Kelkay, the market-leading manufacturer and distributor of aggregates, are completely rebranding their current Gardenstone® to Borderstone® which includes Patio Kits, Stepping Stones and Edgings already in the range and also the top selling lines from Borderstone® including Natural Paving both Sandstone and Slate , the range will have many additional new products in each category.

New products comprising of additions to the best-selling ranges of Stepping Stones and Edgings. Kelkays brand new category Block Paving range is available by the unit, by the pack and on Home Delivery giving a new retail dimension to these products. Also new, the Granite Cobble mat sets and Yorkshire walling are some of the latest additions to the Borderstone range offering gardeners and landscapers attractive and durable paving solutions.

Recommended retail prices (RRPs) start at £2.99 for slabs and stepping-stones. The Block Paving is available in 3 designs and 6 colour ways including brindle, charcoal and Cedar with an RRP starting at 45p per block. The Granite comes in contemporary greys and also a traditional Rose. Kelkay’s paving products can be ordered in mixed loads, allowing retailers to order the exact quantities they require.

Kelkay will also showcase its new concept for merchandising solutions for its patio and circle feature kits at Glee. The 1.2m Patio Kit Selector merchandise stand will stock a wide choice of Kelkay’s most popular patio materials. It will show available colours, prices and pack sizes and recommend related products to help consumers lay paving. Taking up minimal floor space, the stand is designed for retail spaces of all sizes.

Kelkay will also demonstrate the See it Used Paving Floor Display merchandising stand. Promoting cross selling, the stand sets out how much of each product consumers will need. Retailers can choose between full or half display stands.

Anthony Harker, managing director at Kelkay, said: “Borderstone builds on the quality customers expect from Kelkay. We have extended the selection; ensuring consumers can choose a premium Kelkay product for any paving job. Our investment in new, innovative display stands, meanwhile, will help retailers maximise the profitability of Kelkay products. “

Kelkay’s brand portfolio includes Gardenstone®, Borderstone®, Build Mate, easyfountain® and Henri®, providing retailers with a single source of supply for a wide range of garden products.

By promoting aggregates, paving and fountains with eye-catching point of sale, merchandising units and display stands, garden retailers have seen sales grow in these categories.

For more information, visit http://www.kelkay.co.uk/.

Kelkay is exhibiting on stands 19A10-C11 and 20F06-E07.  Kelkay is also showcasing their new products in the entrance to Hall 19, they have Gabions, new aggregates and new paving on display

For more information, visit http://www.kelkay.co.uk/.

Blacksmith Hanging Garden is a new brand from Gardman (19E30/G31) promising guaranteed quality and style in a top-selling category.

The strong, hand-crafted twist design is hand-forged in heavy duty wrought iron with a powder coated finish and comes with a five-year guarantee. There are two designs of hanging basket in sizes from 30cm to 45cm, wall mangers and wall troughs and curved floor-standing planters. All are of premium quality built to last.

Hooks, brackets and coco-fibre liners complete the range.

Gardman have been working closely with customers this season to create market-leading initiatives like offering inspiration and seasonal planting advice in store, targeted national advertising, an improved store merchandising approach and link-sales opportunities.

Easy Path: Award winning product, and creating a lot of interest at the show.

GLEE is proving a busy show for the Tildenet team. Their stand in Hall 20 is showing their extensive range including some exciting new products from their new partner, Haxnicks.

The GLEE award winning ‘EasyPath’ has generated significant interest, this plastic path re-enforced with mesh provides an easy and practical alternative to the use of planks or scraps of wood often seen on many allotments. As with many Haxnicks products it is innovative, easily portable and is well price pointed.

Similarly, their new Large Sunbubble, is a neat solution, easy to pack away, and has its own carry bag. In addition to its use for ‘standard’ horticultural purposes, its developer Damien Cardozo can also vouch for its use as an impromptu play environment on a chilly day in February.

Damien explains that the coming together of Haxnicks with Tildenet has been a very good fit. Both organisations have a very similar culture, and the products themselves are a good fit. The new organisation gives the strength and infrastructure to provide high levels of customer service to garden centres but still with the capacity to develop further products which will solve real gardening problems. The indications are there are still lots of new products to come, once they have been fully trialled.

