Welcome everyone to the 38^th annual Glee exhibition! 

This year we have worked hard to ensure that with every step of your journey around the show you will be treated to hundreds of business-boosting resources – from bringing absent and big brands back; to offering unrivalled retail inspiration and showcasing leading product innovation.  Featuring the widest selection of British and international garden, landscaping and leisure exhibitors in the UK, Glee remains an unrivalled meeting point for buyers and suppliers alike - and represents the one and only window onto the full spectrum of garden retail profit opportunity.

There is an action-packed programme organised between now and Tuesday, and we hope you will be able to join us to celebrate some of the key events that are happening at the show.  This morning we announced the winners of the much anticipated Glee New Products Showcase, following a rigorous judging process yesterday afternoon.  Look out for the two dedicated product displays in The Hub, located at heart of both Hall 4 and 5, where you’ll find hundreds of products that have been handpicked by our panel of judges as a true representation of what’s new, innovative or simply great within the industry.

Our dedicated educational centre, The Knowledge Hub (Hall 4), is a rich resource for anyone wanting to get to grips with the hottest topics and industry issues.  Today we had a programme packed full of content thanks to our partner association, The HTA - including a special session with international retail guru, John Stanley, who kicked off proceedings at midday.  Other topics for discussion include social media and the importance of plants within garden retail.

Tomorrow in the Knowledge Hub (Hall 4) we have our first panel debate at 10:30am, which will be addressing how retailers can attract a younger audience. There is also a second chance to attend John Stanley and Edwin Meijer’s sessions at 12:00pm and 1:00pm respectively, whilst multi-channel retailing will be a topic for discussion at 3:00pm with Ray Buckler of Retail DNA.

Remember to visit the Food & Catering Zone – in association with Vision Commercial Kitchens (Hall 5) too, for some delicious tasters, as well as inspirational advice on how to maximise catering within your retail business. Added to this, the Innovators Zone (Hall 5) is celebrating its fourth year of bringing pre-market, entrepreneurial product ideas direct to you, the buyer.

Don’t forget, there is also still time to cast your vote for The Retailers Best Product Award.  This is your chance to tell us which product you think is the next big seller.  I for one am looking forward to seeing who will be announced the winner on Monday night at the Glee Exhibitor Reception (Piazza Area, 6:00pm onwards).

However you spent your day I sincerely hope that you enjoy your time at Glee and here’s to another great day at Glee tomorrow! 

Matthew Mein

Glee Event Manager

Seed specialist, Suttons Seeds, have launched their new Wildlife Sanctuary Seed Collection at GLEE.

This new collection has been designed in conjunction with the BBKA (British Beekeepers Association) to provide nectar and pollen for the honey bee and other pollinators all-year-round.

The collection is made up of 38 flower, veg and herb varieties with each packet clearly detailing whether the variety is good for nectar or pollen.

Did you know?... One in three mouthfuls of the food we eat is dependent on pollination!

Keeping our pollinators strong and healthy enables them to pollinate our crops so we can enjoy delicious fruit, veg, salads and even chocolate! However, it’s not just the food we eat that is important, pollination helps to feed many other animals and birds in the food chain plus, it is a vital part of creating the diversity in the environment that we all enjoy.

In a recent survey, Suttons found that 44% of gardeners were growing plants to encourage wildlife in their gardens.

Suttons new Wildlife Sanctuary meets the consumer desire for growing varieties that will not only attract bees, butterflies and other pollinators to their gardens, but will also put food on the table and brighten their homes.

The collection has been designed to meet a real consumer concern, create interest and maximise profits plus, the 68cm display will only take up a small amount of room in store! The display for Suttons new Wildlife Sanctuary is eye-catching and playful with attractive point of sale material that even includes your very own ‘Betty Bee’ wobbler.

While Suttons is donating to the Charity directly, inside each packet the consumer also has the opportunity to ‘Adopt a beehive’ or become a ‘Friend of the honeybee’. All money raised through these channels is ploughed back into the BBKA to support essential scientific research to prevent the decline of the honey bee.

