GTN December 2024/January 2025 - Sustainability Directory - Garden Trade News UK

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Hillmount celebrate Christmas and a fifth centre

A garden centre sustainable first

CHRISTMAS GREATNESS

Who will be the GTN Greatest Award winners?

SHINING BRIGHT

EPR is coming

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SUSTAINABILITY FOR 2025 26-page Sustainability Directory

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A Sustainable New Year…

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fter days of travelling across the country, from Northen Ireland to the Isle of Wight and from Inverness to Cornwall, our team of intrepid Greatest Christmas Awards judges are about to meet up at a secret location to decide which, of the teams from 120 plus garden centres, will win awards in GTN’s Greatest Christmas Awards.

The winners will be announced on The Inspiring Retail Stage at Spring Fair on Monday 3rd February, starting with drinks for all at 5:00pm.

Inspiring our visits certainly were, with many great examples of teamwork across departments, excellent merchandising, marketing and events all leading up to sales reported to be up on the previous year, what a great way to end 2024.

On our visits we also saw plenty of examples of Christmas Sustainability which leads us nicely into the theme of this issue, our Sustainability Directory for 2025. This is the 6th edition of GTN’s Sustainability Directory, and we hope it is most useful to you in helping maintain and

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In this issue...

8

2

Hozelock

34

Glam up your greens

7

Spring Fair

36

UK Greetings, our world means the world to us

13

STV International

38

Success with peat free gardening

16

Primeur

40

Thetford Garden Centre - now certified B Corp

20

Woodmansterne

26

Handy Distribution

41

Tildenet’s huge range of sustainable and recycled products

28

Sipcam

28

Timber Displays

Planteria – 2025 is the Year of the Begonia and the Pea

30

Melcourt

31

Pelsis Doff

31

RocketGro

32

EP Barrus

32

Pinnacle Agri - Firestorm

33

Bulldog Tools

33

The Solar Centre

36

UK Greetings

41

Tildenet

45

PATS 2025

47

STV International

48

Keter - Stewart

GTN’s Greatest Christmas Awards – all the centres have now been visited – winners will be announced at Spring Fair on Monday 3rd February at 5:00p on The Stage

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GTN’s Sustainability Directory for 2025

18

GIMA Awards Sustainability Champions

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Woodmansterne, ground-breaking environmental credentials

22

GCA Westland Rising Stars ecofriendly projects

26

Advertisers in this Issue

27

Spring Fair 2025 Preview

24

Sustainability Directory pages start here

Exclusive interview with the Mercer family of Hillmount Garden Centres in Belfast.

14

Sustainability with what you already have

develop your eco retailing credentials, thus leading to increased sales.

Another sustainability issue however is the business of Dobbies Garden Centres. Dobbies became the biggest group of centres after the Wyevale Sale of the Century in 2019 with 69 outlets which became 77 by the start of 2024. By the end of this month the number of Dobbies stores will be 58 at most, with 19 stores being closed or handed over to new operators as part of a plan to address historically uneconomical rent costs and ensure a return to sustainable profitability.

At least three of the sites being closed as Dobbies and re-opening with new operators were previously winners of GCA Garden Centres of Excellence Awards and Stapleton (previously called Woodlands) was GCA Garden Centre of the Year in 2003 and 2004. We wish the new operators well and hope that Dobbies CEO David Robinson achieves his sustainable business plan.

Happy New Year to you all, see you at the GCA Conference or at Spring Fair!

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Let’s keep talking - HTA Viewpoint

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A year of running – a big thank you from Kate Ebbens who ran every day in 2024 and raised over £30,000 for the Greenfingers Charity.

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Webb eco – where power meets eco-friendliness

www.gardentradenews.co.uk

2025: friend or foe? - GIMA Viewpoint.

GUIDE TO SUSTAINABILITY

INNOVATIONS

GTN’S GUIDE TO

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DECEMBER 2024 / JANUARY 2025

GTN’SS GUIDE TO SUSTAINABILITY INNOVATIONS FOR GARDEN CENTRE RETAILING GTN

gardentradenews.co.uk

2020 GTN’S GUIDE TO

SUSTAINABILITY

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DECEMBER 2022

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SUSTAINABILITY SUSTAI DIRE DIRECTORY

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December 2023

/ January 2024

15

SUSTAINABILITY FOR 2025 26-page Sustainability Directory

Hillmount celebrate Christmas and a fifth centre

B CORP FOR THETFORD

A garden centre sustainable first

CHRISTMAS GREATNESS

Who will be the GTN Greatest Award winners?

SHINING BRIGHT

GCA Westland Rising Stars eco projects

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 Features Editor Anisa Gress anisa@pottinghsedpress.co.uk Advertising Sales Alan Burdon Alan@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 Lucy Carnell – 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 newsletter at www.gardentradenews.co.uk

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 [copyright symbol] Potting Shed Press Ltd 2025. No part of this publication may be reproduced in any form whatsoever, either for sale or not, without the express permission of the publishers.

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

December 2024 / January 2025 3

Interview

Family ambitions

The dynamics of the Mercer family is truly impressive and must surely be the secret behind the success of Hillmount Garden Centres in Northern Ireland and England. Father and son team, Robin and Alan Mercer, tell GTN about how its four sites are about to become five.

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obin Mercer worked hard to get his family to agree to him starting up a retail nursery in Belfast. It was the early 1970’s and the family wholesale business of growing plants had already been established for 30 years. He was told: “Give me 40 reasons why you should, and I will give you 60 reasons why you shouldn’t.”

Fortunately, he got his way, and it was a good decision as it laid the foundations for the Mercers to establish themselves in garden retailing.

The Hillmount centres are run by Robin, his wife Edith and their son Alan, supported by a strong and reliable team. Garden

4 December 2024/January 2025

centres in Belfast, Ards, and Bangor in Northern Ireland are about to be joined

by Hillmount Carrick, which for the last 58 years has been the family-run Sunnybank Garden Centre. In England, Hillmount Cheshire has been part of the group since 2021 and focuses on garden furniture and bbq’s.

Robin gained experience working in the gardens of ICI before studying at Greenmount agricultural college. On return to the family business of growing chrysanthemums and bedding plants, he began to investigate the possibilities of retailing the plants themselves. “What we

needed was a greenhouse roughly 80ft by 30 ft and I pleaded with my father, grandfather and even my Uncle John,” says Robin. “They told me to forget about it – it will never work. ‘You are too far out of Belfast, away in the country, and nobody will drive away up those hills’ they said. We spent many a night talking about it. But eventually his father said: ‘We'll build a greenhouse and if it doesn't work, which it probably won't, we will have a new greenhouse for growing plants’”.

Friends and family supported the official opening of what is now Hillmount Garden Centre, Belfast, selling plants, a

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Interview

Left: Alan (right) and Robin, who in the King's New Years Honours List was bestowed a British Empire Medal for services to business and the economy.

Right: Hillmount Belfast, where it all began.

Hillmount Bangor, a former furniture store.

Ab bovee: Promoting Christmas at all three Northern Ireland garden centres.

few products and the 300litre bales of peat, which were common back then. “It was fantastic. It really couldn't believe how much it worked,” says Robin. At that time, the Mercers wanted to be a nursery centre and not a garden centre. “One customer asked us if we sold gnomes and I said ‘no’ because we are a proper nursery and we only sell things like plants, tree ties and compost. But I bought in a few so the customer could buy one and then I would send the rest back to the wholesaler. We set them on the counter and before that day was out, they were all sold. So, we thought, if people want gnomes, they'll have gnomes, and we will have to change our ways.”

Shortly after, Robin and Edith started to go to Glee to buy novelties that were new and different. They bought a slide for customer’s children to enjoy and began retailing garden furniture. A small café soon followed run by Robin’s mother. Robin’s father said to site it in the shed at the end of the garden centre so that if it didn’t work, it wasn’t a problem. Of course it was a success

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especially in the summer. In winter it was relocated to the shop.

Next generation Robin and Edith’s three boys were bought up with garden centre retailing, so it’s not surprising that Alan is now part of the business. “My dad would take us down on a Sunday morning to water the plants and sow seeds and prick out.

I thought that's what all families did – I didn't realise at the time I was actually learning,” says Alan.

Alan had learnt much more from his parents and grandparents, just as Robin did, and even though he wanted to join the business straight after school, he was encouraged to stay in education. “They kept on saying the best thing I could do was go away and get an education, so I had something to fall back on if I ever changed my mind,” says Alan. Gaining a

horticultural degree at Writtle College in Essex and working at B&Q and Wyevale provided invaluable experience.

Returning to the business in his early 20’s, Alan had to work out where he fitted in. “The business had been running really successfully without me, and I had to show my worth. It was absolutely fascinating to learn from my dad. He's got a business sense I've never seen in anybody else, and to have that knowledge, carry it from year to year and change with the times and seasons is just immense.”

It wasn’t long after that Alan found himself in a similar situation to his father 30 years earlier. “I remember standing in my mum and dad's living room, probably pleading the same way they did to open the shop. I was saying we should have five garden centres and an Epos system because it was the way forward. They thought it was crazy.”

A former church (without a grave yard!) is now Hillmount Ards.

December 2024/January 2025 5

Interview

But they will apply the same principles bringing their flair as an independent to the site and always having something new for their customers. “I think we're one of the few last independent retailers that has a presentation that changes every month,” says Alan.

A big focus will also be plants. Sales were good during 2024 and as customers are used to buying good clean stock from Sunnybank, this will need to be maintained.

Keep it in the family Above: Staff are happy to move across the different sites if there’s a shout for help.

Eventually though, Robin was instrumental in picking the right Epos for the company transforming an old till system into the most up to date one available. “This shows,” says Alan, “the measure of somebody who's dynamic as a businessperson and spends money in a way that progresses the business. He sometimes questions things but in a good way and forces us to do it right. It’s almost an old school principle of not throwing money around the place.”

“If you're going to change, you have to think and consider anything that is a major transaction. Whether it’s changing crops, growing seeds, vegetables, flowers, bedding, plants. If you get it wrong, it can be seriously wrong, and you can lose a lot of money,” says Robin.

In addition to stock data, Hillmount is using the Epos system for tracking its 40,000 privilege card members. At Christmas it invites its top 25 customers by spend, and top 25 by volume to collect a free planter.

The Mercers are the first to admit they are lucky to have such a strong and loyal customer base especially on a Sunday when trading hours are 1pm-6pm. The cafes are open at 12 so families can come to lunch straight after church.

They are also appreciative of their staff and are extremely flflexible exible when it comes to working days and hours. “You have to work around people, and we are small enough to be adaptable,” says Alan.

bit of money for the rainy day or rainy two months, as we've had this year,” says Robin.

