Following consumer trends for more natural and authentic materials in the garden, Kelkay have seen huge success with their granite cobble mats and, in particular, the beautiful Granite Star Patio Kit launched last year.

Granite is one of the most durable choices for hard landscaping, harder than limestone or even marble, and highly resistant to acid erosion from rainwater or cleansing products. 

Together with its attractive natural appearance, speckled with quartz and feldspar crystals, its’ hard wearing properties have made it an increasingly popular choice for consumers creating modern and contemporary garden designs.

Above left: Borderstone Granite Light Grey Paving. Above right: Borderstone Granite Dark Grey Paving.

To help retailers take advantage of this emerging trend, Kelkay have now extended the Borderstone Granite range to include 400mm x 400mm paving in both dark and light grey options. Priced competitively with other natural stone materials individual slabs retail at £7.99 and are also available on a multibuy at £15 for two. 

Employed in combination, the two colours provide huge potential for creating unique and striking hard landscape projects in small and large gardens, and the textured surface of Kelkay’s granite gives it an extra benefit of a safe non-slip surface even when wet.

Exploiting another growing trend in the hard landscaping sector, there will also be two individual  300mm granite stepping stones in the new range; available in both dark and light grey granite they will retail at £6.99 or £12 for two.

In common with all Borderstone products, the new Granite range is available on Kelkay’s unique merchandising system which makes it easy to position and stock in the retail space, and it’s fully supported with the usual high impact point of sale. The paving is supplied in 92 slabs per pallet, whilst the stepping stones, designed to be displayed at an angle to show off the beautiful textured surface, are supplied on pallets of 78.

Above: Borderstone Granite Cobble Mats and Granite Star

Kelkay plan to unveil more details of the Granite range and their other exciting new products for 2018 at Glee, Stand 19A10 – C11.

For more about Kelkay  and their successful garden landscaping products, go to www.kelkay.com or e-mail the general enquiries office on salesenquiries@kelkay.co.uk or call to speak to us on 01405 869333.

Kelkay,
The Old Airfield,
Heck & Pollington Lane,
Pollington,
East Yorkshire,
DN14 0BA.

The doors open to Glee 2017 in just a few days time. Retailers and buyers from across the garden, landscaping, pet, home and gift sectors are invited to register for the show to secure their free ticket ahead of the annual exhibition.

In a change to the normal procedure, badges will not be automatically sent out to visitors unless they have registered for this years show. As a result, all visitors and interested parties need to visit www.gleebirmingham.com and register in order to secure their free entry to Glee 2017.

Matthew Mein, Glee Event Director, said: “Many returning retailers may be waiting for their badge to arrive via email in the normal way, however a change to our system means that they will need to re-register for the 2017 show. The process only takes a few moments to complete, and badges will be delivered shortly after.

“Whilst on the website – www.gleebirmingham.com – you can also view the wealth of wider information that is available, helping you to plan your trip around the show. With so much newness on display – including the exciting Retail Lab at the heart of the show -  it’s worth familiarising yourself with everything before coming on-site to ensure you maximise every moment at the show.”

To register for Glee 2017 simply visit www.gleebirmingham.com or head straight to https://lp.events.ascential.com/glee-registration-form.html?actioncode=WEB&_ga=2.18859321.1422162339.1503166298-246034704.1498465736  to secure your free ticket.

LInk for Glee 2017 pre-registration

Getting there

Glee takes place at the National Exhibition Centre (NEC) in Birmingham, and is easily reached by car, rail and air.  If you are arriving by car, follow regional signs to the NEC where visitor car parking is plentiful and free.  All halls are within walking distance, but a free shuttle bus service is also available from car parks to the Halls.  Rail travel is equally convenient with Birmingham International railway station located on the NEC site.  For international visitors Birmingham International Airport (BHX) is linked to the NEC by the free SkyRail, departing every few minutes and taking just 90 seconds.  National Express Coaches run a regular service to and from the NEC covering most UK locations.

Top quality planter brands like the Royal Horticultural Society and Laura Ashley, both exclusive to Apta, are testament to the fact that Apta has been instrumental in growing planter sales, and profits, for its customers.

“We have an obligation to our customers to innovate,” says Managing Director Paul Sykes, which is why so much of Apta’s range is focussed on newness. “We’re competing with every other retail sector in the UK for the limited pounds in customers’ pockets, so showing them something new or surprising is absolutely essential. So is generating impulse purchases, or presenting garden centre customers with great products which they didn’t know they wanted!”

This strategy of focusing on innovation, quality and brands is clearly working for Apta as the company’s customer base continues to grow, especially in the independent sector.

Recently Apta has extended its range to include more lightweight designs such as Granito, so that the company is now recognised as having the best and broadest planter range.

The future is extremely bright for Apta, and the company looks forward to showcasing its new ranges at Glee on its larger stand – 19C20-E21 and 19C18.

The Six Houses are home to eight retired horticulturists and have extensive gardens that open to the public through the National Garden Scheme twice a year – the next open day takes place on Sunday 4 June.  Owned and run by the horticulture trade charity Perennial, The Six Houses provide accommodation for retired gardeners with each cottage having its own plot, alongside four acres of communal gardens where the Stancombe Urns now stand.

Built in 1939 by local banker Elliot Howes for his four sisters, the houses and their gardens were donated to Perennial in the 1970s when the houses were turned into much-needed retirement homes. Perennial helps all horticulturists and their families, not just those who are retired, providing them with what is often described as a lifeline when times get tough.

Nick Boyes, Perennial committee member and the newest resident of The Six Houses commented on the important lifeline that the houses provide: “As more and more estates, parks and public gardens employ private contractors to carry out work, those who relied on housing from their employers are having to find accommodation when their job ends. The Six Houses have given those people the chance to have a secure retirement and carry on with their most enjoyable past-time”.

The gardens have been open to the public through the National Garden Scheme for over 30 years, making them one of the longest running NGS garden in the region, yet each year brings new successes and challenges. This year proved no exception - after the old terracotta pots in the communal garden broke down over the winter, the residents needed something more long-lasting to replace them in time for the first opening of 2017.

Meadow View Stone was able to offer a wide selection of planters and the residents chose the classically styled Stancombe Urns. With their floral motifs and traditional colouring the urns complement their surroundings, working in harmony with the local brickwork of the cottages and the diverse range of planting in the gardens.

The Six Houses are due to open their gardens on Sunday 4^th June alongside other gardens in the village of Barton with home-made teas available in the village hall.

For full details of National Garden Scheme garden openings, visit: www.ngs.org.uk

For further information about Perennial, visit: www.perennial.org.uk

This Glee, Johnsons Lawn Seed – the UK’s leading grass seed brand – will launch its next bestseller to the market, accompanied by expert advice on maximising lawn seed sales and official announcements regarding its enhanced salesforce.

The No.1 lawn seed supplier’s latest innovation comes after yet more developments in state-of-the-art seed production technology.  The new product will feature packaging in line with the rest of the Johnsons Lawn Seed range and work to bolster interest in garden centre lawn care offerings next season.

Changes to the salesforce are to be announced at the show, demonstrations of an entertaining new way of growing grass, and the usual refreshments and goodies laid on for vistors to the stand.

Guy Jenkins and his team will once again provide expert on stand help and advice to exisiting and new customers, including merchandising, product application and interesting information regarding parent company DLF’s arrangements to supply the majority of sports stadia here in the UK.

Find out more

Johnsons Lawn Seed will appear in the company’s regular spot in hall 18, (18H26 – K27).  In the meantime, you can visit www.johnsonslawnseed.com or https://www.gleebirmingham.com/exhibitors/dlf-seeds-ltd-johnsons-lawn-seed for more information.

Packaging and presentation will be displayed on the Taylors stand at Glee 2017.

Taylors grow thousands of tonnes of ware potatoes on their Lincolnshire farm so we have all of the necessary storage facilities and expertise.  The new 1400 tonne capacity cold store and bespoke packing line give controlled seed storage conditions and ample capacity to look after your needs. 



December deliveries are available and can be programmed thereafter to customer forecasts, and for arrival with deliveries of summer bulbs, onion sets, shallots, etc.  Stock is held in cold store and so even programmed deliveries can be called for earlier if required.

Taylors’ top-up service offers delivery the same week if ordering by midday Monday, and with a minimum carriage paid order value of only £100 (in combination with all Taylors products including flower bulbs, etc.).

Taylors Bulbs can be found in Hall 19, Stand G02 where they will also be showcasing their extensive ranges of Flowering Bulb products.

In 2017, Taylors Bulbs relaunched their website www.taylors-bulbs.com, an approachable page with great consumer facing features including downloadable planting guides, bulb calendars and our advice service in the form of the “Bulb Doctor”. 

Taylors Bulbs can also now be found on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, You Tube and Google+ which are constantly being updated with exciting pictures, posts and videos.  Like, Follow, Share and Retweet us to your customer base to spread the word on bulbs.

At Traditional Garden Games we make it our business to help create fun and happy memories.

Exhibiting at Glee 2017 for the first time, established brand Traditional Garden Games is delighted to be launching the NEW SEMBRA range of sow and grow kits for ‘little seedlings’ and ‘hobby gardeners’ to enjoy creating their own mini vegetable garden.

With over 20 kits to choose from, Traditional Garden Games are excited to add the SEMBRA brand and its products to their growing portfolio of classic and modern games for outdoors. So do visit stand 18L61 and be one of the first to see the new SEMBRA range of 'easy sow & grow' kits.

From herbs, to winter vegetables and cherry tomatoes, to speciality culinary and cocktail kits for adults - the SEMBRA sowing kits are a perfect addition to garden centre retailers.

Enjoy your garden more with Traditional Garden Games

Whether your customers are looking for ideas to entertain children during the school holidays, or they're hosting a social gathering with family and friends or looking for an unusual gift - Traditional Garden Games has nearly 70 games which promise to inject fun, create memories and even ignite a sense of nostalgia.

From BIG board games including Snakes & Ladders, Chess Ludo, to timeless lawn sports such as Croquet, Quoits and Boules and not forgetting our jumbo range sports toys and play sets — there’s hours of fun to be had with our outdoor essentials .

For more information about Traditional Garden Games phone 028 777 68742 or email sales@traditionalgardengames.co.uk or see us at GLEE Stand 18L61



www.traditionalgardengames.com

Find even more Elho inspiration at Glee this year. Discover the latest innovations in grow your own, outdoor, indoor and designer pots and planters on the Elho stand – fresh from launch at spoga+gafa. Or visit the Family and Well-being areas of the Retail Lab, where all the pots and planters are supplied by Elho.

In the Family area of the Retail Lab, Elho shows how green fingers of all ages can get growing – with pots and planters inside and outside the home. Elho’s innovative range of grow tables, grow houses and pots demonstrate perfectly how quality family time together can be spent learning and developing new skills.

