Ten ground-breaking new garden products have been confirmed as the winners of the coveted Glee New Product Awards 2018, run in association with GTN.

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

After initial judging of the 330 new products entered first thing the judges selected finalists in each category. Then those finalists had the opportunity to meet the judges, answer questions and make a pitch to be chosen as the winner.

The results:

Garden Decoration

Winner: Smart Garden Products Ltd  (Wannabees)

Wildlife and Pets

Joint Winners: RSPCA (Slow Feeder Bowl); Westland Horticulture (Peckish Squirrel Proof Suet Pellets)

Outdoor Entertaining

Winner: Smart Garden Products Ltd (Lit Firefly Balloons)

Landscaping

Winner: Primeur Ltd (Recycled Rubber Stepping Stone Medallion)

Home, Gift and Clothing

Winner: Tilnar Ltd T/A Tilnar Art, Besmo & Mo-Home (Meg Hawkins Collection)

Tools & Machinery

Winner: Block Blitz Ltd (Block Blitz Big Blitz)

Garden Care – Chemicals, Fertilisers and Growing Media

Winner: Westland Horticulture (Deadfast New Rodenticides Range)

Garden Care - Growing Accessories

Winner Tildenet Gardenware (Haxnicks Bamboo Pots & Seed Trays)

Plants, seeds and bulbs

Winner: Wyevale Nurseries Ltd (Agapanthus Fireworks)

Best of British Award

Winner: West Country Soil Improvement Ltd (Bloomin Amazing)

Overall Glee Best New Product

Winner: Primeur Ltd (Recycled Rubber Stepping Stone Medallion)

With more new products than previous years, the Glee New Product Showcase, in association with GTN, was a focus for hosts of buyers as Glee opened this morning as visitors headed to the stand in Hall 19.

Before the show opened, the panel of eight judges whittled the 330 plus new products entries across 9 categories down to the following 30 final contenders.

Garden Decoration

• Smart Garden Products Ltd | 60L50-R51 | Llama Rama
• Smart Garden Products Ltd | 60L50-R51 | Wannabees
• The Solar Centre | 20U44-V45 | Trueflame USB Solar Crook Lantern
• Greenkey Home & Garden | 7H80-J81  | Flamelights

Wildlife and Pets

• RSPCA | 19R12 | RSPCA Slow Feeder Bowl
• Westland Horticulture | 7G50-K51 | Peckish Squirrel Proof Suet Pellets.
• RSW International Ltd | 6S70-T71 | Fetch & Treat Ball Game

Outdoor Entertaining

• Burton McCall Ltd | 7K74-L75 | Thermacell Halo Mini 
• Smart Garden Products Ltd | 6L50-R51 | Lit Firefly Balloons
• Zest 4 Leisure | 20Z30 | Maisy Set

Landscaping

• Deco-pak | 20Y36-Z37 20Y40-Z41 | Lumi Pave
• Primeur Ltd | 19D10-E11 | Landscape edge
• Primeur Ltd | 19D10-E11 | Recycled Rubber Stepping Stone Medallion
• Smart Garden Products | 6L50-R51 | Solar Picket Fence

3:00pm Home, Gift and Clothing

• Burgon & Ball | 8E50-F51 | RHS Gifts for Gardeners 'British Bloom' collection – pocket pruner & holster set
• FallenFruits Ltd | 7F50-G51 | Plant Terrarium with tools
• Tilnar Ltd T/A Tilnar Art, Besmo & Mo-Home | 6S80 | Meg Hawkins Collection

Tools & Machinery

• Block Blitz Ltd | 20U70 | Block Blitz Big Blitz
• Burgon & Ball | 8E50-F51 | RHS-endorsed single-handed grass shear
• Gardman Ltd | 8D40-F41 7F40-G41 | Carbon Steel Large Shovel

Garden Care – Chemicals, Fertilisers and Growing Media

• Block Blitz Ltd | 20U70 | Block Blitz Mulit Pave Treatment
• Block Blitz Ltd | 20U70 | Block Blitz Block Shield
• West Country Soil Improvement Ltd | 19U14 | Bloomin Amazing
• Westland Horticulture |7G50-K51 | Deadfast New Rodenticides Range

Garden Care - Growing Accessories

• Tildenet Gardenware | 20U50 | Haxnicks Bamboo Pots & Seed Trays
• Vegepod | 8F75 | Vegepod Raised Garden Bed- medium
• Vegtrug Limited | 20Z50 | Grow Care

Plants, seeds and bulbs

• Javado |19G40-H41 | Ficus Mangrove Melany Petit
• Wyevale Nurseries Ltd | NB114 NB115 | Salvia
• Wyevale Nurseries Ltd | NB114 NB115 | Agapanthus Fireworks

Their sales pitches were made on the New Product Showcase area from 2-4pm.

Burgon & Ball has for many years been known for its innovation, creating award-winning tools to make gardening easier and more pleasurable. In a particularly strong year for tool innovation on the Burgon & Ball stand (8E50-F51), around half the 30+ new products on show are tools; there are both ingenious individual tools and whole new collections, specially created for the way people garden today.

The Sheffield-based manufacturer is able to develop new tools that consistently hit the mark, thanks to its approach of tuning into market trends. Gardens are evolving – and so are gardeners. By looking at how people garden, and the themes of current garden design, Burgon & Ball is able to create tools and ranges to meet market needs as they emerge.

A perfect example is the new RHS-endorsed container gardening range. Today’s smaller homes and busy lifestyles mean there’s often not the time or space for a large garden, and containers offer an easy and hugely popular way to bring a burst of instant colour to any space. Larger gardens also make the most of container gardening’s flexibility, simplicity and style; the trend really is universal. Burgon & Ball’s new specialist container tools are the perfect way to plant, weed and maintain container displays quickly and easily.

A further trend is to blur the lines between indoors and outdoors; homeowners want to use their garden as an additional space for entertaining. Aggregates are increasingly being used to create a low-maintenance, attractive surface – and the new Super Slice has been designed to be highly efficient at weeding in these contemporary finishes. Super Slice also extends the effectiveness of the best-selling Weed Slice, tackling new areas of the garden where larger areas need weeding, such as veg beds or even allotments.

And with time at a premium for today’s gardener, tools to make gardening easier and faster have huge appeal. The new Express Hoe has a pivoting dual-edged blade, which moves to find the perfect angle to bite into the soil on both the push and the pull stroke, slicing through weeding in half the time. The fine blade moves effortlessly through all kinds of soil, letting the gardener save their energies for more appealing garden tasks.

With a wide selection of innovative new tools designed to meet the needs of the changing face of today’s gardens – and the way people garden today – the Burgon & Ball stand at Glee (8E50-F51) is simply a must-see.

Kelkay have turned the sales and merchandising of aggregates into a retail art with their range of branding, packaging and point of sale developments that have driven the category value ever upwards in recent years. It remains a seasonal business, however, with the cold winter months relatively quiet in the aggregates category.

In seeking to grow and smooth this seasonality, Kelkay have also developed added value pot toppers and coloured aggregates that extend onto the patio and into the home where they have become an added purchase around pots and plants.

Now they have developed a new range of products and unique brand proposition that will take aggregates into the heart of the seasonal indoor decorative market. The Stone Co. is a range of beautifully versatile decorative stones and other natural materials that are designed to complement the Christmas décor category.

Available in White, Gold, Copper, Silver, Red and Green collections, the range is ready merchandised on a quarter pallet display that comes with a dual sided header – making the point of sale appropriate for both festive seasonal and standard merchandising.

Sarah Winn, Group Head of Marketing said “The market for decorative accessories is set to grow by over 20% by 2021. We understand that garden centres will continue to invest in this growing market – and we think there’s a gap for The Stone Co.”

The Stone Co. product is supplied on a quarter pallet with each stackable tray removable to allow product to be displayed in colour themed areas. Products on the range are competitively priced with a recommended retail of £4.99.

To find out 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

For more information on The AMES Companies go to http://global.ames.com

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

Meadow View Stone are welcoming new and existing customers on their stand within their hospitality area, kindly hosted by Halewood International who are serving hot and cold drinks along with a selection of their award-winning gins.

Meadow View have seen a major transformation in their product collections and point of sale merchandising during the last year, with Glee being the platform to fully showcase the quality of the products, range and merchandising that is now on offer.

With the POS already trialled at a selection of stockists Meadow View will be rolling out this proven platform for growth, by utilising their six key objectives which have helped them transform garden centres through:

1. Increasing sales, basket spend and the average sales value
2. Providing a “step up” in the quality of the products on offer
3. Offering a collection of unique and exclusive products
4. Promoting flexible pricing
5. Creating merchandising displays that strongly drive sales
6. Supplying products that reflect current trends in hard landscaping

Meadow View Stone’s parent company are the UK’s largest importer of decorative aggregates in the UK.  This gives them access to an extensive selection of uniquely sourced products that are supplied into three strategically situated dockside storage facilities, for further onward supply to their three production sites. 

Product availability is assured with over £3million pounds of stock holding which is distributed across three sites to give strong logistical savings.  Furthermore, with on-site washing facilities, all premium products are supplied washed, resulting in cleaner, more accurately sized products, of far superior quality, than all other competitors.

With a clear advantage on the quality of the products supplied, innovative new merchandising that delivers strong sales and key logistical savings for their customers, it’s easy to understand how Meadow View are transforming the Garden Centre sector.

Customers are invited to find out more by visiting Meadow View Stones stand 19C30-D31.

A Mir (20V30-W31) are back at Glee with an eye-catching cross-section of their range of garden furniture and accessories...plus a unique cushion fabric that shrugs off rain and even red wine...

The company's Weather Shield Fabric has been an instant hit with buyers since its launch and will be rolled out across all the company's new products for the season ahead. A Mir have exclusive UK sales rights to the material, whose special weave makes it 100 per cent waterproof - and stain-proof into the bargain, as staff on the stand will be delighted to demonstrate to Glee visitors.

The furniture on display includes the new Brooklyn set which is made from a totally plastic weave and can safely be left outside all year round.  Other new pieces on show include the Buckingham cast aluminium set, as well as items in wood and conventional resin weave.