When Alan came on board, he was keen to expand and took Robin to potential new sites. Eventually in 2013, they settled for a furniture shop in Bangor, and as it was nearing Christmas, the pressure was on to transform the shop and open it in time for the festive season. Belfast has a large number of garden centres considering population, but the car park and café on the original Hillmount site were at full potential every Sunday, during Easter and the summer. “We thought opening a new centre would release some of this pressure, but actually it created more business,” says Robin. “It didn’t happen overnight, it took two to three years, but the new centre had the Hillmount name so people were inquisitive.”

The third site was a former modern church in Ards which opened in 2017. “We knew it was an opportunity and we had to look far ahead and be a bit adventurous.

But we had great builders, plumbers, and architects who couldn't draw the plans quick enough for us,” explains Robin.

What will become Hillmount Carrick has been running for more than 50 years and is the first time the Mercers have taken over an existing garden centre business.

Alan has four children and two brothers, one a dentist and the other a pilot, so there is lots of potential for the family line to continue running the business in the future.

“They all have the ability to work within the garden centre,” he says. “It's lovely that if you passionately want to come in and work, there's always a job. I would be delighted if one of my children or all of them came into the garden centre. But I want to be like my parents, who always give me the option to do whatever you want in life.”

The opening of the new centre should keep Robin and Alan busy for the foreseeable future, but they both know they have short attention spans. “I joke about it and say that after three years we're fed up,” says Robin. “But when I was young, I was told if you want your figures to keep going up, you must do something every three years. If you stay static, your figures will start to go down.”

Having five centres brings advantages too. “When we go to trade shows and talk about having a few garden centres, suppliers listen to you more. And if you're buying containers of furniture or barbecues, you've got other sites to split and share the stock which makes the van load a wee bit better,” says Robin.

But is five enough? “Definitely, definitely,” says Alan. “Five is the magic number”.

Branching out When Hillmount was just one centre, the business was offered another garden centre for a good price. “But my family’s attitude was that unless you've got the money in the bank or the money in your pocket, you don't do it. Now you must be able to borrow and organise yourself to pay it back. As long as you don't stretch yourself too far and always have that wee

6 December 2024/January 2025

The Mercer family is pleased to announce that Hillmount Carrick, a £1.5m investment, will open this spring with the creation of 10 jobs.

www.gardentradenews.co.uk

THE SUMMERHOUSE EDIT Discover a curated edit of high-end furnishings, décor and gifts this February at Spring Fair 2025.

Scan to register or visit springfair.com

Christmas 2024

Blue Diamond Newbridge Nurseries Garden Centre

OUR GREATEST CHRISTMAS AWARDS EVER! Christmas 2024 was a truly great event for garden centres, and a mammoth task for our team of judges to visit the 120 plus centres nominated in this years GTN’s Greatest Christmas Awards.

A

s this issue of GTN magazine goes to press, judges for the GTN Greatest Christmas Awards are meeting up to share their stories and photos from the 120 plus garden centres they visited to meet the teams during late November and December 2024.

And what a joy it was to meet such enthusiastic garden centre folk, working as teams across all departments, revelling in sales that were mostly reported as being up year on year.

On this and the following pages are some of the team photos we collected from our visits.

Sadly there’s not enough room to include every single one, but we will get them all up on-line via GTN Xtra over the coming weeks.

All of these visits were only possible thanks to the support of our sponsors who will also be offering prizes to the winners of specific categories: 1. The Greatest Christmas Houseplant Team – Sponsored by Woodlodge

8 December 2024 / January 2025

2. The Greatest Outdoor Plant and Christmas Tree Team - Sponsored by Doff Portland 3. The Greatest Gardening as a Christmas Gift Sales Team - Sponsored by Fandango Fire Tools 4. The Greatest Christmas Gifts Team – Sponsored by Museums and Galleries 5. The Greatest Garden Centre Christmas Promotions Team - Sponsored by Glee 6. The Greatest Christmas BBQ and Outdoor Leisure Team – The SOLEX Sizzle Sponsored by SOLEX 7. The Greatest Festive Retail Food Team – Sponsored by Pleydell Smithyman 8. The Greatest Christmas Wild Bird Care & Pet Team - Sponsored by Marriages 9. The Greatest Garden Centre Grotto Team - Sponsored by Smart Garden Products – Three Kings 10. The Greatest Group Small Garden Centre Christmas Team - Sponsored by Woodmansterne

11. The Greatest Group Large Garden Centre Christmas Team - Sponsored by Tildenet 12. The Greatest Small Garden Centre Christmas Team - Sponsored by Garden Radio 13. The Greatest Mid-Sized Garden Centre Christmas Team – Sponsored by Kaemingk 14. The Greatest Large Garden Centre Christmas Team – Sponsored by MorePeople 15. The Greatest Giant Garden Centre Christmas Team - Sponsored by Kaemingk To find out who are the winners in all the above categories, plus the winners of The Greatest Garden Centre Christmas Team as voted for by customers, which has again received many thousands of customer votes, come along and see us at Spring Fair on Monday 3rd February at 5:00pm on The Stage.

We look forward to seeing you all again then!

www.gardentradenews.co.uk

Christmas 2024

Castle Gardens

BGC Ramsgate Garden Centre

BGC Braintree Garden Centre

Brimsmore Gardens

BGC Bournville Garden Centre

www.gardentradenews.co.uk

Woodlodge Following a successful season for Snowlodge, Woodlodge Products is delighted to announce that it has officially taken over the distribution of the iconic Jingles Christmas Lighting range.

A beloved name in seasonal lighting, Jingles has been a staple in garden centres for years, renowned for its high-quality, festive lighting products that capture the magic of Christmas.

Retailers interested in learning more about Jingles or adding the range to their festive offering can contact Woodlodge Products directly on 01666 501000 or snowlodge@woodlodge.co.uk www. woodlodge.co.uk Pelsis Doff Pelsis develops leading brands for commercial and retail customers, delivering innovative pest control and garden care products to a global customer base.

Pelsis is committed to delivering sustainable and innovative solutions, providing peace of mind, protecting public health, and working in harmony with nature. Leading the way with environmentally conscious pest management and garden care brands, including Green Protect and Green Fingers.

Doff (a Pelsis brand) has been delivering garden care products since 1946, and as the only UK manufacturer of slug pellets, Doff fosters a culture of innovation coupled with regulatory rigour and responsible product development www.pelsis.com www.doff.co.uk Museums & Galleries Museums & Galleries is the UK’s leading publisher of fine art cards, stationery, and home and giftware.

Our collection showcases Britain’s brightest fashion, art, and heritage brands, including the V&A, British Museum, Tate Gallery, Matthew Williamson, and Mary Katrantzou, amongst many talented artists and designers.

The Museums & Galleries collection celebrates timeless quality and excellence in art, illustration, and design. www.museumsgalleries.co.uk Tel: 01373 462165 sales@mgml.co.uk

Blue Diamond Beckworth Emporium

BGC Wolesely Bridge Garden Centre

Bents Garden Centre

Hillmount Garden Centre, Bangor

December 2024 / January 2025 9

Christmas 2024

Haskins Garden Centre Ferndown

Gates Garden Centre

Chessington Garden Centre

Caulders Garden Centre Erskine

Ellerker Lodge Garden Centre

10 December 2024 / January 2025

Pleydell Smithyman Pleydell Smithyman are specialist consultants to the Garden Centre and Farm Shop sectors, offering a full range of end-to-end services, including site development, strategy, masterplanning, planning applications, retail & interior design, architecture, project management & retail/business consultancy. With over 35 years of experience in the garden centre industry they have an extensive range of clients across the UK and Europe. Pleydell Smithyman’s have a strong reputation for creating strategies and business models, helping businesses to identify what success looks like, and achieve it!

SOLEX (Summer Outdoor Living Exhibition) is owned and operated by LOFA (Leisure & Outdoor Furniture Association).

SOLEX is the only outdoor leisure event organised by the industry for the industry.

This relaxed and friendly event is an excellent place to conduct business as well as a fantastic opportunity to establish new relationships and strengthen existing ones. SOLEX is where outdoor leisure brands unite to showcase their products, ranging from Garden Furniture & Shading, Outdoor Living Accessories & Barbecues, Garden Decoration & Garden Leisure Buildings, Outdoor Heating & Outdoor Health, to Outdoor Entertainment.

We are proud to sponsor the Christmas Sizzle Awards in collaboration with Garden Trade News.

Kaemingk is a globally recognised company specialising in seasonal decorations and home accessories. With a legacy of innovation and craftsmanship, Kaemingk designs and distributes an extensive range of products, including Christmas, Easter, and outdoor furniture and decorations, as well as stylish home goods.

Headquartered in the Netherlands, the company serves markets worldwide, combining trend-driven design with quality and sustainability. Kaemingk’s commitment to creativity and customer satisfaction has established it as a trusted partner for retailers seeking to inspire their customers with beautiful and unique products.

Woodmansterne Woodmansterne is the leading supplier of premium greeting cards to independent retailers. We design, produce and finish all our cards in Britain. We make cards that feed the soul, lift the spirit and reflect British culture, whether this is through the magic of Quentin Blake’s illustrations, the beauty of National Trust images, the iconic pattern of Emma Bridgewater designs, or the humour of Punch cartoons.

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.

Fakenham Garden Centre

Bosworths Garden Centre Burton Latimer

Coolings, The Gardeners Garden Centre

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Christmas 2024

Marriages The Marriage’s® brand has a family heritage going back six generations and is one of the most trusted and respected names in the pet and smallholder feed markets.

Using only the finest wholesome ingredients, Marriage’s® offers a comprehensive, high-quality feed range that’s healthy, nutritious and delicious. Every feed is brimming with essential nutrients to help support optimal growth and development, no matter the pet’s age or breed. Animal well-being, nutritional excellence, enrichment, quality and the environment are all fundamental to our product range.

Garsons Titchfield

Meadow Croft Garden Centre

Haskins Garden Centre Snowhill

Mackenzie Cruickshank Garden Centre

Old Railway Line Garden Centre

MorePeople MorePeople are a specialist recruitment business providing permanent and interim recruitment solutions for businesses operating in the food, horticulture, agriculture and garden industry supply chains. Our clients range from ‘own label’ suppliers to blue chip brands.

MorePeople was founded in 2000 by two passionate foodies with vast experience of working in the industry - Guy Moreton and Peter Hunt.

Now a team of 35 comprising a mixture of extremely knowledgeable ex-industry professionals and professional recruiters who are passionate about the sector. The team is committed to offering the best recruitment service for all professional roles within the sectors in which we operate.

Fandango Fandango Fire Tools® is the European distributor for the Kindling Cracker™ firewood splitters. We supply everyone, from small individual stores to large chains all over Europe.

In the UK stockists of the Kindling Cracker™ include Lakeland, Waitrose Garden, Blue Diamond and Burford Garden Company.

Fandango also work with Espegard’s range of smokeless fire pits and cooking accessories - our Nordic team is delighted to bring Scandinavian outdoor living to the UK alongside Ayla’s patented firewood splitter.

Glee As the meeting place for the garden retail industry, Glee brings the entire gardening community together.