Other new products to look out for include:

Rapid Green II, Self-Repairing Lawn Seed
Suttons new Self-Repairing Lawn Seed gives up to 30% more cover than conventional lawn seed! It gives you a lush, thick, even lawn that has a high tolerance to drought and even the most enthusiastic children and pets –with no more patch repairs!

James Wong Plants
New 5 litre Homegrown Revolution plant range coming soon!

Microgreens
Grow your own ‘Indoor Allotment’ all-year-round with the latest culinary ‘must-have’ that’s packed full of nutrients and vitamins.

Floral Fusions Flower Mixes
Sensational selection of flower mixes that are easy to sow and will quickly add colour to any garden.

For more information on Suttons new Wildlife Sanctuary Seed Collection, or if you would like to stock the collection, visit the Suttons Seeds team at GLEE, Hall 5 Stand 5E 22.  www.suttons.com

Eleven, ground-breaking new garden products have been confirmed as the winners of the coveted Glee New Product Awards 2013.

Winners off the Glee New Product Awards 2013 were selected from more than 200 entries, before Glee opened on Sunday morning, by an expert panel of judges representing independent and multiple retailers, the media, trade associations and international suppliers. With nine key garden retail categories, relevant entries were also considered for the Best of British and Green Awards. Each entry was judged on a challenging range of criteria including innovation, design, quality, environmental credentials, pricing and retail potential.

Buyers visiting Glee can see all of the winning and highly commended products in the 'Visitor Hub' areas of the show, where you'll also find the hundreds of other entries. Entries from exhibitors in Hall 5 can be found in the Hub central to Hall 5; exhibitors from Hall 4, and large-scale entries from Hall 5, can be found in Hall 4's Hub.

Winners’ round-up (in alphabetical order of categories)

Catering & Speciality Food

Winner: Chocolate Slabs, by Bon Bon’s (Wholesale) Ltd

Judges’ comments: Caroline Owen said: "These handcrafted chocolate slabs offer something quite different and should have a lot of appeal at garden centre level.  They are well packaged and priced, come in a transparent pack that shows off the colourful product, and offer good sales potential." 

Garden Care

Winner: Rainwater Terrace, by Design 4 Plastics Ltd

Judges’ comments: Simon Moore said:  "This is an innovative rainwater collection product that’s both practical and decorative.  The idea combines a two- or three-tier container to collect and re-use rainwater, with a decorative, multi-level planter that can be used for plants or grow-your-own.  Enabling the plants to feed from the water butt is a great feature; the plants made it attractive enough to place outside your house, and it’s at a good price point."

Garden Leisure

Winner: Grass Graffiti, by Johnsons Lawn Seed (DLF Trifolium)

Highly commended: Metal Silhouette Peacock, by Smart Solar

Judges’ comments: Carol Paris said: "The judges unanimously agreed that Grass Graffiti chalk-based, aerosol spray ‘paint’ is a brilliant, innovative product.  We can see a huge range of potential, from having fun with the family during garden games, sports and parties, to making garden design easier by marking out borders and ponds.  It washes off without damaging the lawn and is realistically priced too."

Garden Machinery

Winner: The Handy Folding Garden Trolley, by Handy Distirbution

Highly Commended: Flymo Ultraglide, by Husqvarna UK

Judges’ comments: John Barrett said:  "This convenient, folding garden trolley really is a well-engineered piece of equipment that’s easy to use, store and transport.  It could be equally useful for gardeners, campers and festival-goers!  We also felt it is well priced."

Home, Gift & Clothing

Winner: RHS Endorsed Garden Gifts, by Burgon & Ball

Highly Commended: Profession’elle Ladies Gloves, by Briers Ltd

Judges’ comments: Tamsin Westhorpe said: "The RHS Endorsed Garden Gift collection was an obvious winner.  Featuring images from the RHS Lindley Library, the packaging was just beautiful, and the quality of the gardening tools inside matched the loveliness of the gift - you'd know that someone loved you if you received it! It's a godd example of an existing branded item being combined with others to make a highly desirable new gift set. We also thought the Briars Prefession'elle Ladies Gloves were funky and fun, with a lovely design and comfortable for hands of any size"

