GTN December 2022 Sustainability Directory - Garden Trade News UK

GTN’S GUIDE TO SUSTAINABILITY INNOVATIONS FOR GARDEN CENTRE RETAILING DECEMBER 2022

gardentradenews.co.uk

Alan Roper Advice & information for garden centre professionals

GTN Interview with Blue Diamond CEO

SUSTAINABILITY DIRECTORY FOR 2023

Garden Centre Projects & Supplier Initiatives to help you have an even more Sustainable 2023

MORE THAN A CHAIR

GTN visits LifestyleGarden

PEAT-FREE GROWING MEDIA SOLEX TREES

Glee TV Discussion

Planting in the Lake District

Give back to nature what nature gave to us!

EasyMix 2-in-1 Composter

THE CORE HOZELOCK RANGE OF

EasyMix 2-in-1 Composter With the EasyMix 2-in-1, a tumbling composter with unique features, gardeners can recycle their food and garden waste efficiently.

Boasting quick composting times and an innovative ‘Click & Spray’ feature, a high-nutrient compost liquid is collec ted under the drum,, then the user ca an simply click and connect it to a hose to easily fertilise their garden!

KNITTED HOSES NOW UTILISE

40

% RECYCLED

MATERIALS

*

*On average across the range; as the % is dependent on the diameter of the hose

Recycled Materials During 2022, we have successfully increased the sustainability of our products, packaging, and manufacturing processes. We are proud to have achieved our goal of utilising 40% recycled materials across our entire knitted hose range, resulting in the removal of 535 tonnes of virgin PVC material.

For 2023, we are taking our sustainability efforts even further by removing an additional 400 tonnes of virgin material.

We are dedicated to providing innovative solutions that allow gardeners to enjjoyy their gardens in a more sustainable way. Find out more at www.hozelock.com/sustainability y

New AquaSave Oscillating Sprinkler The NEW Rectangular AquaSave Pro range of sprinklers are designed with a robust anodised spray bar that promotes durability and longevity. The sprinkler can be controlled to adjust the water flow from 0-100% to target the area being watered - be it a small or a large outdoor space The Innovative 3D Control gives the user full flexibility to adjust the width, direction and range with ease; providing even coverage for all gardens and most importantly, helps to avoid wasted water.

Comment

2022 - A year of missed expectations

A

t the start of the year, everyone was holding their breath with expectations for another year of growth, albeit at a much lower level than seen in 2021. As a result, garden retailers were stocked to the gunnels. But then the economy tightened, people made up for holidays lost during COVID and sales dropped off a cliff after the Platinum Jubilee Bank Holiday. Garden centres sold plenty of items but high-ticket price lines slowed up and while there was so much stock in the system suppliers expectations of new orders for re-stocking weren’t met.

The summer of trade shows delivered plenty of innovation (actually above expectations) and provided opportunity for some brave retailers to take up warehouse clearance offers which fuelled good footfall and sales in the early autumn.

Then when Christmas got off to an earlier than

normal start, the weather delivered the longest cold spell since 2010 and that means Christmas expectations are now being missed too.

From our Greatest Christmas Awards visits we get general feedback that garden retailers are not panicking, just seeing value in retained stock to sell next year.

And while the general hospitality industry is still struggling to recover, garden centre restaurants and coffee shops have been back to their pre COVID best, proving that even while there are concerns about the economy garden centres are still a place of choice for people to visit, enjoy and spend their hard earned or saved money.

What we need next is a really good Spring for gardening to get 2023 off to a great start. That is the hope and great expectation!

Happy New Year to you all.

As the year comes to a close our GTN Bestsellers All Products Index shows that sales in the second half of the year only occasionally exceeded 2021 or 2020 levels. The index for the year after Week 49 sits at 3.4% down on 2021 but 14.5% up on 2019.

In this issue...

4 8

12 14

Blue Diamond buys Van Hage – GTN Interview with CEO Alan Roper

25

Saving the planet with Carbon Gold

Advertisers in this Issue

25

STV’s Sustainability Journey

2

Hozelock

So much more than a chair – GTN visits LifestyleGarden

26

Plant a tree with LOFA in the Lake

7

Spring fair

District

13

Gardena

GCA Westland Rising Stars – 13

13

Sipcam Ecofective

Garden Centre Sustainability projects

17

STV International

31

Lasting Sustainability at Squires

20

Woodmansterne

32

GTN’s Sustainability Directory for

23

Primeur

2023

33

Bio-Bean

HTA Column – Finding inspiration in

35

The Solar Centre

Scotland

36

Hortiwool

GIMA Column – Growth is still on the

39

Fordingbridge

cards for 2023

40

Solex 2023

Towards net-zero gardening with Southern Trident Ensuring a Peat Free Growing Media future – Glee TV supplier discussion

28

18

Artisan brushes and brooms from Redecker

22

Apsley Farms - Heating homes and feeding gardens

37

24

New Sustainable Houseplant Products

33

www.gardentradenews.co.uk

EDITORIAL & ADVERTISING Garden Trade News Potting Shed Press Ltd Dairy Drove Thorney Peterborough PE6 0TX Tel 01733 775700 www.gardentradenews.co.uk THE GTN TEAM Editor Trevor Pfeiffer trevor@pottingshedpress.co.uk Advertising Sales Alan Burdon Alan@pottingshedpress.co.uk Features Editor Anisa Gress anisa@pottinghsedpress.co.uk Associate Editor Mike Wyatt mike@pottingshedpress.co.uk Digital Editor Neil Pope neil@pottingshedpress.co.uk Subscriptions Karen Pfeiffer karen@pottingshedpress.co.uk Design & Production AT Graphics Ltd www.atgraphicsuk.com Kirsty Craner – Design Alun Jones – Production Manager Robert Tipping – Managing Director James Tipping – Technical Director Printing CG Print Ltd Do you qualify for a copy of GTN?

If you’d like to be added to the GTN distribution list, please send your details to Karen@pottingshedpress.co.uk to see if you qualify to be included.

Alternatively, if you prefer your Garden Trade News digitally, sign up for GTN Xtra, our weekly e-mail newsetter at www.gardentradenews.co.uk And, if you want the fastest garden centre sales analysis, take out a subscription to GTN Bestsellers our printed weekly sales data newsletter. For just £145.00 per year you get Top 50 sales charts created from weekly garden centre epos data.

Contact trevor@pottingshedpress.co.uk for more details and to subscribe.

Potting Shed Press Ltd

Garden Trade News is published by Potting Shed Press Ltd who also publish: GTN Bestsellers, GTN Xtra, Glee Daily News and the Glee Catalogue, and the Solex Sun. Potting Shed Press also supply Garden Radio to over 100 garden centres across the country.

Director Trevor Pfeiffer

SMALL PRINT: All material © Potting Shed Press Ltd 2022. No part of this publication may e reproduced in any form whatsoever, either for sale or not, without the express permission of the publishers.

The information supplied 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 vent of any bankruptcy or liquidation or cassation of the trade of any company, individual or firm mentioned, is hereby excluded.

December 2022 3

Interview

Forty-five and counting for

Blue Diamond Exclusive interview with Alan Roper, CEO of the Blue Diamond Group, on plans for the future, his thoughts on inflation and the company’s most recent acquisitions - the three Van Hage garden centres

T

hree new sites with a rich horticultural history, have joined the Blue Diamond group of garden centres.

The three Van Hage garden centres bring its total number of outlets to 45 and strengthens its position as a garden retailer in Hertfordshire and the east of England.

Working in the nursery business since the mid 1950’s, the Van Hage family set up its first garden centre in 1968.

In recognition of its six decades of horticultural excellence, two of the centres, Cheines and Great Amwell, will retain the Van Hage name with the third, and most recently opened in Peterborough, becoming a Blue Diamond Home and

4 December 2022

Garden. “Van Hage’s is an institution I’ve known for years.

My mother used drive down from Newmarket to go to Van Hages in Great Amwell to look at Christmas. So two will stay Van Hage’s but Peterborough needs to be rebranded,” says Alan Roper, Blue Diamond’s CEO. The acquisition has been in the pipeline for some time but complications with the Peterborough site meant the process became protracted. “It was the hardest deal and the most draining I’ve ever done in my life. I could have given up so many times – it was easier doing the Wyevale deals back-to-back with 16 sites than it was buying this Peterborough site,” says Alan.

www.gardentradenews.co.uk

Interview The thorn in the side of the Peterborough store was its location on the PE1 Retail Park where it was a rentpaying tenant. Alan explains the Van Hage business had no control over the rest of the site: “So you had this demographic punch up on the same site - whilst they went AB1, the retail park was going in the other direction.” The answer was for Blue Diamond to get control of the whole retail park and the only way to do this was to buy it. In the longer term, rents from the companies on the retail park will enable the garden centre to trade ‘rent free’.

Work has already started at Peterborough with a plan to increase its turnover to £8 million and relaunch it as a Blue Diamond Home & Garden in early 2023 but a lot has to be done and it’s a big challenge. “Our average turnover per square meter is £2000 for the group. Some do higher, some are less but if it hits the average, it would do £10 million. I’ve forecasted £8m. I think it will do more and I think the needle will move pretty quickly here,” says Alan.

Work is also focussing on attracting concessions, such as Lakeland, to the garden centre, and softening the signage around the whole retail park. Part of the current restaurant will become a Kipling Patisserie, the interior layout of the whole centre will change to improve customer flow, and Alan hopes the access road can be changed as a solution to the traffic bottle-neck that is problematic at peak times. Retailers to the rest of the park also need to be welcomed back to the area, as over the years it has become, as Alan describes ‘a ghost town’.

All of this should then bring up the margins which are currently far too low. “We need to fix the commercial backbone,” says Alan and adds that the 10% margins will need to rise to 40 or even 50%. Alan recognises the stock and displays at this site has been done well, they are aspirational, but wonders if its operational costs have been problematic. “We’ll soon start being able to analyse the data but there is always a lot of reasons why margins are low,” he says.

It could be the restaurant but equally it might be the current loyalty scheme where members pay £12 to join for the year and then get 10% off plants, seeds and bulbs and 5% off everything else. This doesn’t really work when there

Van Hage Chenies, Hertfordshire has a turnover just over £4m

Whatever happens, next year will be a litmus test for how it will play out in subsequent years.

What we’re going through is not a short-term thing – for me it’s five years minimum

Inflation considerations

Van Hage Great Amwell the first to be opened by the Van Hage family.

www.gardentradenews.co.uk

is a low customer average spend. Alan’s plan is to freeze the current loyalty card system, so, allowing those that have it to continue, but recruiting new customers to the Diamond Club. “It would be foolish to take it away because you would lose customers and it gradually burns itself out anyway,” explains Alan. “It’s a nice building and it will be lovely when it’s done. And I think a Blue Diamond Garden & Home in this location will go down a storm.”

The Van Hage Chenies site in Hertfordshire between Amersham and Rickmansworth has a similar foot print to Blue Diamond’s Rake Garden Centre in Hampshire.

Van Hage Great Amwell, also in Hertfordshire, is clocking up a turnover of around £11.7m. Both are freehold properties so don’t have the complications of the Peterborough site and plans are in place to improve the catering facilities at both.

With building costs 30% higher than in 2018, Blue Diamond has taken the decision to postpone its planned site in Elveden Estate in Norfolk and Scotch Corner in North Yorkshire for another year. But how does Alan think this will affect retailing? “I think there are two stages. Our profits won’t be where we expected them to be this year because of costs. We came off an energy contract over a year ago so we’ve been buying on the open market because every deal where you are quoted to get locked in for three years was just too high. There’s been huge costs to wages. The minimum wage has gone up 24% since 2019 and you’ve got food inflation so people should be looking at their profit bottom lines on restaurants because they are getting squeezed all over the place.”

Alan believes the second phase is the extra households will have to pay in tax, mortgages, food bills and interest on debt which will put pressure on foot fall and average spend.

