to you all!

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:

LBC Boots have crafted an extraordinary journey this autumn marked by milestones and resounding success. This season, they've expanded distribution within garden centres, becoming the go-to choice for style, durability and affordability in lightweight footwear.  

Following a successful GLEE, one of the major achievements this Autumn has been stepping into British Garden Centres with four styles of their Ultralight boots, including the ladies and men’s ankle boots, the Kids range and full-length explorer boots, as well as strengthening agreements with the likes of Tillington, Prosper and FMG.

Their digital evolution stands as a testament to their brand strengthening efforts. A revitalised website has elevated user experiences, allowing consumers to explore, shop, and indulge in 'The lightest wellingtons you'll ever wear' like never before... The aim is simple: deliver exceptional customer service and top-notch products that infuse joy, spontaneity, and adventure into the everyday.  And their new website is the perfect platform for just that!

“We're excited to welcome others on this journey, witnessing the brand strike a chord with retailers and consumers alike, appreciating what makes LBC Boots truly distinctive. Our endeavours to expand the brand this autumn have been incredibly rewarding, and we anticipate even greater things in 2024,“ said Kev Burgess, Director.

This season’s introduction of autumn-inspired tones, like berry, purple, and the bold green men's ankle boot have been a driving force for their success.  These colours aren't just visually appealing; they signify LBC Boots' commitment to style and functionality at an affordable price.  Supported by their brand presence on social media these colours have become hot topics among both new and loyal consumers, sparking desire and conversations alike.

This achievement goes beyond just footwear; it's a blend of style and purpose, a testament to their unwavering commitment to innovation and sustainability.  As the new year approaches, LBC Boots confidently steps into the future, prepared to expand this success within the gardening sector and beyond.

Contact:

Kev & Charlie Burgess

Tel: 01934 315 386 

www.lbcboots.com

LEON BOOTS CO UK Headquarters, Unit 57, Buckingham Road, Weston Trading Estate, Weston-Super-Mare, BS24 9BG. 

Westland Horticulture, home to brands such as Big Tom, Boost, Resolva, Unwins, and Kent & Stowe, has announced the New Horizon Fund that will support community garden projects across the UK and Ireland in 2024. 

The New Horizon Fund aims to create a greener future for all, and will support a variety ofgardening projects, from schools, allotments, hospices, and care homes, across the UK and Ireland.

The funding will comprise of a collection of gardening essentials, including compost, seeds, tools, and fertilisers, from Westland Horticulture, to the value of £1,000. Each prize bundle will be individually created based on the project’s needs to help them transform their space.

Help the New Horizon Fund Grow 

Growing media is the No.1 consumed gardening product. With every bag soldof Westland’s New Horizon peat free compost, the fund grows and grows. Every time a consumer purchases a bag of New Horizon, they’ll be contributing to gardening projects that will greatly benefit from an improved outdoor space.

Westland has developed a variety of point-of-sale materials to bring to life the New Horizon Fund in-store, encouraging consumers to choose a bag of New Horizon next them they purchase compost, in order to help community garden projects thrive. 

To raise awareness of the New Horizon Fund, Westland will be encouraging the media to spread the word and encourage consumers to nominate their local projects. 

Nominate your local gardening project

If you know of a gardening project that could benefit from receiving a donation from Westland’s New Horizon Fund to help it thrive, nominate at www.gardenhealth.com/new-horizon-fund

There will be multiple prize draws throughout the year, in March, June and September, with at least five bundles being awarded at each stage, so there’s plenty of opportunities for local causes to be awarded a bundle. The final closing date will be 1^st September 2024. 

New Horizon Peat Free Organic All Plant Compost 

Success in gardening all starts with compost, and with Westland’s New Horizon compost, you can be sure it is great for your customer’s garden, and great for the planet. Our relentless pursuit of excellence in ingredients, processes, and quality has resulted in our most environmentally friendly and highest performance compost range ever. It provides everything plants require for optimal growth and to thrive.

The New Horizon compost is 100% sustainably sourced and is the leading sustainable brand in our growing media category. 

New Horizon has been specially created to be the perfect blend for vegetables, fruits, and flowers. The ingredients start to nourish plants immediately and continue to feed for up to 6 weeks. 

In common with all Westland products, New Horizon peat free compost can be ordered 24/7 via Westland Live, and frequent top-ups are easy as part of a Westland weekly delivery. 

Kent & Stowe branded range of tools from Westland Horticulture has launched its new range of cutting tools with integrated RFID tags to help stamp out theft. 

The Horticultural Trades Association recently reported that an estimated £16m worth of garden centre turnover was lost due to retail crime last year, and with 70% of garden centres reporting a crime, Kent & Stowe is keen to do its part to lower this figure. 

The brand’s SureCut range of cutting tools, in stock this month, have been engineered to drive garden centre profit through extraordinary design. All SureCut products feature an anti-theft device that’s been developed to hide discretely into the packaging. The RF security tag alerts retailers if a model leaves the premises without being purchased. The tag can be quickly and simply deactivated at the till, offering retailers peace of mind, and securing Kent & Stowe as the right tool partner to help act on the crisis of retail crime.  

The thoughtful engineering doesn’t stop there – the SureCut range, which comprises of loppers, shears and secateurs, has been developed to help gardeners achieve extraordinary results. The new Reflex Energy System aims to fundamentally shape the future of the tools market, and this innovation results in maximum comfort with minimum effort when cutting. Two thermo-elastomers with different properties are combined into a durable spring damper. This cushions the impact experienced when closing loppers and shears, then provides a calibrated rebound to reduce the effort of the next cut. 

The SureCut range, which won the 2023 Tools & Machinery award at GLEE, combine the same hardened Japanese SK5 Chrome plated steel used in the Secateurs, but the strengthened blades are built into a strong, yet light, aluminium monocoque chassis. 

Simon McArdle, Divisional Director, Hardware, for Westland, commented: “As manufacturers, we have a role to play in reducing the impact of crime and protecting retailer profit. We were saddened to learn about the shockingly high reports of theft in garden centres. We aim to be at the forefront of innovation to develop solutions that support our retail partners as well as the end consumer. The increased security embedded into the new SureCut range provides retailers with some added peace of mind, which we hope will be a welcome addition to stores.” 

Contact your local sales representative to start stocking the Kent & Stowe SureCut range.

In common with all Westland products, Kent & Stowe can be ordered 24/7 via Westland Live, and frequent top-ups are easy as part of a Westland weekly delivery. Scan here to login in or sign up.

The latest GRIDSERVE Electric Retail Hubs have opened at Dobbies Liverpool and Milton Keynes, as part of a long term partnership between the charging company and garden centre to increase the number of High Power charging locations across the UK.

Dobbies Liverpool, located in Speke near the A561, now features 12 GRIDSERVE charging bays in total to ensure space for all visitors, including two accessible bays for those with additional requirements. These are available 7am to 6pm.

The GRIDSERVE Electric Retail Hub has four dual charging units, with eight charging bays. These chargers allow two cars to charge at once at Medium Power speeds, giving EV drivers time to explore the garden centre and other amenities. There are also four High Power chargers, charging one car at a time, for a quick top up.  

Dobbies Milton Keynes, near the A5, now features six GRIDSERVE charging bays in total to ensure space for all visitors.

The GRIDSERVE Electric Retail Hub has three dual charging units, with six charging bays. These chargers allow two cars to charge at once at Medium Power speeds, giving EV drivers time to explore the garden centre and other amenities.

To make it as easy as possible for customers to charge their EV, the Dobbies Liverpool Electric Retail Hub features CCS and CHAdeMO connectors as well as AC sockets, accepts contactless payment and provides real-time status updates to a myriad of popular EV charging maps. The chargers are powered by 100% net zero carbon energy, supporting GRIDSERVE and Dobbies’ purpose to move the needle on climate change.  

Toddington Harper, CEO of GRIDSERVE, said: “We are delighted to be opening another Electric Retail Hub with our partners at Dobbies. Fast and reliable charging at convenient locations is what is needed to give drivers the confidence to switch to electric. We continue the rollout of new locations and chargers at speed and scale, and look forward to open even more GRIDSERVE chargers at Dobbies locations in the near future.” 

Nick Anderson, Dobbies Operations Director, said: “It is very important to us at Dobbies that we are constantly developing our store in line with the needs of our customers, and we’re proud to offer EV charging at our Liverpool store. As more drivers are switching to electric vehicles, we are delighted to be opening the electric retail hub to provide the local community with easy to access, affordable and fast EV charging.”

