Blue Diamond have re-launched Van Hage Great Amwell this weekend, an event that centred around the restoration of the famous Van Hage windmill.

For over 65 years the Windmill has been part of the Van Hage family, becoming a greatly loved icon. First built in 1958, the windmill has stood the test of time, including the journey in 1972 from its original location at Broxbourne to its current home on the front lawn at Great Amwell garden centre. 

Alan Roper, Managing Director of Blue Diamond Garden Centres said: "I have long admired the inspiration and achievement of Van Hage and never imaged that one day, Blue Diamond would be the proud owner. One of my fondest memories of Van Hage is the windmill, which had fallen into disrepair, preserving this landmark of the history and brand is important to us, where we can all enjoy for years to come."

The windmill was unveiled by local Mayor Cllr Thomas Day along with Jacqueline, John and William Van Hage and started again for the first time in 2 years at the Grand Re-Opening on Saturday 20th May 2023.

Watch a video of the opening and the starting of the windmill at: https://www.facebook.com/vanhagegardencentre/videos/120239687730152/

See photos from the event in the gallery below.

Glee will once again be celebrating the best buyers of garden, leisure, and pet products in the Glee Buyers Power List at the NEC in June.

To acknowledge the high levels of professionalism across the wide range of products which feature in garden, leisure, and pet retailing there are twelve Glee Buyers Power List categories this year and nominations can be made in any of the categories for buyers from independent garden centres and retailers, buyers of high street and DIY retailers and buyers from on-line retailers.

Nominations are now being sought from growers, suppliers, agents, wholesalers, and retailers for the following categories of buyers and buying teams:

1. Plants buyer/buying team of the Year
2. Garden Care buyer/buying team of the Year
3. Outdoor Leisure buyer/buying team of the Year
4. Landscape buyer/buying team of the Year
5. Home & Gifts buyer/buying team of the Year
6. Pet buyer/buying team of the Year
7. Retail Food & Drinks buyer/buying team of the Year
8. Christmas buyer/buying team of the Year
9. Online buyer/ buying team of the year
10. Overall Multiple Retailer Buying Team of the Year – (hardware, DIY, high street)
11. Overall Multiple Garden Retailer Buying Team of the Year – 6 stores or more
12. Overall Independent Garden Centre Buying Team of the Year – up 5 stores

Nominations close on Tuesday 6^th June 2023 after which voting will commence to decide the winners of the Glee Buyers Power List for 2023.  Nominations can be made using this form or by e-mail to: trevor@pottingshedpress.co.uk.  All nominations will be handled in strictest confidence.

The Glee Buyers Power List has celebrated the excellence of buying in the Garden, Leisure and Pet markets annually since 2015.  Last year’s winners included:

The Bourne family @ Perrywood - Matt Shorter @ Longacres - Nigel Gates @ Gates Garden Centre - Andy Wrightson @ Webbs - Kati Taylor @ Fron Goch - The Old Railway Line - St Peters Worcester - Squires Badshot Lea – Crocus - Dani Loftus @ Marie Curie - British Garden Centres - The Mercer family @ Hillmount

The winners of the Glee Buyers Power List 2023 will be announced live at Glee 2023 on Tuesday 27^th June 2023 at 5:00pm, just before the Glee party!

Nomination Form:

I nominate the following buyers/buying teams for the Glee Buyers Power List 2023:

Plants buyer/buying team of the Year

Buyer/Team Name……………………………………… Retailer Name……………………………………………………….

Why nominated:…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..

Garden Care buyer/buying team of the Year

Buyer/Team Name……………………………………… Retailer Name……………………………………………………….

Why nominated:…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..

Outdoor Leisure buyer/buying team of the Year

Buyer/Team Name……………………………………… Retailer Name……………………………………………………….

Why nominated:…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..

Landscape buyer/buying team of the Year

Buyer/Team Name……………………………………… Retailer Name……………………………………………………….

Why nominated:…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..

Home & Gifts buyer/buying team of the Year

Buyer/Team Name……………………………………… Retailer Name……………………………………………………….

Why nominated:…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..

Pet buyer/buying team of the Year

Buyer/Team Name……………………………………… Retailer Name……………………………………………………….

Why nominated:…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..

Retail Food & Drinks buyer/buying team of the Year

Buyer/Team Name……………………………………… Retailer Name……………………………………………………….

Why nominated:…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..

Christmas buyer/buying team of the Year

Buyer/Team Name……………………………………… Retailer Name……………………………………………………….

Why nominated:…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..

On-Line buyer/buying team of the Year

Buyer/Team Name……………………………………… Retailer Name……………………………………………………….

Why nominated:…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..

Overall Multiple Retailer Buying Team of the Year – (hardware, DIY, high street)

Buyer/Team Name……………………………………… Retailer Name……………………………………………………….

Why nominated:…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..

Overall Multiple Garden Retailer Buying Team of the Year – 6 stores or more

Buyer/Team Name……………………………………… Retailer Name……………………………………………………….

Why nominated:…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..

Overall Independent Garden Centre Buying Team of the Year – up 5 stores

Buyer/Team Name……………………………………… Retailer Name……………………………………………………….

Why nominated:…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..

Nominated by:…………………………………………………….of:………………………………………………………………

e-mail address:………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..

All nominations will be handled in strictest confidence

Send your completed nomination form to Glee Buyers Power List c/o GTN, Potting Shed Press, Dairy Drove, Thorney, Peterborough PE6 0TX or e-mail your nominations to: trevor@pottingshedpress.co.uk by 6^th June 2022.

All nominations will be handled in strictest confidence.

GTN May 2023 A Summer of Shows. In this issue:

• Primeur – Sustainability in an evolving world
• 20 Smart years – Interview with Jonathan Stobart
• Vitavia Greenhouses are a win win for retailers and consumers
• Haven House Greenfingers Garden Opening
• A Summer of Shows – GTNs guide to June and July’s events
  • Spoga + Gafa - Social Gardens
  • HTA National Plant Show – UK in the spotlight
  • Glee – Get set to see 400 suppliers under one roof
  • Celebrate Summer at Solex
• April Recovery – GTN Bestsellers Analysis
• John Stanley and Sid Raisch look into the future
• Little dobbies No 6 opens in Cheltenham
• Barking up the right tree – Behind the scenes at Melcourt
• Lessons in rebranding – New look for Webbs Garden Centres
• Buying Power – Nominate for the Glee Buyers Power List 2023
• Stand up and be counted – OHRG Column
• Opportunities knock – HTA Column
• Growing grassroots – GIMA Column.

Are you ready for an evening filled with delicious food, refreshing drinks, and great fun? Look no further than the Fire Food and Outdoor Living Evening at SOLEX 2023. On July 11th from 5.30pm to 7.30pm, come join us for the BBQ Hero competition in partnership with BBQ magazine and mingle with industry experts. Plus, enjoy drinks tastings from Powder Monkey Brewing Co, Tidal Rum, and Beefsteak Club wine.

Do you have what it takes to be crowned the BBQ Hero? Put your skills to the test as you compete head-to-head with other attendees. Impress our judges with your signature dish and take home the title of BBQ Hero and some prizes. Plus, there will be plenty of opportunities to sample all the delicious food and cheer on your fellow competitors. https://youtu.be/-_-OSnxL2q0

But the fun doesn't stop there. Andy Clarke, one of the most exciting voices in the food and drink industry and drinks expert on ITV’s Love Your Weekend with Alan Titchmarsh, and whose credits include ‘Saturday Kitchen Live’ and ‘Gordon, Gino & Fred: Road Trip,’ alongside Ian Jones (BEM) chef, farmer, and events guru, will be your hosts for the evening.

Get insider tips and tricks from these experts as they share their knowledge and experience. Plus, they'll keep the evening flowing and full of energy.

Of course, no evening is complete without the odd drink. Sample some of the best beverages in the industry with tastings from Powder Monkey Brewing Co (beer), Tidal Rum (spirits), and BeefSteak Club (red wine). Try something new and find your new favourite tipple. Plus, with these delicious drinks in hand, you'll be ready to mingle and have a great time with fellow attendees.

Andy and Ian will be joined by some celebrity guests, and we can't wait to share all the details with you. So, keep your eyes peeled and watch this space over the next few weeks for updates!

The Fire Food and Outdoor Living Evening at SOLEX 2023 is set to be an unforgettable evening of food, drinks, and fun. From the BBQ Hero competition to drinks tastings, expert hosts, and special celebrity guests, this event has everything you need for a night to remember. Don’t miss out on this great opportunity to learn from the professionals on how to present and promote BBQ brands in store. Please bring along any colleagues that may benefit from the expertise on offer and network and mingle with industry experts while enjoying all of the best that the industry has to offer.

See you there!

FIRE & BBQ BRANDS

Bramblecrest | Broilking | Char-Broil | Charlie Oven | DeliVita (Pacific Lifestyle) | Gardeco

Grillstream (LeisureGrow) | Kamado Joe  | Kettler | Outback International Ltd

Norfolk Grills, Cook King, Ooni Pizza Ovens (Norfolk Leisure Lifestyle) 

Don’t let FOMO get the better of you – this unique evening is for one night only!

If you haven’t registered yet, what are you waiting for?

Sign up now before it’s too late and join us at SOLEX 2023

REGISTER HERE FOR SOLEX

HTA National Plant Show is back at the NAEC Stoneleigh on 20 and 21 June 2023 and visitors are encouraged to register now at nationalplantshow.co.uk to enjoy free, quick and easy access to the show and make the most of everything on offer.

This year’s show provides an unrivalled opportunity to view the best plants from UK nurseries, along with everything the trade needs to sell plants under one roof. 

Top 5 things to do at the show:

1. Meet a full spectrum of suppliers with a wealth of innovation and expertise from seeds, bulbs, house plants and a wide range of garden plants to labelling and product information, growing media, display benching, and machinery.

2. Explore the New Plant Awards at the heart of the show, where the new plants will take centre stage, bursting with colour and inspiration. Take look around the exciting new varieties on display for 2023.

3. Vote in the New Plant Awards visitor vote. With over 100 plants to vote for, you'll be spoilt for choice deciding which is your favourite plant. 

4. Head over to the Seminar area and watch the first ever Hort Talk Live! discussing the importance of apprenticeships and education within the horticultural industry. Listen to insightful, expert-led discussions to keep on top of the latest market trends, political updates and sustainability.

