Thank you to everyone who attended and exhibited at Glee 2012. It’s been a great year complete with brand new features, including the Trend Tunnel, Food & Catering Zone, in partnership with Vision Commercial Kitchens, the Shop Window and Knowledge Hub, each designed to offer even more value to retailers visiting Glee over the 3 days. Glee’s new branding and focussed approach has also been well received, ensuring everything we do has garden retailers at the heart.

Despite the difficult year, the garden industry has come together to network, share new ideas & products and ultimately keep moving forward. It is important for us to continue listening to the audience and developing the show to meet their needs. We’re looking forward to taking Glee forward next year, building on the success of Glee 2012.

Here are a few highlights from this year’s show. See you next year , 16^th – 18^th September 2013, NEC Birmingham.

Vitax launched its new growing media range at Glee with a total of 17 exciting new products hitting the shelves this autumn...

Among the new lines is the John Innes Compost range comprising of three different products to aid gardeners through each stage of a plant’s lifecycle.

The formula for John Innes Composts was developed over 50 years ago and is trusted by gardeners worldwide. Based on a specific mix of loam, peat, grit and carefully balanced plant nutrients, Vitax has carefully designed a three-stage process for growing media in response to customer demand.

The range includes the John Innes No.1 Potting Compost to encourage seedlings, young plants and rooted cuttings; John Innes No.2 Potting-on Compost for potting-on young and established plants, and John Innes No.3 Compost for Mature Plants for the re-potting and planting of mature plants.

Each of the John Innes Compost range is available in a 20 litre pack.

Vitax has also extended its market-leading Q4 range to include two new products - Q4 Multipurpose Compost and Q4 Multipurpose Compost with John Innes.

Q4 Multipurpose Compost is based on the finest Irish moss peat and has been carefully formulated as an all-round growing medium for seed sowing, striking cuttings and potting on plants. Q4 Multipurpose Compost with John Innes is a premium-grade compost for use all around the garden.

Q4 Multipurpose Compost is available in either a 20-litre or 56-litre pack with Q4 Multipurpose Compost with John Innes available in a 20-litre pack.

There are also an additional 12 new compost and mineral treatment lines including Irish Peat, Aquatic Compost and Ericaceous Compost among others.

To find out more visit www.vitax.co.uk

Retail guru John Stanley urged his Glee seminar audience to make 2013 a Gold Medal year for gardening as the pace of retail change accelerates.

He said pundits had predicted that retail would change more in the next five years than in the last 100. “Businesses that re-invent themselves will be the ones with the profitable future,” he said.

This year, he said, had been what experts called the Year of Disruption, creating condition and opportunities for major change. Quoting recent examples of research that had predicted growth of between 8 and 15% for the garden industry next year and beyond, he said it would be exciting…unless you hate change.  “If you don’t like new ideas, it could be very bad for you for the next few years,” he said. Urban living would becoming greener, consumers would become more demanding and communicating them would require new thinking. “Only 26% of people open emails,” he said, “but 97% open text messages,:” he said. “Texting is what you will be looking at as a way of keeping in touch with them.”

He urged retailers to understand the needs of consumer groups such as young mums – described in the US as Power Moms. They demanded retailers whose “whole philosophy is child-friendly”. “And we need to think a lot more about connecting children with nature,” he said.

Scotts Miracle-Gro believe their newly-launched Flower Magic range of borders-in-a-bottle seed mixtures with coir and slow-release feed has the potential to take 5% of the UK seed market. 

The product, available in three mixtures (white and blue, red and blue and multi-purpose), will be promoted on TV next spring.

The bottles, covering 4 sq.m., will retail at £12.99 and contain up to 29 varieties of mainly annual flowers. The dry coir should ensure a long-shelf life.

Scotts told journalists today the products had tested well in consumer research and would meet a need in the market amongst users with limited time and experience.

This year Fiskars celebrates Quantum, a cutting tool range that takes a quantum leap forward in design and performance – so unique that it was already given the best of the best 2012 red dot design award.

As gardening is something that people of all ages should enjoy, Fiskars launches My First Fiskars – a range of garden tools for children. The new SmartFit pruner with adjustable opening allows the perfect fit in the hand. Also, interesting new additions to existing ranges are presented.  

John Grayson, new Managing Director for Fiskars UK, says: “This is a really important year for Fiskars. With our product development and the review of existing ranges, we are launching new products with a user centric focus and have ensured that we have the right products available to both delight the consumer and meet our retailing partners’ needs.

"As well as product development, Fiskars UK has invested internally to strengthen our supply chain and we’re working hard to optimise our service to customers by listening to their needs.

"We have learnt some important lessons during recent periods of change and with the dedicated team around me I am confident that Fiskars UK is now perfectly positioned for a real step change as we position ourselves for the new 2013 season.”