Elho understands that with the fast pace of urbanisation and new technology, our well-being needs careful attention. Elho provides an answer to the growing urge for nature in the Well-being area of the Retail Lab, with products that introduce a burst of green energy into any space. To create a sanctuary out of even the smallest balcony, terrace or garden.

 
Green Basics Grow Tables 

Encourage the whole family to grow and learn new skills.             

Corsica Wall Baskets (above right)

Create a sanctuary out of even the smallest space.

David Nicholson, Sales Manager UK and Ireland at Elho, said, “The Retail Lab is an exciting new feature at Glee 2017. The decision to become a preferred supplier was easy.

“At Elho we are all about bringing nature into people’s everyday lives and the themes of Family and Well-being resonate with our own vision, how we’re working with the trade and communicating with customers. The Retail Lab will excite and inspire visitors to Glee to improve how they do business.”

Outdoor living with Elho

From the innovative Corsica Door Stopper that props open patio doors to the limited edition Flower Light, Elho provides premium containers that instantly transform any outdoor or indoor space into a haven.

Corsica Door Stopper

The 2017 GIMA award winning Door Stopper fits any door and handy wheels make it easy to move into position.

Limited Edition – Flower Light

A uniquely designed high quality solar lamp and contemporary wooden framed flowerpot in one.

Allure Ribbon

The special blend of synthetics and wood fibre creates a warm feel – perfect for indoor or outdoor living.

B.For Soft Watering Can

Stylish and practical - two tone with a comfortable grip and non-drip spout.

Elho have been creating beautiful pots and planters for over 52 years – but that’s not all. Sophisticated instore marketing techniques ensure customers are seduced with eye catching displays, inspirational lifestyle imagery and planted up pots. All supported by the Elho team who deliver a bespoke concept based on your needs.

None of this is at the expense of the environment. Elho have their own wind turbine and 42% of Elho pots are made from recycled plastic – a percentage that continues to grow every year. With a stock availability of at least 99% and uncompromising quality control, Elho are reliable as well as innovative. The complete package for your garden centre.

Come and see Elho at GLEE, NEC Birmingham, 11-13th September on Stand: 19G10 and in the Retail Lab.

Contact

David Nicholson.

T: 07910 212155

E: david.nicholson@elho.nl

www.elho.com

www.facebook.com/elho

Above, from left to right: David Walton, Alex Eagleton, Chris Primett and Andrew Hulbert are all primed to offer guidance and expertise at Glee 2017.

With just a few more days to go before Glee 17, the Malcolm Scott Consultants team is excited to showcase its full service offering to demonstrate an end-to-end suite of property support services to visitors.

Chris Primett says: “MSC has more than three decades of experience so our planning expertise and successes to date need no introduction, but over the past year, since becoming part of the Harris Lamb group of companies, we’ve been able to offer clients a range of complementary services to help garden centres save money, expand their operations and capitalise on their property.”

Over the course of the three-day show, Chris will be joined by specialist colleagues from Harris Lamb’s Investment, Business Rates, Retail and Building Consultancy teams, all of whom have extensive experience within the commercial property sector and are on hand to discuss opportunities with visitors keen to make their businesses more efficient.

The Investment team will be advising garden centre and nursery owners on ways to maximise their properties and free up capital, while the Building team will be talking to visitors about its construction and project management experience when it comes to bringing planning projects to life.

David Walton of Retail will be sharing insight from the sector with owners keen to review and refresh their concession choice, while the Rating team has already secured a number of meetings with concerned centre managers who have seen their business rates costs rocket since the Revaluation earlier this year.

Chris added: “Glee is always a great event for us and it’s an opportunity for us to catch up with previous, current and potential new clients to find out what is happening with their respective businesses. Having a new spectrum of services now means we’re able to provide further insight and support to them, helping to develop their centres and identify ways to either save money or increase footfall and revenue.

“We’re looking forward to sharing some of the case studies and expertise that we have in the coming week.”

Malcolm Scott Consultants can be found in Hall 20 on stand G50 H51.

To secure an appointment with Chris or any of his colleagues, contact him directly at chrisp@malcolmscottcons.co.uk

Sales of garden décor products have increased dramatically in recent years, as consumers look for low-cost yet effective ways to personalise their garden spaces. Smart Garden has already successfully tapped into this area with its Ornamental, Topiary, Obelisks, Arches, Wind Spinner and Ménagerie collections. The new-to-market garden décor products – accounting for over half of the 300 new products being launched at Glee – will not only complement existing ranges, but will also afford even more choice, whilst significantly expanding the breadth of Smart’s overall offering.

With a wide selection of add-on and impulse items to bolster existing garden gifting ranges, along with eye-catching practical merchandisers, Smart’s new garden décor proposition will provide retailers with a true point of difference and deliver a valuable one-stop-shop resource for all their garden décor needs.

Jonathan Stobart, Managing Director at Smart Garden Products said: “We are incredibly excited to showcase our latest garden décor developments at Glee 2017. We’ve worked hard to create a comprehensive range, which we felt deserved its own brand, Flamboya, and are confident that our retail partners will be very impressed with the breadth and quality of product available. Full details are being kept firmly under wraps until the show, but rest assured it will be worth the wait!”

To find out more, be sure to visit the company at Glee 2017 – Hall 18, stand L20-M21. Further details about the company’s existing garden décor collections can be found at https://products.sgpuk.com/our-products/garden-decor/, or contact your Sales Manager.

The company has more to offer the garden and outdoor trade than ever before, with a stunning collection of contemporary and stylish products, together with clever merchandising ideas which are guaranteed to capture imaginations across the board. The focus for these ranges is definitely on high quality, yet Premier knows that everyone loves a bargain so don’t miss the ‘sales extra’ section where fantastic savings can be made.

Pravin Patel of Premier explains: “Having embarked on an epic journey 18 months ago, the Premier team believes it has achieved its ambition to become a leading supplier in the outdoor and leisure field. We are looking forward to showing visitors to Glee the results of our hard work and seeing their reactions first hand."

Visit Premier Decorations at Glee, Hall 17 - Stand R20-T21 & R30-S31.

Premier Decorations Ltd – www.premierdec.com

Gold Leaf, makers of the world’s finest gardening gloves, are delighted to announce the launch of The RHS Collection, a range of beautiful deerskin leather gloves for ladies.

With the abundance of poor quality leather and low grade synthetic gardening gloves that continue to hit the shelves, Jayco, the makers of Gold Leaf, realised that there is now substantial demand for a unique, design led glove, which not only looks stunning, but also offers exceptional quality of both materials and workmanship.

Consequently, working closely with The Royal Horticultural Society, Glee 2017 sees the launch of The RHS Collection - a small beautiful range of deerskin leather gardening gloves for ladies.

Endorsed by The RHS and inspired by original artwork taken from the RHS Lindley Library, the CHELSEA, HAMPTON and MALVERN gardening gloves symbolise sentiments ranging from remembrance to friendship and will have huge appeal at the key gift buying times of year, such as Christmas and Easter.

With an rrp of £14.99, the new RHS Collection offers exceptional value for money and with a strong POS presence will undoubtedly generate substantial impulse purchase, particularly when merchandised using the striking display stand which is offered free when just 24 pairs of each of the three designs is ordered.

To see this exciting new development, visit the Gold Leaf stand K01 in Hall 18.

Our Chimes of Bali. Tuned to the traditional scale of a Balinese shadow puppet play.

• Authentic and original musically tuned windchime
• Premier quality, affordable & value priced
• Created by GRAMMY® Award-winning musician Garry Kvistad
• The choice of discerning UK customers for nearly 40 years
• Chimes are in stock and ship within 48 hours from our UK warehouse

Woodstock Chimes is committed to providing an excellent quality product at a fair price.

Excellent Quality
Woodstock Chimes maintains high standards by using premium grade materials such as top grade aluminium and North American hardwood as well as by enforcing exacting specifications for elements like tube thickness, clapper placement, placement of tube string holes, windcatcher weight, and stringing methodology.

Weather testing is conducted on every product produced. Product is hung outside year-round to ensure that all elements, including wood, tubes, color and string, can withstand being exposed to the sun, wind, rain, snow and whatever Mother Nature throws at it (and us!).

Reasonable Prices
Woodstock Chimes offers a wide variety of styles and price points; there’s sure to be one that’s just right for each of your customers. Woodstock Chimes come in a variety of shapes, sizes and prices, from the small, colourful Gem Drop Chimes to the massive, resonant Windsinger Chimes of King David™, and everything in between.

Our Encore® Collection Chimes share the superior quality standards of the rest of our products, yet they are our value line. How do we keep the prices low? All Encore Collection Chimes share a distinct look and come in a selection of striking colour combinations. They also have the same enchanting tuning that sounds out of this world in any size. Because Encore Collection Chimes have these things in common, they are economical to produce and offer the high value of Woodstock Chimes at a lower cost.

Excellent Products, Excellent Service
The Woodstock Chimes commitment to excellence goes far beyond our product. Woodstock Chimes offers superior customer service and maintains product stock levels so shipments are quick and complete. All orders ship promptly from our Chichester warehouse. It’s exceptional all the way around!
Hearing a Woodstock Chime is like listening to a
perfectly tuned musical instrument, played by the wind.

See all the Woodstock Chimes UK products here

Our Chimes of Mozart is tuned to the opening intervals of the Andante movement from Mozart’s Piano Concerto No. 21 in C Major.

www.woodstock-chimes.co.uk

White Pebble International
Unit 2, Plot 11, Terminus Road
Chichester PO198 TX UK
Tel +44(0)1243 780501
Fax +44(0)1243 839332
info@whitepebbleint.com

Zest 4 Leisure, a leading trade supplier of quality timber garden products, is celebrating its 5^th consecutive year at Glee with a new range of products and the announcement of its recent distribution centre purchase.

Building on its existing winning range, Zest will be showcasing innovative new products including a stunning diamond trellis arch, a new pergola seat, al fresco dining sets, planters, grow your own and more.

The announcement of its new facility in Saltney, Flintshire, will allow for the planned future expansion and strategic development of the family owned company.

Bringing with it further opportunities for product development, Steve Morgan, managing director at P&A, is expecting the expansion to have a positive impact on product innovation.

“I am very proud of what we have been able to achieve and the new purpose designed warehousing and distribution centre is such an exciting opportunity for us as a company,” Mr Morgan said.

“It will mean that we can broaden our offering and supply garden centres, e commerce retailers and major purchasing groups in line with our strategic development plans.”

Zest’s new products to be launched at Glee at stand 2OS32-T33 include:

• The Denver Arbour Swing with new Perspex and timber panels
• The Emily Corner Bench with matching Coffee Table/Bench, part of the Emily range and sold separately
• The Madison Picnic Table, matching Access Picnic Table and the Madison Square Table & 4 Chair Set
• The Bahama Large Round Table & 4 Stool Set
• The Sophie Bench
• A Stepped Herb Planter and a Vertical Herb Stand
• A Large Log Store with slatted back

Zest has also recently announced its collaboration with Cardiff Metropolitan University in creating the new graduate product development role, to focus on innovation and new product ranges.