“Suddenly those disposable incomes are going to get really, really damaged and they’re going to shrink back. But I don’t

December 2022 5

Interview

The Peterborough store will be rebranded to become a Blue Diamond Home & Garden

think you’re going to start to see that play out until you get past Christmas.

“It will be very interesting to see what happens in March, April as we go into the new gardening season as people will be more focused on where the money’s going. It will be interesting from a garden centre point of view how we ride that next year. Whatever happens, next year will be a litmus test for how it will play out in subsequent years. What we’re going through is not a short-term thing – for me it’s five years minimum.”

From a Dobbies point of view, Alan hopes his AB1 customer demographic will be challenged but will still have money to spend. “If you offer the right experience, people will be more selective, so I’m optimistic.”

Investing in horticulture As well as new centres and improvements to existing ones, Blue Diamond has also been developing its relationship with the National Trust and will be offering, next year, a range of seeds and exclusive young fruit trees propagated from those with connections to

6 December 2022

No sooner had the ink dried on the last deal I went straight to the two I had sitting on my desk...

Henry the Eighth and the Flower of Kent apple tree at the Trust’s Woolsthorpe Manor, Lincolnshire, the fomer home of Sir Isaac Newton. It is also planning a range of roses based on the collection at Powis Castle, Powys and perennials curated around those grown at Sissinghurst Castle, Kent.

It’s also looking into selling a line of bulbs from a grower in Jersey and will be 90% peat-free next year and heading towards the 100%’ peat-free deadline of 2024.

On reflection 2022 has been a busy year for Blue Diamond with the conclusion of refurbishing projects at several of its centres and the creation of play areas and restaurants at others. But there is more still to come and Alan leaves us with this cliff hanger. “No sooner had the ink dried on the last deal I went straight for the two I had sitting on my desk because they’re too good to wait.”

www.gardentradenews.co.uk

Grow your gift collection Browse a treasure trove of gifts, greetings and home interiors at Spring Fair 2023.

GET YOUR FREE TICKET springfair.com

By

Sustainability – LifestyleGarden

So much more than a chair Sustainability is at the core of furniture manufacturer ScanCom International and its retail brand LifestyleGarden®.

Paul and James Cohen explain why it matters and why the company’s mantra is ‘Doing Business The Right Way’.

B

ased just outside of Ho Chi Minh City is the head office of ScanCom, a Danish company now one of the largest producers of garden furniture in the world. Its roots are in the manufacture of furniture for major global chains such as home and DIY stores, producing ranges under licence for rebranding. And this is what Paul Cohen, Commercial Director of ScanCom UK believes makes the difference. “We make all our own furniture so we can track it all the way through from the raw material, through production to the retailer, which is, I think, pretty unique in the business.” Such control of the process gives ScanCom an advantage when it comes to managing and steering its sustainability, environmental and social policies which it does with impressive results.

ScanCom International was set up in 1995 by Boje Bendtzen in his home in Denmark with four employees making furniture. His desire was to be in control of the whole manufacturing process. Today, even though the company is wholly owned by the Lars Larsen Group, which shares similar social and ethical concerns, his legacy continues.

We make all our furniture so we can track it all the way through.....

Duraboard, wood-effect composite table tops made with recycled plastic and sawdust.

8 December 2022

www.gardentradenews.co.uk

Sustainability – LifestyleGarden ScanCom’s new ‘mega factory’ in the Mekong Delta, Vietnam covers 52,000m2 and employs 1,200 people specialising in the production of aluminium furniture.

Paul and James Cohen in the Essex showroom

www.gardentradenews.co.uk

Wood wise As a young business, ScanCom became a founding member of the Tropical Rainforest Trust. By the early 2000s the FSC scheme had established so ScanCom switched and today 100% of the timber it uses complies to the Forest Stewardship Council certification.

With one sawmill in Brazil which mainly handle eucalyptus and one in Indonesia, which works with a government owned teak plantation, it is in control of the wood it uses. As all the wood comes from FSC areas where young trees are continually being replanted to regenerate forests.

“Apart from the recycled teak we use, we can trace the timber from felling the tree to making the chair in Vietnam,” says Paul who adds that if you have a teak table and look after you can leave it to your grandchildren. Caring for the furniture is also considered and ScanCom doesn’t use any chemicals in the preservation of its wood. Paul explains it works with a specialist company that has developed waterbased products which need to be applied to the wood a couple of times a year.

Naturally, in the production of wooden legs and arms for furniture, the sawmills create a lot of sawdust.

To make use of this, ScanCom has come up with a way to mix a small percentage of sawdust with recycled plastic to make composite tabletops which are FSC approved.

December 2022 9

Sustainability – LifestyleGarden

Ranges of pvc-free wicker furniture displayed in the Essex showroom

Aluminium offcuts and shavings are moulded into cubes for melting down and reusing.

Zero waste aluminium

The new mega factory in Vietnam opened in 2021 creates zero waste with its aluminium. “We buy the aluminium in long tubes and extrude it all to the profiles that we need.

The majority of the shavings, all the waste, everything is turned into blocks, a bit like you see crushed cars so we can melt it down and use it again,” explains Paul.

10 December 2022

In the UK, garden centre buyers and customers are more familiar with the LifestyleGarden brand set up specifically for selling through independent retailers, prompted by the closure of the Nova Garden Furniture business in 2009. Paul explains: “ScanCom was used to talking to customer wanting to buy 100,000 chairs, but suddenly I’m trying to convince them we need to make a small range of products, put it into stock and then sell it afterwards, which was a whole different ball game.” This meant having warehousing in the UK which had formally not been necessary. It was immediately decided a brand would be needed to facilitate the new business model and thus LifestyleGarden was born.

“We wanted to differentiate the range and protect the independent retailer,” says Paul who adds that its kept separate and protected from major retailers and online trading sites. One of the joys of working with garden centres says James Cohen, Commercial Manager for ScanCom UK, is having close contact with buyers and owners and getting direct feedback on ranges and designs. This feedback is crucial, allowing LifestyleGarden to work collaboratively on future developments by understanding what is selling and where there are gaps in the market.

After its proven success in the UK,

LifestyleGarden became widely available and is now sold in more than 40 countries with showrooms in the UK, Majorca and Vietnam with one soon to be opened in Miami.

Interestingly when it comes to trends in retail the UK is slightly behind the other countries.

“The UK is much more traditional,” says James.

“Traditional wicker designs are still prevalent in our marketplace, but I think they’re taking a bit of a sidestep for more contemporary designs, which in the rest of Europe they’ve been doing for three or four years.”

Retailers can visit the showroom and get display ideas from the Mediterranean-themed room. All cushion covers in the UK are made using recycled polyester.

www.gardentradenews.co.uk

Sustainability – LifestyleGarden

Chairs and tables in the new Nassau range are made from pellets created from recycled plastic collected through the Social Plastic scheme.

As well as the LifestyleGarden showroom in Essex, the company also has a nearby warehouse and distribution centre and is looking to increase sites further. “We’ve been wanting to do this for many years,” says Paul. “For the upcoming season, stock on the floor is going to be key. We understand that committing to stock in volume is difficult, so will support our partners as best as we can, by holding local and global stock where possible, for top up and additional orders.”

Sustainability One of the company’s mantras is ‘Doing Business The Right Way’ and this runs through its workings like the words in a stick of rock. Every part of the manufacturing process, whether it be raw materials such as aluminium or packaging for the end consumer, is scrutinised so each step can be fully understood and practiced in the most ethical and sustainable way. And its staff and local communities too are treated with respect and care. For example, the company not only supports various charities in Vietnam but it also helps it workers.

Throughout the covid pandemic, when the factories closed, workers continued to be paid and given their promised meals and health care.

The Nassau range of recycled plastic furniture won the Best Sustainable Product award at SOLEX 22.

To enable it to continue this high level of sustainability ScanCom is a signatory of several United Nations pacts including the UN Global Compact Network to help businesses eradicate poverty and reduce inequalities through sustainable development and the UN Sustainable Development Goals of which there are 17.

Paul explains that ScanCom has been working for more than three decades on its sustainability credentials. “Major retailers have to be sure they’re buying from a reliable and trustworthy source. In the late nineties there was a lot of vocal protests and newspaper articles about illegal logging in Vietnam, Cambodia and the surrounding areas so ScanCom decided the only way it could survive was if it worked to show its was doing everything the right way. We’re audited nearly every day by someone so we have to make sure it’s always right.”

However, there are price considerations. “There are cost implications to being environmentally friendly because of the things we have to do in the background and that’s why we’ll never sell the cheapest furniture in the market. But we believe in what we are doing,” says Paul.

Facing up to the problem with plastic

The DuraOcean® range of green furniture comes from fishing ropes while the colourful chairs in the Nassau range comes from Social Plastic®, the material resulting from the Plastic Bank initiative where communities are paid for the waste plastic they collect from their local beaches and streets.

By its nature, recycled plastic has to be handled differently so the design of a chair has to be considered accordingly. The shape and style of ScanCom chairs have been created specifically to provide maximum strength without the use of fibreglass which although would add strength, would also render the chairs unrecyclable.

Demand for recycled plastic as a raw material is going up all the time putting pressure on prices. “I think we were the first to introduce a commercially viable option,” says James. “There were plenty of chairs around with a small percentage of recycled material, but they were £500 a chair. The plastic in our Nassau chairs is 100% recycled and they sit alongside any product in a garden centre, fully recycled and fully recyclable at the end of life.”

This last point is critical in closing the loop on plastic recycling and James adds the LifestyleGarden website now has a facility for finding recycling centres local to homeowners in the UK.

LifestyleGarden® is a brand of ScanCom and registered with the USA Patent and Trademark Office. www.lifestylegarden.com www.gardentradenews.co.uk

December 2022 11

Sustainability – Promotion

Towards net-zero gardening Harmony Gardens continues to lead the way in carbon neutrality within growing media with its newly expanded range and accreditations for 2023.

J

oining the existing acclaimed range of fully carbon-neutral, peat-free growing media that already includes a Multipurpose Compost, Growbag, Top Soil and Soil Improver, are the brand new Farmyard Manure, Fruit and Vegetable Compost, Chipped Bark, and Ericaceous Compost which won the Four Oaks 2022 Retail Product Award and was shortlisted in the Glee 2022 Best New Growing Material category.

After much hard work, Southern Trident is extremely proud to share with the public and its partners that it, and its Harmony Gardens range are fully PAS 2060 carbon neutral certified – the first in the industry to attain this achievement.

Harmony Gardens’ colourful, unique, and eye-catching packaging – made from at least 30% recycled materials, increasing to 50% in 2023 – has not only its carbon neutral and peat-free accreditation in full print on the front of each bag, but also the Responsible Sourcing Scheme mark.

With every product in the range, new and old, being made from only by-products and recycled

materials with no virgin wood or peat, Harmony Gardens is possibly the most sustainable compost range leading the way for novices and professionals.

Growing trials at Stockbridge Technology Centre in North Yorkshire and 5-star reviews and feedback from garden centres and growers show Harmony Gardens really works and consistently produces great results, something retailers need to feel confident about as we transition away from peat.

It is an exciting time for sustainable garden products and for Southern Trident as it looks towards ever more sustainable methods of packaging and production, and increased carbon emission reduction to become a fully carbon netzero company by 2030

Why does carbon neutrality matter?

As our industry produces more products for the market and consumers become more aware of the drastic effects of climate

change, it is important for Southern Trident to not only emphasise its commitments to ensuring the continued reduction of greenhouse gases, but to display those credentials efficiently to consumers and get conversations started about carbon neutrality. As part of this process Southern Trident has to target carbon reduction in its own business, this is not just about offsetting, it really is about positive change.

For more about the latest Harmony Gardens product range for 2023, visit: www.harmonygardens.uk or the new trade site southerntrident.com.

