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

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

Woodshaw already has a reputation for building the highest quality and beautifully designed garden features, which is perhaps why The Royal Horticultural Society chose them to develop a range of licensed wooden products for the garden.

Working closely with the RHS, Woodshaw has developed unique designs inspired by features of RHS gardens and key figures in the organisation’s history.

The Hanbury Arch with planters is modelled on a famous bridge at RHS Garden Wisley and it was Sir Thomas Hanbury, after whom it is named, who gifted the gardens to RHS in 1903. Other items in the range are named after plant collectors and gardeners with strong associations to RHS.

All are beautifully hand made in the UK from FSC timber and pressure treated to provide a 20-year guarantee against rot.

As well as the Hanbury Arch, there is a Bench Seat with Planters and three striking new bird tables. Each has an extra-large covered feeding table, a smooth hand finished single piece stem and a well-balanced low centre of gravity to prevent toppling over.   

All RHS bird tables require minimum assembly with the head contained in a full colour RHS branded box with the stem supplied separately.

sales@kelkay.co.uk                         

www.kelkay.co.uk                             

Tel. 01405 869333

Westland’s have 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.

Market-leading supplier Apta has expanded its indoor selection with a brand new range of recycled pots.

Made from waste paper and natural latex, they feature intricate detailing and patterns and needless to say 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.

See the unique Green Haus range visit Apta on stand 7J40-L41, 6L40-M41.

Fiskars' experienced sales representatives are on hand at Glee to answer any product questions, demonstrate the tools in action and advise retailers on how to get the most from the '0% Leaves, 100% Happiness' Autumn campaign.

In addition, further information is available on Fiskars' direct sale channel which launched in March this year. Offering a more personalised experience to retailers, market reaction has been overwhelmingly positive, as the trade has benefited from assistance in a number of key areas, including PoS and effective merchandising,

To find out more visit the Fiskars stand (8D80-E81) and chat to the team.

Johnsons Lawn Seed has unveiled a major innovation in seed treatment technology that meets the needs of consumers who increasingly demand lawns that germinate and establish quickly.

Quick Lawn with Accelerator-treated seed offers three key benefits: 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.

Suitable for creating a new lawn from scratch or for overseeding, the unique Accelerator treatment contains a wetting agent that speeds-up the absorption of water by helping it to penetrate the waxy surface of a grass seed faster, spurring it into growth.

The clever technology rapidly directs a carefully formulated blend of biostimulants in the seed coating – including seaweed extract, humic acids, amino acids, micronutrients and root developers – into the seed. Not only does this get lawns off to a flying start, but it delivers 38% more grass within the first seven days, compared to non-coated seed. Once the lawn has established, growth returns to a normal level for domestic grass.

Johnsons Lawn Seed’s Guy Jenkins said: “Consumers want lawn seed that germinates quickly and establishes fast, and Quick Lawn with Accelerator-treated seed raises the bar by delivering unbeatable performance. The science and technology behind Accelerator represents true innovation in lawncare, resulting in a product that will help retailers to expand the lawncare category at garden centres.

“The benefits of the Accelerator treatment have been underpinned by extensive trials, which proved that the germination process gets under way faster; new lawns emerge more quickly, and consumers will get more grass for no additional effort on their part. It’s a win-win situation for both retailers and the nation’s gardeners,” Guy added.

Quick Lawn with Accelerator-treated seed is the latest innovation from DLF Seeds, the parent company of Johnsons Lawn Seed, which is spending €14million per year on research and development to create a new generation of top-performing seeds and lawncare products for consumers.

Visit Johnsons Lawn Seed at Glee (stand 8B50-C51) to be first to see Quick Lawn with Accelerator, which has an SRP of £5.65 for a 250gm pack or £9.99 for 500gm. A 1.5kg pack has an SRP of £24.95 with a large 5kg pack having an SRP of £55.99.

Find out more

To find out more about Johnsons Lawn Seed products please visit http://www.johnsonslawnseed.com/product-range.aspx

A range of beautifully-made wood cutting tools brings a new category to Burgon & Ball’s RHS-endorsed portfolio and will also appeal to a wide cross section of consumers beyond the gardening market.

The range comprises a hatchet axe, chopping axe and log splitting maul, all with drop-forged heads for strength and long-life edges and smooth easy-to-grip flared-end handles. All are supplied with buffalo hide pouches to protect the blade in storage. A five-year guarantee is offered.

The compact display stand supplied combines Nordic-style with informative graphic imagery designed to stimulate impulse purchases.

A new addition to Burgon & Ball’s existing RHS-endorsed tools range is a left-handed by-pass secateurs, introduced by popular demand.

Burgon & Ball are in hall 8 (8E50-F51).

Since being acquired by E. P. Barrus two years ago, Town & Country has gone from strength to strength and offers the gardening market a comprehensive range of gloves, footwear and accessories.

The brand continues to expand its product offering into home accessories with a new range of brushes and brooms, along with two new kneeler pads for using around the home and garden.

Town & Country’s Indoor Broom, Outdoor Broom and Soft Brush & Dustpan are all available to purchase with bespoke retail display units which include product features and benefits to inform the consumer.

The Indoor Broom has fine, durable bristles which attract and trap dirt, providing effortless sweeping in and around the home, whilst the Outdoor Broom has thicker, robust bristles which are perfectly suited to sweeping patios, paths and driveways.

The Soft Brush features individually frayed brush ends which trap finer dust particles, whilst the angled brush head helps to get into harder to reach areas. This brush comes with a long-handled dustpan which folds up for space saving storage. Each of these products can be hung from the handle.

Two new kneeler pads have also been added to the range. The Original Kneeler Pad is made with memory foam with a durable, non-slip cover to protect knees and provide comfort when kneeling. The Deluxe Neoprene Kneeler Pad is water-resistant and lightweight, providing superior comfort for all tasks around the home and garden.

The entire range, along with gardening gloves, footwear and merchandising options can be viewed at Glee on stand 7J30-L31.

For over 30 years Protek have been manufacturing water based wood treatments that are child, animal and plant safe from their factory in Somerset.  Set in the Mendip Hills it is easy to see why the environment is so important to them.  Their eco credentials are a value that they started the family business with in 1980’s and are still vital today. 