Four GRIDSERVE Electric Retail Hubs are now open at Dobbies Liverpool, Milton Keynes, Swindon and Leicester, with more planned.

The Garden Centre Association has had several new members join it in 2023 – with nine garden centres and 22 associates signing up and approved so far this year.

These garden centres include Hillmount Garden Centre, Belfast, The Hertfordshire Garden Centre, Yarnton Home & Garden, Oxfordshire, Rutland Nursery and five Hilliers – Newbury, Three-Legged Cross, Weyhill, Aldermaston and Lechlade.

Peter Burks (pictured above), Chief Executive of the GCA, explains: “We’d like to welcome all our new members. I am pleased to report that we now have 210 garden centre members in total and, between them, they’ve produced more than £1 billion of trade during the past 12 months.

“It’s been a bumper year for membership at the GCA, as we also have a further 13 associate members and three garden centres who have applied recently, and to be approved as members, to add to these too.”

The new approved centres have already received visits from their GCA regional inspector. These visits differ from the GCA’s annual inspections, as the date is pre-arranged, rather than unannounced. This gives new members the chance to meet their inspector and be talked through the inspection process.

Peter continues: “Now these garden centres are members, they will benefit hugely from our inspection process, as well as our annual conference in January, where they can network with others in the sector.

“Our members say our unique annual inspections and feedback sessions are one of the biggest benefits of membership. The inspections are a fantastic operational, management and motivational tool, which helps towards improving standards within a business, as well as helping colleagues develop their skills. These combine to keep everyone on their toes and ensure they’re always striving towards achieving operational excellence.

“We always aim to help our members achieve the highest standards across all areas of their businesses including customer service, merchandising, plant quality and marketing.”

GCA members are also able to access the Association’s e-learning initiative Garden Retail Online Workshops (GROW), which helps member garden centres keep their customer service at the highest standard.

Managing Director of Yarnton Home & Garden, Glen Sheldrake says: “We felt that as an independent home and garden centre we would benefit greatly from membership of a trade body. The GCA gives us the opportunity for active discussion with our peers, routes to improvement through the assessment schemes, a great training programme and much else besides.”

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

Peter adds: “There are so many benefits for centres to join an organisation like ours. We’re a friendly and inclusive bunch and membership enables businesses to easily share best practice, experiences and ideas, which helps them make positive and proactive decisions. We use a system called Mighty that allows members to communicate with each other privately too.

“We also help members to achieve high standards in areas like customer service and plant quality, which are important in ensuring they stand out from their competitors.”

Other benefits include access to the GCA’s Barometer of Trade results, this allows members to compare their trading positions with other member garden centres.  

Peter concludes: “It’s a real pleasure to welcome these new members. If anyone is interested in joining us, we accept applications at any time of year, so if there are any centres or associates, who supply our industry, out there thinking of joining us, then please don’t hesitate to get in touch.”

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

During December, Perrywood Garden Centres in Tiptree and Sudbury gifted seasonal planted containers to Abberton Rural Training, The Red Rose Community Farm and The Tiptree Community Hub.

This is a part of their Christmas Cheer campaign to thank volunteers who kindly give up their time to support these amazing charities and community group.

Abberton Rural Training is an educational charity providing practical and skills training alongside therapeutic support and mentoring to the residents of Essex and surrounding areas.

The Red Rose Community Farm located near Sudbury (run by The Befriending Scheme) provides a therapeutic environment with friendship and learning opportunities for those with learning disabilities, people suffering from ill mental health, and vulnerable children and families.

The Tiptree Community Hub provides a range of services for the local community such as access to free food and supporting good physical and mental health.

Louise Smith, Senior Communications Manager, comments,” I’ve helped organise our Christmas Cheer campaign for a number of years now and the enjoyment of delivering them hasn’t wavered. It is an honour to gift the planters to well deserving volunteers or someone in need of a little lift. Visiting the charities we support and local community groups is always inspiring, the work they do is so valuable and this is even more apparent when you visit and see the huge smiles from those that benefit”

Families arriving at Chessington Garden Centre this Christmas will be greeted by the county’s largest independent Santa’s grotto. The magical multi-sensory experience is tailored for children, where they can interact with scenes and characters from some of their favourite animated films.

Before meeting Father Christmas, children are guided through a special cinema room showing an exclusive animation commissioned specially for the garden centre, before taking a journey through a Winter woodland complete with light shows, water attractions and festive set designs.

They’ll also experience a scene from Santa’s workshop, complete with elves working on toys for Christmas and even singing reindeer. After visiting Santa, children can hand in their ‘magic ticket’ to select from a range of toys, including dolls, toy cars and creative sets for crafts and painting.

In total, Chessington creates more than 100 local jobs each Christmas to support the attraction and deliver a magical experience for families.

Chessington Garden Centre first established its Christmas experience over 20 years ago, and it’s expanded from being set up in the corner of the centre to a year-round operation, with planning and designing for the experience beginning every January.

It comes amid a year of growth for the garden centre, which has invested in its range of own-label outdoor furniture and equipment. Chessington’s outdoor living range includes, dining and seating areas, fire pits and outdoor kitchens, and the business has recently used a six-figure funding package from Lloyds Bank to deal directly with suppliers. By removing additional brokers, it’s able to design quality goods and retail for a lower price.

It's also used the funding to refurbish its on-site 350-cover restaurant, which will be supplied by Chessington’s new farm shop. The expansion has included creating new, enhanced seating areas and investing in its own butchery to ensure fresher ingredients. It now hopes to retail its own produce to customers at the garden centre.

Jolyon Martin, managing director at Chessington Garden Centre, said: “Christmas is a special time of year and part of this is down to the unique experiences families get to enjoy together. We work hard not just to deliver this, but really go beyond their imagination to create something truly magical.

“It takes a huge team to create the spectacle every year, from designers and builders, to the all-important elves and of course Santa himself. We’re able to plan it and forecasts well in advance with Paul and Lloyds Bank’s support, and we’re looking forward to this year’s festive season.”

Paul Keaveney, relationship director at Lloyds Bank, said: “The garden centre sector is competitive and there are a number of high-quality ones in and around Surrey. Jolyon and the team at Chessington has recognised an opportunity to diversify and make themselves a unique destination.

“Spotting areas to expand and earn a USP requires ambition, as well as the ability to invest strategically. We’re working by the side of businesses across the region to unlock the working capital they need to diversify and grow.”

Plastic resource efficiency and recycling charity, RECOUP, has launched its annual UK Household Plastic Packaging Collection Survey, which estimates that year-on-year plastic packaging use and plastic packaging collection quantities have dropped for the first time.

It was estimated that there was reduction of around 70,000 tonnes in the quantity of household plastic packaging placed on the market in the UK, with quantities collected by local authorities at the kerbside also reducing by nearly 30,000 tonnes. Both have reduced by around 5%. There has also been a plateau in the development of kerbside provision, as all UK local authorities have collected plastic bottles for recycling at the kerbside since 2019, but only 88% collect plastic pots, tubs, and trays, the same as in 2021, and plastic films and flexibles dropping from 13% to 12%, the sixth year in a row this has decreased.

This amounts to a collection rate of 42% for all household plastic packaging - 63% for plastic bottles, 39% for plastic pots, tubs, and trays, and 7% for plastic films and flexibles. The UK’s overall recycling rate for plastic packaging from household and commercial sources is 52%.

With Simpler Recycling announced in October, and dates communicated with regards to Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) and Deposit Return Schemes (DRS) across the UK, local authorities can now start to plan how they can tackle the changes needed, although payments to enable this from the new packaging Extended Producer Responsibility are yet to be fully established.

Policy alone may not unpick some of the complexities local authorities have with their collection contracts and infrastructure, but to avoid a further slide or stagnation in household plastic collections, efforts need to be made sooner rather than later, particularly with recycling targets due to increase.

This year’s Survey found that whilst local authorities are making significant efforts to communicate recycling specification to citizens, more resource and focus is needed on plastic packaging citizen communications and behaviour change programmes. 

RECOUP is also launching its UK Citizen Plastics Recycling Behaviours Insights Survey 2023 which indicates an annual drop of 7% nationally of citizens claiming to recycle plastics drinks bottles every time, to 88%. Despite the fact that citizens tend to overclaim actual behaviours this reflects a worrying trend. However, where Pledge2Recycle Plastics has been partnering with Durham County Council to deliver citizen and community engagement on plastics recycling, individuals declaring to recycle drinks bottles every time rose by 2%, to 97%.