Extra large novelty amaryllis bulbs are proving a big draw to the Taylors Bulbs stand (6N03) on day one of Glee.  The supersize bulbs are the biggest Taylors have ever brought to the show and are true showstoppers, just as amaryllis are about to hit the shop floors of garden retailers nationwide. 

“Amaryllis sales have grown consistently year-on-year, driven largely by the increase in popularity of the Taylors Premium amaryllis gift boxes” said Adam Taylor, director of Taylors Bulbs.  “These extra-large bulbs are certainly catching the eye of discerning garden retailers.”

Also on offer from Taylors are other large bulbs including Allium ‘Globemaster’, Amarcrinum (a cross between Amaryllis and Crinum), Urginea (Maritime Squill) and the giant spiderlike Eremurus (Foxtail Lilies).  The giant Eremurus have become a highlight of the Taylors stand at recent Glee shows and commonly feature in Hallowe’en displays in garden centres.

Autumn bulb sales are reported to have made a strong start for many garden centres. Adam Taylor said: “We have heard that many customers achieved strong sales in early August sales and with the peak weeks now in full swing, the reports continue to be positive.  Despite the growing year, we still have plenty of stocks of many bestsellers and a good assortment to maximise any opportunities for replenishment. After the dry summer, I am hopeful of a good autumn planting season for spring flowering bulbs.”

Taylors are also showing their added value gift range in a new display style, and speaking to all customers about seed potatoes for Spring 2019.

Visitors to today’s Glee should make sure they pop by the Evergreen Garden Care stand to find out more about the new improved Miracle-Gro® Liquid Plant Food – the new super-food of the gardening industry!

From 2019, all Miracle-Gro® liquid plant feed will contain a highly effective bio stimulant called Humifirst®, guaranteed to enrich soil and result in larger, more beautiful plants and flowers.

Highly rich in Humic and Fulvic acids, research has shown that Humifirst® will help plants absorb up to 21% more phosphorous than unfed plants. Further comprehensive research and development trials have also shown that it can significantly help improve different soil types - for example, improving the water holding capacity in sandy soils and aeration in clay soils.

“We are constantly looking for new ways to improve our formulations so that our customers can get even better results with healthier and more beautiful flowers,” commented Lindsay Cooper, category manager, Evergreen Garden Care.

“By adding Humifirst® to all our Miracle-Gro® liquid plant feed, we have created a super-food for plants – the goji berry of the garden industry if you like! It will generate significant growth, yields and root formation, whilst also improving a plant’s tolerance to environmental stresses such as climate change. The new formulation offers consumers an easy route to healthier, stronger plants and makes the Miracle-Gro® plant feeding range even better than before!”

In addition to the improved formula all Miracle-Gro® liquid plant feed, Evergreen Garden Care has also listened to consumer concerns regarding plastic packaging. The sleek new design will be available in 2019 and uses far less plastic than its predecessor.

Visit Hall 8 Stand E30-F31 to find out more about this fantastic new product today.

For more information, please visit www.lovethegarden.com.

Apta's stand on the first day of Glee was busy as usual with the ever popular RHS range of garden pots the focus of attention.

The company has intriduced RHS Interiors, a stunning range of indoor pot covers inspired by Knot Garden and Parterre designs contained within publications held in the RHS Lindley Library, some of which date back to the 1600s. These garden designs have been reworked to create intricate geometric patterns on this delightful new range of products.

Also creating huge interest were the new RHS decorative urns, columns and extra-large planters, which are perfect to use as landscaping features.

The Pot Company, a leading wholesaler of planters to the Garden Centre industry, have recently announced the launch of The Anniversary Planter designed and developed in association with Thrive.

Thrive is a leading charity in the UK that uses gardening to bring about positive changes in the lives of people living with disabilities or ill health, or who are isolated, disadvantaged or vulnerable.

Using gardening tasks and the garden itself, Thrive horticultural therapists build a set of activities for each gardener to improve their particular health needs, and to work on certain goals they want to achieve.

Last year Thrive worked with over 1,440 client gardeners and in 12 months they will receive almost 3,000 enquiries by phone and email asking for advice and information.

The Pot Company and the charity have been in talks to collaborate for some time and, as the charity has just reached its 40^th anniversary, the teams decided a dedicated planter would mark the occasion.

The Anniversary Planter is an oval trough with Thrive’s logo in the centre on both sides. It is made from Terracini which is a harder wearing variety of Terracotta and is available in two sizes.

30 x 14 x 11cm - RRP £12

50 x 24 x 18cm - RRP £32

There is also a gift set of both sizes available at RRP - £42

Both teams wanted to create a planter with a traditional design that would appeal to a wide variety of people whilst also using a tried and tested high quality material.

The planter celebrates 40 years of Thrive’s work and in recognition of their achievements, The Pot Company is donating 10% of their revenues from sales of the Planter.

Although initially the range consists of the one design, new ideas will be developed by the teams at The Pot Company and Thrive and will be launched throughout 2018 and 2019.

The range will be launched on 26^th March with pre-ordering available for fulfilment from 1^st April.

As with the entire Pot Company range, planters can be ordered individually or in nested sets and pallet combinations. Good margins are on offer to the end retailer and increase with volumes purchased. Merchandising solutions are also available, including point of sale marketing material.

Thrive is a registered charity no. 277570 

To learn more about Thrive visit www.thrive.org.uk for more information contact Alyson Chorley on alyson.chorley@thrive.org.uk or 0118 988 5688.

For more information on The Pot Company visit them on stand 20W10-X11.

Beautiful and timeless designs have been brought to the aisles of Glee, as Woodlodge launched its William Morris collection of planters at the show today.

The UK’s leading supplier of garden pots unveiled its latest range of planters, inspired by the 19th century's most celebrated designer which will add a Victorian flourish to any outdoor space.

Inspired by nature and William Morris’ Willow Brough floral design, the collection offers elegant but contemporary ceramic containers with a high-quality finish.  Offered in earthy green, blue, grey and taupe hues, the collection is available in an array of sizes ranging from 16cm to 40cm diameter, perfect for plants of all shapes and sizes.

The new range is in collaboration with the William Morris Gallery, with every purchase helping to support events, exhibitions and educational projects to celebrate the collection and the life and continuing influence of his work.

Michael Wooldridge, Director of Woodlodge said: “We are delighted to add the iconic designs of William Morris to the Woodlodge collection.  Renowned for his outstanding decorative work, William Morris emphasised craftsmanship and attention to every detail, making it the perfect fit for our latest range.  The response from retailers so far has been positive and we look forward to seeing it stocked in stores, as well as in gardens across the country.”

The William Morris Collection has a RRP ranging from £7.99 – £34.99, dependant on sizes.  Woodlodge will be exhibiting in Hall 6, (stands 6T30-U31 and 6T40-U41) where retailers can view the new William Morris collection for themselves.

Find out more

To find out more about Woodlodge’s market leading product offering, please visit www.woodlodge.co.uk

Back from his adventures, Woodland Wilf is home and Briers couldn’t be happier to welcome him to the family!

The highly successful and long-established garden gnome collection, Woodland Wilf, is making a comeback as part of Briers’ extensive portfolio. Woodland Wilf is as hardy as they come! Frost resistance and a hand-painted UV-stabilised paint means he has no problem looking after the garden all year round. His quirky collectable appeal has made him a firm favourite and highly desirable in garden centres and garden gift ranges.  

Joining the much-loved gnome on his many adventures are four never been seen designs; Wilf On The Beach, Wilf Pumps Water, Wilf Tells The Temperature and Wilf Catches Water.

Woodland Wilf will be available to retailers in time for the Christmas key selling period in an innovative merchandising solution specially designed for our gnome collection to maximise store impact and drive sales.

Come and see the new collections on the Briers stand at Glee 8D50-E51. To find out more information about the UK market leading range of gardening gloves, footwear and accessories, click here.

The GIMA award-winning company has set sail at Glee with the unveiling of its new range, which has been incredibly well received by visitors to stand #20Z30.    

Leading trade supplier of high quality timber garden products including furniture, arches and arbours, and fencing and trellis, Zest 4 Leisure, has had high levels of interest from visitors at Glee 2018.

Zest 4 Leisure is particularly thrilled with the response to its brand new Noah’s Arbour timber garden product, which has received a flood of positive feedback.

The stunning Noah’s Arbour, so-called because its design is reminiscent of Noah’s Ark, is a new concept to the market. This innovative product comes complete with a floor and sheltered roof, giving cover to the integral table and benches, whatever the weather.

Noah’s Arbour can comfortably seat six adults. The sheltered floor and roof provides a sanctuary in which to enjoy the garden and the summer weather.

Noah’s Arbour is manufactured from FSC ®, pressure treated timber with a 10-year guarantee against rot meaning it is low maintenance and will provide years of enjoyment.

The company specialises in selling directly to garden centres, major purchasing groups, online retailers, and builders merchants. Zest 4 Leisure takes a customer-focused approach to business, designing and manufacturing products in direct response to customer feedback.

When it comes to placing orders, Zest 4 Leisure offers complete flexibility, whether a customer wants to order a single item or enjoy a bulk discount.

The company has a dedicated sales team covering the whole of the UK and a national distribution network.

With a unique ‘double decker’ stand, displaying a wide range of decorative garden furniture, summerhouses, landscaping and decking, fencing and trellis, and an extensive ‘Grow Your Own’ range, Zest 4 Leisure will be welcoming visitors to the stand with its top-notch hospitality.

B For Original available in white, warm grey, ochre, peach and mulberry purple.

Come and visit Elho at the VIP area of Glee this year and find out about exciting new innovations in indoor, outdoor, grow your own and designer pots and planters for the coming year. Elho is also taking part in the Retail Lab at Glee to inspire retailers around the theme of Happy Gardening with areas including Grow Your Own, Feel Good and Easy Gardening.

In line with the company’s new proposition ‘Give Room To Nature’, Elho is increasing its investment to create a brand that consumers recognise and love. Elho’s plans include investing in retail partners and displays, designing new point of sale as well as increasing its PR & marketing with core gardening and interiors consumer press. This increased focus replaces Elho’s plans to exhibit at Glee 2018.

Elho is also investing in its headquarters in Tilburg in the Netherlands. Launched in May for Elho’s 55^th birthday it will act as the major trade showroom where retailers can visit and be inspired by the many new product launches that take place each season.