The family business is now run by the two sisters who have worked hard to make Protek responsive to garden colour trends (there are over 100 colours) as well as preparation products and treatments.   They are a one stop shop. No wonder they are supplying garden centres, timber merchants and large on-line retailers as well as the two biggest TV garden makeover shows in the UK- Love Your Garden and Garden Rescue.

With a small team Protek are always innovating and identifying big trends that will affect our gardens. 

This year they have launched their latest product- Timber Eco Shield. 

This brand NEW Water Proofing Wood Stain has been developed using new technology that colours, protects and enhances all exterior wood.

New Timber Eco Shield can be used on pressure treated timber as well as rough sawn and all planed woods. This highly versatile product will prolong the life and good looks of all your timber- from sheds, garages, home offices, summer houses, play houses, fencing, gates, garden furniture, animal housing and bird housing.

Using the latest nanotechnology it has a highly water repellent finish with a fade resistant colour, that keeps wood looking like new for years to come.

It is quick drying, can be applied with a sprayer, roller or brush.  

Available in a choice of natural wood colours that will compliment and enhance the natural beauty of the wood and its surroundings. A new colour has been added just to this range, Weathered Wood. This looks exactly as it sounds and makes new timber look old and is great at tying in with older timbers. Another colour of note is the Pale Green, this is the same colour as freshly pressure treated timber, everyone loves the look but it fades so quickly, not anymore with Timber Eco Shield.

Timber Eco Shield is water based with low VOC’s making it Child, Pet/Animal and Plant safe.

Visit Protek at stand number 20Z20 to find out more.

Or

Email sales@protekwoodstain.co.uk

Zest 4 Leisure has continued to impress visitors at its new-look stand at Glee 2019. Zest is showcasing a host of new products, along with many of its award winning garden trade favourites including the Noah’s Arbour, the Harriet Table and Bench set and the Horizon Arch.

Alwyn Williams, Head of Zest 4 Leisure said: “We’ve had a great couple of days showcasing our new range to customers and we are delighted with their response. Our marketing support package was a key topic - along with giving customers access to an extensive digital library for their own use, we’ve now created over 50 animated “How – To” and lifestyle videos. This is in addition to full colour customer brochures, merchandisers and range boards and full colour PoS”

Part of the new range launched at Glee is the Raised Herb Planter, introduced following the popularity of the space saving Vertical Herb Planter and GIMA finalist, the Stepped Herb Planter. This garden space saver, gives the gardener the opportunity to grow herbs in separate compartments and also enjoy the luxury of not having to bend down. It comes with a built-in shelf which is ideal for storing tools, pots and gardening equipment.

Continuing with a space saving theme, the Pyramid Display Stand is designed to stylishly exhibit plants, lanterns and other decorative items in the garden. It comes flat packed with hinged apex support and three ready built shelves making it very easy to assemble. The “on trend” Pyramid Display Stand allows people to combine outdoor and indoor living so they can personalise their garden entertaining space.

Over the past year, Zest 4 Leisure have continued to focus on customer satisfaction, and its new partnership with P&O Ferrymasters has ensured deliveries are on target.

Commenting on Zest 4 Leisure’s improvements, Steve Morgan, Managing Director of Zest 4 Leisure said “I am proud of what we have been able to achieve and the impact it has had in 2019. We have made major investments to on site infrastructure, introduced new information systems using SAP, all of which has resulted in excellent customer service and on time deliveries”

Zest has reported significant improvements in deliveries, quality standards and service levels - all as a result of considerable investments in warehouse and distribution depots, information systems and key management roles.

Zest 4 Leisure is looking forward to another busy day tomorrow. Visit stand #20Z30 to see its 2020 timber garden range and to meet the Zest team, or visit www.zest4leisure.co.uk.

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

ADVANCED ORDERS CAN BE PLACED AT GLEE SO GO AND SEE THE TEAM AT ON STAND 6L80-M81

You can always rely on Durston Garden Products to put on a show at Glee, and this year is no exception. 

Model Alice, in a futuristic costume, is well and truly wowing visitors to the Durstons stand in Hall 8, and the message to the trade is 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 its 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 of the bags it uses, the bags 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, ‘a 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 a forward thinking, out-of-this-world experience this season, then be sure to pop along to Durston Garden Products stand E20-21 in Hall 8 where you can be sure of a galactic welcome!

This coming year celebrates the 30th anniversary of Garden Pride Marketing.

Here we speak to Stephen Vincent, Managing Director.

“I am so pleased that the business I started 30 years ago is now being run by my Children and too see the success they are making of my brand is heart-warming. Being on site today, at Glee, and seeing the reception they are getting from existing customers makes me very proud.

"The pride they have in the job they are doing, the relationships with customers they are building and the products they are supplying is outstanding. It’s also great to see old customers coming back to us after years away and the reaction they are getting from new potential customers.

"As an old existing company with new management and fresh ideas its refreshing to see the changes. They have managed to successfully re brand but keep the ethos of the company the same.

"I believe my original values from all those years ago to produce top quality UK Manufactured products at competitive prices to the  garden centre industry has remain but we now also have the offerings across all manner of products and ranges and we really can now be a ‘one stop shop’!

"To this day we pride ourselves on our customer service, attention to detail, loyalty and consistently high-quality products.”

There is an assumption that lawn problems can be solved by applying fertilisers alone, but this is not the case. If a lawn has become acidic – a lawn with a pH below 5.5 - some of the essential nutrients become locked up in the soil and become unavailable to the grass plant.

This is not just confined to areas which are naturally acidic. These can be identified by the plants which naturally thrive in the area. If, for instance, rhododendrons thrive on your soil it is a sure sign that the soil is acidic. Lawns also become acidic through natural means like acid rain or leaving clippings to mulch down of their own accord. Robot mowers are doing this all the time.