We welcome garden centres, international buying groups and retailers, all looking for the latest and most innovative products.

Now’s your chance to join this exciting community of gardening professionals. Showcase your latest collections to budget-ready buyers, network with our audience and build lasting relationships with thousands of potential customers. Book your stand for 16-18 September 2025 at the NEC, Birmingham to be part of Glee!

www.gardentradenews.co.uk

Notcutts Rivendell

Norwich Camping and Leisure

Perrywood Garden Centre Tiptree

Planters Brookfields

December 2024 / January 2025 11

Christmas 2024

Silverbirch Garden Centre

Pughs Garden Village Wenvoe

Smart Garden Products – Three Kings A glittering collection of festive décor with everything to adorn the home and garden, from a warm welcome at the front door to the cosy surround of the fireplace. Christmas Lighting, SnowScenes, Leger Décor, Vintage Baubles, Looking Glass, Christmas Topiary, Christmas Ornamental, Nutcrackers, Santa Figures, String Lights, Christmas Doormats, Gonk Gang, Christmas Apparel and don’t forget to check out Pet Christmas as well… for all your furry friends Christas needs too!

Tildenet Welcome to the home of quality garden brands, Tildenet. As the UK’s leading independent specialist Tildenet Gardenware are committed to supplying the best products and service to our customers with an unrivalled range and brands you can trust: Growers Choice, Country Forge, Haxnicks, Bosmere and Mainframe.

Recyclable packaging across all handy packs has been a priority and reviewing all POS and merchandising with an environmentally conscious scrutiny is a key focus as we look towards our 2025 season.

Ruxley Manor Garden Centre

Squires Badshot Lea

Snowdonia Nurseries and Garden Centre

Spring Fair Discover 1,200 quality brands at Spring Fair 2025. Finding new products that your customers will love is no easy feat.

That’s why Spring Fair brings the best brands and suppliers in the industry together, under one roof, so you can uncover the products that will transform your collections.

Ready to find your next bestseller? Register now for your entry to Spring Fair and the NEC Birmingham 2-5 February 2025. www.springfair.com

Ruxley Manor Garden Centre

12 December 2024 / January 2025

Garden Radio Garden Radio is an in-store radio service designed to encourage customers to linger for longer in your garden centre. We provide a music service which makes a real difference in providing an ambience mood for garden centres and messages can be added too.

This basic service provides either Original Artists music (if you have a current PPL/PRS licence, see notes below) or Copyright free music. Garden Radio has been providing a music service to garden centres for over 20 years. Garden Radio is produced by the same team that create Garden Trade News and The Greatest Awards. Contact trevor@ pottingshedpress.co.uk

Webbs Whychbold

www.gardentradenews.co.uk

THE HAPPY FACTOR Guaranteed to keep your customers and their houseplants happy and healthy

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Spring Fair 2025 preview

Trend setters

It’s the 75th anniversary of Spring Fair and it remains one of the top UK trade shows for garden centre buyers to find inspiration and new ideas for gift and home from more than a million products.

T

he gift buying season kicks off again next month with Spring Fair, which has been the home of interior inspiration for 75 years. Suppliers exhibiting across the diverse range of product sections bring exclusive networking opportunities and lines to suit every retailer. And with everything under one roof, it makes buying for seasons ahead so much easier.

In 2024, 34% of the 400 plus suppliers were new to the show while 38% had brands which can only be found at Spring Fair.

In addition to products, Spring Fair will also host a rich programme of talks, workshops and fashion show catwalks on its Masterclass Stage and Inspiring Retail Stage. These include Unleashing Creativity from Laurence LlewelynBowen; 60 Years of Style and Strategy: Jeff Banks on Licensing, Branding and Keys to Lasting Success and a Q&A with Theo Paphitis on the subject of Small Businesses, Big Impact: Thriving in a World of Giants. Representatives from HappyHQ and I Love My Job will host a masterclass on Beyond Salaries: Building a People-First Company Culture that Attracts and Retains Talent.

14 December 2024 / January 2025

Recently announced finalists in the Gift of the Year competition will be collectively displayed in Hall 5 so retailers can ensure they are stocking the best and potentially award-winning offerings. Look out for: Bottle Farm from Shroot is a revolutionary indoor farming kit that transforms everyday plastic bottles into thriving herb and vegetable gardens. Designed and manufactured in the UK using over 95% recycled materials, Bottle Farm makes sustainable growing accessible to everyone, no matter their space or experience. The kit uses hydroponic technology to grow plants in water rather than soil and is perfect for urban dwellers, families, or even seasoned gardeners looking for innovative growing solutions. RRP £19.95 for complete Bottle Farm

Spring Fair Product Sectors Fashion Accessories Jewellery & Watch Clothing & Footwear Everyday Greetings, Party & Celebration Beauty & Wellbeing Gift Christmas, Festive & Floral Kids, Toys & Play Source Home & Gift Housewares Home, Living & Décor The Summerhouse

Spring Fair 2-5 February 2025 NEC Birmingham Sunday 2nd to Tuesday 4th February – 9.00am-6pm Wednesday 5th February – 9am-4pm Admission is free and online preregistration is recommended. See website for details, floor plan and even more exhibitor information. www.springfair.com

Spring Fair 2025 preview

Personalised gardening tools come in a gift set from Designer Kids and Baby Ltd. Functional and beautifully crafted they are perfect for avid gardeners and beginners.

Neatly arranged in the willow trug are a fork, trowel, wooden markers, garden string and a measuring dibber. RRP £59.99 Chimney Sheep has developed a range of luxury, all-natural Pet Snugs made from wool. Because wool is naturally very warm, breathable and hygroscopic, it can absorb large quantities of water without feeling wet so is the perfect material for animal bedding. Available with a range of cheerful cushion colour options made from organic cotton which are water repellent, wipeable and easy to clean. RRP from £65.

In 2024, Laura Stoddart launched multi-purpose drawstring bags featuring her own designs printed using inks that are eco-friendly, water based and solvent free. These clever little bags can be used for anything from storage to organising and can elevate the simplest of gifts or provide a solution for those which are tricky to wrap. Made to Global Organic Textiles Standard with 100% unbleached, natural, cotton. A new mini size has been introduced this month bringing the range up to three sizes with an rrp starting from £7.00.

www.gardentradenews.co.uk

This charming kit from Pikkii contains everything to make 12 paper flowers, each one pre-cut and ready for a personal message. Kit includes pre-cut flowers, bouquet wrap, gift/display box and easy to follow instructions all packaged in plastic-free peggable matte-finish envelope and presented in a CDU display. Made with FSC paper and printed with soy based ink.

RRP £12.99

December 2024 / January 2025 15

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December 2023 / January 2024 15

Focus on GTN Sustainability sustainability ty y Directory 2025 GTN’s special 26-page section on the industry ry’ y’s ’ sustainability tyy developments

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hen GTN first dedicated an issue to sustainability in January 2020, one of the aims was to shine a light on those retailers and suppliers who were going the extra environmental mile.

In just a few years things have drastically changed and considerations surrounding sustainability have now become the norm and an integral of everyday business decisions. Whether its materials or processes for manufacturing products, energy consumption or packaging, garden

www.gardentradenews.co.uk

centres and industry suppliers have their fingers on the pulse and are making great advancements.

This year’s Sustainability issue still holds true to its original intent with a Directory to help buyers find products and companies with eco-conscious products.

However, it also brings additional content including the UK’s first garden centre to gain B Corp Certification; ideas to help customers on their peat-free journey, and how to improve sustainability using what is already in place.

In this year’s edition: 18 GIMA Awards Sustainability champions 20 Woodmansterne, ground-breaking environmental credentials 22 GCA Westland Rising Stars eco-friendly projects 24 Sustainability with what you already have 22 Webb eco – where power meets ecofriendliness 27 Sustainability Directory pages start here 34 Glam up your greens 36 UK Greetings, our world means the world to us 38 Success with Peat Free gardening 40 Thetford Garden Centre – now a B Corp 41 Tildenet’s huge range of sustainable and recycled products

December 2024 / January 2025 17

GIMA Sustainability Champions

Champions of sustainability Focus on the Sustainability Champions from the 2024 GIMA Awards.

R

ecognition of sustainability goals is an important element in the GIMA Awards, with winning suppliers becoming category champions and an overall winner selected. As sustainability becomes more integrated into product and packaging design, competition becomes increasingly fierce. The 2024 winners have all made great progress and continue to prove the garden centre retailing industry is working hard to be green.

Introducing more colour Sustainability is in the genes of Primeur Ltd. In fact, today it stills sells the coir doormats which were one of the first products to be sold when the company was formed as Clayton and Strutt in 1968. It’s recycled rubber garden products came to the market in 2016 and since then the range has done nothing but grow. Taking home the overall HTA Sustainability Award, Primeur’s new Tierra Verde Coloured Collection of self-watering planters is offering customers a wider range with more styling options from Blossom, Oak and Cappuccino colours to upgrade the home and garden. Made from recycled rubber, they are long lasting, unbreakable and resistant to damage from frost or freezing.

Eco-friendly display The Earthy Sustainable Tree Display created by Satchville Gift Company is made from fastgrowing, FSC eucalyptus, and supports the sustainability message of the products by also being ecoconscious. It was designed specifi cally to specifically promote its wild bird care products, and off ers customers 360 displays on four offers facings, plus information about the seed husks and other natural materials used to manufacture each product.

Feeding plants, naturally The Ecofective Organic Superfood range of liquid plant feeds offer an organic solution for growing bigger healthier plants, fruit and veg, and was named the Garden Care Sustainability Champion. Manufactured using farming by-products and seaweed, they give plants and produce ultimate support to thrive. Packaged in a new sustainable way, the flexible pouch uses up to 70% less plastic than a conventional plant feed in a rigid bottle.

Carbon neutral growing from Southern Trident The first carbon-neutral, PAS 2060 accredited peat-free compost, Harmony Gardens Multipurpose Compost with added John Innes has been introduced by Southern Trident.

It was named Growing Media Sustainability Champion and has been exposed to extensive quality testing. Its innovative packaging,

18 December 2024 / January 2025

made from 60% recycled content and fully recyclable, positions it as a leader in sustainable gardening products, setting new industry standards for ecofriendly practices.

Deco Pak’s delightful seashells Named Sustainability Champion in the Growing, Planting, Equipment & Sundries category, was The Chelsea Garden Range, Sea Shells. From Deco Pak, it is a handysized bag of reused sea shells, which not only look good but also act as a nutrient-rich soil enhancer and natural pest deterrent. A versatile product, it can be used on vegetables and ornamentals as a decorative mulch, as a pathway topping or in potting mixed.

Cutting-edge innovation It was a busy night for Westland Horticulture which took home an impressive number of certificates.

These included the Kent & Stowe SureCut Cutting Range which was the Garden Tools, Machinery & Implements Sustainability Champion.