 The hallmark of Haxnicks brand is built upon products the garden centre can sell with confidence, and in many cases are some unique design features which make them easier to use by the end user. Damien explains “ if a first time gardener has a poor experience of a product, they are less likely to try again. Its important the solution we provide not only works, but works well”. A simple example of this are their small portable cloches, the unique ‘bend’ in the metal frame and the loop integrated into the top means the product folds away neatly when not in use and is also easy to hang up in the shed. This means the product is still serviceable for the consumer after the winter.

Sometimes the best solutions are the easiest.

Inside the SunBubble.

Tildenet at Glee 2014. Stand 20L16.

Globus, a leader in the protective glove market, has launched the innovative 306 glove (from the Showa brand) which provides the perfect balance between comfort, dexterity, performance and value.  The launch follows over a decade of research and development which focused on achieving the Utopian vision of a ‘glove for all seasons’.

Steve Shale (pictured), marketing manager of Globus said; “The unpredictable nature of the British weather means that gardeners face a multitude of conditions and ensuring hands remain comfortable when going from dry to wet conditions and vice versa is a considerable challenge whilst wearing the same glove. Unique to Globus in the UK and Ireland, the Showa 306 is a revolutionary glove which overcomes this.”

The Showa 306 is a unique combination of high grade foam latex coupled with a flat latex coating on the palm which enables exceptional grip, dexterity as well as breathability. This exceptional breathability means reduced perspiration in warm conditions and improved dryness in wet conditions. As a result, gardeners that wear the Showa 306 will ensure their hands remain dry, clean and protected whatever the weather decides to do and regardless of whether wet or dry growing media is being handled.

Together, Globus and Showa Best have shown decades of continuous innovation and are dedicated to researching new fibres and fabrics, designing new compounds and coating science to make their gloves even more safe, helpful to the environment and comfortable for the wearer.

The new 306 mimics the natural contours and curvature of the hand and thus reduces muscular stress and hand fatigue. The seamless knit of the first grade materials used also provides optimum comfort and eliminates skin irritation. The spongy foam latex offers protection to the back of the hands whilst still affording excellent flexibility and fit – something not usually seen in other fully coated gloves.

Globus provides other uniquely engineered products that also promote breathability. The 281 TEMRES glove has been designed with specific characteristics to match wet work requirements around the home and garden. 
Gardeners and landscapers can now benefit from the advantages that these high tech gloves provide; enabling them to enjoy their gardening and complete jobs with complete comfort and safety.

 Showa 306; the glove for all seasons and a welcome addition to the Globus range! See it on stand 19G51 at Glee 2014.

 For further information on Globus visit www.globusretail.com and www.globus.co.uk

A common lawn complaint will be no more thanks to the latest product innovation from the UK’s leading lawn seed brand, Johnsons Lawn Seed.  Introducing After Moss. 

Unlike anything else on the market today, and completely unique to Johnsons Lawn Seed, After Moss Lawn Seed has been designed to deter the return of moss.  Utilising an innovative anti-moss seed coating made from calcium carbonate, After Moss can be sown on lawns where moss has been removed.  The calcium carbonate gently raises the pH level of the soil, creating an inhospitable environment for moss, allowing new grass to grow unhindered.

Guy Jenkins from Johnsons Lawn Seed said: “Moss has the ability to significantly impact the performance and overall look of a lawn.  Until now there has only ever been a handful of products designed to remove moss from a lawn, such as scarifiers or chemical based products, but nothing that addresses the long-term development of the lawn after the moss has been eradicated.  After Moss is unique in that it combines a 100% amenity dwarf perennial ryegrass mix with a specially formulated anti-moss coating, to deter moss whilst also establishing new grass growth.  Consumers are often very receptive to ‘all in one’ products and we’re extremely pleased to be able to offer retailers one unlike anything that has come before it.  We’ve no doubt of the profit and sales opportunity that After Moss will offer.”