When a lawn has a pH of below 5.5 the grass starts to find it difficult to take up nitrogen which will affect the appearance of the grass leaf. Phosphorus will also start to be locked up. Phosphorus is essential for healthy root growth and aids germination of grass seed. Potassium will also be locked up. Potassium seems to be a catalyst in the formation of plant cells which contain a large amount of potassium, especially in the case of grass. It is closely associated with the opening of the small pores in the outer surface of leaves which control water loss from the leaf surface, but its primary function would appear to be dealing with stress within the plant.

The ideal pH is 6.5

Traditionally the way to adjust pH has been to apply lime but this is a messy job, and the dose is very variable. BIO-Lime – from organic experts, Vivano and exclusively distributed in the UK by DJ Turfcare - is dust free and comes in pellet form. It can be spread using a normal spreader. It also contains bacteria called Bacillus which is found naturally in the soil and eats thatch, converting it into plant food. BIO-Lime also contains magnesium which helps to maintain the green colour during the winter months.

BIO-Lime is endorsed by the RHS and comes in 20kg bags which treats up to 400m² or 5kg boxes which treat up to 100m².  It can be used throughout the year, but the best time is during the winter - just the time when the keen gardener has time to attend to their lawn care.

Find out more

To find out more about DJ Turfcare please visit www.djturfcare.co.uk or call 01483 200976.

Evergreen Garden Care unveiled its new Miracle-Gro Performance Organics range at Glee yesterday, promising all the benefits of its synthetic products but organically for the first time

“Gardeners will no longer have to sacrifice efficacy and performance when using sustainable gardening products thanks to Miracle-Gro’s new breakthrough organic range,” said the launch statement.

The new range follows painstaking research into consumer attitudes towards sustainability and the environment and targets gardeners who are increasingly concerned about the environmental impact and sustainability of the products they use.

Historically, the company says, natural and organic products have been unable to deliver the same performance and efficacy as conventional products, and despite consumers wanting to use more organic products, they haven’t been willing to compromise on results.

Miracle-Gro® Performance Organics, which covers all growing categories, compost, plant food and lawns, has been developed to help gardeners grow in a sustainable way without having to compromise on results.

Focusing on scientifically blending the most appropriate materials rather than simply adding fertilisers and bio-stimulants, more than 40 different natural and organic materials were tested and used on more than 1,000 plants to create the unique perfect blend in the new range.

In comparison to many organic fertilisers, which slowly release nutrients over a long period of time, the Performance Organics® blend provides maximum nutrient release in the right form at the optimum time for plant uptake – providing visible results within the first seven days. Thanks to this new innovative formula, less product is also required to achieve visible results.   

Miracle-Gro Performance Organics bottles and lids are made from 100% recycled plastic and are recyclable, the compost bags are made from 30% recycled plastic and the lawn food bag is made from 40% plant material.

A multi-platform marketing campaign including digital, new POS and TV will support the launch.

Part of Capi's production takes place in their own factory in Tilburg. You can recognise these planters by their unique orange interior. This was intended to represent their place of origin and it is nowadays a recognisable feature of our brand. The orange layer also provides the planters with insulation, offering your plants extra protection against both heat and cold.

We have paid particular attention to the design of our Made in Holland series. Although these pots can be used outdoors irrespective of the wind and weather, we’ve noticed that more and more customers are using them indoors as a design object. That is why our Made in Holland planters are designed for indoor & outdoor use.

All Made in Holland flowerpots are UV- and frost-resistant, as well as being fracture resistant and extremely light, which makes them both convenient to use and easy to maintain.

All of the pots manufactured in the Netherlands are made with recycled materials and 100% recyclable. Therefore they are very sustainable. Due to these features, we can guarantee high quality planters with a long lifespan and we provide a 10 year warranty with this collection.

Woodlodge is to launch a range of bumblebee-inspired pottery, helping retailers to boost sales of containers as public concern over pollinator decline escalates.

The Bee Kind range, which sports attractive, eye-catching bumblebee designs, will be unveiled on the Woodlodge exhibition space at Glee (stand 6S30-T31), which takes place at Birmingham’s NEC on 10^th – 12^th September.

Sales of Bee Kind pots, available in shades of green, grey and white, will support the efforts of the Bumblebee Conservation Trust, which works tirelessly to improve bumblebee habitats while encouraging action that can boost pollinator populations. Bee Kind pottery will launch with recommended retail prices ranging from £8.99 to £34.99, with sizes 18cm - 37cm. For each product sold, Woodlodge Products is donating 10 pence to the Bumblebee Conservation Trust, a registered charity No.1115634 & SC042830.

Michael Wooldridge, Managing Director at Woodlodge, said: “Encouraging pollinator-friendly planting is a high priority for retailers, as public awareness over bee decline and its impact on future pollination of flowers, fruit and vegetables continues to grow. The Bee Kind range, with its innovative and eye-catching bumblebee designs, will encourage consumers to plant bee-friendly flowers, driving sales of pots and helping retailers to expand category sales as the 2020 gardening season gets underway.”

Supporting point-of-sale material will help retailers to maximise the sales potential of Bee Kind pottery, reminding consumers of the plight of pollinators at the point of purchase. Marketing materials will state: “We can all do our bit to support bumblebees. Why not plant flowers rich in nectar, such as lavender and bluebells, which help bees to find the food they need?”

According to the Bumblebee Conservation Trust, bumblebee populations have crashed during the last 80 years. Two species have become nationally extinct, while others have suffered dramatic declines. A staggering 97% of wildflower habitat has disappeared from the countryside, which has left bumblebees with little to feed upon which is largely due to intensification of agriculture, increased use of pesticides, climate change and pests and disease in wild pollinators.

The Bee Kind pottery range will spearhead a new drive to get shoppers planting pollinator-friendly flowers. With pots available in a range of sizes, consumers who only have a balcony or patio, as well as households with traditional gardens, will all be able to create a mini bumblebee-friendly flower haven. Retailers nationwide are embracing use of the RHS Plants for Pollinators logo, helping consumers to choose pollen and nectar-rich flower varieties that are perfect for bees that forage in domestic gardens.