Anne Hitch, Business and Project Development Lead at RECOUP, commented: “Whilst we continue to wait for supporting legislation, citizens remain uncertain about what to recycle in terms of plastics and how. 32% of all respondents to the Insights Survey declared that when they do not recycle an item it is because they are confused about if it is recyclable.

“If we are to gain ground in terms of kerbside tonnages and quality of plastics, it is crucial that investment in plastics recycling communications is given priority."

57% of local authorities conduct ongoing waste and recycling communication campaigns, and a further 23% in the last 12 months. Significant inconsistency remains in messaging, including around asking for lids to be on or off bottles, packaging to be empty, rinsed, washed, flattened, or squashed.

The need for good communications is backed up by a small increase in reject rates, which were up to 37% for one local authority, and an average of 14% across all respondents.

Tom McBeth, Policy & Infrastructure Manager at RECOUP, commented: "This year’s Survey has shown the reduction in packaging placed on the market.

“Whilst the collected material also dropped, in the context of the amount of material used, it shows a picture of stagnation in collection levels with service provision also remaining similar to the 2022 Survey.

"With the news of Simpler Recycling beginning to come into force in England from 2025, and some level of certainty in dates for material collection requirements, DRS and EPR, it is important that local authorities are now able to understand the funding they will have to drive the collection of more plastic packaging from consumers."

The RECOUP UK Household Plastic Packaging Collection Survey 2023 is available for RECOUP members to download from its website.

For more information about RECOUP, the work they do and how to become a member,  email enquiry@recoup.org, visit www.recoup.org or call 01733 390021.

Flashback to 2020 and you’ll find Natalie Porter donning the first of many festive jumpers to find their home within the garden retail sector. Now, three years later, these festive jumpers are being enjoyed by the fourth and fifth ‘wearers’, Millbrook’s Tammy Woodhouse and Greenfingers’ very own Fundraising and Communications Director, Linda Petrons, as they take on the 25-day challenge.

Since its humble beginnings, the most jumperful time has gone on to the one of the most fun fundraising activities for the Greenfingers Charity. The current fundraising total for this festival of festive jumpers now exceeds an incredible £20,000, with more monies flooding in to support both Linda and Tammy throughout December.

Talking about this wonderful milestone, Natalie Porter said: “What started as a daft idea to raise spirits during lockdown has quickly taken root as a beloved industry tradition, with each new jumper wearer adding their own dash of personality to the festive fun.

Greenfingers charity holds such a special place in the heart of horticulture, and this is proven time and time again by the enthusiasm shown by businesses in sponsoring the good, the bad and the itchy.

“I am so proud for the initiative to be reaching the £20,000 mark in our fourth year of jumperful fun and can’t wait to see just how far future evolutions take us. Helping Greenfingers to create magical gardens for children in hospices – one jumper at a time!"

The Most Jumperful 2023 – almost halfway there!

With a wardrobe full of jumpers (50 in fact, some itchy, some sparkly and some completely new to the jumperful challenge) to choose from, Tammy and Linda’s efforts are being supported from the sidelines by the 25 sponsors.

Sponsors include British Garden Centres, Evergreen Garden Care, Klondyke, Supremo Leisure, ICL (Levington Advanced), EJP Roofing, Westland, Premier Decorations, Meadow View Stone, More People Recruitment, Capi, Deco-Pak, Henry Bell, The Boyd Partnership, Garden Radio, Barton Grange, Marina Cottage, AMES, Smart Garden Products, Corby & Fellas, Cowells Garden Centre, Hornby Whitefoot PR, Old Railway Line, Happy Plants, David Austin Roses and St Peters Garden Centre. Each sponsor has the option to don Christmas jumpers on their allocated day as well as providing a £100 donation to the fundraising total, with 10 sponsors having already enjoyed this festive fun (including some that have come back for more with a double sponsorship!) as the Most Jumperful challenge heads towards the halfway mark.

Whilst all the sponsorships are now nabbed, there is still plenty of time to show your support by donating to the Most Jumperful challenge by visiting https://www.justgiving.com/team/MostJumperful or contact Linda Petrons via linda@greenfingerscharity.org.uk.  

Linda Petrons, Director of Fundraising & Communications at the Greenfingers Charity, said; “A HUGE thank you to everyone that has sponsored Tammy and myself. It’s great to know that you’ll be by our side as we work our way through the advent calendars of itchy embarrassment! Though this is only for 25-days, as opposed to the daily challenges life-limited children and their families face every single day. Now that’s the real motivation to do this!”

Find out more

To show your support of Tammy and Linda please visit www.themostjumperful.co.uk and don’t forget to follow The Most Jumperful on social media via @themostjumperful

You can also join in the conversation by following Greenfingers on social media -https://www.facebook.com/Greenfingerscharity/, @GreenfingersCha on Twitter, and @Greenfingerscharity on Instagram and LinkedIn. 

Members of the Garden Centre Association are being asked to vote for their Associate Member of the Year for 2023 – with the winner announced at the GCA’s annual conference in the Cotswolds this January (January 28 until 31, 2024).

The award recognises companies or individuals that have contributed to the success of the sector and is highly regarded and valued by garden centres.

GCA CEO, Peter Burks, explains: “We love to hear from our members and want to get their thoughts on who should be our Associate Member of the Year for 2023.

“There are no strict criteria for the selection of the winning supplier, members can simply vote for the company that has helped their centre the most, with service, new products or marketing, for example.

“The deadline for voting is 5pm on Monday, January 15, 2024 and all votes should be submitted by email to peter@gca.org.uk. We will be presenting the Haskins Stewarts Cup to the winners at our annual conference this January.”

The GCA’s annual conference will be held at the De Vere Cotswold Water Park Hotel near Cirencester, Gloucestershire from January 28 until 31, 2024 and places can be booked via www.gca.org.uk.

The GCA members conference pages on the body’s website have full details. There is also a dedicated email for any queries members, and those wishing to book for the event, may have: conference@gca.org.uk.

Peter adds: “Many garden centre suppliers don’t realise that they can join us. We welcome applications from any supplier offering products or services relevant to our garden centre members. We offer the opportunity to communicate and network with more than 200 of the UK’s leading garden centres. Anyone interested in joining and potentially becoming one of our Associate Members of the Year in the future, can find out more at https://gca.org.uk/suppliers/.”

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.

Pictured: Last year’s Associate of the Year winners Wyevale Nurseries.

It may have only been open for a few weeks, but in the short time since it opened, a South Leeds Ice Rink has experienced two exciting events.

The first occurred during the opening session of the Ice Rink at Tingley Garden Centre on 15th November, when there was a marriage proposal on the ice and the second event took place on the 23rd of November when Tingley Garden Centre welcomed Castleford Tigers players and JT the mascot to host an exclusive family skate session on ice for their business partners.

Laura Kirk, Commercial Director, Castleford Tigers RLFC was delighted with their ice skating experience: "Castleford Tigers' partners and families had a fantastic time ice skating for an exclusive event with Tingley Garden Centre.

"We were really grateful to have been able to offer this to our partners as it allows us to add more value to their partnerships with the club and gives them a festive "money can't buy experience" where they can enjoy some family time whilst interacting with our players."

"We couldn't have wished for a more exciting start to our Ice Rink season. It's fabulous to see people of all ages enjoying an exhilarating outdoor activity that brings people of all ages together," said Amy Walledge, Ice Rink Manager.

Tingley Garden Centre's undercover boutique ice rink features festive music, festoon lighting and decorations. It can accommodate up to 130 skaters and is part of the centre's festive family fun programme that includes Santa's Grotto, Breakfast with Santa, Festive Afternoon Teas, seasonal menus, special offers and late-night opening.

Tickets for the Ice Rink, which is open until 7th January for pre-back-to-school fun, start at £5.00 for a child's off-peak ticket for a 50-minute session and skate hire. Visitors to Santa's Grotto at Tingley Garden Centre can get 10% off the Ice Rink prices when they book both activities together. Booking is online at https://bit.ly/TingleyIceRink

The Ice Rink is open Monday through to Saturday until 7 pm and until 4 pm on Sunday. Off Peak sessions are available Monday to Friday until 15th December.

Tingley Garden Centre is part of the Yorkshire Garden Centres family that also owns Tong Garden Centres and the former Stephen H Smith's Garden Centres in Otley and Bingley.