5. Visit the HTA Village to meet the HTA team. The village provides an opportunity to find out about the latest initiatives from the HTA and showcases everything the HTA has to offer including Membership, the latest updates in Policy, Market Information, Sustainability as well as National Garden Gift Vouchers. 

Registration to attend the National Plant Show, which includes free access is now open, so don’t miss your opportunity to attend. Book your place today!

For more than 25 years, the Fountasia ™ name has been synonymous with ‘First to Market’ creative and innovative design, fine quality, and good value that appeals to the Garden Centre and gift market. A Company recognised for ‘going that extra mile’ with outstanding POS displays that build business.  

In addition to the constantly evolving ranges of Home & Garden and Christmas décor, which has always been the hallmark of the Fountasia business, the company has inspired and created ‘The World of Make Believe’, where imagination is all you need to meet fairies, elves, and pixies, in their magical world.  

ROBOTIME, presented by Fountasia with enormous success, has become one of the most exciting brands, inspiring enquiring minds and satisfying ardent model makers of all ages. The New UDEAS range provides safe and stimulating toys and games for young children, which encourages, and nurtures natural imagination, creativity, social development, and self-confidence will be launched officially on our stand at Glee.

The new Fountasia PlushTime brand will make its debut at Glee creating a spirit of fun with ‘Yakety Chat’ comedians and snuggly ‘Plushimals’ bringing comfort and good humour.

Fountasia Regional Sales Managers provide national coverage for service and support and look forward to seeing you at Glee. 

Find Fountasia at Glee to view NEW ranges and exciting new products, 

• Fountasia Home & Garden Décor… Colourful year-round garden enhancing décor.
• Christmas Décor… Magical decorative ideas from around the world.
• World of Make Believe….Imagination is all you need to enter the magical world……
• Robotime… Products to inspire enquiring minds and satisfy ardent model makers.
• UDEAS….Unique toys that help children develop creative skills and build self-confidence
• PlushTime…Innovative, humorous, novelty ranges and original, comforting, plush décor.

Come and visit us at Glee (Stand 6J20-20A21)

For more information please email info@fountasia.com or call 01303 873311

Bathgate are pleased to announce that they’re back exhibiting at Four Oaks this year in September after their Covid hiatus.

Colin Sanders, Commercial Director, enthused: “We’re looking forward to showing at Four Oaks again this year, and will have a few new things to get potential customers excited about. It’s a time of big change in the compost world and we are already making waves with the quality of our peat free products, so we felt Four Oaks would be the ideal forum to put our stake in the ground with regards to our peat free credentials for 2024.” 

With lots to shout about in addition to their peat free compost, they’re hoping to create a real buzz about the company’s direction and can’t wait for customer feedback. 

If you’re keen to see the current peat free All Purpose or Champions Blend composts and don’t want to wait for the show, just get in touch with the sales team and they’ll be happy to send a sample over. 

Call: 01270 762828

Email: sales@bathgatesilica.co.uk

Web: https://www.bathgatesilica.co.uk/ 

The popular Rosebourne garden centres at Aldermaston, Weyhill and Hampton-in-Arden have undergone some exciting changes following their merge into the Hillier Garden Centre group, bringing a vast array of high-quality and expertly grown plants, seasonal events, and tasty food offerings to the people of Reading, Hampshire and Solihull.

Last year Hillier expanded its garden centre portfolio with the acquisition of Rosebourne Garden Centres. Since then, the company has been working hard to introduce exciting changes throughout the three centres, bringing them in line with the Hillier family and providing visitors with an enhanced offering and exclusive perks.

Visitors to the centres will now find an offering of top-quality seasonal plants, many grown at Hillier Nurseries. The nurseries, in Hampshire, grow over one million plants a year in peat-free compost, which are sold exclusively at Hillier Garden Centres, ensuring an elite range of products for visitors to purchase.

One of the most notable changes across the three new centres is that the highly regarded restaurants have been further enhanced with the transformation into the much-loved Hillier Mulberry and Thyme restaurant brand. The welcoming restaurants will include some old favourites, as well as some exciting new additions to the menu as well which are already proving popular.

Locals have been pleased to hear that the Rosebourne food halls are here to stay. Packed full of seasonal produce, the food hall provides shoppers with a range of fresh and delicious food such as fruit and vegetables, cakes, condiments and much more from local suppliers.

This transition to Hillier also brings with it a whole range of additional perks for shoppers via the incredibly popular, and free-to-join, Hillier Gardening Club. The Hillier Gardening Club provides members with exclusive member offers, a reward scheme where shoppers can earn points every time they shop, gardening advice, offers, competitions, priority booking for events such as the popular seasonal workshops, among many other things.

For more information about Hillier and the Rosebourne centres visit www.hillier.co.uk

The garden industry is getting ready for Glee - the International Festival for Garden, Leisure and Pet (27th-29th June 2023, NEC Birmingham) – where this year a new range of complimentary services for buyers attending the show will be launched, including Product Finders, Exhibitor ‘Look Books’ plus access to the Buyer Lounge and the exclusive Glee Connect party.

Recognising that time spent at Glee needs to be as hard working as possible. Glee’s new buyer services have been introduced to ensure that everything from pre-show planning to time onsite will maximise every minute.  Plus, with more than 400 exhibitors across ten show sectors - including over 100 that are new to the show this year - occupying five halls of the NEC, it is vital that buyers are armed with everything they need to know to source exciting new supply partners that will differentiate the retail offering in 2024 and beyond.

Free Hotel for New Home and Gift Buyers – register before 24^th May

With over 100 exhibitors in the Home, Gift & Clothing sector already confirmed, this part of Glee is really shaping up to be a showstopper for the 2023 event. Home and gift buyers who are attending Glee for the first time this year can qualify for a free overnight stay in a hotel on site at The NEC night if they register before 24^th May.

New Glee Look Books

New for the event this year is Glee Look Books, an inspirational visual guide that will provide a snapshot of new exhibitors and top suppliers in each of the ten show sectors. Once buyers have registered, the Look Book will be sent straight to their inbox two weeks ahead of the show, providing plenty of time to gather inspiration and a wish list of brands to visit when onsite at Glee 2023.  

Glee’s Buyer Lounge

The Glee Buyer Lounge in Hall 20 will be available for buyers to use throughout their time at the show, with a cloakroom and charging points as well as complimentary food and refreshments to help sustain them during a busy buying trip to the NEC.

New Product Finder Service

Buyers who register for the New Product Finder Service need only tell the Glee team what products and services they are looking to seek, to receive in return a curated list of relevant exhibitor recommendations.

Glee Connect Party

No great exhibition is complete without a social occasion and the Glee Party never fails to disappoint, thanks to the close-knit and friendly nature of the garden retail industry. This year’s party will be held on Tuesday 27June from 6-8pm within the Fire, Grill & Chill area - which this year has been relocated to the entrance of hall 6-8 and hall 20.  The Glee Connect Party will be complete with entertainment, drinks and canapes. Everyone is welcome!

To apply for a free hotel room and register for our Buyer Services benefits visit this link before 24^th May: https://www.gleebirmingham.com/buyers-services-form

Find out more

Glee connects the garden industry to inspire change, drive growth and launch innovation​.

To keep up to date on the latest Glee news visit www.gleebirmingham.com.  To enquire about exhibiting at Glee 2023, which will take place June 27th – 29^th at the NEC, please call +44 (0)203 3545 9752.

Members of the Horticultural Trades Association (HTA) are set to dazzle visitors at the highly anticipated RHS Chelsea Flower Show 2023, which springs to life from Tuesday, 23 May to Saturday, 27 May 2023, transforming the grounds of the Royal Hospital, Chelsea into a haven of inspirational gardens.

With sustainability and growing a greener future at the heart of their business, HTA members are pulling out all the stops to create a trade stand which celebrates UK horticulture. The HTA's vibrant stand will be an inviting space created by the visionary talents of members of the Association of Professional Landscapers (APL) JJH, Radial Landscapes, Bushy Business, and supported by London Stone, Composite Prime, Provender Nurseries, Oase, Growing Revolution, Bury Hill Top Soil, Landscape Plus, Country Supplies, DURA ID, Review Systems, Weather It and Arbour Landscape Solutions. 

The APL comprises accredited landscape companies that design, build and maintain gardens throughout the UK. The rigorous inspection process to join the APL is one of the toughest in the industry, ensuring the highest possible standards from each member, and this means that APL landscapers are amongst the best in the country. As an association, we are extremely proud of the way they operate and the fantastic projects they create.

After the show, sustainability will take the spotlight again as the HTA will repurpose the star attractions on the stand. Watch as planters, gabions, living walls, decking, and water features find new life beyond the show. The resilient plants that remain in show quality will find a new purpose at the APL garden at the RHS Hampton Court Flower Show, continuing to champion sustainability and standards. The remaining plants will be up for grabs for anyone around at the end of the show, with all proceeds benefiting Greenfingers Charity. It's your chance to bring a piece of the show's magic home while supporting a worthy cause.

Once again, APL and HTA members will also be pushing the boundaries of garden design as they will design and construct some of the main feature gardens at RHS Chelsea. Gardens have been held to the highest standards, with the RHS introducing rigorous criteria to ensure sustainable practices take centre stage. It's not just about breath-taking beauty; gardens will now be judged on their eco-friendliness, reflecting the growing demand for sustainable gardening.

Phil Tremayne, APL General Manager, said: “Many APL members have spent months planning and weeks building some of the greatest show gardens in the country for this year's RHS Chelsea flower show. It is fantastic that The HTA and APL will be there in 2023 to support them and the rest of the industry. Good luck to all who are taking part in this year's show.”

HTA CEO Fran Barnes added: “We are extremely proud of our members and the fantastic projects they create. I’m really looking forward to celebrating UK environmental horticulture with our members to highlight our creative and dynamic industry to visitors at one of the most prestigious flower shows in the world.”

Dobbies has committed to positively supporting the mental health of its 4,000 team members by increasing the number of mental health first aiders.

As part of Dobbies’ continuing commitment to the wellbeing of its team, it has increased the number of mental health first aiders (MHFA) from two to 16. The retailer will also be introducing several store level mental health champions, providing additional localised resources.