Mr Morgan said: “Zest 4 Leisure strives to bring innovation to the core of every product and we have really seen this come through in 2018’s new range.

“Working alongside Cardiff Metropolitan University, it will enable us to monitor and develop future trends and initiatives and we expect our innovation offering to go from strength to strength and our 2019 products to be even more cutting-edge and on-trend.”

Zest is looking forward to welcoming its customers and showcasing what’s on offer to those visiting the prestigious trade show.

“The team and I would love to see you, so come along to our stand and let us show you what we do,” Mr Morgan added.

From matching outdoor furniture comprising a variety of seating options and side tables to arbours to picnic tables, BBQ shelters and swings, Zest has a wide range of outdoor furniture products that will be in pride of place in gardens across the UK next summer.

GIMA award-winning Zest 4 Leisure is known for the reassuring quality of its timber garden products. Manufactured from pressure treated timber all of Zest’s garden furniture will stand the test of time with a 10-year guarantee against rot. The timber used is certified by the Forest Stewardship Council and has been harvested from responsibly managed forests.

The team will be offering a first look at the Floramedia 2017/18 Stock catalogue, detailing over 10,000 ‘off the shelf’ plant labels, POS and other marketing materials,  and will be on hand to discuss bespoke print and packaging creations, photography, digital content and market research data.

2018 is a year of change for Cadix UK. We have inspiring new designs made with different materials, colours and textures.

The Urban collection is extended with a new structure, called Tube. A modern series next to our existing collection, the Smooth pots.

The collection is for the consumer who loves life and minimalist style in the house or garden with contemporary pots. The Rib and Row collection of pots will be extended with a new structure; Rock, an outstanding cool pot with the structure of a robust rock block.

Not to mention our Heraldry pots with a diamond structure, available next year in the colour rust, thus giving a new dimension to any garden or interior.

Interior is hot and happening, that’s why we extended our inside pots with some new ranges. In addition to the already existing Nature Rib and Row mini pots, we have designed a Wood and Stone structure. Trendy pots, a real eye catcher in every interior. The collection is available in black, brown and ivory.

Hall 20 Stand 20L30-M31. 

Cadix UK Ltd will be part of the Retail Lab at Glee, and very much look forward to showing off The New Made in Holland planters which can be found in the re-wilding area and at the seminar floor.

Last year’s GIMA Innovators Award Winner, MossOff has enjoyed success across the UK with listings in independent garden centres stretching from Scotland to Cornwall.

Nigel Thompson manages the Vivagreen UK sales and he has been pleased with the positive response from retailers.

“The award was just what we needed to get the MossOff campaign off the ground last year, it really showcased the unique features and benefits of stocking MossOff.”

Vivagreen return to Glee this year hoping to extend the distribution of MossOff and also introducing the UK retail sector to their wider range of ‘Free from’ products, all of which have been designed and developed by the entrepreneurs Russell and Garrett Walsh.

Greensax compostable bin bags are award-wining, all natural, 100% compostable bags for organic waste bins, gardening waste, doggy poop bags and thousands of other uses.

Scrapacks are self-standing bags for countertop food waste that make a separate food bin in the kitchen unnecessary.

Lunchpack has been developed as an eco-friendly alternative to a lunch box. They’re strong and leak proof too.

See the team from Vivagreen at Glee on stand 18H52 or to find out more about Vivagreen’s range of environmentally friendly products go to www.vivagreengroup.com or e-mail the general enquiries office on office@vivagreengroup.com  or call to speak to us on 020 7197 2317.

Vivagreen,
DMG House,
Deansgrange Business Park,
Deansgrange,
Co Dublin,
A94 H6P5
Ireland

As a leading worldwide supplier of Garden Décor, Evergreen Enterprises is quickly becoming known in the UK as an innovative and dynamic vendor, offering a wide variety of quality, on-trend products.

With a customer-centric focus and an agile and creative product team, Evergreen works hard to stay focused on fulfilling their primary mission…

“To enhance life by providing exceptional home and garden décor products known for their quality, beauty, and functionality.”

Within the diverse Evergreen range, there is a product and a price point for everyone. 

In the soon to be released Spring 2018 range, consumers will be “wowed” by such unique products as their new Hydro-Wind Spinners.  These spinners spread water over a wide area while providing a fun “water show”.  Brass fittings will ensure a lasting and efficient effect.

Our Firefly Solar Lanterns are an easy, versatile, portable alternative for those times when a light source is needed.  These eco-friendly lanterns offer four different light settings, are waterproof, and can easily be charged with either solar light, or through their convenient USB connection. 

See these and many more of Evergreen’s  fresh, innovative, quality products by visiting their stand at GLEE 19H57, or by contacting them at:

White Pebble International

Unit 2, Plot 11, Terminus Road

Chichester PO198 TX UK

Tel +44(0)1243 780501

Fax +44(0)1243 839332

info@whitepebbleint.com

Throughout Glee 2017 the team from GTN will be covering all the latest developments for Glee Daily News.

The Glee Daily News is sent by e-mail free to all visitors of Glee.  Advertising and promtion opportunities are available.  To book your activity into The Glee Daily News, please email Mandy Davies mandy.davies@tgcmc.co.uk, Ben Greenwood ben.greenwood@tgcmc.co.uk or Alan Burdon alan.burdon@tgcmc.co.uk

REMEMBER TO COLLECT YOUR FREE GLEE SHOW CATALOGUE AT THE ENTRANCES.

If you're feeling in a nostalgic mood, here are links to past issues of Glee Daily News:

Glee Daily News Issue 1 2017

Glee Daily News Omnibus Issue 2016

Glee Daily News Omnibus Issue 2015

Glee Daily News Omnibus Issue 2014

Glee Daily News Omnibus Issue 2013

Glee Daily News Omnibus Issue 2012

The Gardenex and PetQuip team will be based on the International Buyers’ Centre which is located in Hall 18 (StandM60/N61).  The facility provides a hub for visiting buyers who attend the show from around the world. 

As well as meeting with international buyers and addressing their UK product sourcing enquiries, the team will be available throughout the show to meet with existing member companies and UK companies who are not yet members but are looking for advice on exporting and the wide range of business-generating services available from Gardenex and PetQuip. In addition, PetQuip is manning a stand within the PetQuip Business Village, where a number of pet product suppliers are exhibiting in order to make contact with visiting pet product buyers from the gardening retail sector.

The Federation will also be hosting the International Buyers Connect sessions on the International Buyers’ Centre.  These one-to-one buyer/supplier meetings give exhibitors the chance to take part in 10 minute introductory meetings with international buyers.  The sessions will be held at the International Buyers’ Centre on the first two days of the show.  The Federation is currently recruiting buyers to attend the sessions, and to date has attracted buyers from Dubai, Germany, Sweden and Switzerland.

A garden buyer and pet product buyer will be travelling from Dubai.  The gardening buyer will be looking for quality urban gardening products, either trendy or unique or representing extremely good value for money.  The pet product buyer is seeking to source products that will complement the company’s existing range of 6,000 items of pet food and accessories.

The German buyer is from a specialist garden mail order company and online shop who will be seeking innovative practical and decorative garden products, particularly those not already available on the German market.  The company is happy to work with UK companies that are new to exporting.

The buyer from Sweden represents a leading importer/distributor of garden products which offers a broad range of practical garden products from grass, vegetable and flower seed to bulbs, soil, fertiliser, tools, gloves, planters and wild bird seed.  The company supplies DIY chains, super/hypermarket chains, food stores and independent garden centres across Sweden, Denmark and in Norway.  The buyer is interested in novel innovations that are new to the Scandinavian market.  In addition, the buyer will be looking for ‘urban farming’ products along with propagation-related products, garden tools and accessories, plant supports and trellis etc.

A second Swedish distributor sells upmarket gardening accessories to specialist garden retailers and also has a retail outlet and offers online sales.  The buyer is looking in particular for products that are made in the UK.

The Swiss buyer is from an importer/wholesaler of garden products whose customers include garden centres, DIY and online stores throughout Switzerland.  The company already imports from leading UK suppliers and offers a very broad range of products, including garden buildings and storage boxes, greenhouses, plant care, aggregates and paving, fencing and decking, decoration, pond and watering products, furniture, play equipment and lighting.  The buyer will be looking for new gardening products for the 2018 season.

The UK’s first child and pet-friendly lawn fertiliser stormed the tills following its launch and later in the year helped Westland achieve the coveted Sword of Excellence at the GIMA Awards.

Retailers will benefit from even more growth in 2018, thanks to the second year of a highly successful integrated product campaign with £1.5m investment. This will spread the message further and wider, including TV, print and digital advertising featuring the much-loved Lawnman.

Over 11m households have a lawn, yet many are put off using chemicals, specifically families and pet owners. Westland SafeLawn was launched to overcome this, signalling a real opportunity which has come to fruition throughout 2017.

Westland Safe Lawn is a unique and organic fertiliser with added lawn seed, made with natural ingredients. It nourishes lawns, greening them up within a week and then continues to feed as it naturally breaks down. It helps grass grow and outcompete moss and weeds and also contains special naturally-occurring bacteria which breaks down dead moss and thatch, returning nutrients to feed the grass.

Its formula guarantees results, a green, lush and thick lawn, with healthy grass from root to tip!

Daniela Constantine, Brand Manager for Westland Horticulture, said: “Last year we promised to open up the lawncare category and generate more sales by encouraging parents and pet-owners to apply Westland SafeLawn to their lawns.

“We’ve had a fantastic first year. The product has become a real best-seller and has been recognised by the industry through the GIMA award judging. Next year we will be spreading the message even further and wider. Make sure you get stocked up on this one well in advance of Spring 2018.”

New for 2018 we’ve created a video to explain more about how SafeLawn works. Take a look at this or watch the TV advert again at gardenhealth.com/westland

Reflecting Glee’s ongoing growth, the show’s Green Heart is set to welcome its largest ever number of exhibitors including a wealth of returning and new names. Additionally, it will be celebrating the introduction of its first-ever Flemish Pavilion, plus providing a launchpad for some exciting new product innovations that are unlike any plant varieties seen before.

Big name brands such as Wyevale Nurseries, Gardeners Kitchen, Chessum Plants, Golden Grove Nurseries, Anglo Aquatic Plants, , Channel Island Plants, Craigmarloch Nurseries, Darby Nursery Stock, H.S.Hommers, Hawkesmill, Javado, Kilworth Conifers, , Lovania Nurseries Ltd, Morleys Nurseries Ltd, New Leaf Plants, Van Poecke and Viking Nurseries Ltd, will also be joined by Hillier Nurseries and Farplants to create the strongest display of new plant varieties and inspiration for plant buyers and retailers looking to develop their plant offering in the coming season.