Email: sales@southerntrident.com, Telephone: 020 3633 7786.

facebook.com/harmonygardensnet0 facebook.com/cocoandcoir instagram.com/cocoandcoir twitter.com/cocoandcoir linkedin.com/company/southerntrident

12 December 2022

www.gardentradenews.co.uk

EcoLine The natural choice for passionate gardeners The GARDENA EcoLine range is the first collection of watering and hand tools made from over 65% postconsumer recycled plastic; allowing you to garden greener than ever.

Sustainability – peat-free growing media

Ensuring a sustainable future for peat-free growing media Four growing media suppliers share their thoughts on the most important factors shaping peat-free growing media - quality, quantity, consistency and cost

E

arlier this summer Glee TV hosted a discussion with retailers about the transition from peat to peat-free growing media and since then, the government has announced that retail sales of peat-based growing media will be banned from 2024.

Moving the discussion on further, at the end of November, GTN’s Editor Trevor Pfeiffer, caught up with representatives from four major growing media manufacturers to discuss how quality, quantity, consistency and cost will shape gardening in a peat-free world. The roundtable event was recorded and can be seen in full in February 2023 on the Glee TV channel.

Mark Portman, CEO, Evergreen Garden Care Quality It’s about working with really good strategic partners to supply consistent, high quality raw material and making sure we continue to upgrade our machinery

14 December 2022

and being totally confident with a product before we launch. We looked at bringing the Levington Tomorite Growbag on to the market 18 months ago but it needed a further six months of trials to ensure that when it did come to market, it delivered the right results. It’s also about R&D, finding the right blend of mixes of raw materials and then trialling. We do our own rigorous testing to make sure there is consistently in what we are producing.

Consistency We do a lot of work and our R&D and the quality teams that partner with our suppliers. For green compost we ensure we get the right quality and that there are no nasties in that product at all. We also use woodchips and have just bought two new woodchipping machines with the latest technology to ensure we get the quality and consistency.

Quantity Four years ago our sales were

roughly 20% peat free and 80% peat. Today it’s the other way round and by 2023 we intend to be peat free in our Miracle-Gro brand and in 2024 our Levington brand. We have managed to do that by working strategically with our suppliers of the raw materials, putting in long term contracts and building relationships with our partners who supply green compost. We’ve also expanded our own manufacturing plant. We had one fibre machine, now we have two, we put in 13 hoppers versus six hoppers to make an additional mixing line to increase our capacity and output.

Cost Our role here, all of us, is to delight the consumer and the gardener. Inevitability the price will continue to go up as the actual process of producing a bag of peat-free media is slower and more complex than a bag of peat-based media. The challenge for us is to make sure the cost doesn’t get out of hand. Gardening is an affordable hobby and it’s really important we keep it affordable for the 70 million people in the UK.

www.gardentradenews.co.uk

Sustainability – peat-free growing media

Catherine Dawson, Technical Director, Melcourt Industries Quality It comes down to solid long-term R&D, there’s no substitute for it. It’s about knowing your ingredients inside out, how they’ll react when blended and how they react under storage because that’s a big issue in retailing.

The product won’t necessarily be used the day after it’s been made, it could be six months after that. We decided to produce growing media for the professional market for many years prior to launching into retail – the quality needed to be as good for retail as it did for professional media. The recipes and formulas are actually the same. We have in-house facilities and growing trial facilities in two separate sites in the UK. There’s no way of not doing that.

...it’s a fantastic material and not just the brown stuff in a bag Toby Thomas, a founder of RocketGro Quality All the substrates we use, we test before we blend. Then we test the blends and get results back from independent laboratories. That’s the way we keep on top of what we’re doing and its going to be part of our regime now from now on.

Consistency We grow the base ingredients (maize, rye and grass) for RocketGro products and consistently grow the same amount of every year. From a quality control perspective, we know it’s a very consistent substrate because we’re farmers, and well connected in Somerset with suppliers of substrates. Even though RocketGro is a relatively new business, we’ve known a lot of our suppliers for over a decade and they’re well trusted. Our machinery is only 18 months old, so it’s perfectly positioned to make sure the blending is right. Screening is a choice as well. It is a cost and we are investing in screening. It’s important to put the investment where it counts.

www.gardentradenews.co.uk

Consistency Testing, testing and testing. Peat is quite easy to formulate but even with peat you had to get the screening right and it is a bit susceptible to change. We screen our bark and wood fibres fairly energetically into different sizes and blend them with the right quantities of fines, medium and coarse, to get the right moisture holding capacity. We test that we have the same number of fines, medium and coarse particles every time - we have a program of testing and we do it over and over again. It’s the same principle with the nutrients.

Lots of the new materials, have a microbial content which further complicates the issue because microbes mean that a product doesn’t necessarily stay the same. It’s important to know what they’re doing and making sure they’re behaving because they don’t always and that adds another little layer of complication. It’s about knowing what’s going on, even a microbial level.

Quantity We are very fortunate with 5500 acres of land around the farm that we’re able to actually grow and produce ourselves a lot of the substrates that go into our compost blends.

A recent rough calculation is that over a period of about two years we can probably increase production by maybe ten times.

So we’re ready for that moment when peat can no longer be used. There’s plenty of digestive fibre out there and that is

Quantity We are competing with the industry of biomass boilers for wood and wood-based materials.

We are in a fortunate position as our parent company is the largest handler of those residues in the UK, so we know we’ve got ample supplies to expand in the way we’re projecting.

What our parent company is also finding about the supply of woodchip into incentivised subsidised power stations is they can’t deal with the fine material so the 0-10mm, which our industry needs, has to be taken out. In order to keep the enormous volumes going into the power stations, our parent company is finding more and more wood-based materials and in doing so we are getting more of what we need.

So it’s a double edged sword. On one hand we are competing for material but on the other hand there is more 0-10mm material emerging that wouldn’t have been there had it not been for the quest to find more wood to get the enormous quantity to feed the biomass boilers.

Cost Our industry and maybe the retailers too have got to get back to demonstrating the potential of one bag of compost. It may be a bit more expensive, but let’s get away from how cheap can we make it. Let’s demonstrate all the things you can do with 50 litres of compost. It’s the fundamental basis of a good garden. Let’s not make it the brown bag that you buy at the end when you’ve spent loads on your plants and containers.

Growing media needs to be right and be responsibly sourced. It’s still pretty good value when you think of the potential. That’s the story the industry needs to get out to the consumer, that it’s fantastic material and not just the brown stuff in a bag.

the base ingredient for our entire range. I know a lot of my colleagues here, for example, have some of it in their growing media. It’s a very good substrate, there’s a lot of it out there and maybe it should be a bigger part of the growing media industry going forward.

Cost We are lucky at RocketGro because we produce our own electricity and gas from the substrates that are inside the bag of compost.

The composite is effectively free so that does help keep costs down.

December 2022 15

Sustainability – peat-free growing media

Steve Harper, CEO, Southern Trident Quality Trials are really, really important. We make the initial blends and then use companies like Stockbridge Technology Centre which has a great reputation. I can show them [garden centres] what I’m doing in our in-house facilities and then show what Stockbridge is doing - it stands as completely independent data. I think the important thing is not rushing to market. I had ericaceous compost almost ready last year but I wasn’t happy it was right, so I didn’t launch it. I held it back 12 months so I could do another season of trials. That longevity of testing and trialling and being rigorous is really important.

Consistency We’re in a fortunate position that we use coir as the basis of our materials. Coir is probably the easiest one to be consistent because you can control it through the whole process. But even with the other materials that we use, whether it’s

The Responsible Sourcing Scheme for Growing Media The industry-led Responsible Sourcing Scheme (RSSGM) allows consumers to make informed decisions about the environmental responsibility of the growing media products they purchase.

The easy-to-understand traffic light system means they can compare the environmental rating and therefore the impact of the mix of materials within the media. For example, a green ‘A’ rating is more responsibly produced than a yellow ‘C’ rating allowing consumers, at a glance, to confidently make an informed buying decision.

To comply with the RSSGM manufacturers need to provide evidence for seven criteria which are reviewed and assessed by an independent auditor. Each criteria is awarded points between 0 and 20 and these are added together to provide a total which dictates the traffi trafficc light rating seen on the packaging.

composted bark or recycled wood or even green compost, you’ve got to work with your suppliers of those raw materials to make sure they understand how important the consistency of materials is. It’s not about the standards they want to produce, it’s about the standards we require in our product.

It’s the understanding of products as well. It’s not just the consistency of it, but also about the balance between different raw materials.

We’ve got to constantly invest in processing.

Companies are investing literally millions of pounds in improving their processing so they produce materials more consistently and in ever greater amounts.

Quantity We are in the process of building a new factory India to step up the amount of additional coir we can bring into the market. We know we’ve got over a million cubic meters of peat to replace and

such as solar power will generate a better rating than a non-renewable energy, such as coal.

2 Water Use – Referring to how much water is used in the process of creating the raw material.

3 Social Compliance – Concerned with making sure the people employed to provide the raw materials are working in acceptable condittions, that their health and safetyy is considered, and no child labour or bonded workers are ussed. bitat and Biodiversity – To 4 Hab makee sure the area where the raw

it’s not all going to come from coir but we believe there’s hundreds of thousands of cubic meters of extra coir that can come into the market. In the same way there’s a lot of green compost out there.

We need to bring that material up to the standards we want in this industry and invest more to make it happen. There’s a lot of raw materials out there, but we can’t run away from the fact we are competing with other industries for those materials as well so it’s competitive market.

Cost We need to make sure the industry continues to be responsible and ensure every raw material we use now is more responsible than peat. And we need to educate that the product we’re using now is more responsible and that price is definitely going to be an issue - it is definitely going to be more expensive.

material is produced minimises the impact to wildlife and biodiverse habitats.

5 Pollution – To minimise the amount of pollution to the environment through the manufacturing process.

6 Resource Use Efficiency – Assessing the amount of waste generated and the efforts being taken to minimise waste. If the raw material is a by-product from other industries, this will gain a better rating.

7 Renewability – Relating to the amount of time it takes to replace the resource used.

For more information on the RSSGM visit: www.responsiblesourcing.org.uk

The seven criteria are: 1 Energy Use – The energy used to create the raw material. Renewable energy

16 December 2022

www.gardentradenews.co.uk

OUR PLACE OR YOURS? We’ve got something to show you (and you’re really gonna like it!)

PROBLEM PEST CONTROL

SOLVED eek a mouse!

How can I sell more pest control products?

Why not visit our showroom?

Or we can come to you!

Can you help me with my pest problem?

We’ve got over 300 pest control solutions!

I’ll do my best!

and some great on-the-day deals

So come and see us!

This showrooms great! My pest control sales are going to soar!

Problem Solved!

NEW MOBILE SHOWROOM

Give us a call, let’s make it a date!

01953 881580 INFO@STVUK.COM WWW.STVUK.COM

Sustainability – Promotion

For more information on stocking Redecker products email: harry@redecker.uk or telephone:01993 824144

18 December 2022

www.gardentradenews.co.uk

Sustainability – Promotion

Natural, practical and beautiful Redecker has been manufacturing artisan brushes and brooms in Germany since 1935

R

edecker produces hand crafted brushes and brooms which are both functional and beautiful, creating artisan products using skills gained from 80 years of experience. These eight decades have made us neither inflexible nor bored.

We remain creative, curious and dedicated to our task with passion and enjoyment.

• We always make sure to use natural and renewable resources when we select our materials for our products.

• All items are plastic free • Wood used in our products are from sustainably sourced timber mills • Any materials derived from animals are ethically and sustainably sourced • Products are often hand finished • Family-owned company that has been passed down three generations

www.gardentradenews.co.uk

December 2022 19

SELECT

CARD CATEGORY MANAGEMENT

W-Select offers you a one-stop solution for the planning and management of your greeting card assortment. Partnering with the best of British publishers, we ensure plastic-free packaging and the reduction of glitter and microplastics.