The Garden Press Event is a unique one-day exhibition taking place on Tuesday 20 February 2024 at the Business Design Centre in London. The only event of its kind for the industry, the exhibition provides an unrivalled opportunity for suppliers and garden industry companies to showcase new products, themes and stories to the garden press and media to kick start the gardening season.  

If your company has a new product for 2024, a new theme to showcase, or you are just looking to catch up with the media, this is a key show to be at. The event is designed to be accessible to all companies whatever their size, with stand space available at special introductory rates for first-time exhibitors. Discounts are available to GIMA and HTA members. 

With so many great stories to tell, exhibiting at the Garden Press Event provides an opportunity to make new contacts and get your messages across to a range of journalists, broadcasters, bloggers, influencers and press in the horticulture industry. Visitor entry is free of charge but restricted to bona fide editorial press, meaning that the event has become the launch pad for many new companies and product lines. 

All exhibitors can enter the New Product Awards, which are voted for by the media attending the show and raise funds for Greenfingers. In 2023, Wool Pots won the award for ‘Best New Product’ and Blue Diamond & National Trust took home the prize for ‘Best Stand.’ 

"We’ve exhibited at the Garden Press Event nine times now, and it has become a key date in our marketing calendar. It offers an unrivalled opportunity to meet and talk to a huge number of people, from a wide array of print, online and broadcast media. It’s at the perfect time of year too – just when communicators are researching ideas for the season to come. We wouldn’t miss it." Burgon and Ball

Why not join the growing list of exhibitors already signed up including:  

AMES UK, Andermatt, Atlantic Garden Ltd, AutoPot Watering Systems, Azpects Ltd, Ball Colegrave Ltd, Barrus, BBC Gardeners World Live , British Garden Centres, Bulldog Tools, Burgon & Ball, Crocus.co.uk, Dalefoot Composts, Darlac Ltd, David Austin Roses Ltd, Dobbies Garden Centres Ltd, Elho, Earthy Sustainable, Envii, Evergreen Garden Care, Frank P Matthews Limited, Gabriel Ash, Genus Gardenwear, Germie, Golden Grove Nursery Ltd, Greenfingers Charity, HEMPE, Hortiwool, HOTBIN Composting, Hozelock Ltd, Husqvarna UK, J. Parker’s, Johnsons Lawn Seed & Neudorff, Kettler GB Ltd, Keukenhof Makita UK Ltd, Melcourt Industries Ltd, Mr Fothergill's Seeds Ltd, Niwaki, Perennial, Plantlife, Primeur Ltd, Raymond Evison Clematis Ltd, Rijnbeek Perennials, RocketGro Compost. Roots Plants Ltd, Royal Horticultural Society, SBM Life Science Ltd, She Grows Veg Heirloom Seed, Simpson Strong-Tie, Sorbus International Ltd , Southern Trident Ltd, Spear & Jackson UK, Stiga Ltd , STIHL, The Blue Diamond Group, The Dipping Tank Company, The English Soap Company, The Hardy Plant Society, The Northern School of Gardening, The Woodland Trust, Urban Grow, Vitavia Greenhouses, Vitax Ltd, Westland Horticulture Ltd , Witt, Woodlodge, Wool Pots 

For further information about booking a stand or sponsorship opportunities please email events@hta.org.uk and Jo Gildea jo.gildea@hta.org.uk or visit www.gardenpressevent.co.uk

Members of the media can register to attend in advance at www.gardenpressevent.co.uk

The HTA has congratulated its Senior Events Executive, Harley Coles, and the Policy, Public Affairs and Media Team for reaching the prestigious Trade Association Forum Awards finals.

Amidst a record number of entries for the 2024 Awards, a series of shortlisting panels convened throughout December 2023 to identify the best in each category, culminating in this fantastic achievement for the Horticultural Trades Association (HTA) and its outstanding work over the past year.

Harley Coles is a finalist for the Rising Star award sponsored by the CIPR. Her nomination recognises the professional excellence she consistently demonstrates, along with her leadership qualities in managing her team to deliver outstanding results. Her leadership in orchestrating the HTA’s inaugural trade stand presence at the Chelsea Flower Show, resulting in a 4* award from the RHS judging team, is a shining example of her capabilities.

On learning of her finalist status, Harley said: “It was a real shock that I was nominated, so to be a finalist is an absolute honour and tribute to the support I’ve had from my wonderful team and colleagues in producing this year’s ambitious events programme.”

The Policy, Public Affairs, and Media Teams are finalists for Team of the Year, sponsored by PoliMonitor. Over the last 14 months, the team has undergone a transformative journey, focusing on engaging policy-makers and the media on crucial UK environmental horticulture, green spaces and garden industry issues. Their influence extends nationally and internationally, covering areas such as international trade, transition from peat-use, business taxation, skills, and water.

Jennifer Pheasey, who heads up the team as Director of Public Affairs, said: “This is a great recognition for the team who have grasped all opportunities over the last year to engage on multiple policy areas for our members, meeting policy-makers from Number 10 to Holyrood, supporting the House of Lords Horticulture Committee through to our recent successful Plants in Parliament event to help raise the sector’s profile.”

The final judging panel will meet in the new year to decide the winners, with the results announced at the ceremony on Thursday, 22nd February 2024. Congratulations to the entire HTA for this well-deserved recognition. Best of luck at the awards ceremony!

You can view the shortlist here: https://tafawards.org/2024-shortlist/

Shoppers keen to stock up on essential condiments and festive staples have seen them flocking to discount retail group QD which includes QD – QualityDiscounts.com stores and Cherry Lane Garden Centres. The retailer, which owns Cherry Lane Bradmore, has announced its top three best-selling grocery products.

Sales of ketchup are up a massive 105% on 2022, with the most sales seen in QD’s stores in Hadleigh, Dereham, Peterborough, Melton Mowbray and its Cherry Lane Garden Centre in Tickhill.

Mayonnaise is QD’s second most popular condiment with shoppers, achieving a sales increase of 20% on last year. The top stores for sales were all QDs, located in Peterborough, Dereham, Gorleston and Hadleigh.

Sales of both ketchup and mayo have ramped up during the festive period as consumers stock up to have a dollop with their Christmas dinner and leftovers.

Also among the best sellers is festive staple mincemeat. Sales are up across the QD Group by 25% on 2022. The top selling stores for mincemeat are all Cherry Lane Garden Centres, located in Bradmore (Nottinghamshire), Pulham Market (Norfolk) and Tickhill (Yorkshire).

Interestingly, Lathams, the QD-owned discount store on the Norfolk Broads which is popular with locals and holidaymakers alike, came top for sales of both ketchup and mayonnaise and second in sales of mincemeat.

QD has placed a firm focus on extending its value guaranteed proposition this year, offering consumers great savings on key essentials such as branded condiments, washing detergent and store cupboard staples.

Nisha Collins, brand and marketing manager for QD, said: “While we’re all feeling the pinch of the cost of living crisis, it’s clear that consumers are keen to keep essential condiments on the table and they’re looking to our stores to help them do this. The East of England definitely seems to be the sauciest for sales, with Potter Heigham taking top position for both ketchup and mayo, and Bradmore in Nottinghamshire top of the pops for mincemeat sales. Consumers have enough on their plates at the moment so we’re pleased to be doing our bit to help them continue to enjoy their favourites at great value prices.”

Established in 1985, the QD Group comprises QD – QualityDiscounts.com stores, Cherry Lane Garden Centres, Lathams of Potter Heigham and Thing-Me-Bobs.

Inspiring retail’s creators and curators, Spring Fair puts thousands of products across Home, Gift and Fashion at the forefront of UK retail. 

Taking place from 4th-7th February at NEC Birmingham, Spring Fair is delighted to welcome a host of licensed products including Disney characters, Royal Botanic Gardens Kew, Marvel, Harry Potter, and Barbie, to popular TV chefs and interior household names.  

Soraya Gadelrab, Event Director, Spring Fair says, “We are very excited to welcome so many new and well-known licensed brands to Spring Fair. The huge rise in popularity for licensed products in the retail sector continues unabated and Spring Fair will play host an enormous array of best-selling designs.”

Bringing all the hottest ideas, innovations and trends to the table, Housewares features the latest kitchenware, cookware, tabletop décor, and dining ideas from leading brands. Sitting within the section, Captivate Brands, a designer of attractive and practical products for the kitchen and home will be showcasing a range of well-known brands including Mary Berry’s collection of classic kitchenware for both informal dining and the most special occasions, Yvonne Ellen’s collection of carefully illustrated animals with on trend colours and subtle hints of gold, Catherine Lansfield kitchen products which are designed and developed in Great Britain and ethically sourced overseas under strict quality control; as well as quality dog walking accessories from Pawsome Paws Boutique.