In addition to the MHFA and champion offerings, Dobbies has wellbeing training available through its internal e-learning platform, including Mental Health Awareness, Practicing Mindfulness, Wellbeing at Dobbies, Stress Awareness, Suicide Prevention Awareness and Menopause Awareness.

The aim is to better equip the team to support those in need more effectively through challenging times or personal change, whilst also encouraging techniques to help look after their own wellbeing and work-life balance.

Paul Green, Head of People Experience at Dobbies said: “The wellbeing of our team members is of the utmost importance to us and it’s vital that we can support their mental health with support where possible. 

“Often conversations with mental health first aiders will be the first time that people have opened up to anyone about their mental health and it is important that we have compassionate conversations about this sometimes sensitive subject, as well as offering support.”

Iain McDonald, Learning and Development Specialist at Dobbies, said: “I’m a people person and I wanted to expand my knowledge so that I can offer worthwhile support to team members in moments of need. That was my motivation to join the MHFA course.

“I’ve enjoyed learning about what being an MHFA involves and approaching things from a different perspective. I’m proud to have the opportunity to do this at Dobbies.”

Research from Retail Trust has found that 85% of retail managers in the UK reported an increase in mental health problems among their teams and more than half (54%) said team members have experienced issues that they felt ill-equipped to deal with.

The world’s most prestigious flower show is more than 100 years old but the RHS Chelsea Flower Show (23 – 27 May) still annually delivers new ideas in horticulture through inspirational gardens from world-class designers. It’s a great day out for the 170,000 visitors who attend each year and a must-see event for millions more enjoying the extensive coverage of the show on TV and online.

It’s also a marvellous showcase for some of the licensees in the ever-expanding Royal Horticultural Society licensing programme, including a number that have released new products that will be highlighted at the RHS Chelsea Flower Show.

Plankbridge is proud to introduce the RHS Bothy at the RHS Chelsea Flower Show – a new design evoking the heritage of rural life. The RHS Bothy will have many uses: as a working-from-home space, as somewhere for hobbies, to write or play music, or simply as a place for busy gardeners to relax. Appearing in the central display in the Great Pavilion, it will not only be an attraction in its own right but will host a series of RHS interviews with women in horticulture. Plankbridge itself will have a trade stand (stand 640) at the RHS Chelsea Flower Show, where it has exhibited for more than ten years.

The theme of garden structures will be continued at the show by many long-standing RHS partners, including an award-winning manufacturer of handmade British greenhouses, Hartley Botanic (stand 143), timber greenhouse company Gabriel Ash (stand 243)and Harrod Horticultural (stand 183), a major name in plant supports and garden structures. 

The RHS and Sofas & Stuff (stand 615) 2023 fabric collection, like the popular 2022 collection, will launch at the Soane House Installation. These beautiful botanical fabrics once again draw on the archives of the RHS Lindley Collections, this time celebrating two female artists and women in horticulture; Gertrude Jekyll and Caroline Maria Applebee.

Also launching a new product at the RHS Chelsea Flower Show is Annie Sloan (stand 423a), one of the world’s leading authorities in paint, colour and style. The company will present a limited-edition version of its Chalk Paint™, the famous and very versatile furniture paint developed by Annie Sloan in 1990. It’s called Capability Green, a warm, natural green inspired by the beauty of the English landscape – and a nod to the most celebrated of English gardeners, Lancelot “Capability” Brown.

Capability Green will be part of a starter kit containing two 120ml tins of paint, one 120ml Chalk Paint™ Clear Wax, a paintbrush, a Chalk Paint™ colour card showing the full range of Annie Sloan Chalk Paint™ colours, and a QR code offering a link to videos that show how the paints are used. 

For its latest collection, again launching at the RHS Chelsea Flower Show, Moorcroft (stand 136), which handcrafts collectable art pottery, has been inspired by an extensive collection of beautiful early nineteenth-century watercolours of flowers from the RHS Lindley Collections by the artist Caroline Maria Applebee. The new Moorcroft RHS Applebee Collection consists of seven pieces. Each piece of art pottery is made entirely by hand in the Arts and Crafts tradition and is designed by renowned Moorcroft designer Nicola Slaney. The pieces, which include vases, a plaque, a jug and a planter, will be a mixture of limited and numbered editions.

There’s also a treat for wine-loving visitors. Partnering with the RHS, winemaker Babylonstoren (stand 110) has created a fresh rosé, which is the official rosé of the RHS Chelsea Flower Show 2023. The wine will be harvested and bottled a few weeks before the show, which means visitors will be the first to sip on the 2023 vintage. 

Of course, many visitors will be looking forward to planting, and Mr Fothergill's Seeds Ltd (stand 538), the preferred RHS partner for licensed flower and vegetable seed varieties, will be on hand to advise them, while Burgon & Ball (stand 310), offers experienced and new gardeners a range of quality tools and gardening gifts enabling them to buy and garden with confidence, including a stainless steel garden tool range and a wide selection of cutting tools plus much more. But if the weather doesn’t look too cooperative, visitors needn’t worry. RHS licensee The Original Muck Boot Company (stand 606), which produces a multipurpose range of gardening boots to keep feet dry, warm and comfortable, is also appearing at the RHS Chelsea Flower Show. 

Cathy Snow, Licensing Manager, RHS, says: “We are, of course, thrilled to be welcoming so many of our valued partners to one of the highlights of the year for the RHS. This is also a chance to show off the diversity of products and partners that have been inspired by Britain’s favourite gardening charity. From producers of greenhouses and shepherd’s huts to suppliers of seeds and wine, many exciting, appealing – and possibly unexpected – RHS licensees can be found at the RHS Chelsea Flower Show!”

Blue Diamond Garden Centres are taking part in this year’s RHS Chelsea Flower Show, exhibiting in the Discovery Zone where they have two stands, one in collaboration with the National Trust and one with the Soil Association.

Blue Diamond are working closely with the National Trust and their Plant Conservation Centre, to bring rare and heritage plants into commercial production which will then be available to buy exclusively through Blue Diamond Garden Centres. 

A minimum of 10% of the selling price per product will be donated by Blue Diamond to the National Trust to help look after nature, beauty and history for everyone, for ever.

Blue Diamond have already developed collections of seeds, bulbs, roses, native trees and herbaceous borders, all inspired by the places cared for by the National Trust, which they will showcase on their stand in the Discovery Zone at RHS Chelsea Flower Show.

At the Show, Blue Diamond will also be opening the registration of an exclusive online auction, for one of ten very special trees. These apple trees are direct descendants to the tree that inspired Newton’s theory of gravity, which can still be seen at Woolsthorpe Manor in Lincolnshire, which is cared for by the National Trust. 

The auction will take place in September and those who are who are successful in their bid, will become custodians of these historically significant trees.

Blue Diamond have pledged that they will donate up to 50% of proceeds raised from this auction to the National Trust, dependant on the final sums raised.

Blue Diamond Garden Centres and the National Trust

Stand GPA007

RocketGro has teamed up with GARDENA to help create the garden tool and watering brand’s sustainable trade stand, in partnership with leading eco-designer Lynne Lambourne, at the RHS Chelsea Flower Show this year.

RocketGro’s unrivalled 100% organic, peat-free compost will be used for planting across the ‘Greenest Garden’, which forms part of GARDENA’s ReThink campaign. It is the second year that GARDENA has partnered with Lynne Lambourne, who has been tasked with creating an immersive experience aimed at inspiring people to re-think their gardening practices and make more sustainable choices.

RocketGro – recently announced as the exclusive compost provider to River Cottage – is delighted to support GARDENA and Lynne in this project, which will focus on the importance of innovation and how both new and recycled materials can be used to design stylish outdoor spaces that are environmentally friendly.

A self-proclaimed ‘warrior on waste’, Lynne explains that every element of the garden has been thoroughly considered to ensure zero waste. This includes working with like-minded suppliers who are leading the way in sustainable products, such as RocketGro.

GARDENA Sustainability Ambassador, Lynne Lambourne says: “I am delighted that I will be working with RocketGro at Chelsea. I choose to work with brands that are putting sustainability at the forefront of what they do, and RocketGro shares my values. A good garden needs great soil, and RocketGro can help provide that in a healthy, organic, planet-friendly way. I am excited to get planting and creating something fabulous.”

GARDENA’s Sarah Bentham says of the partnership with RocketGro: “GARDENA recognises the importance of sustainability and using eco-friendly products. Our brand values align with that of RocketGro and we're thrilled to use RocketGro's 100% organic and peat-free compost for GARDENA'S Chelsea Flower Show 2023 garden. Gardening excellence and environmental responsibility go hand in hand, and partnering with RocketGro means we are making positive steps towards a healthier planet.”

RocketGro Managing Director, Toby Thomas shares Lynne and GARDENA’s enthusiasm. He says: “RocketGro is thrilled to be supporting Lynne Lambourne and GARDENA at the Chelsea Flower Show 2023 with the provision of all the compost they need for the planting of their stand. Sustainability is at the forefront of everything we do at RocketGro, and we have ensured that our range of organic peat-free composts is 100% grown, sourced, manufactured and produced in the UK and is 100% sustainable.”

Toby adds: “The fact that Lynne is such a great ambassador for sustainability, and is putting together the most sustainable greenest garden that GARDENA has ever produced, is very exciting and RocketGro is fully supportive. The more we can all do to promote sustainability and protect the environment whilst pursuing gardening excellence and great growing results the better.”

RocketGro boasts a stellar portfolio of 100% peat-free growing media products with a compelling and truly un-matched eco-story. Composts are packaged and produced using the RocketGro farm’s own green renewable energy production, with a large percentage of the substrates used in the compost blends grown on the RocketGro farm in Somerset. Ranges are organic, Soil Association Approved, all natural and chemical-free, whilst delivering impressive results across the board.

GARDENA’s display will be located on stand PW194 at Chelsea and has been designed in line with a circular plan and process in mind that ensures zero waste throughout the build and beyond, meaning all materials will be reused, recycled or donated post show.

Find out more

If you want to learn more about RocketGro or are keen to discuss adding its product portfolio into your 2023 offering, please contact Toby Thomas (hello@rocketgro.co.uk /07936 928 981) or Andy Abraham (andy@rocketgro.co.uk / 07446 937902). Discover more about the RocketGro story at www.rocketgro.co.uk

Four of Thompson & Morgan's new flowering plants have been shortlisted for the RHS Chelsea Plant of the Year 2023 award and will be judged at the show on 22nd May. All plants are available to view in the floral marquee.