“

"$&2 )&7$ 6*$4 #*-0# #7#1*3(*'-)

“

We decided to move to W-Select for several reasons, including reducing our impact on the environment.

With all the cards being recyclable and both plastic and glitter-free the move makes perfect sense.

"-/1 #0#*#.! '#,+),,#/0, */ (0.! -.0%& ,&!&+*#/0 *$& process was relatively easy and straightforward.

Customer and colleague feedback has been extremely positive, with sales ahead of projection from the off.

Stuart Whalley, Buying Director Rosebourne Garden Centre

/$&!06!3(. 1,0 %(53$&(+0(!

At Woodmansterne, we are committed to using sustainable materials and practices wherever possible. As a third-generation family business, we understand the importance of protecting our environment and safeguarding it for the future.

18% /%'8*5#)%2+04*/ 2*64%'*,2*!+. 7%252*!4+.$(( •

•

All our cards are printed by us in Croxley, Hertfordshire.

UK manufacturing and distribution keeps our carbon footprint low. %( 53$7/ .1$7& -(&(/42!( $7"1 67 545(3 '369 #+)8 0(3/$,(* sustainable forests. Our envelopes are made from 100% post-consumer waste recycled paper.

• Woodmansterne pioneered the ‘Smart Seal’ solution in 2019 that saves over 50 tonnes of plastic per year, and has also now been adopted widely across the industry.

• •

We have removed all glitter from our products.

Our foil waste is burnt for energy (one tonne of foil waste creates enough energy to boil 3,500 kettles, and that’s a lot of cuppas!)

"2! &* 3'87We would love to explore how we can help your business grow and become more sustainable.

01923 200 600 or sales@woodmansterne.co.uk

Sustainability – Promotion

Heating homes and feeding gardens Natural Plant Food from Apsley Farms is a by-product of green energy production and is approved by the Soil Association

A

psley Farms is a family-run arable farm and biogas energy facility supplying sustainable electricity to peoples’ homes. The Farm produces soil improving mulch, natural liquid plant food and CO2 that are natural by-products of the green gas industry.

With plant nutrition and sustainability climbing up the agenda, many gardeners are seeing liquid feeds coming into their own. At GLEE 2022 Apsley Farms showcased its new product, Natural Plant Food, and even though it was late out of the retail sales starting blocks this year, the small team at Apsley Farms secured the custom of around 60 independent retailers in just four months. There was even time in the season for re-orders and customer reviews as confidence grew. The shift in the industry will no doubt see the big players

Apsley Farms in Hampshire supplies sustainable, food-grade bulk CO2 and has been providing biomethane to the UK gas grid since 2014. For more information, visit www.apsleyfarms.com

launching new natural products, boasting desirable USPs in the near future. They may however, struggle to achieve the sparkling product credentials with a ‘start-up’ feel that Apsley Farms is so lucky to claim. This is what adds to the excitement surrounding its new products on the horizon for 2023 - Natural Tomato Food, Natural Tub & Basket Food, and Natural Houseplant Food.

So why should you stock Apsley Farms’ liquid products? Combine its product profile and the story of the business and what do you get? Highly effective, sustainable liquid fertilisers from a non-mainstream manufacturer, which answer the calling of an increasingly environmentally concerned market. Moreover, as products aren’t currently stocked by multiple retailers, it remains a novelty that will give independent garden retailers a competitive edge in 2023.

Sustainable reasons to choose the range of natural liquid plant foods from Apsley Farms Made from plants, for plants Apsley Farms plant food is a concentrated liquid fertiliser that delivers the full package of macronutrients, micronutrients, and beneficial microbes. That means vigorous growth, bigger fruits and flowers and tastier and more nutritious veg. Plus improved soil fungal activity and therefore, improved soil structure.

Contributing to fossil fuel reduction The sustainable biomethane generated

by Apsley Farms is an alternative to natural gas in the National Grid so is helping to reduce fossil fuel usage.

The liquid from this process is also an alternative to other fertilisers some of which are mined from the ground or made from fossil fuels.

Recycled and recyclable packaging All liquid feed bottles are made from 100% recycled plastic with the green/ grey colour coming from mixed milk bottle caps. The label too is made from recycled and recyclable material.

22 December 2022

www.gardentradenews.co.uk

Primeur – championing sustainability with recycled rubber

P

rimeur is not letting anything stand in its way when it comes to creating sustainable, yet highly functional garden products and its recent GIMA Award win is testament to this fact.

This year, Primeur was crowned winners of the GIMA Decorative Pots & Planters category for its all-new 55.5cm Flamenco planter launched exclusively ahead of the 2022/23 season. The latest addition to Primeur’s Tierra Verde selfwatering planter collection, the Flamenco – like all Tierra Verde designs - is made from recycled rubber tyres, helping to divert this material from landfill where it could take upwards of 80 years to decompose.

Not only were the 2022 GIMA judging panel impressed by the Flamenco’s eco-credentials but the unique user benefits that is afforded by using recycled rubber crumb were a key part of why the planter was selected as winner in its category. Packed full of superior durability, recycled rubber can withstand extreme temperatures, is mildew and mould resistant and plant-safe. It is also ultra-lightweight, making it a flexible solution in the garden, whilst also helping retailers to minimise breakage costs in transit and on the shopfloor.

Not content with just one award, Primeur was also crowned “GIMA Sustainability Champions” within the Garden Landscaping category, with its Maryland Border from the EZ Border collection.

What else is new?

Primeur’s multi-award-winning product offering is designed to tackle a host of common gardening projects. In addition to the Tierra Verde self-watering planter collection, Primeur also offers the EZ Border range, the Eco Way anti-slip steppingstone collection, as well as the MultyDeck™ innovative decking

solutions plus Easy Tile flexible flooring solutions. No matter the collection the material and unique benefits remain the same, all the while ensuring that style and functionality is never compromised.

Another fabulous product joining the line-up in 2023 is the Mower Edge. Available in contemporary grey and natural brown tones, the Mower Edge – part of the EZ Border range – benefits from a truly unique L-shaped design. Created to make grass cutting easier than ever, the L-shape creates a raised border edge with an additional ‘ledge’ which enables mowers to effortlessly glide along the border of the lawn, in doing so eliminating the need to use a strimmer. Like all EZ Border products, the Mower Edge is extremely flexible which allows it to fit the curves and undulations of any garden design and can be quickly installed with the handy installation spikes.

Find out more To find more about how you can join Primeur’s recycled rubber revolution, please contact the team on 01274 518800, email sales@primeur.ltd.uk or visit www.primeur.co.uk

Sustainability – Houseplants

Hydroponic houseplants for the home

New range brings new sales opportunities

A

new concept for houseplant retail sales has been launched in the UK and Ireland under the banner Beautanic Lifestyle. Grown hydroponically, it means the range is not only peat-free but also swaps traditional growing media for specifically created lava rock granules.

To help customers ensure their houseplants are easy to keep in tip top condition and are as sustainable as possible, grower Marcel Duijvesteijn has designed a pot made of recycled materials with a reservoir and clearly visual water level indicator. The lava rock granules in which the plant is rooted, provide stability and oxygen while blended powdered nutrients, sold in small jars, offer add-on sales for retailers and ensure plants get the right nutrition.

Available through plant exporter Javado UK, the choice of plants can be supported by a garden centre display and banner supplied free of charge. The company also takes care of the distribution. Aylett Nurseries in Hertfordshire was one of the first centres in the UK to take stock of the hydroponically grown range. Shortly after receiving the first assignment, Julie Aylett said it had quickly sold nine large plants, nine pots of super food, three bags of lava rock granules and two pots.

“The team are very excited by this response,” she says.

Email: James Woodham at james@ javadoplant.com or call 07712 436972

Plastic-free supports Grass fibres lend houseplants a helping hand

T

he ornamental grass, miscanthus is a main component of a range of sustainable plant supports, for the houseplant market, offering an alternative to those made from plastic and moss.

Brown in colour, Kratiste sticks and stakes are made from products including polylactic acid and fibres from the tall

24 December 2022

growing Miscanthus x giganteus. As they resemble tree bark they naturally blend with houseplants stems and foliage. They come in a range of heights and diameters to suit a wide variety of plants and their different growth habits.

After use the stakes and sticks can be composted. www.kratiste.com

www.gardentradenews.co.uk

Sustainability – Promotion

Saving the planet one garden at a time Carbon Gold is a range of organic, natural and sustainable products that helps gardeners to grow healthier plants, improve yields and reduce their impact on the environment.

O

ur products are made with biochar, a type of charcoal which is made from sustainably sourced wood, and it is designed to improve the health of the soil. Biochar aids soil fertility by retaining nutrients and moisture, and it also helps to improve drainage and aeration. In addition, biochar helps to create a more stable environment for beneficial microbes. Carbon Gold products are also enriched with natural biology, which helps to improve the soil’s ability to support plant life.

To find out more: Carbon Gold products are an easy and effective way info@carbongold.com to help gardeners do their part to fight climate change. www.carbongold.com Our biochar products help to sequester carbon in the soil, where it can be used by plants to grow and thrive. By using Carbon Gold products, gardeners are helping to save the planet, one garden at a time.

Sustainability is a journey, not a destination STV is a business with sustainability at the core, but it’s not seen just as an item on the ‘to do’ list.

O

ur approach is to embed the improvement of environmental and social responsibility directly into our medium and long-term strategy, making sustainability a key part of every business decision.

We are proud to be able to say we have eliminated the use of all fossil fuels in our UK manufacturing and logistics operations through the installation of biomass

economy and meet the highest standards boilers. We already have 1,000 solar panels of social and environmental performance, on our main site in Suffolk, with plans to transparency and accountability. install a further 500 during the next phase Katy Boyd, STV Brand Manager of expansion. This allows us to export up said: “As far as I am aware, we will to 80% of the electricity generated to the be one of the first companies in our national grid. More of our unique product is sector to achieve BCorp Certification. now being manufactured in the UK, reducing It’s a unique way to demonstrate our the carbon footprint and we have also commitment to environmental and removed thousands of tonnes of plastic social sustainability because the from packaging over the last year. process is entirely transparent It’s not stopping there.

For more information with all our performance metrics Motivated by the progress about STV and its pest measured against the B impact already made, we have begun control products visit: assessments and made publicly a journey to achieving B Corp www.stvuk.com available on the BCorp website.

Certification. All certified Email:info@stvuk.co.uk There’s absolutely no hiding!” members are business who lead Telephone: STV intends to be fully BCorp the global movement for an 01953 881580 certified by the end of 2023. inclusive, equitable and regenerative BCorp is a global organisation with nearly 6,000 certified members in 85 countries with a mission to transform the global economy to benefit all people, communities and the planet. https://www.bcorporation.net/en-us

www.gardentradenews.co.uk

December 2022 25

Sustainability - LOFA

Pied fly-catchers, peregrine falcons and redstarts (below) and are among the birds flourishing in Haweswater.

SOLEX visitors fund new conservation habitats in the Lake District Thanks to visitors of SOLEX, more than £7000 was raised to buy trees for the RSPB Haweswater reserve in Penrith. Gina Hinde, LOFA Marketing Manager, visited in November to see where the trees will be planted and how they will benefit local wildlife and the environment.

W

orking for LOFA, I never know what each day will bring, but I do get to meet a lot of lovely people and often find myself in rather wonderful places.

On a sunny autumn day in November, I headed northwards to a place I had only read about, Haweswater on the eastern edge of the Lake District. The reason for my visit was to follow up the Plant a Tree with LOFA campaign where we pledged £5 to the RSPB for each person visiting the Summer Outdoor Living Exhibition 2022. We raised more than £7000 and lucky me, I was invited to meet Lee Schofield, Senior Site Manager, to see where our trees are going to be planted.