Woodlodge’s new Bee Kind range will inspire consumers to choose perfect containers, and bee-friendly flowers, that will lure bumblebees to gardens. As bumblebees feed only on flowers, they require specific plants that are rich in pollen and nectar according to the Bumblebee Conservation Trust, which points out that a colony must have enough flowers available to sustain 40 to 400 bumblebees for its lifespan, commonly between March and October. The Royal Horticultural Society says that out of 24 bumblebee species in Britain, 12 are commonly seen in gardens – further highlighting the role of container gardening in maintaining a healthy population of pollinators.

To find out more about Woodlodge’s new Bee Kind collection, or the company’s market-leading product offering, visit www.woodlodge.co.uk

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

The Primeur team warmly invite you to visit their stand at Glee Hall 19 D10-E11.  For more details about the company and to view their full ranges please visit www.primeur.co.uk

As part of their centenary celebrations, Taylors Bulbs are organising a nationwide campaign to get children planting bulbs this October further details of which will be available to see at Glee.

The ‘Little Daffodils’ initiative will be widespread throughout the UK at participating garden centres who can either work with local schools or hold their own planting events.

Adam Taylor, one of the fourth generation of the Taylor family said; “As a family business, we know the importance and the joy of engaging the next generation with growing. With ‘Little Daffodils’ we want to create a really special event to mark our Centenary year, and we hope tens of thousands of children get a chance to plant bulbs this autumn and then watch them flower next spring, experiencing one of the delights of gardening.”

The campaign will take place during October when children will get the opportunity to enjoy planting daffodil bulbs in their own pot and go on to have the opportunity to learn more about nature and growing their own flowers.  Over 200 of Taylors’ customers nationwide have signed up to the initiative, with over 65,000 pots being supplied by Taylors, supported by Dejex and Poppelmann Plastics UK.  Bord Na Mona, Evergreen Garden Care and Westland have also agreed to support their customers with free compost for the events.

Adam added, “We are very grateful for the support of colleagues within horticulture, and delighted to be supporting the Greenfingers Charity alongside this initiative, raising money for this fantastic charity dedicated to supporting children who spend time in hospices. It seems the perfect circle to engage with children via our customers and then to support many others who may be unable to experience the joy of gardening for themselves due to illness.”

Taylors Bulbs are the UK’s leading supplier of flower bulbs, growing and supplying flower bulbs since 1919. At the helm of the family business is Adam and his cousin Sam, the fourth generation of the Taylor family, who also work with Sam’s father Roger to oversee the family owned business.

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.

Visit Pentik’s stand at Glee 19K24-L25 near the Retail Lab to see the bestselling textiles, dinnerware and gifts from our basic collection and to also get a sneak peek into the upcoming Spring-Summer 2020 collection.

Bord na Móna has 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.”

Egons, Klauss, Juris & Uldis were the founders of EKJU, who had a vision to create garden furniture that is crafted with the care and attention needed to ensure the product lasts as long as it takes to regrow a new tree. Since 1992 the company have adopted this ethos throughout the organisation, meaning the EKJU story has continued and evolved to today’s high standards.

From the start of the product’s journey EKJU are obsessed with sustainability and quality. Their products are constructed using FSC Pine and Siberian Larch that grow in the northern European forests. This live wood is high quality and stronger due to its slow growth, ideal for use on garden furniture for its high density and durable qualities.

Co-founder Juris explains “Our trees grow slowly – they mature over time and have characteristics from their long lives. These natural characteristics make each piece of wood unique and give every piece of furniture personality. Wood is our hero—our source of inspiration—our favourite material: we love its differences, yet we never use defective wood.’

EKJU have strict quality management standards at their 18 acre site in Cesis, Latvia.  During production, they hand craft every part of a furniture set, using extensive knowledge, techniques and state of the art machinery to ensure consistently smooth product finishing.

Before preservative treatment, kiln drying occurs in 3 separate kiln ovens where furniture sets are dried in a time controlled environment to ensure a finished product with the correct moisture levels and therefore delivered as dry as technology allows. This process prevents warping or bowing providing the retailer and consumer with a more robust longer lasting product.

EKJU are experts in exporting timber garden products, with 98% of their sales exporting in Europe. Care and attention is dedicated to packaging products ready for transporting. This includes a specially designed online packaging system for e-commerce customers. Standard trade deliveries are palletised, protected and delivered in a neat manner, with UV protection materials available to reduce sun discolouration at customer sites.

EKJU UK Sales Manager, Jurgis Dzerve said ‘Our total quality management approach to our products and service means we have a track record of high customer satisfaction levels with our trade customers. We care and get the detail right so that customers have peace of mind and trust in our brand. Sustainability and quality are at the heart of everything we produce, ensuring high standards, whilst also being competitive in the market.’

With the mission of delivering furniture that lasts, bringing people closer together, EKJU’s focus remains on the end user’s satisfaction and comfort. Therefore, product assembly is made as easy as possible, taking the stress out of assembly and allowing quicker enjoyment of the product. This is achieved by designing products with clear drill and fixing holes, using the best quality fixing kits and easy to follow instructions. EKJU not only have instructions on product labels but now have brand new product assembly videos available on their website and social media, which show a step by step visual guide of product construction.

By crafting furniture in respect for nature, with core quality values, the product road map is at the heart of EKJU’s brand. The focus on the end user and attention to detail across their entire range nurtures a drive for the highest product and service standards, a journey that if you take, you will not be disappointed with.

The EKJU team are available to discuss their range at Glee 2019 in Hall 6, stand Q20-R21.

Run by great friends Lisa & Tracy in the Lake District, The Sugar Shed is experiencing rapid growth. They believe in doing things right and offer flexibility and support to retailers.

“We actually become great friends with our retailers, we want them to succeed. We come up with crazy ideas (usually at 3am!) to ensure that the retailer can offer their customers something unique.”

The Sugar Shed prints onto wood. Offering many different products that are unique and can be personalised to your area.

Products consist of wooden coasters in a set of 4, to join up to create a fuller map. Packaged in twine with a wooden button, printed with your shops name on.

Wooden postcards that can be written on and sent through the post. Packaged in a non-plastic, potato & corn starch pouch.

Keyrings, again personalised to your area.

Wooden doorstops with the option of a printed version or a more aged, rustic doorstop.