Landscaping & Garden Design

Winner: Nash Storage Chest and Nash Garden Workstation, by M&M Timber Ltd

Highly Commended: Bloom Glasshouses, by Rhino Greenhouses

Judges’ comments: Katie Cleary said: "This was a very closely fought category, covering an enormous span of product types.  But we liked the fact that M&M’s Nash Storage Chest and Garden Workstation are both strong retail products with practical, robust construction, an easy-clean recycled plastic top, attractive design, and a competitive price point. Coming a close second place, we also thought that the Bloom Glasshouses by Rhino - designed by the former chief designer at Lotus cars - offeer great quality and stylish design

Pet

Winner: Ultra Plush Snuggle Bed, by Westwoods Global Ltd

Highly Commended: Cheeky Chicks pixie piggy house

Judges’ comments: Jane Lancaster said:  "The Ultra Plush Snuggle bed really caught our eye.  It’s an easy-clean, top quality product offering luxury and comfort for the family pet; and as it’s elevated it offers draught-free sleeping."

Retail Support

Winner: Beehive 3D Point of Sale, by Floramedia UK Ltd

Judges’ comments: Caroline Owen said: "This is a really impressive POS idea.  It successfully brings beekeeping to life at the point of sale, without the need for retailers to install a real beehive - an excellent display product

Nursery & Planteria

Winner: Culinary Herb Collection, by Gardeners Kitchen

Highly Commended: Miltonia candida x binottii hybrid orchid, by Javado UK

Comments: Joanna Wood said: "We liked Gardeners Kitchen’s well-presented pack of six culinary herbs. They make an ideal starter option for the garden, or to grow indoors on a windowsill. They also come with a handy trug and are attractively priced."

Best of British

Winner: RHS Endorsed Garden Gifts, by Burgon & Ball

Highly commended: Rainwater Terrace, by Design 4 Plastics Ltd

Judges’ comments: Carol Paris said: "This was the category that divided the judges the most, with both the winner and the highly commended products highly praised by the judges.  However, overall we felt that Burgon & Ball’s RHS Endorsed Garden Gift collection was the Best of British product, benefiting from great, British-made quality, good looks and the RHS branding.  It also appeals to female customers in particular, who make 70% of the purchases in garden centres.  We also liked the Rainwater Terrace, which cleverly combines both a water butt and planter; offering good looks with solving a practical gardening need."

Green Award

Winner: Biostretch, by Biostretch.com

Highly commended: All-in-one Propagator and Pot, by Ashortwalk

Judges’ comments: Caroline Owen said: "Biostretch is an innovative, biodegradable twine that the judges felt is a truly eco-friendly product.  It offers a soft, stretchy yet strong garden tie that rots into the ground after two years outside.  It’s the ideal way of supporting a plant as it grows, and should have mass market appeal.  We also liked the integrated Propagator and Pot by Ashortwalk.  Made from recycled yoghurt pots, it’s a clean, long-lasting, clutte- free way of propagating with zero waste, and zero landfill."

One further award - the Retailers Choice Award - will be announced tomorrow at Glee. Retailers visiting Glee New Product displays in Glee's Halls 4 and 5 are invited to vote for their favourite product after viewing the entries on display at the two Hubs. Voting is open from Sunday 15th September until Monday 16th September at midday, with the winner announced at Glee's exhibitor drinks evening from 6pm on Monday

Forest Garden welcomed visitors to Glee today to their new location in Hall 5 (5E40). First reports suggested strong interest from buyers in leisure products for 2014...

Forest’s head of marketing, Vicky Nuttall said the company's product portfolio had diversified significantly into a wide range of decorative lines, breaking us out of the traditional ‘landscaping’ mould. "We felt that Glee’s Hall 5 is much more representative of where we are as a business and also of our offering for garden retailers."

Forest are also using Glee to showcase a range of new retail solutions. The introduction of a smarter pricing policy with competitive pricing solutions, combined with a new and improved delivery service, will help drive growth for customers. New retail solutions, including a selection of new merchandising and display solutions will also be on display.

Forest’s Glee 2013 product selection will also be more diverse than ever before. Core lines will be complemented by a range of inspirational new products for the 2014 season. 

Vicky confirmed a strong interest in outdoor dining and entertaining structures, possibly on the back of the long, hot 2013 summer. 