Glee will also be welcoming its very first Flemish Pavilion, as VLAM - the Flanders’ Agricultural Marketing Board - has confirmed its attendance.  The Flemish Pavilion (Hall 20, stand H30) will be home to a host of seven top growers under the VLAM banner, all ready to showcase their industry leading horticultural products.

Many of the Flemish brands will also join Glee’s Green Heart, to demonstrate merchandising best practice, and showcase exciting new plant varieties within indoor plants, cut flowers and different types of young plants. Exciting new additions will include the Helleborus VIV Collection, and 110cm Chrysanthemums. One VLAM exhibitor will also showcase Pineberry (produces white strawberries that taste like pineapple), Framberry (produces strawberries that taste like raspberry) and Bubbleberry (produces pink strawberries that taste and smell like bubble gum).

Plants will also be celebrated through the Greatest Awards Best Plant Retailing Team, which will be announced on Tuesday 12th September. Part of Garden Trade News’ “Greatest Awards”, this award – presented for the first time at Glee – will celebrate those plant retailing teams that have gone above and beyond in 2017. 

Matthew Mein, Glee Event Director said: “The Green Heart is a really important part of Glee, and is designed to put plants right at the centre of the show, but more than this we want to arm retailers and growers with a platform to communicate – whether in regard to what’s new or how to better drive sales in-store. It’s set to be a great showcase of UK and international growers, so I urge plant buyers and garden retailers to make this their first port of call at Glee 2017.”

Find out more

Glee is the UK’s leading garden retail show, focussing on building year-round profits within core product categories including Garden Care, Outdoor Entertaining, Landscaping and Garden Design, Pet, Home, Gift and Clothing, and Plants. Each year the show attracts thousands of buyers from top retailers, such as leading UK garden centres, builders’ merchants, multiple retailers, and DIY stores. To keep up-to-date on all the latest news log onto www.gleebirmingham.com or call 020 3033 2160 to find out about exhibiting.

Farplants reveal plans for Glee 2017

Farplants will be showcasing its 2017 Christmas range at Glee’s Green Heart. As well as its festive best-sellers, the company will have new themes and formats inspired by this years’ trends.

Andy Harding, Added Value Manager at Farplants, said: “We are delighted to be a part of Glee and give buyers the opportunity to see first-hand the new styles and quality on offer in our festive range. Stop by our stand to see how the beautiful planted collection will create impact in store and inspire customers. Our new themes perfectly embody this years’ trends, from sparkle lights and stunning zinc to a touch of rustic charm, the new materials and styling will ensure all Christmas shoppers are spoilt for choice.”

As well an extended range of wreaths, the Farplants stand will feature containers that are not only perfect for festive arrangements in the home but could be reused in the New Year, encouraging replacement plant purchases come the spring.

10 reasons why plant buyers should visit the Glee Green Heart

1)     Optimise profit potential of seasonal plants - with seasonal plants being more topical than ever, the Green Heart represents an opportunity to buy high impact lines for immediate delivery and sales through tills.

2)     Get inspired –the Green Heart has a wealth of content to inspire plant buyers and retailers alike. From new varieties to exciting merchandising ideas, this thriving part of Glee is a must for garden retailers who want to step up their game when it comes to plant retailing.

3)     Network & learn - learn about the latest trends in plant sales and access the newest varieties and new-for-2018 addition whilst networking with industry colleagues in one convenient location.

4)     View complementary products – whilst at Glee don’t forget to visit the wider show, using the time to catch up with compost, fertiliser and chemical suppliers to ensure you are up-to-date with the ever-changing ranges and supporting legislation surrounding these core sellers.

5)     Linked sales and cross merchandising inspiration – Exhibitors within the Green Heart will demonstrate how to link sales and create successful cross merchandising opportunities that can be quickly and easily implemented instore.

6)     Show-only deals - benefit from buying ‘show only’ deals, gaining extra margin and impulse sales potential for your store.

7)     Brainstorm – use your time to share your ideas with growers, helping both parties to sell more plants to boost overall sales and profits.

8)     Look ahead to 2018 - meet with both UK and international growers to find out more about their plans for the 2018 season.

9)     70+ plant suppliers – this year over 70 plant suppliers, growers and breeders will be showcasing their 2018 ranges and recent introductions within the Green Heart.

10)  Follow-up on NPS conversations - finalise details with new contacts initiated at the National Plant Show.

1.     60+ home, gift & clothing suppliers all ready and willing to do business. Glee’s dedicated Home, Gift & Clothing section has witnessed significant growth in recent years, reflective of the changing trends in garden retailing. Over 60 home, gift and clothing brands will be making their home at Glee 2017, bringing with them a wide selection of products, from seasonal gifts, to garden and outdoor clothing that has found its influence from future high street and catwalk trends.

2.     Garden centre focused. The strength of Glee lies in the fact that its exhibitors are primed to do business with garden retailers, and this year’s exhibitors within Home, Gift & Clothing are no exception.These suppliers are armed with products and services designed to drive sales instore at garden centres, so make sure you don’t miss out on this captive audience.

3.     Year-round sales opportunity. Gifts, homeware and outdoor clothing are increasingly becoming big business within garden retail.  Offering an unrivalled opportunity to maximise year-round sales, from Mothers’ Day to Christmas, these product categories are also ideal for driving impulse sales as consumers look to add value to their homes and gardens with stylish accessories, as well as wanting to look good in the garden. 
 

4.     More time to compare & contrast. Whilst Glee doesn’t sell itself as purely a home and gift show, that certainly doesn’t mean that its offering is any less valuable. With a more targeted set of exhibitors comes less competition for time. And in a market where time with buyers is a rarity, the real strength of Glee comes to the fore. At Glee, home, gift and clothingretailers and suppliers have more time at their disposal to network, chat and learn more about the products. Better relationships are forged this way.

5.     New and lapsed brands provide variety. At Glee this year, visitors will be treated to a selection of home, gift and clothing brands never before seen at Glee, as well as some faces making their return to the show. Look out for Voyage Versand, Villeroy & Boch UK Ltd, Kettle Interiors, Bronte by Moon, as well as well-known brands such as Aigle International and RHS (Royal Horticultural Society).

6.     Selected, focused offering. Gift exhibitors at Glee know what garden centre gift buyers want to see, which is why they will be bringing with them a targeted and audited product range, featuring the hardest working and most profitable products in their arsenal.

7.     Better use of your time. All available under one roof for three dedicated days, Glee is the perfect way to streamline your purchasing process. Placing orders at Glee means your 2018 product selections are sorted well in advance, freeing up more time for category managers to develop inspirational in-store displays.

8.     Be inspired by new merchandising ideas & linked sales opportunities. Look out for inspirational content from Glee’s 600+ exhibitors, as well as those within the dedicated Home, Gift & Clothing section of the show. Best practice merchandising, the latest trends in POS and exciting linked sales opportunities from across Glee’s eight core product sectors will arm any garden centre manager or gift buyer with a wealth of knowledge, design ideas and concepts that can be put into practice immediately upon returning back to the store.

9.     Access to other exciting products you might not have considered before. Glee is the place to explore additional profit-making opportunities.  As the garden retail gift market continues to grow, Glee is the place to source those products that will make your gift offering stand out from the rest, including everything from homeware and seasonal decorations to stationery and greeting cards, music and audio, artificial flowers and curiosities. Glee’s wider categories will also offer exposure to product sectors you may not have previously considered, helping to create a vibrant and unique in-store offering.

10.  And if you miss it all, there is always Glee at Spring Fair 2018! Part of Glee’s ongoing investment and expansion plans, Glee’s Spring Fair concession will provide a second opportunity within the buying cycle to refresh ranges ahead of key retail spikes. Additionally, it will also give retailers the opportunity to see new and best-selling ranges ahead of the spring season, whilst providing garden, home and gift buyers with the latest concepts and trends for 2018, helping them to direct their buying.  Categories that retailers can look forward to sourcing will include garden care, landscaping and garden decoration, and outdoor entertaining.

This year Glee will be home to its strongest pet contingent for many years. From the PetQuip Business Village that has doubled in size, to the wealth of UK and international exhibitors and the newly introduced Buyer Connect event, pet buyers and garden retailers will be spoilt for choice. 

With a recent report suggesting that 70% of UK garden centres now feature a dedicated pet care section, it is clear that the UK’s love for their pets shows no sign of slowing.  In fact, total spending on pet care in the UK reached a record high of around £5.08bn last year as the role of the ‘pet’ continues to evolve into something beyond a secondary addition to the family, to an integral part of the family unit.

Garden centres are well positioned to take full advantage of this market potential - there has never been a more exciting time for pet product suppliers to greatly expand their stockists and market visibility.  

This year Glee will provide the widest range of profit-boosting products, advice and ideas that businesses need to stay ahead and capitalise on this ever-expanding sector.  Visitors to Glee – including the vastly expanded PetQuip Business Village -  should look out for a host of big name brands and niche suppliers from both the UK and international markets, as well as exclusive show offers and innovative products across the food, accessories, bedding, and fashion sectors.

Matthew Mein, Glee’s Event Director said: “We have invested a lot into our pet offering in 2017 and can assure the market that we have taken great strides in creating something unlike anything we have offered previously. Pet products is a huge part of garden retailing and we wanted this reflected in what we offer to the market. From an exciting collection of exhibitors to business support, pet buyers at Glee will be able to arm themselves with everything they need to build profits throughout the 2018 season and beyond.”

The shop window for pet retail

Pet food, treats and complementary foods, by far the largest segment of the UK pet sector, will be well represented at the show, with extensive ranges from currently confirmed exhibitors such as Burgess Pet Foods, GA Pet Food Partners, Supreme Petfoods Ltd, Carnilove, The Dog Treat Company, TDHGroup (Pet Cuisine), Feelwells, and The Barking Bakery.

Pet accessories also represent a huge area of growth for garden retailers as consumers look for new ways to treat their pets.  From dog leads and harnesses to pet beds and cages, Glee has it all from leading exhibitor such as PetFace, Unipet, Scruffs, Trilanco, Group 55, Aristocrats, Loving Pet Products, PacDog, Pet Rebellion, Pet’s Up Products, PetMaxi and many more.

The PetQuip Business Village at Glee 2017 – bigger than ever before

Introduced in 2015, the PetQuip Business Village is designed to offer pet suppliers wanting to build their presence within garden retailers, a platform to launch and showcase their latest ranges. This year the area has doubled in size, providing more space for suppliers to showcase their pet ranges to garden retailers.

Open to both PetQuip members and non-members, the Business Village will make its home at the heart of Glee, bringing together pet brands with garden retail buyers and key decision makers.  Led by PetQuip - the UK’s leading trade association for suppliers of pet products, accessories and services – the ‘village’ is set to welcome even more pet suppliers in 2017.

Pat Flynn, Trade Association Manager at PetQuip said: “The garden centre market offers great potential growth for pet suppliers.  Garden centres usually have a larger footprint than most High Street independents, which aids effective product displays, and also being able to supply a wider range of products instore.  Customer loyalty and repeat visitors are the cornerstone of garden centre business, and pet ranges – especially pet food – is a proven way of achieving this, offering profitability for both the retailer and the supplier.