Pure Table Top will be showcasing a selection of sought after brands within Housewares; created from one of the world’s leading collections of rare and historically significant artwork, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew will present striking designs featuring fabulous illustrations carefully selected from the archives.  A bright and colourful collection of kitchenware from Joules, and from multi award-winning wine expert and TV personality, Olly Smith’s collection of glassware - perfect for everyday use, the range has a glass for your favourite drink.

Sitting within Home, Living and Décor, one of the UK’s largest designers and manufacturers of home furnishing interior products, Riva Home will be bringing collections from Peter Rabbit and Voyage Maison to the show while home textile experts, Turner Bianca will offer soft textile designs from Hyperion, Matthew Williamson, Catherine Lansfield, Content by Terence Conran andStyle Sisters, each with their own signature style.

Home to the finest, most magical children’s toys and gadgets, Kids, Toys and Play offers a celebration of the most beautiful, handcrafted toys, brain-teasing puzzles, must-have high-tech gadgets, and craft gifts for all ages. Buyers can tap into the hottest toys from leading brands including Paddington and Peppa Pig brought to the show by TY UK, licensed backpacks, wellies, shoes, and lunchboxes featuring Bluey, Frozen, Harry Potter from William Lamb; and a range of Disney, Marvel and Universal soft toys, inflatables, games, novelties and stationery from Whitehouse Leisure.

Within Gift, returning to Spring Fair, Fizz Creations will present their selection of quirky gadgets, creative decor, and licensed treasures of characters Sonic, Dr Zuess, Peter Rabbit, Gruffalo, Grinch and Slush Puppy, while regular exhibitor Paladone’sinnovate trend led products will include a range of TV shows and gaming brands such as Stranger Things, X-box, Playstation, Barbie, Batman, Crayon, Friends, Marvel, Harry Potter, Minecraft, Tim Burton, Nintendo and many more.

Sting in the Tale return with their popular licensed range of high-quality, design-led giftware in partnership with The Repair Shop.

Based in the Georgian city of Bath, Half Moon Bay returns to Spring Fair with unique and exciting design-led gifts and collectables. Their award-winning expertise in producing colourful home and giftware collections that tell a story, feature much-loved characters from Disney Classic, Agatha Christie, Wallace & Gromit, Jurassic Park, Jaws, ET, Lord of the Rings, Moomins, Winnie the Pooh and William Morris.

Buyers looking for music inspired collections, Lasgo will be showcasing mechandise for brands such as ACDC, Motorhead, Assassin’s Creed, The Beetles and Metallica.  Star Images Enterprise, one of the UK’s largest distributors of collectable figures and toys, will be bringing collections from popular TV shows and films such as Addams Family, Big Bang Theory, Avengers, Avatar, Chucky, Call of Duty, Batman, Dune, ET, Ghostbusters, Godzilla, Halo, JAWS, DC and Star Wars.

Offering a wide collection of stationery, luggage and lunch ware, Blue Sky Studios produces products for Game of Thrones, MTV, Teenage Mutant Nija Turtles, South Park, SpongeBob, Harry Potter, Peppa Pig, My Little Pony and many more.

The English Ladies Co will return with their collection of enchanting, handcrafted figurines. Delicately crafted from the finest china by prestige artists, designs feature characters from Beauty and The Beast, Winnie the Pooh and Alice in Wonderland.

Regular exhibitor Heroes Inc will show a selection of apparel and accessories including beanies, caps, socks, jumpers featuring Disney, Marvel, Netflix, Pokemon and Harry Potter designs. Buyers looking for more music and character merchandise, look no further than Rock Off Retail with collections from AC/DC, The Beatles, David Bowie, Marvel, Warner Bros and many more.

Also showcasing their latest licensed collections are gifts, gadgets and toys from The Source Wholesale; The Carat Shop with their selection of jewellery; food and drink products from Infinity Brands; soft toys and gifts from Enesco; posters, stationery, drinkware, and collectibles from Pyramid International; and clothing from Spike Leisurewear. 

Quintessential British beauty company, Heathcote & Ivory return to the show with their vibrant collections and charming brand collaborations designed to helping elevate everyday self-care rituals – look out for William Morris, Cath Kidson, and Sara Millerdesigns. The English Soap Company showcase their exclusive range of hand washes, soap bars, hand creams and hand sanitisers inspired by the fragrance and beauty of the plants at The Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew in London.

Spring Fair has brought the industry together for over 70 years so retail's people can discover the latest products and trends. The next show will be an inspirational experience dedicated to the magic of discovery. Buyers will see, touch and experience thousands of the latest products across four key destinations - Home, Gift, Moda, and Everyday - and 13 definitive sectors. An efficient show layout designed around buyer’s needs will mean less time spent finding suppliers and products and more time experiencing them and everything else the show has to offer.

Spring Fair

4th – 7th February 2024

NEC Birmingham.

For more information please visit www.springfair.com  

To register for your free ticket visit https://www.springfair.com/visitor-registration

GTN director and editor Trevor Pfeiffer sat down with Glee event director Matthew Mein and garden industry advisor Boyd Douglas-Davies to discuss the key reasons why Glee's date is moving to 10–12 September 2024. 

The decision to change the date of Glee from 25–27 June to 10–12 September at the NEC Birmingham was taken after much consideration and having listened to extensive industry feedback.

You can watch the video where Trevor interviews Matthew and Boyd in a discussion about next year’s 50^thanniversary event. CLICK HERE

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

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

As the year goes on we give sales volume comparisons with 2018 as well as 2019 to allow your teams to see variations over a three year period.

Access is by subscription only.  For £145.00 per year you and your team can have access to the most up-to-date gardening sales analysis that has already helped many UK garden centres increase their sales.  To subscribe call 07973 504214, e-mail karen@pottingshedpress.co.uk or buy on-line using this link.

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

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 Bransford Webbs Plant Company has announced it has achieved BS855:2016 certification for our Environmental Management Systems for the 15th consecutive year, following a recent audit.

Since 2008, we have continually strived to improve our environmental credentials, of which this accreditation is a key part. Sustainability is at the heart of Bransford Webbs as we constantly look to reduce our impact on the environment. 

Mark Jenkins, in his new role of Environmental and Health & Safety Co-Ordinator, has direct responsibility for our annual Environmental Management Systems Accreditation, as well as providing support to the Nursery and Technical Teams, and the role of Health and Safety Supervisor.    

“Mark has been one of our very experienced nursery supervisors for 25 years," commented Christine Burton, Joint Managing Director.

“We are very pleased that he has recently developed his role further by becoming the Environmental and H+S Coordinator for the business, many congratulations."

The YPHA has announced an additional tier to its member wellbeing provisions, with the introduction of three new Mental Health First Aiders. 

This initiative, supported by YPHA’s Charity partner, Perennial, reinforces the association’s ongoing commitment to member wellbeing.

The newly appointed Mental Health First Aiders, Adam Stewart, George Holmes, and Jess Dabell, bring diverse backgrounds and viewpoints to the role. 

They have each completed Mental Health First Aid training courses which were hosted and funded by Perennial, with their availability via personal YPHA email addresses providing a confidential and accessible channel for members seeking support.

The newly appointed YPHA Mental Health First Aiders are:

• Adam Stewart (he/him) – Director of Utopia Landscapes (AdamMHFA@ypha.org.uk)
• George Holmes (they/them) – Horticultural Trainee at The MacRobert Trust (GeorgeMHFA@ypha.org.uk)
• Jess Dabell (she/her) – Brand Manager at Meadow View Stone (JessMHFA@ypha.org.uk)

Perennial is the UK’s only charity dedicated to helping everyone who works with plants, trees, flowers or grass, and their families. They offer free advice, information and support to all those in horticulture whether working or retired, at any stage of life. 

Emily McCurrie​, Perennial’s Programme Manager - Health Prevention said, “It’s a real pleasure to have Adam, George and Jess join our network of Mental Health First Aiders. They’re contributing to a great area of need within the industry. At Perennial, we know many workers are living with poor mental health and need support. The charity can’t do this alone and it’s encouraging to see industry workers taking ownership of the mental health agenda and being proactive in taking it forward. It means people in the industry do not need to struggle alone and have someone to talk to who understands the challenges of working in the industry.”