They are:

• Hydrangea serrata ‘Euphoria Pink'
• Agapanthus ‘Black Jack’
• Tradescantia andersoniana JS® 'Brainstorm' PBR
• Weigela 'Camouflage'

The RHS Chelsea Plant of the Year award celebrates the new and exciting plants launched at the show and the prestige of winning is recognised worldwide. RHS Chelsea is the ideal global platform for the launch of new plants, which often go on to be bestsellers.

A North Yorkshire turf grower has been nominated for a top award at the world’s most prestigious gardening event. 

Lindum Turf, which is based at Thorganby near York, has been shortlisted in the Sustainable Garden Product of the Year category at the RHS Chelsea Flower Show, for its plastic-free wildflower turf. 

The innovative product is the only wildflower turf currently on the market that is 100% sustainable and doesn’t utilise plastic mesh within the growing medium.

Some turf grown in the UK, including other wildflower turfs, contains single-use plastic mesh which gets buried in the ground when the turf is laid. 

Over time, the mesh decays into harmful microplastics that pollute the soil and can leach off into nearby watercourses. The mesh can also have an extremely damaging impact on wildlife, with hedgehogs and other small animals becoming trapped in it and suffocating or starving to death. 

Lindum Turf owner, Stephen Fell, said the company had invested heavily over several years in creating the plastic-free alternative. 

He said: “Plastic in turf is a real issue and with single use plastics and sustainability making headlines every day, we decided we wanted to find an environmentally friendly solution. 

“As a result, we’ve invested a significant amount in innovating a completely sustainable way of growing turf, one that doesn’t include putting single use plastics into the ground or is a threat to wildlife.

“To have this recognised by the Royal Horticultural Society is a huge honour. The RHS Chelsea Flower Show is the world’s premier gardening event, the one everyone in the industry talks about and wants to do well at, so to be nominated for an award there is extremely special.” 

Earlier this year, Stephen launched a campaign calling on the turf industry at large to remove single use plastics from its products. 

The campaign is being supported by leading garden designer Juliet Sargeant, who won a Gold Medal  at the Chelsea Flower Show in 2016, and a Silver Gilt Medal  for her popular Blue Peter Garden in 2022. Juliet said the gardening industry needed to ‘start by educating consumers so they could make better choices when it comes to purchasing environmentally friendly products’.

The RHS is also working to remove plastics from the Chelsea Flower Show. It has already banned plastic bags and floral foam across its shows, as well as plastic artificial turf, and is aiming for the complete removal of single use plastics by 2025. 

Lindum Turf will discover if they have been successful at this year’s RHS Chelsea Flower Show, which takes place between Monday, May 22 and Saturday, May 27, at the Royal Hospital Chelsea in London. 

The company will be showcasing their sustainable products at the show at stand RGB114. 

As we start to consider who might be crowned a GIMA award winner this year, the judging panel with the hard job of choosing the deserving brands has now been confirmed.

Once again, GIMA has secured an impressive line-up of judges, with garden centre and multiple retailer representatives, trend experts, leading buyers, plus trade and consumer editors bringing their experience to the role. Confirmed judges are Gary Carvosso, Coolings Garden Centre; Shelley Bou Chrouch, Scarlet Opus; Mairi Devlin, B&Q; Ian Hodgson, Garden News; Trevor Pfeiffer, Garden Trade News; Michelle de Lavis-Trafford, Choice Marketing; Nicola Pugh, Pugh’s Garden Centre; Nicola Seagar, Primrose; and Tristan Sissons, Hillier Garden Centres.

This year’s judging will take place on July 12th at Warwick Racecourse, with entrants invited to set-up their products on July 11th. The event itself – set to be another sell-out evening – will take place on Thursday 19th October at the five-star Celtic Manor Resort.

Time is running out to enter!

Of course, judges need things to judge! This year the deadline for entry into the GIMA Awards is June 2nd. With 13 product and marketing categories, plus an HTA sponsored Sustainability Award (including a Sustainability Champion for each product category), the Gardenex Export Achievement Award, plus the GCA sponsored Supplier of the Year and, the one that all entrants hope to win, the GIMA Sword of Excellence, there is plenty of opportunities for suppliers to get involved in the event that has helped put a lot of brands on the map.

To enter this year’s GIMA Awards, please visit www.gima.org.uk/events/gima-awards-gala-evening/

Book your place now

Following on from two sell out events, GIMA is urging interested parties to secure their tickets for the 2023 event now to avoid disappointment.

Prices for GIMA members: £339 + VAT per person, or £3,199 + VAT for a table of 10, whilst non-member costs are: Non-Members:  £409 + VAT per person, or £3,899 + VAT for a table of 10 (all costs include dinner and accommodation).

There are also several sponsorship opportunities available, including category sponsorship, table and drinks sponsors, table centres plus many more. To find out more, please contact the GIMA team directly for more information.

Find out more

For further information about GIMA and its wide range of member benefits, please contact the GIMA Press Office on (01959) 564947 or info@gima.org.uk

Simon Davison of Zest Outdoor Living has been voted by the membership to become the newest representative on the GIMA Council.  Simon takes his place alongside 11 other industry stalwarts to guide the leading suppliers association through the next few years.

The 2023 GIMA Annual General Meeting, held on 12th May via video conferencing, also saw Jenny Douthwaite vow to continue as GIMA president for another year, supported by Kate Ebbens of Capi Europe in the Vice Presidents role.

Following her re-election Jenny gave a short address saying ‘I’d like to warmly welcome Simon Davison of Zest to the Council and we look forward to working with him’.  She continued ‘My first year as President has flown by and I am delighted to be embarking on my second term. It has been a privilege to be part of such a supportive association with a thriving offering of initiatives and incentives for all the members’

Also continuing in their roles of Secretary and Treasurer will be Mark Butler of Vitax and DLF’s Guy Jenkins respectively.  

Working closely with the GIMA team headed up by Vicky Nuttall, GIMA Director, the full GIMA Council for 2023/2024 will be made up of the following representatives:

• Jenny Douthwaite, Primeur - President
• Kate Ebbens of Capi Europe – Vice President
• Guy Jenkins, DLF – Honorary Treasurer
• Mark Butler, Vitax - Honorary Secretary
• Craig Hall, Deco-Pak
• Chris Ramsden, Hozelock
• Dan Durston, Durston Garden Products
• Martin Tompsett, Rollins Bulldog Tools
• David Nicholson, Elho
• Phil Harrison, Evergreen Garden Care.
• Edd Cantle of Gardena
• Simon Davison of Zest Outdoor Living

GIMA Treasurer, Guy Jenkins gave a short report on the 2022 GIMA year-end accounts, reporting a profit after tax and depreciation of £55.2k for the year.  Commenting on the strong result, Guy said “2022 saw us continue to rebuild our reserves through increased revenue from membership subs, events & exhibitions whilst at the same time keeping a tight control of costs.  2022 is the first year when the full benefit of the purchase of the Garden Press Event is reflected in our accounts following its deprecation ended in 2021”

Membership of GIMA is open to all manufacturers and suppliers of products to the garden retail sector, with a UK or EU base.

For further information about GIMA and the benefits membership brings visit www.gima.org.uk or contact the GIMA office on 01959 564947 or email info@gima.org.uk

Wyevale Nurseries’ Business Support team member Josh Pascoe has been presented with the Midland Regional Growers Apprentice of the Year 2022/2023 award at the recent RHS Malvern Spring Festival.

Josh joined the Hereford-based commercial grower as an apprentice in 2021 and, as part of his training, worked in all departments before moving to the office team in autumn 2022.

Wyevale Nurseries’ Head of Business Support, Carol Dickinson, says: “This is a fantastic achievement! Well done Josh!

“Horticulture is a fast-paced and exciting industry, and we’re keen to attract young people like Josh into our sector and to nurture them. In fact, we take our young talent very seriously here.

“Our successful in-house apprenticeships and trainee manager programmes are renown. Last year, eight colleagues graduated from these initiatives into more senior roles or are now actively working through our training and management scheme.”

Josh’s career began with Wyevale Nurseries in November 2021 after he decided to follow his passion for horticulture. He then spent time working company-wide before applying for an office position in October 2022. 

The 32-year-old lives in South Wales and up until November 2021 only practiced horticulture as a hobby.

Josh says: “I’m honoured to have received this award, which came as a complete surprise. I’ve benefited greatly from the invaluable support offered by Mark Diggens who is Pershore College’s Trainer/Assessor and from Steve Reed, Wyevale Nurseries’ Container Division Director, as well as all my colleagues here. I’ve really enjoyed the multitude of experiences I’ve had during my apprenticeship and would recommend one to anyone looking to start a career in horticulture.”    

The apprenticeship scheme offered Josh a wide foundation of experiences, allowed him to be employed in a working nursery and to have the opportunity to try various roles.

Apprentices also take part in nursery visits and attend plant shows such as the RHS Malvern Spring Festival and the Horticultural Trades Association’s National Plant Show, where expertise and practices are shared by professionals within the industry.

The award ceremony took place at RHS Malvern Spring Festival and was hosted by well-known horticulturalist, presenter and author, Frances Tophill and Wyevale Nurseries’ Container Division Director, Steve Reed.

Carol adds: “We’re always looking for talented individuals to join us in all areas of our business. If you’d like to have an informal and friendly chat about potential opportunities with us, please email me via carol@wyevale-nurseries.co.uk.”

Wyevale Nurseries’ product selection is admired across the industry and the talented team regularly introduces new, award-winning plant varieties.

Its main business is to supply garden centres, landscape contractors, local authorities, foresters and landowners with a comprehensive array of trees, shrubs, hedging, herbaceous and specimen plants.

For further details about Wyevale Nurseries, please call 01432 845 200 or visit www.wyevalenurseries.co.uk.

Several horticultural businesses have joined forces to sponsor, support and provide materials for a charity garden at BBC Gardeners World Live. The garden will support the horticultural charity Perennial and is designed to highlight nature’s seasonal influence on mental well-being.

Businesses sponsoring the project include Hedges Direct, Marshalls, Rolawn and commercial nursery, Johnsons of Whixley. The garden will be open to the public for viewing from Thursday 15th to Sunday 18th of June at the NEC, Birmingham.

