In This Issue
Glee 2019 attracted quality buyers, says show director Matthew Mein
More than 40 new Easy Fountains for 2020
Burgon & Ball's prestigious partnerships make compelling combination at Glee
Indoor pots and Aardman ornaments broaden Apta's range
Johnsons Lawn Seed celebrates a successful Glee and names ARC Southern as its Sales Team of the Year
Fiskars high-performing gardening tools
Stone King Amazing Stone Restorer wins New Product Award
Woodlodge declares Glee a record-breaker
Deco-Pak’s new EcoStone and Zen Garden ranges generate high levels of interest
New products galore for Treadstone at Glee
Multi award winners add to their honours list
To boldly grow, like no one has grown before
Vitavia become UK distributors for Janssens greenhouses
Novelty bulb gifts and seed potatoes were the talk of the town at Taylors
Bord na Móna launches Happy Compost range
Bringing the outdoors in with Pentik’s Nordic lifestyle concept
Easigrass showcased innovative product range
Impressive launches from Westland
Glee New Product Awards 2019 - Winners revealed
Glee New Products 2019 – Shortlisted Products
New Product Awards for Pets@Glee revealed
Glee Buyers Power List Winners Revealed
Best Green Heart Display winners confirmed
Glee Daily News brings you all the latest Glee news - previews, live issues from the show and an omnibus edition
Natural Grower scoops the 2019 GIMA Innovators Seed Corn Fund 2019
Woodlodge’s ‘Fountain of Fizz’ raffle helps to raise vital funds for Greenfingers
Boyd Douglas-Davies appointed as HTA President
Garden Re-Leaf 2020 officially launched at Glee
Retail Lab @ Glee sponsors
Get your own copy of GTN Xtra
News Update
Glee Daily News brings you all the latest Glee news - previews, live issues from the show and an omnibus edition
 

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Glee 2019 attracted quality buyers, says show director Matthew Mein

 

This year’s Glee has been hailed as a great success with show director Matthew Mein stating: “The quality of the buyers at the three-day show has been incredible.”


 

This year’s Glee has been hailed as a great success with show director Matthew Mein stating: “The quality of the buyers at the three-day show has been incredible.”

 

Glee moved its open days to Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday, a decision that paid off handsomely, according to Matthew.

 

“There has been so much happening this year. We've had really positive feedback from all the exhibitors across Glee, and we also managed to launch PAWExpo in readiness for 2020.

 

“Meeting so many of the CEOs as well as buyers from some of our big multiple chain garden centres has been really interesting, especially with all the activity going on at the moment in the industry. It’s great to hear and see so much general upbeat positivity, and I believe that's based on garden centres being a really good retailing industry, in terms of steady trading.

 

“Garden centres are so much different to the high street and that positivity is coming through. Retailers are definitely in a buying mode. We've had lots of feedback from our suppliers taking good orders as well as lots of interest being shown in their products.

 

“Having a Tuesday start has been extremely helpful. The quality of buyers that came in on that first day was a reaction to that. It enabled a lot of buyers to visit Glee after their Monday reordering day. It’s certainly made Glee more accessible.

 

“And buyers are spending longer periods of time at the show, returning on a second or third day. People have to take a couple of days to ‘shop’ the show properly.

 

“We’ve also received good feedback from international buyers who’ve returned to the show after a five or six year absence. The size, scale, depth and breadth of Glee have surprised them. Glee is definitely getting back on the international stage.”

More than 40 new Easy Fountains for 2020

 

With in-depth research and a meticulous attention to detail, the Easy Fountain team have developed a unique selection of new water features for 2020...


 

With in-depth research and a meticulous attention to detail, the Easy Fountain team have developed a unique selection of new water features for 2020.

 

The new RHS-licensed range has been inspired by the rich collection of archive materials found in the RHS Lindley Library. This new collection of four classic designs replicate the finish of ageing stone and will create an affordable and stunning focal point.

 

The new Relic collection of four unique features are all hand-finished, glazed ceramic, heat-distressed to give an ancient archaeological finish. And the successful Nature Inspired range has been expanded to include two new nickel silver designs with recommended retail prices starting at £79.99. In total there’s 44 brand new designs for 2020 including seven additions to the hugely successful Impressions range of high-quality stone effect features.

 

 

Sunburst, which includes LEDs to add interest at night, is the latest in the collection and is as much a striking garden sculpture as it is a water feature.

 

CONTACT DETAILS

sales@kelkay.co.uk                         

www.kelkay.co.uk                             

Tel. 01405 869333

Burgon & Ball's prestigious partnerships make compelling combination at Glee

 

It’s been a Glee of successful synergy for Burgon & Ball, UK’s longest-established manufacturer of tools and accessories, as many of this year’s new launches have been generated by its fruitful collaborations with prestigious partners...


 

It’s been a Glee of successful synergy for Burgon & Ball, UK’s longest-established manufacturer of tools and accessories, as many of this year’s new launches have been generated by its fruitful collaborations with prestigious partners.

 

Understandably, the new licence with the National Trust was big news on the Burgon & Ball stand, with the heritage look of the new tools attracting many positive comments from visitors. The craftsmanship and traditional manufacturing techniques used for the new range also earned much positive feedback.

 

Rainer Schubert, managing director at Burgon & Ball, commented: “We’ve been really pleased with the response to the launch of the new National Trust licensed range of tools. Not only are the tools practical, stylish and set to have great customer appeal, but it’s clear that visitors to our stand were quick to see the attraction of this high-profile collaboration. Carrying two well-known and trusted names in gardening, this new collection of tools offers new and exciting opportunities for retailers.”

 

The Corona tools from the US also made a big impact at the show. Selected items from the range were previewed to great acclaim last year, but this September the whole of the range launched in the UK was on show together for the first time.

 

Rainer Schubert comments: “Visitors could instantly see that the Corona range offers something very different. There’s simply nothing else in the UK like it; as an example, the high-performance large cutting category offers a unique proposition. These are very high quality tools, engineered for durability, and we’re very pleased that we can now say to customers that the whole range is now in stock and available for immediate despatch.”

 

 

There was a positive reaction to the unveiling of the new RHS-endorsed collection of axes, too. With handles crafted in traditional FSC® hickory wood, these beautiful axes had instant appeal, stopping people in their tracks on the stand. Once in the hand, the perfect weighting of the axes is very easy to feel; the heft of the durable drop-forged tool heads does the work, minimising effort from the user.  And thanks to the trend for woodburning stoves and their need for chopped firewood, these tools hold appeal for gardeners and non-gardeners alike.

 

The Sophie Conran range also drew a lot of attention at the show. After nearly a decade of working with Sophie on this much-loved collection of garden tools and accessories, Burgon & Ball has repositioned the range to place it as conclusively in the core ‘garden’ category as strongly as it is in ‘gift’.

 

This range offers practical, well-designed hand tools, created to make gardening easier. The new additions of digging fork and spade, hedge shear, lopper, topiary shear, pocket knife and long thin trowel now create a comprehensive gardening range; this is serious gardening, made stylish.

 

The packaging has also been revisited, as Rainer Schubert explains: “The Sophie Conran hand tools were presented in beautiful gift boxes, ideal in softer gift environments, but they didn’t always look at home in a garden centre. We’ve now launched new packaging for the range in an understated grey with gold foil accents for a distinctive look, which is equally suited to both garden and gift settings, offering retailers more flexibility when merchandising.”

 

Burgon & Ball also showed a new selection of indoor pots, carefully selected to highlight key trends and offer retailers a fast-track to the hottest looks for houseplants, showing once again that Burgon & Ball retains its eye for a trend in gardening. And for the first time the whole of the Corona range being launched in the UK was on show at Glee, to give retailers the opportunity to see these high-performance, durable tools from the US.