Marketing manager Mikko Manninen said: “Glee is the major show for us in the UK. We are delighted for the three very busy days on the stand with customers and the press.

"This year we had two major announcements. Firstly, we introduced the upmarket Quantum cutting tool range and the SmartFit pruner. Our My First Fiskars range of children’s garden tools was seen as a very positive addition to the market, filling a gap in ergonomic and durable tools designed for children.

"We also unveiled the ebertsankey brand offering new balcony solutions with Wave and Westerland self-watering containers, and introduced new indoor orchid pots, the Ravenna outdoor range and Faro square pot with a square saucer.

"The brand was incredibly well received with its fresh and standout colours and customers loved the new additions to the range. Glee has been a great 2013 launch platform for Fiskars and ebertsankey.” 

A new growing technique that dramatically increases the retail shelf life of young plants was unveiled at Glee by Gardeners Kitchen, leading suppliers of vegetable and herb plants to UK and Ireland garden centres.

GK, who regularly feature in the Garden Trade News Veg2Grow Bestsellers charts, is a family run-business with over 50 years of experience, based near Evesham in Worcestershire. They say  their new cultural technique can add as much as two weeks to the shelf life of most of the 140 or so named veg varieties they produce.

Managing director Philip Boers said:“Retailers are rightly concerned about their margin and wastage is a big factor in this with a perishable product such as young veg plants. Our new growing technique, which has taken us a long time to perfect, comes as a result of our years of experience of commercial production using the best varieties and extends shelf life once the plant leaves our nursery. Retailers should expect up to two weeks of top quality shelf life under normal conditions from our plants and we can double this to four weeks.”

GK’s sales and marketing director Helen Boers says retailers often understandably continue to display plants that are past their best. “This harms sales overall so Gardeners Kitchen plants for the 2013 season will boost sales as well as reduce waste giving retailers improved margins over traditionally grown varieties.”

GK say months of trials have consistently shown extended shelf life with no harm to growth and crops for the home gardener longer term.

 “Our plants will perform better once planted out than starved, stunted and anaemic plants that have sat on a garden centre bench for too long.”

Gardeners Kitchen Plants are grown pesticide-free under an integrated pest management system. 

Grass seed suppliers DLF Trifolium launched a new brand at Glee in a move designed to give retailers access to the most comprehensive selection of lawn seed solutions on the market.

Turfline®, with its four new lawn seed mixtures using unique blends of seed species, will target mass market sales.

Eco Lawn Seed is a low maintenance mixture with high resistance to wear and tear, as well as drought.  It contains microclovers, which produce their own natural fertiliser to feed the grass and keep it looking healthy and green, while their deep roots reduce the need for watering.  Eco Lawn Seed has been awarded the Waterwise mark due to its water saving properties.

Finest Lawn Seed is a superior mixture promising a neat and compact lawn.  The low-growing and fine-leaved species minimise the opportunity for weed establishment.

Multi-Purpose Lawn Seed produces a quality appearance whilst also being hardwearing

Tough Lawn Seed  is a quick-to-establish blend of perennial ryegrass and red fescue, providing good green cover

Eco Lawn will be available in sq.m. packs, whilst Finest, Multi-Purpose and Tough Lawn varieties will also be available in 42 sq.m. and 70 sq.m.  packs.

  DLF’s Spencer Goodall says Turfline® marks an exciting new chapter for DLF.  “The brand is already extremely popular in Europe, and we hope to repeat this success in the UK market,” he told Glee Daily News. “ Sitting alongside our already market leading Johnsons Lawn Seed brand, Turfline® makes our world-leading science and technology accessible to all gardeners.

  “But more than this, we believe that by adding Turfline® to our brand portfolio we will be able to strengthen the core value that drives our business – helping retailers to boost profits.  By offering complementary brands with a range of price points retailers will be able to maximise lawn seed sales from across the board, whilst safe in the knowledge that they will always benefit from the world-leading heritage and expertise that goes into every box of our lawn seed, no matter what the brand.”

With fresh packaging and supporting point-of-sale, DLF Trifolium are aiming to make it easy for end-users to choose the right mixture for their lawn. QR codes on all new Turfline® packaging give smartphone users access to a video on how to establish and maintain a lawn. 

Town & Country gave Glee visitors their first glimpse of the UK’s most sustainable gardening gloves to date...made of bamboo.

Bamboo is considered one of the most sustainable plants because it grows very quickly without the need for pesticides or chemicals and it doesn’t require an irrigation system.  Bamboo also makes a luxuriously soft fabric that feels like brushed cotton to touch, but is also very strong and flexible - making it the ideal material for gardening gloves.  

Town & Country are confident that the green credentials of these new gloves, coupled with the superior fit, grip and protection that they offer, will make them a sales success.  They will be available in mint and raspberry colours (small and medium sizes) and in navy (large size only).