After Moss – which will be available in 1kg cartons for just RRP £9.99 - will further bolster the existing Johnsons Lawn Seed product portfolio.  Like all products in the range, it will be supported with market-leading packaging, which will feature clear and concise information, including usage, establishment rate, and suitability for different types of lawn, plus easy to follow advice on how to sow a new lawn. 

To see After Moss Lawn Seed for yourself, and to find out more about the other exciting innovations being launched by Johnsons Lawn Seed at Glee, please visit the company on-stand in the new location of Hall 18, stand H26-K25.

Find out more

To find out more about Johnsons Lawn Seed, please visit www.johnsonslawnseed.com

Formula 1 Racing at Glee!

To celebrate the launch of ‘The 1’, the Johnsons Lawn Seed/DLF stand (H26-K25) in Hall 18 will host an immersive F1 racing competition.  Visitors will be able to hop inside a real F1 car and attempt to get the fastest lap on the racing simulator.  Whoever has the fastest lap each day will win a special prize!  Could you be ‘The 1’?

And the winner is...

For Monday 15th September, the winner is: Matt Vowles from Monkton Elm Garden Centre. Time of 1min 38 seconds.  Congratulations Matt.

DLF Trifolium - Johnsons Lawn Seeds at Glee 2014. Stand 18H26-K25

A new range of  planters in a unique lightweight material that replicates the look of glazed ceramics earned Apta (19C12) two coveted Glee New Product Awards today.

It was judged best launch in the landscaping and construction category and went on to win the Best of British award for best British product at Glee.

The planters attracted the attention of visitors from the moment the show opened, impressing buyers with their authentic look and stylish finish.

Trevor Pfeiffer, MD of The Garden Communication & Media Company (publishers of Garden Trade News and GTN Xtra), who was one of the awards judges, said: “Apta GlazeLite might be lightweight but will be a heavyweight garden centre bestseller – provided it is merchandised in a way that accentuates its lightweight design.  Customers will love that they look just like ceramic.”

These planters, in two designs and four colours, are almost impossible to distinguish from traditional products when planted up, whilst also being ultra lightweight, robust and environmentally friendly. The material is a combination of clay and re-cycled plastic.

SRPs are £14.99 to £16.99.

GlazeLite also scooped a second award - the Best of British

Deco-Pak has released two new gravel products in celebration of 10 years – both in the industry and exhibiting at Glee. The new additions, Champagne Gold and Strawberry & Cream have been designed for retailers looking to provide consumers with more exciting, eye catching product offerings for use on garden paths, driveways, planters and borders.

Champagne Gold is a great addition to any outdoor space, and ideal for customers looking for the latest in contemporary landscaping features. A vibrant blend of white and gold – this decorative gravel mixture will even sparkle like its namesake. RRP £4.49.

Strawberry & Cream is a combination of subtle cream and crimson reds. This mixture is ideal for driveways, paths and general landscaping; complementing brick or lighter stone walls. RRP 4.49.

Deco-Pak’s General Manager Rod Slater said: “With more and more retailers switching to us for the service and products we have made our name with, we have decided to celebrate with two new additions to our core range.   We come to Glee after 10 years of providing quality decorative aggregates, with two completely fresh ideas that compound our philosophy going forward: to continue to introduce new and exciting products whilst retaining traditional quality.”

Deco-Pak’s market leading aggregate & paving ranges

Over 90% of Deco-Pak’s offering is sourced within the UK, and features a wide mix of traditional and contemporary styles. Products include:

• Decorative Aggregates such as Golden Gravel, Red Flame, Moonstone & Lytag
• Easybuild DIY products – Sand, Cement, Post Mix, Mixed Ballast, Concrete Mix, Patio & Slab Mix
• Slate, Paddlestones and Cobbles
• Paving and Patio Accessories
• Boulders and Rocks for creating rockeries
• Playpit Sand, Coloured Play Sand and Bark
• Ground and Weed Control Fabric
• Alpine Grit, Spar and Pot Toppings suitable for finishing touches
• Aquatic Gravels
• Crystal Glass

To learn more about Deco-Pak’s range of decorative aggregates visit www.deco-pak.co.uk/decorative-aggregates

Champagne & Strawberry Reception

Join the Deco-Pak team's 10th anniversary celebrations on stand G26-H27 every day of the show from 9am.