They were recently featured on James Martin’s Saturday Morning and came highly commended by Gift of the Year with the personalised dog lead holders.

“Trying to get personalisation into retail can be a nightmare & we wanted to tackle this. We created a gift pack that once sold to the customer, that is the ned of the retailers involvement. We offer a sample (which can be the retailers own dog or one of ours) and POS explaining the 3 easy steps to the customer. This has been one of our best sellers.”

www.thesugarshed.co.uk

hello@thesugarshed.co.uk

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

Visitors to the trade event can experience 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 can 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 are 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 - will be featured, in addition to the RHS Gold Medal premier domestic garden and pet range. The industry acclaimed Easi-Wall will also be 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.

Visitors to the Petface stand at Glee are literally 'getting Petface'd' by having their picture taken.

The company is investing £250,000 in a campaign to take Petface to the next level – creating more consumer awareness of the Petface brand to drive repeat custom and make Petface THE pet brand retailers need to stock.

A new consumer advert gives Petface a unique identity in this crowded marketplace. It’s a fun mix of real animals and animation that’s sure to get consumers’ attention.

The company has also designed free standing display units to display the video in store and grab consumers’ attention, and available to all Petface stockists.

The new Get Petface’d campaign is designed to work with Petface Partner stores to:

• Create conversation – get consumers talking about Petface
• Drive consumers to ask for Petface products in store
• Inspire repeat custom and retailer-specific loyalty

Petface Partners involved in the scheme will be given a joint-branded triangular display unit featuring Get Petface’d and Petface in Your Community information.

Get Petface’d: Competition designed to get people talking on social media about Petface products. The Petface Partner gets return custom plus mentions on social media.

Take a look at the lawn care ranges available from G Plants at Glee this year – all available delivered in cardboard display units with POS. Top selling brands such as Speedy Seed and Ultra Patch are ideal for preparing the lawn for the spring and summer, but also perfect for reviving a tired lawn before the winter sets in.

Large format grass seed boxes are ideal for boosting sales in-between seasons, and with RRP’s much less than the competitors they can really fly off the shelves!

New for 2019 sales include Speedy Seed Total Care and BEES Season Long Lawn Maintenance Kit, which are available to see at G Plants stand – Hall 8 D92 – E93.

Alternatively if you can’t make it to glee this year, please contact G Plants Ltd direct by email sales@gplants.com

Or download the latest brochure visit www.gplants.com

Enter the bio-bean raffle for a free pallet of Coffee Logs. The winner will be randomly chosen and announced by GIMA Director Vicky Nuttall on the company's stand stand at 2pm on Thursday.

While you’re there let’s chat about coffee. The UK drinks 95 million cups of it every day.

But all that barista brilliance creates around half a million tonnes of wet coffee grounds typically headed for landfill, where they emit harmful greenhouse gases, including methane.

We take those grounds from businesses and recycle them into Coffee Logs: compact fire logs for home wood burners and multi-fuel stoves.

Coffee Logs are sustainably made from recycled coffee grounds and they really turn up the heat. Due to their high calorific value and low moisture content, they burn 20% hotter and longer than kiln-dried wood.

And Coffee Logs help reduce greenhouse gas emissions. By recycling waste coffee grounds into Coffee Logs we save 80% on emissions than if those grounds had gone to landfill.

Coffee Logs are made from waste coffee grounds collected from cafes, offices and instant coffee factories, and even airports, train stations and universities throughout the UK, giving your daily hit of caffeine a second life. In fact, each Coffee Log is made from around 25 cups of coffee!

If you’re looking for a more sustainable fire log to offer your customers, these efficient Logs are the perfect sustainable alternative for fuelling your fire without heating the planet.

The Annual General Meeting of the Horticultural Trades Association, which took place at Glee today 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.

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

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

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

Dickie 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

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!

Visitors to Glee have the opportunity to win a stunning water feature brimming with fabulous bottles of bubbly thanks to long-term Greenfingers supporters, Woodlodge.
 
Taking place on Woodlodge’s Glee stand (Hall 6, stand S30-T31) the ‘Fountain of Fizz’ raffle will help to support Greenfingers, and will also help to celebrate the company’s newly branded Water Studio collection of aquatic features. Visitors need only join the Woodlodge team on stand to purchase a ticket, with the lucky winner set to be revealed on Thursday 12th September.
 
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

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.

This Glee, visitors and exhibitors are being encouraged to join the Power of One movement; an international UN-backed initiative designed to demonstrate how a combination of small, individual changes can create a more sustainable future for all.

The organising team behind Glee have already made their pledges and are asking others to proudly declare their own ‘one small thing’ commitment.
 
The Power of One movement is all about committing to making a conscious change to reduce our impact upon the environment and the world in which we live. Pledges could include anything from promising to recycle more, choosing bio-degradable alternatives, or refraining from using single use plastics. Together these singular commitments add up to a much bigger and stronger impact; one that can help lead a positive change.
 
Showing your support at Glee for the initiative couldn’t be easier – simply visit the Power of One wall to make your pledge. All you need to do is snap a shot of yourself in front of the wall, share it on social media, along with your pledge.  As a little way of saying thank you, ‘pledgers’ will receive a free reusable water bottle, supplied by Glee exhibitor and Power of One partner, Summit International.  
 
You can also join in the conversation on social media by following #PowerOfOne, #Glee19 and #GleeBirmingham.
 
The Glee team make their pledges
Here is just a selection of the pledges made by the Glee organising team – let them inspire you to make similar choices. Together we can make a difference!

My Pledge is to buy from charity shops more often and recycle my own fabrics by taking them to charity shops. #BringYourOwn #PassItOn
Avoid fast fashion – take time to find out where and who I’m buying from #PowerOfOne
Be more conscious about the brands I invest in and the items that I buy. #ActuallyIcan #PowerOfOne
Pledge to only use reusable shopping bags #BringYourOwn
Prepare lunches and transport them in reusable Tupperware - rather than buying lunches that are contained in single use plastics #BringYourOwn #PowerOfOne
My Pledge is to have shorter showers and save on water consumption! #GetDirty #PowerOfOne
My pledge is to recycle as much as I can and to only drink from my reusable bottle. #PassItOn #PowerOfOne #BringYourOwn
My pledge is to wrap up warm and turn down the heating at home. #TurnItDown #PowerOfOne
My Pledge is to cycle more and avoid polluting the environment #ActuallyICan #PowerOfOne
My pledge is to live by the ’30 use challenge’, if I don’t think I’ll use or wear something at least 30 times, think twice about buying! #ActuallyICan #PowerOfone

A journey of discovery is coming to Glee this September as the key industry event confirms two exciting guided tour opportunities to ensure retailers make the most of their time at the show.