The Ebert and Sankey brands in the Fiskars group are to merge, creating a new super-brand servicing the pots, planters, conservation, irrigation and propagation categories.

The new business, to be known as ebertsankey, dramatically widens the ‘one-stop’ product choice for both Sankey’s UK buyers and Ebert’s European customers. Newly-developed products will join existing ranges under the new branding, which got its UK launch at Glee.

Both companies have been part of the Fiskars family for more than 10 years; with Sankey based in Nottingham and Ebert in Germany. Between them, the companies boast 200 years  of experience in plastic garden products manufacturing and marketing.

Under the strapline ‘ebertsankey – home of happy plants’, the new brand will a focus on customers and consumers in an offering with fresh lifestyle-led easy-to-shop point-of-sale presentation.

Kostja Ebmeyer, business unit director container gardening, who heads up the brand, believes there is “tremendous potential” for the trade to maximise the sales of container gardening. “ebertsankey is focussed on helping our customers to unlock this potential,” he said. The POS hierarchy would lead to quicker buying decisions.

The full product range covers orchid care, indoor containers, watering cans and sprayers,  hydroponics, patio containers in contemporary and traditional styles, troughs and brackets, watering cans , gro pots and propagators, water butts, composters, garden waste solutions, trellis and plant supports and garden aids.

Glee was the first trade show outing for the new Worth Gardening division of Garland Products, one of the garden industry’s longest-established suppliers.

Worth brings together a host of new products with existing Garland favourites in a range under the new Worth Gardening branding.

The division is run by Tony Dedman, seen here shaking hands on the launch of the brand with Miles Glendenning of Garland. 

Midlands based M&M Timber Ltd, the manufacturer of machined round timber products for agricultural fencing and landscaping industries, has introduced a new delivery system to help its customers reduce their stock holdings.

Renowned for its flexibility in the supply of machined timber, the company has offered a free just-in-time delivery service throughout the UK for some time now and is always happy to supply mixed loads of one-stop shop sizes.

“Many trade suppliers insist on customers and stockists taking a full load, which often results in having to accept other, less popular, products that end up as unwanted stock,” says Commercial Director Andy Hodge. “We have a reputation for giving customers what they want, not what we think they must have.”

Also in response to customer demand, M&M Timber has now adopted an innovative packaging system for its machined round and peeled timbers. Bundled and bound in an easily managed layer system, the stakes are securely square-packed for ease of storage and handling. The packaging method also reduces in-transit damage.

The agricultural and landscaping industries represent a large market sector of M&M Timber’s business, which extends into garden products and play area equipment.

All agricultural fencing and landscaping timbers are pressure treated for long life, making them suitable for most applications.

However, to help meet an increasing demand for its optional micronized treated timber products, M&M Timber has invested heavily in an advanced micronizing process, which raises the minimum service life of timber to 15 years.

Class 4 micronized treatment for ground contact applications is also beneficial to aquatic and terrestrial environments, since it virtually eliminates the release of copper particles.

First Franchise has employed retail concession specialist Niall O’Regan as it continues to expand and develop its successful garden centre concession business.

Niall’s main role will be to identify and secure concession opportunities for retailers across all UK garden centres, and to assist in the roll-out of First Franchise’s new venture to garden centre operators, FF-Garden Centre Services.

Niall has a wealth of experience in the garden centre concession market, having previously worked at garden centre property advisors, Hammond Phillips, and latterly as an independent retail consultant for both national and local retailers, as TerraFirma Consultants.

“It’s an exciting opportunity to focus on a side of the garden centre concession business with massive potential," said Niall.

"Most garden centres now understand the benefits a good retail concession can provide, both as an additional offer to attract new customers and as a steady rental income to boost garden centre’s bottom line.

"First Franchise have a great team and I look forward to working with them to help grow the concession opportunities across the country.” 

According to Suntime the latest innovation in gardern furniture is Textfibre, and the company showed how it has incorporated it into its new range at Glee.

Suntime (5F01-J03) will again be showcasing its latest ranges for 2013 and with a wide range of materials and colours, the company has something to suit all tastes.  

For instance, the Fairford 55cm Steel Bistro Set comes in either bright pink or lime green and retails at £199.

Suntime boasts a full and impressive range of fashionable styles in many different materials, from colourful textiline to fashionable all-weather rattan and beautifully hand-crafted hardwood.

Anglo Eastern Trading have a new range of plastic Chinese planters and baskets, some hand-painted and others featuring a ‘glazed’ wipe-clean surface, believed to be a first in the UK market.  

Sales Director Nigel Guffogg is pictured with the Ruby Red and Midnight Blue versions of the impressive Aegean Bowl range, available in seven different warm Mediterranean colours. The composition is a mixture of clay and recycled plastics – environmentally friendly as well resistant to climate extremes.