Whitefurze Ltd, UK manufacturer of plastic garden and housewares products, are showcasing a number of new products across their range of Pots & Planters, Propagation Lines, Water Butts, Watering Cans and Garden Accessories at this year’s Glee exhibition.

‘As a proud UK manufacturer we believe in progression’ explains Whitefurze Managing Director Philip Lanni.  

Easy to fit Water Butts are now available in four sizes to suit all potential end consumer needs. The 100L space saver is available in an extra-large 250L capacity and the barrel shaped 230L is available in a smaller 150L capacity.

Visitors to the Whitefurze stand will see Watering Cans in a comprehensive range of designs and sizes with the addition of a 5L Outdoor Can and two Indoor Watering Cans to the current range.

Also launching at the show is a Mini Seed Tray for windowsill propagation and Kids Propagator.

As well as additions to the existing product portfolio, a new 220L Compost Bin will be showcased as well as a brand new range of hardwearing Flexible Tubs in four sizes from 14L – 75L.

Retailers will benefit from a wider selection of products across the Whitefurze garden range as well as the quality, competitive prices and excellent customer service that the company is committed to delivering.

The complete Whitefurze garden rage will feature in the company’s new garden category catalogue which will be available at the show.

Visit Whitefurze in Hall 18 Stand K20 to find out more!

Visitors to Glee have had the exclusive opportunity to be the first to view the stunning new range of wood-burning stoves from Stovey, the industry’s most exciting new contenders, as their new brand was officially launched at Glee 2014.

Culminating months of careful design and production, Stovey lifted the veil off their collection of contemporary and uniquely designed stoves to the home and garden market.

Supported by television’s Julia Kendell who is best known for her interior design expertise, Stovey is set to shake up the traditional conception of wood burning stoves.

Julia comments:  “Contemporary in their look and environmentally conscious in their approach, Stovey provides home owners with a lot more than just a great looking stove. Designed in the UK, the Stovey collection has been developed with a young and modern audience in mind."

"Supplied in an urban colour pallet to compliment the interior of any city home or apartment, the freestanding or inset stoves are slick to say the least. Simple to use and maintain, Stovey is the first port of call for anyone looking to add the warmth and beauty of a wood-burning stove to their home without compromising on cutting-edge design and look.”

Stovey has recently announced their partnership with national charity Trees for Cities. Committed to sustaining the UK’s trees, Stovey have pledged their support to the work of the Charity that aims to beautify the UK’s cities through tree planting. Generating funds through the sale of each Stovey, the new partnership between Stovey and Trees for Cities will see new tree saplings being planted in the UK’s urban areas that need it the most.

As unique in its product range as it is in its approach to wood-burning stove sales, Stovey are specifically looking to engage with Garden Centres at Glee to endorse the opportunities that becoming a Stovey Partner will offer. Providing a new way for customers to view and purchase a wood-burning stove, whilst offering Garden Centres the many benefits of displaying the Stovey range within their store, Stovey is an exciting prospect in more ways than one.

To find out more about becoming a Stovey partner, or to see the slickest stove designs in the industry for yourself, please visit the Stovey team on stand 17V05.

For further information on Stovey, please log onto www.stovey.com

A big hit with visitors to GLEE, the new Vital Earth Chelsea Mix all purpose compost looks set for a strong future. Building on their successful link with the acclaimed Chelsea Flower Show gardens of Harry & David Rich in the past few years, this new blend aims to provide a premium all purpose compost to a discerning gardening public.

Steve Harper from Bord Na Mona explains, “the Chelsea Flower show is the pinnacle of the gardening year and probably the most well known in gardening. This product allows the garden centre to link to this premium event, and is a name known by even the newcomer”.