The loppers, shears and secateurs have been thoughtfully engineered with the Reflex Energy System, designed to enhance performance and ease of use. This innovation

www.gardentradenews.co.uk

GIMA Sustainability Champions

results in maximum comfort with minimum effort when cutting, as each tool features rubber bumpers designed to absorb shock and promote a gentle rebound. This significantly reduces the jarring sensation for a comfortable and ergonomic experience that also ensures enhanced durability of each tool.

Combining innovation and luxury Soft Furnishings in the W Garden Living range from Woodlodge Products became the Sustainability Champion in the Outdoor Leisure category. Manufactured from recycled plastic bottles, the cushions and throws are weather-resistant and off er luxurious comfort and style for offer any outdoor space.

From TV’s to the garden Deco Pak has turned a potential waste by-product into a new and desirable offer.

The process of creating 20-40mm Glasglo Chippings from recycled television screens, produced an abundance of smaller pieces.

Recognising there is a demand for these 10-20mm chippings, it has fulfilled fulfilled a contemporary design need with an eco-conscious twist. Now available in 20kg bags, it was named the Garden Landscaping Sustainability Champion.

company is donating 10% of the mat’s sales to the Bumblebee Conservation Trust. The mat was the Sustainability Champion in the Garden Clothing & Gifts category.

Bee rugs help the bees The cotton Bee 3 Mat and Runner is part of the Phoenox Textiles Ltd Home & Garden collection manufactured in Yorkshire using recycled materials. It is absorbent and traps up to 95% of dust, dirt and mud. To help raise awareness of the plight of British bees, the

One for the birds The Earthy Sustainable Bird Feeder Collection was designed by the Satchville Gift Company to accommodate the five best selling lines of bird feed – from suet blocks to peanuts. Each is made from sustainable properties which look good and softly blend with nature when used in the gardens. Trials have shown that the birds love them and use them continually. It was the Pet Care, Aquatics & Bird Care Sustainability Champion.

Illumination indoors and out From Maze comes the Athena Small Solar Light, the Garden Décor Sustainability Champion.

Made of aluminium and teak, it blends elegance and sustainability with durability. For seamless indoor and outdoor lighting, it features a high-performance solar panel, and a USB charged battery for extended usage.

www.gardentradenews.co.uk

December 2024 / January 2025 19

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.

Our ground-breaking environmental credentials..

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100% plastic-free and recyclable cards and gift packaging

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Greeting cards printed and manufactured in the UK

•

Vegetable inks used on paper from FSC® certified sustainable forests

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Envelopes made from 100% post-consumer waste recycled paper

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Distribution from one of the greenest warehouses in the UK

SELECT

C AT E G O R Y M A N A G E M E N T

Grow your sales sustainably Contact us to find out more about our planning and management solution for your greeting card and gift packaging displays.

01923 200600 or sales@woodmansterne.co.uk

Westland Rising Stars

This year’s Westland Rising Stars with Tammy Woodhouse and Gordon Emslie (far right), and Peter Burkes and Gina Lewis (far left).

Shining bright Inspirational ideas from the Westland Rising Stars programme have improved sales and helped gardeners across the country make more eco-friendly choices.

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rom improving disease resistance to choosing the best plants for pollinators, the seven participants of this year’s Westland Rising Stars programme have illustrated the importance of garden centre retailing in promoting gardening’s positive impact on the environment.

Running since 2012, the programme’s aims are still to encourage garden centre team members to create bold instore projects to educate customers, improve sales and build their own confidence. “This season’s Rising Stars have again been very creative at developing their projects around the important issues of sustainability and managing our environment,” says mentor and judge Gordon Emslie.

The journey for the 2024 cohort started in April with a meeting at NIAB in Cambridgeshire.

Here they ran through their ideas with Gordon and visited Westland’s trials. Following several workshops which included how to present in public and putting their displays and plans into practice in their own stores, the teams put met again in October. A ‘Dragon’s Den’ like event at

22 December 2024 / January 2025

Melbicks Garden Centre, each had to present a summary of their project to judges, Peter Burkes (GCA Chairman), Gordon Emslie, Tammy Woodhouse (Millbrook Garden Centre Director), Gina Lewis (Social and Content Marketing Manager, Westland Horticulture) and Trevor Pfeiffer (GTN Editor).

“They have all faced challenges during the year, which the programme is designed to highlight,” says Gordon. “As testing as those were, they have all been tenacious with their projects, as well as having the determination to see them through, and have become more resilientpeople as a result. The future for the industry looks very bright especially with the calibre of candidates this year. The success of the Rising Stars program comes from the truly collaborativerelationship that Westlands and the GCA have to support the stars of the future.”

Four of the original seven have now been chosen as the lucky finalists heading to the GCA conference in January, to give onstage presentations. The winner will be chosen by a delegate vote.

Will Harris Klondyke Garforth Garden Centre • Project: The Conversation Station • Aim: How gardens can help vulnerable wildlife species, specifically swifts, hedgehogs and bees.

Will has worked with the centre’s marketing team to create three information posters to clearly explain to customers why swifts, bees and hedgehogs need gardens and what gardeners can do to make a positive difference.

Liaising with the buyers he carefully chose products for his displays and managed to source swift boxes, hedgehog houses and food, bee houses and bug hotels. Understanding the importance of plants, he also organised a multibuy for wildlife positive perennials offering three for £25. He topped up his displays up and by the end of the summer had recorded a 50.4% gross profit on perennials and 43.9% gross profit on wildlife products.

www.gardentradenews.co.uk

Westland Rising Stars

Dian Phillips Pughs Garden Village, Radyr • Project: Pollination Street • Aim: To connect gardeners to the urban wildlife corridor with wildlife friendly perennials.

Dian launched Pollination Street via Facebook with a short survey and was delighted it received 26k views. In house point-of-sale with the Bee Part of Pugh’s Pollination Street strapline was used in large containers at the store entrance and also enabled Dian to link plant sales with associated products particularly growing media. To make plant buying easy, Dian created four collections: Pollination Street, Sensory Sensations, All Year Interest and Shade Tolerant, with five plants and a rrp of £40. Signs explained the wildlife benefits of the perennials and growing media recommendations. Between June and August Dian sold 1506 3L plants and 31 deals. A profit increase of 85% was recorded for 1L plants.

FINALIST

Gayna Barnard Bents Garden & Home • Project: Ditch the Dig • Aim: To promote the concept of ‘no’ dig’ gardening.

Gayna introduced Dugless the worm to her promotion of ‘no dig’ gardening. Her leaflet clearly explained to customers exactly how the concept worked and its benefits. On shop floor displays, Gayna linked sales to products including mycorrhizal fungi and tools and created her own video and mock-up of a root system to help with the messaging. Instore events were boosted by those at local community allotments and engagement on

Roundtable workshop with the judges.

www.gardentradenews.co.uk

social media was high with one post reaching 5785 people. Gayna kept track of sales this summer and compared them with the same products in 2023. The best performing product was Westland’s Bio-Life Soil Improver which rose from 95 units last year to 550 this summer.

Erin Tuchscherer Charlbury Garden Centre

FINALIST

Dan Furley Millbrook Garden Centres • Project: Plant October • Aim: To promote and encourage customers to plant fruit trees.

Using upcycled material and creating planters from and old door and wooden pallets, Erin created a lively, space filled with plants, information about bees and lots of take-home ideas for customers. As well as offering ideas for companion planting, Erin also included water butts and, watering cans to get across important messaging about water capture, conservation and how to use it wisely. Part of the display also offered important growing tips for using peat-free growing media and linked sales with liquid feeds. Sales of Boost were up 20 units on last year and Big Tom up 77 units.

The many benefits of growing fruit trees including carbon reduction, biodiversity and food production are all wrapped up in Dan’s project to offer an easy to shop bundle that’s sustainable and measurable.

October is a great time for planting trees, so Dan focused on this autumnal month offering a £14.99 fruit tree with a free bag of JI number 3 growing media and sachet of Rootgrow. Securing a choice of five trees, he created 175 kits for the Gravesend garden centre and 75 for its sister site in Staplehurst.

Each kit produced a 52% margin. Bundles were promoted instore with rustic displays and point of sale material, while also featuring in a social media campaign, advertising on local radio, and in regional newspapers and magazines and email out to 70,000 Millbrook Family members. A digital billboard advert was also secured at the retail Bluewater shopping centre. By mid-October, both centres had sold 155 trees compared to just 39 the previous year.

FINALIST

FINALIST

Joshua Rigg Klondyke, Wilmslow Garden Centre

Ben Clarke Knights Nags Hall Garden Centre

• Project: Plants for Pollinators • Aim: To promote and encourage more pollinator rich gardens.

• Project: Working Hand in Hand with Nature • Aim: Can the promotion of sustainable gardening practices have an impact on plant health and sales in a garden centre?

Joshua had several strings to his project to get more pollinators being grown including getting the next generation of gardeners enthused about wildlife and increasing linked sales of garden additions such as bug hotels.

He created a shoppable space using reused and recycled materials to promote selected products the highlight of which was his own made giant bug hotel. Working with the marketing team, Joshua created point of sale and got involved with the centre’s monthly Grow Mini sessions for 15-20 children and a school holiday Scavenger Hunt encouraging children to go round the centre looking for bees, butterflies and ladybirds. A 1m squared space filled with wildflowers also showed what can be achieved. Throughout the summer, Joshua recorded sales data and was pleased to note pots and containers achieved £2573 and bug hotels £1320.

Ben was curious to find out if using SB Plant Invigorator on David Austin roses was a good eco-friendly solution to plant care. Acting as a foliar feed it strengthens plants making them better a resisting disease and works as an organic pest and fungus control. Ben applied the product weekly as soon as growth began in spring, and despite the challenging year in terms of weather, his results were impressive and showed significant improvements in plant quality and sales. A total of 287 roses were sold in 2023, compared to 432 in 2024 representing a 65% increase in sales. As a result, the centre will now be using and promoting SP Plant Invigorator. A second strand of the project was companion planting using nepeta and achillea, which achieved a 74% and 119% increase in sales units compared to last year. Thirdly, Ben introduced four biological control agents into the houseplant section, with great success, and displayed signs to educate customers.

• Project: More Bees Please • Aim: To create a garden for people and bees in a small space.

December 2024 / January 2025 23

Sustainability

At Castle Gardens in Dorset, sustainability messaging is weaved throughout Christmas displays.

Working with what you have With so many challenges and distractions, it’s easy for sustainability to fall through the gap. June Kirkwood and Arthur Parry from The PurposePeople, encourage retailers and suppliers to work with what they already have, to address sustainability and deliver benefits to their bottom line.

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t’s difficult to ignore the effects of climate change when distorted weather patterns are causing catastrophic events all over the world.

Closer to home 2023’s extreme heat followed by 2024’s persistent rain has had a negative impact on traditional crop harvests and plant sales too. Such challenges have been compounded for business because of the recent budget and cost of living crisis and it would be understandable if your focus was elsewhere. However, there are ways you can continue to address sustainability which also benefit your bottom line.