The garden, named “Escaping the Seasons of the Mind”, has been conceived by Lilidh Matthews, founder of the MicroGarden subscription Finding Roots and John Tallis, owner of landscaping and garden design specialists, Outdoor Living Gardens who will be building the garden in collaboration with Tisserand English Gardens and Utopia Landscapes.

The garden is an artistic representation of the journey of the mind and the home into the solace of nature and aims to portray the range of emotions experienced throughout the seasons. At its core, the design encapsulates two crucial aspects: the prevalence of suicides during the autumn season and the sad reality that humans spend a staggering 90% of their lives indoors.

The garden also features 11 Corten Steel Pillars to represent the overbearing nature of the seasons with a bench representing the 12th month of the year and the passing of time.

The project aims to raise awareness/fundraise for the horticultural mental health charity, Perennial which supports people in the horticultural industry, including the businesses sponsoring, with health and well-being, housing and financial support and debt advice.

For Johnsons, which recently became a Platinum Partner for the charity, mental health is a top priority. Marketing and office manager, Eleanor Richardson, said: “We are honoured to announce our contribution to this significant project, providing an array of plants that will enhance the garden's visual impact and underscore its emotional narrative.

“We firmly believe in the power of nature to heal, inspire, and provide solace, and this partnership with Lilidh Matthews, John Tallis, Outdoor Living Gardens, and Perennial aligns perfectly with our commitment to supporting causes that make a positive difference.”

Victoria McIver, Brand and Communications Manager at Hedges Direct added: “Hedges Direct are proud to be sponsoring Gardeners’ World Live 2023, supplying our hedge plants, trees and shrubs for the wide array of show gardens. We are especially thrilled to be able to showcase our plants in the ‘Escaping the seasons of the mind’ garden for Perennial, in raising awareness of how our well-being can be impacted by spending time outdoors.

 We love hearing our customers tell us what joy they find in their gardens, so it’s wonderful to be able to encourage more people to take time out to notice and nurture our green spaces during each season, and in doing so nurture our mental health.”

Following last year's success with the Perennial Garden 'With Love' by Richard Miers winning the RHS People’s Choice Award, Perennial is returning to the 2023 RHS Chelsea Flower Show.

Over 50 people were directly involved in the creation of the winning garden last year, showcasing a fraction of all those working in horticulture that the charity supports and cares for, who shape, nurture, and protect our beautiful gardens and green spaces across the UK.

However, the Perennial presence will be a little different this year as they will be appearing in the Grand Pavilion, where you can join the team on their exhibit in the Discovery Zone for an Alan Titchmarsh-led audio visual experience, to learn about the charity and how they help those who work with plants, trees, flowers, or grass.

Beautifully created with plants, designed to demonstrate the diversity and interest that can be created in a vertical garden, the stand will include new ‘Plants for Perennial’ varieties; Dianthus Pink Celebration, Nemesia Peaches and Cream, Clematis Prince George, and Salvia Cuello in both white and pink forms. All have been produced in collaboration with four wholesale nurseries to raise funds to support for the work that Perennial does, and it will be the first time that the plants will all be appearing together.

“Perennial has taken a different approach this year.” says Director of Marketing and Fundraising, Anita Bates. “In order to reach as many people as possible so they know we are here for them; we are always adapting. We're looking forward to telling our story, launching our new ‘Plants for Perennial’ varieties, and showcasing some of the people we are proud to support. If you’re attending Chelsea Flower Show, do drop by exhibit 004 and meet the team.”

Read more about Perennial’s Chelsea presence this year at perennial.org.uk/chelsea

As the UK’s only charity helping all those working in, and retired from horticulture, Perennial is always on hand to offer support, information and advice and there is plenty of opportunity for everyone to get involved. Visit perennial.org.uk  

Lord’s hosts exclusive tour to celebrate its grounds with Perennial

Lord’s the ‘home of cricket’ in London is hosting a unique opportunity to meet its head groundsman and walk on its hallowed turf.

On 5 July, visitors will go behind the scenes with Lord’s highly respected Head Groundsman Karl McDermott to learn the science and secrets of groundskeeping and behold its collection of cricket related art and memorabilia. The exclusive event showcases the grounds and impeccable work of grounds and turf specialists, in support of Perennial, the charity helping people in horticulture.

Karl McDermott is known for producing top quality international and domestic pitches at World Cup level. He says: “This is a once in a lifetime opportunity to see all the iconic parts of the grounds and experience some of the most inspiring views in sports. Visitors will walk the pitch and discover the secrets behind keeping the hallowed turf in such pristine condition. This is an extraordinary experience that gives back to the horticultural community.”

Gardens, parks and sporting grounds bring joy to so many, but working in horticulture can be tough. Sadly, many people who work with plants, trees, flowers or grass, and their families, are struggling. To help, the charity Perennial provides free information, advice and support through its website, helpdesk and UK wide team.

Perennial helped Craig, 31, who had worked in grounds maintenance for 10 years. He put his back out during a shift at work and was signed off. Perennial arranged an initial physiotherapy assessment and then referred Craig for face-to-face physio treatment based on his diagnosis. Craig’s back pain improved after physio treatment and he is much happier now as a result. Craig says: “Not being able to do my job was hard to accept and triggered a lot of anxiety and depression. I’m so grateful for the physio sessions for my back pain, they’ve really helped me.”

Perennial’s work with worldclass sporting venues like Lord’s offers unforgettable experiences that many sports fans dream of. The charity is calling for more sporting venues to celebrate grounds people by hosting an exclusive tour.

Perennial Events Manager, Chris Crooker says: “Sporting venues have the opportunity to recognise their grounds people and give back to all those who look after green spaces by hosting a unique and memorable experience that will both delight and educate fans and garden lovers.”

To host an exclusive sports tour for Perennial contact events@perennial.org.uk

Or, to book the Lord’s tour visit perennial.org.uk/lords-cricket-ground

Market-leading lawn seed supplier Johnsons Lawn Seed is a 2023 spring winner with retailers as it reports bumper sales of the company’s innovative lawn mixes and formulas.

One garden retail heavyweight has spoken of how its relationship with Johnsons has reaped benefits, growing revenue and garnering brand loyalists in store. British Garden Centres is the UK’s largest family-run group with 62 stores all over the country. It has been a stockist of Johnsons Lawn Seed for many years with Johnsons’ full portfolio available in the majority of its stores and has seen positive sales results during peak season.

The innovative seed mixes have helped grow the British Garden Centres lawn care category with Buyer, Andy Matthewssaying: “British Garden Centres proudly celebrates its enduring partnership with Johnsons Lawn Seed. Customers continue to rave about the superior quality and unbeatable value offered by Johnsons. With an extensive range of options, Johnsons Lawn Seed provides the perfect blend for every lawn need, from repairs to establishing new lawns. Its exceptional germination rates and strong growth make it the trusted choice for gardening enthusiasts.”

The UK’s oldest and most trusted lawn seed brand’s bestselling spring portfolio included Tuffgrass with Patch Resistance, Quick Lawn, Lawn Thickener and Super Smart Lawn Feed products which soared off retailers’ shelves as the 2023 season began.

Mixtures have all been improved to ensure quicker germination and establishment in lower temperatures, which will boost retailers' profits in 2023.  As well as requiring less fertiliser and watering than standard grasses, the newly formulated bestsellers are more tolerant to drought, develop greener lawns, and are resistant to dog patches.

The newly reformulated mixtures are a result of Johnsons Lawn Seed's commitment to developing innovative products, supported by an extensive grass research and breeding programme and feature the following benefits:

• Tuffgrass with Patch Resistance: In a revolutionary mix, 168 grass varieties were vigorously tested before tetraploid fine-leaved dwarf perennial ryegrass was discovered to offer superior resistance to dog urine. As a result, Tuffgrass offers a lawn with improved colour and hardiness that will germinate at temperatures as low as 4°C is more drought. Tuffgrass lawns are stress-tolerant and also require less maintenance and irrigation.  The result is a lawn that uses less water, preventing excess water waste and enabling consumers to live more sustainably.
• Quick Lawn: Quick Lawn with Accelerator-treated seed offers accelerated germination and requires just a third of the amount of water needed for lawn establishment. The clever technology rapidly directs a carefully formulated blend of bio-stimulants in the seed coating – including seaweed extract, humic acids, amino acids, micronutrients and root developers – into the seed. This method is not only efficient in getting lawns started, it provides up to 38% more grass in the first seven days than non-coated seed.
• Lawn Thickener: Lawn Thickener with Seedbooster® guarantees more grass than uncoated grass seed and faster germination thanks to Seedbooster® pre-applied slow and fast-release nitrogen coatings.  This has seen a lot of consumer interest and has proven popular for this year’s gardening season, as lawns need TLC following a dry summer and wet winter.
• Super Smart Lawn Feed: Super Smart has something special that the other feeds don't - Azospirillum bacteria - it takes nitrogen from the atmosphere and gets it to your grassroots. Retailers have reacted positively to the combination of soluble mycorrhizal fungi to foster root growth and seaweed extract to supply micronutrients with lawns being revived over spring.

Find out more

Can you afford to not stock Johnsons Lawn Seed product portfolio? Please call your local sales agent or visit the website http://www.johnsonslawnseed.com/product-range.aspx   to see the full range.

Retailers wanting to maximise the demand for water features will not want to miss EasyFountain – part of the AMES UK family of brands – at Glee 2023.

EasyFountain is a rapidly expanding brand and is perfectly positioned to support retailers who are looking to maximise water feature sales by offering a number of new products for season 24. This year the brand will see further extensions to its four unique collections – Modern, Traditional, Natural, and Distinctive.

The success of EasyFountain lies in the fact that the brand recognises the role that water features play in the creation of tranquillity within the garden space. In recent years many consumers have turned to water features as a ‘quick win’ for creating a calming atmosphere at home. To help retailers optimise this sales potential, EasyFountain’s latest offering has been curated to maximise impulse sales potential, with simple, plug-in-and-go designs. Models feature a self-contained base into which the water flows, whilst integrated lighting casts an aura of relaxation, illuminating gardens by night.