 The planters come in a range of sizes from 3 litres to 40 litres, some with a label slot on the rim. Standard colours are terracotta and green but vibrant primary colours and earthy tones also feature. Bespoke tooling and specific Pantone colours are available to order.

Guffogg says the hand-painted lines fulfill a need for something different and unique. “It will evolve over the coming years,” he said.

You can download a catalogue at www.angloeasterntrading.co.uk

Forest Garden launched a new ‘Accessible Gardening’ range at Glee...

Forest say the offering, developed in an exclusive partnership with the Thrive charity, marks an exciting new chapter in the company’s product portfolio. 
Thrive helps people living with a disability or mental ill health to transform their lives through gardening and horticultural therapy.

With mass market appeal but designed with less able gardeners in mind, the Accessible Gardening range includes raised beds and. The compact nature of some designs also makes the range an ideal option where space is at a premium, making it easy for even more people to grow their own plants and vegetables.

Vicky Nuttall, head of marketing at Forest Garden, said: “The range has been specifically created to promote gardening for less able gardeners, from wheelchair users to those who have trouble bending, or simply need to sit down when working in the garden.  We understand that gardening shouldn’t be a chore but something to be enjoyed, and we hope that this new range alleviates some of the stress that can be experienced when accessibility becomes a problem.”

 She believes the range offers a unique opportunity for retailers to maximise sales within their key demographic.  “We know that this audience loves to garden, but it is only now that a garden timber product range has been adapted and directly targeted with them in mind,” she said. “To support retailers to push this message in-store we have also created a range of co-branded point-of-sale and merchandising displays that will help consumers to make informed decisions about the products that will make gardening more comfortable and enjoyable than ever before.”

Each of the products in Forest Garden’s Accessible Gardening range has also been road tested by members of Thrive at the charity’s gardens in Reading.  The testers praised them for their practicality and affordability for a wide range of gardeners, including the elderly, wheelchair users and those with limited mobility.   

The Accessible Gardening range will include existing products such as the Kitchen Garden Trough, Caledonian Raised Beds, Bamburgh Planter range and the Cascade Planter.  New products for 2013 will also include a new range of Table and Trough Planters, as well as a selection of Mini Garden Troughs.  A 2.5% donation from the sale of every Accessible Gardening product will also be donated to Thrive.

The Haxnicks brand is to be distributed by solar-powered products specialists Smart Solar under an exclusive licensing deal announced at Glee.

Haxnicks MD Damian Cardozo said the deal would free up his team for an ongoing ambitious NPD programme.

Smart Solar MD Jonathan Stobart said the synergy between two companies dedicated to distinctive and innovative products would create a winning combination.

Napoleon’s new Pro Kettle charcoal barbecue offers features the company are claming as ‘firsts’ in the category. 

Top of the list is  the offset hinged lid, which overcomes the problem of users leaning over the hot coals when lifting it.

As sales manager Martin Sobey demonstrated for the Glee Daily News camera, the lid lifts neatly and safely to one side. Another star feature is the raised stainless steel rim, which, by adding height to the base unit, creates the potential for three different cooking levels and the scope for cooking foods with differing temperature needs at the same time.

The Pro Kettle has an SRP of £249 and orders are being taken now for delivery in the New Year.

The Brolly Trolley is a new product from South African that solves the problem of moving heavy parasol bases on hard surfaces.

Made from galvanized steel with easy-glide wheels and two brakes, it enables parasols to be moved single-handedly and safely.

There are three models – two adjustable to accommodate different sizes of parasol base, and one fixed. It can be supplied direct as a retail line or to original equipment manufacturers to sell in with their bases. 

Current trade price is around 27 Euros. You can see it on the stand 5E62, where MD Astrid Haydon will demonstrate it.

Kaemingk, best-known as leading suppliers of Christmas products, have broadened further into the home and gift area, as visitors to their Glee stand saw. 

Among their show successes have been eye-catching new bean-bag chairs – but they say the products that has really caught the trade’s interest are the new collectable 12-volt LED garden lights.

Up to 10 can be connected together easily and quickly for a great low-energy garden lighting display.

Glee 2012 was the 37th – and I have attended about 30 of them, the last 21 as editor of GTN.

As I am barely more than two years from the start of my eighth decade (go on...work it out), I think now is a good time to hand on the baton (although I will continue to write for the title).

GTN has had only two editors since its launch in 1978, so we are now looking for its third.

You will need plenty of energy, shedloads of passion for this fascinating industry of ours, and an appetite for change.  It will be fun. I’ll guarantee it!  Could it be you?

See the ad here.

Mantra is now an internationally recognised manufacturer of Spanish designed lighting at affordable prices. 

With over 1,000 products and every collection having a unique identity, there is never a shortfall of choice. 