The recent HTA White Paper highlighted that horticulture has a role to play in mitigating climate change, and garden centres and their suppliers are integral to this process. As summarised in a recent HTA article by Angela Bean: “There is real benefit in individual

24 December 2024 / January 2025

businesses collectively making small changes to make a valuable difference and together gaining substantive progress as a sector.”

Deloitte’s 2024 report, The Sustainable Consumer has also identified how consumers are looking to (the government and) businesses to take the lead, to make it easier and cheaper for them to act sustainably. The report goes on to say that consumers are also ‘receptive to actions that businesses take to demonstrate their climate credentials’.

But how can you do this when there are so many other priorities? One suggestion is to work with what you have: • Create a plan and make a start. Even if your early progress is modest, having an intent to act and a clear direction is a valuable exercise.

• Keep it simple! Your first steps don’t need to be complicated, nor involve huge expenditure.

• This is about evolution not revolution.

You can still move forward by taking small incremental steps… all of which can add up to significant gains over time.

• Link your sustainability actions to your business goals. You’re looking to measures which increase revenue, reduce costs and improve cash flow.

Theory into practice Realistically, your pursuit of a more sustainable future for your business needs to be an integral part of regular activities and aligned with your financial goals if it’s to have a chance of progressing.

One way of increasing sales is to create themed displays linked to sustainable approaches and trends. Make it easy for your customers by providing them with a curated offering of plants and products, designed to sell sustainable solutions and ideas rather than individual items. The potential to increase sales comes from both the opportunity to increase basket size - by trading across categories - and to add value through higher-value purchases.

Borrowing from the RHS and Woodland Trusts guides on sustainable gardening, how about displaying a collection of locally sourced, native species – such as those which attract pollinators, or which return essential nutrients to the soil - alongside the tools and equipment needed for planting and nurturing. Built around these native species, the common theme should be sustainably sourced and manufactured tools and equipment, all of which are designed to last! As a final touch, include signage to

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Sustainability

Without the sign, customers wouldn’t know this chair at Ruxley Manor Garden Centre is a multi-tasking prop that has been used five times already.

Pot recycling is encouraged at Perrywood Garden Centre, Tiptree, through a simple display.

in the right place. Again, support your display with signage to explain what permaculture is and its benefits to the planet.

Eye-catching, informative displays enable you not only to share knowledge and play your part in a growing solution but also to show you are on the same journey as your customers.

Sustainability and cost reduction

Changing the shape of the packaging for the Haws Warley Fall 2-gallon watering has reduced cardboard requirements and increasing by 40%, the number of boxes that can be stored on one pallet.

explain to your customers the environmental benefits of planting native species.

There is a growing awareness of permaculture as an inventive way to frame sustainable living. In gardening terms, this translates into designing gardens in harmony with local environments and natural ecosystems (think soil, sunlight, air, water, plants, animals, microorganisms). This means creating a display which offers all a gardener might need to take a more natural approach, making the most of what they have and using less. For instance, gardening organically, collecting and distributing rainwater, improving soil quality, repurposing existing materials and locating the right plant

www.gardentradenews.co.uk

There is a direct link between reducing waste (and emissions) and reducing costs.

The easiest way to begin to address waste in your business is to make it visible. Start with any emissions or waste you are already measuring – look at your energy bills, the costs associated with your waste disposal contracts or the quantity of materials you send for recycling. The simple act of bringing more focus on these areas, and tracking them on an ongoing basis, can help to stimulate ideas to reduce impact and related costs. It can also help you to identify your biggest areas of impact – where significant cost savings are to be made.

Once these sources of waste and emissions are more visible, then the next step is to identify opportunities to reduce your bills. Through a redesign to the packaging for its Warley Fall 2-gallon watering can, Haws Director, Andy Pennock, says: “We’re able to fit around 40% more products per pallet, which significantly reduces warehousing needs and transport requirements.” This represents a reduction

in cost and at the same time reduces transport-related emissions. The new design uses around 4% less cardboard, contributing further to waste and cost reductions.

Re-using materials, rather than replacing them, also provides an opportunity for savings. At garden centres including Ruxley Manor Garden Centre, Kent, and those in The Gardens Group in Dorset, Christmas displays incorporate reused ‘refreshed’ chairs and other props. They draw customers’ attention with subtle signage, providing examples of using commonplace practices to model sustainable behaviour.

These may initially be motivated by cost management but can also serve to remind customers of your commitment to sustainability.

Highlighting other aspects such as pots which can be recycled or toys made from recycled materials is also a good idea. It’s not always about radical transformation; sometimes small steps, clearly signposted, can lead to a bigger impact.

Sustainability makes good business sense, with sustainability benefits often delivering financial benefits, and vice versa. Work with what you have and remember that you aren’t alone! Reach out for support from those around you and discuss ideas and challenges to help accelerate change. Collaboration is key – we’re all working towards the same goal.

About Us

The PurposePeople is a sustainability consultancy founded with the aim of supporting businesses of all sizes on their sustainability journeys. We help businesses identify how far they want to go, establish a sustainabilityled purpose and facilitate a pragmatic approach to caring for people, planet, and profit. www.thepurposepeople.co.uk Email June Kirkwood or Arthur Parry june@thepurposepeople.co.uk arthur@thepurposepeople.co.uk

December 2024 / January 2025 25

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Cutting-Edge 20V Battery Power Experience the might of our 20V Lithium-ion technology, delivering power and performance on par with traditional petrol options.

Embrace a cutting-edge 20V lithium battery technology that elevates your gardening experience, empowering you with unparalleled performance.

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Sustainability Directory 2025

SUSTAINABILITY DIRECTORY FOR 2025 GTN’s 2025 Sustainability Directory provides an easy way to find suppliers committed to improving their green credentials in the workplace and producing eco-sensitive products.

Bulldog Tools All Bulldog tools are designed and built to last. This is fundamental to Bulldog Tool’s sustainability strategy, ensuring its tools last for years so they don’t need to be replaced very often (if at all). www.bulldogtools.co.uk Deco-Pak - Deco-Pak supplies high-quality decorative aggregates, landscaping products, and garden accessories to UK and Ireland retailers, ensuring competitive pricing, efficient delivery, and exceptional service for all gardening needs. www.deco-pak.co.uk Durstons - Durston Garden Products, a family-run Somerset business with 35+ years’ experience, offers innovative, exclusive peat-free growing media, outperforming competitors in trials while meeting UK garden retailers’ diverse demands. www.durstongardenproducts.co.uk Elho We are a Dutch family business with more than 200 passionate green fans who produce sustainable design flowerpots and everything that goes with them. 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.eu EP Barrus Town & Country from Barrus is recognised as one of the UK’s leading gardening brands and offers one of the most comprehensive collections of gardening gloves, footwear and accessories. www.townandco.co.m

Green Fingers Slug & Snail Granules Green Fingers Slug & Snail Granules are derived from organic material that forms a protective barrier around your plants to minimise the damage and deter slugs and snails. Ideal for organic gardening due to the natural ingredients, the granules not only protect but helps to deliver vital plant nutrients, enriching the soil and aiding in plant growth.

Pelsis Doff RRP: £3.99 www.doff.co.uk sales@doff.co.uk

Peat-free growing media range

Durstons new peat free range delivers up to 150% bigger plants and 50% bigger blooms than professional peat-based products. Featuring exclusive Gro Fibre and Gro Boost, it ensures superior water retention, air circulation and excellent root growth. This new full peat free range has been carefully formulated and blended with a complimentary fertiliser package that provides 14 vital nutrients, with controlled release to last 4-6 months ensuring consistent healthy plant growth. Please ask for more information and samples.

Durston Garden Products RRP - POA www.durstongardenproducts.co.uk / info@durstongardenproducts.co.uk

winery collection

The winery collection is the latest to join elho’s wa aste collection, alongside the ocean range and the cofffee collection, finding novel ways to transform unusua al plastic waste streams into unique plant pots. Made e from discarded plastic twines used in French vineyards, the range is available in two beautiful colours - Bordea aux red and deep purple - inspired by the grapes that the twine once supported. Pots are available in four differen nt sizes from 14cm to 22cm, and feature a trendy ribbed te exture, making them a must-have for eco-conscious consu umers, while helping to reduce Europe’s agricultural waste e.

From £6.49 https://www.elho.com/en/ david.nicholson@elho.nl

EcoStone Sea Shells

Eco-Essential Wellington Boots

EcoStone Sea Shells are a byproduct of the whelk and scallop industry. Sourced direct from the processing factory, the shells are cleaned and graded before being bagged at Deco-Pak’s HQ. These completely natural shells not only transform pots and terrariums when used as a dressing, but also provide a natural slug barrier when used in borders too.

Wellies made from Wellies – New Wellington Boots made from recycled Wellington Boots for the ultimate in sustainable footwear. These Eco-friendly recycled Wellington boots for everyday walks and waterproof protection. These durable boots feature a shock absorbing heel and deep tread combined with flexibility for long, comfortable walks.

Deco-Pak RRP – from £3.99 sales@deco-pak.co.uk / www.deco-pak.co.uk

Town & Country RRP: £19.99 https://www.townandco.com/ customerservices@barrus.co.uk

www.gardentradenews.co.uk

December 2024 / January 2025 27

T

imber Displays offers the very best quality pressure treated wooden displayy products which are an attractive addition to any garden an nd garden centre or store. Let our tables, benches and stands show your merchandise to its full potential. potentiall.

To find out more: Phone: 01778 422700 www.timber displays.co.uk fb: /Timberdisplays

28 December 2024 / January 2025

www.gardentradenews.co.uk

Sustainability Directory 2025 Firestorm Heaters Firestorm Heaters utilise British Wood Pellets sourced from Scottish trees. All the trees are reforested and ‘Grown in Britain’ certified. It uses 100% recyclable packaging to ship its products. www.firestormheaters.co.uk Formbar Ltd Reduce, reuse and recycle are at Formbar’s core.

Supplying quality products that have longevity, supporting through maintenance and using recycled material. From first step to checkout, Formbar supplies sustainable equipment. www.formbar.co.uk HEMPE At HEMPE, sustainability is important, and it is committed to using fewer resources, and creating less waste. It strives to weigh up the environmental consequences of its actions with the goal of reducing its carbon footprint. Through involvement with Litter Free Coast & Sea it is helping ensure the lovely beaches on the south coast of England are clean and litter free. www.hempehelps.com Hortiwool Hortiwool is a family business which has worked with natural materials for almost two decades. Hands down, our absolute favourite is wool. Our dream is that everyone comes to love wool as much as we do, along with benefitting from its awesome properties as you cultivate and create in an around your home and garden. www.hotiwool.com Johnsons Lawn Seed - Established in 1820 Johnsons Lawn Seed is the oldest lawn seed brand in the UK with a long and prestigious record of product innovation and grass breeding. www.johnsonslawnseed.com

The Webb Eco 40V (2 x 20V) 43cm Cordless Rotary Lawnmower

Webb RRP £269.99 https://webbgardenpower.co.uk/

Nature’s Lawn with Mowable Wildflowers This innovative seed mix is designed for gardeners who wish to enjoy the beauty and ecological benefits of wildflowers, without sacrificing the functionality of their lawns. By combining a selection of lawn grasses with UK native perennial wildflowers that can tolerate regular mowing, this mix offers a solution that attracts pollinators such as butterflies and bumblebees while maintaining a usable, aesthetically pleasing lawn.