For more information on YPHA visit ypha.org.uk

For more information about Perennial visit perennial.org.uk

When the coming spoga+gafa invites guests to the Cologne exhibition halls from 16 to 18 June 2024, the focus will be on the green industry's responsibility for co-shaping a sustainable and healthy environment.

The world's largest garden and BBQ trade fair is picking up on the current challenges and developments of the industry with its new key topic "Responsible Gardens". As such, as an international platform spoga+gafa is also always a trend barometer.

We are taking an initial look at the corresponding trends and what responsibility means in the individual trade fair segments garden living and garden unique, garden creation and care as well as garden bbq.
 
Outdoor living: Comfort for all and new naturalness
The garden has many functions: It is an area for leisure activities, a meeting point for the family and friends as well as an area of recreation and place of retreat. Outdoor areas have to be designed to suit all generations for all of these activities. Outdoor living should be as pleasant as possible for the young and old. Outdoor furniture, sunshades or garden tools that are functionally optimised and easy to operate are thus conquering the outdoor space. Responsible design makes garden life easier: Ergonomically shaped seating furniture, age-appropriate sunbeds, planting tables for children or modular sofas that can be put together to suit the requirements and budget are just some examples of added comfort outdoors.

At the same time, outdoor life is being characterised by a new naturalness. Garden furniture with rounded, organic shapes and made from natural, regrowing raw materials like rattan, bamboo or real wood lend terraces and balconies an authentic character. Metal or plastic are often enhanced by natural materials with a warm appearance. Grasses and plants, bees and butterflies are popular motifs for garden accessories, for instance on cushions, carpets or lamps. Vertical plant systems turn even the tiniest of balconies into green open air oases, whilst lush hanging plants revitalise interior spaces.

Garden care: Regional diversity and continuity in change

The plants in the "green living room" should be as natural as possible today as well. The garden industry offers seeds from domestic regions for example, for all those who love vibrant and species-rich nature. Regional wild and pollinating plants are enjoying growing popularity in the home garden. They are not only decorative, but also good for the preservation of biodiversity. Furthermore, domestic wild herbs, fruit and vegetables are being grown more frequently for the purpose of self-sufficiency. To ensure they flourish there is meanwhile a wide range of biological fertilisers and environmentally-friendly products for the garden work. In this way, thanks to a growing awareness for one's own green environment, the regionality of seeds and plants is sustainably maintained.

In order to combat the climate change and its consequences, handling water in the garden is being rethought too. With a view to extreme weather phenomena like ongoing droughts, plants that are easy to grow and more heat-resistant are increasingly being grown. When there is no regular rainfall, in addition to water-conserving plants, digitally-controlled irrigation systems that save water and biological water treatment prove to be forward-looking solutions. As an alternative to the classic, high water consumption swimming pool, natural pools or swimming ponds can be constructed.

Grills and BBQs: More possibilities and digital precision
Responsible design means more possibilities for the users. In the BBQ section, diversity increases the fields of application of new appliances. The current bbq models can cook almost anything from the minute steak, to pulled pork, through to pizza. All-round talents like ceramic grills offer diverse preparation options and are suitable for cooking, baking and smoking. What's more, new accessories can be put together individually and combined with grill appliances of different brands. In addition, newer grills can be easily integrated into the outdoor kitchens of other manufacturers or simply converted from a stand-up grill into a table grill.

The increased demands in responsible consumption are also making electric grills more and more attractive. Above all, they offer a clean bbq alternative in the urban environment. Current models have increased the efficiency and can reach temperatures of up to 500°C. With a digital precision temperature the grilled food can be cooked to perfection at the push of a button. Compact models for the balcony also offer many functions today like steaming vegetables or fast browning. There are even purely electric pizza ovens for small outdoor areas. Gadgets like app-controlled thermometers or USB ports for charging Smartphones make the bbq enjoyment with a power supply also attractive for the younger generation.

About spoga+gafa
spoga+gafa is the largest garden and BBQ trade fair in the world. As an international value-adding theme platform at the location in Cologne, it sets impulses for the entire garden world. At the leading global trade fair, the green industry talks about the line-ups and trends of the coming season and presents solutions for current and future challenges. The focus of spoga+gafa lies on trends and innovations from the sections garden bbq, garden creation & care, garden living and garden unique. The unique range of offerings turns the trade fair into the place-to-be for the purchasing managers of all trading forms. The Industry Garden Association e.V. (IVG) is the industry sponsor of spoga+gafa.

The coming edition of spoga+gafa is being staged in Cologne from 16 to 18 June 2024 under the key theme "Responsible Gardens". To learn more about the event, visit www.spogagafa.com.

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/

In 2004, Smiemans Projecten built a greenhouse for plant sale at the beautiful garden 'RHS Garden Harlow Carr' in Harrogate (UK). Recently, Smiemans has been commissioned by the RHS to renovate the garden centre. It will be executed this spring.

At the time, it was built using laminated safety glass. In view of the new safety requirements for public areas, the glass on the roof will be replaced with 16 mm transparent polycarbonate. This will provide a new and modern look, better insulation and therefore better climate resistance and safety for the future. 

This approach will also change the internal layout. The creation of a covered area between the warm department and the outdoor sales area will create a better transition. As a result, this canopy will provide more comfort for the shopping public.

RHS stands for the Royal Horticultural Society, a non-profit organisation established to promote gardening in the UK and beyond. Across five RHS gardens, the society welcomes more than three million visitors each year to enjoy over 34,000 different cultivated plants. Events such as the world famous RHS Chelsea Flower Show, other national shows, schools and community work, and partnerships such as Britain in Bloom, all spread the shared joy of gardening to wide-reaching audiences. All of this work is centred on a charitable core – to encourage and improve the science, art and practice of horticulture and to share the love of gardening and the positive benefits it brings. 

Smiemans Projecten, which is celebrating its 50th anniversary this year, was also commissioned by the RHS in 2007 to build 'The Glasshouse' and the Clore Learning zone at RHS Garden Wisley, which was opened by the late Queen Elizabeth II.

The Royal Horticultural Society is inviting families to uncover the World on Your Windowsill this February half term, with a week of fun family activities at each of the five RHS Gardens.

From designing your own pot, to interactive storytelling walks with Garden Detectives, or growing your own Marimo pet, creative half-term events at the gardens are jam-packed with gardening activities, crafting and the chance to leave with handmade items that will brighten up the home and the week off school or work.

Visitors will gain inspiration about growing indoors while spending valuable family time together surrounded by nature. Each of the gardens also has dedicated play areas and some have gardens specifically for children, ensuring a full, fun-packed day out.

Dates, times and activities vary across the five RHS Gardens – please see further details below and check the website for more information:

https://www.rhs.org.uk/gardens/articles/february-half-term-at-rhs-gardens

RHS Garden Bridgewater, 10-25 February
Storytelling with Colour The Clouds, who will take you on an adventure through the wonderful world of indoor plants with a trip to the Windowsill Jungle. Come along for a crafts session where children will be able to design their own pot and choose what kind of herb or plant they would like to grow, join a garden adventure designed for little explorers or come and enjoy an arts and craft session where you can use your imagination to make something to take home with you.

https://www.rhs.org.uk/gardens/bridgewater/whats-on/february-half-term-at-bridgewater

RHS Garden Harlow Carr, 10-18 February

Create your own herb character and plant it up to take home and grow on your windowsill, join the Garden Detectives on a storytelling adventure learning all about how to grow your own food, or take part in a storytelling yoga session with Enchantica’s Workshop. And of course, you can also have a go on the garden trail.

https://www.rhs.org.uk/gardens/harlow-carr/whats-on/february-half-term-at-harlow-carr

RHS Garden Rosemoor, 10-18 February

The garden is hosting a series of fun family workshops including growing your own Marimo pet, nature art, plant a pea and paint a pebble character. Or there are workshops on miniature terrariums or creating a mini herb garden. Magic Luke joins to provide an interactive and energetic magic show filled with fun and silliness to entertain the whole family. With the garden trail, there will be something for everyone.

https://www.rhs.org.uk/gardens/rosemoor/whats-on/february-half-term-at-rosemoor

RHS Garden Hyde Hall, 17-25 February

Enjoy an interactive storytelling walk around the garden with Mike Dodsworth, create your own soil character and learn how to care for it so that its chive hair grows or get creative with various craft-themed activities. And back by popular demand are Trudles Doodles, ready to paint faces with a range of characters and designs.

https://www.rhs.org.uk/gardens/hyde-hall/whats-on/february-half-term-at-hyde-hall

RHS Garden Wisley, 3 February-10 March

Head to the iconic Glasshouse for the new Houseplant Takeover: Plants Before Time and step inside to discover fascinating plants such as ferns and cycads alongside fossils, footprints and more. A family trail will take place in the Glasshouse in which visitors can be transported back to long, long ago.

https://www.rhs.org.uk/gardens/wisley/whats-on/houseplant-takeover

After publishing financial results for the year ending 5th March 2023, Dobbies Garden Centres Group Limited has revealed that the group had experienced extremely difficult trading conditions during its last financial accounting period. It blamed unseasonal weather in the peak Spring/Summer period, which was exacerbated by macro-economic head winds stemming from the war in Ukraine, inflation, and the cost-of-living crisis.