 

Rainer Schubert continues: “Overall we’ve been extremely pleased with these first reactions to our new launches at Glee. Over the last year we’ve been able to draw on the expertise of our Venanpri family of well-established, high quality tool brands, which of course includes Corona, and the investment in our systems is really paying dividends.”

 

And what’s more, when the Sheffield-based manufacturer teams up with carefully-selected, prestigious partners, it makes a truly compelling combination.

 

CONTACT DETAILS

T: 01202 684141

E: sales@burgonandball.com

W: www.burgonandball.com

Indoor pots and Aardman ornaments broaden Apta's range

 

Market-leading supplier Apta is celebrating another hugely successful Glee which saw, in addition to hundreds of new outdoor pots, an expansion to its indoor selection and the launch of an Aardman Animations ornaments collection....


 

Market-leading supplier Apta is celebrating another hugely successful Glee which saw, in addition to hundreds of new outdoor pots, an expansion to its indoor selection and the launch of an Aardman Animations ornaments collection.

The Apta Interiors range of indoor pots is rapidly becoming a comprehensive and innovative offer. The RHS range has been expanded with new shapes, colours and designs from the Lindley Library, and for the first time there is a Laura Ashley selection featuring some of the brand's best-known patterns.

Also making an exciting debut at Glee were the Green Haus pots, made from waste paper and natural latex, and featuring intricate detailing and patterns. Needless to say, they are also 100% biodegradable and recyclable. In addition, they are produced by the workers (often young mothers) in their own homes, which allows them to earn a living whilst bringing up their children away from a factory environment.

 



Apta’s Wallace and Gromit and Shaun the Sheep figures generated a great buzz at the show, helped by appearances by Shaun the Sheep himself! With stock available pre-Christmas and timed to coincide with the new Shaun movie, Farmageddon, these ornaments look set to be a huge hit!

Johnsons Lawn Seed celebrates a successful Glee and names ARC Southern as its Sales Team of the Year

 

The team at Johnsons Lawn Seed is celebrating a successful Glee after buyers from the UK and overseas flocked to the stand to see the company’s ground-breaking launches for 2020, and examine its market-leading portfolio of top-performing lawn seed products...


 

The team at Johnsons Lawn Seed is celebrating a successful Glee after buyers from the UK and overseas flocked to the stand to see the company’s ground-breaking launches for 2020, and examine its market-leading portfolio of top-performing lawn seed products.

 

Johnsons Lawn Seed’s new Tuff Grass with Dog Patch Resistance – which has been formulated to banish the problem of yellow patches and dead areas of grass caused by dogs urinating on lawns – generated strong interest from buyers seeking to expand the lawncare category. The scientifically proven product also created a frenzy of media interest, with journalists from a broad spectrum of national media outlets expressing interest in the product’s potential to solve a problem that has blighted domestic lawns.

 

Glee 2019 served as an excellent platform for the launch of Quick Lawn with Accelerator-treated seed, which leads to rapid germination, faster lawn establishment and requires just a third of the amount of water that’s usually needed for lawn establishment. The result is a strong, thick and healthy lawn – even in cold or wet conditions – with 38% more grass within the first seven days. Both launches offer significant potential for retailers to expand lawncare category sales next season, with Johnsons Lawn Seed preparing to celebrate 200 years at the forefront of the lawncare business in 2020.

 

Johnsons Lawn Seed’s Guy Jenkins said: “Interest in our new products for 2020 and established portfolio of leading lawn seed began at the start of day one, with new and existing customers heading straight to the Johnsons stand. We received an excellent level of enquiries from overseas visitors, too, and left with a big file of new leads to develop. Both of our ground-breaking new products for next season received significant interest from visiting media, who were excited about the technology incorporated into our latest launches, as well as the potential of Tuff Grass with Dog Patch Resistance to banish the age-old problem of canine damage to lawns.”

 

A special celebration took place on Glee’s closing day, as Johnsons Lawn Seed announced that ARC Southern Ltd, which represents the company in the south east, had won its Sales Team of the Year Award for 2019. Johnsons Lawn Seed said it had been a bumper year for its five agencies, comprising 16 sales agents – but ARC Southern had topped the league for performance. Guy Jenkins explained: “The award to ARC Southern was given for outstanding performance during an outstanding year, which kept Johnsons Lawn Seed at the forefront of the grass seed business, bringing in new customers and extending our range of retail stockists.”

 

On the back of a successful Glee, Johnsons Lawn Seed has already booked its stand for 2020, where it plans to showcase further innovation driven by the €14 million invested into research and development every year by DLF Seeds, its parent company.

Fiskars high-performing gardening tools

 

At this year’s Glee, Fiskars showcased its extensive range of innovative and high-performing gardening tools, including the revolutionary Norden Axe range, which is new for 2020, as well as its best-selling collections...


 

At this year’s Glee, Fiskars showcased its extensive range of innovative and high-performing gardening tools, including the revolutionary Norden Axe range, which is new for 2020, as well as its best-selling collections.

If you’re looking to find out more information about Fiskars’ popular and successful garden tool solutions, call 01782 204141 or visit www.fiskars.co.uk.

 
Stone King Amazing Stone Restorer wins New Product Award

The Patio Black Spot Removal Company Ltd were celebrating winning a Glee New Product Award with a new addition to their existing range – Stone King Amazing Stone Restorer, which is available from January 2020.


The Patio Black Spot Removal Company Ltd were celebrating winning a Glee New Product Award with a new addition to their existing range – Stone King Amazing Stone Restorer, which is available from January 2020.

 

Managing Director Simon Essex said: "We launched this product because people were asking for it, so to win a New Product Award on its official launch at Glee is fantastic."

 

Available in January 2020, The Patio Black Spot Removal Company Ltd is delighted to announce the new addition to their exisiting range; Stone King Amazing Stone Restorer.

 

Supplied in a handy trigger bottle spray it’s designed to be used on vertical surfaces of garden ornaments such as statues, bird baths and ‘stone art’.

  • Faster, more efficent performance from an already established brand
  • Instantly removes ‘Patio Black Spots’ and Green Algae in minutes
  • Greater benefits to the environment – readily biodegrades
  • Pressure washing is NOT required, using less water, preventing surface damage which is kinder to the stonework and the environment
  • Unlimited shelf life means no wasted stock
  • Improved results producing enhanced customer experience and even greater sales foe your garden centres
Woodlodge declares Glee a record-breaker

 

Woodlodge had a successful Glee 2019 as buyers came to see the 2020 product offering from the UK’s leading supplier of pots and containers – and witness the potential of key new ranges that will drive sales next season...


 

Woodlodge had a successful Glee 2019 as buyers came to see the 2020 product offering from the UK’s leading supplier of pots and containers – and witness the potential of key new ranges that will drive sales next season.

 

Woodlodge reported strong interest in its new season ranges – including Water Studio, Bee Kind, Down to Earth, Root, Modena and innovative new pots made from eco-friendly sustainable bamboo.


Michael Wooldridge, Managing Director
 at Woodlodge, said: “Woodlodge experienced a good quality and quantity of enquires, backed by orders during the show, with sales highlights proving to be our established Rustic Garden range, inspired by vintage style and crafted to take gardens back in time, and our newly launched Bee Kind line-up of pots that will encourage consumers to plant for pollinators next season. The market for pots and containers is looking strong for 2020 and Woodlodge left Glee feeing extremely optimistic about future growth.”


A highlight of Woodlodge’s extensive display at Glee proved to be Modena, the company’s new range of modern lightweight planters that have been inspired by contemporary architecture and reflect the latest fashions in interior décor. Available in on-trend shades of black, grey, taupe and white, the easily moveable pots make a bold statement feature or focal point in gardens and come in a host of fashionable shapes, including egg pots, cylinders and cubes.