In order to protect their designs and customers alike, all designs are registered throughout the world. 

Extensive investment in research and development ensures that new designs are as innovative as possible. With the majority of ranges suitable for low energy lamps and new ranges for LED’s, Mantra are also leading the way in energy saving lighting. With extensive stocks and next day delivery, the superior designs are backed by an unrivalled service. A full range of unique designer exterior lighting has also been launched,  bringing the magic of mantra outdoors.

The traditional outdoor lighting has been turned into a new concept of sculptural lighting pieces far from the conventional. These outdoor pieces become silhouettes of considerable dimensions, including floor lamps, table lamps, seats, wall and ceiling lamps.

Sending out a nice atmospheric light these fixtures are produced using the newest materials that stand up to all weathers.

These new products were viewed in the UK for the first time at Glee 2012. As the new collections have a very unique and individual look they stopped many visitors in their tracks!! The amount of positive comments we received and potential new business that the show has generated was more than we could have hoped for. 

To view the range visit www.mantralighting.co.uk

Gardman has notched up sales of over a £1 million since the national launch of its new water feature category at last year’s Glee.

“We were confident that we could build this category rapidly and successfully, even in the current economic climate," said Tim Stainton, Gardman’s UK Managing Director.

"We’re delighted with this sales performance and the fact that we have 120 major customers already, including both national retailers and independent garden centres. We’ll continue to build the category and our customer base in 2013.”

Gardman are launching 10 new water features at this year’s Glee, broadening the design spread in the category, with retail prices ranging from £39.99 to £299.99.

As well as the new water features, the star product on Gardman’s stand at Glee is a two-metre plus megalith, Forest Falls (pictured below), which retails at £1,999.99. Gardman believes that this statement water feature would be ideal for the grandest of gardens, or even as a centrepiece in a garden centre.

Despite a year of tough trading conditions, garden centres are still investing in refurbs and new developments, say Glee exhibitors Pleydell Smithyman, the design, planning and business consultants.

“We’re seeing lots of repeat business rather than new customers,” said director Paul Pleydell. “Garden centres we’ve worked for in the past are still coming through with new projects so there appears to be plenty of confidence in the future.” 

The Klondyke rebuild at Wilmslow, due for completion next month, and the new Squires development at Woking are among their recent projects.

Cor, what beauties! These giant fritillaria bulbs offered by Taylors have been a storming success in this year’s spring bulbs campaign, selling out within  a few weeks.

And the size of their giant galanthus (snowdrops to you) have to be seen to be believed (see right).

Other ‘giants’ in the campaign include eremurus. 

“Bigger bulbs mean bigger and better flowers – and retailers have really taken the message on board,” Taylors told us.

We hope you enjoyed reading all four issues of Glee Daily News Live from the show this year.  The GTN Team who brought you Glee Daily News also produce a weekly GTN Xtra enewsletter.  To subscribe for free follow this link: http://tgcmc.newsweaver.co.uk/cuqo8axjr9oghm4xtcxatu?email=true&a=6&p=27627375&t=20355005

If you've got a story for GTN Xtra then contact the editorial team by emailing mike.wyatt@tgcmc.co.uk, neil.pope@tgcmc.co.uk or trevor.pfeiffer@tgcmc.co.uk

And if you'd like to advertise to GTN readers in print or GTN Xtra readers by e-mail then contact pat.flynn@tgcmc.co.uk or mandy.atkin@tgcmc.co.uk

See Sundays Live Preview issue here

See Mondays Live issue here

See Tuesdays Live issue here

See Wednesdays Live issue here

See GTN Xtra, 15th Sept 2012 issue here

Subscribe to GTN Xtra - GTN's weekly e-mail newsletter

Leading weedkiller brand Roundup took over the entrance hall of this year’s exhibition to showcase its market leading range of products and update the trade on the success of its innovative Roundup Gel.

Roundup will be launching details of its autumn ‘tough weeds’ consumer campaign and how garden retailers can benefit from this. The campaign will be promoting the Roundup ‘Black Label’ range of ready to use and super concentrate products to tackle stubborn and woody weeds, as well as Trees, Stumps and Japanese Knotweed. It will also point out the benefits to consumers of getting to grips with weeds in autumn.

Roundup will also be giving details of its new, 2013 £2m consumer communication programme that will support the trade by driving more demand for Roundup products.

For more information visit www.roundup-garden.com

Bord na Mona UK has added a new category to its established portfolio of peat-free and peat-reduced composts and fertilisers with the launch of a winter fuels and ignition range under the Firemagic brand. 

Trialled last season with the eco-friendly Firemagic Firemaker, the full Firemagic range now comprises fourteen fuel and ignition products and claims to be the most comprehensive and best supported winter fuels offer in the garden retail market.