At Glee this year, EasyFountain will see several new designs join the line-up ahead of 2024, creating an attractive proposition for buyers looking to source new lines for the coming season.  Contemporary styles will build on the popularity of the Anglo Falls fountains that were launched to great success for the 2023 season, whilst new products will also launch into the Traditional and Natural collections, allowing garden centres to curate the right collection for their customer base.

To see more from EasyFountain, plus to view the wider AMES UK family of brands, please visit the team on-stand at Glee 2023, hall 6, stand C40-F41.

To find out more about the AMES UK family of brands please visit https://ames-uk.com/

Following a period of change where Kelkay improved both its manufacturing and logistics programmes, Glee 2023 will be the first time that many buyers can get to witness this next chapter for the market leading garden landscaping brand.

A curated collection

Kelkay will be taking centre stage at Glee 2022, with a large area of the stand given over to this hugely popular offering made up of paving, decorative aggregates and landscaping accessories, including a number of new introductions joining the line-up inf 2024.

These latest additions come as the result of a significant period of consultation with both retail customers and the internal product teams.

Whether filling a gap in the overall offering through new colours, sizes or enhancements to the product hierarchy, retailers can trust that Kelkay’s latest offering will fulfil the needs of both the retail setting and meet the requirements of discerning shoppers. Look out for two new aggregate products plus a new line of paving which will open new conversations around sustainable material usage.  

Adding value for retailers

Supporting the growth of its product portfolio, the team will also be at Glee to outline to buyers the positive development of Kelkay’s customer support. This includes reduced lead times - down to just five days - to ensure stock remains available and on the shopfloor throughout peak times.

New and updated merchandising solutions that offer best-in-class retailing solutions have also been developed to make Kelkay products work even harder on a busy shopfloor. From creating more theatre through inspirational displays, the updated merchandising material is designed to drive up the average basket spend and increase consumer confidence. A key highlight will be the new multi-product merchandiser which combines the presence of ‘horti grits’ from the Kelkay Horticultural Collection, plus Apta pots and plants to create the ultimate in cross-merchandising excellence.

Don’t miss out

Don’t forget, with Kelkay forming part of the AMES UK family of brands, a visit to the stand at Glee will also offer invaluable insight into complementary brands including La Hacienda, Apta, Woodshaw and Easy Fountain. Find out more by visiting the team on stand in hall 6, stand C40-F41.

To find out more about the AMES UK family of brands please visit https://ames-uk.com/

A member of the team at one of the UK’s leading commercial nurseries has won a competition to name a new phormium bred by new variety managers at Plantipp.

Linda Price, Wyevale Nurseries’ Supply Chain Trading Foreman, was the lucky winner picked by Plantipp’s owner Peter van Rijssen, who has also selected the company to produce the new plant.

Peter says: “We all really liked the name Phormium Bohemian that Linda put forward and are delighted with her suggestion. We had many brilliant options from the team members at Wyevale Nurseries, who entered the competition, but Linda’s really stood out.”

Plantipp supports plant breeders, manages their new varieties and specialises in royalty management.

Peter adds: “We’ve a large network of breeders, growers and traders worldwide. Our collection of new varieties is diverse and innovative.

“This new evergreen phormium has outstanding foliage with dark plum centres and creamy pink outer edges. The sturdy, stiff leaves stay upright and have less flopping than other varieties. Use to add dramatic interest as an accent, specimen or container plant.”

The team at Wyevale Nurseries was told earlier in the year that there was a new phormium in production, which needed an exciting, marketable, selling name and asked to suggest ideas.

Wyevale Nurseries was selected to grow the plant as it’s a leading grower of phormiums. It’s well-known also for being one of a few nurseries in the country to still offer onsite propagation facilities. Plus, it boasts robust biosecurity too.

Production Manager, Kyle Ross explains: “Peter approached me to ask if we could bulk up the material of a brand new phormium. We’re known for our quality phormium production, producing more than 30,000 every year in sizes ranging from three litres up to 20 litres.

“All our phormium crops are propagated in-house via splits from clean motherstock and this was a deciding factor in us being selected to produce this new product.”

Phormium Bohemian will be available for garden centres to stock and landscapers and garden designers to use in 2025.

Linda was presented with a £40 Amazon gift card prize for her winning suggestion.

She says: “I am delighted to have won. It’s an amazing plant with lots to recommend it and I am looking forward to following it on its journey and seeing it out in the world making a name for itself.”

La Hacienda – part of the AMES UK family of brands – is getting ready to fire up the grills and firepits at Glee this year, in the perfect showcase of how retailers can light up their profits in the coming season.

For over 30 years La Hacienda has been delivering the best that the outdoor heating category has to offer, and this legacy is set to continue at Glee on stand 6C40-F41 within a stunning theatre display that will showcase key highlights of the La Hacienda portfolio. From a comprehensive product range to new point of sale, there is plenty for retailers to access to ensure their 2024 outdoor heating offering is a true stand-out and perfectly stocked to optimise outdoor entertaining sales opportunities.

The only product portfolio you need

From firepits and fire baskets to chimeneas, pizza ovens and an electric heating offer like no other, La Hacienda is the go-to brand for all things outdoor living. The full offering will be promoted at Glee, with the team on-hand to explain the many unique features and benefits that are unique to the brand, whilst retailers can get up close and personal with products of interest. Look out for classic bestselling designs, plus contemporary styles that are driven by the latest consumer trends with sleek lines, patinaed finishes and multi-function models.

Merchandising to entice

At Glee this year, La Hacienda will form part of the wider AMES UK stand, with a central theatre display that will demonstrate how impressive the full portfolio can look when merchandised and coupled with the eye-catching orange branding synonymous with La Hacienda.

This theatre display area will include many of the new merchandising displays that have been created ahead of the 2024 season, including the new half-pallet FDSU units to support the extended electric heating offering. Look out for new lifestyle imagery and updated digital assets that have been put in place to help retailers to educate and inspire consumers via social media and in-store.

Get ready for Fire, Grill & Chill

Finally, in an exciting move, La Hacienda will be joining the Glee Fire, Grill & Chill area within its new location at the entrance to halls 6-8 and hall 20. This live demonstration area will be home to several La Hacienda products including the Pittsburgh Firepit with Tripod, the Lorenzo Pizza Oven and deep bowl firepits, with the fires burning on all three days of the show. Showcasing the best these products have to offer will be street food experts at Hangry Street, who will be cooking up delicious food on them three times a day so don’t miss out on this mouth-watering extravaganza.

Don’t miss out

Don’t forget, with La Hacienda forming part of the AMES UK family of brands, a visit to the stand at Glee will also offer invaluable insight into complementary brands including Kelkay, Apta, Woodshaw and Easy Fountain. With so much on offer, a visit to the AMES UK stand is a must for any buyers wanting to add value to their 2024 offering. Find out more by visiting the team on stand in hall 6, stand C40-F41.

To find out more about the AMES UK family of brands please visit https://ames-uk.com/

GTN April 2023. In this issue:

• Fountasia – First to market designs
• Perrywood Profile – Interview with Simon Bourne
• Green Solutions – Making the crossing from Europe easy
• Tramontina – LOFA Member Profile
• Solex 2023 – A celebration of summer
• Gardening in the sun – GTN visits a Spanish garden centre
• Garden Re-Leaf Day 2023 – over £70,00 raised and counting
• March and Easter Garden Centre Sales – GTN Bestellers Analysis
• British Plants – Retailers securing their supplies
• What’s New for Pets – News from PATS Sandown
• Looking for clarity – HTA Column
• New salvias and retired roses – GTN’s Planteria column
• Packed schedule for GIMA – GIMA Column

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

To align with this week’s Water Saving Week and following last month’s announcement that South West Water has extended its hosepipe ban to an additional 390,000 homes in response to concerns over water shortages, the Horticultural Trades Association is urging action on water management grants to increase the industry’s resilience to droughts.

The HTA represents its members on the National Drought Group, which met last month to discuss the urgent need to focus on preserving water resources now, to reduce the risk of drought measures in the future. The group comprises senior decision-makers from the Environment Agency, the government, the Met Office, water companies, and key farming and environmental groups.

A very dry February, followed by an exceptionally wet March and unsettled April, highlight that businesses cannot rely solely on the weather and should focus on preserving water to prevent future drought measures. Whilst much of England is in a better position than last year and reservoir capacity across the UK was at 94% as of the beginning of April, East Anglia, Devon, and Cornwall remain in drought and face temporary use bans. The National Drought Group is preparing for the worst-case scenario of another hot, dry summer and is urging water companies and individuals to reduce leakage, decrease water consumption and find new ways of being resilient to drought.

On 4 April, the government published their ‘Plan for Water’, which sets out measures to increase drought resilience and ease water supply pressures. It aims to take a systematic, local, catchment-based approach, using nature-based solutions and infrastructure investment. This is welcomed by the horticultural industry, which relies on water to flourish. As such, we expect water companies to continue with public information campaigns encouraging the public to save water in the coming months, and we will work to ensure that any messaging relating to the responsible use of water in gardening does not adversely affect participation in gardening. The HTA has also encouraged horticultural businesses to reduce their reliance on mains water through the use of rainwater capture technology. However, whilst the Plan for Water is a step in the right direction, the HTA urges sufficient support for all members without restrictions holding them back from accessing funding to increase their resilience.

The current Water Management Grants from Defra are open to horticultural businesses growing or planning to grow irrigated food crops, ornamentals, or forestry nurseries. However, the investment minimum needs to be lowered for many members of the HTA to make it viable. These members want to implement reservoirs for self-sufficiency but don't need them at the current specified scale and cannot afford the initial outlay. If the necessary scale and investment were reduced, more businesses could reduce their reliance on the national water supply. The HTA is requesting that water companies and the Environment Agency provide or support a funding program for horticultural businesses to enhance rainwater capture, construct reservoirs, recapture run-off, and use grey water. This would help reduce capital costs for these businesses.

The industry needs to grow sustainably to meet the government's tree planting targets, continue to contribute to human health and wellbeing, mitigate against climate change, and improve local biodiversity. Additionally, the Environmental Improvement Plan released in February set out the government's aim to increase the percentage of water storage used by the agriculture and horticulture sectors by 66% by 2050. The HTA emphasises the importance of consistently recognising horticulture as a separate industry from agriculture, as water use and outputs vary significantly between the two. This recognition of the horticulture industry will allow for better support and differentiation of funding specific to horticulture.