 

Woodlodge also reported high levels of interest in its iconic William Morris ceramics range, which is being expanded for the 2020 season to meet demand.

 

The collection, first unveiled at Glee 2018 and inspired by the arts and crafts movement designer, will be bolstered with the addition of Woodlodge’s new William Morris terracotta bird bath which features a classic, timeless design along with the designer’s world-famous artwork, which is experiencing a renaissance in demand in the world of interior décor. 

 

Also fresh for 2020 is a line-up of classic William Morris faux lead squares, available in stylish grey and verdigris, which offer the potential to instantly transform any doorway, patio or outdoor space.

 

Every purchase from the William Morris range helps to support exhibitions, events and educational projects at the William Morris Gallery in London.

Deco-Pak’s new EcoStone and Zen Garden ranges generate high levels of interest

 

With sustainability and environmental responsibility topping the retail agenda at Glee, family-run garden landscaping and decorative aggregates specialist, Deco-Pak, reported excellent levels of interest in its new ranges of eco-friendly garden decoration products...


 

With sustainability and environmental responsibility topping the retail agenda at Glee, family-run garden landscaping and decorative aggregates specialist, Deco-Pak, reported excellent levels of interest in its new ranges of eco-friendly garden decoration products.

 

Deco-Pak’s new EcoStone collection took pride of place on the company’s unique “Retail Theatre” merchandising concept displays, which showcased the latest trend-driven ranges and demonstrated how cross-merchandising ideas offer the potential to drive sales in the new season.

 

Retail buyers were offered an insight into how innovative EcoStone products can ignite sales at the point of purchase by appealing to environmentally conscious consumers. EcoStone sets a new benchmark for transforming items – from recycled tyres to redundant televisions and waste shells – into the highest quality landscaping products that meet the latest urban design trends.

 

At the heart of the range are Glasglo translucent tumbled glass stones, pot topper stones and cobbles made from recycled television screens, while new EcoStone Sea Shells are sourced from a whelk processing factory, with the crushed shells ideally suited to plant pot and terrarium dressing. EcoPave Decorative Stepping Stones, made from 30% recycled materials and featuring bee designs, will see 5p from the sale of each stepping stone donated to the Bumblebee Conservation Trust.

 

Deco-Pak’s Marketing Director, Craig Hall, said: “We received an excellent level of enquiries at Glee with buyers expressing interest in our new EcoStone range, which demonstrates Deco-Pak’s commitment to transforming waste items into innovative, unique products that create real talking points in gardens. Visitors to Glee could clearly see the potential of EcoStone products, which are set to drive sales of sustainable decorative aggregates and add a new dimension to the category.”

 

Another launch that generated strong levels of interest at Glee was Deco-Pak’s new Zen Garden offering – a calming range of decorative gravel, pebbles and cobbles with strong appeal for consumers who are looking to create a sense of tranquillity at home. This unique range, not only looks great, but they also tie in with our marketing strategy dealing with well-being within the garden. With interest in Japanese-style gardens set to rise as the 2020 Tokyo Olympics gets underway, new lines such as Zen Gravel, Zen Pebbles and Cobbles will help consumers to create stylish Oriental garden features with ease.

 

Deco-Pak’s new range of contemporary Zen-inspired water features were a big talking point at Glee, too, with buyers inspired by the wow factor of these new plug-in-and-go water features, which add a piece of instant art to gardens and incorporate the latest LED lighting technology to create stunning garden illumination at night. The modern line-up of weatherproof poly-resin water features are supplied with a 10-metre cable, allowing easy positioning on patios or in garden settings.

 
New products galore for Treadstone at Glee

Treadstone showcased new additions across all three of the company’s brands: ClipGlove, Peter Rabbit and ‘The Good Life’...


 

Treadstone showcased new additions across all three of the company’s brands: ClipGlove, Peter Rabbit and ‘The Good Life’.

 

In addition to new products and promotions in its ClipGlove and Peter Rabbit ranges, Treadstone Products launched many new products in its ‘The Good Life’ range which was met with interest from visitors.

 

A stunning new addition to the company’s portfolio is the Gardeners Pick & Mix range, featuring 20 best-selling garden accessories.  Treadstone thinks it is the most ‘mouth-watering’ way to sell garden sundries!  Consumers simply fill the boxes provided for a fixed retail price.  Not only does the concept provide a stunning addition to the shop floor, it also eliminates the need for plastic retail packaging because the cardboard ‘fill boxes’ provided are 100% recycled and recyclable!

 

Also making its debut at the show was the new Cottage Garden Raised Bed.  This stunning circular raised bed is 80cm in diameter and includes an 8-pole 1.5m wigwam.  The bed itself is hand-woven using natural willow on a sturdy steel frame.  The bed is easily assembled using hook & eye fittings and is available with an eye-catching display bin.

 

For the perfect linked sale to terracotta and ceramic pots, Treadstone now has new Terraced Pot Stands. These clever wire frames are available in different heights and diameters to create stunning cascade features on patios and decks. The brushed pewter finish looks good with all pot designs, both traditional and contemporary.  As an added sales feature, the towers can also be used in pots or borders as conical trellis.

 

Treadstone’s Head of Brands, Dean Winters, says:

"We had a fantastic GLEE this year.  The combination of our new stand, new position and exciting new products really grabbed retailers’ attention with lots of curiosity with the Gardeners Pick & Mix. Our award winning ClipGlove range continued to excite retailers with its quality and innovation and we were really pleased with the engagement from customers and the orders taken at the show.  As always, GLEE proved to be the best platform for us to launch next season’s campaign."

 

Retailers interested in working with Treadstone Products can contact the company on 01978 664 667 or email sales@treadstoneproducts.com or for more information, visit www.treadstoneproducts.com

Multi award winners add to their honours list

 

Multi award winning company Primeur have added to their impressive list of honours with a Glee New Product Award for Growing Containers and Best Eco Initiative Award.


 

Multi award winning company Primeur have added to their impressive list of honours with a Glee New Product Award for Growing Containers and Best Eco Initiative Award. The honours were bestowed on their Tierra Verde Plants.

 

Managing Director James Keighley said: "It's a great honour to win such a prestigious award after a fabulous year of growth.

 

"We now look forward to working with our existing and new customers on the back of this success."

 

The focus on ‘Green’ products has never been more important and the trend is only set to keep on growing.  Primeur works hard to innovate new garden products made from recycled rubber tyres which would otherwise be sent to landfill or to be burnt. 

 

The team are happy to be back at Glee 2019 to showcase their expanding, innovative range of Eco-Friendly products.

 

With a wide range of multiple award-winning products including Stepping Stones, Garden Borders, Planters, Decking and Mulch, the collection offers customers a unique solution to help the environment through recycling and reducing the use of plastics.  The products are also incredibly hard wearing, easy to install, maintenance free and will last for many, many years.

 

Designed to replicate the look of traditional stone without the same disadvantages of the heavy weight, or a plastic product with a tendency for cracking and breaking in the cold weather.  The recycled rubber garden borders also have the added benefit of flexibility, allowing the consumer to bend these around the natural lines of their garden.

 

Also displayed on this year’s stand will be the Mighty Mats doormat range which includes environmentally friendly products such as the Scrape ‘n’ Sorb® and Contours floor mats which are also made using recycled rubber. 