Positioned as a convenience-led range, the emphasis is on a quick and easy pick up solution for consumers looking for real fire romance and aesthetics, a cosy night in or a focal point for entertaining.

To ensure that the offer is 100% viable for retailers, both from a buy-in and a sell-through perspective, the Firemagic range also features eco-friendly products for real fires and stoves and traditional fuel products like housecoal and smokeless to cover the last minute or distress purchase.

“Firemagic represents a real opportunity for garden centres to add a well researched, properly structured range to their winter offer," said Maryanne Stokes, national accounts manager for Bord na Mona UK.  "Firemagic is fully merchandised and supported and has the benefit of a recognisable brand, which we will promote to consumers.   

“This combination is a first for the fuels sector and will ensure that Firemagic turns fuels from add-on products into a fully-fledged new category, providing an additional income stream to boost the traditionally less profitable months between Christmas and spring. 

"80% of convenience fuel sales are between October and March and, properly presented, the convenience fuels market covers both aspirational and distress purchase, exactly what Firemagic offers.  With the general move back to solid fuel use across the country, the exponential rise in the use of stoves and the availability of eco-friendly fuel solutions, we believe the launch of Firemagic is perfect timing."

Solar garden product specialist Smart Solar is launching an exciting new range of gift lighting products at Glee.

From solar powered owls and birds to fairies, as well as string lights and table top lanterns, the new products have appeal as all-year-round accessories for the home and garden.

For romantics, the Heart Light String will adorn any shrub or fence with 16 glowing red hearts with LEDs that are powered by a remote solar panel while the Moroccan Lantern Light String provides 16 miniature white lanterns.

Based on its success this year, the Bright Eye range has been extended for 2013 with a collectable set of Cats and Happy Hens as well as Ceramic Owls. These collectables incorporate a subtle solar panel with two bright LED lights as eyes, creating an attractive ornament by day and a light by night.

With three different coloured fairies, each in a specific pose, the new Fairy Spot Lights are a collectable set of figurines that will appeal to both young and old alike. Sitting in a woodland setting, these lovable fairies have coloured translucent wings that produce an attractive effect in the light at night.

Smart Solar has invested in practical merchandising units and displays for many of its new gift products, helping garden centres to increase sales by placing them on the sales floor for impulse purchasing. The products, which are available immediately, will provide an additional opportunity for sales as gifts and ornaments throughout the autumn.

“With garden centres able to start stocking these new gift products from early autumn, we are confident that they will bring additional all year round sales," said Jonathan Stobart, Smart Solar’s managing director.

"We have also extended our POS and merchandising units across the range to support garden centres with displaying the Smart Solar range of products.”

Johnsons Lawn Seed is continuing to show its support for the Rugby for Heroes charity with a donation from every sale of its General Purpose Lawn Seed going towards the organisation... 

A special cheque presentation took place on the first day of Glee, when rugby player Adam Eustace received £3,500 from the company, raised from sales of the same product during the 2012 season.

Spencer Goodall from DLF Trifolium, parent company of Johnsons Lawn Seed said: “We are all extremely proud to confirm our continued support for the charity. 

"The work that Rugby for Heroes undertakes on behalf of ex-service men and women is exceptional and we hope that our contribution will help their work to continue. 

"We also hope that our involvement in the charity encourages other suppliers and manufacturers to get involved.  In doing so we will be able to promote the charity across a number of levels, from the manufacturer to the retailer and eventually to the end user – helping the charity’s profile to grow and ultimately benefit from a greater following and support system.” 

The General Purpose Lawn Seeds has been selected  as it offers retailers great impulse-buy opportunity as well as excellent linked sales opportunities.

Here's a selection of feedback from visitors and exhibitors from Glee 2012:  

Tom Dent, Proprietor, Dents of Hilgay

“I’ve enjoyed the show. It’s helped me to move forward as a garden centre. I’ve seen lots of interesting ideas.

Clare Sawers, Managing Director, Click4Garden

“Without Glee I simply would not know what is new and innovative for the next year.”

Paul Cooling, Managing Director, Coolings Nurseries

“Glee is so valuable for me as it keeps us up to date with all the trends and ideas coming in to the garden industry. If I didn’t come to Glee, I would feel I was missing out.  I’ve spent quite a lot of time in the Shop Window, which is surprising as it’s a small area – but there are a lot of really great products in there.”

Jean Vernon, Gardening writer, The Daily Telegraph

“Glee is my absolute favourite show, I come every year.”

Kam Dhaliwali and Emily James – NEXT

“The Trend Tunnel is a really, really great idea.  It’s full of great information – the colour wheel in particular was interesting for us.”

Gabor Knorr – Managing Director, British Garden (International Visitor)

“I like Glee very much. Everything is concentrated which for me is important. This is where I have to be.”