Pet Buyers Connect

For the first time Glee 2017 will be introducing a special pet focused Buyers Connect networking event. These special 10-minute speed networking sessions taking place throughout the show within the PetQuip Business Village, will place pet suppliers directly in front of buyers from key garden retailers. These retailers are actively looking for new and innovative pet product suppliers, and for many Buyers Connect will be the place where long-term and profitable relationships are forged.

So much to see

As well as leading brands and specialist pet care suppliers Glee will be home to a wide range of visitor attractions and events that will showcase the best the industry has to offer.

1. After 27 years’ experience in the horticultural industry, what continues to inspire you about gardening?

I am often described as an expert in my field, but I see myself still a student in it. You never stop learning. It's exciting to still be learning - every day, observing, even if not actually gardening. I enjoy plants and how the environment responds to them.

2. What have been some of the key learnings from your experiences overseas, having worked in Spain, South Africa and Australia?  

There have been some key challenges: Plant supply - in UK & Europe we have a huge diversity of plants. Just in the UK alone there are some 70,000 plants in Plant Finder. In Spain, there are a reasonable level of plants but not the range in the UK. South Africa and Australia are good, but nothing like the UK. Second big challenge is ensuring the watering / irrigation & establishing of plants in hotter climates - low rainfall presents challenges.

3. What advice would you give your younger self if you had the chance?

Looking back, I feel I have had the right mixture of experience in my career, I have taken the right route with no wrong turns. I have in the past questioned whether horticulture was the right career and having done career 'Tests' on websites, they have always come up with the answer that I should be a Gardener, Artist, Designer or Teacher, so ultimately, I believe I have made the right choices along the way. I should have believed more in my choices.

4. What has been the biggest challenge you've faced during your career?

Chelsea Flower Show (in 2016) - pulling off a Main Avenue Garden whilst holding down a full-time job (HG, CPG) and some part time ones too! Coordinating all the growing - buying trips to 4 countries, buying stock from 5, grown on 3 sites in the UK - and ensuring all the thousands of plants were 'Chelsea Ready' at peak perfection for 21st May. Coordinating all aspects of the hard landscaping, adhering to RHS rules, dealing with huge complexity, all within tight time constraints and very close working conditions (220m²) with some 40 in the team. 

5. You have spent the last 7 years modernising the design of CPG in London. What advice would you give to a garden centre who might be looking to modernise their store?

Horticulture has woken up to needing to be customer focused, being led by the direct needs of clients. I learnt at CPG that functionality needs to work for space and spatial design was key. When I was first at CPG, we welcomed some 2,000 visitors a year, so designing for 7 years later with some 60,000 visitors the space was key. CPG is a very special garden, so it was crucial to ensure the spirit of the garden was maintained, holding onto the essence of the area, and yet making it accessible. Space changes need to consider other facilities too - gift shop, loos - so it is all about ensuring the fulfilment of customer experience is maintained and that the spirit of the garden is captured.

6. For garden centres looking to inspire their customers, what are your recommendations with regards to finding new and unique products?

How plants are addressed at the Point of Sale. People love plants and gardens, but sometimes don't have the imagination for grouping / pairing them together. In my experience, for nurseries to have seasonal displays with plant combinations already set up will give people ideas. It will inevitably increase sales of plants and give people inspiration too.

Plants - not just from big seed companies or breeders, but ones with a bit of magic. For example, at the same time Geranium 'Rozanne' came out to a big fanfare, a smaller nursery produced Geranium 'Lilac Ice'. Similar parentage and performance but with a pinky / white flower, so keep looking at the peripherals, having contact with the smaller growers for different varieties & products.

Artisan products e.g. pottery, timber and forged iron. Support the local community with locally sourced products.

7. With a significant trend in customers moving to mobile devices for shopping and advice, what impact will online garden retailing have on traditional garden centres, and the horticultural industry as a whole?

In the last 10 years online suppliers, for example Crocus.co.uk has grown enormously and have exceptional customer service. It's a change to keep up with their quality & diversity of offerings. What Garden Centres can offer is the on hand expertise which will be unique - answering questions and managing events. Customers coming to the experts, the human touch is the key.

8. How should garden centres be engaging with the younger generation? Have you seen any great examples of garden centres introducing a new area within the store to attract new audiences?

Lots of products out there to interest the younger generation, for example: sun flower growing kits, equipment, bug catchers. When I was 7 years old, I spent my pocket money at the local nursery and they gave me a junior discount. It worked well!  For example, gardening clubs supported by the Garden Centre for children after school - parents use the café and brings many more potential customers into the retail environment. Great engagement with youngsters and overall spending will increase!

9. What top 3 tips would you give to an audience who don't have a garden, but who wish to be involved with the movement towards indoor plant life?

Much of UK horticulture increasingly is being run by volunteers which give individuals great experience and exposure to gardens without having your own garden.

There are 1000's of garden clubs - gaining knowledge plus plant sales / swaps.

The rising trend in house plants - succulents /cacti etc. - don't just visit garden centres, look in Botanic Gardens and what is being grown there under glass and replicate the ideas at home to have more exotic plants than just cacti!

10. Is there anything you think the horticultural industry and garden retailers need to do differently?

Yes. No surprises here, but there is an issue with attracting younger people to work in the industry. It's seen too much of a vocation not a career and pay should be reflected accordingly. The industry should be made more appealing and be well supported with apprenticeships & recognised / supported qualifications. Pay should be increased to make it more in line with other comparable retail industries (e.g. fashion outlets and so on).   

11. Congratulations on winning the Garden Journalist of the Year award at the Property Press Awards in May! What's coming up next for you?

Thank you!

I have another 7 more films lined up for Gardener's World coming up for 2017.

My new book 'Revive your Garden' will be published at the end of March 2018.

And on-going, I am being kept busy with garden design & build projects, garden maintenance work, as well as public speaking and overseas tours.

12. What's on your career bucket list?

I would love to be more engaged with plant hunting aspects. There are parts of the world with new plants being discovered and I would love to be in that environment. Places like Patagonia or China: I would relish the adventure and treasure hunting and finding something new.

13. Most memorable moment?

When my first book '365 Days of Colour in Your Garden' went to the top of the best seller list. I was told prior to publishing the book that horticultural publishing was dead, so I was truly astounded to see the book perform in both the UK & European markets and to hold that top position for nearly 2 years. I hope the reason is that it taps into a very particular aspiration for all gardeners, year round colour!

14. Other than gardening, how do you relax / switch off?

I love being in the wild - for example, last summer I spent time in the Cairngorm region - being in an environment with no sign of human activity or presence, is both humbling and overwhelming, as well seeing plants in their natural habitats. For example, seeing Alchemilla alpina growing there was fantastic.

15. You are presenting 3 x 30 minute talks on Monday 11th September at Glee at the NEC, in Birmingham. Can you give us an idea of what you’ll speak about?

Emerging trends:

1. Threat to bees / wildlife & wider environmental concerns is leading to an expanding interest in eco & organic growing

2. Broadening demographic of those engaging in gardening in its widest sense

3. The broader range of Mediterranean climate zone plants species being available

How to use garden shows to promote your garden centre:

1. Stands, Displays & Sponsorship USP

2. Branding, Giveaways and Discounting

3. Clubs, Membership, Benefits & Services

Ways to engage the youth in horticulture:

1. Make more of the rising trend of youth engaging in "chefing" - vegetables, sourcing, home-grown etc.

2. 'Young Hort' and other representative youth bodies

3. The HTA and The Garden Centre Association (and similar), career shows / events 

Joining Glee’s keynote roster in 2017 will be well-known naturalist, film maker, author and co-designer of several award-winning garden wildlife products, Simon King OBE.

Simon will be presenting a special off-one session on Tuesday 12th September (2:10 – 2:30pm within Glee’s seminar theatre, Retail Lab) entitled ‘The Secrets to a Successful Wildlife Garden’.

Never before has there been such a wide choice of products to help attract and support wildlife in your garden. Whether you have a square metre in the heart of the city or a rambling spread in suburbia, there are a host of interventions you can make to increase both biodiversity and biomass in your home patch. It will be within Simon’s session at Glee that you will be able to learn more about what to look out for and how to make the most of what’s on offer.

Matthew Mein, Glee Event Director said: “I am so pleased to be able to confirm Simon as our second keynote speaker. His enthusiasm and passion for nature is infectious and I’ve no doubt that he’ll bring a number of exciting ideas to the fore that retailers and suppliers can consider in their future wildlife and associated ranges.”

The theme of nature will also be carried into Glee’s most exciting ever feature – the Retail Lab. One of the ‘Labs’ four sections will focus purely on ‘Re-Wilding’ and how retailers can work with nature to create unique shopping environments.From natural wildlife settings, and planting scheme inspired by the influential Dutch designer, Piet Oudolf, to insect houses, wild flower seeds, and bird feeders, the Re-Wilding trend will offer a fully immersive experience for those wanting to tap into this ever-growing trend.  The area will include a range of products and display ideas that demonstrate how retailers can incorporate the Re-Wilding trend in-store. Look out for a virtual reality pod, and special botanic store, and products linked to sustainability, water-saving and green roofs.

Full details about the wider Glee seminar schedule, and Retail Lab can be found at https://www.gleebirmingham.com/event-timetable and https://www.gleebirmingham.com/visit/retail-lab-at-glee

Made up of MO Bacter, Bio-Lime and Recovery, the range – created by Belgian lawn care experts, Viano, and distributed by DJ Turfcare in the UK – marks the first lawn care range of this type to receive endorsement from the Royal Horticulture Society. 

At Glee, retailers visiting the DJ Turfcare stand will be able to find out more about the products on offer. Glee will also mark the first time that retailers will see the newly designed packaging that will support this new RHS endorsed range. Featuring a prominent RHS logo, the packaging has been designed to entice consumers at the point of purchase.

David Jenkins, Managing Director at DJ Turfcare, said: “We are incredibly excited to be launching this RHS endorsed range to the market, and feel that Glee is the perfect place to showcase it fully. We have worked hard with our partners, Viano, to create products that deliver time and time again, and to receive recognition from the RHS has made the hard work even more worthwhile. But more importantly, we believe that receiving the RHS endorsement will also be of significant benefit to retailers. The RHS is a highly regarded and recognisable body, and will offer consumers peace of mind and confidence when buying products that are endorsed by them, ultimately boosting sales.”

About the range

DJ Turfcare’s new RHS endorsed range will include three chemical-free lawn fertiliser products - MO Bacter, Bio-Lime and Recovery. Here we find out a little more about the products themselves.

MO Bacter is an organic-based, slow release fertiliser for lawns, which destroys moss as secondary action. It is easily spread, contains no chemicals, is also pet and child-friendly, and is designed to not harm plants and shrubs.

