EDITORIAL & ADVERTISING Garden Trade News, Potting Shed Press Ltd Dairy Drove Thorney Peterborough PE6 0TX Tel 01733 775700 Fax 01733 775838 gardentradenews@tgcmc.co.uk www.gardentradenews.co.uk
Gary Bissett, of Inverness Garden Centre, holds workshops for kids, parents and grandparents to encourage home growing. anything other than they would normally do if anybody else came in. “It’s almost a garden centre crusade. We have a campaign that’s costing us nothing with supportive posters and other materials. It’s not related to an association, completely flying without the power of bigger organisations, just the coverage in the Daily Mirror and our sponsor, for this year, Calliope Geraniums. “But the momentum and kindness that runs around it is enormous. I’m talking about the kindness of these guys who are often visiting a school in their own time. The social media that is generated brings a wider audience too.” David may now be watched by audiences of four million on ITV’s Love Your Garden but his roots are steeped in garden centre retailing. “I started off as an apprentice at Notcutts Solihull, before the current centre was built, in the shop department and then a year in the nursery. Then after a spell at Peterborough I managed the store in Bagshot which was one of the first million pound garden centres in the country back in the 80s. “After heading up a buying team for lots of multiple garden centres, I really wanted to get back to talking about plants and that’s why I went into the media to try and reengage, a born again horticulturalist.
“Love Your Garden is a hugely emotional show and I see it as a chance to encourage more people to engage in gardening, and to visit garden centres where I learned my gardening knowledge. I realise just how much passion people have in the retail section.” David believes community and schools gardening are great ways of future proofing our business. “In many cases the products of the community gardening – the plants and grown products – are almost a by-product for the other beneficial things that it gives to society in general within the local area,” he said. “It dramatically reduces isolation and loneliness where people are living in houses and away from their families so that they can engage and meet other people. It shows a great benefit in supporting the generational difference. “I’ve always hated the fact that some kids are shouting at pensioners and the like, showing disrespect, but when they’re working it shows a very positive thing. Obviously, it has huge health impact both mentally and physically. In addition to that there’s a reduction in anti-social behaviour and crime in areas where there are community gardens and it pulls a community together to keep an eye on.
THE GTN TEAM Editor: Neil Pope neil.pope@tgcmc.co.uk Associate Editor: Mike Wyatt mike.wyatt@tgcmc.co.uk Director: Trevor Pfeiffer trevor.pfeiffer@tgcmc.co.uk Publisher: Mandy Davies mandy.davies@tgcmc.co.uk Advertising: Alan Burdon alan.burdon@tgcmc.co.uk Ben Greenwood ben.greenwood@tgcmc.co.uk HOW TO SUBSCRIBE Tel 01733 775700 or email subscriptions@gardentradenews.co.uk Subscription rates UK: £145 Subscription includes a password for full access to GTN Online plus a weekly copy of GTN Bestsellers OUR PUBLISHERS GTN is published by Potting Shed Press Ltd, who also publish: * www.gardentradenews.co.uk website * Weekly GTN Xtra and Pet Trade Xtra newsletters * Garden Radio * Official Glee Catalogue and Glee Daily News Online – the only official guides to the garden industry’s leading annual trade show SMALL PRINT All material © Potting Shed Press 2018. No part of this publication may be reproduced in any form whatsoever, either for sale or not, without the express permission of the publishers. The information contained in this publication is published in good faith and every effort has been made to ensure its accuracy. Potting Shed Press Ltd cannot accept responsibility for any error or misrepresentation. All liability for loss, disappointment, negligence or other damage caused by reliance on information contained in this publication or in the event of any bankruptcy or liquidation or cessation of the trade of any company, individual or firm mentioned, is hereby excluded.
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