This peat free product has performed extremely well in tests and fulfils the need of the gardener for a high performance product- this being the primary message of the product. The aim is for Chelsea Mix to be the best product in the market.

Orders are being taken for deliveries in March “close enough to raise awareness from the ‘main event’”,  packaging is bright and simple, preventing complication of the message in the customers’ eyes.  There is a Chelsea garden planned for 2015, the team hope that both the garden and the compost strike gold.

Vital Earth Chelsea Mix can be found on the Bord Na Mona stand Hall 18 K16.

Following a day that saw them win the Glee New Products Garden Leisure Awards, as well as feeding the masses at Sunday’s well-attended Glee Garden Party, La Hacienda is continuing to ‘cook with gas’.

The BakerStone Pizza Box is the company’s newest innovation, and is set to revolutionise the way in which pizzas are cooked as part of the al fresco dining experience. Reducing the average cooking time to just 2-3 minutes makes experiencing ‘a taste of Italy’ easier than ever before! 

For many though, seeing is believing which is why the company is continuing to offer delicious pizza samples from its stand in Hall 17 (stand V26). 

Cooked on the BakerStone Box, samples will be available throughout tomorrow’s show. Make sure you take the time to join the team for try for yourself the delicious taste of a handmade BakerStone pizza.

Visitors to Glee will have the opportunity to enter a prize draw to win a full day’s design consultancy courtesy of Catering Design Group (Hall 17, Stand U26-V25).

Catering Design Group is one of the UK’s leading restaurant and commercial catering design companies, and the winner will enjoy a day with either a kitchen or interiors specialist, with a site survey, design layout and mood board included.

Catering Design Group’s principal Interior design consultant Abi Perry-Jones will be at Glee in the Food & Catering zone on September 14, sharing the latest design trends and giving advice on how to transform a café or restaurant space.

The following day, Red Mist managing director Mark Robson will be at the show offering advice on how to deliver a fresh, seasonal and local experience for customers.

Phillip Howard, managing director of Catering Deign Group said: “We’re delighted to be returning to Glee and will be bringing along our team of experts to give visitors advice and answer any questions they may have.” 

Todays Champagne winners, having ben spotted by the Glee Daily News team sporting a Catering Design Group pink sticker, are Andrew Porwal and Verity Blowers of Sapcote Garden Centre in Leicestershire.

The Barrow of Booze raffle is a time-honoured feature of Glee and is responsible for raising valuable funds for the Greenfingers charity to help their work in providing gardens and outdoor facilities at UK children’s hospices.

Glee visitors and exhibitors will almost certainly have come across the Greenfingers team as they wheel this year’s booze – in a trolley these days, rather than a barrow – around the show, selling  tickets. The on-board raffle booty on the first day this year was Champagne, courtesy of Woodlodge Products, who have generously supported the raffle with booze, staff and equipment since it started.

For yesterday’s winner, Colin Higgs of Grantham-based toy and games suppliers Blasts (17T66), the result couldn’t have been more timely. His girlfriend Kathryn celebrates a ‘big birthday’ next month and the bubbly will come in handy for the party!

Who will win today?  Buy a ticket….and it could be you.

Pictured: Colin Higgs (centre) with Briony and Janine from Greenfingers and Richard Newton of Woodlodge.

Don’t for one minute believe that the new telescopic loppers you’ll see on the Darlac stand (19A58) are like any other. They have unique features that should give them distinct market appeal.

The loppers employ a brand new double compound action that greatly increases its cutting power, making pruning easier. The bypass cantilever allows for an ultra-clean cut.

The telescopic handles extend to 76cm, more than enough for good leverage but less unwieldy for some users than Darlac’s full-length models.

The high-strength aluminium handles ensure the loppers weigh in at little more than a kilo, making them easy to handle.

They are supplied in blister packs with euro slots for display on a Darlac mix-and-match stand or a retailer’s own unit.

Also new from Darlac is the Expert Topiary Shear, made from nylon and fibreglass with replaceable razor-sharp blades, ideal for jobs like topiary and deadheading.

Pictured: MD Peter Darban demonstrates the double compound action of the new telescopic lopper.