The second product in the range is Bio-Lime, which combats the acidic and sour conditions that can be an ideal environment for moss to thrive, by ‘sweetening’ the soil to raise its pH. Bio-Lime also contains magnesium, which helps the lawn to maintain its colour throughout the cold winter months, making it the ideal year-round lawn treatment.

The final product on offer is Recovery. Recovery has been created for those moments when lawns needs sprucing up. An organic fertiliser, containing a number of effective ingredients – including Humifirst, a unique ingredient that creates biological activity and acts as a plant growth stimulant – Recovery is perfect for use before laying turf, seeding or as an autumn lawn feed. The lawn develops hardwearing characteristics after application, making Recovery the top choice for use after drought, areas of high footfall and after the scarification process. Like the other products in the range, Recovery is also pet and child-friendly.

Find out more

To find out more about DJ Turfcare’s RHS endorsed range be sure to visit the team at Glee 2017 – Hall 19, stand A03. Further details about the company’s full offering can be found by visiting www.djturfcare.co.uk or by calling 01483 200976.

How does AdWords work?
You can target visitors based on keywords and their location via AdWords. So if consumers are looking for olive trees in Northampton, your garden centre in Northampton can be shown. It may sound easy but AdWords is a job on its own! Garden Connect is a Google Partner and has got a team of certified marketeers working solely on AdWords campaigns. That’s how we assure we get a good return on your pennies compared to doing it yourself!

What do we do?
At Garden Connect we focus on relevant keywords for your garden centre. So we don’t try to get as many people as possible on your website but want to get value for money. We analyse every step: from the first click to the page visitors leave your website. As soon as possible we get rid of keywords which aren’t working to save you budget.

Effective online bannering via remarketing
Consumers have a short memory: if they don’t see your brand for a while they will forget that you exist. Garden Connect is now introducing our Remarketing service which allows you to show your banners and advertisements to customers in your own geographical location, they will be shown on well-known websites like the BBC, Telegraph and Daily Mail.

What is remarketing?
Every time that visitors open your website a small cookie is placed on their device. This allows us to show a banner to visitors within a geographical radius from your garden centre when they read the news, play a game or lookup some gardening tips.

To avoid annoyance, these banners will only be shown a couple of times a week to each individual consumer but over a long period of time. This will keep your brand top of mind to the people who are interested in your garden centre and that matter most, especially those that are located in your own area!

What do the banners look like?
Bespoke banners will be designed by Garden Connect or you can provide your own banners. Alternatively, we can also link banners to your website or webshop to show your latest promotions or newest products automatically. Banners will be designed for desktop, tablet and mobile to be sure consumers will see your brand regardless of the device they use.

How much does it cost?

Showing a banner will cost you less than £0.025 per customer. That’s right: over 1.000 banner impressions for less than £2.50! Garden Connect has several services available starting at just £25 per month excl. VAT. for remarketing and just £75 per month for Google AdWords which include a minimum of 300 visitors per month.

Signup in August or September to benefit from maximum exposure over the busy Christmas season and to get your first 3 months free!

Go to www.gardenconnect.com for more information, visit us at Glee or call +44 203 475 5541.

This year Great Sense Ltd is proud to work together with Grill Up Ltd to launch our newest range of barbecues and accessories. In celebration of our newest brand to join the Great Sense family, Great Sense will have two stands at this year’s Glee show, we will be featuring our 2017/2018 product lines for both our barbecues and our garden furniture collections.

Great Sense will be displaying our beautiful and diverse furniture collections in rattan and aluminium in a variety of styles, colours and set formations, aiming to brighten up the 2018 outdoor scene.

In a crowded market place Grill Up want to offer something different, with the introduction of the new in-house designed Tower Bridge range from Grill Up, we are looking to turn up the heat on other gas barbecue manufacturers. The Tower Bridge BBQ range brings a new dimension to the market by having pre-built BBQs across the range of the 3, 4 and 5 burner BBQs. These are delivered to store pre-built with no tools needed to assemble. Anyone can grill, but our goal is to make your BBQ journey from begging to end, a more happier and easier experience. We continue to work on every detail to improve our designs, making your cooking more professional and enjoyable.

Cadero alongside Grill Up as a company has been producing BBQ’s for more than 10 years. From its early roots, they continuously strived to make outdoor adventure more enjoyable through innovative thinking and ongoing research and product development, being one step ahead of the rest.

We hope for you to be a part of Great Sense and Grill Up’s vision for 2018 and future years to come.

New from Hygeia Garden Care is the multi award-winning GreenForce Lawn Gold range – an organic based 3-step lawn treatment that is child-safe, pet-safe and won’t turn moss black. 

GreenForce Lawn Gold uses slow release technology to feed and green your lawn for the season while strengthening the root system for thicker, healthier grass.

A unique blend of minerals controls moss naturally without the need to rake out – moss simply disintegrates back into the lawn. Apply GreenForce Lawn Gold Classic as a starter treatment, then GreenForce Lawn Gold Summer Green to keep grass lush and vibrant through the summer months, followed by GreenForce Lawn Gold Winter Protect in autumn to keep your lawn green and moss-free throughout the winter season.

The best defence against moss and weeds is a healthy lawn with GreenForce Lawn Gold!

We also offer a fantastic selection of tomato food, plant food and hard surface treatments to control moss and algae.

This year marks our first time to show at Glee, so come and visit us at Stand 19D18-E19 and see our brilliant range of Hygeia Garden Care products.

For expert gardening advice and more product information, see www.MyGardenExpert.com.

With a strong history of reinvestment, Whitefurze, the privately owned company, has continued to bring new products and ranges to market.  Delivering on value, functionality and design and there has been a particular focus on expanding its garden range in recent years.

“The appeal of gardening is constantly broadening and we have consistently added to our range in order to keep step with the changing and increasing demands of garden retailers and consumers” says Managing Director Philip Lanni.

The Whitefurze garden range includes eight planter ranges, basic pots, propagation and composting lines, water butts, and watering cans, as well as garden accessories and seasonal lines. Recognising the need to further diversify its garden offer to include storage, recent new product launches have included a Garden Caddy and 40ltr Garden Storage Chest, both of which will be available to view on the stand at Glee 2017.

“Thanks to our ongoing programme of new product development, we are now able to offer a full garden range, 100% manufactured in Britain presenting a ‘one-stop-shop’ solution for retailers in the plastic garden category”.

These beautiful and functional bowls are handmade from recycled oil drums by family workshops in India. Hand cut metal plates are riveted in the traditional way for strength and durability, and feature the same drop handles as the Original Kadais. These were traditionally used as cooking bowls throughout India, Kadai firebowls repurposed their use and created the Internationally acclaimed Kadai Barbecue Firebowl.

“To show the versatility of the product, Kadai Firebowls have now re-engineered the Kadai to produce a stunning planter & with their one-piece bowl a superb water feature.”

Kadai Planter

An enhanced filter system in the bottom of the bowl allows for drainage and the depth of the bowl allows for deeper root systems. The result, we think, speaks for itself, wouldn’t you agree?

Accessories...

Kadai Warming Rack

Keep food warming gently above the heat while continuing to cook directly on the grill.

Kadai Shield

An alternative to the Kadai Canvas Cover. This metal shield helps to ‘weatherproof’ your Kadai Firebowl. It could also double up as a handy work-top

and snuffer.

Kadai Hot Plate

The Kadai Hot Plate sits directly on top of the main grill. Incredibly versatile for meat, vegetables, fish and fried dishes. Ideal for a barbecue breakfast.

Kadai Water Feature

Our Wilstone one-piece Kadai is a great place to start and with the filter system removed and sealed, the bowl is the basis of a perfect water feature. Add a beautiful water lily or other aquatic plants and you have a water garden to fit even the smallest of spaces.

Kadai Firebowls by Wilstone

Home Farm, Leebotwood, Shropshire SY6 6LX Tel: 01694 771800 www.kadai.com

Trend 1: Community – bringing people together through gardening projects

With the increasing urban population, community gardening, shared gardens, and public spaces are becoming the new meeting places and the centre of community life. Garden centres are in a unique position to tap into this, providing a platform to enable people to work together to enjoy a greener lifestyle, even those without green fingers!

From mobile planting tables to a greater emphasis on herbs, cut flowers, vegetable and fruit, the Community section within the Retail Lab @ Glee, is designed to showcase how communities can be brought together, and how retailers can incorporate an area that enables customers the chance to get their hands dirty. From community GYO projects, workshops and training sessions, the desire to give customers a sense of belonging will underpin the Community trend.

Food miles is another idea that can be better communicated via the Community trend. At the Retail Lab @ Glee, inspirational ideas on how garden retailers can incorporate pick-your-own into their café environments will also be on display.

Trend 2: Family – combining quality time together with skill development

Garden centres are already well-known for their approach to family, with many incorporating kids’ play areas and family friendly facilities into the mix. However, the theme of ‘family’ within the Retail Lab @ Glee will go beyond this.

The role of the garden has changed. It is no longer just a place to work, or something to look at. The garden has become an extension of the home; an outside room. What’s more, gardens must incorporate all aspects of everyday living – from patios, play areas, outdoor entertaining, as well as being both child and pet friendly.

Projects are a huge part of the Family trend, and at Glee it will address the many ways that retailers can optimise this. From displaying products as ‘projects’, e.g. grow your own salad, build your own pond, decorate your shed, to inspiring ideas on how to help children understand the provenance of the food that they eat. But it’s not just children that can get in on the action, adults also benefit from this theme with fun ideas such as ‘grow your own cocktail’ and presenting ways to make gardening sexier e.g. ‘she sheds’.

‘Family’ will also address ways that retailers can bring the outside in, through indoor growing zones, and even interior barbeques and fireplaces, perfect for continued customer engagement throughout the year, even when the weather is classically British. Unique merchandising ideas will incorporate play slides for children, whilst product and design ideas will be displayed, showing how pets and gardens can live in perfect harmony.

Trend 3: ‘Re-Wilding’ – working with nature to create unique shopping environments

85% of people live in an urban environment, and this number is growing. However, there is a latent attraction to wildlife, and as the urban environment becomes greener there is a different market emerging.

This new market is characterised as having limited space available, and where gardens are far from conventional. Garden retailers have a fantastic opportunity to capture this market by providing inspiration, a can-do philosophy, and providing knowledge on the benefits of growing in small spaces, as well as looking at ways to encourage nature into the garden.

From natural wildlife settings, and planting scheme inspired by the influential Dutch designer, Piet Outdolf, to insect houses, wild flower seeds, bird feeders, the Re-Wilding trend will offer a fully immersive experience for those wanting to tap into this ever-growing trend.

The area will include a range of products and display ideas that demonstrate how retailers can incorporate the Re-Wilding trend in-store. Look out for a virtual reality pod, and special botanic store, and products linked to sustainability, water-saving and green roofs.

Trend 4: Well-being – creating outdoor retreats to regain balance

Wellbeing is a truly global trend, stretching across a wide variety of products and industries. The immediate reaction would be to look at ideas that promote health and wellbeing, such as healthy eating and environmental consciousness, and this is certainly true of the content on display within the Retail Lab @ Glee, however so much more will also be on offer!