 

As part of the Mighty Mats doormat range, 2019 will also see the launch of a Charity Christmas Doormat which has been developed with the team from Greenfingers Charity.  As well as providing festive cheer to many homes at Christmas, Primeur want to help raise much needed funds for this fantastic cause.  The cute glitter Robin design is available to order now in a great display box offer.  For each mat sold, Primeur will be donating £1 to the charity.  Please come along and view on their stand

 

Find out more

For more details about the company and to view their full ranges please visit www.primeur.co.uk

 

 
To boldly grow, like no one has grown before

Visitors to the Durstons stand at Glee this year, were well and truly given a galactic welcome by Model Alice in her futuristic costume, and the message to the trade was two fold: one of NEW modern packaging from Durstons-which was recently shortlisted at the GIMA Awards for its design element, and the second, a campaign very close to Durstons heart-plastic recycling.


 

Visitors to the Durstons stand at Glee this year, were well and truly given a galactic welcome by Model Alice in her futuristic costume, and the message to the trade was two fold: one of NEW modern packaging from Durstons-which was recently shortlisted at the GIMA Awards for its design element, and the second, a campaign very close to Durstons heart-plastic recycling.

 

By creating a futuristic character, Durstons wanted retailers to know that everything they do, both as a company, and as a supplier, they do with a conscience, and are constantly looking forward at ways to improve their work ethic and practice, in line with everyday environmental issues.

 

One of the company’s recent recycling projects involved looking at how its own plastic packaging was being produced and by simply making a one-off change to the over-printing, the sacks into which its compost is packaged, literally over-night became 100% recyclable.  It was such a simple change that Durstons then went viral in a plea to other businesses in the trade to follow suit, and sure enough the campaign fast started to gather momentum.

 

“And, whilst this may be classed as only ‘one small step for retail’ says company spokesman, Dan Durston, “if we all pull together and do our bit, it has surely got to be, ‘one giant leap for the environment’. After all, until a realistic alternative to this toxic material has been discovered, we are all basically stuck with it, but that doesn’t mean we can’t reduce, recycle and re-use plastic wherever we can. So surely it’s down to us all to do our bit”.

 

Durston Garden Products is a modern forward thinking company whose knowledge and expertise on the subject of growing-media is well respected.  At its Somerset base, here in the UK, the company has a long history of managing its land with the environment in mind and continuously works hard to give back to nature whatever it takes out. On top of that, the quality of the growing media it produces, and the value-for-money its products offer, is well documented. What’s more, you won’t find Durstons products cheaper in any of the supermarkets, let alone in Outer-Space!

 

So, if you’re looking for an, out-of-this-world experience with a company who’s compost is simply amazing, then pick up the phone today, and call Durston Garden Products, on: 01458 442688 . You’ll be guaranteed a galactic welcome!

Vitavia become UK distributors for Janssens greenhouses

 

Vitavia Greenhouses are pleased to announce that from 2020 we will be the new UK distributors for Janssens greenhouses and garden rooms from Belgium...


Firstly, we’d like to thank all those who took the time to come and see us at Glee 2019. It was a fantastic show and great to see so many familiar faces, as well as lots of new ones too!

 

 


If we missed you this year, then let us introduce ourselves...

 

Vitavia Greenhouses is the British partner of the Vitavia Group, the leading name throughout Europe for quality hobby greenhouses and greenhouse accessories.

We provide home and trade deliveries throughout the UK, together with a comprehensive greenhouse installation service.  We are proud to supply quality hobby greenhouses, widely regarded as being the best value for money, supported by our exceptional customer service.

 

You can browse our fantastic range of greenhouses and accessories online here.

 

                                  

New for 2020!

 

Vitavia Greenhouses are pleased to announce that from 2020 we will be the new UK distributors for Janssens greenhouses and garden rooms from Belgium.

 

Seen as the perfect complement to the already well established Vitavia Range, the new alliance was launched at Glee 2019 and proved extremely popular.

 

 

Marketing Manager, Andrea Wells, explained that “It adds a new dimension to our existing successful business, and we are looking forward to adding market share for Janssens, alongside Vitavia’s forever growing brand.”

 

For more information on Vitavia Greenhouses, please visit our website or call us on 01473 218100. For our latest and news and offers, please follow us on social media.

 
Novelty bulb gifts and seed potatoes were the talk of the town at Taylors

Taylors showcased display ideas at Glee 2019 to avoid the “hang it and hope” display technique. There were plenty of hints and tips for marketing and merchandising opportunities of a quality bulb display. The success of the novelty ceramic gifts continues and the bestselling Hedgehog Planter has been joined by the Sausage Dog and Llama planters for Autumn 2019. 


Taylors showcased display ideas at Glee 2019 to avoid the “hang it and hope” display technique. There were plenty of hints and tips for marketing and merchandising opportunities of a quality bulb display.

 

The success of the novelty ceramic gifts continues and the bestselling Hedgehog Planter has been joined by the Sausage Dog and Llama planters for Autumn 2019. 

 

Also on display was the eye-catching Chilli shaped ceramic planter alongside the bestselling Chilli Fire bucket.  Taylors are also introducing a Sheep planter with mint seeds for Spring 2020, growing the perfect accompaniment for that Sunday roast on the windowsill!

 

Ian Clark of Taylors Bulbs said “Garden retailers are adding increasing amounts of style and finesse to their bulb gift displays, action that leads to sales increases and the last place we want to see the bulb gifts is at ankle height or with the packs that are for garden planting.  Many of the gift kits are for growing indoors and are more suited to a houseplant style of display.  We would always encourage our garden retail customers to separate all of the added value gifts and kits from the garden bulb display.”  The volume sales for the Autumn/Christmas bulb gift offer come from amaryllis and Taylors market-leading Premium Amaryllis continue to accelerate amaryllis sales for their customers.

 Taylors Bulbs are also known for their expertise in seed potatoes and their range of over 50 varieties available in 2kg carripacks, bulk sacks for loose sale or in their market-leading "Taster" pre-packs.  Seed Potato deliveries in December are high on the agenda for Taylors Bulbs when taking orders for Spring 2020, with an increasing number of garden retailers getting their grow-your-own spring displays organised over the Christmas holiday period.  The deliveries of seed potatoes, onions and veg in December are on the rise. 

 

Ian Clark added; "The success of the December delivery continues and we know a lot of customers who are also looking to take a December delivery in order to fill the space vacated by the Christmas display. The benefits come when the spring gardening season starts as soon as the new year begins and the display is all set-up and ready for the keen grow-your-own gardener who visits over the new year.”

 

Taylors Bulbs, are the UK's leading supplier of flower bulbs; a 4th generation family business since 1919 celebrating 100 years of growing, designing, packing and distributing all their products from their site in Lincolnshire with a sales team with a combined experience of over 250 years.  

 

Taylors are best placed to advise you with all of your flower bulb needs.

 

www.taylors-bulbs.com

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Bord na Móna launches Happy Compost range

Bord na Móna launched the Happy Compost range at Glee, boasting a completely peat-free brand featuring six new products...


 

Bord na Móna launched the Happy Compost range at Glee, boasting a completely peat-free brand featuring six new products.

 

The Happy Compost product range includes vegetable compost, tomato planter, rose, tree and shrub compost, soil improvers and an all-purpose compost available in two different sizes. Bord na Móna is pleased to launch a range that caters to the needs of any gardener, whilst also staying true to its environmental responsibilities.

 

The most eco-friendly range yet, Happy Compost’s packaging is recyclable, using 30% recycled plastic in the bags – the highest amount achievable. The core raw materials in Happy Compost products are either recycled or by-products including bark, green compost, wood fibre and coir, all of which are 100% peat-free.

 

Steve Harper, Head of Commercial & Marketing for Bord na Móna UK, says: “Happy Compost is our most innovative and versatile brand yet. The name Happy Compost is inspired by the feeling of happiness and contentment. The new products channel this by providing great gardening results and also supporting our environmental responsibilities by going 100% peat free. We invite everyone to visit our stand at Glee to get a first look at Happy Compost.”