New brand proposition

David Nicholson, Sales Manager for the UK & Ireland, comments, “Last year we launched our new proposition including our commitment to increasing brand awareness with consumers. We have got an excellent network of great garden centres and stockists and now it is time to focus on building our brand and reputation with consumers.”

Elho’s 2017/2018 year has been great including being proud winners of both a New Products Award and Consumers Choice Award at Glee last year for the Green Basics Flower Bridge Grow House. For the 2018/2019 season Elho has lots of new and exciting innovations to be announced soon including Smart LED technology, new contemporary designs, colours and self watering inserts.

Inspired by consumers

Elho also works really closely with their audience and inspiration comes from customer stories, feedback or requests. For example, the award-winning Corsica Door Stopper was introduced at the request of a customer wanting an easily moveable plant pot to keep her patio doors open.

Elho is a family-owned company and the leading innovator in the synthetic pottery market. For more than 55 years, Elho has dedicated itself to the product development and production of grow your own, outdoor, indoor and designer pots and planters. Every year Elho launches dozens of innovations that continuously inspire people with fun, functional and creative products.

Give room to nature

Nature makes you feel healthier, boosts your energy and makes you happier. That is what the purpose of Elho is about; inspiring people to bring more nature into their daily lives. With the Elho collection you can give room to nature in and around your home. Elho is green in everything they do. Most of Elho’s pottery collection is made of recycled material, all pots last for a long time and are produced with 100% wind energy. Elho’s aim is to be circular by 2020, allowing you to enjoy nature in a sustainable way.

Loft Urban Rounds Pots in Loft Urban frame.

Loft Urban Rounds Pots in Loft Urban frame.

Allure Doppio available in a monochromatic palette offering of mineral clay, gentle earth, bark brown and red sand and looks good inside or outside.

Independent garden centre Henry Street has been family owned and run for five generations. Since moving to its current 40-acre site in 1985, brothers Mark, Peter, Alan and Tim Goold have grown the business considerably, repeatedly welcoming back Newspan to refurbish, extend and build new structures in a series of successful expansions.

Tim Goold stated: ‘“Over 20 years, we’ve worked with Newspan at least five or six times; we get on well and I know I’m going to get a good job for a good price”.

In Autumn 2017 Newspan once again returned to Henry Street to undertake a 1,600m² redevelopment that would allow the relocation of the restaurant to a bigger building with a terrace, and install a new canopy to improve customer flow between buildings. A vital aspect of this new project was to ensure any additional structures integrated perfectly with the existing buildings on site. From the outset Newspan’s approach was to maximise existing materials whilst designing efficient and practical methods of extension.

The planners were looking for designs that would be sympathetic to what was already here on site. While on paper the designs may have looked straightforward, the integration of the new and old structures were arguably the most important detail of this project. Tim Goold said; “The art was all in Newspan’s execution of how well the new canopy linked with other buildings on site.  What was previously an open sales area on sloping levels has been turned into a covered, level retail space that customers now move around in without getting wet in bad weather. Our café now seats 350 people; 100 covers more than before.”

The project delivery ran smoothly and to plan.  The site team worked well with the main contractor and handover was on time while maintaining typically high levels of customer service throughout. Tim Goold stated: “The team in the office is well informed and involved with activity on site, and always helpful if you need any support.  Long term, the customer care is fantastic – they know our buildings and on the rare occasions we do need help, they’re straightforward to deal with and get things sorted”.

Come and speak to Newspan at Glee on stand 19T38 to see how they can maximise your sites potential.

Primeur opens Glee 2018 with a new look, larger stand to showcase their Eco-friendly Garden Products alongside a new and exciting range of Doormats.

As well as a new stand and new products, they will also be promoting a selection of new display concepts.  The new merchandising solutions for the garden range will allow customers to house products in multiple store locations and bring displays inside. 

New wooden display stands are available for both stepping stones and borders.  The stands will allow stores to display these products inside without taking up too much space and allowing for year round sales.  They can also be displayed outside or there is still the option to take mixed pallets for outdoor displays.

Primeur are showcasing several new doormat collections under the Mighty Mat brand and there are a number of new display options for these; both hanging and flat lay displays all with POS capturing the amazing features and benefits of these great new products.

Find out more

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

Leading grass seed brand Johnsons Lawn Seed has launched its latest lawn innovation that will revolutionise the greening and feeding of lawns around the country. The breakthrough comes as a result of the company’s latest research into grass growing techniques, unearthing the benefits of a never before seen ingredient that specifically seeks out grass plants, resulting in “the only lawn feed you’ll ever need.”

Super Smart Lawn Feed (1kg, RRP £12.99 from garden retailers) is a brand new product that contains a unique ingredient that cannot be currently found in any other feed. Azospirillum is a beneficial bacteria with billions of spores that that lie dormant in the granules until dissolved and applied above ground directly to the grass. Attracted to the lawn roots, Azospirillum fixes nitrogen from the atmosphere and gives targeted nutrition to the grass plants.

As well as this, the Azospirillum bacteria excretes plant hormones, cytokinin and vitamins whilst targeting nutrition straight to the grass plants.  Azospirillum is efficient for growth unlike standard fertilisers distributed over the entire surface of the lawn, meaning a smaller application is needed. Leaching of the nutrients in the soil is virtually eliminated as they are instead immediately targeted directly to the plant root, so the lawn gets the nourishment where it needs it the most.

The Lawn Feed also contains a soluble Mycorrhizal fungi to encourage strong healthy established root systems in existing grass, bringing a dull lawn back to life.  With the abilty to increase the root surface by up to 150 times, the Mycorrhizal fungi, working in harmony with Azospirillium forms a symbiotic relationship with the grass plants, forming its own ecosystem underneath the soil.  The grass plants become connected through the mycorrhizal network sharing water, nitrogen, phosphorous and mineral elements, resulting in a healthier lawn on top.

Seaweed extracts also act as a natural tonic for the lawn, as well as a soil conditioner, leaving grass looking thick and green. The feed is 100% organic and used in farming as an alternative to artificial chemical fertilisers and is also safe to use around children, pets and wildlife.

Guy Jenkins, Consumer Manager at Johnsons Lawn Seed said:  “We are seeing a move away from products that contain animal by-products or synthetic components, and Super Smart Lawn Feed marks the beginning of a new phase in biological lawn care.   Leading the field in lawn seed innovation will continue to underpin the work that the Johnsons Lawn Seed and the DLF R&D team undertake so we are excited for this lawn feed first to hit the shelves.”

How to apply the only feed you’ll need

Johnsons Lawn Seed’s Super Smart Lawn Feed is a granular feed which can be used at any time during the growing season.  Applied directly over new, existing or establishing lawns, the triple action formula can then be watered directly into the lawn by rain or hosepipe.  A 1kg carton will cover 100sq metres and can be applied twice a year, giving long-lasting effects.

Find out more

DLF/Johnsons Lawn Seed will be exhibiting at Glee on their stand B50-C51 in Hall 8.  For current product ranges from Johnsons Lawn Seed please visit http://www.johnsonslawnseed.com/product-range.aspx

La Hacienda’s attractive new POS and Merchandising Displays have taken centre stage on their new stand at Glee, under the AMES UK banner this year. Developed to make a statement and capture the customer’s attention, the new merchandising components are modern and eye-catching while also designed to enhance the customer’s retail experience.

“Following another stellar year for sales – our best yet – our team have upped their game even further. Glee is the perfect place for us to exhibit our new retail merchandising solutions and product offerings to demonstrate our continuing improvement to our market-leading range,” Simon Goodwin, Category Product Manager for La Hacienda said.

“As our partners in AMES UK, Kelkay have shared their market leading merchandising practices to help us provide customers with an exciting modular display solution. The result – a completely flexible and visually impressive system for displaying outdoor heating, with the key aim of maximising in-store presence and sales for all,” Mr. Goodwin said.

Key features include:

• Flexible, modular system to suit all footprints

• Custom-made lifestyle POS to make the product stand out in store

• Modular 1x1m stackable plinths that are easy to reconfigure

The retail merchandising systems are innovatively designed to carry a wooden pergola which can be used in-line, or as a display end to cross-promote hanging electric heaters – perfect for driving linked sales opportunities.

Products are clearly marked and easily identifiable with attractive POS boards, allowing the retailer to provide targeted offerings of the most sought after La Hacienda products. 

La Hacienda’s expert sales team are on hand to talk to retailers and advise how they can make the most of the outdoor entertaining trend. Also on offer – exclusive GLEE ONLY special deals. Speak with one of their agents on Stand 6N30-P31 to learn more.

To find out more about La Hacienda and their market leading range of outdoor heating and garden accessory products, visit them at Glee on Stand 6N30-P31, or go to www.lahacienda.co.uk or email sales@lahacienda.co.uk

For more information on The AMES Companies, go to http://global.ames.com

This winter bio-bean is proud to introduce Coffee Logs, the new eco briquettes for multi-fuel stoves, woodburners and open fires, made from recycled waste coffee grounds.

Coffee Logs are created at our world-first coffee recycling factory in Cambridgeshire, and burn 20% hotter and longer than kiln-dried wood. Each Coffee Log contains the waste grounds from approximately 25 cups of coffee – that’s 400 cups in every bag! They are environmentally sustainable, and generate 80% less emissions than if those coffee grounds had gone to landfill.

bio-bean takes in waste coffee grounds from all over the UK from cafes, offices, transport hubs – anywhere that makes a lot of coffee – either direct or via partnerships with waste management companies.  This saves money on expensive waste disposal and helps companies improve their sustainability performance.

“This partnership puts thousands of tonnes of Costa coffee grounds to work, transforming them from a waste material into sustainable, clean fuels which can heat homes in winter.” Oliver Rosevear, Costa Coffee.

Available in an easy-to-carry bag containing 16 logs, Coffee Logs are the new way to run your stove and heat your home safe in the knowledge that you are helping to reduce waste and carbon emissions – by up to 6 tonnes of CO2e every day!

“My green hero, Power your home with coffee fuel from bio-bean” Kevin McLeod, Grand Designs.

bio-bean was founded in 2013 on the firm belief that there is no such thing as waste, only resources in the wrong place. We collect and recycle coffee grounds from around the UK, creating sustainable biofuels and we are continually exploring other uses for waste coffee.