Naddle Farm in Penrith is approached by a private road hidden away from prying eyes and as I stepped out of the car the heavens opened. I had arrived at the headquarters for RSPB Haweswater, early as usual, and was invited into a very cosy conference room to have a cup of tea and a chat with Lee about his work. He has been working for the RSPB for 10 years and is the most passionate and knowledgeable guy I think I’ve ever met; he has even written a book called Wild Fell, available in all good book shops, about his work and the wonderful work being carried out at the site.

A little slice of heaven Haweswater, including the reservoir, is owned by the water company United Utilities, the reservoir supplies two million people with drinking water. The RSPB have been working here since the

26 December 2022

1960’s. The partnership developed in the eighties and as time went on it became clear to both parties, they wanted the same thing for the land. So, in 2012, the RSPB took on a 45-year tenancy to manage Naddle and Swindale farms along with the grazing rights on Mardale, Bampton, Rosgill and Ralfland Commons.

Once the tea was drunk, Lee took me on a guided tour of the site. Both Naddle and Swindale are working farms and are slowly being improved and developed. Lee showed me the sheep sheds that have been turned into a tree and plant nursery where cuttings taken from the land are cared for and grown to re plant and regenerate the land.

Haweswater, which extends to 30 square kilometres is not on the tourist map of the Lake District and it does look like it’s been deserted by humans, but this place has vital connections to people’s lives.

We hopped back into our cars, and I followed Lee to the area where our trees are being planted and it literally took my breath away. It is a little slice of heaven surrounded by looming fells within a glacially carved landscape. There is a beck flflowing owing through the centre and it’s studded with mossy woodland. Even on a rainy day in November the place is exceptionally beautiful.

Full of Lake District grandeur Haweswater is breath-taking, but when you look a little closer, Lee said, ecological issues stand out.

Restoration Intensive grazing has meant open common land and enclosed farmland are not in great shape, dominated by species-

www.gardentradenews.co.uk

Sustainability - LOFA

Gina and Lee at Haweswater

poor acid grassland and bracken with large areas of peat bog drained to try and improve them for farming. This has reduced the bog’s vital water and carbon storage capacity creating a whole host of problems for people and nature.

Through the valley runs Swindale Beck which until recently ran as a straight as a canal, having been engineered to drain surrounding farmland some 200 years earlier. This created unintended consequence of increasing flood risks for people downstream as well as robbing the land of its value to wildlife.

Having the bends put back in the Swindale Beck means it now meanders naturally through the colourful meadows which provide flowery hay for the livestock during the winter months.

Now free from manmade constraints the beck can also spill out onto the floodplain and will change its course as natural rivers do. The gravelly bed can again be the spawning ground for salmon and banks will be home to water voles, otters and kingfishers and through, the careful management of deer, there will be a healthy mix of young and old trees. These woodlands are our native rainforests and by enabling them to spread will ensure species such as tree lungwort, lichen and pied flycatchers will have a secure long-term future Ecological restoration is a slow process, anyone who works in horticulture will know that nature can’t be hurried. This project started back in 2012 with the planting and regeneration of trees. I didn’t realise but bracken is nature’s marker of where trees would have historically grown and covered the landscape and as you travel around the Lake District you can see how many trees have disappeared. Lee and his team have removed fences allowing the boundaries between woods, heath bogs and grassland to become blurred creating a more diverse set of conditions for wildlife. More trees will be planted to benefit the livestock with natural shade and shelter and more hedges will provide vital habitat for wildlife and help with livestock management. By blocking drains and re-vegetating areas, the bogs will be wet and wild, which means the flflow ow of water through the landscape will be slower, encouraging the growth of healthy moss locking in that all important carbon from the atmosphere as they grow. By 2050 they will have shown this approach is as good for people as it is for nature.

Our funding will help plant much needed

hawthorne trees along the valley helping to reduce the carbon footprint of the SOLEX exhibition, and, much more importantly creating a home for wildlife. I have seen first-hand where our money is being spent and what a fantastic difference it is going to make to this wonderful site. Lee told me of plans to develop the site over the coming years. Sustainable farming, the tree nursery, wildlife hides, accommodation, education, scientific research, and a range of activities will provide an array of diverse employment and volunteering opportunities, which in turn will help support local communities.

“Working at Haweswater over the next 40 years will mean working with change,” says Lee. “Much of that change will be driven by big external factors – climate, politics and shifts in the land economy - that are beyond our control. But how we respond to change is within our control, and in that, we see opportunities for Haweswater. Opportunities in what Haweswater can do for society and for the livelihoods it can sustain as a result. And opportunities for nature to be even more vital and inspiring: resurgent alpine and floodplain meadows, juniper on the fellsides, salmon in the rivers, healthy ancient woods, and the hum of insects and birdlife that will follow.”

So, this is a big THANK YOU from LOFA to those that visited SOLEX 22, you have helped this amazing project and the environment.

Find out more

If you want to make a difference again next year and help with this vital ecological restoration and give nature a home, then please visit SOLEX 23.

Sheep pens are now being turned into a plant nursery to help with replanting and restoration

Views of Haweswater’s looming fells and mossy banks

SOLEX. 10-12 July 2023 Hall 5, NEC, Birmingham.

Solexexhibition.com Lofa.co.uk Rspb.org.uk

www.gardentradenews.co.uk

December 2022 27

GCA Westland Rising Stars The GCA Rising Stars Class of 2022 with Course Leader Gordon Emslie, GCA Chairman Tammy Woodhouse and Westland’s Simon McArdle.

Rising Stars take sustainability to a new level GCA Westland Rising Stars are back and are sure to woo GCA Conference delegates in January 2023 with presentations of their excellent sustainability related projects completed during 2022

B

ack in 2009 Westland and the GCA launched the Rising Stars initiative, a series of Masterclasses for potential stars of the future nominated by GCA garden centre members, with finalists presenting at conference each year where delegates vote for the winner.

Now in its 12th edition, 13 Rising Stars were challenged to execute sustainability related projects at their centres, using Masterclass training provide by Gordon Emslie.

Back in September the 13 projects, were presented to a panel including GCA Chairman Tammy Woodhouse, Westland Marketing Manager Simon McArdle, Gordon Emslie and GTN Editor Trevor Pfeiffer.

After much deliberation, seven projects were selected to be presented at the GCA Conference in Blackburn, January 2023.

Congratulations go to:

28 December 2022

• Mia Crawford – Poundbury Gardens: Wildlife Friendly Gardening for Small Spaces • Vicky Taylor – Barton Grange: Companion planting for beneficial insects • Matt Carr – Barton Grange: Wise with Water at home and in the garden • Pip Bransfield-Garth – Ruxley Manor: Bug Buffet • Jennifer Ind – Webbs of Wychbold: The environmental benefits of companion planting • Louise Oakes – Bents: Home Composting with Louise Oakes • Ella-May Bradshaw – Bosworths: Inspiring the next generation “Bees Needs Week” The Rising Stars session is sure to be a highlight of conference and provide all delegates on the Monday morning with plenty of inspiration for their own teams.

After the seven presentations delegates will be able to vote to decide who is the winner for this year.

Jo Adderley. Bents Project: Demonstrating a small garden sustainable planter Aim: To encourage customers to adopt a sustainable approach to gardening and provide ideas for gardening in small areas.

Jo’s Rising Stars journey started with a shock at how much plastic was used in gardening. By talking to pot manufacturer Elho, and Gill from Bent’s visual marketing team, Jo was able to come with a design for a vertical pallet planter – a solution to growing sustainably in small spaces.

Jo chose succulents which are good at coping with challenging growing conditions and look good for more than a season with another option of using Elho hanging pots for herbs. Her display attracted customers and gave her the opportunity to have meaningful conversations about peat-free growing and the best plant choice for small spaces.

www.gardentradenews.co.uk

GCA Westland Rising Stars

Finalist

Pip Bransfield-Garth. Ruxley Manor Garden Centre Project: The Bug Buffet Aim: To create inspirational and functional bug-attracting planters in the garden centre carpark and track sales of items used in the planters to demonstrate commercial benefit Pip’s project to fill bespoke planters with plants that provide nectar and food for a variety of insects and bring natural beauty to unexpected places, included a Bug Hunt to involve children from the neighbouring nursery school. Three designs of Bug Buffet planters were created to attract bees, butterflies and bugs and the children counted and identified bugs they found and then collected resources to build their own Bug Hotels.

To promote the project Pip created relevant point-of-sale, bespoke plant labels and linked QR codes on the planters to a blog.

Ashley Baines.

Barton Grange Garden Centre Project: Bringing Wildlife Home Aim: Increasing Biodiversity in the Garden Urbanisation means less natural space for wildlife to flourish, but the UK’s 24 million gardens have the potential to become wildlife havens. At Barton Grange, Ashley demonstrated with his Bringing Wildlife Home campaign that through store displays, simple point-of-sale and targeted social media, customers were encouraged to attract wildlife into the garden resulting in an upturn in sales of plants and sundries.

Ashley believes the success of his campaign can be built upon with more effective social media, telling customers what to look for in their gardens, looking at value options and promoting and tying in with national events such as the RSPB’s Big Garden Birdwatch.

Finalist

Ella May Bradshaw.

Bosworth’s Garden Centre

Project: Bees Needs Week Aim: Inspiring the Next Generation By providing everything in store that young gardeners need to compete in a sunflower growing competition, Ella attracted 149 entries, brought in a profit for Bosworth’s

www.gardentradenews.co.uk

Garden Centre, and more importantly introduced the next generation to the joy of gardening.

From mid-May to the end of July Ella’s project with six prizes awarded every two weeks, centered around her display using repurposed materials. Ella invited children to buy a packet of sunflower seeds and sow them in-store using compost from broken bags.

The competition was supported with easy to understand leaflets and point-of-sale and promoted it through the centre’s social media platforms.

Finalist

Mia Crawford.

Poundbury Garden Centre Project: Wildlife Friendly Gardening in Small Spaces Aim: To create space-saving planters to attract wildlife Using pallets, Mia came up with two designs for vertical growing to make the most of space in small gardens and balconies and attract the maximum amount of wildlife.

Creative and informative point-of-sale material

was backed up with QR codes leading to conservation organisations. The displays also highlighted the plant food Boost and because of its prominence in the display, sales were significantly stronger compared with two other liquid feeds.

Natalie Gray.

Monkton Elm Garden Centre Project: Growing Biodiversity Aim: How to Grow ‘Biodiversity’ This manypronged project encouraged customers to plant native wildflower and trees, help insects by using natural pesticides and providing bug hotels and look after birds by feeding and putting up nest boxes. Workshops and demonstrations allowed customer to handle and appreciate live bugs and attracted more customers to the garden centre and restaurant.

From April to August Natalie’s project resulted in a 133% increase in sales of wild bird care and 181% upturn of sales in the centre’s Bug World.

Finalist

Matt Carr. Barton Grange Garden Centre Project: Wise with Water – at home and in the garden Aim: To encourage customers to think about water conservation and learn how they can use it more efficiently In a relatively small space, Matt was able to increase sales of water butts (up 249%), water-saving decorative bark (up 118%) and water-saving crystals (up 247%) through a clever and creative instore display and social media. The display included running water via a circulating pump from a water butt into a watering can and a kitchen sink to attract attention. Raindrop-shaped information boards highlighted facts and figures about rainwater and products were displayed alongside. Signage was also created for the doors of the toilets.

Instore activity was supported by social media messaging with more than 31000 views on Facebook, 5778 on Instagram and 367 plays of a trial post on Tiktok.

December 2022 29

GCA Westland Rising Stars

Finalist

Jennifer Ind. Webbs of Wychbold Project: The Webb’s Way Aim: Environmental benefits benefits of plants and companion planting Through eye-catching displays and posters, Jennifer was able to communicate the environmental benefits of companion planting and how it reduces food miles and the need for pesticides. On social media, Jennifer’s Facebook posts about companion planting reached more than 8500 people.