There is a growing understanding of the importance that outdoor activities play in our psychological and physiological wellbeing. The benefits of healthy eating, exercise and mental de-stressing (mindfulness) are well known. However, there is an understanding of the positive aspects that plants can play in our life as well. Smell, sound, air circulation and recharging all help us study and perform better.

From eating food grown in-store through dedicated healthy living take-away schemes, and microfarming, to encouraging wellness through areas of relaxation and digital detoxes, the Well-being trend is all about taking a moment away from the stresses and strains that everyday throws us at.

Well-being within the Retail Lab @ Glee will also look at ways that garden retailers can maximise gardening as a form of therapy, and as a quiet retreat from the daily grind. A visit to the garden centre should be an experience, one that is full of opportunities to optimise all our senses – from scent, to sound, to touch.

Content within this section will showcase how garden centres can create a ‘decompression’ environment; a space that offers a pressure-free shopping experience. From sinking your feet into the grass, to filling your nose with the sweet scent of fresh herbs and fragrances, and even garden yoga, this concept goes far beyond products alone. The products that are on display will also be used in a brand new and fresh way, creating examples of retail areas that not only imaginatively display product but do so in a way that creates a truly green environment; one that consumers will want to create within their own homes and gardens.

One of the most innovative features at the annual Glee exhibition, the Retail Lab – new for 2017 - has secured backing from a wide range of leading suppliers, who have come on board as either a ‘Preferred Partner’ or ‘Selected Partner’.  Here, ‘Preferred Partner’ Hozelock’s UK Marketing Manager, Carol Wright, tells us more about the company’s plans for the Retail Lab @ Glee.

Can you tell me more about what products you will displaying?

Many of our new products are under wraps until the doors open on Glee 2017, but we can confirm that all those on display will be highly relevant to those trends that feature within the Retail Lab, especially within the Re-Wilding section where our water saving and management products will be most prevalent. This area, which focusses on how nature is helping to shape both consumer trends and the retail environment, is reflective of the ethos of many of our products. Appropriate and careful watering is essential to maintaining plant health in the garden.  Gardeners can help wildlife, including bees, to establish in their gardens by planting containers and pots – these need water to ensure their health and longevity and Hozelock have the systems to support this, and to make watering easy and less time consuming.

Innovative products on display will include the popular Easy Drip range of automatic watering systems and a range of controllers, including the high-tech Cloud Controller, which enables gardeners to water their gardens remotely.  Hozelock’s range of products, including the Pure collection, designed to support alternatives to chemicals in the garden, will also be a strong feature. We’ll also be showcasing products that tap into the trend for compact and urban gardens, such as the small yet mighty Pico Power pressure washer.

Why did you choose to become a preferred supplier of the Retail Lab at Glee 2017? 

For us, the Retail Lab represents an opportunity to demonstrate Hozelock’s position as both the UK and world leading experts in garden watering. More importantly, we wanted to highlight the relevance of products, such as automatic watering and alternatives to chemicals, within popular and growing consumer trends. 

We also believe that it is so important for retailers and manufacturers to work together to create better understanding of the future trends that will be impacting on consumer lifestyles and the garden industry.

Why Re-Wilding?

The Re-Wilding area is a perfect fit for Hozelock’s garden watering initiatives in sustainability, wild life protection and bee health.  The garden is probably one of the easiest and most effective routes for consumers to participate in supporting wildlife.  Even a single pot of bee friendly plants is a small step in reversing the trend in declining bee numbers and our helpful Bizzi mascot will be encouraging all gardeners to help bees by planting a pot of bee-friendly plants.

What value do you think the Retail Lab will offer retailers/buyers? 

We believe it is essential that as an industry, retailers recognise the importance of trends.  The Retail Lab will enable brands and retailers to work together to share in the benefits that understanding these trends can bring, and to develop new markets with new, and importantly, younger consumers.  We have a responsibility and a desire to encourage gardening across the generations, and believe that the Retail Lab is a great way of opening a forum for discussion on this topic, whilst also providing retailers with a number of inspiring ideas that can be put into practice in-store.

See more from Hozelock at Glee by visiting the company’s stand Hall 20, stand Q10-S11, or find them in the Retail Lab’s Re-Wilding area. More details can be found at www.hozelock.com

Find out more

Glee is the UK’s leading garden retail show, focussing on building year-round profits within core product categories including Garden Care, Outdoor Entertaining, Landscaping and Garden Design, Pet, Home, Gift and Clothing, and Plants. Each year the show attracts thousands of buyers from top retailers, such as leading UK garden centres, builders’ merchants, multiple retailers, and DIY stores. To keep up-to-date on all the latest news log onto www.gleebirmingham.com or call 020 3033 2160 to find out about exhibiting.

One of the most innovative features at the annual Glee exhibition, the Retail Lab – new for 2017 - has secured backing from a wide range of leading suppliers, who have come on board as either a ‘Preferred Partner’ or ‘Selected Partner’.  Here, ‘Preferred Partner’ Ivyline’s Director, Scott Thomas, tells us more about the company’s plans for the Retail Lab @ Glee.

Can you tell me more about what products you will displaying?

At Glee, we will be showcasing our latest innovative trend led products. Our latest innovations include top-selling concrete planters for cacti, patterned planters in the latest print trends, new and on-trend hanging planters, unique lightweight outdoor planters, contemporary fire bowls, plus new display systems and so much more. We are launching in excess of 200 new carefully designed new products. 2017 saw amazing growth in houseplant pot sales and our new innovation will help retailers to increase sales in the season ahead.

Why did you choose to become a preferred supplier of the Retail Lab at Glee 2017? 

Ivyline is delighted to be a main sponsor of the Retail Lab, and to support Glee in bringing fresh ideas to the industry.

Working with major UK fashion and home retailers gives us a unique insight in to the upcoming retail trends and consumer spending habits. Ivyline is driving these changes through its business and we want to see the industry adapting to the changing retail world.

The Retail Lab is new and innovative. It reflects the changing face of retail as well as the health benefits of plants and nature in our lives. This gives great synergy between the vision for the future at Ivyline and the core theme of the Retail Lab itself.

What changing trends are you witnessing, and how are they affecting your business? What future trend excites you the most?

We are seeing unprecedented changes in retail trends, consumer buying habits and people lifestyles.

In the past two years there has been a big shift away from price based decision making in consumer purchasing, to consumers buying into a quality product that makes an instant impact in the home and garden. Ivyline’s trend-led patterned planters have become the number one selling range in our product portfolio, and our superb sales growth across all categories along with latest consumer spend reports give us the firm data to back this up.

Houseplants are once again fashionable as consumers recognised the instant impact they bring to the home, as well as the health benefits. Minimal maintenance plants such as cacti and succulents have seen phenomenal growth, as have foliage plants, particularly amongst the younger demographic. In one well known leading clothing fashion retailer based in key cities such as London, Manchester and Birmingham, our cacti pot sales have been more than triple the whole garden centre industry combined. Garden centres can learn from this success story. In garden centres, this upward trend has been reflected in our houseplant pot sales and we have seen a 1200% growth in the sale of terrariums. Hanging plants are also in huge demand.

Another key growth area is in outdoor living and outdoor entertaining. This is especially around natural light and heat. Over 55% of consumers in a recent survey rated re-designing their outdoor entertaining space as their number one priority for their gardens. In addition to this, consumers are looking for instant easy to maintain gardens with planted containers and raised beds as a top growth area. Listening to consumer requests in garden centres you can also see the traditional seasons for plants, leisure and other seasonal products changing. Consumers are no longer bound by tradition and you can see the impact of this over the whole of retail.

Technology is playing a huge part in consumer spend, décor and garden trends. With the online retail forecasted to grow by over 14% this year, way we shop is changing. The latest interior and exterior design trends are so readily available to view online, and as a result consumers of all ages want to see this in the stores that they visit. This demand will undoubtedly impact on the garden centre industry. Bricks and mortar retail needs to combat this through the retail leisure experience at their store; by increasing their own online presence so consumers can research their purchases, by building their own unique identity, and becoming a store with a culture of excellence in inspiration and service.

What value do you think the Retail Lab will offer retailers/buyers?

The Retail Lab offers retail buyers a source of inspiration both for product and their store environments. It reflects the latest trends in a rapidly changing retail landscape. It provides many thought provoking ideas and will inspire innovation back in our own business environments. It is an excellent addition to the show and we are looking forward to it further developing in the coming years.

See more from Ivyline at Glee by visiting the company’s stand Hall 20, stand K50-L51, or find them in the Retail Lab. More details can be found at www.ivylinegb.co.uk

Find out more

Glee is the UK’s leading garden retail show, focussing on building year-round profits within core product categories including Garden Care, Outdoor Entertaining, Landscaping and Garden Design, Pet, Home, Gift and Clothing, and Plants. Each year the show attracts thousands of buyers from top retailers, such as leading UK garden centres, builders’ merchants, multiple retailers, and DIY stores. To keep up-to-date on all the latest news log onto www.gleebirmingham.com or call 020 3033 2160 to find out about exhibiting.

One of the most innovative features at the annual Glee exhibition, the Retail Lab – new for 2017 - has secured backing from a wide range of leading suppliers, who have come on board as either a ‘Preferred Partner’ or ‘Selected Partner’.  Here, ‘Preferred Partner’ Woodlodge’s Managing Director, Michael Wooldridge, tells us more about the company’s plans for the Retail Lab @ Glee.

Can you tell me more about what products you will displaying?

We will be displaying an attractive selection of pottery from our Potting Shed and Heritage Garden ranges.

Our chocolate coloured plain pots are crafted in the best quality terracotta; these pots are perfect for kitchen gardens for growing herbs and vegetables, whilst the bestselling Heritage Garden pots combine traditional design with contemporary style, showcasing in trend muted colourways. These beautiful planters work well to complement flowers, creating stunning displays for your garden.

Why did you choose to become a preferred supplier of the Retail Lab at Glee 2017? 

We chose to become a preferred supplier of the Retail Lab at Glee 2017 to demonstrate that garden centres can harness the trend of being a destination that offers the consumer a real experience with nature, whilst promoting linked sales between garden pots and plants.

What changing trends are you witnessing, and how are they affecting your business? What future trend excites you the most?

We’ve noticed a significant rise in gardeners having smaller spaces or no space at all to plant and grow. This means that container gardening will always be a popular choice as there are no space constraints and they are extremely portable and relatively easy to upkeep.

Following the colours for the home and garden allows us to keep up with the interior design trend of ‘bringing the outdoors in’. Gardeners want their garden to complement their home and having matching colours allows them to do this. We also actively design new shapes and styles to ensure that there is something fresh to the market each season, taking inspiration of shapes from history and nature.

We are excited for the future and hope that we can lead the market and offer gardeners a unique product offering.