A number of Neudorff’s bestselling products have been renamed with the introduction of a new and more recognisable product family for the 2019 season.

The company’s glyphosate-free, systemic weedkiller range, which includes Fast Acting Weedkiller and Fast Acting & Long Lasting Weedkiller products, will now be known as WeedFree and the Pyrol Bug & Larvae Killer range will come under the BugFree name.

The new naming is being introduced after the successful launch of the new nematode range at Glee 2017, which consists of the award-winning VineWeevilFree, plus LeatherjacketFree and LawnGrubFree.

The new, eye-catching packaging designs will offer an improved visual presence in-store whilst helping customers to easily identify each product and its key use at a glance.

The WeedFree range includes WeedFree Plus, WeedFree Plus concentrate and WeedFree Express. The glyphosate-free formula uses pelargonic acid, a highly effective fatty acid that destroys the cell walls of the leaves of weeds. WeedFree Plus and WeedFree Concentrate also include maleic acid hydrazide, a growth regulator that prevents cell division at the root tips, making the roots no longer able to continue growing. All products show visible results within 1 day of treatment.

There are three products in the BugFree range; BugFree Bug and Larvae Killer, BugFree Bug and Larvae Killer Concentrate and BugFree Bug and Larvae Killer for Roses. All products in the range are certified by the Organic Farmers & Growers Association and contain the natural active ingredient pyrethrum, derived from the chrysanthemum flower.

For more information visit www.neudorff-trade.co.uk or call 0121 767 1821.

Power washing is an accepted short-term solution to a dirty patio, but can also lead to further problems down the line. Whilst this cleaning method will remove surface dirt, when the stonework is older than 3 years, instead of revealing a sparkling new patio it will start to reveal ugly ‘black spots’.

Patio Black Spots are caused by microscopic lichen spores, that feed off the minerals in the stone and put down fibrous roots, anchoring themselves like limpets and then blooming on the surface as black spots. Pressure washing then becomes futile and intensive washing can dislodge the pointing and cause damage to the surface of the stone.

In addition, most proprietary patio cleaners will remove green algae, but can take weeks to work and rely on dry weather. Equally they have no obvious effect on black lichen.

However, help is at hand! The Patio Black Spot Remover and Preventer System doesn’t just remove those hideous patio black spots but also prevents their return! Exhibiting at Glee 2018 on stand 6L80-M81,

The Patio Black Spot Removal Company will be launching a new product this year with ‘monumental’ performance, capable of being applied to vertical surfaces such as statues and garden ornaments.

www.patioblackspotremoval.com

It’s the first day of Glee and Block Blitz is looking forward to welcoming retailers to its Stand 20U70 to profile its hassle-free paving treatments and showcase its ever-expanding product range.

2018 has already seen the launch of Block Blitz Gravel Treatment, which benefits from a similarly powerful formula as the original block paving treatment, and a number of new products will be unveiled at this year’s show adding to the Block Blitz portfolio.

Block Blitz Paving Sand, Block Blitz Multi-pave and Block Blitz for Artificial Grass are being added to the Block Blitz range making it even easier to keep outdoor areas clean and tidy, all made from Block Blitz’s powerful, eco-friendly mineral and plant based formula.

Block Blitz Paving Sand

Block Blitz Paving Sand, a new ‘top up’ paving sand, which will keep paving joints clean and deter weeds and moss. The treated kiln dry paving sand comes in a consumer friendly spout pouch, making it easy to use.

Block Blitz Multi-pave

Block Blitz Multi-pave can be used on paving slabs, tarmac drives and decking and is easily applied by using a watering can to deter algae moss and weeds and protect from the sun whilst cleaning the area.

Block Blitz for Artificial Grass

Block Blitz for artificial grass self-cleans and sanitises the area keeping it clean and germ-free. The treatment is not harmful to pets or people and is applied by dissolving the product in water and spreading over the area.

Block Blitz founder, Dave Moore explains, “Alongside these new products, we have also made improvements to our existing product range. The original Block Blitz treatment, as well as our new Multi Pave, Gravel and Artificial Grass products are now available in a new large pack, giving the customer up to 30 car parking spaces of coverage. Not only that, we have adapted our formula to ensure that all Block Blitz products now have added UV protection.”

Visitors to Glee will also be find the range of Block Blitz products on the Kelkay stand (Stand 6Q30-S31, 6Q40-S41), thanks to Block Blitz’s new partnership with the company. The two companies recently signed an agreement which will see Kelkay distributing the best-selling range of Block Blitz products to its customers.

Commenting on the partnership, Debs Dugher, Commercial Manager at Kelkay, said “Block Blitz is a perfect partner for Kelkay and Borderstone products and we immediately saw the opportunity for our retailers to extend their sales with this great after care product. In fact, our two companies are neighbours too, so there are logistical benefits for us both. Most importantly, our customers will be able to combine their Block Blitz order with the rest of their Kelkay deliveries in future.”

Interested retailers should visit Block Blitz on Stand 20U70 at Glee. For further information, contact the company on 01302 246 451 or email enquiries@blockblitz.co.uk. You can also visit their website at www.blockblitz.co.uk.

For Bord na Móna UK, this year’s Glee showcase is about championing two of the most fundamental product features on every retailer’s mind: responsible sourcing and sustainability. The growing media supplier is at the forefront of environmental studies, from New Product Development (NPD) and research through to packaging and educating the end consumer.

With the largest green waste composting facilities in the UK and Ireland, Bord na Móna UK composts thousands of tonnes of garden waste annually that would otherwise go to landfill - reducing both carbon and methane emissions. Its green waste is combined with forestry by-products and naturally sourced nitrogen, and composted through a closely monitored process. The result is a high-quality ingredient for use as part of the results-driven growing media range.

Its award-winning, peat-reduced formulations are based on over 10 years of research, innovation and development, matching sustainable green compost with the superb structure of Irish peat.

Sustainable and viable

Bord na Móna UK is committed to excellent responsible practices in peat production, with an ongoing raised bog restoration programme in place. Its policy is to not drain or open any new bogs or peat land, and to fully utilise the remaining resources to best benefit the country and local communities.

Anna Kavanagh, Technical Manager for Bord na Móna, said: “In recent developments we have witnessed a growing emphasis on sustainability in all aspects of change and innovation, and I am proud that Bord na Móna continues to be acutely aware of the need to be commercially and environmentally sustainable.”  

Developments in recyclable packaging

A popular topic amongst industry members at Glee is the ongoing quest for economic and sustainable packaging solutions for horticulture products – the challenge of which has been an area of research for Bord na Móna UK for a number of years.

Commenting on the most recent developments, David Little, Packaging Consultant for Bord na Móna UK, said: “Given the lead times for packaging raw material, as well as the logistical requirements and the outdoor storage times for finished product, horticulture bags have to endure long, harsh conditions. For these reasons, currently available Oxy and Biodegradable type films we’ve looked at are not suitable.

However, many film manufacturing companies are working on this and undergoing urgent R&D, developing new materials and USPs, which may not be heard of until they are through Beta testing. The development will be constantly evolving over time, and will be monitored closely by Bord na Móna and other suppliers.” 

Bord na Móna offers peat-reduced and peat-free growing media, soil improvers, barks and fertilisers, and is also the largest own-brand supplier of growing media and barks in the UK and Ireland. The brand has launched its Growing Media Academy and Raw Material Information Guide at Glee, helping to inform visitors on the key ingredients that make up its award-winning products, as well as the brand’s environmental responsibilities and long-standing heritage.

To find out more, visit: Stand 20U30-V31 at Glee and www.thegreenergardener.com  

Must sees’ for this year’s exhibition.

The Brilliant Flex-Fill Tubs and Trugs range. In 4 sizes - 15, 28, 42 and 60 litre sizes in an amazing 9 great attractive colours. With a display stand designed to capitalize on retail space while taking the minimum of floor space and maximising profitability.

Another is the Stainless-Steel fence and gate hardware. This range is a winner! Manufactured from A4/316 Stainless Steel this strong, reliable, weatherproof and corrosion resistant range combines the unmistakeable look and feel which only stainless steel can give, with superior protection against salt and rust corrosion. Speak to the team about our great POS wall boards.

Don’t forget to look for the Decking accessories. Chain, Decking Rope, Rope Hooks, Handrail Brackets, Fixings and Fasteners – the complete range for decking. Plus, great POS – two styles to meet the demands and make the most of your retail space!

Have you seen the Primus range of products? Make sure you don’t miss out. One of the great Perry brands. Primus specialise in unique, quirky and eye-catching gifts for the home and garden

GET READY FOR THE NEW CRAZE – MEET THE BOBBLE BUDDIES CREW from Primus

Cute, adorable, charming and delightful, with lifelike colours and “Bobbling” head, people are guaranteed to fall in love and want to adopt them all!

THE BOBBLE BUDDIES - MEET THE FAMILY

Sammy the Schnauzer, Billy the Bulldog, Darcey the Dachshund, Pablo the Pug and Bonnie the Basset Hound…

…5 of the cutest guys and gals you could wish to meet

Totally unique to Primus, The Bobble Buddies are guaranteed to be the New Craze for 2019

Perry brands are built on Quality and Performance, providing you with the best products, competitive prices and un-matched service.

From eye catching packaging and superb merchandising options all designed to help you sell more and maximise your profits.

With unrivalled support, Perry also offer you a dedicated account manager to help you select the best products to maximise your sales.

Head to Hall 6 and find us on Stand L20-M21 and see how your business can grow with Perry and Primus products and merchandising.

The doors to Glee 2018 have opened and the RockinColour crew are ready to meet you. Explore the RockinColour™ on stand 19C40 in Hall 19 at Glee 2018.

View the 4 new ranges up close to understand the high quality and the long lasting colour process that ensures a vibrant decorative feature for gardens and plant pot topping. The new ranges will include:

• RockinRoyal: Hot Pink, Purple Rain, Sunset Orange, Irish Lavender, Aqua Sea, Mellow Yellow, and White Mist
• RockinMetal: Silverstone, Beach Bronze, Goldirocks and Blue Steel
• RockinEarth: Chestnut Brown, Oak Gold, and Plum Red
• PlayinColour: Vibrant range of colour coated play and art sand (7 colours)

We are also eager to introduce our new point of sale and other special offers to support retailers in selling the RockinColour™ range. Together we can add some extra colour to the garden retail industry!