Johnsons Lawn Seed RRP - £12.99 www.johnsonslawnseed.com

Keter Keter has designed all its products to be 100% recyclable and is on an ambitious trajectory to increase the use of recycled content in its products from 40% in 2020 to 55% in 2025. Because the earth is our home and our workplace - we like it and the people who live here. www.keter.com Melcourt Melcourt has always taken the protection of our planet seriously. In fact, it has been carefully blending science and nature for over 40 years. www.melcourt.co.uk Pelsis Doff Pelsis is committed to delivering sustainable and innovative solutions, providing peace of mind, protecting public health, and working in harmony with nature. With environmentally conscious pest management and garden care brands, including Green Protect and Green Fingers. www.doff.co.uk Miracle-Gro® Peat Free, Premium Seeds, Plugs & Young Plants Compost A new addition to our high-quality peat-free range. This unique blend contains a balance of 11 vital nutrients required for healthy plant growth and will feed plants for 5 weeks. The combination of coir and woodfibre creates the perfect balance of air and water to aid germination and grow stronger roots, giving seeds, plugs and young plants the best start.

Evergreen Garden Care RRP £6.49 (20L) Evergreentrade.co.uk

www.gardentradenews.co.uk

Firestorm Flamenco Heater

Simply load the Flamenco with wood pellets and light. Warms up in 15 minutes, providing four hours of enticing flames. Add more pellets once lit to extend the burn time as required.

Running at 14kW heat output for half the cost of gas, heating 12m2. Pull the release door to shut off and unload your pellets, ready for another time.

Firestorm Heaters RRP: £1499.00 www.FirestormHeaters.co.uk / Info@FirestormHeaters.co.uk

December 2024 / January 2025 29

Sustainability Directory 2025

Primeur - Sustainable Style for Every Home & Garden At Primeur, sustainability drives everything we do. By transforming waste rubber tyres into award-winning garden products and incorporating eco-friendly materials into our doormat range, we seamlessly blend style, functionality, and a commitment to the environment.

RRP: Garden Range From £6.99 - Mighty Mats Range From £7.99 Web: www.primeur.co.uk Email: sales@primeur.ltd.uk Phone: 01274 518800

Peat-Free Multi-Purpose Compost (50L) RocketGro’s Peat-Free Multi-Purpose Compost is a bio-active, nutrient-rich blend designed for versatile garden use, and provides at least 12 weeks of feed thanks to the inclusion of Organic Fertiliser Superfood. Suitable for pots, beds, borders, containers, and planting out fruit trees, it enhances plant health and yields. This compost is peat-free, chemical-free, and animal productfree, offering a sustainable choice for gardeners.

RocketGro RRP – from £6.00 hello@rocketgro.co.uk www.rocketgro.co.uk

30 December 2024 / January 2025

Primeur Ltd Pioneers of recycled rubber, Primeur has helped to divert millions of tyres from reaching landfill, with each one reimagined to become part of a multi-award-winning garden product range. www.primeur.co.uk Sipcam ecofective offers highly effective eco-alternatives to conventional chemical garden care products. Packaged in flexible pouches, ecofective breaks the norm of plastic bottles, giving retailers a wonderful opportunity to support the growing demand for high impact sustainable solutions - ‘Bin the Bottle and Pick up a Pouch’. www.ecofective.uk.com RocketGro With unmatched eco-story, including the completion of a brand-new CO2 capture plant RocketGro, a British organic peat-free brand, is on track to become the UK’s first climate positive growing media supplier. www.rocketgro.co.uk UK Greetings Our world means the world to us, we are committed to sustainability from the products we create and supply to the service we provide. www.ukgreetings.co.uk Vitavia Sustainable aluminum greenhouses from Vitavia are durable, corrosion resistant and recyclable. This gives the greenhouse longevity, reducing the need for frequent replacement and the recyclability lessens the environmental impact by promoting a circular economy. www.vitavia.co.uk

www.gardentradenews.co.uk

Pelsis Doff UK manufacturers innovative, sustainable and reliable garden care and pest control products; covering Plant Protection, Weed Control, Lawn Care, Feeds and Insect traps.

THE ONLY UK MANUFACTURER OF SLUG PELLETS

Visit www.doff.co.uk or contact sales@doff.co.uk for more information

RocketGro Composts RocketGro’s Multi-Purpose 50L compost is now the number 1 bestselling compost in dozens of garden centres.

• Peat-Free & Coir-Free • Soil Association Approved Organic • Made using green energy • 100% Sustainable & Low Carbon • 100% British & endorsed by River Cottage • Powered by Digestate fibre and now TWO added Organic Fertiliser Superfoods for a full 3-month+ feed Visit www.rocketgro.co.uk for more info or contact Managing Director Toby Thomas on 07936 928 981 / hello@rocketgro.co.uk www.gardentradenews.co.uk

December 2024 / January 2025 31

Sustainability Directory 2025 Vitax Vitax offers a comprehensive range of organic and sustainable products from fertilisers such as 6X, to pest control with Slug Gone. Recent additions include a new organic house plant feed. www.gardenworld.co.uk/trade

䘀氀愀洀攀渀挀漀 圀漀漀搀 倀攀氀氀攀琀 䘀椀爀攀搀

Webb Garden Power Bringing to the market the Webb EcoFriendly Cordless Garden Tools, designed for optimal performance with a super-fast battery recharge. The 20V Webb Eco cordless range provides an eco-friendly and cost-efficient alternative to traditional petrol options. Quiet to use and cordless in design, the new range offers complete freedom with no power cables to get in the way or hold you up. Now available to order from British garden equipment manufacturer Webb. www.webbgardenpower.co.uk

䴀愀搀攀 椀渀 䈀爀椀琀愀椀渀 ㄀⼀㈀ 䌀漀猀琀 漀昀 䜀愀猀 匀洀漀欀攀氀攀猀猀 䘀氀愀洀攀 䘀甀氀氀礀 䜀甀愀爀搀攀搀

Timber Displays

䠀攀愀琀猀 甀瀀 琀漀 ㄀㈀洀㈀

Timber Displays offers the very best quality pressure treated wooden display products which are an attractive addition to any garden centre or store.

Let our tables, benches and stands show your merchandise to its full potential.

䤀渀琀攀最爀愀琀攀搀 吀愀戀氀攀 䨀漀椀渀 琀栀攀 渀攀砀琀 最攀渀攀爀愀琀椀漀渀 漀昀 漀甀琀搀漀漀爀 栀攀愀琀椀渀最 ㄀㐀㌀㈀ 㘀㘀㜀 㔀㘀㜀

Phone: 01778 422700 www.timber displays.co.uk fb: /Timberdisplays

䘀椀爀攀猀琀漀爀洀䠀攀愀琀攀爀猀⸀挀漀⸀甀欀⼀匀漀挀椀愀氀 䤀渀昀漀䀀䘀椀爀攀猀琀漀爀洀䠀攀愀琀攀爀猀⸀挀漀⸀甀欀

EVERYDAY ECO-ESSENTIAL PRODUCTS FOR ALL SEASONS

MADE FROM RECYCLED MATERIALS

=

Made w ith Recy cled welling ton boot s

Made fro m 100% Recycled plastics

cled Made with Recy waste n ea oc & plastic

ECO-Esse ential Wellling gton Boots

ECO-FLEX Gloves

100% R ecycle m Beehive Planters & 100% re aterials cycleable

Door Keeperr

Made with recycled bottles &car tyres

Leaff Rak kes

Flex xi-T Tub bs

ble 100% Recycla

www.townandco.com 32 December 2024 / January 2025

www.gardentradenews.co.uk

Sustainability Directory 2025 Woodmansterne As a third-generation family business, Woodmansterne understands the importance of protecting our environment and safeguarding it for the future. It is committed to using sustainable materials and practices wherever possible. www.woodmansterne.com Zest Committed to the environment and ethical sourcing, together with supply partners, Zest is collaborating on a 10,000-acre replanting scheme in Eastern Europe. All products are made from slow-grown softwood from PEFC certified forests. www.zestoutdoorliving.co.uk/ourstory/sustainability-environment/

Tools that stand the test of time Longevity: All Bulldog tools are designed and built to last. This is fundamental to our sustainability strategy, ensuring that our tools last for years, and do not need replacing.

Spare Parts: We stock replacement parts to avoid tools being thrown away, including replacement nuts and bolts, springs, blades, rake tines and wooden and fibreglass handles, allowing our tools to continue to have useful long working lives.

Sustainable Timber: All Bulldog timber is taken from sustainable sources. This assures our use of environmentally appropriate forest management practices and ensures compliance with timber regulations

UK Greetings THE PAPER TEAR STRIP • 100% recyclable

Plastic: The company has completely removed plastics from our packaging, replacing it with paper throughout our supply chain from factory to customer.

• Replaces traditional plastic shrink wrap • Replaces plastic-free, sustainable label solution • Maintains ease of use for consumers • Seamlessly integrates with existing roll wrap designs

www.bulldogtools.co.uk To work with us contact sarah.cottle@rollins.co.uk

www.uk greetings.co.uk

Cultivate a Greener Tomorrow with a Vitavia Greenhouse Vitavia greenhouses are considered sustainable because aluminium is durable, corrosion resistant and recyclable. This gives the greenhouse longevity, reducing the need for frequent replacement and the recyclability lessens the environmental impact by promoting a circular economy. The aluminium frames are also energy efficient, providing a controlled environment for plant growth and less reliance on external resources. Not forgetting the overall lifestyle resources a greenhouse provides, allowing individuals to grow their own produce and become self-sufficient.

For more information please visit; Vitavia.co.uk or email us info@vitavia.co.uk

Terraza Outdoor Kitchen Range The outdoor living experience is at the heart of our design of the award-winning Terraza Outdoor Kitchen Range. On trend for outdoor entertaining, this stunning collection of units which can be purchased as a set or individually, offers a sustainable route to alfresco cooking, all at a very affordable price. Made from PEFC, sustainable slow-grown softwood from responsibly managed forests.

Terraza Outdoor Kitchen Set

Terraza Outdoor Kitchen Set - RRP: £1399.99 Terraza Outdoor Kitchen Double - RRP: £549.99 Terraza Outdoor Kitchen Corner - RRP: £419.99 Terraza Outdoor Kitchen Side Table - RRP: £119.99 (Not shown in image) sales@zestoutdoorliving.co.uk www.zestoutdoorliving.co.uk/Trade

www.gardentradenews.co.uk

December 2024 / January 2025 33

Colour theory

Cacti and succulents are looking good in ceramic pots.