A companion planting bundle of products, available mid-June to midAugust, helped customers with their buying decisions and in some cases sales of products rose three-fold on 2019. Jennifer believes more information around the store in other departments and engaging children could help strengthen the project in the future.

Gus McWilliam-Silk. Monkton Elm Garden Centre Project: Saving Water with Monkton Elm Aim: To increase efficiency of water use in the plantaria With demand for water in the UK outstripping supply by 2050, Gus’s project presented ideas and a prototype bench to prepare garden centres for future challenges.

Reducing water wastage, improving storage, eliminating leaks and training are relatively easy solutions but Gus’s flood bench with solar panel to aid water distribution and recycling could help centres go one step further.

It’s hoped upscaling the prototype bench will help garden centres provide more efficient watering for plants and control costs of water.

Finalist

Louise Oates. Bents Project: Home Composting Aim: To educate customers, create a display and takeaway leafl et and increase composting leaflet equipment sales The Bents Sustainable Walkway, created instore by Louise, displayed all the products and information needed to encourage people to compost their kitchen and green waste.

30 December 2022

The GCA Conference finalists prepare their presentations during a visit to Westland’s Ellesmere Port production facility in November 2022.

Facts and figures were backed up home composting demonstrations and rigorous social media posts. Louise attracted more than 4300 views on her Instagram stories and reached 4,800 people through Facebook. She also organised a regular blog on the Bents website and her Tik-Tok videos clocked up 430 watches.

Sales of home composting products increased significantly throughout the months when the promotion ran.

Mary Quennell.

Quennell Bents Project: Mary’s Sensory Garden Aim: Engage with nature and let the plants and elements satisfy your senses Mary created a special place at Bents so those with sensory needs could enjoy an attractive and calming space and take-home ideas of how to make such an area at home.

Up to 16.5% of the UK population have sensory

needs and the project has helped Mary understand the impact this can have on the everyday lives of customers and staff.

Using recycled and upcycled materials plus plants saved from the compost heap Mary’s Sensory Garden presented yet another benefit of gardening.

Harry Ridgers.

Haskins Forest Lodge Garden Centre Project: The Wall Aim: To help customers make more informed sustainable buying decisions to help combat climate change At Haskins Forest Lodge Garden Centre, Harry devoted a ‘wall’ of retail space to showcase products that have a sustainable message. He divided it into four sections Peat Free, Garden Health, Biodiversity and Recycling.

Adopting informative point-of-sale and peatfree growing media in buckets for customers to feel, Harry successfully showed increased sales of many of the products displayed.

Finalist

Vicky Taylor. Barton Grange Garden Centre

Project: Companion Planting for Beneficial Insects Aim: To encourage customers to consider an integrated approach to pest management Vicky was given an island display undercover to present the idea of companion planting to Barton Grange customers. Ornamental and vegetable plants were arranged together along with growing media, raised bed kits and a hot spot for Boost plant food. Bespoke ‘Reason to plant’ bed cards highlighted the benefits of each variety while ‘Did you know’ cards about insects were dotted throughout the display for added interest. Sales of dry goods and plants between the end of May and beginning of September were recorded with more than £5500 generated.

Moving forward, Vicky would like to set up the display earlier to coincide with veg plug sales and provide a Good Bug, Bad Bug id chart and consumer guide to chemicals.

www.gardentradenews.co.uk

Sustainabilityy - Squire’s Garden Centres

Lastin ng and su ustainable change es The Sustainab bility tyy Champions at Squiire’s Garden Centres ha ave come up with ing genious wayys to make positive con ntributions to the businesss and the environment

I

t was just over a yearr ago that Squire’s Garden Centtres, with 16 centres mainly in the home counties, launched an initiative tasking selected memberrs from each centre to identify workinng solutions to help the chain becomee a more sustainable business.

Known as Sustainabilityy Champions they have already helped the business and communityy locallyy andd encouragged Squire’s to expand the programme with more team members.

Recognising the success of the project is Ross McEwan, the group’s Stainability Manager. “With various

initiatives working well acro oss the business, our Sustainability Champions programme has certainly gaathered momentum over the last yeear,” he says.

“In fact, we have increased the number of Sustainability Championss in garden centres, depending on theirr size, such has been the interest from colleagues.

With more challenges facing the environment now - and in all our daily lives - colleaggues across thee business strive to support the prograamme, working on collaboration, inn how we operate. There has been a sea change in how we think and how we act, which is great to see happen.”

LE: 2

T FI FAC

l ton Foodhal and Lin Bur er uy B y. od re , Fo ntre, Sur Sally Lomax arden Cen cially Frensham G at er ct waste, espe uc ag od an pr M ce du re to mitted “We are com ill be used.” st n ca it n whe er, Sally orkingg togeth mented? W Waste’ le p to d im oo as G w o What re’s own ‘Too ui Sq e ed er w uc allthough and Lin introd od items that fo tly good of ec s rf xe pe bo ill selection ale’,, were st s l i a t e r f of d ‘end approaching ion. for consumpt ction in s been a redu it? There haa as uire’s w Sq ul d sf uptake an How succes tive customer out to si s po xe d bo an n te io food was ea of seelect id e th ll ro g to is now lookin s. other centre

FACT FILE: 3 Anne Dedm an (picture d), Manager and Kate H aines, Plant Area Manager at Long Ditton Garden Centre, Sur rey.

“We were ap proached to be part of a nature weeke local climate nd by hostin and g talks and ac tivvities.”

How was it implemente d? The cham and demonst pions held taa rations on ho lks w to encourag into the gard e more wild en and inform dlife ed the audien progress of S ce on the quire’ss sustai inability jour ney.

How succes sful was it?

Audiences w feedback was ere inspired high. It’s hope an nd d similar even throughout th ts can be heeld e year across more centre s.

www.gard www.gardentradenews.co.uk dentrad denews.co.uk k

FACT FILE: 1 Matt Tanner (picture d), Centre Manager and Mark Felton, Furniture Dept Head at Wokingham Garden Centre, Berkshire.

“We have undertaken a signifificant en nergy efficiency/ca /carrbo bon reduction progra mm me to reducee ou our building emissions. Par t of this was for all our garden centres to identify wa ys to save energy consu mption.”

What was impleme nted? Matt and Markk identified a method to individually switch off unnecessary spotlights within the centre witho ut negatively effecting the shopping experience or the need for costlyy alterations to the lighting system.

How successful wa s it? This work not on lyy reduces electricity use and cos t, but importtantly car bon emissions. The idea has been successfully rolled out across all the Sq quire’s cen ntres that use the same spotllights.

E: 4

FIL FACT

ce E-Commerce y Page, Group Offi d Neil Brown ky Vick lfilment an Customer & Fu IT Manager business nce off our online ute “With the emerge we identtified a ro el, od m me delivery et with fle r ou te a er and increasing ho op lp us ion that would he scheduling solut .” ies nc greater fuel efficie are was input, new softw ted? With driver en em d. pl te im tia it ini as m How w ining proggra companywide tra developed and a ow ar comparisons sh as it? Year on ye w ul ing sf ov es m cc re su by How s however me delivery mile p in vehicle fleet an increase in ho s, a drop lap er ov le hic ve d an ies nc te inconsis en recorded. emissions has be

December 2022 31

Sustainability Directory for 2023

SUSTAINABILITY DIRECTORY FOR 2023

H

ere is our Sustainability Directory for 2023. We hope you find it useful and use the listings to get in touch with the companies for more information.

We’ll be keeping this directory updated and on-line throughout 2023 so if any other suppliers would like to be included please contact Alan Burdon on 01733775700 or by e-mail alan@pottingshedpress.co.uk.

Apsley Farm Sustainable, effective fertilisers made from crops, packaged in recycled materials, from a renewable energy company approaching net-zero. Green from start to finish. Making sustainability and efficiency the easy choice. www.apsleyfarms.com Bio Bean Coffee Logs are planet-friendly fire logs made from the UK’s recycled spent coffee grounds. They burn 20% hotter than kiln-dried wood logs, and they reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 130%. www.coffee-logs.com sales@coffee-logs.com 020 3744 6500 Bloomin Amazing Bloomin Amazing’s unique triple action gives your garden the best care and attention possible, you are also protecting the wider eco-system in which every garden thrives and belongs. Our commitment to sustainability also means that every bag of Bloomin Amazing soil enricher is guaranteed 100% peat-free, as well as being organic and vegan friendly. www.bloominamazing.com/ Capi Europe The 100% Waste Collection - The collection is 100% climate neutral and has the CO2 Neutral® label. The planters are made in the Netherlands in our factory in Tilburg. With this collection Capi takes responsibility and tries to help solve one of the largest waste problems; fishing nets. These fishing nets are combined with old corks and recycled Capi planters to form high quality design planters for indoor and outdoor with a lifetime garantee. With this collection we take care of our oceans, ourselves and the next generation. Grow a greener life. www.capi-europe.com Carbon Gold At Carbon Gold our team has a shared vision to help create a sustainable future for our planet. We look to achieve this by improving plant health and sequestering carbon. We’re committed to providing solutions that are good for the environment and good for business. www.carbongold.com/ Clever Pots (Kin) Clever Pots has brought to market products that support gardeners with intuitively designed features and accessories that make growing easier and plants happier, all of which are manufactured from up to 30% recycled and UV-stable material. www.kinbrands.com DJ Turfcare DJ Turfcare prides itself on delivering to market truly ‘green’ lawn fertiliser options. All the products in the RHS endorsed portfolio are 100% organic and are both pet and child safe. www.djturfcare.co.uk Ekju Our respect and appreciation for nature makes us conscious.

And our consciousness determines our environmentally friendliness.

By working with live wood, we can keep our promise of being environmentally friendly, because of its high density and durable qualities www.ekju.com

32 December 2022

Apsley Farms’ Natural Plant Food 1L/2.5L/5L

RRP £8.99/£12.50/£20 Launched: Feb 2022, range launch Jan 2023 Our concentrated fertilisers are by-products of UKbased renewable energy production, fully traceable, and made PURELY from the digestion of whole crops. Organically certified, net-zero, more nutritious than seaweed, and packaged in a 100% recycled bottle: possibly the greenest liquid plant food on the market. Proven to double fruits and flowers, enhance root development, promote vegetative growth, and prolong flowering.

Company: Apsley Farms Contact: r.stewardson@apsleyfarms.com 07932 096453 Website: www.apsleyfarms.com

HBG Flower Pots We are a producer of different types and models of plastic pots used for indoor, outdoor, and nursery. We are offering 3-D-type flower pots and many other modern plastic pots.

HBG Pots is a brand of Arasta Chemical Ind Ltd. Co. RRP: as requested send by email. www.hbgpots.com hbg@hbgpots.com

Bloomin AmazingTM Bloomin Amazing™ is the leading, organic-approved, 100% peat-free mulch, easy feed and soil conditioner from the renewable energy industry. Produced in the West Country, it is a by-product from anaerobic digestion and has a highly sustainable carbon footprint. Mixed 50/50 with soil it makes the perfect potting or planting mix and is great for moisture retention. It also deters slugs!

West Country Soil Improvement Ltd. RRP £6.49 inc VAT www.bloominamazing.com or e-mail Nick at nfinding@bloominamazing.com or call to speak to us on 01305 889525

Super Smart Lawn Feed Super Smart Lawn Feed is a 100% organic granular lawn feed that utilises beneficial bacteria, Azospirillum that is specifically attracted to the lawn roots, soluble mycorrhiza ae and seaweed extract to feed lawns, enhance natural green colour and strengthen roots. A true industry first, Super Smart Lawn Feed is “the only lawn feed you’ll ever need.”