Visit: www.rockincolour.com

Treadstone Products, the well-respected supplier of branded garden accessories, is exhibiting at GLEE after a one year absence (Stand 6U75) and launching a brand new, innovative core garden product that no gardener will want to be without.

The Wrexham-based business is launching Clip Glove, a new take on garden gloves with built in professional DNA and a touch of genius.

In a joint venture with Jiangsu CLS Technology Corp, who are a major supplier of Safety Gloves, Treadstone’s Clip Glove offers gardeners gloves that don’t just look good but offer great performance and protection. The addition of an aluminium carabiner clip to keep them together when being displayed on the shop floor or stored away by the gardener means no more lost gloves too!

Available in two distinct colour palettes, and light, medium and heavy-duty options, the new Clip Glove range has a pair to suit everyone from the occasional to the keen gardener.  From light weeding to more time-consuming jobs and tough work such as digging and landscaping, there’s a Clip Glove specifically designed to provide the right kind of protection for the task at hand.

The Clip Glove range is made using carefully selected textiles from skin friendly bamboo fibres, to technologically advanced cut proof yarns and synthetic leathers.

There are three options in the light duty range; ‘weeding gloves’ which offer great touch sensitivity without losing grip allowing the wearer to carry out the more fiddly tasks; ‘Bamboo Fibre gloves’ which offer comfort and grip and are breathable and insulating for day-long gardening and ‘Stretch fit’ gloves which are a great all-rounder with a lightweight synthetic leather palm for dry gardening and tidying up.

The medium duty range features gloves with double dipped coatings, reinforced palms and adjustable cuffs. There are six choices for women and four choices for men for everyday gardening in wet or dry weather making longer gardening tasks safer and more comfortable.

For the really tough jobs, the heavy-duty range offers three different Clip Gloves, for both men and women, which incorporate shock absorbing pads, sweat absorbing fabric and armoured exoskeletons for ultimate hand protection. These are perfect for jobs like pruning, digging and landscaping.

Clip Gloves are available in small, medium and large sizes with merchandising units featuring an easy sizing guide to help customers select the perfect size for them.

Dean Winters, Treadstone’s Head of Brands. Dean said: “We’re very excited to be exhibiting at the show again and launching our exciting new Clip Glove product.  After a detailed R&D process, we’re confident that Clip Glove will be a great success due to its comprehensive range and of course the clever clip that is so simple but effective.

“We have an eye-catching display of our new product at GLEE which we hope demonstrates our commitment to core gardening essentials. We also pride ourselves on being able to offer retailers of all sizes bespoke merchandising and a personal service. Our team at the show are looking forward to discussing the new Clip Glove range and how we can work with visitors to grow this important category.”

For more information, visit www.treadstoneproducts.com or speak to the team on stand 6U75. Retailers can also contact Treadstone Products on telephone: 01978 664 667 or Email:  sales@treadstoneproducts.com

Whitco (19K51), suppliers of catering and baking equiipment, are demonstrating a high-speed sandwich press that than can cook a panini in as little as 45 seconds.

As most caterers will know, customers hate waiting in for their paninis and toasted sandwiches to arrive - but this nifty grill looks like a great little queue buster. Using infrared grilling technology, it not only speeds up re-heating but also cooks food evenly from the inside out to ensure top quality results that will be sure to impress customers.

Follow your nose to the Whitco stand, where you can sample the goods for yourself, while discussing requirements for your catering area, farm shop, deli or any other aspect of food and drink retail.

Ultra Power DIY rodent control solutions from The Big Cheese are the best-in-class products designed and built to deliver ultra-fast control of target rodent pests in homes and commercial premises alike.

New formats and new formulations are combined with eye-catching pack designs and in-store merchandising to make Ultra Power a must-stock range for 2019.

The Big Cheese Ultra Power range divides into four, high-performance categories to deliver effective results in any situation – just Like The Professionals Use.

• Catch & Kill: High powered traps with proven snap and hold, child safe electronic traps that administer a clean kill in seconds, plus rodent Trap Kits for extra protection.
• Bait & Kill: Single-feed bait technology that combines proven palatability with the necessary amount of active ingredient to deliver a lethal dose to rodents in one feed.
• Catch Alive: An effective alternative to kill traps and poisons. Rodent control that’s safe for use around children and pets.
• Repel: Effective round-the-clock protection that’s scientifically tested and proven.

Visit STV International at Glee – Hall 8, Stand A40-C41.

www.stvpestcontrol.com

info@stvpestcontrol.com

01953 881 580

Inspired by what you have seen and heard at Glee? Then what better way to follow up than by attending Cultivating Retail – the new one day Conference and Dinner – for growers, retailers and suppliers. Organised by HTA and GIMA this ‘must attend’ event takes place on the 13 November at the East Midlands Conference Centre in Nottingham.

The action-packed programme, will be hosted by Channel 4 news presenter by Cathy Newman. Keynote speaker consumer and shopping behaviourist Ken Hughes (pictured) will be asking ‘Is your supply chain millennial ready?’

Managing Director of the newly expanded Blue Diamond Group, Alan Roper, will be sharing his thoughts on innovative and experiential retail.

The programme also features two panel sessions focussing on the issue of plastics in horticulture and also supply chain with industry representatives all having their say.

There will also be plenty of opportunity for delegates to join in both in the sessions and the wider networking opportunities around the conference and the dinner.

A great forum for inspiration, discussion and debate on the industry, in an accessible location with good transport networks, this event represents amazing value. So what are you waiting for!

For further information and to book your place now at www.hta.org.uk/cultivatingretail

With thanks to our Partners that include:

Gold Sponsor – Evergreen Garden Care UK

Partners – Corby & Fellas, Dura-ID Solutions, GLEE, Hozelock, Lechuza, MorePeople, Smart Garden Products, Swan Retail

Drinks Partner - Stihl Ltd

After a decade of exhibiting at Glee, Tildenet Gardenware is now established as The Home of Quality Brands offering a comprehensive range of products to the outdoor leisure, garden and home markets.

The impressive Glee 2018 stand will showcase new elements in each brand with 100 new lines across the Tildenet Gardenware portfolio including Plastic Free pots and propagation solutions, vertical gardening for small space and urban gardens plus great pre Season offers and stand deals.

The team are looking forward to meeting visitors on Stand 20U50, as National Account Director, Glynn Davis explains :

"The focus for Tildenet Gardenware continues to be supplying good quality products and service to our customers but we have also taken on board the feedback from our customers about wanting to see the growing environmental concerns and support for sustainable gardening reflected in our our ranges.

"We’ve responded and  have added many new sustainable products to complement those we already supply and are also offering  a choice of packaging to give retailers the option to answer their customers concerns regarding the need to reduce plastic in garden centres.”

Embracing the move towards more sustainable gardening, Haxnicks Bamboo Seed Trays and Pots are a plastic free and environmentally friendly alternative to single use plastic.

Made from sustainable bamboo the soft colours and stylish finish on pots will look great with herbs on a windowsill or in the greenhouse.

The latest addition to the Haxnicks range of Vigoroot products, using recycled materials, is the Balcony Garden offering small space gardeners more growing space than ever in an attractive vertical gardening solution.

In response to the increase in variety of garden furniture and demand from retailers, the Bosmere range of quality covers has continued to expand to offer a choice at all market levels with PVC free options and confidence giving guarantees across newly introduced designs.

New Mainframe ‘How-To’ display stands will help retailers introduce customers to the myriad of options available with this flexible lightweight system.  From small cloches to poultry enclosures, instructions and video tutorials will give gardeners confidence to experiment with flexible crop protection which can be adapted for different use each season.

Major new lines to the Tildenet range will be an exciting selection of contemporary screening, trellis and flexible fencing options in natural and attractive materials including willow, bamboo and reed.

 Tildenet Managing Director, Andrew Downey reflects on another year of exciting growth and expansion for Tildenet Gardenware :

“2018 has been a challenging year for the sector and I’m delighted with the way that our fantastic team have allowed us to continue to deliver great service to our customers.  

We have completed the movement of our warehouses to a new single site and our sophisticated new ERP system will link all our operations together to improve efficiency and make our customer ordering portal even easier to use.

"Tildenet are strong supporters of the moves within the industry to address the issues surrounding the excessive use of plastics and it has been particularly rewarding to work with a focus on developing products and practices which reflect that – we know from our customers that this will be important for them in the coming seasons.”

The Royal Horticultural Society (RHS) has announced that two of its licensees will collaborate to distribute the new range of RHS Wild Bird Food in the UK

RHS recently awarded a licence to Agros Trading GmbH, a leader for many years in the manufacturing and marketing of wild bird feed, for a comprehensive range of high-quality wild bird food. Agros has asked PlantWorks Ltd, the supplier of the Empathy biological range of bio fertilisers, to distribute the range.

Following the success of its launch at over 200 The Original Factory Shop stores in May, the RHS Wild Bird Food range will be available for garden centres and other UK retailers to order from autumn 2018. The range will also be available at RHS shops both physical and online. The wild bird feed market in the UK is worth in excess of £200m a year.

The RHS Wild Bird Food range – the first-ever range of bird feed fully licensed by the RHS – includes:

• High Energy Suet Balls
• High Energy Suet Cakes
• High Energy Suet Nibbles
• Premium Brown Peanut
• Oil Rich Black Sunflower Seeds
• No Mess Sunflower Hearts
• High Energy No Mess Seed Mix
• Everyday Seed Mix
• Finches Favourite Nyjer Seeds
• Protein Rich Mealworms

Not only does the range stand out for quality but also for design. The packaging for the range makes use of imagery from the RHS Lindley Library, the world’s finest collection of botanical art, containing more than 25,000 superb images.

The RHS Wild Bird Food range will be on show on the Empathy by PlantWorks stand (6R70-HS71) at Glee, the UK’s most valuable garden and outdoor living trade show, taking place from 10-12 September at the NEC in Birmingham.

Plantworks is the supplier and distributor of rootgrow, the leading retail brand of mycorrhizal fungi in the UK, which is at the heart of its Empathy range of biological gardening products and is endorsed by the Royal Horticultural Society.