Glam up your greens Green dominates our industry, but it can be a challenging colour to make visually inspirational. Cliff Bashforth, Managing Director of image consultants Colour Me Beautiful, shares his top tips for making an impact with green in houseplant and planterias.

G

reen is everywhere in a garden centre, from the lush foliage of houseplants to outdoor trees, shrubs and perennials.

When it comes to selling and displaying plants, the abundance of green can sometimes be a visual challenge.

But it is also one of the most versatile colours in nature, offering a range of hues, from cool blue greens to warm yellow greens, with subtle shades in between. While this complexity may go unnoticed to the untrained eye, it’s important to understand that not all greens are

34 December 2024 / January 2025

created equal. It’s worth embracing these subtle variations when creating plant groupings that highlight the differences in texture, shape, and tone. By positioning plants with deeper, richer greens next to those with lighter, more vibrant shades, you can create contrast and bring depth to the display.

Contrasting colour breaks One of the simplest ways to break up green foliage is to introduce contrasting colours.

This can be done through strategic placement

of flowering plants or decorative pots in bold shades like terracotta, cobalt blue, or bright yellows. This helps create visual interest and guides the customer's eye through the space.

For example, a bright flowering plant, such as a vibrant orchid or anthurium, draws attention and breaks the sea of green.

If your outdoor spaces feel like endless rows of foliage shrubs, introduce colourful signage, planters, or even seating areas in complementary colours to green. This helps create focal points, drawing customers in

www.gardentradenews.co.uk

Colour theory

Metal and wooden garden sculptures plus a bath bring life to evergreens and flowering shrubs in outside planterias and provide interest and focal points.

Colour theming can brighten up outdoor planterias.

Outdoors, consider mixing grasses with broad-leafed plants, or succulents with more traditional bedding plants. This gives a layered effect that feels intentional and artistic rather than repetitive.

Visual balance isn’t just about colour—height plays a crucial role too. A sea of similar-sized plants will look flat and uninteresting, regardless of how diverse the greens are. By varying the heights of plants—tall ones at the back, shorter ones up front—you can break up the monotony and create a sense of depth.

Colour combos and inviting them to explore deeper into your displays.

Another way to create distinction in blocks of green is by mixing different textures. For houseplants, contrast the waxy, smooth leaves of plants like rubber trees (Ficus elastica) with the feathery fronds of a Boston fern (Nephrolepis exaltata). Texture adds visual interest and gives each plant its own identity, even within a predominantly green palette. The variety in texture, size, and shape makes the arrangement feel dynamic rather than flat.

Certain colours work particularly well with green, enhancing the display rather than clashing with it. Shades of red, purple, and pink often provide a striking contrast to green. This is due to their placement, opposite green on the colour wheel, which naturally creates a visual ‘pop’.

While green can pair beautifully with earthy tones like brown, ochre, and beige, it can clash with certain hues if not carefully considered. For example, pairing a cool, blue-green plant with warm orange tones might look off unless there’s a common thread tying them together.

For indoor foliage displays, consider adding plants with colourful foliage, such as calatheas, some of which have pink and white variegation or the deep purples of tradescantia. Outdoors, red-leafed shrubs or variegated plants like hostas can help punctuate the greenery with bursts of contrasting colour.

Light plays a critical role in how green appears in any space. Consider how natural or artificial lighting affects the display. Spotlighting larger plants can create a dramatic effect, while ambient lighting can highlight the intricacies of smaller, more delicate foliage. Outdoor areas may benefit from string lights or solarpowered lanterns to add warmth and contrast, particularly in shaded areas where greens might otherwise blend together.

Green may dominate your displays, but even the most extensive collection of greenery can come to life. The key is in understanding the subtlety of shades, and adding contrast through colour, texture, and height. Green isn’t just the background—it’s the star of the show when handled with care.

For more information on colour theory and how to use it to boost displays and sales, visit www.colourmebeautiful.co.uk @ColourMeBeautifulImageConsultants @colourmebeautuk

Shots of colour from flowering house plants bring life to foliage counterparts, which in turn provide the perfect backdrop for them to shine.

www.gardentradenews.co.uk

December 2024 / January 2025 35

Sustainability

Peat-free gardening: a guide to sustainable success The gardening world is undergoing a vital shift by moving away from peat-based composts.

Steve Harper, Chief Executive Officer of Southern Trident, tells GTN what information retailers should give to support their customers on the journey to peat-free gardening.

E

mbracing peat-free composts not only supports ecological balance but also aligns with the growing demand for greener gardening practices. This transformation away from peat is critical to protecting fragile ecosystems and addressing environmental concerns.

But for this transition to be successful, education and support for growers, retailers, and gardeners are key. To this aim, a comprehensive effort by industry is being worked on for launch early in 2025 to provide resources and

38 December 2024 / January 2025

information, ensuring everyone in the gardening community feels confident about the change.

Supporting the transition to peatfree gardening To make the move to peat-free composts as seamless as possible, various tools and strategies are being developed to educate and empower gardeners. The key to success lies in a collaborative approach, ensuring growers, retailers, and gardening enthusiasts are equipped with the knowledge and support needed for this change.

• Information services: Resources that provide gardeners with practical advice and answers to common questions. Help can already be found on the RHS website.

• Regular feedback and updates: Engaging directly with gardeners to understand their concerns and evolving the guidance accordingly.

• Communication tools: From press campaigns to detailed guides and Q&A materials, these tools aim to inform and inspire confidence in peat-free gardening practices.

www.gardentradenews.co.uk

Sustainability

Specialist media for particular garden tasks will increasingly be seen.

Information for gardeners at point of sale is key to a successful transition to peat-free gardening.

Choosing the right peat-free compost During the industry’s journey towards peat free, it has become increasingly apparent that multipurpose growing media still has its place, but it is not a solution for everything. The many different raw materials used for creating peat-free compost, mean that a ‘one size fits all’ approach is no longer appropriate for everything, and gardeners need to select the appropriate compost for specific gardening tasks. By using the right compost for the right task, gardeners can achieve optimal results while reducing waste.

• Seed sowing: use seed and cutting compost for the best results.

• Potting and containers: opt for multipurpose or container-specific compost.

• Acid-loving plants: choose ericaceous peatfree compost for plants like rhododendrons and camellias.

• Mulching: materials like coir chips or bark help retain moisture and suppress weeds.

• Soil improvement: homemade compost or farmyard manure are effective and eco-friendly choices as are specifically blended peat-free products labelled as ‘soil improvers’.

Tips for successful peat-free gardening Changing to peat-free composts will require slight adjustments in growing practices which may prove to be more difficult for gardeners familiar with peat-based products to adopt, but the results are well worth it. For those new to gardening it will be an easier journey as they will be learning as they go.

www.gardentradenews.co.uk

• Monitor moisture levels: Peat-free compost may feel dry on the surface but still hold moisture beneath. Check by touch, by weighing pots or using a water meter like the Sustee Aquameter. Although peat-free compost are more prone to surface drying and developing a dry cap, they will more readily re-wet when watered especially if they contain substrates like green compost and coir.

• Feed plants regularly: Peat-free composts may require additional feeding, usually for two reasons. Some wood-based substrates lock-up nitrogen. As the additional microbial activity in peat-free stimulates the drawn down of nitrogen, controlled release fertilisers are sometimes added to compensate. The other reason is over watering by consumers which results in nutrients being flushed out of the growing media. Watch for signs like slow growth or pale leaves and provide a balanced plant food two weeks after potting and continually throughout the growing season.

Choose a feed that is specifically designed for peat-free compost. They will generally have lower levels of potassium which is normally already readily available in peat-free compost.

• Store correctly: Keep compost in a cool, dry place to preserve its quality. Retailers need to ensure they rotate stock and keep it as fresh as possible while consumers are advised to use their growing media within the same season it is purchased.

Building a sustainable future Transitioning to peat-free gardening is not just about changing products; it’s about fostering a long-term commitment to sustainability. By adopting new habits and making informed choices, gardeners contribute to a healthier planet.

This shift also highlights the importance of collaboration within the gardening community.

By sharing knowledge, resources, and enthusiasm, the collective effort can ensure that peat-free gardening becomes the norm.

Together, growers, retailers, and gardeners can pave the way for a more sustainable and environmentally friendly gardening industry— creating a legacy that nurtures both the soil and the soul.

For further information visit: www.responsiblesourcing.org.uk or www.southerntrident.com

December 2024 / January 2025 39

Sustainable certification

Celebrating a sustainable first Thetford Garden Centre brings in the New Year as the first UK garden centre to attain prestigious B Corporation Certification.

I

n Norfolk, the independent familyrun Thetford Garden Centre, which employs a team of 80, has become the first garden centre in the UK to achieve status as a Certified B Corporation (B Corp). This prestigious certification, awarded by B Lab, recognises companies that meet high standards of social and environmental performance, transparency, and accountability across five key areas: governance, workers, customers, community, and the environment.

“We are extremely proud to be the first garden centre in the UK to receive this certification”, says Lucy Nixon, Managing Director. “Gaining B Corp has been a two-year journey.

While it doesn’t mean we are perfect, it demonstrates our commitment to doing good.

“We have implemented practices

40 December 2024 / January 2025

and processes that align with B Lab’s high standards, enabling ethical decision-making. We are now part of a global movement that views business as a force for good and hope to inspire other small and medium-sized family businesses, whether in our region or industry, to pursue this certification. It’s truly the way business should be done.”

Established in 1982, Thetford Garden Centre moved to its current site a decade later. It is currently expanding its food department and creating new offices, staff facilities, customer amenities, and a bakery, with completion expected in March.

“The retail and hospitality industry has faced significant challenges in recent years. Having something like this to celebrate is wonderful for our team,” adds Lucy.

B Corp B Corp is a global community of leaders who are aligned and dedicated to transforming the global economic system to benefit all people, communities, and the planet. This movement aims to build a more resilient and sustainable future through the creation of standards, policies, tools, and programmes that shift the behaviour, culture, and structure of capitalism. The goal is to realise a vision of an inclusive, equitable, and regenerative economy that works for everyone.

B Lab has been certifying B Corporations since 2006 and positively impacts over 150 industries in more than 80 countries, helping them balance profit with purpose.

www.gardentradenews.co.uk

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Planteria

Bring out your begonias Get ready because 2025 is the Year of the Begonia.

Tuberous Nonstop begonias will feature in the Floral Fantasia trials.

Begonia boliviensis showing why they are so good in hanging baskets and containers

Ball Colegrave

B

egonias will be under the spotlight as 2025 becomes the Year of the Begonia.

This versatile plant is established on outside seasonal plant and indoor houseplant benches and new varieties are ensuring it offers even more opportunities for success in the future.