Johnsons Lawn Seed RRP: £14.99 www.johnsonslawnseed.com info@johnsonslawnseed.co.uk

www.gardentradenews.co.uk

Sustainability Directory for 2023

www.ekju.com

GARDEN FURNITURE DESIGNED TO LAST AS LONG AS IT TAKES TO GROW A TREE EKJU craft products using durable timber from FSC well managed forests. If maintained well, EKJU furniture will last as long as it takes to grow a tree.

Scan this QR code to find out more!

elho’s ocean pots

For its new ocean collection, elho has collected and used maritime plastics, such as fishing nets and ropes, which are recycled to create one-of-a-kind pots, featuring unique colours, such as atlantic blue and pacific green, as well as a marble effect, which appears to reflect the ocean’s colour and movement.

Available in 14cm, 16cm, 18cm and 22cm RRP Oceans pot 14cm - £6.99 Oceans pot 16cm - £8.99 Oceans pot 18cm - £10.99 Oceans pot 22cm - £14.99

Website: https://www.elho.com/en/ Contact: david.nicholson@elho.nl

Elho We are a Dutch family business with more than 200 green fans, who produce sustainable design flowerpots and everything that goes with it with great passion. Everything to make sure that people surround themselves with as much greenery as possible. And we’ve been doing so since 1964. www.elho.com/en/ Flax & Kale Spanish company B Corp certified Flax & Kale launching in the UK makes sustainable healthy, flexitarian style food & drink for a better world with a mission to drive change. flaxandkale.com/en Fordingbridge At Fordingbridge, we are dedicated to making a positive impact through creating inspiring buildings that are welcoming, enjoyable and enhance the built environment. As a reputable sustainable building contractor, your project will be expertly handled by the Fordingbridge team. www.fordingbridge.co.uk

GO G O SUSTAINABLE

G o recycled! formbar.co.uk

#Formbar Limited

Formbar At Formbar we source the most sustainable products manufactured in the UK and Europe, avoiding long distance polluting shipping and only supplying quality products that have longevity and can be maintained. In the office we use only renewable energy, recycled paper and when making any purchase we always look for the most environmentally sympathetic option. www.formbar.co.uk Hozelock We are committed to increasing the sustainability of our products, packaging and manufacturing processes. Furthermore, we are pledging to develop sustainable practices involving product development and operational activities. As well as helping gardeners to enjoy their garden in a more sustainable way with our innovative product solutions. Therefore, our pledge will be driven by three key areas: renew, recycle, and reuse. www.hozelock.com/ Husqavarna As a company within the Husqvarna Group, GARDENA is involved in the group-wide sustainability program “Sustainovate”, which, as a strategic approach, is aimed at innovations that bring people and nature closer together. www.gardena.com/uk

PLANET-FRIENDLY FIRE LOGS MADE FROM THE NATION’S RECYCLED COFFEE GROUNDS

Johnsons Lawn Seed As the oldest lawn seed company in the UK, Johnsons Lawn Seed has a long and prestigious record of product innovation and grass breeding, together bringing to market 100% organic grass seed blends. www.johnsonslawnseed.com Webb 20V Cordless Tiller WEV20TIL No need to worry about power cables With its low emissions and economical price tag, the Webb WEV20TIL Tiller is perfect for a small vegetable or flower beds - saving time and effort in the garden. Powered by the 20V 2Ah battery, the Webb tiller makes light work of cultivating the soil for anyone. With a charge time of up to 90 minutes and a run time of up to 30 minutes.

Handy Brand: Webb RRP £99.99 Contact Website/email address: www.handys.co.uk Sales@handys.co.uk or call: 01793 333220

www.gardentradenews.co.uk

Coffee Logs are exempt from Ready to Burn and approved for sale by DEFRA.

www.coffee-logs.com sales@coffee-logs.com

December 2022 33

Sustainability Directory for 2023

Melcourt SylvaGrow Multi-Purpose

The launch of Melcourt SylvaGrow followed over 20 years of practical R and D, field and laboratory growing trials. SylvaGrow multi-purpose is carefully formulated using 100% sustainable materials and is 100% peat-free. The product has won Garden Which ‘Best Buy’ 7 times. It is also uniquely endorsed by the Royal Horticultural Society and has been awarded by Royal Appointment.

Melcourt Industries Ltd RRP 40 litre bag £8.99 including VAT RRP 15 litre bag £4.99 including VAT Telephone: 01666 502711 Website: www.melcourt.co.uk Email: mail@melcourt.co.uk

Rapid EV charging stations This is a fully-funded, fully-managed opportunity to partner with a leading charging network to install rapid electric car charging stations at your store. The Osprey network is open to all EVs, leading the market in accepting roaming payments and with contactless terminals available on every chargepoint.

With market-leading technology, 24/7 customer service and a high network uptime, Osprey is a trusted UK charging network as voted by EV drivers.

Osprey Charging Network property@ospreycharging.co.uk ospreycharging.co.uk

Neudorff Experts in natural gardening since 1854, Neudorff offers the widest range of products certified by the Organic Farmers and Growers’ Association and has an enviable reputation for offering gardening products that are gentle to people, pets and the environment. www.neudorff.co.uk Osprey Charging Network Osprey Charging are a leading, trusted EV charging network in the UK. Our cutting-edge rapid chargers are powered by 100% renewable energy and have 24/7 customer service. ospreycharging.co.uk Primeur From the multi-award-winning Tierra Verde self-watering planters to the Eco Way stepping-stones, EZ Border garden borders, and EZ Tile flooring solutions - all made from 100% recycled rubber tyre crumb - Primeur’s eco-friendly credentials are stronger than ever. www.primeur.co.uk Primus (A. Perry Ltd.) Net Zero Club and Green Dot Approved, 2023 packaging comes with minimum 30% recycled, fully recyclable plastic where necessary – and 100% plastic free where possible. View our award-winning plan today! www.perrytrade.co.uk/eco-initiative Redecker The Redecker method? It‘s unmistakeable: This means taking the sufficient amount of time to create and produce our products sustainably – resulting in beautiful, practical, and durable objects with which we proudly identify with. 01993 824144 www. redecker.de/en/

Mower Edge Border

RocketGro RocketGro has a low-carbon, peat-free, 100%-sustainable, Soil Association-approved, UK-grown, manufactured, sourced and produced eco story that is hard to match. With a 12-strong product portfolio, that is continually evolving, RocketGro’s growing media offering is currently unmatched. www.rocketgro.co.uk

The innovative Mower Edge Border is designed to make grass cutting a breeze. The L-shaped profile allows a mower to run over the edge of both border and grass, eliminating the need for a strimmer. Being made from Recycled Tyres makes these borders eco-friendly, flexible to fit to the curves of your garden, and extremely durable.

Each border comes with installation spikes.

Rollins Bulldog For over 243 years Bulldog tools have built a reputation on strength, British Heritage and reliability. Our forged spades and forks have heads made from on piece of steel and our timber handles and shafts are made from the finest FSC Accredited Ash. Each tool is also backed by a “Lifetime Guarantee.” www.bulldogtools.co.uk

Primeur Ltd RRP - £20.99 Launch date – Spring 2023 sales@primeur.ltd.uk www.primeur.co.uk

Peat-Free Multiple Purpose Compost with added John Innes 2 & 3 This new and improved blend, packed full of natural microbes and with added John Innes 2 & 3, is suitable for ‘potting on’ and mature plants. User and core sustainability benefits are clearly identified on the front of each bag to help ethical consumers make more confident purchasing decisions at the point of sale. 100% sustainable, low-carbon, and Soil Association approved.

RocketGro RRP: £6.99 (40 litre multi) Website: www.rocketgro.co.uk Email: hello@rocketgro.co.uk

LifestyleGarden LifestyleGarden®’s goal is to create beautiful, longlasting products, whilst ‘Doing Business the Right Way.’ The company is committed to its Social Responsibility, supported with state-of-the-art production and contemporary designs. lifestylegarden.co.uk/ Melcourt Melcourt aims to work for a more sustainable future.

We believe it is our responsibility to promote a sustainable environment and have established a robust environmental policy. www.melcourt.co.uk

34 December 2022

Sipcam Working to the highest European and international standards of quality and environmental responsibility, our ethos is enshrined in the group’s motto ‘Crescere insieme bene’ – ‘Working together better’. www.ecofective.uk.com Southern Trident Sustainability is at the heart of our foundation and at the core of our philosophy lies the unshakeable belief that the coconut is the perfect crop. Through our work we have proved it works for the consumer, and environment, which meets the aims of the strongly held company values – Green today, Greener tomorrow. www.southerntrident.com STV Sustainability is always at the heart of what STV do. It is not just a tick list effort. It is to embed the improvement of their environmental and social responsibility directly into their medium and long term strategy. 01953 881580 info@stvuk.co.uk www.stvuk.com The Real Soil Company From its SuperSoil to all-new SuperLawn, The Real Soil Company is championing natural, peat-free, organic topsoil. Every product is free of chemicals and artificial fertilisers, and features slow-release nutrients, trace elements and minerals to continually boost plants. www.therealsoilcompany.co.uk UK Greetings UK Greetings offer a fully sustainable range of cards and now we have our new Eco range of gift wrap and gift bags too! www.ukgreetings.co.uk/ Urban Farm IT At Urban Farm-It we aim to encourage and inspire a positive shift in sustainable food production. Our products use ethically sourced materials, supported with strong educational resources. www.urban-farm-it.com

www.gardentradenews.co.uk

Sustainability Directory for 2023

Pedigree Garden V&A Collection

SuperSoil

Bulldog Tools are proud to be in partnership with the world-renowned V&A Museum. Packaged in hard wearing, high quality sustainable gift boxes, encased in beautiful V&A heritage patterns, these ‘etched head’ hand fork and trowel, which also bear the patterns, are designed to be retained and loved. Each tool handle is made from quality FSC Ash timber, the packaging is 100% recyclable, and bears a “ Lifetime Guarantee “ as standard.

The original SuperSoil from The Real Soil Company has been ‘super charged’ with organic single-source plant-derived materials that are expertly blended with the finest natural topsoil. This exceptional formula consistently outperforms current marketleading topsoils in its phosphorous, potassium and magnesium content, plus organic matter which improves soil structure, water retention and drought tolerance.

www.pedigreegarden.co.uk Contact details: Brand Manager Sarah Cottle Email: sarah.cottle@rollins.co.uk

The Real Soil Company RRP: £5.99 Website: www.therealsoilcompany.co.uk Email address: info@therealsoilcompany.co.uk

Ecofective

Forest Solar Mushroom Lights - Set Of 12

Passionate about creating beautiful gardens with minimal impact on the environment, the nd ecofective® brand offers garden feed, clean an control products that are safer for your family, et. good for garden wildlife and kinder to the plane Also used by professional growers, the brand gives gardeners very effective alternatives to conventional chemical garden care products.

Our formulas are pesticide-free and we are using recycled materials wherever possible.

Discover a new world of imagination with this set of 12 mushroom lights for your customers.

Add a wonderfully whimsical touch to any outdoor space, perfect to place the lights in a flower bed or place underneath trees & shrubbery for a unique garden feature. Simply place into any soft soil for the ultimate unusual solar light feature with a warm white glow.

www.ecofective.uk.com sales@ecofective.uk.comor call to speak to us on 01305 889525

Solar Centre RRP: £19.99 01582 363238 trade@thesolarcentre.co.uk

Recycled Soda Bottle Pressure Sprayer Connect to most standard drinks bottles with a simple screw-top fitting. The pump creates pressure to produce a fully adjustable spray pattern from the brass nozzle with an on/off control push button.

It’s suitable for small plant spraying tasks around the home and garden. It makes a great alternative to single use sprayers for household cleaning. With a recommended retail price of just £3.99.

STV International Ltd Forge House, Little Cressingham, Thetford, Norfolk, IP25 6ND, GB Phone 01953 881580 Email info@stvuk.co.uk Web Address www.stvuk.com

Ad-bag from Tri-Star Boost sales sustainably with Ad-bag.