Bringing the outdoors in with Pentik’s Nordic lifestyle concept

 

It is now easier than ever to bring the outdoors indoors by using floral patterns or plant like prints in your home décor. Pentik’s Finnish, northern roots and four seasons appear as patterns in Pentik’s textiles. Different flowers, plants and animals decorate the bestselling basic patterns...


 

It is now easier than ever to bring the outdoors indoors by using floral patterns or plant like prints in your home décor. Pentik’s Finnish, northern roots and four seasons appear as patterns in Pentik’s textiles. Different flowers, plants and animals decorate the bestselling basic patterns.

You’ll be able to find delicate Apple Blossoms for spring, bright yellow Daffodils for Easter, Hydrangeas and Pionies for summer, juicy wild berries for harvest time or leaves and grasses of the autumnal wood for the autumn. Foxes, bears, squirrels, rabbits and owls pose in the children’s products. Reindeer motif of the Saaga series is a best seller during cold winter months. Most of these patterns are available as cushion covers, tablecloths and table runners, cotton fabrics and coated fabrics.

Seasonally changing collections give customers a great reason to make a return visit to a shop stocking Pentik collections. Customers love to see the latest products and also to get seasonal decoration tips for home décor.

Pentik is an international interior design retailer that brings northern beauty and cosiness to homes. Pentik started as a pottery manufacturer in 1971, but it is nowadays famous for textiles and fabrics, home décor and gifts. Pentik’s lifestyle concept is built around four seasonal collections and a steadily selling basic collection.

 

Easigrass showcased innovative product range

 

The multi award-winning artificial grass supply and installation brand, Easigrass, showcased the latest in its innovative product range at Glee...


 

The multi award-winning artificial grass supply and installation brand, Easigrass, showcased the latest in its innovative product range at Glee.

 

Visitors to the trade event experienced first-hand the incredibly realistic RHS-medal winning artificial grass lawn products in the Easigrass show area, which also features the industry-acclaimed Easi-Wall and popular Easi-Animal sculptures.

 

As the UK’s premier supplier and installer of exceptional quality artificial grass and flora, the talented Easigrass design team continue to fashion some of the most unique and creative designs in the gardening world for the creation of low maintenance green landscapes.

 

Visitors to this year’s Glee were able to discuss bespoke domestic and commercial projects with the experienced Easigrass professionals, as well as discover how the brand can enhance their business supply, design and development opportunities.

 

The premier artificial grass brand, which already has long-standing successful established partnerships with Squires and John Lewis, also plans to expand its high-end retail market presence by working closely with other garden retail outlets in the UK.

 

Garden centres owners were invited to discuss the opportunities available to become a retail partner and sell RHS award winning grass direct in store.

 

As part of the eye-catching display in the Easigrass showcase area, the contractor and landscaper artificial grass – first launched in 2018 - was featured, in addition to the RHS Gold Medal premier domestic garden and pet range. The industry acclaimed Easi-Wall was also on show. Meticulously built by hand in England with high quality hand-picked artificial flowers – which have been carefully selected to mirror the look and feel of natural vertical planting – Easi-Wall continues to inspire and transform the possibilities of unique inside and outside garden design.

 

Easigrass is the number one choice for high quality artificial grass supply and installation. The brand’s headquarters is based in Greater London, overseeing a partnership network across the entire UK and a team of international partners across four continents.

Impressive launches from Westland

 

Westland launched a number of products at Glee designed to solve gardening and plant care problems without impacting on the environment...


 

Westland launched a number of products at Glee designed to solve gardening and plant care problems without impacting on the environment.

 

 

With effective weed control high on the current list of consumer wants, new Resolva Weed Preventer sorts the problem by stopping weed seeds from germinating but without the use of chemicals. The fine granules are spread on the surface of soil around established plants, where the natural plant-derived active ingredient forms a protective layer. It has been proved to prevent around 20 different weeds from growing.

 

 

Then there is new Weed Stop, based on Westland’s successful Smart Cover, an all-natural decorative mulch that is designed to prevent weeds for up to 6 months.

 

New Gro-Sure Smart Lawn Seed solves the problem of how to keep lawns growing well in tricky places like the foot of fences, near trees and shrubs and on very dry soils. It’s a mix of hard-wearing seed varieties coated with Aqua Gel that retains moisture and encourages the strong root systems needed in tough areas. It needs minimal sunlight and is guaranteed to grow.

 

Packs of Westland’s Gro-Sure Multi-Purpose Lawn Seed now carry the five-point Westland Lawn Promise guaranteeing the best possible evenly-green, disease resistant sward.

 
Glee New Product Awards 2019 - Winners revealed

Ground-breaking new garden products have been confirmed as the winners of the coveted Glee New Product Awards 2019, run in association with GTN...


 

Ground-breaking new garden products have been confirmed as the winners of the coveted Glee New Product Awards 2019, run in association with GTN...

 

The winning products were chosen by an expert panel of judges representing independent and multiple retailers, consumer gardening media and trade media.

 

After initial judging of the 362 new products entered first thing the judges selected finalists in each category. Then those finalists had the opportunity to meet the judges, answer questions and make a pitch to be chosen as the winner.

 

The results:

 

Garden Decoration: Jardinopia Cane Companions

 

Growing Containers: Primeur Tierra Verde Planters

 

Garden Growing Materials: Environmental Factor NamaKnight Nematodes Biological insect control

 

Garden Giftware, Home & Clothing: Joint winners – Luxa London,The Holly Branch Candlesticker and Smart Garden Products Faux Bouquets

 

Garden Landscaping: Patio Blackspot Removal Co Ltd, Stone King Restorer

 

Garden Leisure & Entertaining: Mookie Toys Muddy Madness Wooden Mud Kitchen

 

Garden Tools & Machinery: iTip Rotating Handles for Wheelbarrows

 

Garden Plants, Seeds & Bulbs: MNP Flowers, Granvia Gold Zerochrysum

 

Garden Retail & Industry Services: The Christmas Cabin, Vacu Bio Net Christmas Tree Netting

 

Garden Wild Bird and Wildlife Products: Jacobi Jayne, Easy Peasy Bird Food

 

Best House Plants and Accessories Award: Tradescantia Nanouk from Javado

 

Best of British Winner: iTip Rotating Handles for Wheelbarrows

 

Best Eco Initiative Award: Tierra Verde Planters by Primeur

 

Best Overall New Product at Glee:  Granvia Gold Zerochrysum from MNP Plants

 
Glee New Products 2019 – Shortlisted Products

Exhibitors face the judges after Glee New Products shortlist is revealed


 

With a record 362 entries this year, the Glee New Product Showcase, in association with GTN, generated huge interest as Glee opened on Tuesday morning with hundreds visitors heading to the stand as part of their planning of visits for the rest of the show.

 

Prior to the show opening, the panel of 10 Glee New Products judges started the process of making their selections from the 363 new products entered into the showcase across 11 product categories.

 

From the initial judging process the products with the Top 3 scores in each category have been announced and they now have the opportunity to make a 2 minute pitch to the judges this afternoon, before the final decisions on the winners are made.