Despite this, the Group generated sales of £278.7m albeit margins were adversely impacted. Consequently, the business states that it sustained a net loss of £5.2m. 

A spokesperson for Dobbies told GTN Xtra: "The “net loss” of £5.2m referred to represents the Underlying Operating Loss of £34.4m (as per the Consolidated Income Statement on p17 of the Report and Accounts) before non-cash Depreciation & Amortisation charges of £29.2m per Note 7 of the accounts (p40).

"This excludes other non-cash expenses including an impairment charge and non-recurring finance costs relating to debt which has now been converted to equity as part of our recapitalisation in March 2023."

Turnover for the year dropped to £278.7m from 303.6m the previous year with an operating loss of £69.6m vs an £18.9m operating profit previously.

Finance costs were £60.8m in the year ending March 5th 2023, up by £20m on the previous reporting period.

The report includes the following statement about future developments:

"The Group continues to differentiate its retail experience and evolve its hospitality offering accordingly. As the UK's leading garden centre retailer, we are committed to strengthening this position through further investment in our existing estate and the development of new opportunities. The below elements underpin our growth strategy: 

•    Further development and acquisitions in strategic locations, including new-build developments;
•    Continued roll out of "little dobbies" stores;
•    Strengthen customer engagement through focus on NPS and enhancements to our loyalty· scheme;
•    Continuing to ensure that sustainability remains at the core of our business; and
•    Becoming a digitally led garden centre retailer."

Dobbies was acquired and successfully refinanced by funds managed by Ares Management, its largest shareholder, in February 2023, eliminating debt and interest whilst providing a new working capital facility. The group moved to a net assets position of £53.8m (27 February 2022: net liabilities of £84.1m). As a result Dobbies believes it now has a significantly improved foundation and is firmly on the road to recovery. 

Dobbies has 77 stores across the UK, employs 3,800 colleagues and has welcomed over 23 million customers in the year to date.

Read the full report and accounts here

Castle Gardens (Garden Centre category) and Garsons Garden Centre Esher (Destination Garden Centre) have been announced as the national winners of the Garden Centre Association’s Gisela Graham-sponsored annual Christmas competition for 2023.

The garden centres were judged to have the best festive displays in the country by the organisation and will receive their awards at its annual conference in January 2024.

As both centres were also nominated in GTN's Greatest Christmas Awards we're able to bring you a selection of our judges photos from the GCA Christmas winning dislpays in the photo gallery below.

GCA CEO, Peter Burks says: “I’d like to say a big thank you to all the members who entered our Christmas display competition this year and to thank our wonderful sponsor, Gisela Graham.

“Huge congratulations to the team at Castle Gardens in Dorset, who were national winners in the Garden Centre (GC) category and Garsons Garden Centre, Esher in Surrey, who took the top spot nationally in the Destination Garden Centre (DGC) category. Garsons won last year too, and Castle Gardens are part of the Gardens Group, whose three garden centres in the Westcountry are consistently high scorers in their category.

“The standard was incredibly high this year, with fabulous displays and brilliant retail practices. I’m very much looking forward to hearing what our Inspector Phil McCann has to say when he presents his findings, and the ideas and images, from his visits to delegates at our annual conference in the Cotswolds in January. He will be giving tips to all garden centre members who attend – sharing good practice and helping them further develop their displays and Christmas offerings for 2024. Phil has already told me that the standards had risen a lot since last year, so it’s going to be very interesting to see what he has to say in January.”

Second place in the GC category was Brimsmore Gardens in Somerset, part of the Gardens Group, which also includes Castle Gardens and third place was Pugh’s Garden Village Wenvoe.

In the DGC category, Barton Grange Garden Centre came second and in third place was Gates Garden Centre.

Peter adds: “What a wonderful start to Christmas we’ve had. All the entrants were judged on general ambience, creativity, stock range, flow and tidiness, and customer service was also taken into consideration. Everyone who entered created some amazingly joyful and memorable displays this year and really pushed the boat out. It was very impressive.”

Regional winners:

North East/North West 

GC

1. Coletta and Tyson Garden Centre
2. British Garden Centres Arcadia

DGC

1. Barton Grange Garden Centre
2. Fron Goch Garden Centre
3. Bents Garden Centre

North Thames

GC

1. Parker’s Garden Centre – Frinton on Sea
2. Perrywood Sudbury Garden Centre

DGC 

1. Sunshine Garden Centre
2. Perrywood Tiptree Garden Centre
3. Haddenham Garden Centre

Wales & West

GC

1. Brimsmore Garden Centre
2. Pugh’s Garden Village Wenvoe

DGC

1. Old Railway Line Garden Centre
2. Pugh’s Garden Village Radyr 

Midlands

GC

1. Fairways Ashbourne Garden Centre

DGC

1. Gates Garden Centre
2. Webbs of Wychbold
3. St Peters Garden Centre

South Thames

GC

1. Castle Gardens
2. Poundbury Gardens
3. Knights Garden Centre Betchworth

DGC

1. Garsons Esher
2. Garsons Titchfield
3. Ransoms Garden Centre

The GCA’s annual conference will be held at the De Vere Cotswold Water Park Hotel near Cirencester, Gloucestershire from January 28 until 31, 2024 and places can be booked via www.gca.org.uk.

Members of the Garden Centre Association are being invited to put their marketing and community campaigns to the test as part of the organisation’s annual Worrall Cup competition.

The Association will be awarding a cup to the garden centre with the best marketing and community initiative during its 2024 annual conference in the Cotswolds next month (January 28 until 31, 2024).

GCA CEO, Peter Burks says: “Our member garden centres are a creative bunch and we run our Worrall Cup competition annually to decide who has the most flair and creativity when it comes to their marketing campaigns. This year we’ve extended the entry parameters to include community initiatives too.

“Our judges are continually astounded by the effort that goes into the campaigns and always look for those that are inspirational to other members too.

“If any of our members think they’ve got what it takes to win the cup, they should submit their entries before the deadline of Thursday, January 11, 2024.

“The entries will be judged by an independent panel with marketing expertise. As this award is not influenced by our annual inspections, all entries have an equal chance of winning, in January, when the judging panel meets to assess the merits of each submission and decide on the winner.”

Members are asked to submit an entry by completing a short form, which can be downloaded via the member section of the GCA website or requested by email from info@gca.org.uk.

The submission of supporting material, such as photographs, print examples and web-links, is encouraged. An additional sheet of written detail is acceptable along with the entry form, if required. Entries can be sent electronically via info@gca.org.uk.

Peter adds: “The winner will be announced during our Annual Dinner and Awards Ceremony at our conference on the evening of Tuesday, January 30. The event takes place at the De Vere Cotswold Water Park Hotel near Cirencester, Gloucestershire from January 28 until 31, 2024 and places can still be booked via www.gca.org.uk.”

There is also a dedicated email for any queries members, and those wishing to book for the event, may have: conference@gca.org.uk.

“As always, our conference will provide attendees with pertinent information on key aspects of the garden centre sector and assist members in achieving their business goals.

“The information shared will focus on a wide range of topics. Our overarching theme is something that every member can relate to: ‘The Future of Garden Retailing’. Our sub-themes are also highly pertinent. They are Environment & Sustainability, Trends & Insights and Health & Wellbeing. There will also be plenty of opportunities for delegates to network and socialise.”

The Greenfingers Charity creates magical and inspiring gardens for life-limited children, their families and carers in Children’s Hospices throughout the UK.

As the charity approaches its Silver Anniversary, and 75^th garden, we have created this new full-time role to ensure that gardens continue to be delivered and also to roll out its Garden Re-fresh programme.  In the right hands, this role can be developed to ensure the continued growth of the charity.