La Hacienda launched a new range of decorative garden giftware at Glee 2013, designed to offer retailers an on-trend giftware selection for customers.

Best known for its selection of chimeneas, La Hacienda has expanded its product portfolio significantly in recent years, with retailers now benefitting from one of the widest selection of firebasket, firebowls, firepits, lanterns, garden oil torches and gel burners.  The addition of the new giftware collection will further cement the company’s dedication to delivering the most comprehensive outdoor heating and accessory range on the market.

The new giftware offering comprises four different categories: The first range of colourful and quirky animals includes Daphne the Duck and Penelope the Pig.  Made from metal with an intended ‘lived in’ look these animals benefit from a primary colour palette, making them an eye-catching and playful addition to the garden or home.

A range of realistic looking wild birds has also been created.  From the Regal Pheasant to the Flapping White Duck and Tall Heron, these unique statues combines contemporary materials with traditional design, perfect for use anywhere in the home or in the garden.

Birds also feature within La Hacienda’s new beaded metal animals range.  Featuring free-standing and wall mounted designs including a snail, butterfly, frog and fish, each animal includes an exotic metalwork body in either a washed or lacquer finish.  Finally each animal is adorned with brightly coloured or glow in the dark beads – the latter being a unique design feature in decorative products of this type.

The final addition is a stunning assortment of rustic ironwork accessories.  From a lucky horseshoe and hose holder to key hooks, decorative brackets and shoe brush, this new range has been designed to tap into the trend of rustic and traditional home and garden decorations that has proven popular in recent years.

La Hacienda MD Simon Goodwin said: “We are extremely excited to be launching this new range of giftware at Glee 2013.  We offered the industry a ‘sneak peek’ recently and found the response to be incredibly positive.  This strong response was not only because the products combine style and quality, but also because this diversification further strengthens our position as a one-stop-shop for the best in garden accessories – something that our customers tell us is incredibly important to them.”

In addition to launching its new giftware offering, La Hacienda is also showcasing new additions to its existing product portfolio.  New designs of chimeneas, firepits, gel burners and garden mirrors will also be on display. 

Electric garden heating solutions, including the newly integrated Heatmaster® brand, are also be available to view.  A growing profit opportunity for both La Hacienda and its customers, this advanced range will be showcased alongside proven POS and merchandising solutions.

Find out more: For further information about La Hacienda’s outdoor heating ranges visit www.lahacienda.co.uk or call 01285 762060.

Looking to stock boots that are smart and stylish but above all practical, comfortable and hardwearing?

Whether your customers are keen gardeners, enjoy the great outdoors or need boots for equestrian and country pursuits, the Grub’s® range from Worklite on stand 5D53 is the answer.

Grub’s® boots are made to the highest quality using the latest, innovative materials and new technologies that work seamlessly with each other to give a new level of performance footwear.

The Frostline 5.0™ range is a high performance field boot with the TRAX sole which is ideal for work or leisure activities.

Available in a range of colours including Moss Green, Black, Fuchsia, Violet and Camouflage these boots certainly live up to expectations.

All Grub’s® footwear is made using their self-insulating INSU-FOAM ULTRA™ bootie construction which is super soft and super bouncy, with a compression set of less than 7% versus 20-25% for other neoprene boots, so they remain soft and comfortable for much longer.

Made with the latest technology, Grub’s®  Frostline 5.0™ boots include a tough texturised nylon face with a durable water shedding finish, 5mm light buoyant insulating foam and moisture wicking terry knit lining.

Grub’s® offer an extensive range of both neoprene and leather footwear – visit stand 5D53 at GLEE for a warm welcome.

Whitefurze Ltd, the UK manufacturer of plastic consumer products, is using its stand ((5D28-E29) at Glee to showcase an enhanced garden range with a new, eco-friendly element.

Following an ongoing programme of new product development, Whitefurze are launching a brand new range of Water Butt Kits available in 100 & 230 litre capacities.

Manufactured in the UK, the new Water Butt Kits are simple and easy to install and come with everything you need to get started including stand and diverter.  The butts can be installed with no drilling required and make using stored water to look after your plants easy. Made from recycled materials, the new water butts are an essential part of any eco-friendly garden.