In the event of sustained drought periods, before the necessary funding for investment is made available, the horticultural industry will continue to increase its use of rainwater capture. However, it is imperative that water companies and the Environment Agency work together with the garden centre sector to encourage consumers to reduce water use in the garden and increase rainwater capture/water reuse at home. The combined area of the UK's domestic gardens is roughly the same as the whole of Somerset, highlighting the necessity to educate domestic gardeners on their role in protecting water security.

Claire Bishop, Senior Houseplant Buyer at Dobbies, has been appointed as one of the Royal Horticultural Society Chair of Assessors, in recognition of her outstanding efforts over the past 12 years at Dobbies. 

The prestigious position will see Claire supervising the moderation and assessors for multiple awards at the RHS Chelsea, Hampton Court Palace, and Tatton Park Flower Shows. This includes evaluating, grading, and guiding the judges, as well as ensuring consistency and fairness. 

Claire is not new to the RHS; she has served on the assessment panels for the RHS Chelsea and Hampton Court Palace Flower Shows for the past seven years, most recently as panel lead for the last four years. 

Claire's has been named one of Horticulture Week's 30 UK Indoor Plant/Houseplant Industry Leaders, and she’s been heavily involved in the launch and ongoing expansion of little dobbies, where 70% of the range is in her category. 

Commenting on her new role, Claire said: “I'm honoured to be recognised by the Royal Horticultural Society and extremely proud to be working with such an important organisation. I can't wait to see the creativity and innovation this year's shows season bring.”

Graeme Jenkins, Chief Executive of Dobbies, added: “Claire is one of the country’s leading authorities on houseplants and her recent appointment as the RHS Chair of Assessors is testament to both her hard work and unrivalled knowledge of the sector.”

Plastics resource efficiency and recycling charity, RECOUP, has released its 2023 Plastics Management and Recycling at Household Waste Recycling Centres (HWRCs) in the UK report, finding a significant quantity of plastics going unrecycled.

The report found that over 120,000 tonnes of rigid and hard plastics are disposed of at HWRCs in the UK annually, almost 3kg per household, but that little of this is recycled. This amounts to as much as £13mil of council and waste management company funds paying taxes and gate fees for disposal of this material.

Tom McBeth, Policy & Infrastructure Projects Manager comments: “Whilst known to be more difficult to process, of lower value and more highly contaminated than kerbside material, plastics collected at HWRCs offer an opportunity to capture more previously unrecycled material as recycling targets continue to grow. This, combined with increased demand for recycling and recyclate through various policies and legislation, means that there is a need for more materials to be captured and recycled, particularly domestically.” 

As part of the report, RECOUP has developed a number of recommendations and interventions that would help enable plastic disposed of at HWRCs to fit into circular economy models, as well as potential steps to build on this research further. 

These recommendations include:

• Creating a robust dataset relating to material captured at HWRCs.
• Better understanding the journey of this material from collection to its final destination.
• Identifying the requirements for greater investment in UK infrastructure to sort and reprocess traditionally ‘hard to recycle’ plastics.
• Develop re-use infrastructure to remove items being disposed of as waste in instances where they can be recovered.

The Plastics Management and Recycling at Household Waste Recycling Centres in the UK report is available for RECOUP members to download from its website.

For more information about this report please contact:

Tom McBeth, Policy & Infrastructure Projects Manager  tom.mcbeth@recoup.org  01733 390021.

Steve Morgan, Head of Policy & Infrastructure  steve.morgan@recoup.org  01733 390021.

Ahead of Pride Month (June 1st-30th), disruptive wildflower company Seedball is encouraging people to ‘scatter a rainbow’ to bring beautiful colours to their surroundings, while celebrating the LGBTQ+ community.

‘Scattering a rainbow’ not only shows people’s support of Pride Month, it also boosts biodiversity and wildlife in the UK, with wildflowers attracting insect and pollinator populations – including the beloved bumblebee. Growing wildflowers in a pot, a strip of lawn or in garden beds can help these vital insects survive and have a huge impact on our ecosystem.

Emily Attlee from Seedball said: “Pride Month is such an important time – it honours those who were part of the gay rights protests, paving the way for those of us who are part of the LGBTQIA+ community, as Ana and I are. It allows us to celebrate how far we’ve come, as well as breaking down barriers that are still prevalent in our society today.

“Using wildflowers to create a rainbow – whether that’s in a garden, a window box or balcony, pays homage to the vital work that Pride propagates, while also bringing a splash of colour and encouraging a more diverse ecosystem, creating benefits for years to come.”

A great place to start with ‘scattering a rainbow’ is Seedball’s Set of 5 flowers, which covers off six of the seven colours of the rainbow. Red from the common poppy, orange from the oxeye daisy, pink from the red campion, violet from forget-me-nots and blue from cornflowers will bring vibrancy to any garden, while the greenery of stems adds a verdant touch. That just leaves purple, which can be brought to the garden through Seedball’sShade Mix – a mixture of British native wildflowers which are ideal for the shadier parts of the garden. Beautiful bellflowers, with delicate purple flowers, form part of this seedball mixture, growing between 50-100cm and flowering between June and September – ideal timing for Pride.

Or, if people prefer to tailor their colour schemes for themselves, tins which feature shades across the spectrum are available from Seedball – from pretty pinks, vibrant reds, and many different shades of blue, violet and purple. Not only that, but people can choose varieties which welcome specific animals and insects, including hedgehogs, butterflies and, of course, the bumblebee.

Seedball started at founders Emily and Ana Attlee’s home, where they rolled seed balls by hand at the kitchen table and sold them at market stalls with the family dog, Rigby. Fast forward ten years and the couple now have a team of 30 people working from their headquarters near Finsbury Park, as well as three children and a second dog, Teddy.

Find out more about how Seedballs are made and how to use them at https://seedball.co.uk/

The European DIY Retail Association (EDRA) and Global Home Improvement Network (GHIN) have announced that Praktiker Greece will join the associations with immediate effect. 

Praktiker Hellas, counting over 30 years of presence in the Greek market, is the No. 1 Greek Home Improvement & DIY Network and an one-stop-shop for every home and garden need.

With 16 stores nationwide, dynamic e-commerce and a specialized Praktiker Business department operating all over Greece, it offers top shopping experiences for every small or big Home change, providing 50,000 products and integrated services every day.

Since April 2014, the company, has been incorporated into the leading Canadian Fairfax Financial Holdings Limited Group, known for its significant track record of successful investments in international companies with strong growth prospects, as well as long-term growth of corporate values since 1985.

In addition, Praktiker Hellas, while emphasizing in continuous growth and development, is in the process of implementing an investment plan that includes the upgrade of its systems, the renovation of its existing stores and the expansion of its network with new ones in Attica and the region.

With a trained team of 1,400 professionals and with priority given to the individual needs of its customers, the company offers excellent service, while with a sense of responsibility towards Society & the Environment, it implements integrated programs and initiatives of Sustainability and Inclusion, such as “To Spiti mas Allazei tin Poli” (Our HOME can change the CITY") and “Spiti Anoixto” (Open House), respectively.

EDRA/GHIN are delighted to welcome Praktiker into its international community of DIY, home improvement and garden retailers.

The Horticultural Trades Association (HTA) has announced its success in securing an extension to the easement allowing GB Plant Passports to be affixed to retail-ready plants in the EU on behalf of GB Plant Passport holders.

The new, fixed deadline of 30 June 2025 means importers have 24 months to put in place a labelling solution GB-side. This much sought-after outcome follows months of uncertainty and the HTA’s work engaging with Defra to set out sector needs.

In the coming months, the UK’s Defra Plant Health Services and the HTA have agreed to jointly develop a pilot scheme looking at an electronic Plant Passporting system for those businesses that currently use the easement. This means there is potential for a modern, efficient, and alternative solution to physical labelling.

HTA worked closely with members to provide the evidence needed to allow this easement to continue and worked with the Plant Health Service in Britain to achieve this welcome result along with a potential long-term solution – a great example of how industry and Government can work together for a mutually beneficial outcome for all.

Sally Cullimore, HTA’s Technical Policy Manager, said: “The HTA welcomes this announcement, which follows many months of work in providing the evidence needed to achieve this sensible extension period to the current GB plant passports easement. The addition of a commitment from the Government to work hand-in-hand with the HTA and sector experts on the development of an electronic Plant Passporting system is fantastic news. The HTA looks forward to continuing this collaborative journey as we develop this digital solution for Plant Passports, working towards a system which delivers enhanced traceability while reducing the need for businesses to implement costly and resource-hungry labelling systems.

The HTA, as always, seeks member feedback and inputs and looks forward to hosting sessions with the sector to ensure a full understanding of the changes and future in the coming weeks.”

The easement extension does come with the condition that the Plant Passport, if affixed in the EU, is only a draft version and that businesses must do a visual plant health check on the consignments on arrival at the first place of destination in Britain. Traders must keep a record of that visual check, and when auditing a trader’s authorisation to issue plant passports, APHA inspectors will ask to see those records to ensure businesses are doing their due diligence.

More information can be found on the Plant Health Portal.

Keukenhof has successfully concluded the 2023 season. It represented a ‘welcome back’ to visitors from around the globe. The former gave the flower exhibition an 8.6. Almost 1.4 million people visited the park over the eight weeks it was open.

The majority of visitors originated from the Netherlands (20%), followed by Germany, the United States, France and the United Kingdom. Visitors from Asia have also returned, though not in pre-Covid numbers. The park welcomed visitors from over 100 countries this season.
 

The average number of visitors per day was very comparable with last season as Keukenhof uses arrival timeslots. This has improved travel to and from the park as well as people’s experience of the latter. Keukenhof will continue to play attention to this aspect.

Keukenhof sold out on multiple weekends including over Easter, on the day of the flower parade and the weekend of May 1st. Keukenhof’s car park welcomed many camper vans.

The number of visitors who arrived on public transport or hop-on hop-off tours increased this year.

20% visitors of the Keukenhof visitors took the Keukenhof Express straight to the park from Schiphol, Leiden, Amsterdam RAI or Haarlem.

Keukenhof works with 40 permanent employees all year round. In the season, the organization scales up to 1,000 employees.

 “I am proud to be able to welcome such a large group of colleagues, year in, year out. We had no trouble recruiting staff this year,” says Jeroen Duyster, interim director.