As the leading garden retail event in the industry calendar with unrivalled new product sourcing opportunities, it is vital that businesses get the most out of visiting Glee.  Plus, with Glee’s ever-expanding portfolio of show features it is more important than ever that visitors are armed with the right information to maximise their time at the show.

One of Glee’s most visited features, the Retail Lab - in association with the HTA - will benefit from a series of guided tours. Led by the Retail Lab’s Creative Director, Romeo Sommers, the Retail Lab tours will give visitors explanations and further knowledge into the key insights and trends being showcased on the Retail Lab feature in 2019, including ‘Do it yourself (and have fun)’, and ‘Saving the World – Nurturing, Nature and Animals’. Throughout the tours, Romeo will also provide top tips on how retailer and merchandisers can implement the trends within their own stores with quick and easy ‘takeaway’ advice.

The Retail Lab tours will take place daily at 11:00am, 1:00pm and 3:00pm, and will operate on a first come first served basis. To join one of Romeo’s tours please visit the Retail Lab ahead of each tour to secure your place.

Visitors will also be able to take full advantage of all Glee has to offer with the Discovery Tours led by Glee’s dedicated PR partners, Hornby Whitefoot PR. Offering a unique and bespoke visitor experience, the walking tours will take in the unmissable feature areas of the show including the New Product Showcase, Green Heart and the newly enhanced and dedicated pet sector - Pets at Glee. Each ‘stop’ on the tour will outline what is on offer, how retailers can benefit from spending time in each area and how they can maximise the inspiration and educational takeaway available.

The Discovery Tour will take place daily at 10:15am. Open to both new and regular visitors on a first come, first served basis, each tour will last just 45-minutes and will help visitors to plan the rest of their time at the show efficiently and take in the hottest new products from over 550 companies across eight sectors.  To join the Discovery Tour please visit the #PowerOfOne wall in the atrium and look out for the Hornby Whitefoot PR team.

Find out more

Glee is the UK’s leading garden retail show, focusing on building year-round profits for buyers and suppliers within the core gardening and outdoor leisure product categories.  To keep up-to-date on the latest Glee news visit www.gleebirmingham.com.  To enquire about exhibiting at Glee 2019 call +44 (0)203 3545 9752.

Retailers seeking products of the future and the latest in-store merchandising ideas need look no further than the Retail Lab at Glee. Now in its third year, this inspirational feature area, in association with the Horticultural Trades Association, is bursting with ideas. In fact, 61% of Glee’s visitors say they will attend Glee 2019 as a result of seeing the Retail Lab last year. Here, we catch-up with Scott Thomas, Director of long-term Retail Lab sponsors, Ivyline.

Why have you chosen to return as a sponsor of the Retail Lab in 2019?

Last year’s Retail Lab was a great success, so we were keen to replicate this in 2019. Each year the Retail Lab delivers some highly innovative and creative displays, and as leaders of innovation in the UK market, we are keen to be part of this and help to create a place to showcase our new products and concepts. More so, the Retail Lab attracts people interested in unique and trend-led products, and we love being part of helping the garden centre industry to evolve into leaders in retail innovation. Of course, the exposure we gain within the Retail Lab also translates into extra traffic to our stand, so for us, it’s a win win!

What appeal does the Retail Lab hold? Why should retailers/ merchandisers/ buyers visit this area?

The Retail Lab at Glee represents some of the best merchandising examples. Each display, no matter the theme, is thought provoking, and presents exciting new concepts to the retailer. It’s also a great hub for the industry, providing the opportunity to meet with new contacts, and gather best practice advice.

What products/ranges will you be supplying to the Retail Lab in 2019?

Ivyline has earmarked a wide selection of its market leading indoor pots and planter ranges for the 2019 Retail Lab. Look out for our trend-led indoor planters, the on-trend natural woven lined basket planters, cacti and succulent planters, terrariums, and plant stands. We’ll also be showcasing some of our outdoor ranges, including outdoor planters, firebowls and outdoor candles.

What current trends are shaping your business most? How do you see this changing in the next 12-24 months?

Health and wellbeing is driving an unprecedented demand for foliage plants, and we don’t expect to see this trend slow any time soon. Working alongside this are trend leading retailers and bloggers, who together are attracting a far younger audience into the benefits of houseplants, with cacti, succulent and other low maintenance plants continuing to drive volume within garden centres.

Elsewhere we’re seeing an obvious thirst from consumers for new materials and natural products such as ethically sourced woven basketware. Biophilic design is becoming a huge trend in interiors as well as the workplace, whilst we’re also seeing a high demand of trend-led prints. Additionally, the notion of moving the indoor out is a huge trend driving sales of outdoor firebowls and outdoor accessories.

What can you tell us about Ivyline’s plans for Glee 2019?

We have a huge amount planned for Glee 2019, most notably our new themed collections which include ‘Inspired by the sea’, ‘Botanical’, ‘Desert Boho’, and Scandi designs to name but a few.

We’ll also be introducing even more trend-led indoor planter ranges, as well as an expanded range of ‘fun’ cacti planters. Newness can be expected across our ranges, from firebowl designs to outdoor planters, plus an exciting new category introduction – details of which are firmly under wraps until the show itself!

We meet one of the sponsors of this year’s feature, Meadow View Stone, who brings over 25 years’ experience of supplying the widest range of imported and exclusive decorative aggregates and landscaping stone to the garden centre industry.

Meadow View Stone’s Marketing Director, Sarah Hill, said: “We’ve been a sponsor of the Retail Lab since its initial conception, and see it as a fantastic tool to not only showcase our products, but also view it as an opportunity to gain great insight into current trends/buying direction.