Also new for 2013 are Watering Cans and Athens Planters. The easy-to-carry cans are available in two designs and three sizes and come complete with detachable sprinkler rose. Practical and attractive, The Athens Range of planters includes five competitively priced lines including square, round and rectangular profiles. 

Visitors to the Whitefurze stand will also see their existing ranges of pots & saucers, planters, propagation lines and clever gardening accessories. Whatever you are looking for, Whitefurze has quality plastic garden products to suit your needs. 

As well as launching a complete category solution for lighting packed with new product ideas, Gardman introduced their ‘ShaRRPer Pricing’ initiative and a number of promotional offers and merchandising solutions at Glee yesterday.

“Lighting is a strong, growing category and we are giving our retail partners the tools they need to capitalise on this opportunity,” explained Sarah Downing, marketing manager at Gardman.

Visitors to the company’s stand (5B30-C31) will discover the facts behind the promotional headline:

•35 New Product !deas;

•15 ShaRRPer Prices;

•10 all-new sales boosters, priced to drive volume sales all year;

•New pre-merchandised display units, giving retailers the high-impact, easy merchandising solutions they need.

Including high sales volume items such as liners and moss, Gardman’s rejuvenated hanging garden range was also launched at the show yesterday. As part of the company’s new sales initiatives – SMA*RTER Merchandising, New Product !deas and ShaRRPer Pricing – the range has been refined, prices have been dropped, new booster offers put in place and effective research-based merchandising solutions developed.

In particular Gardman have enhanced their Blacksmith Range, introducing a premium product offer. A heavier gauge of iron has been used, a heavier duty chain with s-hook and the design has been improved with added spokes and particular design details.

“Hanging garden is an important line for garden centres,” Sarah Downing said. “As well as being a range known to consistently appeal to consumers, the category offers real and very valuable opportunities for additional sales.  Getting the merchandising right pays dividends. Our new solution is modular and so flexible for any garden space. The interchanging parts mean gondolas can be transformed into wall stands and can be used as fully shelved, as a hanging wall for larger items or as part display, part stock with the display at the top and a hopper at the bottom.”

‘Trust us to Deliver’ is Gardman’s new retail partnership strategy, designed to help garden centres drive sales and profits. The five sales initiatives within the strategy are:

* ShaRRPer Pricing: lower RRPs will drive the sales volume

* Stonger Off£rs: a greater deal and frequency of offers will drive footfall and sales

* SMA*RTER Merchandising:  innovative merchandising solutions will maximise the sales per square metre

* New Product !deas: Innovation in new product development will drive sales and footfall

• Dents Garden Centre (Gothic arch canopy)
• Dunbar Garden Centre
• Dobbies (both King's Lynn and Inverness)
• Northwood Garden Centre

National Structures are also currently undertaking a retail canopy area project at Smiths Nurseries (Bagington) Ltd and also working on a project of replacing roof areas and  refurbishing existing buildings at Garson’s Farm Esher.

And the company have been awarded the contract to supply the canopies for the Galgorm Castle Garden Centre project in Northern Ireland.

National Structures are on stand 5H36. For more information visit www.nationalstructures.co.uk



Pictured above: Dents Garden Centre. Below: selection of pictures from Dunbar Garden Centre.

The Jeyes team revealed their all-new range at Glee today, including a redesign of the original Jeyes Fluid tins, the introduction of new Jeyes Patio Power and Jeyes Fluid Ready to Use plus the re-formulation for Jeyes Freshbin.

Head down to stand 5E20-F21 to see the full range and collect your FREE sample of Jeyes Fluid Ready to Use 500ml*. Bulk order discounts for wholesale and garden centres will apply for the duration of the show.

Trusted by generations, Jeyes Fluid is a remarkably versatile outdoor cleaner. Originally patented by John Jeyes in 1877 in Thetford, Norfolk, Jeyes Fluid was granted a Royal Warrant in 1896 and continues to supply the Royal household to this day. Today, the range is bigger than ever, with the latest products and packaging refresh expected to raise awareness and attract new users to the brand, as well as increasing usage and repeat purchase amongst the existing customer base.

New Jeyes Patio Power is a unique and long-lasting pressure-washer compatible cleaner which kills 99.9% of germs and removes dirt, algae and mildew on all hard outdoor surfaces. Available now in a 2L format at an RRP of £9.99, and a 4L format at an RRP of £15.99.

