News

As the welcomed summer sun is finally seeping into our gardens, balconies and outdoor spaces, and fauna and flora is looking lush, at the same time water supplies can also become scarce. Fresh water is essential for wild bird wellbeing so it is important they have access to plentiful sources. By providing birds with water for drinking and bathing can encourage a flurry of beautiful and interesting birds to your garden.
 
The Henry Bell Wild Bird Care Essential Collection - Three Arm and Four Arm Complete Feeding Stations and Heritage Collection - Four Arm and Four Arm Complete… Full story

Glee will return in-person on 14th – 16th September 2021

Industry leading brands set to appear on the exhibitor line-up. Glee’s theme will be Time to Grow, reflecting the opportunities for garden retail

After over a year away from in-person events, Hyve Group are delighted to announce that Glee will return to the NEC Birmingham from 14th – 16th September 2021. Following their Time To Grow manifesto, Glee will be designed to support the industry, helping garden retailers and brands to build on the momentum the industry has gathered over the… Full story

After a short illness we are sorry to announce the sad passing of Ken Sharpe. Some will remember him from his days at the Hull company Westdock, starting there in 1959 selling glasshouses across the UK, Ireland and the Channel Islands. After only 3 years and staying within horticulture, he started his own company, initially based in Ireland, he then moved back to Yorkshire in the late 1960’s to carry on his business.  In his time, he experienced many highs and lows in the industry, but his determination to succeed and provide an excellent service to customers, ensured his Company’s… Full story

Ideal growing conditions and an adaptable retail sector mean the public can look forward to easy access to real British Christmas trees in prime condition this coming festive season.

According to the British Christmas Tree Growers Association (BCTGA), favourable weather patterns have boosted growth this year, with a good mix of rainfall and sunnier spells throughout spring and summer leaving popular tree varieties in great shape as the countdown to Christmas begins.

Narrower trees that take up less space in the home are… Full story

With exhibitions off the agenda this year, garden trade suppliers are looking for alternative ways to showcase their latest product introductions ahead of the new gardening season. Not wanting its retail customers to miss out, Woodlodge, the UK’s leading brand for plant pots, containers and garden décor, has confirmed that it will be launching new showroom tours in what is being dubbed as ‘Glee @ Woodlodge’.

The company’s Gloucestershire facility will become home to a new COVID-Secure showroom from 7th September until 16th October, where the full product portfolio will be on… Full story

The RHS has created a new careers resource - rhs.org.uk/careersinhorticulture - with over 60 individual films showcasing some 45 different horticultural careers, as a survey shows that almost three in 10 (28%) people say not knowing enough about careers in the industry puts them off working in horticulture. The top two things putting people off a career in horticulture, which is currently suffering a skills crisis, is lack of knowledge, both in not knowing enough about plants or gardens (40%) and not knowing enough about careers in… Full story

Set up as part of the ongoing fight against Covid-19 the temporary NHS Nightingale Hospital at ExCel London has become ‘home’ to over 1,600 support staff bravely facing the virus head-on. Thanks to LifestyleGarden® and a wealth of generous donors, these workers now have a stunning garden space in which to relax and find a moment of calm away from the frontline.
 
Co-ordinated by the superb team at Biotecture Limited, this new garden space came together in just a matter of days thanks to the hard work and dedication of the on-site team. Adding a splash of colour to proceedings… Full story

Plant Your Future, the Registered Charity that works with subsistence farmers to restore the Peruvian Amazon Rainforest, has launched a competition to help keep children entertained and inspired during the COVID-19-enforced lockdown. The ‘Rainforest in a Box’ competition will encourage children aged 6-14 to get crafty, all while learning more about the rainforest.

Plant Your Future is encouraging children to create a mini rainforest using an old shoebox and other materials they can find around the house. The organisation has… Full story

The Plant Finder team say garden centres are selling more online in COVID-19 crisis.
 
GARDEN centres are using upgraded website software that recommends not only plants to gardeners but also care products as sales of gardening goods soar in the wake of COVID-19.
 
Joy of Plants’ Plant Finder plug-in has been added to 46 garden centre websites since it launched in 2018 including the Blue Diamond Group, Longacres, Barton Grange, Scotsdales and Perrywood.
 
Terri Jones, Managing Director of Joy of Plants in Twyford, says: “We’re hearing… Full story

ONE OF the UK’s leading commercial nurseries has added a brand-new introduction to its promotional range – Agapanthus ‘Poppin Purple’ (March, 2020).
 
The new Agapanthus will be available from April (2020) onwards.
 
Colin Stanley, Retail Sales Manager at Wyevale Nurseries in Hereford, which celebrates its 90th Anniversary this year, said: “We’re delighted to add Agapanthus ‘Poppin Purple’ to our range. It’s a truly stunning plant and was recently crowned Best New Perennial at the 2020 IPM Essen, the world’s leading horticultural trade fair.
 
“Unlike… Full story

Haskins Garden Centre in Snowhill, Crawley, has opened its doors to customers upon completion of a 12-month project to create a new, enhanced centre.

Following a £15million investment, the new centre now boasts a retail space of 11,813 sqm, including an outdoor plant area and 440-seat restaurant complete with a newly installed pizza oven. Additional space has also been created to accommodate 170 restaurant guests on an outdoor patio.

Up to 70 new jobs have been created to accommodate the centre’s expansion. Car parking has also been improved with 346 spaces now available… Full story

The annual GIMA Day Conference is fast approaching (19th March 2020), and with the latest names joining the agenda it is set to be a valuable day of learning and networking for both members and non-members.
 
The latest name confirmed for the GIMA Day Conference is Phil Pond, from Scarlet Opus, the leading trends intelligence agency. During his session, Phil will be giving delegates an insight into how consumer and design trends are forecast, and how they can provide huge return on investment for companies who work with this type of information.  There will also be a very brief… Full story