Brenda Smith, Owner, Bud Garden Centre

“The Shop Window is great. I’ve seen products that make me want to go visit stands, particularly the smaller, niche items.”

Helen Kirkham, Inventor, BBQ Bruce (Innovators Zone)

“I would tell anyone to come to Glee. It’s like a community here in the Innovators Zone. We came to see what retailers thought about our concept product – and we’ve actually been approached by independent and multiple garden centres retailers interested in stocking it, BBQ manufacturers wanting to license or buy the idea from us, and manufacturers offering to make it for us. It’s definitely been worth the cost.”

Alison Croft, Marketing Director, Solar Systems (Innovators Zone)

“We’re promoting our plug-in solar panels which have only been on the market for 6 weeks and really suit the current interest in eco-living. We’ve seen a lot of interest from timber building manufacturers looking for tie-in products, as well as lots of garden retailer leads to follow up.”

Jackie Maguire, Sales Representative, Seeland

“We booked only a few days in advance of the show, owing to the cancellation of another event. Approaching the garden centre market is quite a new idea for us as we normally make most of our sales through another sector. So we’ve been pleased to see garden centre buyers here who already do clothing but don’t stock anything that compares with our quality; and other garden centres who would like to branch out into clothing for the first time.”

Simon Esnouf, Agent, Seeland

“We’ve seen a lot of leads here, including a couple that it would have taken a lot of time and door-knocking to achieve, who just came along to our stand.”

Peter Johnson, MD, Pet Face

“This is our first stand-alone appearance at Glee and we’ve done exceptionally well. We came here because for us, Glee offers a better target market than PATS.  We supply a complete range of pet accessories, and buyers appreciate that they can pick and choose the ranges that suit them best, all from one supplier. Our stand was busy on Monday, and heaving on Tuesday!

Jamie Dickinson, Marketing Manager, Lechuza

“We’re a first-time exhibitor and were not sure what to expect, But we’ve been delighted to have received lots of leads and lots of enquiries, all of good quality, from independent garden centres to catalogue retailers. We plan to be back next year.”

Nina Best, Sales & Marketing Manager, Burgon & Ball

“It’s been very positive! We’ve seen buyers from the large multiples, and from smaller retailers. We’ve also had quite a few international enquiries including from Japan, France and Iceland. There has been a particularly big demand for our Eco Gardening ranges. We will exhibit again next year, hopefully taking an even larger stand.”

Paul McGuire, Sales Director, Vivid Arts

“This is our 7^th Glee so people are increasingly getting to know us. Our core customers are garden centres but we’ve had interest here from across all the different channels. It’s a great chance to show our new ranges and inspire customers with what we can do. In just the first two days we filled more than three box files with orders and enquiries!”

David Eaton, Partner, The Solar Centre

“This year we have concentrated on building our business with garden centres so we b=have been pleased to see lots of garden buyers at Glee – including both independents and multiples -  as well as builders merchants and online gift suppliers. We took 13 orders on Tuesday, of which 11 were brand new customers. We’ve also converted a new customer that we’ve been working on for a very long time! We have been coming to Glee for 4 years and this has been the best yet.”

Ray Newman, Merchandising & Events, Wolf Garten

“We’ve seen a lot of interest from buyers of all kinds, including a spread of independents and multiples. There has been particular interest in our Wilkinson Sword brand.”

Steve Millingon, Sales Director, Bosmere

“This is our 32^nd year of exhibiting at Glee, so we have been supporting the show and industry for over 30 years.  As a company of innovation, we are always striving to be ahead of the competition and develop products that are fit for purpose.  Glee is an absolute must – an annual showcase to meet existing customers and target new business from the UK and overseas.  With that in mind, we always try to make out stand different and book bigger space every year!  The Bosmere stand has been buoyant with quality visitors across the three days, resulting in a lot of new deals and orders.”

Martine Hirrell, Marketing Controller, TigerTurf

“What a great first Glee for us!  We’ve had lots of leads, cards left and great business development – it’s certainly helped us to tap into the right people at the right time.  We also found value in donating our turf to feature on other exhibitors’ stands which has pushed more customers our way.”

Hand protection experts Globus Ltd has added new additions to its range of Showa glove floor standing display stands for garden retailers...

The new eye-catching units enable consumers to experience the Showa ‘second skin comfort’ and ultimate dexterity that the gloves offer before they decide to buy.

To make the purchasing decision even easier and guide the user to select the most appropriate gloves for the task, each display stand also contains new, easy-to-understand icons situated on each of the shelves.  

Each display stand comes conveniently pre-loaded with a stock profile designed specifically for two audiences –  ‘Lawn and Garden’ and ‘Tradesman’ with a ‘Winter’ variant also available for both. 

To optimise sales opportunities for retailers, each stand’s stock profile has been carefully selected to contain a cross-section of the most popular gloves for each audience.