 

 

Here is the list of shortlisted products:

 

Garden Decoration

DecoPak - 20Y40-Z41 - Rockin Pebbles and Pens

Jardinopia - 6S81 - Cane Companions

Primus - 6L20-M21 - RSPB Hand Crafted Wooden Birds

 

Growing Containers

Jagram – 20W20-X21 - Hexagonal Planters Set

Primeur – 19E10-E11 - Tierra Verde Planters

Vegepod – 8C75 - Vegebag

Woodlodge – 6S30-T31 - Weave Pots

 

Garden Growing Materials

Environmental Factor – 8B74 - NamaKnight Nenatopes Bio-logical insect control

Melcourt Industries Ltd - 7K19 - Melcourt Bag for Life

Natural Grower Ltd – 7J82 - Natural Soil Conditioner for Organic Growers

 

Garden Giftware, Home & Clothing

Greenkey Garden & Home – 19C35 - The Brick & Tile eco style recycled doormat

Luxa London – 7F70 - The Holly Branch Candlesticker

Smart Garden Products – 6L50 - The Faux Bouquets

 

Garden Landscaping

Azpects Ltd – 19E36 - EASY Garden Range

Kelkay – 6Q40-S41 - Feature Pebbles Midnight

Patio Blackspot Removal Co Ltd – 6L80 - Stone King Restorer

 

Garden Leisure & Entertaining

Capi Europe – 20V20 - The Rain Barrel Rib

EcoGrill UK – 19B72 - Eco Grill Eco Friendly BBQ

Mookie Toys – 6R10 - Muddy Madness Wooden Mud Kitchen

 

Garden Tools & Machinery

Handy Distribution – 6M40 - Greenworks Cordless Pressure Washer

Hotbin Composting – 6M70 - Hotbin Mini Composter

iTip – 19B64 - iTip Rotating Handles for Wheelbarrows

 

Garden Plants, Seeds & Bulbs

Javado - 19G40 -Tradescantia Nanouk

MNP Flowers – GH23 - Granvia Gold Zerochrysum

Wyevale Nurseries – GH3 - Agapanthus Poppin Purple

 

Garden Retail & Industry Services

Garden Pride Marketing – 7H36 - Guarded Pin Tree Stand

The Christmas Cabin – 20Y20 - Vacu Bio Net Christmas Tree Netting

Wheelie Klips Ltd – 19L15 - Klip ‘n’ Fresh

 

Garden Wild Bird and Wildlife Products

Leisuregrow Products – 6S50 - Bee Hive – Solar

Leisuregrow Products -6S50 - Insect Hotel – Solar

Jacobi Jayne - 6M90 - Easy Peasy Bird Food

 

Pet Products – in Hall 19 Pet New Product Area

Dicky Bag –19S60 - Neoskin Treat Bag

Scruffs –19Q32 - Scruffs Santa Paws Box Bed & Gift Set

Scruffs – 19Q32 - Thermal Blanket

Henry Bell – 8A50-B51 - Dog Gone Fishing

Trixie – 19Q30-R31 - Cat litter tray sieve-mat

Trixie – 19Q30-R31 - Dog Activity Flower Tower

George Barclay – 19R50-S51 - George Barclay Holmsley, Italain Leather Pet Carri

 
New Product Awards for Pets@Glee revealed

Seven pet product suppliers are celebrating winning New Product Awards at Pets@Glee with the honours being presented at the end of day two of the show...


 

Seven pet product suppliers are celebrating winning New Product Awards at Pets@Glee with the honours being presented at the end of day two of the show.

 

The winners were:

 

Pet Clothing Products

Winner: The House of Paws for their Santa Knitted Snood

 

Pet Toys and Entertainment

Winner: Trixie for their Dog Activity Flower Tower

 

Pet Accessories

Winner: Dicky Bag for their Neoskin Treat Bag

 

Pet Health, Grooming and Cleaning Winner: Trixie for their Cat litter tray sieve mat

 

Pet bedding and Travel

Winner: Scruffs for the Santa Paws Box Bed & Gift set

 

Pet Food and Treats

Winner: Henry Bell for their Dog Gone Fishing

 

Pet Technology

Winner: 101 & Co for their innovative Automatic Pet Feeder

 

Best Eco-Initiative in Pet Products

Winner: Danish Design Pet Products for their FatFace Marching Dogs Deluxe Slumber Bed

 

Best Overall New Product for Pets at Glee

Winner: The Neoskin Treat Bag from Dicky Bag

 
Glee Buyers Power List Winners Revealed

The winners of the Glee Buyers Power List were revealed today. They included Ayletts Nurseries, who won Best Single Site Independent Garden Centre...


The winners of the Glee Buyers Power List were revealed today...

 

The Glee Buyers Power List has been set-up to recognise the individual buyers and buying teams who have gone above and beyond to make a difference within the garden retail industry this year.

 

The winners were:

 

Best Single Site Independent Garden Centre: Ayletts Nurseries

 

Best MultipleSite Independent Garden Centre: Grovewell Garden Centres

 

Best Garden Centre Group: Joint winners, Blue Diamond and Notcutts

 

Best Online Retail Buyer/Buying Team: Richard Jackson's Garden Centre

 

Best DIY/Builders Merchant Buying Team: Homebase

 

Best Supermarket/Department Store Buying Team: Waitrose

 

Best Pet Buying Team: B&M

 

Best High Street Retailer: John Lewis

 
Best Green Heart Display winners confirmed

The Green Heart – Glee’s horticultural hub - has crowned Darby Nursery Stock as winner of its 2019 Best Green Heart Display award. The award was a hotly contested one, with many stands catching the judge’s eyes. However, it was Darby Nursery Stock that took home the title for 2019.


The Green Heart – Glee’s horticultural hub - has crowned Darby Nursery Stock as winner of its 2019 Best Green Heart Display award.


The award was a hotly contested one, with many stands catching the judge’s eyes. However, it was Darby Nursery Stock that took home the title for 2019.

 

Judges praised the display for its commercial strength, and inspirational plant display techniques that helped to showcase tried-and-tested varieties as well as the latest introductions to buyers. Darby Nursery Stock, which grows 1,800 varieties on its 70-acre site in Norfolk, picked the finest stock from its commercial operation – which handles two million pots per year – to stage its award-winning feature at Glee’s Green Heart.


The Best Green Heart Display Award was presented to Darby Nursery Stock’s Sales Manager, Hannah Darby, by Neil Gow, Glee’s Green Heart Special Project Manager, and Glee Event Director, Matthew Mein.


Glee’s Matthew Mein said: “Our congratulations to Darby Nursery Stock. Plants remain the heart of garden retailing and displays such as this one continue to set the standard. Thank you also to our judges for giving up their valuable time and insight, and also to Woodlodge for its continued support of the Green Heart.”


Receiving the award, Darby Nursery Stock’s Hannah Darby said: “Our display was set up to demonstrate plants that complement each other, and the award will certainly help us to showcase the best in autumn plant stock, as well as new lines for 2020.” Three new and exclusive plants took pride of place on Darby Nursery Stock’s award-winning display, including Rosemary ‘Summer Sizzler’, Dahlia ‘Hawaiian Sunrise’ and Sedum Mojave ‘Jewels Collection’.


Featuring more international companies than ever before, the Green Heart sees leading brands come together to create the strongest display of new plant varieties and inspiration for plant buyers and retailers looking to

 

 
Glee Daily News brings you all the latest Glee news - previews, live issues from the show and an omnibus edition

The team from GTN are proud once again to be the official media partners for Glee producing the Glee Planner, the Glee Show Catalogue and the Glee Daily News...


The team from GTN are proud once again to be the official media partners for Glee producing the Glee Planner, the Glee Show Catalogue and the Glee Daily News.