The reusable digitally printed paper carrier bag. Ad-bag use a high quality print technology ideal for short production runs. Print your design from as low as 250 pieces. With no origination charges and flexible UK manufacture Ad-bag is ideal for seasonal promotions, charity fundraising, special offers and loyalty rewards.

Tri-Star Packaging www.tri-star.co.uk enquiries@tri-star.co.uk

www.gardentradenews.co.uk

ECO-CONCIOUS SOLAR LIGHTS OF SUPERIOR QUALITY Sustainable lighting that represents reliability, simplicity and well-considered design to deliver a product that your customers can trust.

To get in touch: 01582 363238 | trade@thesolarcentre.co.uk

December 2022 35

Sustainability Directory for 2023

Eco Cards & Wrap UK Greetings offer a fully sustainable range of cards and now we have our new Eco range of Gift wrap and gift bags too!

From the fashionable plant design to handles that are actually made from 100% paper, fine strips which has been woven to create this amazing finishing touch. Get in touch to find out more.

Fully recyclable FSC accredited

UK Greetings Ltd Website: www.ukgreetings.co.uk Email: Robert.marsden@ ukgreetings.co.uk

Pot-mate Pot-mate is simple yet highly efficient solution to container gardening problems. The innovative tripod design creates air flow, drainage and manoeuvrability eliminating unsightly stains to patios and decking. Pot-mate is available in three sizes to suit pots up to 360mm base diameter. Manufactured in the UK from 100% recycled polymer.

E-mail phil@pot-mate.co.uk Phone 03301755765 www.pot-mate.co.uk

Vitax Vitax offers a wide range of sustainable, organic and environmentally friendly products including Slug Gone, 6X and its new liquid fertilisers. With a focus on recyclable packaging, it continues to develop eco-friendly options across all its product ranges. www.vitax.co.uk Woodlodge Woodlodge’s head office site is powered by their own wind turbine and solar panels. Some of their key pot ranges are made from 100% recycled plastic, waste wood chip and reclaimed ocean materials. www.woodlodge.co.uk Woodmansterne At Woodmansterne, we are committed to using sustainable materials and practices wherever possible. As a thirdgeneration family business, we understand better than anyone the importance of protecting our environment and safeguarding it for future generations. We are continually looking to learn, adapt and improve where we can by working closely with the best suppliers and investing in skills and technologies. www.woodmansterne.com/aboutus/environment-and-sustainability Woolcool Hortiwool are a family business, based in Staffordshire, in the heart of the UK. We have worked with natural materials for almost two decades, and hands down our absolute favourite is wool. We believe in business and products as a force for good, and we take both our Environmental and Social Impact seriously. www.hortiwool.com Easy Release Pots & Saucers This unique design – exclusive to Clever Pots – features a flexible ribbed base, which means a simple press can loosen roots and soil so that seedlings and plants can be easily removed and repotted without any damage to the plant or the pot. Durable and long-lasting, these pots are designed to last season after season.

Clever Pots RRP: £2.00 - £5.00 for a set of five (four sizes available) Contact Website / email address: www. kinbrands.com / contact@kinbrands.com

Hortiwool Garden Pad & Hanging Basket Liner Hortiwool’s all-season, multi-use garden pads and liners have many benefits around the garden or allotment, thanks to the amazing natural properties of wool! Use them for frost and weather protection, to line pots, planters, or baskets for extra hydration, deter slugs, add nutrition to soil and much more.

Search #hortiwool for inspiration.

Hortiwool RRP: £2.95 per pad, or £11.95 for a pack of 2 x Hanging Basket Liners www.hortiwool.com hello@hortiwool.com

36 December 2022

www.gardentradenews.co.uk

Viewpoint

Finding inspiration in Scotland at the end of another challenging year Alan Down, HTA President

L

ast month I made a brief trip to see some of Scotland’s finest garden businesses. Starting with Pentland Plants Garden Centre and Nursery in Midlothian, I must say I was blown away by the fabulous quality of poinsettias grown there. All are heated by bio-mass boilers too!

While my other visits were primarily retail oriented, a look at Craigmarloch Nurseries near Glasgow was, for me, a real eye-opener.

Supplying landscapers, local authorities, house builders and retailers, this multifaceted grower and trader is very impressive. Its six acre, fully automated new glasshouse to produce bedding plants and perennials demonstrates a real confidence in the future.

I visited Torwood Garden Centres in Sterling and branches of Caulders and Klondyke & Strikes and came away impressed by the product range, inspirational merchandising and slickly run retail businesses north of Hadrian’s Wall. I must also mention the new plant shop in Juniper Green owned by Merryhatton Garden Centre in North Berwick. This new venture in a former high street bank seems to have got off to a great start. My final stop was to Growforth in Dunfermline and a quick catch-up with former HTA President Stan

Green who has his finger on the pulse of the Scottish garden business.

I have plans to visit some Welsh garden centres and will endeavour to visit others as time goes by.

Finger’s crossed for a busy December I know this month is a very big one for HTA retailing members but with uncertainty surrounding customer confidence, inflation and the rise in the cost of living just how well they do this Christmas will be keenly watched by all. A good performance in December is vital to cash flow in the lead up to spring. I’m sure many suppliers and distributors will be watching with even greater interest this month.

Anecdotal evidence so far suggests a recovery in hospitality but staffing still presents major demands for businesses. The HTA monthly sales benchmarking tool called The Garden Retail Monitor gives a far more accurate picture on how things are going. I do recommend it to you.

Of course December sees a peak in National Garden Gift Voucher sales and these have the potential not only to retain customers but to bring new ones in from outside. The success of the HTA gifting offer enables the Association to do what it does for the garden industry.

Anecdotal evidence so far suggests a recovery in hospitality but staffing still presents major challenges for businesses

Weather worries I know some growers have had a delayed start to the bare root lifting season due to the mild autumn and consequent late leaf fall which must be a cause of great frustration. On the plus side hopefully many of you will have benefitted from a rise in tree sales as a result of The Tree Council’s National Tree Planting Week which took place on the last week of November and into the beginning of December. This is a campaign we must wholeheartedly support to not only highlight the planting of trees during their dormant time but also to celebrate the benefits they bring all year round.

Heavy rain has now fallen in most parts of the UK but hose pipe bans are still in place. While sodden soil will no doubt be further hampering the lifting of bare root stock and make it difficult for landscape construction, it is good to see reservoirs filling and hopefully water aquifers making some sort of recovery.

Our HTA team at Horticulture House continues to provide helpful support and guidance to help you navigate the host of challenges in doing business through these challenging times. There are many helpful resources on the HTA member’s website and we continue to update and improve them so please do take advantage of this support.

Finally, I wish you a very happy Christmas and a better and calmer New Year in 2023.

Find out more

Carolyn and David Spray from Pentland Plants with some of their fantastic poinsettias

The Horticultural Trades Association is the UK industry’s leading membership organisation and welcomes all sectors of horticulture.

To join please email: services@hta.org.uk

e 021 37

Viewpoint

Growth is still on the cards for 2023

A

nother day, another dollar and every dollar earnt this year has been the result of blood, sweat and tears!

Like its predecessor, 2022 has been another year that has been navigated in any way but a straight line. A war, an energy crisis leading to a much broader cost of living crisis, supply chain pressures, ethical consumers driving demand, a weak pound and an unstable political picture – this year has been a full house in the weirdest game of bingo but yet we stand here looking ahead to 2023 with a sense of optimism.

Unlike other sectors, we are on the precipice of further growth, though admittedly, not quite the level of growth we witnessed in 2020/21, but growth, nonetheless. Gardening has proven, once again, that it is much more than just plants and lawnmowers. Instead, the nation is turning to gardening for the mental and physical wellbeing it brings. Gardening is creating a renewed sense of community; it is helping the next generation understand ‘food miles’ and where our crops come from. For some, gardening is helping to reduce the cost of the weekly shopping bill or is helping to build a sanctuary away from the unpredictability of the wider world. With gardening meaning so much to so many, we have an opportunity to expand our sector even more and encourage even more new gardening to the fold by extolling these many benefits.

Although we’re excited to welcome and encourage younger gardeners, pensioners still remain a key customer demographic and with the ‘triple lock’ firmly in place these shoppers are expected to return to garden centres in 2023 to continue on their gardening journey. Recognising this inevitability, are you ready to serve their needs?

Ethical consumerism continues to drive the agenda, and we’ve already seen a considerable swathe of brands introduce greener gardening solutions. In the coming year, we expect to see this increase significantly, as suppliers look to further improve their environmental footprint. Beyond products, 2023 will see more suppliers take great strides in partnering with greener service providers, while also looking to revamp packaging and logistics to minimise waste and plastic reliance, the latter being greatly influenced by the Plastic Packaging Tax and Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) regulations that together will radically change the way businesses handle their post-consumer packaging waste.

Launched in April 2022, the Plastic Packaging Tax now sees suppliers liable for a material tax if they don’t meet a

30% minimum recycled content on all plastic packaging made or imported into the UK. The second milestone, January 2023, will see all obligated businesses start recording their material waste by type, with the first charges coming into effect in January 2024. EPR will require businesses placing materials into the market to bear the full cost of the collection, sorting, recycling and disposal of packaging waste. More information about the EPR and GIMA’s support with the transition can be found at www.gima.org. uk/epr and www.gima.org.uk/plastic-packaging-pledge Despite growth on the horizon, some words of caution are required - 2023 will be about holding your nerve. At a recent CBI conference, Tony Danker, CBI Director General said: “You don’t get up the hill by taking your foot off the accelerator,” and I think that this perfectly summarises how we should view the year ahead. None of the challenges we are facing presently are going to be solved overnight, so a lot of hard work and some cross sector collaborations could pay dividends in the long and short term. We are still waiting to hear what the Government’s energy support scheme for business will look like, inflationary pressures will be around for some time to come, and recruitment and talent retention will be key. Looking after your workforce is going to be more important than ever whether that’s by offering flexible working, cost of living payments, free lunches, travel expenses. Anything that helps may make the difference when pressures continue in the New Year.

As always, GIMA remains open to its members to support with a busy hybrid programme of both in-person and online events and webinars. Together we have weathered worse storms, and we can take our experience from this to help members navigate whatever 2023 might have to throw at us. We’re also here to help celebrate growth and opportunity with our awards programme, while also supporting causes such as the Greenfingers Charity, which remains our President’s chosen charity.

All that remains to be said is to wish you all the best of luck for 2023 and to congratulate you for your hard work, innovation and dedication that made 2022 yet another incredible year to be part of the garden retail sector.

Vicky Nuttall, Director of GIMA

Find out more

For further information about GIMA, please call 01959 564947 or email info@gima.org.uk

The Garden Industry Manufacturer’s Association (GIMA) is a membership organisation of around 150 members representing the majority share of suppliers and manufacturers operating within the UK gardening industry.

Formed in 1999, its goal is to promote the commercial, trading and industrial interests of UK and EU-based companies supplying the UK garden industry.

Run by a small team of dedicated professionals, and governed by a council of members, GIMA is funded by membership subscriptions and services.

The range of services and support provided for members is extensive, offering something for all members, regardless of their size or heritage

GIMA Events Calendar 2023 – Key dates for your diary!

• Garden Press Event February 21, Business Design Centre, Islington • GIMA Day Conference March 2023, Wyboston Lakes, Bedfordshire • GIMA Awards Entries – March to May

38 December 2022

Judging – 11-12 July, Warwick Racecourse Gala Dinner – 19 October, Celtic Manor Resort, Newport • GIMA Golf Day 8 June, Belton Woods, Grantham • GIMA at Glee 27–29 June, NEC, Birmingham

www.gardentradenews.co.uk

Celebrate Summer at Solex The only show organised by the industry for the industry 10-12 July 2023 Hall 5. NEC, Birmingham 01952 977569 | solex@lofa.com solexexhibition.com