This is an exciting opportunity to join the small dedicated team based in Wendover, Buckinghamshire, working closely with the Director of Fundraising and Communications Director and the other staff. The Operations Director will not only be responsible for the management and delivery of the hospice garden projects from the initial concept through to the celebratory Opening Ceremony but will also have the responsibility of core administrative and financial operations. You will ensure that the charity follows the strictest guidelines on financial and budgetary controls and all administration requirements as stipulated by the Charity Commission rules.

You would report directly to the charity’s Volunteer Chairman and meet regularly with the enthusiastic and energetic Board of Trustees and its sub-committees, particularly the Gardens Committee.

Responsibilities:

• To manage the delivery of the programme of new garden projects involving, among other things, meetings, site visits and liaising with hospices from the early discussion phase, developing each project by the selection and appointment of the garden designer, landscape contractor, suppliers, and all those involved to ensure each project is completed within budgetary and time constraints and that the hospice is delighted with the end result and is confident in maintaining the garden in the future.
• To expand the Garden Re-fresh programme, assessing where and how existing Greenfingers hospice gardens may need help, proposing budgets and timelines to ensure their longevity and thus promoting the integrity of the charity.
• Working closely with the Treasurer and finance assistant you will be responsible for the overall financial health of the charity, including overseeing the management and annual statutory accounts, budgets, cashflow forecasts etc.  You will also deal with other administrative and operational management as necessary.

Who we are looking for:

Someone who is self-motivated, confident in creating their own work schedule and working independently and efficiently with strong project management and coordination skills, and is an excellent and natural communicator at all levels and through all channels.  

Do you have:

• The ability to face and resolve challenges created by the weather, economic issues, spiralling costs and unforeseen problems and delays on sites – all while maintaining good humour and upholding the principals of the charity?  And can you visualise three dimensionally?
• The appreciation of working within a small friendly team; working with health, gardening, construction and other professionals?  And an appreciation and love of the great outdoors?
• An awareness of the transparency and strict guidelines needed to work within the charity sector and of just how passionate we are in what we achieve to help those life-limited children?

Preferably you would have sound financial and management skills.

Experience within the horticulture/landscaping or construction industries, knowledge and understanding of technical drawings and relevant programmes could be an advantage.

You will need to visit garden builds the length and breadth of the UK so a driving licence and flexibility to work away from home on occasion is essential. We anticipate you spending at least 2 days/week in the office so being within commuting distance of Wendover is essential.

For more information about Greenfingers visit greenfingerscharity.org.uk 

It is hoped this role will start from early Spring 2024, with the selection process taking place in early January.

Job title - Operations Director

Office Location – Wendover, Bucks.  Hybrid working is possible by agreement

Salary £46,000 - £50,000.  This is reviewed annually.

Benefits – 25 days annual leave + 8 statutory days.  Employer pension contribution. 

To apply  send CV to Lian@thevirtualrecruiter.co.uk

In late November 138 guests descended upon the Grade II-listed Pendley Manor Hotel in Tring to enjoy a superb evening full of delicious food, networking with friends and colleagues and, more importantly, put the fun back into FUNdraising all in the name of Greenfingers. The fundraising element was so strong that throughout the evening, more than £30,000 was raised for the children’s hospice garden charity.

Compered by Greenfingers’ Patrons, Jim Carter and Imelda Staunton CBE, the evening saw several key supporters awarded for their efforts throughout 2023, including GIMA, Meadow View Stone, Glee, The Horticultural Golfing Society, Millbrook Garden Centres, Woodmansterne, Glee and the HTA.

During dinner, an auction also took place with guests fighting it out to secure the best prizes for themselves. From the perfect garden bundle kindly gifted by Gardena to behind-the-scenes access to Imelda’s upcoming West End Show, ‘Hello, Dolly!’, the auction was filled with generous prizes and saw some friendly competition push the fundraising total higher and higher.

Elsewhere, a silent auction took place, which included holidays galore, tickets to see Taylor Swift, multiple Michelin-starred dining experiences and access to some of the most highly sought sporting events.

Finally, Greenfingers Chair, Sue Allen, confirmed that the charity has now passed the halfway mark for its ambitious Silver Anniversary appeal, which sees the charity attempting to raise £2,000,025 before 2025.

Linda Petrons, Director of Fundraising & Communications at the Greenfingers Charity said: “A huge thank you to everyone that joined us at the Greenfingers Charity Fundraising Dinner. Once again, it was a truly wonderful evening and showcased the incredible support that so many have for the charity and the work we do.

“Thanks must go to Jim and Imelda for being such great hosts, and to all of those that provided prizes and dug deep to help us raise more than £30,000. Whilst we don’t yet know who will be sunning themselves on a private island next summer thanks to our silent auction, we do know that the evening’s fundraising total will go a long way in helping us to create even more magical and therapeutic garden spaces. Spaces, where children get to enjoy time outdoors, where families spend quality time together, and those left behind come to remember those lost, are more important than many of us will ever truly realise. Being able to continue to design and build these spaces is an honour, and it is only possible due to the generosity of our supporters so thank you to each and every one of you.”

Find out more

To find out more about the Greenfingers Charity please join the team on social media https://www.facebook.com/Greenfingerscharity/, @GreenfingersCha on Twitter, and @Greenfingerscharity on Instagram and LinkedIn. 

Firmans are looking for experienced sales agents to help promote the growth and expansion of their brand to garden centres and independent retailers across the UK. 

About us:

We are a welcoming and friendly family-run business, specializing in providing an extensive array of high-quality garden furniture to the trade. Our strong values are grounded in trust, commitment, and partnership, and these principles drive the success of our thriving enterprise. Presently, we are excited to extend an invitation to driven and passionate sales agents to join our growing team. With your efforts, we hope to amplify the reach of our product offerings and continue driving our company's success to new heights.

Ideal Agent:

Our ideal sales agent candidate should have exceptional communication and customer interaction skills, along with considerable experience in the garden furniture industry. They must have a charming personality and should be seasoned in a Business-to-Business sales environment. A knack for persuasive and effective negotiation will also be greatly valued, as well as the ability to create and maintain fruitful business relationships. This candidate should be goal-oriented, with the ability to meet and exceed sales targets while delivering exceptional customer service. 

What we offer:

• Generous commission scheme
• Dedicated sales area
• Full product training
• Field support
• Backup of a full office team
• Full marketing Samples

To apply for a sales agent position contact:
Email: michael.firman@firmansdirect.com
Tel: 01323 430043
Web: https://firmansdirect.com/outdoor-furniture/

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

GTN Bestsellers is the only industry source of weekly garden centre sales information, collating Epos data from centres with an aggregate turnover in excess of £100m.

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

For further information contact karen@pottingshedpress.co.uk or call 07973504214.

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

Hundreds of customer votes for The Greatest Christmas Garden Centre Team have already been made and there's still plenty of opportunity for more centres to ask for the support of your customers.

So far, after only 10 days of voting the front runners are: Bosworths, Cooks, Ferndale, Gates and Planters Tamworth.  Votes have also already been submitted for Blue Diamond East Bridgeford, BGC Burford House, Bosworths Elton Hall, Goulds, Gordale, Jackson’s Boutique Garden Centre, Planters Bretby Tong, Wentworth Garden Centre and Woburn Sands Emporium.

To add your Christmas Team into the competition, whihc will have regional winners  as well as an overall custoer voiting winer, all you have to do is print off the poster, as above, that can be accessed via this link: GTN Greatest Christmas Awards Voting Poster, display them in store, add a link to your social media pages or website where you can put the voting link or the QR code as below and let the voting begin.

It’s as simple as that.  Voting is open now and will remain open until 4:00pm on December 21^st.

Here is the link to the on-line voting page: GTN Greatest Christmas Awards On-Line Voting Link

Here is a link to the poster artwork: GTN Greatest Christmas Awards Voting Poster

Here is a link to the Voting QR code: GTN Greatest Christmas Awards Voting QR code

Here is a link to the Postcard Voting Artwork for use in-store: GTN Greatest Christmas Awards Voting Postcard Artwork

Voting is free, but we are partnering with The Greenfingers Charity so that voters can, if they wish, make a Christmas donation to help build more magical gardens in Children's Hospices across the country.

If you have any questions please contact: trevor@pottingshedpress.co.uk

The GTN Xtra team visited Bosworths at Burton Latimer at the weekend to see how they were generating votes in store.  See our gallery of pictures below.