The wonderful blooming of the park and the flowering bulb fields in the rest of the Bollenstreek [bulb growing area] once again ensured many people visited the park. Thanks to low night-time temperatures, the park remained extra colourful for an extended period of time. During the final week, the torrential rain rapidly reduced blooming.

Annually, one hundred growers supply seven million flowerbulbs for the park. This year, five new bulb growers from the area and the province of Noord-Holland participated.

Keukenhof has adopted a coordinating role with its ‘Entrepreneurs in the lead’ programme and the Bulb conference bringing businesspeople together to jointly tackle contemporary challenges.

Next year, Keukenhof will celebrate its 75th anniversary and park activities will be aligned. In 2024, Keukenhof will be open from 21 March to 12 May.

Choice Marketing has announced the addition of another new garden centre to the Group – Bay View Garden Centre in Carnforth. This is hot on the heels of Bow Garden & Aquatic Centre, of Crediton, and Cardwell Garden Centre, of Gourock, who both joined earlier this year. 

This brings the number of centres within Choice Marketing to 48 and a total group retail turnover in excess of £170m. 

Lisa Clarke, the owner of Bay View, said: “We are excited to have joined Choice Marketing and to be working with the central team and other member garden centres. Membership presented many opportunities for us to benefit from the knowledge and support within the group. We have already been warmly welcomed and look forward to meeting fellow members over the coming year.”

Dave Tucker, owner of Bow, said: “We are delighted to have joined the membership of Choice Marketing Group, and have been welcomed by the very supportive, positive community of great garden centres and the professional and helpful central team. We look forward to contributing and growing within the group."

Commenting on the three new members, Michelle de Lavis-Trafford, CEO of Choice Marketing, said: “We are delighted to have welcomed all three of these lovely garden centres into the Choice family, and we look forward to helping them improve their profitability, sharing in our group successes and generally sharing best practice. 

“Following a good season in 2022, Choice has once again repaid over £2.6m back to its members in rebates. This really does exemplify the power and positive rewards of working together within an established Organisation, with fantastic support from our key suppliers. Although all our member centres are both independently owned and run, we do speak with one voice in our relationships with our suppliers”. 

Choice is one of the industry’s leading buying and marketing groups and has forged strong and mutually beneficial working relationships with dozens of key suppliers throughout the garden centre, gift, home and leisure sectors. Members benefit from a fully supportive central admin team and gain enormous support from other Members too, it is a true co-operative. Additional benefits from preferential credit/debit card rates to preferential purchasing of catering supplies through its partner agency, and a whole lot more. 

Choice Members value the combined influence and buying strength that Choice gives its Members and far exceeds anything they could possibly achieve on their own. The enhanced service that Members receive from suppliers, combined with the direct lines of communication, that the team at Choice have with key account managers, right across the supply chain, ensures that any issues are dealt with quickly and efficiently. 

Choice Marketing has also announced further details of its annual conference and trade show which this year takes place at The Chesford Grange Hotel on the 27th September, and bookings are already coming in thick and fast for this great annual event. With further new member enquiries already in the pipeline, Choice is now rapidly approaching its optimum number of members, which is set at 50. 

If you would like to know more about the benefits of membership, please contact Michelle de Lavis-Trafford at info@choice-marketing.co.uk to arrange an informal chat.

The Coronation weekend provided the much needed boost to garden centre sales, according to analysis of weekly Epos data by GTN Bestsellers.

Reaching the highest sales volume of the year, the week saw the second 7% week on week sales growth.  As a result the GTN Bestsellers All Products Volume Index now sits at 1.8% down on 2022, 18.1% up on 2019 and 30.7% up on 2018.  As you can see from the graph above, it wasn't until this week, (week 19) in 2018 that sales really got going after "The Beast from the East" and despite the very, very slow start to that year by the end of the year sales had caught up to be up on 2017.

Prior to Coronation week, April volume sales rallied to be 0.2% up on April 2022 and 19% higher than both 2019 and 2018.  With the continual colder and wetter than normal April weather, Plant volume sales were down by 2% for the month.  Coronation week, however saw a big improvement in plant sales, up 16% week on week, to reach the highest single week plant sales volume since week 24 in 2021.

Mark Whalley made an incredible 700-mile round trip from the West Midlands just to buy a gas barbecue from a Scots garden centre.

The 52-year-old al fresco dining fan drove all the way from his home in Solihull, near Birmingham to Cardwell Garden Centre, in Inverclyde to pick up his favourite piece of barbie equipment – a high class Ziggy 2 Grillstream gas barbecue.

And while he was at Cardwell a fire pit also caught his eye and he bought that as well.

Mark explains: “I really wanted the Ziggy 2 barbecue and I searched everywhere online and the only one I could find on sale in the country was at Cardwell Garden Centre.

“I’ve had this particular model of gas barbecue for years, but it was getting a bit temperamental and it needed replacing. I wanted to get the same model because it’s a great barbecue, it’s solidly built, allows us to grill or bake and we’ve always had great results with it.  In fact, it’s never let us down."

And Mark joked: “I could see online that this barbecue was still available in Australia and South Africa, where it is classed as a real top end model, but that was just a bit too far for me to travel and Cardwell is much closer for me to travel in my electric car!”

He continued: “It might seem a long way to go to buy a barbecue, but it was worth every mile and every minute travelling. I left my house at 7.30am and didn’t get home until 1am the next day, 

“Both my wife Tracy and I enjoy our barbecues in the garden during the summer and I’m really looking forward to using my new barbecue this weekend with some friends."

Cardwell’s retail general manager, Paul Carmichael said: “We’re delighted we were able to supply Mark with his favourite gas barbecue.

“We really appreciate the effort Mark made driving all the way from Solihull to pick up his barbecue. That must have been the furthest anyone has travelled to buy anything thing from us.

“We hope he has many years enjoyment from the barbecue.”

Pictured: Mark Whalley, left, with the barbecue he made a 700-mile round trip to buy and Cardwell staff member, David Douglas.

The Garden Centre Association has revealed the dates for its summer regional award meetings when members will find out who has come top in its annual inspections for 2023.

Garden centres are encouraged to attend the event in their area and to bring as many of their team members along as possible.

Peter Burks, CEO at the GCA, said: “Another round of our annual inspections is coming to a close and the early feedback is already looking positive.

“We’re inviting our members to attend the regional meeting for their area, where they’ll be able to hear the feedback in full and where our inspectors will be highlighting best practice and new ideas and will also announce all the category winners.”

The South Thames region will meet at Castle Gardens in Dorset on Tuesday, July 4 with inspector Gordon Emslie.

The Midlands regional meeting will follow on Wednesday, July 5 at Gates Garden Centre in Leicestershire with inspector Phil McCann presenting his findings.

The North East and North West meeting will also take place on Wednesday, July 5 with inspector Colin Farquahar at Tong Garden Centre.

Members in Wales & West will meet on Thursday, July 6 at Sanders Garden World in Somerset also with Phil.

On Tuesday, July 11, members in Scotland will be meeting at Simpsons Garden Centre in Inverness where inspector Alyson Haywood will be presenting her findings.

Alyson will also be presiding at the North Thames regional meeting on Thursday, July 13 at Poplars Garden Centre in Bedfordshire.

Peter added: “Many GCA members have said that the unique annual inspections and constructive feedback sessions are one of the biggest benefits of membership. It is a fantastic motivational and management tool and really keeps staff on their toes, making sure they are always doing their absolute best.

“Garden centres receive no advance warning about when their inspection will take place and they do not have the option to turn away the inspector. It is all about making sure they are offering a consistently excellent service and improving their customer service standards, which is what all GCA garden centres must do to remain members.

“The results of the inspections form the basis for many GCA awards, including Destination Garden Centre of the Year, Garden Centre of the Year, Area Winners, Highly Commended and Most Improved Garden Centre. The top 10 centres will receive a Garden Centre of Excellence Award and all centres scoring 75% or above receive the Highly Commended certificate.”

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

Squire’s Garden Centres has announced a number of significant changes in its bid to reduce its carbon footprint and drive to be increasingly more sustainable.

From May, only ‘home compostable’ carrier bags and boot liners will be available across all Squire’s garden centres, these replace the previous biodegradable bags, for easier composting.  

Made from vegetable starch, the new bags and liners can be added to garden or food compost bins to break down.  In addition, a new re-usable 100% natural cotton bag-for-life will be available for purchase at centres, encouraging customers to return using their own handy shopping bag.  Charitable donations will be made from both the sale of the new recyclable carrier and cotton ‘bag for life ‘bags.

New ‘Reuse or Recycle Bin Stations’ have been introduced to all Squire’s 16 garden centres, enabling customers to easily recycle plastic pots, trays and compost bags.  Working closely with one of the UK’s leading recycling providers, each garden centre prepares the waste from the three recycling bins for collection.  This material is then 100% UK recycled in the most appropriate and efficient way, with nothing going to landfill, prepared ready for re-manufacturing into new everyday items. 

A further change this spring sees the introduction of sustainably sourced raffia and plant sleeves for garden centre gift wrapping.

Ross McEwan, Squire’s Sustainability Manager, comments: “We hope these customer facing initiatives demonstrate our absolute commitment to being more sustainable as a business.  Early indicators are extremely encouraging, with a positive response from customers to our new Bin Stations for example, which have been very welcomed and well-used. 

“In addition to these new sustainability focused introductions, Squire’s is certified zero waste to landfill and has Planet Mark* certification for our total carbon emissions reduction for the last 3 years.  We are proud to continue our drive for local sourcing of our plants, with 85% of our plants now sourced from UK nurseries.  

“We have pledged to do the right thing for plants, the planet and people. We strive to improve all the time. Each small step is significant for us, our customers and future generations.”

• Squire’s currently has 14 customer electric car charging points available across seven of its centres.   
• Many plants come from very close to Squire’s garden centres in Surrey, Hampshire and Sussex with some grown on Squire’s sites at West Horsley and Chertsey or from its own nurseries on the West Sussex/ Surrey borders, significantly reducing plant miles.
• Squire’s maintain a strong emphasis on ethical sourcing, doing its best to ensure products are being obtained responsibly.  The business is currently working on initiatives around peat, timber and chemical content and working with others in the industry, as members of SEDEX, to combat modern slavery in supply chains.

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.

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.