Agros Trading GmbH has been a leader for many years in the manufacturing and marketing of wild bird food. It sources raw materials exclusively from selected and certified suppliers with which it has long-term partnerships or from local farmers. For wild bird seed only GMO-free raw materials are used where available.

Simon Taylor, Sales Director at PlantWorks, says “Agros is a substantial seed house, which has developed a very strong sourcing, production and packaging activity in bird seed, working with many outlets across Europe. We are confident in both the quality of the products and the security of supply for our garden centre partners.”

Cathy Snow, licensing manager at RHS says, “We’re delighted that two important RHS licensees are working together to supply the impressive range of RHS Wild Bird Food launched by Agros earlier this year. Plantworks with the Empathy range has been a great ambassador for RHS-endorsed gardening products and we are thrilled that it will be the UK distribution partner for our quality wild bird food range."

Vital Earth are delighted to announce that the company will be exhibiting at this year’s Glee where they will be showcasing the highly successful Supa Grow compost range, as well as introducing their new decorative gravel range ‘Suburban Stone’.

Our Commitment

“We are extremely excited to release our Suburban Stone range made up of premium-quality packed decorative aggregates, including: gravels, slates, cobbles and rockery. We have an extensive delivery network and assortment of distribution hubs; therefore, we are committed to offer nationwide delivery within 24 hours. We will provide products of the uppermost quality alongside excellent customer service.” – Sam Robinson, Managing Director.

Point of Sale

Our new and improved POS is designed to ensure that our customers can view our products in the simplest and most efficient way. The height of the POS boards has increased for greater visibility. In addition, our POS boards are colour coordinated to provide a distinguished layout. We also have multiple POS configurations, each supplied double-sided to maximise space, ensuring that customers are satisfied with the product that they are choosing.

Choosing the perfect product includes making difficult decisions in regards to colour, shape, size and quantity. At Vital Earth, we aim to provide excellent customer satisfaction which is why we have introduced an easy-access touch and feel product tray. If you are undecided between the contemporary creams and golden browns in Golden Gravel compared to the darker grey and browns in Moonstone, this is the perfect opportunity for you get a reel feel for the product to encourage your decision.

Touch & Feel Tray:

• Easy access from all sides. No need to lean over any pallets!
• Feel the texture
• See the product size
• Choose your favourite colour
• Choose the product which best suits you!

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

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

It's our birthday!

2018 marks the 10^th Anniversary for Vitavia and we are really looking forward to seeing you all at Hall 20, Stand z10, where you can help us celebrate with a glass of bubbly!

Shiny New!

We will be displaying a fantastic range of greenhouses, including one of our new products, a large Freya, 8x8 in anodised aluminium. The Freya really is a modern twist on the traditional, combining great growing space with a smart pent roof design, certainly one not to be missed!

We are extremely excited to be a running a daily competition, where one lucky winner will be picked at the end of each day.  All you need to do is come via the stand, Hall 20, Stand Z10. Make sure you have your phone to hand… not forgetting your pretty face! 

Lucky Winner!

We will be announcing the winner on social media each day, so make sure you’re following us in advance so you don’t miss out on that and other news and offers.

The team behind Grow Sow Simple™ truly believe that everyone, everywhere, should have the opportunity to experience the thrill of growing and eating their own fresh herbs and vegetables.

Our aim is to offer this experience to our customers through our range of affordable, accessible and straight forward products. No matter what age, what level of experience, or how much space is available we aim to give our users the confidence to garden through the innovative design of our unique products. Nothing is more exciting than enjoying a healthy homemade meal using ingredients grown in your own garden.

Grow Sow Simple™ have been inspiring new and novice non-gardeners for over 4 years and we are constantly working towards making gardening and growing more accessible. Originally trading as the brand SeedCell® with our range of innovative biodegradable plantable seed pods, we have now expanded to incorporate two more brands. With the addition of Micro Grow™, the healthy grow your own option, and Build & Grow.co™, which helps to involve children in growing from seed, Green Digit Ltd® is now trading as Grow Sow Simple™. This growth has seen us diversify our range and target audience, whilst also still being able to consistently deliver on product quality and service.

SeedCell

SeedCell® offers consumers a fun, easy to use and exciting gardening experience with great results. Each bio-degradable, plantable seed pod is pre-sown with quality seed and comes ready to plant; just water the soil and plant the seed pod. Once planted, the seed pod will absorb and retain the moisture it needs whilst feeding water directly to the seeds using our patented water absorbing technology. The pod protects the seeds as they begin to germinate in a safe micro environment, before breaking down naturally leaving zero waste and high-quality healthy plants.

Micro Grow

New from Grow Sow Simple™, Micro Grow™ uses the science of microgreens to make healthy eating easier. Microgreens are a tasty, nutrient-dense quick-growing food crop which contain up to 40x more nutrients than their fully-grown counterparts whilst packing an extra flavourful punch. Micro Grow™ enables those with little space or time to grow fresh, healthy produce in their own home. The market for microgreens is growing at an incredible rate currently, increasing by 37% last year. Couple this with the growing percentage of health-conscious individuals and there is a large and increasing customer base for Micro Grow™.

Build & Grow.co

The latest addition to the Grow Sow Simple™ family, Build & Grow.co™ is perfect for getting children engaged and interested in growing their own. Each pack features exciting and detailed designs that are easy to build; just follow the numbers and slot in the tabs. The fun does not stop there, as each product has a specific ‘garden’ area. This enables kids to grow their own herbs and veg in the play set and literally bring it to life. Not only is it fun and engaging for children, it also encourages learning about plants and gardening, and the process of plant to plate.

As a UK premiere, the brand-new, stackable vertical gardening solution U-greeny is presented at the Glee show 2018. U-greeny makes growing your own vegetables, salads, herbs and berries at home absolutely easy and comfortable.

U-greeny is EASY to use and needs no mounting at all. U-greeny has many CLEVER functions such as a smart water drain system and full flexibility for multiple different stacking options. U-greeny is VERSATILE and offers various uses as growing, storage, transport or as privacy blind.

The concept has been developed together with professional Austrian gardeners and urban gardening enthusiast. While the basic idea derived from a historic gardeners practice, U-greeny has been designed further to meet the needs of modern urban gardening with many clever funtions.

All concept boxes nest for space-saving storage during the winter period.

U-greeny convinces not only by its function but also impresses with its accessories such as the topbox for salads, herbs and especially light-needy plants. The specially developed trivet with reception points for the plantbox serves as a big water collecting bassin.  To be able to leave the plantbox on cold days outdoors, the insulation cap was developed.

Find us at booth No. 19U38

www.ugreeny.at

The Retail Lab at Glee has been created in association with one of the garden retail sector’s leading trade associations, The HTA. 

Now in its second year, the Retail Lab benefits greatly from the HTA’s involvement, including sharing of its knowledge, trend foresight and utilising its vast membership base to access exciting new product innovations that fit this year’s Retail Lab theme of Happy Gardening.

Here we catch up with Martin Simmons, Director of Operations at the HTA to find out more about the association’s involvement in the Retail Lab, and those trends that are helping to shape the garden retail sector in the coming seasons.

Can you tell me more about the role of the HTA within the Retail Lab?

The HTA is very excited to be once again involved with the Retail Lab feature. It is a great way of demonstrating how storytelling can play such an important role in merchandising and selling products. We are helping to support the feature through providing market information and insight, via our relationship with trends agency, Foresight Factory, and providing the data and information behind the themes. We have also been very busy helping to source products and materials for the feature from plants and furniture through to books and biscuits! We have also been encouraging our garden retail members to send along merchandisers to help build the feature – getting an invaluable ‘on the job’ training experience with the Retail Lab Trend Forecaster and Concept Developer, Romeo Sommers. 

Of course, we are also involved in the practical element of helping to build and breakdown the Retail Lab and so we are very much involved from start to finish. It also provides a great opportunity for the HTA to showcase initiatives and activities that the association is working on for its members – from the Preferred Partners Scheme highlighting how businesses can save costs, to the trade pot recycling scheme through Ecogen and the development of recyclable taupe pots and National Children’s Gardening Week, 

Which of the Retail Lab trends are you most excited to see come alive?

With this year’s overall theme of ‘Happy Gardening’ each of the areas are sure to make you smile. It will be good to see how the ‘feel good’ area will come together – helping to demonstrate the positive effects of plants and gardening. Features such as a botanical bar and sensory path will also be worth looking out for. Areas like the play zone provides a great link with National Children’s Gardening Week and so it is good to be able to demonstrate how these initiatives can come to life instore.

Why should garden centres make the Retail Lab part of their Glee visit?

The Retail Lab provides great added interest to Glee – helping to make those important links between products and presenting them in different ways. The feature is an oasis amongst the hubbub of the show and seeks to provide inspiration. If visitors just take one element away with them to implement instore then that is great and worthwhile.

How is garden retailing changing?

The garden retail sector is constantly changing and over the last few years there has been a trend towards experiential retailing. Gardening is a hobby and retailers need to work harder to attract that disposable income spend on gardening rather than an alternative leisure pursuit. Garden retailers are ideally placed to take advantage of this with activities as events, educational programmes etc – and that can work for small as well as large garden retail businesses. At the larger end their ability to offer a wider range (catering, garden furniture, play) to cater for the leisure side of gardening puts them in a unique position.

How can garden retailers implement Retail Lab inspiration in their own stores?

We don’t anticipate that any visitors will take away the whole look and implement in the stores. However, it might just provide inspiration for a forgotten corner or an island site. It is really about sowing the seed and getting people to think differently to how they approach sales and link products together to tell a story in a captivating and inspirational way. Success stories from last year demonstrate the impact that a different approach can have on sales.

Glee has a proven track record of evolving and changing to meet the needs of the industry it represents. The latest update is a continuation of this theme, as it is confirmed that the 2019 event will take place on Tuesday 10th – Thursday 12th September.

The simple act of moving Glee one day later in the week has been decided upon due to increasing demand from the show’s retail visitors. Visitor trends in recent years have hinted at the popularity of the show days later in the week and following a period of consultation with both suppliers/ manufacturers and retail partners the move to a Tuesday – Thursday format has been confirmed.