Director Maggie Darban with the new Expert Topiary Shear.

Grange are using Glee for the official launch of their new consumer ordering website – grangegardensdirect, which offers benefits to end-users as well as participating stockists.

Retailers who stock a modest minimum range of Grange products can take part in the scheme, which allows consumers to check out the products at their local garden centre, order it from the website in the comfort of their own home and have it delivered to their door by Grange.

“It means the retailer does not have to hold a lot of stock of our bulky items, but the sale still goes through his books,” product manager Rob Giles told Glee Daily News. “We want to grow with the digital age but keep faith with our stockists.”

Grange believe the service will help garden centres to compete with online retailers.

Gardeners who struggle to get their plant spacing right – especially when using the increasingly popular ‘square foot gardening’ approach – have been offered a solution.

New Glee exhibitors Green Jeeves (Innovators Zone, 20E46) have launched the Plantspacer, a PVC sheet with planting holes punched at pre-determined spacings, allowing users to get it right first time without guesswork or pieces of string. They come in packs of three, each one with a different spacing. There are also packs designed to encourage children to get growing, with coloured sheets and fun graphics.

Milton Keynes-based Green Jeeves is a brand new start-up, run by Will Jeeves as managing director , with Natalie  Bunker as business development manager.

“Even my Grandad uses them,” Natalie Told Glee Daily News, “and he’s a piece-of-string enthusiast!”

Wot…a folding pot? It’s true. SlotPot (Innovators Zone, 20E48)  was designed by 3D-designer Tim Leyshon after he failed to find what he was looking for in his local garden centre.

“Some of the traditional pots I saw were damaged and I got to thinking there must be better ways of transporting flower pots,” he told Glee Daily News,  “so I used my 3D design experience to devise something different.”

The result was the SlotPot , illustrated here, which, with its inner mesh planting bag, folds flat for packing into a shallow box – ideal for mail order sales as well as merchandising stacks in the garden centre. It comes in several bright modern colours.

Amazon were among the customers signing up today after admiring the design on the New Products display.

Town & Country (20B06) reported an enthusiastic reception today for their new Polka Dot colour-theme promotion on Master Gardener Gloves, Cloggies and Knee Pads.

The free mixed merchandiser flags up substantial discounts on normal SRPs.

There’s also a promotion on Gloves and Secateurs Sets in pink – with a retail price of £10.99, a saving of £9 on the full SRP.

Totally new to the Town & Country range is a range of candles in three sizes at SRPs from £4.99 to £9.99, designed to offer top-quality fragrant  candles with longer burning at highly competitive prices.

New from Wildlife World is the Urban range of Bird and insect boxes, which bring a touch of chic to a normally rustic category.

Managing director Norman Sellers believes city dwellers and townies will appreciate the relatively slick designs, and appeal to consumers with contemporary rather than traditional tastes.

Wildlife World’s new educational products are also on display on the stand (18L50). These give retailers he opportunity to create their own plant displays whilst promoting Wildlife World product sales.

The company is planning to forger closer links with schools to encourage children to learn about birds and wildlife at an early age.

Dr Louisa Robinson and Dr QiaoYi Lin will be on the EMPATHY stand 18H20-K21 to explain the fascinating science behind the use of mycorrhizal fungi from the UK only producers PlantWorks Ltd. 

If you are interested to learn about the fundamental role these microbes play in nutrient and water uptake into plants and look down a microscope to see them in action then they we be very pleased talk to you.

Earlier this year the Garden Industry Manufacturers’ Association (GIMA) launched a £5,000 seed corn fund to encourage new businesses, designers and innovators to enter the market.

The competition drew entries from all corners of the UK, with over 20 entries being submitted from a wide range of designers and innovators.  One company however stood out from the rest – introducing the winners of the inaugural GIMA Innovators’ Seed Corn Fund, SteadyPost.

Suppliers of the innovative FenceFins™, SteadyPost is revolutionising the way that we erect fences, one fence post at a time, and it is this approach to delivering a simple solution to a common problem that appealed to the GIMA Seed Corn panel of judges.