New Jeyes Fluid Ready to Use is a convenient, pre-diluted version of traditional Jeyes Fluid. Available now with an RRP of £1.49 for the 500ml pack, and £9.99 for the 4L pack.

Retailers should contact 01842 757 575 or contact@jeyes.com to order products or for more information.

*while stocks last

The first copy of a new e-book designed to help garden centres build their online expertise was presented to HTA President Carol Paris at Glee’s Knowledge Hub today.

The guide – titled  “10 ways to drive more traffic to your garden centre via the internet” – is distributed by Garden Connect (5G27), who have also launched a national product database for garden centres.

In his first Glee seminar, John Stanley warned his audience that the next five years would be “excitingly different” as the pace of new technology and innovation accelerated. The seminar will be repeated tomorrow (Monday) at The Knowledge Hiub in Hall 4.



Caption: Edwin Meijer and John Stanley present the first copy of their e-book to HTA president Carol Paris.

Every year there are products launched at Glee that become bestsellers, but how do you know just how big a bestseller they become and how much in-store promotion you should give them?

GTN Bestsellers is the answer. Every week Top 50 Bestsellers charts are published, compiled from garden centre Epos data, giving the best and most up to date garden centre trading information on the market.

If you’d have been a subscriber this year you’ll have known that Roundup Weedkiller Gel, launched at Glee 2011, was the No.1 best selling weed killer product for 25 weeks this year and topped the garden products chart for one week in May. And that Vitax Slug Gone, launched at Glee 2012, was the GTN Bestsellers New Product of the Year, featuring in the Top 50 for 12 weeks, reaching a highest position of No12.

Plus, you’ll have benefitted from the GTN Bestsellers Tip of the week – a gem of a sales idea every week derived from 5 years of GTN Bestsellers charts.

So what are you waiting for? You need to buy a subscription to GTN Bestsellers right now. For just £145.00, you get a printed GTN Bestsellers chart posted to you each week, full access to the GTN Bestsellers charts and the GTN Archive on-line and your own copy of Garden Trade News in the post each issue.

And there’s more!! 

If you take out a GTN Bestsellers subscription before Glee, we’ll send you, as a bonus, the GTN Bestsellers Charts for the critical sales periods through June July and August this year when, according to our gathered Epos data, sales of garden products were up year on year by 10.3%.

And there’s even more!!!

Buying a subscription now means you’ll get every issue with the GTN Bestsellers Christmas charts too. It’s an invaluable chart to follow as your Christmas sales build, allowing you to spot new trends, make changes to your promotions and POS.  And, be one more step ahead of the competition when it comes to your Christmas buying for 2014.

So, what are you waiting for?  To get your subscription to GTN Bestsellers up and running, simply subscribe online here

or contact us by phone on 01733 775700 or by e-mail: karen.pfeiffer@tgcmc.co.uk

GTN Bestsellers – Garden Centre Bestsellers, Guaranteed!

In the official Glee Catalogue, the entry for Crown Garden Products contained information about another company and its products. The entry should have read as follows:

Crown Garden Products, Crown Garden Barn, 25 Mill Road, Burston, Norfolk IP22 5TW. Tel +44 1379 740221. Email info@crowngarden products.com   www.crowngardenproducts.com  John and Juliette Atkinson.

The Grow Bag Frame from Crown is unique: by turning a grow bag on its edge, the steel frame holds the bag in position and allows for improved soil depth for root development and better growth. It creates a strong vertical plant support system which is portable, even when planted.

We’re sorry for any inconvenience caused by the omission.

In the Glee Official Catalogue there is a correction to the listing under CXC (HC) Holdings Ltd (stand) 4C22. The company name should be Anping County Yexiang Hardware Wiremesh Products Co Ltd.

The correct contact details are as follows:
Wire Mesh Industrial Park, Anping County, Hebei Province, China.
Tel: 86-318-7026399
E-mail: info@yexiangwiremesh.com

Celebrity gardener Pippa Greenwood was at Glee today to announce the winners of the Stewart Garden Schools campaign 2013 and launch the 2014 competition. A cheque for £2000 was presented to Lough View Integrated Primary school, Belfast, Ireland, whose headmaster Robin Mercer attended with some of his pupils.

