The horticultural hub of Glee, the Green Heart, is making its return later this year and is set to feature the widest selection of growers and plant specialists to this thriving section of the show.
Working in partnership with Woodlodge – the Green Heart’s official merchandising bench supplier – this year Green Heart will be made up of 114 benches, making 2018 the biggest ever Green Heart at Glee.
Featuring more international companies than ever before, the Green Heart will be home to brands such as The Bransford Webb Plant Company, Javado, Armlee Nurseries, Darby Nurseries, Morley Nurseries, Farplants, Craigmarloch Nurseries Ltd, John Richards Nurseries Ltd, Lovania Nurseries Ltd, Porters Fuchsias, Lowaters Nursery, The Plant Yard, Wyevale Nurseries Limited, Florna Plants, Viking Nurseries, Chamberlain Nurseries, Hawkesmill Nurseries co Ltd, Philip Sonneville, Anglo Aquatic Plant Company, Dataflor, Deforche Export, Helleborous (Wilgenbroek), Herbachef, VDW Plants, Wharton Nurseries, and Worfield Plants - all coming together to create the strongest display of new plant varieties and inspiration for plant buyers and retailers looking to develop both their indoor and outdoor plant offering in the coming season.
First showcased in 2017, the first Flemish pavilion to make its home at Glee - returning as VLAM, the Flanders’ Agricultural Marketing Board - has confirmed its return to the show. The Flemish Pavilion (Hall 19, stand G30) will be home to a host of seven top growers under the VLAM banner, all ready to showcase their industry leading horticultural products. Many of the Flemish brands will also join Glee’s Green Heart, to demonstrate merchandising best practice, and showcase exciting new plant varieties within indoor plants, cut flowers and different types of young plants.
Plants will also be celebrated through a new award introduced in 2018. The ‘Best Green Heart Display’ award, in partnership with Woodlodge, whilst Garden Trade News’ annual Great Awards will be celebrating the ‘Greatest Awards Best Plant Retailing Team’, which will be announced on Tuesday 11th September, designed to award those plant retailing teams that have gone above and beyond in 2018.
Matthew Mein, Glee Event Director said: “The Green Heart is a really important part of Glee and is designed to put plants right at the centre of the show, but more than this we want to arm retailers and growers with a platform to communicate – whether in regard to what’s new or how to
better drive sales in-store. It’s set to be a great showcase of UK and international growers, so I urge plant buyers and garden retailers to make this their first port of call at Glee 2018.”