The FenceFin™ is an easy-to-use alternative to spikes or concrete, usually employed to anchor wooden fence posts in the ground. Installation is quick and easy, and a firm fence fixing is ensured, whilst no heavy labour or special equipment is needed.  

GIMA Director, Vicky Nuttall said: “We’re incredibly pleased to announce that SteadyPost has been awarded the first ever GIMA Innovators’ Seed Corn Fund.  The company, and its product, really stood out for a number of reasons.  The first is that the FenceFin™ tackles a common problem head on in the most innovative yet simple way; and the second is that the team at SteadyPost have already managed to successfully manufacture and retail their product.  But I believe what most attracted us was the volume sale opportunity it offers retailers. We’ve no doubt that the exposure that SteadyPost’s FenceFins™ will receive following this ‘win’ will mean that it will be no time at all before we see the product stocked in garden centres, sheds and multiple retailers across the country.  It really is that good!”

Visit the company's-stand at Glee 2014, Hall 20, stand H48.- part of the Innovator's zone.

Forest Garden have launched new digital assets in the form of a whole host of new videos via its YouTube channel, to ensure garden centres are armed with a wide range of retail tools to drive sales, as well as offering consumers access to valuable information to help them throughout the buying process 

Digital assets being launched at Glee will feature lifestyle and inspirational content combined with product focussed videos for Forest’s entire range including sheds, trellis, arches & arbours, pergolas and fencing.

The new videos ensure that retailers can provide consumers with the information they need to help them buy in confidence, making sales easier.  Each of the new videos have been created to inspire the consumer, allow them to make an informed buying decision and supply them with other information such as post-purchase maintenance and optional extras to encourage add-on sales.

Each video will be made available for retailers to embed as part of their own website content, as well as for use within any in store digital merchandisers.  Hosted on Forest Garden’s YouTube channel, the new videos will accompany others that have been well received amongst an engaged audience, with over three-quarters of a million views in total. 

Andrew Bendall, Forest Garden’s Marketing Manager, said: “Retailers are all under pressure to provide more content for their websites and social media marketing, yet many have neither the time nor facilities to put this into effect.  By increasing our selection of digital assets we hope to help provide our customers with useful content that reflects in improved sales, whether in store or online.” 

Forest’s most popular video is currently ‘How to Build a Shed Base’ with over 200,000 views, followed by ‘How to replace a damaged or rotten fence post’ with over 150,000 views to date.  Andrew added: “This not only demonstrates the popularity of our content, but the demand for specific advice that suppliers such as ourselves are best placed to provide in order to fully assist our retail partners.”

Find out more

The new digital assets can be found on Forest’s YouTube account, www.youtube.com/forestgarden2011.  For other information about ‘Forest TV’, Forest Connect, or for technical information such as how to embed the videos, please contact Forest Garden direct via telephone: 0333 321 3135, fax: 0333 777 7081, or email info@forestgarden.co.uk.

Innovative suppliers of flower and vegetable seeds, bulbs, grass seed, and now garden ornaments and growing gifts, G Plants has added even more value to its product offering for 2015 with the introduction of 80 new lines, including new varieties within the ever popular Italian seed brand, Bavicchi.

Bestsellers updated

As a market leader, G Plants already offers retailers one of the widest and most comprehensive quality seed and bulb collections. At Glee 2014 the company will showcase the exciting updates that have been made to its bestselling lines.  Products such as the Ultra Basket™ will welcome two new seed varieties, whilst G Plants’ Bumper Packs will be re-launched in a new full-colour printed, reusable (PP) woven bag.  The Bumper Bags will now be available in Lily Oriental Mix, and Dahlia Collarette and Pompon Mix, making them the perfect option for Mother’s Day gift lines.

Elsewhere G Plants’ 6-in-1 seed multi-packs will see the introduction of four new varieties, bringing the total offering to 12 different seed mixtures.  The new additions to the flower mixes include Easy Grow, and Butterfly & Bee, whilst new vegetable seeds include Companion Planting, and Patio Vegetables.