“For us, we view the Retail Lab as a great hub of inspiration, providing garden centre retailers and merchandisers with invaluable insight into how to display products in store to drive sales and provide effective cross selling opportunities.  We strongly support this theory as we have similarly merchandised a selection of our key accounts with extensive lifestyle display gardens, which have inspired and influenced customers and as a result returned excellent sales growth for these accounts.”

Whilst the Meadow View Stone team are still deciding which products will feature in the Retail Lab come September, Sarah has confirmed that a selection of the company’s porcelain

paving and some of its exciting new product lines - yet to be released - will form part of the various displays.

With future trends such a key focus of the Retail Lab, Sarah shares some of the key trends that have been shaping Meadow View Stone’s business in recent months, and will continue to influence future ranges. She said: “The colour grey has been a major influencer on both our paving and aggregate collections. This has been proven over the past two years and is featuring heavily in our product selections and sales performance for the immediate future.

Looking ahead to the wider show, Sarah added: “We will be maintaining the same core elements of the stand, with our extremely successful Gin Bar and Innovation Hub, both of which were immensely successful last year. 

“The Innovation Hub will continue to feature market leading insight into how garden centres can increase the sales value of their areas, whilst providing invaluable trend reports and case studies from customers who have embraced our stocking suggestions and recorded some excellent sales successes.  The Gin Bar, undoubtedly, is now an established part of our stand and provides an excellent informal and relaxed social space, allowing us to conduct private meetings whilst rewarding our customers with a well-earned drink!

“Our POS and innovative display gardens will also feature as a means to show retailers how to inspire their customers and generate increased sales. With two new product categories also to be unveiled we have an exciting collection of products and merchandising to suit every garden centre visiting Glee 2019.

We meet Latvian timber furniture and garden accessory manufacturers, EKJU, to find out more about why they have got involved with this thriving area of Glee 2019.

Why has EKJU chosen to be a sponsor of the Retail Lab?

End user trends are extremely important to us and our knowledge of these are invaluable to our retail partners. We are close to trends throughout Europe in markets such as France, Germany & Scandinavia.  For some product categories trends align in these markets and we can share the knowledge on trend developments in outdoor living, grow your own & vertical planting. We will be showcasing products linked to these trends at Glee.

What appeal does the Retail Lab hold? Why should retailers/ merchandisers/ buyers visit this area?

We believe the retail lab offers interactive insight into the future trends and therefore this is a great tool for visitors to help grow future sales, be it products, concepts or merchandising ideas.

What products/ranges will EKJU be supplying?

Some of EKJU’s best furniture products are being used to bring people together at the lab. The ‘Raised Bar Set’ and ‘Cesis Table & Bench set’ is being featured in the HTA bar area. In the Urban City zone, EKJU’s grow your own products are heavily featured. The ‘Garden’s Table’, ‘Raised Six Section Planter’ and the ‘Four Level Vegetable Bed’ are all being featured.

Additionally, the unique ‘Hanging Pot Shelf’ will be showcased, which is ideal for ‘grow your own’ enthusiasts with a smaller available outdoor space. This product has been designed for growing herbs and plants, as well as a decorative option for displaying flowers, supplying a fantastic vertical planting solution. The shelving sets are available in 3 treatment options – green, brown or grey and come complete with fixing kits for assembly on a wall.

What current trends are shaping your business most? How do you see this changing in the next 12-24 months? 

Our love for timber has always meant we hold sustainability sacred to our mission. We recycle all timber waste from production and see more and more companies adopting this type of stance wherever possible. We are finding there is even more appreciation than ever for sustainability in 2019 and is a movement that we see continuing into 2020 and beyond.

Increased awareness of climate change and heightened sustainability movement against single use packaging have been 2 recent trends that have led to a buoyant traditional ‘grow your own’ market. There has also been a shift towards younger audiences interested in ‘grow your own’ leading to alternative space saving products for end users who have smaller gardens and outdoor spaces.

Outdoor Living is becoming more and more popular with rising temperatures meaning more time spent enjoying the outdoor space and a willingness to decorate the garden in similar themes to inside the house.  As a result, this is likely to increase popularity in painting outdoor furniture and accessories a consistent colour throughout the garden. After extensive market research in identifying the top trending colours’ in European gardening, Grey treatment is now available across the entire EKJU range.

This enables the end user to create a grey collection consisting of timber furniture and accessories, to complement the desired decorative look and colours in the garden.  At the same time garden sizes are reducing in size in the UK and we are focused on creating products that adapt to all sizes of gardens. Most importantly we create products that are simple for the end user to build, which is key to ensure people’s busy lives are not taken up by frustration during assembly. We have been taking this a step further with assembly videos which demonstrate how to assemble our key products. Our focus on customer experience will continue into the future.

What can you tell us about your plans for Glee 2019?

Our heritage as craftsman and focus on quality underpins our strategy of supplying the best range of sustainable timber garden furniture with the end-user’s comfort in mind. Our products offer a solution for end users regardless of the size of their outdoor space and we remain focused on delivering high standards on all of our range. At Glee we will be showcasing products both traditional and on trend and showcasing our new grey treatment, which now joins our green and brown treatment options. We look forward to welcoming people to our stand - Hall 6, stand Q20-R21.

We meet the German pot, container and plant accessories manufacturer Scheurich, which is eager to demonstrate its latest creations when the Retail Lab throws open its doors.

When it comes to stylish pots and plant accessories, Scheurich is a household name for both garden centre buyers and consumers alike. The Retail Lab at Glee holds strong appeal for Scheurich, as it is a repeat sponsor. The company’s Sales Director, Peter Taylor explains why: “Scheurich has chosen again to sponsor the Retail lab as it shares the same forward-thinking strategy, strongly focusing attention on innovation and customer story-telling, as well as capturing and inspiring the fast developing 'social consumer' in their quest to achieve the right look.”

Scheurich will showcase its indoor house plant ceramics and outdoor planters at the Retail Lab. Peter explains why the lab ticks the boxes as a centrepiece for innovation: “The appeal to Scheurich is the promotion and development of forward-thinking across the gardening category. Retail is evolving fast, and attention must be focused on who our customers are, how they wish to buy 'the look' and share images with their friends.”