If you missed an earlier issue of Glee Daily News here are links to them:

 

Glee Daily News 2019 - Issue 1 - PREVIEW ISSUE
http://gleedailynews.newsweaver.com/Gleeedailynews/k9vulc5zp34

 

Glee Daily News 2019 - Issue 2 - MAIN PREVIEW ISSUE
http://gleedailynews.newsweaver.com/Gleeedailynews/i1mqy2ou55z

 

Glee Daily News 2019 - Issue 3 - BUILD-UP DAY ISSUE
http://gleedailynews.newsweaver.com/Gleeedailynews/x5exvaztnbb

 

Glee Daily News 2019 - Issue 4 - TUESDAY LIVE
http://gleedailynews.newsweaver.com/Gleeedailynews/1b0o0gymnwi

 

Glee Daily News 2019 - Issue 5 - WEDNESDAY LIVE
http://gleedailynews.newsweaver.com/Gleeedailynews/1itehmca6y6

 

Glee Daily News 2019 - Issue 6 - THURSDAY LIVE
http://gleedailynews.newsweaver.com/Gleeedailynews/wxyvx3vd7ul

 

To make sure you get your own copy of Glee Daily News for Glee@Spring Fair and Glee 2020 sign up here

For advertorial and advertisng opportunties please contact Ben Greenwood, Alan Burdon or Mandy Davies at Potting Shed Press Ltd, 01733 775700, owners and publishers of Garden Trade News, Garden Radio and The Greatest Awards.

 
Natural Grower scoops the 2019 GIMA Innovators Seed Corn Fund 2019

Now in its fifth year, the GIMA Innovators Seed Corn Fund has helped to bring to market a series of brands, many of which are considered key players helping to drive growth and diversification of the garden retail sector. This year’s winners – Natural Grower – are sure to be no different as the trend for organic and veganic gardening continues to shape consumer spending habits...


Now in its fifth year, the GIMA Innovators Seed Corn Fund has helped to bring to market a series of brands, many of which are considered key players helping to drive growth and diversification of the garden retail sector. This year’s winners – Natural Grower – are sure to be no different as the trend for organic and veganic gardening continues to shape consumer spending habits.
 
Natural Grower is reporting strong demand from buyers for its products. Its hero product, Natural Liquid Fertiliser, the product which caught the eye of the GISCF judges in 2019 - is supplied concentrated. Once diluted, it can be poured around the base of border or container plants – adding nutrients precisely where they’re needed with no waste – so the goodness is rapidly absorbed by root systems as a potent nutrient boost.

Beating off stiff competition and judged by a panel made up of both Glee and GIMA representatives, Natural Grower – as GISCF winners - will receive support up to the value of £6,000 to help with development and marketing costs associated with entering the UK garden retail market, including a year’s full GIMA membership, and a wide range of business support tools.
 
GIMA Director, Vicky Nuttall said: “We’re incredibly pleased to confirm that Natural Grower is the 2019 winner of the GIMA Innovators’ Seed Corn Fund.  The product offering, and story behind the brand, is right on message and fits perfectly with the trends that are influencing category growth and consumer demands. An incredibly strong entry, Natural Grower offers well delivered products and a branding that stands out on the shelf. We’ve no doubt that retailers will be wanting to know more about Natural Grower!”
 
In addition to choosing a winner, the panel also selected iTip Handles and Coco & Coir as 2019 runners-up, with both demonstrating great innovation and alternative solutions to existing products.  Vicky added: “The 2019 GIMA Innovators Seed Corn Fund received more entries than ever before, and I must say, the competition was tough! It’s great to see so many new businesses coming into the sector and doing so with products that are so well thought out and commercially ready.”
 
As the winner, Natural Grower is now set to receive funding and help with the development and marketing of their product, together with support from experts within the industry.
 
To find out more about the GIMA Innovators’ Seed Corn Fund please join GIMA on-stand at Glee 2019, Hall 19.
 

Meet Natural Grower
At the forefront of the organic and veganic gardening revolution is Natural Grower, a new and rapidly expanding brand with a growing list of stockists. Natural Grower products are approved by The Soil Association, Organic Farmers and Growers, and The Vegan Society, so both novice and experienced gardeners can harness the benefits with full confidence that the fertilisers are truly organic as well as being free from animal by-products.

Owner of Natural Grower, Charlotte Beaty, points out that consumers are looking for “effective, organic and vegan-friendly fertiliser solutions”. She explains: “Vegan gardening is the growing movement of the moment. Organic gardening has steadily grown over the last few years, and more people are now looking to grow veganically. Most organic fertilisers or soil conditioners have animal by-products in them, so vegan growers have been delighted to finally have a nutrient-rich product to use to grow their fruit and vegetables”.

Natural Grower’s products are 100% earthworm-friendly and ideally positioned to help retailers expand sales in the fast-growing organic and vegan sales categories. In addition to Natural Liquid Fertiliser, the company also offer the Natural Soil Conditioner, which is an innovative mulch that’s designed to be dug into garden soil prior to planting. Because it’s rich in nitrogen, phosphorous, potassium and trace elements, the goodness is gradually broken down by soil-borne organisms, making Natural Soil Conditioner the ultimate eco-friendly long-term slow-release fertiliser.

Deep-rooted environmental commitment
So how did it all begin? The story that brought Natural Grower to market is an inspirational tale that underpins the brand’s deep-rooted environmentally friendly ethos and commitment to bringing new vegan fertilisers to market. Natural Grower’s owners, Charlotte and Richard Beaty, come from a family that has farmed at Nevil Holt in Market Harborough, Leicestershire, for over 50 years.

Formerly a dairy unit before diversifying into arable, in 2014 the business invested in an anaerobic digester, a smart piece of technology that uses naturally occurring bacteria to break down maize without the use of chemicals While the resulting biogas goes into a power unit that converts it into electricity to supply the National Grid, providing renewable energy for 1,000 homes each year, the process also produces a by-product called digestate, the magic ingredient behind the Natural Grower brand.

Digestate is fed into a separator to produce a liquid fertiliser and a mulch. This free-from-animal-matter fertiliser was used on the family’s farm to replace chemical fertilisers, with outstanding results witnessed in farm crops, as well as in garden vegetables and plants. While the nutrient rich liquid fertiliser and mulch is spread on the farm’s fields to grow the next crop of maize, extending its use by launching into the consumer market was a natural progression for the business, as it looked to fill a gap in the market for vegan-approved fertiliser. Crucially, Natural Grower is safe to use in gardens that are home to children, without posing any risk to pets or wildlife – a key demand of modern consumers.

Helping retailers to grow sales
The benefits of Natural Grower can now be harnessed by domestic gardeners, via a rapidly expanding network of stockists. Launched in February 2019, Natural Grower already has 15 stockists across the UK, and the list is set to grow.

Natural Grower fertiliser is attractively packaged to boost sales and competitively priced to help retail managers grow sales of organic plant food and soil improvers A 2-litre bottle of Natural Liquid Fertiliser costs £12.99 with a 10-litre liquid bottle carrying an RRP of £34.99. The 16-litre tub of Natural Soil Conditioner is priced at £17.99.

To meet consumer demand, Natural Grower has just added a selection of eco-friendly accessories to its portfolio. The Green Pockets, The Green Bag and The Green Pot offer consumers an environmentally friendly way of growing and displaying flowers, herbs vegetables and fruit – while these strong, reusable containers are perfect for patios and balconies as well as traditional gardens.

Retailers can find out more about Natural Grower by visiting stand 7J82 at Glee. Buyers are encouraged to view this innovative new brand at Glee, while sampling organic British wine that will be served on the stand!

 
Woodlodge’s ‘Fountain of Fizz’ raffle helps to raise vital funds for Greenfingers

Gareth Roberts, of Pendre Garden Centre, Tywyn, has been drawn out as the winner of a stunning water feature brimming with fabulous bottles of bubbly donated by long-term Greenfingers supporters, Woodlodge. The winning ticket was drawn by Linda Petrons, of Greenfingers...


 

Gareth Roberts, of Pendre Garden Centre, Tywyn, has been drawn out as the winner of a stunning water feature brimming with fabulous bottles of bubbly donated by long-term Greenfingers supporters, Woodlodge. The winning ticket was drawn by Linda Petrons, of Greenfingers.
 