Matthew Mein, Glee Event Director, said: “Glee needs to adapt in order to be more responsive to the needs of our visitors. With Sunday trading continuing to dominate the weekly schedule within retailing, we are seeing more and more visitors attending Glee on Tuesday and Wednesday as many dedicate Monday as the day to reflect after weekend trading, to catch up with their teams and order additional stock for the weeks ahead. Recognising this, we have decided to amend our opening days to provide retailers with the opportunity to focus their attention post-weekend, before visiting Glee unhindered later in the week. During our period of consultation, the response to this was extremely positive so we hope the wider industry will be equally supportive.”

Find out more

Glee is the UK’s leading garden retail show, focussing on building year-round profits for buyers and suppliers within the core gardening and outdoor leisure product categories.  To keep up-to-date on the latest Glee news visit www.gleebirmingham.com.  To enquire about exhibiting at Glee 2019 call 020 3033 2160.

Glee has always been a home for education and inspiration. The 2018 show will be no different, with not one but two different seminar stages. The main stage (located in its new location in Hall 8) will benefit from a packed three-day schedule, including a number of garden VIPs sharing their thoughts, ideas and expectations for the future of gardening.  

Bringing the A-list to the stage will be Charlie Dimmock, one of the UK’s most beloved gardening personalities. Kicking off the seminar programme on Monday 10th, Charlie’s keynote session will focus on her varied experiences as a gardener and TV personality, as well as looking at the gardening trends that are exciting her most.

Don’t miss it – Ground Force: Behind the scene and under the soil with Charlie Dimmock – Monday 10th September – 12:00pm – 12:30pm

Another well known face gracing the Glee seminar stage will be Lee Bestall, MD and founder of Bestall Design. As brand ambassador for Spear & Jackson, stand in presenter of BBC radio Sheffield’s Gardeners Question Hour, and regular contributor to a range of garden and outdoor lifestyle magazines, Lee brings to the stage over a decade of experience. Lee’s session will focus on one of the five Retail Lab themes – Easy Gardening – and how it translates into in store engagement with millennial gardeners.

Don’t miss it – Garden Retail Trend: Easy Gardening – Tuesday 11th September – 14:15pm – 14:45pm 

Lee Connelly, of Skinny Jeans Gardener fame, will be bringing his big personality and unique style, along with his brother Dale Connelly, to the stage during his session which will look at which social channels are the best for garden retailers and brands to use to really engage with consumers. A rampant social media user, including YouTube, Twitter, and a dedicated blog and website Lee has a wealth of experience and anecdotal evidence to support his session.

Don’t miss it – Why Care About Social Media? – Tuesday 11th September – 12:45pm – 1:15pm

Another popular blogger, Annabelle Padwick, will be finding her home on the Glee seminar stage on both Tuesday and Wednesday. As founder of Life at No.27, Anabelle is a passionate advocate for gardening and its benefits for both mental and physical health, and will be sharing her thoughts on the topic throughout both her sessions.

Don’t miss it – Garden Retail Trend: It’s not what you grow, it’s how YOU grow – Tuesday 11th September – 11:45am – 12:30pm & Community an CSR Engagement: The benefits a National Initiative can bring you, as retailers and brands – Wednesday 12th September – 1:30pm – 2:00pm

Romeo Sommers, Trend Forecaster and Concept Developer of the Retail Lab at Glee and founder of ByRomeo, will lead four sessions, each focussing on the trends that have shaped the Retail Lab – in association with the HTA – throughout 2018. From pets to happy gardening, and tangible advice on how garden retailers can bring to life the Retail Lab concepts in store, Romeo’s sessions are set to be a thriving and interactive addition to Glee’s seminar programme.

The HTA’s Marketing and Insights Manager, David Denny, will take to the stage two times throughout Glee 2018. His sessions will focus the many growth opportunities for garden retailers, including a dedicated approach to both the younger and aging consumer demographic. A focus on market data and how it can improve business strategy, and a look at the future of garden retailing completes David’s roster.

Vegepod’s Director, Paul Harris, Kirsty Kean, Retail Consultant at Visual Thinking, and Jane Tarver, Research Director of AMA Research, will each be covering topics such as urban gardening, open season promotion, and garden and pet product business opportunities. The main seminar stage will also be home to The Great British Growing Awards and the Glee Buyers Power List, together making this year’s schedule the strongest yet.

To see the full schedule please visit https://www.gleebirmingham.com/seminar-programme. Please note all times/ details subject to change.

The UK’s leading animal welfare charity, the RSPCA, is the latest addition to this year’s Pets at Glee seminar programme.

Dr. Jane Tyson, Scientific Officer, will take to the stage on Monday 10th September at 12:45pm, within the newly enhanced Pets at Glee sector of the show,which will offer garden retailers the latest pet products, trends and advice to stay ahead and capitalise in this ever-increasing market.

With almost 50% of the UK now owning a pet and this number set to increase, the public want reassurance from the retailers from which they buy from thatthe animals have been well cared for. Jane’s talk will focus on how stores have a legal responsibility under the Animal Welfare Act 2006 to care for animals properly, as well as covering five key welfare needs and how these can be provided for and met within the pet store environment.

The RSPCA rescue, rehabilitate and rehome thousands of animals each year and will also be exhibiting at the show on in Hall 19, stand R12.  As well as explaining the vital work the charity does, staff will be on hand to talk garden retailers through their pet healthcare range, designed by the RSPCA’s very own experts, including products such as RSPCA FLEAaway Spot On, RSPCA Complete Food Range and RSPCA’s pet shampoos. 

In addition to the RSPCA, visitors will be treated to a rich content driven seminar programme in the new Pets at Glee area, focussing on the latest trends in the industry.  Sessions will include how retailers can tap into the pet market and drive footfall, promoting a pet offering through digital marketing, as well as practical tips on how to deliver the pet category with true credibility in store.

The perfect place to source 2019 ranges, Pets at Glee will be home to some of the biggest brands shaping the pet category today. Look out for companies such as Scruffs, Petface, Royal Canin, Unipet, GA Pet Foods, RSPCA, The Barking Bakery, Pawtato Dog Chews, Tweedmill Textiles, The First Class Pet Company, Mud Daddy, Jacobi Jayne & Company and Lintbells. Little Big Paw, iKaboodle / Brand EasyPets, and Sureair.  

Matthew Mein, Event Director at Glee said: “We are delighted to welcome the RSPCA to the seminar stage. With 70% of garden centres currently benefitting from a dedicated pet care section, Jane’s talk is one not to be missed to ensure animal welfare is always made a top priority in-store.”

Find out more

Glee is the UK’s leading garden retail show, focussing on building year-round profits for buyers and suppliers within the core gardening and outdoor leisure product categories.  To keep up-to-date on the latest Glee news visit www.gleebirmingham.com.  To enquire about exhibiting at Glee 2018 call 020 3033 2160.

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

We're already well advanced in preparations for the Glee Planner which is posted to all pre-registered Glee visitors and the Glee Show Catalogue which is available for FREE as visitors enter the halls at the NEC and now we've published the first issue of this years Glee Daily News.

From now until the end of September the Glee Daily News, in its unique e-mail format, will keep visitors up to date with what they can see at the show and gives exhibitiors the most up to date e-mail vehicle for ensuring buyers know about their new products and other Glee activities.

To make sure you get your own copy of Glee Daily News sign up here

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

This year the Retail Lab, in association with the HTA, will focus on bringing Happy Gardening to the fore. This trend builds on much of the content showcased within the 2017 Retail Lab but will dig a little deeper into the many ways that gardening can enhance our lives.

From getting outdoors more, to bringing together communities and families over the simple act of nurturing plants, fruit and vegetables, Happy Gardening is quite simply a theme which encourages us to get dirt under our nails, make mistakes, try something new, and celebrate the act of interacting with gardens, plants and the great outdoors.

Complementing the Happy Gardening theme will be the way in which the Retail Lab, in association with the HTA, is presented at Glee 2018. This year the area will benefit from a strong cubism design, chosen for its ability to be recreated within garden retail environments, as well as being reflective of the pop-up shop culture that has helped to make retailing more agile and able to respond to key trends almost immediately.

Additionally, these cubes are representative of urban living – an area where bringing more greenery into the home will greatly improve the quality of life on offer.  

During the show, these ‘cubes’ will be created to help visitors to the Retail Lab go on a journey through both the Happy Gardening theme, as well as within the retail environment, providing inspiration at every step and showcasing how to maximise multiple sales through clever merchandising displays.

Once again, the Retail Lab @ Glee, in association with the HTA, will be created in partnership with a panel of industry experts, led by Creative Director, Romeo Sommers of ByRomeo, with Paula Parker of PP8 Marketing heading up the day-to-day management of this pivotal show feature. Lisa White, Head and Creative Director of WGSN Lifestyle & Interiors, will return to the Retail Lab in 2018, bringing with her a wealth of industry and trend insight, whilst   GES has also been confirmed as the 2018 stand contractors, helping to bring the Retail Lab concepts to life.

In additional to the amazing team behind the Retail Lab, in association with the HTA, the area will also be supported by a number of sponsors. Woodlodge, Hozelock, Cadix, Scheurich, Elho, Ivyline and Air So Pure are confirmed as 2018 Preferred Supplier Partners, providing them a wealth of opportunity to promote their brand and latest product innovations.

Matthew Mein, Glee Event Director said: “Last year marked a superb launch of the Retail Lab @ Glee. From the industry support backing the concept from day one, to the amazing trend information, and supplier sponsorship, it all came together to create one of the most exciting and innovative features Glee has ever seen – not to mention the BBC Breakfast coverage that placed the Retail Lab in 1.8million homes on the first day of the show!

"This year, we will be working even harder to deliver even more added value. We believe that every single visitor to Glee – be they retailer or supplier -  can visit the Retail Lab and walk away having learnt something new, be inspired or consider a new way of thinking. It’s an exciting prospect being able to develop this in 2018, and we look forward to sharing more details as we move closer to the September exhibition.”

Launched at Glee 2017, the Retail Lab was a key focal point for the annual garden retail exhibition. Unlike anything before seen at Glee, it was a place to experience the beating heart of the industry, with a view to what the future holds. Combining interactive content, with inspirational product displays and tangible business advice, The Retail Lab cemented itself as a thriving hub of inspiration and knowledge at Glee.

Here we catch up with Carol Wright, UK Marketing Manager at Hozelock, one of the 2017 Retail Lab sponsors, to find out more about Hozelock’s experience and why the company has confirmed its place within the 2018 Retail Lab, in association with the HTA, feature.