Houseplants are one of the fastest-growing garden centre categories. Popular with millennials who share images of their urban jungles on social media, Scheurich is witnessing a resurgence of interest in accessories for indoor plants. Peter says: “Trendy indoor plants such as cacti and succulents will continue to develop, along with a greater emphasis on architectural foliage plants. This is leading to demand for bigger sizes of pots - fashionable ceramic containers with an emphasis on practicality. Consumers are looking for a guarantee that containers are water tight and offer ease of watering.”

Scheurich believes that environmental issues will shape consumer choices of pots and containers: “Planet-friendly materials such as clay appeal more as consumers see the effects of a disposable, throwaway world.

Product materials, fuel, labour, production processes, packaging and even the distance a product has had to travel to be on our shelves will define a retailer and shape consumer decisions in years to come,” Peter adds.

Scheurich says it plans to “tantalise” Glee visitors with a raft of new designs that mirror current trends. Peter sums-up: “The jungle look, distressed metal and retro kitchen memorabilia are just some of the inspired designs to be showcased alongside the latest fashionable colours. In a world filled with social media, creating a library of inspiration online, Scheurich pots with their colours, sizes and designs fulfil consumer requirements and meet both new and developing trends.”

We meet first-time sponsors, Verona Group, to find out more about the UK’s leading distributor of tiles and mosaics in natural stone, porcelain, ceramic and glass from the company’s Product Marketing Executive, Rosie Preston.

Why have you chosen to be a sponsor of the Retail Lab?

This is our first time as a Retail Lab sponsor. Not only practical, the Al Fresco premium outdoor porcelain collection has been carefully selected based on current trends and I see this as a great opportunity to showcase a new and exciting product to a wider audience via the Retail Lab.

What appeal does the Retail Lab hold? Why should retailers/ merchandisers/ buyers visit this area?

The Retail Lab at Glee is a great place to see a wide variety of products come together. It can be hard for an audience to visualise the whole package when presented with products individually, but by visiting the Retail Lab it’s easier to see the bigger picture and how these products are shaping current and future trends.

What products/ranges will you be supplying?

We will be showcasing our complete collection of indoor and outdoor premium porcelain tiles to create seamless open plan living spaces. The collection features a variety of styles from slate and travertine effects, to concrete and wood effects in multiple size options. We will also be featuring our pedestal support system.

What current trends are shaping your business most? How do you see this changing in the next 12-24 months?

From the use of raw, natural materials in the home, through to evolving the trend for open plan living, the great outdoors continues to influence our interior spaces, especially when it comes to our flooring choices.

What can you tell us about your plans for Glee 2019?

We will be showcasing two collections, ‘Al Fresco Indoors & Outdoors’ and ‘Al Fresco Trade’. The Al Fresco Indoors & Outdoors collection features 14 designs including 10mm thick tiles for indoor use, and 20mm thick tiles for outdoor use to create seamless open plan living spaces, whereas the Al Fresco Trade collection features 12 designs in 20mm thickness exclusively for outdoor use. Each collection has its own dedicated display stand and consumer brochure.

We will also be launching our brand-new portable sample box for each collection containing 15x15cm swatches of each tile displayed in a fully printed graphic box. These are ideal for architects and landscapers to take to home visits with clients, or for smaller businesses to use as a display where space is limited.

Finally, we will be featuring our pedestal support system. Pedestals are a great way to create a patio without the need for lots of equipment. They also allow for drainage and you can hide cables and equipment underneath. As the tiles are not attached with adhesive, you can easily move them around if you change your mind. The pedestal system can be laid over any solid surface such as patios, concrete or balconies.

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.

In support of Greenfingers Charity's special 20^th anniversary year, the Glee team, supported by Garden Trade News, are this year urging exhibitors and visitors to Glee to put the floral FUN into FUNdraising at Glee on Thursday 12th September.

With thousands of visitors and exhibitors at Glee on Thursday, it is hoped that the power of the flower will allow a brand new record to be set for the most people wearing floral themed shirts, dresses, ties, suits or jackets on the same day and in the same place.  All those taking part will also be invited to support the charity by buying a raffle ticket which will be entered into a prize draw to win fabulous prizes.

Greenfingers Ambassador Trevor Pfeiffer suggested the idea after getting so many positive comments while wearing floral shirts at Glee last year. “Every time I wear a floral shirt for work it makes people smile so if we can get as many people at Glee on Thursday wearing floral what a happy place it will be!”

“The plan is to sell raffle tickets as exhibitors and visitors enter the halls on Thursday morning with the Floral Thursday raffle being drawn at 2:00pm on the Glee stage. If everyone wearing floral attire could bring a little (or a lot!) of cash, buy a raffle ticket and then join us on the Glee Retail Growth Theatre stage for the prize draw, we will set a new record for the most people wearing floral attire in one place, and at the same time raise a record amount of money for Greenfingers in the charities 20th year. What great bit of PR for our industry that would be!”

Speaking about Floral Thursday, Glee Show Director Matthew Mein said: "We're all looking forward to a great show and to hopefully seeing many smiles as our industry friends don their favourite flowery outfit and put the FUN into FUNdraising to support the garden industry's favourite charity. "

Greenfingers Charity's Director of Fundraising & Communications, Linda Petrons said: "This is a fabulous new initiative which we hope will become a regular event in the Glee and Greenfingers Charity calendar.  We're hugely grateful to ITE and Garden Trade News for their support which will not only raise the profile of the charity but also help to make a difference to life limited children and their families who spend time in hospices."

Matthew, Linda and Trevor are calling on volunteers to help on the day by collecting donations and selling raffle tickets between 7.50am and 11am on Thursday 12th September.  If you are able to spare an hour or two, please contact Linda by emailing Linda@greenfingerscharity.org.uk

Greenfingers are also asking Glee Exhibitors if they would like to donate any prizes for the Floral Thursday raffle, please contact Linda@greenfingerscharity.org.uk or trevor.pfeiffer@tgcmc.co.uk.  Thank you.