“Showa gloves are among the best in the world and these new display units showcase them perfectly for retailers," said Jonathan Prest, Business Development Manager.

"The new icons make it easy for the consumer to find the right pair for their needs, and with each stand weighing only 12 kgs, they are easy to position in-store.”

Glee witnessed the UK launch of Smart Hose, an intelligent garden hose that expands in use and automatically retracts when not in use, making it the world’s most compact and easily manageable hose that never kinks.

Until now hoses have been fairly standard in design, and gardeners everywhere have had to put up with the continual laborious process of rolling them up after use to avoid annoying kinks that block the water flow next time around.

Smart Hose solves that problem as it automatically expands with the water flow from the tap, but more importantly, retracts as soon as the water pressure stops, meaning it can be just pushed back into a compact space after use.

It has also been designed so on expansion it does not, and will never kink, and water flow is interrupted as it is with standard hoses.

Suttons presented a massive £8,500 cheque to Greenfingers at Glee.

A proportion of the proceeds from the sale of Nasturtium ‘Jelly Bean’ had been promised to the charity – and was a runaway success.

Pictured (left to right): Greenfingers committee members Boyd-Douglas Davies, John Little, Sarah Loveri , Sue Allen, David Arnold (Suttons) and the charity’s founder Richard Jackson.

Grow your own specialist and broadcaster Pippa Greenwood was at Glee to launch the Stewart Garden Schools campaign.

The campaign aims to inspire young children and their families to discover the benefits of ‘Grow Your Own’ by helping 100 schools across the UK to embrace gardening every year.

Pippa is pictured here with Stewart CEO Richard Butler and sales ad marketing director Nigel Thompson at the unveiling at midday of the striking Stewart Garden Schools campaign logo.

Digital technologies are helping to de-mystify the cement products category for users of Lafarge cement products and giving garden centres new opportunities to profit from it.

Lafarge’s sales and marketing manager Mike Lomax (pictured) says the company’s new smartphone app has been downloaded 7,000 times and the company’s instructional new You Tube video has had 187,000 viewings. On top of that, the website, with its wealth of hints and tips on cement and aggregate usage in garden landscaping, has been well used in recent months. Then there's the addition of QR codes to packaging and promotional material –   already proving popular with users seeking more information from the website before they buy.

Spearheading their new products unveiled at Glee was cement in tub packaging, which brings new carry-home convenience to the category. Garden landscaping department buyers should also check out Lafarge’s waterproof plastic packaging, which enables cement to be displayed outside alongside the aggregates and paving materials.

The organisers of Garden Re-Leaf Day urged industry organisations to put next year’s date in the diary (Friday 8 March 2013) and start planning...what they will be doing to make the most of the opportunity.

Last year’s inaugural Garden Re-Leaf Day saw more than 500 garden centres and suppliers across the UK run a huge range of in-store and community activities to kickstart the garden retail season – and raise £52,431 for the Greenfingers children’s hospice garden charity on the way.

With further increased support and interests from right across the industry and the backing of trade and consumer media and celebrities, the initiative is back for 2013. Once again, the industry is being invited to set up special initiatives to get Britain gardening again after the winter months. The Friday date means participants can spread their Garden Re-Leaf activities across the whole gardening week-end.

Garden Re-Leaf’s founder Boyd Douglas-Davies (CEO of Hillview Garden Centres) said:We were overwhelmed by how well the industry came together last year and we want to encourage even more retailers, manufacturers and gardening friends to get the Garden Re-Leaf buzz in 2013.”

The Veg Trug has been one of the  stellar successes in the grow-your-own boom in recent years – the product has becoming a best-seller in four years from a standing start and set the standard for patio raised beds. Now, the original wooden version have a smart new sister product – the Aluminium Veg Trug, seen for the first time at Glee.

It’s pictured here on the balcony of a London terrace – one example of the kind of location for which the new product has huge sales potential. 

Other new products catching the eye of retail visitors during the show include metal trellis supports that create vertical ‘growing tubes’ to increase the Veg Trug’s scope for growing taller veg.

Stax Trade Centres showcased its Ambassador range at Glee, including an impressive set of hand tools.

In the range there is a stainless steel trowel, fork, cultivator and transplanter with a soft grip handle and made of carbon steel with a wooden handle are a trowel, fork, potting trowel, cultivator and onion hoe.

A stainless steel planter and carbon steel dibber completes the range.

Shears and secateurs come in four versions for all kinds of grass, plants or hedges, and they promise durability and comfort. There is also a version for left and right hand use.

All loppers have coated high carbon steel blades for smoother cutting, as well as handles designed for comfort and safety.

The Long Arm Pruner, Edging Shears and Folding Pruning Saw conclude the range of Ambassador premium tools.

For more information visit www.staxtradecentres.co.uk