15 new Seed Starter Kits will also be introduced, featuring flowers, vegetables and hanging baskets.  As the name suggests these kits are perfect for those at the beginning of their grow-your-own journey. There will also be a new Patio Flavours range, which will include Grow Bucket and hanging basket mixes.

First look: newly branded Bavicchi Seeds

As exclusive UK distributors of the historic Italian seed brand Bavicchi, G Plants is also pleased to confirm that Glee will be the first time the industry will see the newly branded Bavicchi Italian Gourmet Vegetable, Pea and Bean seed packets, now available in a store ready mixed display stand. 

 Dedicated to point-of-sale

Recognising the importance of delivering hard-working and successful display stands, G Plants will also be using Glee to showcase a wide selection of updated point-of-sale. 

The company’s Easy Gardening range will be boosted with a new full-colour cardboard display stand, perfect for showcasing seed discs and the popular Shake’n’Rake™ collection.  A great profit booster, this display packs a lot into a very small footprint.

G Plants’ Premium Flower Seeds will also benefit from two new display stands, each capable of showcasing 24 different seed varieties.

Other new point-of-sale will include a new Shake’n’Rake™ retail stand, a Multi-Pack display stand that can showcase four varieties in one.  The company’s grass seed ranges will also benefit from improvements to its point-of-sale, including a much larger design.

Alex Reihl, director of G Plants, said: “We’ve got so much ‘new’ to show the market at Glee this year.  We’ve had a great year and therefore we’ve been able to really invest in our overall offering, from new products, to updated bestsellers and vital sales support tools.  We’re in a great position to start the 2015 season, and believe that this is something we can pass onto our customers to help them benefit too.”

Find out more

To find out more about G Plants’ presence at Glee, or to find out more the company’s market-leading product portfolio please call 01254 202 897 or visit www.gplants.com

Westland Horticulture will have Resolva back on TV in Spring 2015, and with two new product innovations.

Resolva Liquid Shots have been specifically developed to offer gardeners an easier way to apply concentrated weedkiller and Resolva 24H Power Pump is the ideal product for controlling large areas of troublesome weeds.

For liquid shots the Westland team have implmented the Car Parking System to help consumers work out what area they need to treat. The six "shots" in each pack will cover a total area equivalent of 26 parking spaces (264 sq metres.)

Reslova 24H Power Pump and refill is available in 5 litre formats, showing results in 24 hours, as well as having the ability to kill weeds deep at the root.

Find out more on the Westland at Glee 2014 Stand 19G20-21.

This year’s new product awards had an array of highly competitive entries. With the winners announced, we caught up with some of the highly commended products and the businesses behind these new arrivals.  

Funky Laundry (Stand 20A29) was set up seven months ago by Nyall Avery and since then the company has gone from strength to strength. The bags, made from 80% recycled material, feature high clarity photographs taken by team members themselves and retail at £6.99. With eight designs ranging from beach pebbles to meadow scenery, the bags offer storage solutions that can be openly displayed in any room.

“There’s no need to hide away our bags because their attractive designs make them ideal for displaying anywhere in the home.” Owner Nyall Avery said. “With seasonal designs, consumers often end up buying more to add to their collections.”

Latvian company Prodeko (Stand 19B56) won the highly commended and green award for their range of Nest 4 Nature indoor and outdoor candles. Made from birch sourced from owner Edijis Ozols’ property, the candles use recycled wax and have a burning time of seven hours. 

Garland (Stand 18H10-K11) impressed with their Jumbo Kneeling Pad, developed as a direct result of customer demand for an even larger kneeling pad following the launch of the XL version.  “We had customers putting two XL Kneeling Pads together and asking, ‘Why not make one this big?’, so we did!” said Operations Director Tony Dedman. The Jumbo Kneeling Pad allows users to work five feet without having to adjust the mat, and retails for £9.99

Channel Island Plants scooped the highly commended award for their Petunia Happy Magic Charcoal. A good mixer plant, it flowers non-stop from April and is compact semi upright – ideal for baskets. Petunia Happy Magic Charcoal will be available next year.