Taking place on Woodlodge’s Glee stand (Hall 6, stand S30-T31) the ‘Fountain of Fizz’ raffle supports Greenfingers, and also helped to celebrate the company’s newly branded Water Studio collection of aquatic features.
 
Michael Wooldridge, Managing Director at Woodlodge, said: “Woodlodge is proud to support Greenfingers, a charity that has created the most amazing gardens at children’s hospices. These brilliantly designed outdoor resources offer so many benefits for life-limited kids, as well as their friends and families, who can enjoy precious time together away from the bedside in a natural environment. We hope that the Fountain of Fizz raffle for Greenfingers at Glee will generate significant additional income to assist the charity in its mission to build more stimulating gardens at hospices. To be in with a chance of winning the water feature and its bottles of fizz, I would like to encourage everyone at Glee to visit the Woodlodge exhibition space, where tickets will be on sale.”
 
Woodlodge has a long track record of helping to generate funds for Greenfingers Charity. The company’s Richard Newton undertook a parachute jump with colleague Abigail Stocker in 2017 and raised £2,355 for the charity, while Woodlodge assists Greenfingers throughout the year with its printing service, helping with signs and banners for charity events, product promotions. This year Woodlodge donated 10,000 jointly branded linen give-away bags for The Greenfingers Charity Garden at the RHS Chelsea Flower Show.
 
For more about Woodlodge’s market-leading product offering, visit www.woodlodge.co.uk

 
Boyd Douglas-Davies appointed as HTA President

The Annual General Meeting of the Horticultural Trades Association, which took place at Glee yesterday saw the appointment of Boyd Douglas-Davies as HTA President...


 

The Annual General Meeting of the Horticultural Trades Association, which took place at Glee yesterday saw the appointment of Boyd Douglas-Davies as HTA President.

 

Boyd Douglas-Davies, CEO of Hillview Garden Centres, has taken over the Presidency from Adam Taylor of Taylors Bulbs who has come to the end of his two-year tenure in the role and moves to the role of Immediate Past President.


Boyd has over 30 years of experience in garden retail. After training at Pershore College Boyd spent 20 years at Webbs of Wychbold during which time the business continuously grew and was recognised as one of the UK’s best garden centres. As CEO of Hillview Garden Centres he operates eight garden centres across middle England. A well-known figure in the industry Boyd is a trustee of the Greenfingers Charity and founder of Garden Re-Leaf Day.

 

The AGM also saw the following appointments:

·                The ratification of James Barnes as Chairman.

·                The ratification of the re-appointment of Bob Hewitt as a Director of the Board.

 

Immediate HTA Past President, Adam Taylor, comments,

“I feel extremely proud and privileged to have been able to serve the association over the last two years which has seen great change, both internally and externally. It has been an exciting, occasionally challenging, but always immensely rewarding experience and I would like to thank the HTA Board and Committees for their support, along with the team at Horticulture House. I would like to welcome Boyd to the President’s position and wish him all the best for his term of office.”

 

As outlined in the Annual Review there have been many accomplishments throughout the year. Mostly notably, three key areas include:

·                Plant health and biosecurity – leading the plant health agenda by launching the Plant Health Management Standard and ‘Plant Healthy’ toolkit.

·                Recyclable plant pots – driving forward the introduction of recyclable plant pots potentially saving 8,000 tonnes of plastic going to landfill.

·                Industry value – for the first time quantifying the value and contribution of the industry to enable us to raise our profile with Government and decision makers.

 

HTA President, Boyd Douglas-Davies, comments,

“I feel that this is a very exciting time for the industry – yes there are lots of challenges but with this also comes lots of opportunity. Sustainability is a key area that the industry is working hard on which is hugely important. Let’s not forget we are producing a great product in the shape of plants or ‘clean air machines’. We need to shout about this from the roof tops to ensure that the buyers of the future continue to come to us for great products that have a positive impact on the environment.”


He adds, “I look forward to taking the association through the next two years and encourage all members to play an active role in helping to shape the organisation for the future – ensuring the needs of the industry evolve with the challenges and opportunities that come our way.”

 

Members from across the sector who attended the AGM received the finance reports and annual review and re-appointed BDO as auditors. With regard to membership subscriptions for 2020, an average percentage increase of 3% across all bands, in line with inflation, was ratified.

Dougal Philip, Vice President of the Benevolent Fund, provided a report on activity across the year and encouraged all to help raise awareness of this valuable and underused resource which is available to HTA members and their staff.

 

The minutes of the AGM will be available to members on the HTA website in due course.

Garden Re-Leaf 2020 officially launched at Glee

The 2020 Garden Re-Leaf Day event was officially launched at Glee today with Greenfingers Charity calling on all sectors of the garden industry and others to get involved in this exciting and pivotal part of the garden retail calendar...


The 2020 Garden Re-Leaf Day event was officially launched at Glee today with Greenfingers Charity calling on all sectors of the garden industry and others to get involved in this exciting and pivotal part of the garden retail calendar.

 

Greenfingers Charity is delighted to announce that the 2020 event will take place on Friday 13th March and will once again include the popular Garden Re-Leaf Walk and Cycle Challenge, as well as other FUNdraising events which will take place across the country.

 

Garden retailers, manufacturers and suppliers are invited to participate by holding their own events, like a quiz night, raffle, auction, cake sale, virtual in-store challenge, spending the day in fancy dress or making a donation from every cuppa sold in the café.  It really is a great FUN way to increase footfall or awareness whilst at the same time engage with customers, motivate your team and raise your profile both locally and in the garden industry press.  There really is no better way to start the gardening season!

 

Garden Re-Leaf has raised over £55,000 this year, taking the total to £600,000 since it was founded by Boyd Douglas-Davies in 2012. 2019’s highlights – which also coincided with the charity’s 20th anniversary - saw over 120 people take on the Garden Re-Leaf and Cycle Challenge in Buckinghamshire. Garden centres across the country got into the FUNdraising spirit with curry and quiz nights, charity walks and bike rides, garden centre tours, coffee mornings, raffles, planting weekends and much more. Suppliers also dug deep and held car wash and barbeque events, bike rides and fun-for-all-the-team events such as the mushy pea challenge and summer fetes. QVC also showed its support once again with a £1.50 donation from every plant or product sold during a special Garden Re-Leaf/ Greenfingers show.

 

Linda Petrons, Director of Fundraising and Communications at Greenfingers Charity said: “The support that the garden industry has shown for Garden Re-Leaf Day has always blown me away. Seeing so many different events take place to celebrate the day, to kick-start the gardening season, and to raise money for Greenfingers, is such an exciting and touching thing. I know it is appreciated so much by everyone at Greenfingers, and also by the children, their friends and families who enjoy time in a garden created by Greenfingers. I am sure the 2020 event is set to be even bigger and full of even more incredible events, demonstrations of support and the endless enthusiasm that makes the garden retail sector such a joy to be part of.”

 

If you want to find out more about how to get involved in Greenfingers Garden Re-Leaf Day 2020, whether by putting on events in your garden centre, through sponsored solo activities or simply by donating, the Greenfingers team can be found on the HTA stand in Hall 19, stand no N50-P53

 

Alternatively, please contact the Greenfingers office on 01494 674749 or email Linda@greenfngerscharity.org.uk.

 
Retail Lab @ Glee sponsors

The Retail Lab @ Glee has been a great success during the first two days. Make sure you pay this popular feature a visit on the final day of Glee.


The Retail Lab @ Glee has been a great success during the first two days. Make sure you pay this popular feature a visit on the final day of Glee.

 

 
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