The plant group is vast which is why Fleuroselect has chosen to concentrate on new breeding within interspecific and hybrid begonias. One of its goals is to educate consumers and show there are many more types to grow than the standard bedding types often seen in borders in municipal landscapes.

This will include B. boliviensis from seeds and cuttings which have gained popularity thanks to varieties like ‘Firecracker’. With its prolific bright slender flowers and arching stems, they have become popular for baskets and containers, offering gardeners an impressive architectural, easy to grow and reliable display.

“We will partner again with RHS gardens at Hyde Hall and Wisley,” says Sally van de Horst, Fleuroselect Advisor. “Begonias have a long flowering season so we can look forward to a long summer and early autumn of colour in beds and pots. These certainly have their place in bedding, but many of the new varieties are spectacular in pots and hanging baskets.”

At RHS Garden Wisley you will be able to see a trial of Begonia x benariensis while in Essex, Floral Fantasia at RHS Garden Hyde

42 December 2024 / January 2025

Inset: As for begonias as houseplants, Dibleys Nursery has four new ones from its own breeding. Stellar Storm, with spikey edged foliage and burgundy, red and silver markings, was shortlisted in the RHS Chelsea Plant of the Year competition and is a great addition to every houseplant sales area.

This year is also the Year of the Pea with Fleuroselect sites across the world traillng varieties for home gardeners. It is currently creating a short list of which ones to grow.

Hall will be the place to see a big collection of tuberous begonias, in beds and containers. Michael Smith, from grower WD Smith, says sponsors of Floral Fantasia are currently being asked which other begonias should be grown and shown off next summer to make 2025 a real celebration of begonia. Floral Fantasia is open to all, and garden centre teams are encouraged to visit to gain information and inspiration.

Michael Perry, aka Mr Plant Geek, has his finger on the pulse when it comes future plant trends and knows they have many uses in the garden. “Some types of begonia might have an image problem, but strangely there are other types that are so distinctly different they are not even thought of as begonias! So, do we need to treat them separately, or bring them all together as one big family?

“At the end of the day, begonias are some of the most versatile plants out there, and give the best performance for the consumer, whether they are flowering or not, they are giving guaranteed colour, and of course incredibly useful for shade.”

www.gardentradenews.co.uk

Viewpoint

Let’s keep talking Will Armitage, HTA President

I

t’s been a busy first few months as president of the HTA. I’ve started to get to know the fantastic team at HTA HQ, hosted a panel discussion at the Garden Expo, presented at both the GIMA and Garden Media Guild awards, and filmed my V-log every week, come rain or shine (or even snow!).

I’ve chaired both council and board meetings, and through my BIS consultancy work, visited many HTA members across the country - two highlights would have to be this year’s Poinsettia crop at Pentland Plants just outside Edinburgh and Waterperry Gardens in Oxford.

Impacting business confidence However, as I write this, news is breaking daily about the ongoing challenges our sector faces as we try to understand the scope of the potential impact from the new government’s Budget plans. The rising employer NICs, minimum wages, and other tax changes all place additional financial pressure on businesses in an already difficult year. One that has seen poor weather combined with changes to border controls, leading to uncertainty of timings and hikes in the cost of importing plants. Our sector has already had to deal with highly demanding conditions, and these challenges create uncertainty for our retail members, and we all know that this hugely impacts business confidence.

A visit to Waterperry Gardens was a recent highlight.

The HTA has written to the Chancellor of the Exchequer highlighting the damage our industry is facing and explaining that if the government does not address this soon, many of our members will have some horrendous decisions to make. The HTA’s recent Member Survey evidences this impact, with 66% of members reporting the need to increase prices, and 40% indicating they will postpone or reduce business investment.

Looking at these figures, I want to reassure our members that assistance can be found in new and different forms, but we can only help each other if we communicate. I urge you to

please talk to the team at the HTA, attend our regional events, and use our industry’s fabulous network of consultants and business service providers. There may be more help out there than you think, and you are not facing this alone.

One thing is for sure though - we are a truly resilient and resourceful bunch in horticulture. Difficult times often reveal new opportunities, and although they might not be immediately apparent to us, we still have the same growing number of consumers and their willingness to support us. Whether you’re seeing the regular, familiar faces, or introducing yourself to new customers, I do hope you felt the love from your local communities over Christmas.

And so, on behalf of everyone here at the HTA, I’d like to wish you a prosperous New Year. We look forward to supporting our members and our incredible sector throughout 2025.

Find out more

Fantastic poinsettia crop at Pentland Plants

www.gardentradenews.co.uk

The Horticultural Trades Association is the UK industry’s leading membership organisation and welcomes all sectors of environmental horticulture. To learn more, pleasse visit www.hta.org.uk or to enquire about membership please email: membership@hta.org.uk

December 2024 / January 2025 43

Greenfingers Charity fundraising

Best foot forwards

After a full year of running every day, Kate Ebbens raises over £30,000 for the Greenfingers Charity and thanks the industry for all its moral and financial support.

All done! Kate celebrates her last run on December 31st.

The first of Kate’s 366 runs

M

ost people might look back on the year just gone and reflect on perhaps a handful of achievements.

But for Kate Ebbens, President of GIMA and a distributor for Capi Europe, it’s been rather more eventful.

Kate took her hobby and pushed beyond her comfort zone by challenging herself to run every day in 2024 to raise money for Greenfingers Charity. She succeeded in covering a total of 1040 miles and raising more than £30,000 – that’s £10,000 more than her original goal.

“2024 has undoubtedly been one of the most challenging yet rewarding years of my life,” says Kate. “Running every day was tough, but knowing it was making a real difference for children and families in hospices kept me going.

As Greenfingers Chair Boyd Douglas-Davies

44 December 2024 / January 2025

www.gardentradenews.co.uk

Greenfingers Charity update

recently said, two words that should never go together are ‘children’ and ‘hospice.’ This heartbreaking reality motivated me to push through, even on my hardest days.”

Kate was supported throughout the year by 12 garden centres and 12 industry suppliers. Each month she wore a t-shirt emblazoned with their

logos and also ran at each of the garden retail stores.

“The incredible support I received along the way also played a huge role in keeping me going.

From friends and family to colleagues, industry connections, and everyone in between, I am truly overwhelmed by the encouragement and generosity I experienced. The fundraising total is beyond anything I could have imagined.

“From the bottom of my heart, thank you to everyone who helped make my 2024 challenge an unforgettable journey. I am so grateful for every single contribution and act of kindness.”

“Kate’s unwavering commitment to our cause has been truly extraordinary,” says Linda Petrons, Greenfingers Director of Fundraising &

Communications. “On behalf of everyone here at Greenfingers, and the families we support, I want to express our deepest gratitude to Kate for her incredible efforts.”

There is still time to show your support of Kate’s fundraising efforts. Donations can be made via www.justgiving.com/page/kateebbens-1701443565987

Along the way, Kate also took part in organised running events and collected a healthy stash of medals.

Inspired by Kate – why not take up the 2025 Greenfingers Challenge!

The gauntlet has been thrown down, asking teams or individuals to complete a 650-mile challenge, a distance which symbolically connects Greenfingers HQ in Buckinghamshire to Coombe Abbey in Coventry, the venue for the charity’s 25th Anniversary Floral Ball. Participants can be individuals or as part of a team, logging miles by running, cycling, swimming, or walking, completing the distance over time or in a single weekend or adopting any approach that suits them.

If you are interested, please email Linda: linda@ greenfingerscharity. org.uk

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December 2024 / January 2025 45

Viewpoint

2025: friend or foe?

Vicky Nuttall, Director of GIMA

A

s we draw a line under 2024, there’s no denying it has been a tumultuous year for the garden retail sector. Major shifts are reshaping the landscape, forcing us all to take a hard look at our strategies and expectations. The end of Homebase as we knew it and the significant changes at Dobbies, highlight the ongoing consolidation within the market. Garden centres continue to change hands, and by this time next year, we can expect the sector to look quite different.

Amidst this upheaval, we have also had the unpredictable weather to contend with, shaping a season that we almost feared would never arrive. But arrive it did, with gardening remaining constant in its appeal. Consumers have continued to purchase garden products, albeit it through different channels.

And it is this that represents one of the key shifts in 2024 - the rise of value retailers and the continued growth of dropship sellers.

With consumers tightening their purse strings, these outlets have captured a growing share of the market. For suppliers, this presents a balancing act, as supporting these channels while maintaining relationships with traditional garden retail clients adds complexity to the supply chain.

The economic picture moving into 2025 is equally sobering. The Labour government’s budget, with updates to National Insurance and the living wage, has tightened margins across the board. Coupled with the new Inheritance Tax allowances affecting land and property, these measures will undoubtedly influence the decisions of many family-run garden centres and growers. For an industry built on its family heritage, this shift poses significant challenges.

Best foot forward Yet, it’s not all doom and gloom. As a sector, we’ve always been driven by growth and innovation, and this moment is no different. Consumers still look to us for garden essentials, fresh ideas, and solutions to enhance their outdoor spaces.

46 December 2024 / January 2025

Key dates for your 2025 diary • GIMA In Conversation with Dobbies • Garden Press Event • GIMA Day Conference & AGM • GIMA President’s Dinner co-hosted with MorePeople • GIMA Charity Golf Day • GIMA Awards judging • GIMA Awards Gala Dinner

At GIMA, we’ve seen this appetite for progress firsthand, with several retailers including The Range, B&Q, Robert Dyas, British Garden Centres and Dobbies - keen to open new dialogues with us and our members.

These connections highlight the positivity that

Collaboration, innovation, and resilience will be key as we navigate this ever-changing landscape. underpins our industry, even in challenging times. Watch this space to see how these conversations develop in the coming months.

2025 will also bring opportunities for those ready to embrace change. Technology and AI are set to play a bigger role, offering tools to enhance efficiency and develop innovative

5th February, online webinar 18th February, Business Design Centre, London 25th March, Warwick Conferences 24th April, The George, Stamford 5th June, Belton Woods, Grantham 23rd/24th June, Warwick Racecourse 6th November, Celtic Manor Resort, Newport

products. Government grants are available to support this evolution, and these themes will feature prominently at our GIMA Day Conference on 25th March - an event you won’t want to miss.

As we look ahead, suppliers must remain agile, building efficiencies into their 2025 plans. Collaboration, innovation, and resilience will be key as we navigate this ever-changing landscape.

2024 has reminded us that no year is without its challenges, but we’re no strangers to finding solutions. Gardening’s popularity endures and with it, the potential for our sector to thrive. It’s time to brush ourselves off, focus on the ‘now’ and prepare for the ‘what next’.

Find out more

Any businesses interested in joining GIMA can contact the GIMA team at 01959 564947 or info@gima.org.uk. Full details regarding GIMA’s multiple-member benefits can be found at www.gima.org.uk

www.gardentradenews.co.uk

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