What made you decide to become a sponsor of the Retail Lab at Glee in 2017?
We felt the Retail Lab was an unmissable opportunity in that it was important to participate in such a central activity at Glee to be able to connect with the retailers who attend.  The principle of the lab was to demonstrate and signpost activities that could help to drive relevance and excitement to consumers in-store, and to demonstrate how consumers needs are changing, in what is proving to be a very challenging retail environment.  As brand leaders in garden watering, we have a key role to play in helping retailers to participate and engage with the nation’s gardeners.

What products/ranges were included?
We showcased our automatic watering range – Easy Drip, as well as our Cloud and Sensor Controllers.  We also promoted our Plant a Pot for Bees campaign to encourage consumers to plant more bee-friendly pots which have been a huge success and has since been implemented in many garden centres.  Visitors to the Retail Lab also saw our Pure range of natural gardening products, which are an alternative to using chemicals.

How did being part of the Retail Lab benefit your business?
We felt taking part and sponsoring the inaugural Retail Lab at Glee helped us to engage with customers and explain our Plant a Pot campaign, and how well it fitted with forward trends in retailing.  The Retail Lab also provided the perfect launch pad to drive traffic to our stand, so we could have direct conversations with customers.

What advice would you give any other brands thinking of getting involved in 2018?
Make sure you have products or campaigns that work with and complement the trends identified by the Retail Lab.  If you’re not connected in this way, you’ll soon be found lacking!  Go with it and be enthusiastic, it’s a great team effort that helps all the participants.

Have you implemented any of the Retail Lab ideas within your own business? Has it inspired you to think differently about your ranges or how you work with retail customers?
We already had the connections made and the Retail Lab was the perfect way of demonstrating this.  Our Plant a Pot campaign was a perfect fit for the 2017 Re-wilding theme and that grew naturally from our appearance in the Retail Lab.  The concepts also opened up a lot of conversations about the correct format of POS to help retailers and Hozelock communicate these messages in store and allowed us to become more directly involved in our customers’ own marketing activities so we were able to support each other more throughout the season.

What can people expect to see from you at Glee 2018?
We are looking forward to the show in September and will be promoting and supporting messages such as environment, water saving, recycling, connecting with consumers and natural gardening – all a great fit with the Happy Gardening trend identified in this year’s Retail Lab, which will explore the ways that gardening can enhance our lives.

Here we catch up with Scott Thomas, Managing Director of Ivyline, creators of inspired collections of lifestyle products for the home and garden and one of the 2017 Retail Lab sponsors, to find out more about their experience and why the company has confirmed its place within the 2018 Retail Lab, in association with the HTA, feature.

What made you decide to become a sponsor of the Retail Lab at Glee in 2017?

We are passionate about driving innovation in product and retail standards, so the trend lab was a great concept to be involved in. It was also an opportunity to showcase product in another area of Glee and work with the creative team. Houseplants and wellbeing was a major theme of the lab which is a key retail growth area.

What products of yours were displayed?

In 2017, we included some of our hugely successful Happiness Teacups which donate £0.25 for every set sold to Greenfingers Charity, our bold printed Monza planters, hanging indoor planters and selected outdoor planters.

How did being part of the Retail Lab benefit your business?

It gave us extra exposure, new merchandising ideas, extra industry contacts and it was just great to support this initiative.

What advice would you give any other brands thinking of getting involved in 2018?

Get plenty of samples in early, try to tie the creative team down to what they are looking for and just get involved.

Have you implemented any of the Retail Lab ideas within your own business? Has it inspired the way you work with retail customers?

We have used it to inspire customers to build innovative displays in store, show them how visual merchandising really delivers added sales and how to work on hotspots of products.

What can people expect to see from you at Glee 2018?

We are hugely excited about Glee. In 2018, we are experiencing our best ever year in 41 years of trading. For Glee we have doubled the size of our stand and will be launching over 250 new products. Houseplant pots are our biggest focus where we will launch a number of inspirational trend driven collections, there will be new outdoor planter concepts and an amazing range of design led outdoor fire bowls. Prepare to be inspired!

Here we catch up with Michael Wooldridge, Director of Woodlodge, the UK’s leading garden pot supplier and one of the 2017 Retail Lab sponsors, to find out more about their experience and why the company has confirmed its place within the 2018 Retail Lab, in association with the HTA, feature.

What made you decide to become a sponsor of the Retail Lab at Glee in 2017?

We wanted to demonstrate how garden centres can harness their current status as a destination for consumers, one that offers a real experience with nature, whilst promoting linked sales between garden pots and plants.

What products/ranges were included?

We included an attractive selection of planters from our exclusive Heritage Garden Pottery flagship range, our premium Duxton range made from traditional terracotta and our Potting Shed Essentials range.   Container gardening is on the rise due to its ease and ability to complement any outside space, whether it be growing on a balcony, patio, yard or indoors.  What’s more, our product ranges reflected last year’s themes of the Retail Lab perfectly; Well-being, Family, Community, and ‘Re-wilding’ as consumers look to container gardening as a way to brighten up their garden and connect with nature. 

How did being part of the Retail Lab benefit your business?

The Retail Lab focussed on key trends and the ever-changing needs of the garden centre consumer.   Woodlodge is keen to tap into these so we took away some great insights from both the Retail Lab and garden centre buyers that will help us define and shape future products.   Merchandising was also a key feature of the Retail Lab so speaking to garden retailers who were looking to achieving volume sales was important to us as it gave us tips on how we can improve our merchandising and POS services to ensure we remain one of the UK’s leading and most trusted supplier.

What advice would you give any other brands thinking of getting involved in 2018?

I would definitely recommend the Retail Lab to other brands in the industry.   Working alongside Romeo Sommers and WGSN gives you an invaluable insight into upcoming retail trends and fresh, innovative ideas in the garden industry.  The key to it is creating inspiring concepts to entice customers which will benefit both garden centres and your own business. 

Have you implemented any of the Retail Lab ideas within your own business? Has it inspired you to think differently about your ranges/ how you work with retail customers?

We are always on the look-out for visually attractive display solutions to display our product ranges in garden centres. We have tailored some of the cart units used in the Retail Lab for displaying our decorative stick flowers.

This year Glee has partnered with leading consumer magazine, Grow Your Own, to introduce the prestigious Great British Growing Awards to the show come September.

These awards recognise all that is great within the gardening industry – from tool companies and seed suppliers, to garden writers, fruit nurseries and everything in between. The awards also recognise volunteers and community growing spaces.

The winners of the award will be voted for by the general public and readers of Grow Your Own magazine. The award ceremony and trophy presentation will take place on Tuesday 11^th September at Glee.

In addition to the awards, Glee is working closely with Grow Your Own to develop a consumer competition which will see 10 lucky consumers win the chance to attend Glee. Each winner will enjoy VIP access to Glee, including guided tours, access to the VIP lounge, complimentary refreshments and a limited-edition VIP goody bag.

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 sale.
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-2019 additions 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 product categories.
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 2019 - meet with both UK and international growers to find out more about their plans for the 2018 season.
9. 50+ plant suppliers – this year over 50 plant suppliers, growers and breeders will be showcasing their 2019 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.

Staff from the Garden Centre Association will have a stand at Glee next month (September, 2018) and are encouraging attendees to visit it and find out more about becoming a member.

The GCA will be on stand 19M69 from Monday, September 10 until Wednesday, September 12.

Mike Lind, Chairman of the GCA, explained: “Once again the horticultural industry’s largest exhibition is upon us and we will have a stand that attendees can visit in order to find out all about us and what benefits we can offer to garden centres who join us.

“We will have information packs available for garden centres and suppliers interested in membership and we’ll be able to answer any questions people might have too.

“It’s a great opportunity to speak to someone face to face and to also meet other member garden centres, who will be in attendance on the day.”

The GCA will be at Glee at the National Exhibition Centre (NEC) in Birmingham on stand 19M69 from Monday, September 10 until Wednesday, September 12.

At Glee Daily News we would like to assure you that our Data Processing policies mean we actively mange the security of data we hold and that we never share data with any third party unless prior permission has been granted.

Potting Shed Press, the publishers of GTN and GTN Xtra sends useful information about Glee to a database of recipients who have read Glee Daily News in the past five years and those registered for visiting in 2018.  The last thing we want to be doing is adding to the volume of e-mails landing with people at the moment and also we do not want to get confused with SPAM, which is of course what the GDPR regulations are all about, plus data security too.

If of course you wish to stop receiving Glee Daily News you can do so by clicking the unsubscribe link which appears at the bottom of each issue of the e-mail newsletter and here.

In the meantime, we hope you keep enjoying and benefitting from the e-mail newsletter service we deliver.  See you at Glee!

Potting Shed Press Ltd, the publishers of Glee Daily News on behalf of Glee and ITE Exhibitions, are registered as a data controller with the Information Commissioner's Office under registration reference: ZA248717

The all new Flopro Classic Hose Reel from Crest Garden will hit the market at Glee with 30,000 units being given away absolutely free of charge at garden centres across the country.

Flopro have arranged the deal with a The Sun newspaper whose readers simply collect the vouchers and visit their nearest participating centre where they will receive their brand new hose reel at no charge. Crest Garden MD Nick Davies told Glee Daily News today that between 70 and 80 garden centres had already signed up.

The promotion, which is thought to be the largest ever giveaway in the garden industry, was launched yesterday in readiness for the consumer press launch on Easter Saturday 2019.  Up to 270 participating garden centres will receive 108 Classic hose reels free of charge. The deal, which represents £2m investment by Flopro, is designed to move the brand to a ‘must stock’ range for all garden centres.

Flopro will receive substantial editorial in the newspaper right across the U.K. and southern Ireland, creating the biggest trade and consumer promotion in the industry. While at the garden centre, visitors may view and purchase accessories such as Flopro spray guns, sprinklers, connectors, timers and lots more creating incremental sales and profit for the retailer.

Consumers can enjoy quality no-leak products from Flopro, while ensuring 100% compatibility with all other watering brands, with an easy snap fit. Flopro products are robust, and UV protected.

Visit the Flopro stand (Crest Garden 7G50-K51) to receive full details and to register as a participant.