What value do you think the Retail Lab will offer retailers/buyers?

We believe that the Retail Lab will inspire retailers to bring groups together in the garden centre and demonstrate skills such as a potting up workshop, which will help to drive link sales of plants and garden pots whilst providing a fun experience for consumers that will keep them coming back.

See more from Woodlodge at Glee by visiting the company’s stand Hall 19&20, stand A30-C51 and S02-U03, or find them in the Retail Lab. More details can be found at www.woodlodge.co.uk

Find out more

Glee is the UK’s leading garden retail show, focussing on building year-round profits within core product categories including Garden Care, Outdoor Entertaining, Landscaping and Garden Design, Pet, Home, Gift and Clothing, and Plants. Each year the show attracts thousands of buyers from top retailers, such as leading UK garden centres, builders’ merchants, multiple retailers, and DIY stores. To keep up-to-date on all the latest news log onto www.gleebirmingham.com or call 020 3033 2160 to find out about exhibiting.

One of the most innovative features at the annual Glee exhibition, the Retail Lab – new for 2017 - has secured backing from a wide range of leading suppliers, who have come on board as ‘Preferred Partner’ and ‘Selected Partner’ of the four trend-led areas.  Here, ‘Preferred Partner’ Cadix’s Managing Director, Kate Ebbens, tells us more about the company’s plans for the Retail Lab @ Glee.

Can you tell us more about what products you’ll be displaying?

This year at Glee we will be launching to the market our new range of indoor planters. A natural evolution for the Cadix portfolio, and reflective of changing consumer trend for a greener interior lifestyle, these new indoor planters have been created to reflect nature in both their design and manufacturing process.

These new indoor planters will be displayed within the Retail Lab’s Re-Wilding area; an area dedicated to an emerging market that sees nature take centre stage. The latest Cadix planters fit perfectly within this theme. Not only does the range draw its inspiration from nature and are manufactured from recyclable material, but they also demonstrate the ways that different textures, materials and designs can be merchandised within a retail environment together to create an eye-catching and memorable display that can encourage cross and upselling opportunities.

Why did you choose to become a preferred supplier of the Retail Lab @ Glee 2017, and what value do you think it will offer retailers/buyers?

Cadix is very active within the wider European and international garden retail market. We’ve been lucky enough to attend many other events and exhibitions, and have seen similar concepts to the Retail Lab along the way. In each case, there has been no doubt surrounding the value of such features. From bringing together the industry, showcasing how products can be merchandised together, and helping retailers to consider their own retail environments, is invaluable to both retailers and suppliers. I’ve no doubt that the Retail Lab @ Glee will deliver comparable benefits.

From our perspective, I am also keen to encourage younger shoppers into garden centres. This has been a hot topic for some time and I’m sure it will rumble on for many years to come. The fact is we know the younger demographic are going to garden centres but often look to catch-all retailers such as IKEA for their plant and pot needs. Educating this audience and getting them to understand that garden centres offer so much more - and all at the heart of the local community - is something we are dedicating to succeeding in. Both our involvement within the Retail Lab and the wider show will be focussed on delivering inspirational ideas to capture this vital consumer group.

What changing trends are you witnessing, and how are they affecting your business? What future trend excites you the most?

For us the move into interior trends is extremely exciting. Indoor gardening is growing rapidly, and we want to offer something that enables consumers to access this trend without having to compromise on style or clashing with their home interior choices.

Our new designs – collated into two collections: Natural and Lux – offer designs and textures that fit both traditional and contemporary backdrops. In particular, the Lux collection features a very modern and graphic heraldry design that has become increasingly prevalent on social media and leading trend blogs. From a retailer point of view, we also believe we have created a capsule range of sorts, featuring a wide selection of designs, sizes and choices without flooding the market. Our collections are made of carefully considered products, in a number of colour ways and sizes to meet popular and classic tastes.

The move into interiors is also aligned with our business development plans, which will see all our production moved to Holland by the new year. The move to more localised producers means we can better ensure product quality and have a closer relationship with our manufacturing partners, enabling us to quickly develop new concepts, designs and ranges to suit ever changing consumer trends, both exterior and interior.

See more from Cadix at Glee by visiting the company’s stand Hall 20, stand L30-M31, or find them in the Retail Lab’s Re-Wilding area. More details can be found at www.cadix.co.uk

Find out more

Glee is the UK’s leading garden retail show, focussing on building year-round profits within core product categories including Garden Care, Outdoor Entertaining, Landscaping and Garden Design, Pet, Home, Gift and Clothing, and Plants. Each year the show attracts thousands of buyers from top retailers, such as leading UK garden centres, builders’ merchants, multiple retailers, and DIY stores. To keep up-to-date on all the latest news log onto www.gleebirmingham.com or call 020 3033 2160 to find out about exhibiting.

One of the most innovative features at the annual Glee exhibition, the Retail Lab – new for 2017 - has secured backing from a wide range of leading suppliers, who have come on board as either a ‘Preferred Partner’ or ‘Selected Partner’.  Here, ‘Preferred Partner’ Meadow View Stone’s Marketing Director, Sarah Hill, tells us more about the company’s plans for the Retail Lab @ Glee.

Can you tell me more about what products you will displaying?

Meadow View Stone will be displaying a contemporary collection of Natural Sandstone Planks, a selection of new decorative chippings, pebbles and cobbles in the latest on trend colours along with a choice of ornamental stoneware.  These products will be positioned within the Re-Wilding Butterfly Garden, Community Pallet Garden and the Wellbeing Garden, fully showcasing the versatility of our products and the great part they play in creating the look, feel and ambience of the garden spaces.

Why did you choose to become a preferred supplier of the Retail Lab at Glee 2017? 

Our product collections span such a vast range of colours, textures, styles and trends that any opportunity to display complementing products together helps our customers understand the upselling opportunities available, together with the importance of product placing in store.  This also aids them in advising their customers which products complement and correspond to create the look and feel they desire for their own outdoor spaces.

The Retail Lab, which consists of industry specialists, provides a great independent insight into how they perceive our products creating the various design briefs and ambiences for each garden style.  As a company, we constantly monitor and look at new colours and style trends in outdoor landscaping, and this is reflected in our new ranges, with Scandinavian inspired living and urban colour palettes featuring in many of our new product collections launched this year.

What value do you think the Retail Lab will offer retailers/buyers?

Any opportunity to see our products up close in a touch and feel environment greatly assists customers in understanding the colour tones, sizing and quality of the products we have.  By encouraging retailers to ‘sell the dream’ and showcase a collection of products together in an all-encompassing garden design has a much greater return than displaying each element of outdoor living separately.  The various garden display areas within the Retail Lab re-enforce this thinking so it helps our retailers visualise how displays in store with complementing products can work to greatly inspire and increase spend with their customers.

One of the most innovative features at the annual Glee exhibition, the Retail Lab @ Glee – new for 2017 - has secured backing from a wide range of leading suppliers, who have come on board as ‘Preferred Supplier Partner’ and ‘Selected Supplier Partner’ of the Retail Lab’s four trend-lead areas.  Here, ‘Preferred Supplier Partner’ Elho’s Sales Manager UK & Ireland, David Nicholson tells us more about Elho’s plans for the Retail Lab @ Glee.

Can you tell us more about what products you will displaying?

We’ll be displaying a selection of Elho’s new and best-selling pots. What we’ve found is that colour is one of the main things that attracts garden centre customers when they’re exploring the aisles. We’ll be showcasing how retailers can utilise colour to best effect - even if people end up buying more muted tones of pots.

Why did you choose to become a preferred supplier of the Retail Lab @ Glee 2017?

The decision was actually very easy. At Elho we’re all about bringing nature into people’s everyday lives. The four global trends the Retail Lab has identified of Community, Family, Re-wilding and Well-being resonate with our own vision and how we’re working both with the trade and also communicating with consumers. 

What changing trends are you witnessing, and how are they affecting your business? What future trend excites you the most?

As urbanisation takes over and our access to nature becomes more restricted, we’ve really noticed a trend towards turning any outdoor space into a garden. Balconies, terraces, vertical spaces are becoming green with easy-to-fit balcony pots and vertical gardens and drainpipe clickers.

What’s also exciting is to see the growth in house plants and pots used as interior accessories. While this has been a trend in Europe for a while, the UK has lagged behind. But we’re catching up fast and every garden centre we speak to is increasing its range of interior pots. We invest a lot in understanding colour trends, researching everything from fashion to technology. This enables Elho to bring out ranges that are bang on trend every year. We’ll be showing these new colours at Glee. 

We’re also seeing a resurgence in grow-your-own. It’s felt that the movement that began stalled slightly in the past few years. It’s now picked up apace. And this grow-your-own isn’t just for people with allotments or larger gardens. Balcony allotments and windowsill growing is an exciting trend which is why we’re bringing out a grow house for balcony pots. Our Grow Table continues to do extremely well as it provides space for growing is small gardens, patios and terraces - and people love how it combines design with function. 

What value do you think the Retail Lab will offer retailers/buyers?

Garden trade shows are not just about seeing new products, they’re about inspiring visitors to change how they do business, to excite them and to reinvigorate their innovation. That’s that the Retail Lab will be. Giving people access to innovative new ideas. Bringing trends to live in the retail environment. Inspiring people to do things different and better. Creating a community in the sector. We’re really excited to be part of Retail Lab at this year’s Glee.

Find out more

Glee is the UK’s leading garden retail show, focussing on building year-round profits within core product categories including Garden Care, Outdoor Entertaining, Landscaping and Garden Design, Pet, Home, Gift and Clothing, and Plants. Each year the show attracts thousands of buyers from top retailers, such as leading UK garden centres, builders’ merchants, multiple retailers, and DIY stores. To keep up-to-date on all the latest news log onto www.gleebirmingham.com or call 020 3033 2160 to find out about exhibiting.

PREFERRED PARTNERS

• Cadix
• Hozelock
• Petface
• Ivyline
• Woodlodge
• Elho
• Fallen Fruits
• Meadow View

SUPPLIER PARTNERS

• Traditional Garden Games
• Woodstock Wind Chimes
• Potters Crouch Candles
• Primeur Ltd
• BSB Products Ltd (Carnilove)
• The Patio Blackspot Removal Company
• Solar Centre
• Tildenet
• Voyage Maison
• Premier Decorations
• The Outdoor Living Company
• Bord Na Mona

PLANT PARTNERS

• Profit Plant B.V.
• Air So Pure
• Wyevale Nurseries

CATERING PARTNERS

• Tea from the Manor
• Dawn Foods
• Zeo Drinks
• The Beanworks

• • • August Preview        - 20th August
    • Late August Preview  - 25th August
    • Full Show Preview           - 1st September
    • Build up preview - Live from the Show - 10th September 
    • Live from the Show Day 1 - 11^th September
    • Live from the Show Day 2  - 12^th September
    • Live from the Show Day3   - 13^th September
    • Omnibus Issue                 - 27th September