Second place went to Milbourne Lodge Primary, Esher, Surrey, with Bradley Barton Primary, Newton Abbot, Devon, in third place.

Stewart Garden (5F01), the gardening division of UK manufacturer Stewart, developed the Stewart Garden Schools campaign in 2012, with the aim of getting children to grow fruit and vegetables.

Louigh View will be spending their £2,000 prize money at Hillmount Garden Centre, Belfast. Milbourne will spend their £1,500 prize money at Garsons Esher Garden Centre, Esher and Bradley Barton will spend their £750 prize money at Fermoys Garden Centre, Newton Abbot.

For the 2014 campaign, Brother, will supply the schools with GL100 Garden Label printers for the second year running. New supporters Sinclair will supply compost.

Pippa Greenwood will provide the participating schools with a variety of seeds.

Next year, the top ten schools receive prize money, with the winning school receiving £1,000 to be spent at their local garden centre and the nine runners up will each receive £400.

Stewart Garden will again provide the growing kits.

Scotts Miracle-Gro have high hopes that Miracle-Gro® Flower Magic® Pots & Containers, unveiled at Glee today, will build on the success of the original Flower Magic product launched at Glee 2012.

The unique 3-in-1 formula contains premium flower seed mixes, long-term plant fertiliser that feeds for up to four months and a unique compressed and dried coir compost.

Flower Magic Pots & Containers contains a mix of up to 22 different flower varieties especially chosen for their compact habit, growing 15-30cm (6-12in) high, from June to October or the first severe frosts. It will also suit the fronts of beds and borders.

Each pouch  (SRP 4.99) contains enough for up to 10x30cm (12in) containers or an area of 1sq.m. (1sq.yd.).

Many of the varieties included are endorsed with the RHS Perfect For Pollinators mark.

The product comes with a ‘Satisfaction Guaranteed’ promise.

Also launched today were a new Miracle-Gro Potting Mix compost designed specifically for young seedlings and plug plants and a new lawn food, Evergreen Extreme Green, which promises a greener lawn with three days.

Todays lucky winners of a bottle of bubbly from Catering Design Group were David and Christine Titmus from All Occaisions in Hertfordshire.

Each day of the show, Glee Daily News will be walking around the show in search of visitors wearing an “I’ve thought about it!” pink badge. We’ll be picking one lucky visitor at random every day to win a bottle of champagne courtesy of Catering Design Group. For your chance to win, simply pick up your badge from the Catering Design Group stand within the Catering Zone (Stand 5K20-L25).

Will you be a winner tomorrow? 

The badges form part of an innovative idea from the team at CDG who have been providing garden centres with a range of solutions, hints and tips in the run up to the show around the theme: “Have you thought about…” They have covered solutions to problems with queuing, acoustics, sustainability and creating synergy between front and back of house.

Biostretch received their GIMA award as a finalist in the GIMA Garden Care category. This new and unique product is extremely strong, so it's ideal for supporting large plants, but it's also soft and stretchy, making it good for delicate plants too.

The biodegradable, elasticated material means it will stretch whilst giving gentle but firm support  and naturally drops off the plant and rots in the ground after 18-24 months.

You can find Biostretch at 5J63

 
Javado received their GIMA Sword of Excellence finalist award from Neil Gow for their Magnetic Ceramic Plant Pots.

Roger Crookes (GCA Inspector and Garden Centre Consultant) said "This is a great little product, as soon as I saw them I found myself buying one! A great opportunity for garden centres to boost struggling houseplant sales - you could display them on an old fridge in your houseplant department and encourage customers to start collecting fridge magnet plants."

You can see these innovative plant holders at Stand 4D36/4D32 .

Red or Dead founders Wayne and Gerardine Hemingway MBE was on the Briers stand today helping to showcase the new HemingwayDesign for Briers product offerings.

The range, which currently includes wellington boots and gloves and will be joined by raincoats, gives retailers a distinctive collection of premium garden-wear that will appeal to a design-aware audience.

Wayne and Gerardine are pictured with Briers MD Jackie Eades.