GTN January 2026 - Christmas Awards Finalists & Sustainability Directory - Garden Trade News UK

JANUARY 2026

gardentradenews.co.uk

Sustainability Directory

2026

GTN’s Sustainability Directory 2026

Susta ainabillity ty y Directory 20 026

With a sp pecial focus on sales at Ch hristmas, the GTN place e to find suppliers 2026 Susstainabilit working hard to tyy Directory ryy is the improve their envir ronmental credentia ls.

Advice & information for garden centre professionals

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ws.co.uk January 2026 23

Winners announced in Glee@Spring Fair on Monday 2nd February 1:00pm

Finalists and Christmas Greatness

by Region GARDENING FOR GOOD

Richard Claxton interview

SPRING FAIR PREVIEW Festive exclusives

ADAPT OR DIE

New series from John Stanley

Where garden meets the wider retail world

More Brands, More Categories, More Opportunity.

Explore curated worlds of fashion, accessories, home and gifting.

Get your FREE ticket

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Comment

Phew! What a Christmas!

J udging our Greatest Christmas Awards is always a challenging but uplifting experience, and this year it has been even more challenging and uplifting due to the amazingly high standards of garden centre Christmas retailing we saw and the wonderful teams of garden centre staff we met.

As a result, the judging process has taken twice as long as in previous years with each judge making impassioned plea’s for the teams they saw to be the winners across the 16 judged categories. As this issue goes to press the final decisions and judges’ scorings are coming through ready for the winners to be announced on Monday 2nd February at 1:00pm in the Glee@Spring Fair area of Spring Fair at the NEC.

In this issue...

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18 20 23 26 28 37 38 39

Gardening for Good - Interview with Dr Richard Claxton GTN’s Greatest Christmas Awards – The Finalists and Customer Vote Top 50 Adapt or Die, a new, exclusive series from international experts Spring Fair Preview – Christmas exclusives GTN’s Sustainability Directory for 2026 GIMA’s sustainability champions Spotlight on sustainability from the Harrogate Christmas & Gift Fair Get ready for Garden Re-Leaf Day Planteria HTA Viewpoint

Advertisers in this issue 2 Glee@Spring Fair 7 Smart Garden – Three Kings 17 Otters Brook Collection

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In this issue we list all the finalists in each category and you’ll see that in the Mid-Sized and Large Garden Centre Teams the finalists lists reached record levels, testament to the high quality of Christmas delivered to customers by these teams and just how impressed our judges were.

Of course, the final say has to go to almost 10,000 garden centre customers and on Monday 2nd in Glee@Spring Fair we will also announce the regional winners of the Greatest Christmas Awards customer voting, as well as the overall Greatest UK Garden Centre Christmas Teams of the year.

We do hope you can join us at Glee@Spring Fair.

See you there!

Trevor Pfeiffer

Our Greatest Christmas Awards judges, still smiling after sifting through photos and information from over 130 judges visits

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?

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Director Trevor Pfeiffer

SMALL PRINT: All material © Potting Shed Press Ltd 2026. 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.

January 2026 3

Interview

Gardening for good As the new Chief Executive of the National Gardens Scheme, Dr Richard Claxton says he now has the ‘dream job’. He shares his thoughts on future plans and the positive role garden retail can play in the health and wellbeing of people and the planet.

O

ver Christmas, while many of us were tucking into festive fair with friends and family, Richard Claxton was donating some of his free time to the charity Crisis at Christmas.

He was off ering his experience as a GP offering to some of London’s homeless via the charity’s drop-in centres.

With ethics like that, it’s good to know that Richard is now heading up the National Garden Scheme (NGS) which brings gardening to a wide audience through the opening of private gardens. Many retailers will be familiar with the NGS through its ‘Yellow Book’ which lists gardens open throughout the year, all of which help raise just over £3.8 million for charity. But as well as off ering the book for offering sale at the tills, Richard believes there

is room to build a stronger relationship between the NGS and the garden retail sector for the good of the nation’s health, especially those with an open garden nearby.

Social prescribing Richard took on the role in October last year, ending a 25-year career as a GP caring for communities in and around Tonbridge, in Kent. During that time, his lifetime love of gardening and a clear medical understanding of its positive eff ects on effects physical and mental health led to the creation of a local social prescribing charity, with which Richard is still involved.

Below: Around 20,000 copies of the Yellow Book are printed each year along with 1.6m booklets listing local openings.

“I learnt at an early age that gardening was rewarding and creative – it was a small miracle every time I saw what happened to a radish or carrot seed in the ground. But it wasn’t until I was a junior doctor, that I started to recognise its value for me,” explains Richard. “I'm not a very sporty person and wasn’t in to going to the gym (nor am I still) but it was a way of keeping in shape and de-stressing.”

Dr Richard Claxton, CE of the National Gardens Scheme believes gardening is a solution to many health and wellbeing problems faced today.

4 January 2026

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Interview

Above: As well as funding health care charities, the NGS is a major financial contributor to the Professional Gardeners Trust. It sponsors apprenticeships at the Garden Museum, The National Botanic Garden of Wales and the English Heritage Historic and Botanic Garden Training Programme as seen here at Osborne House on the Isle of Wight.

Richard also believes it was (and still is) a way of connecting with his late grandfather, who first ignited his gardening fire, and all the generations that have gone before.

“A lot of what I have since learnt about society's and people's collective health problems is down to a disconnect with our ancestors and the way they lived their lives. Evolutionarily and through natural selection, we, as a species, developed to be hunter-gatherers, live outdoors, lead active lives and grow and hunt for our own food.

It's only very recently in our history that we've started to buy and sell, and it's only much more recently we've started to sit indoors on our sofas and order the things that we need, including ultra processed food. As GPs we have seen an avalanche of metabolic and cardiovascular issues, a lot of cancers, mental health and cognitive problems, plus immunological and allergy related problems, all of which can be traced to that shift.

“It's no accident that the biggest growth drug in the NHS in 2025 was Mounjaro.

Actually, it's usually the lifestyle that's at fault for the weight gain and if we were to address the lifestyle then we'd see the other impacts of the obesity crisis being addressed as well.”

Richard says that data shows that those who grow their own food are likely to eat 6.7 portions of fruit and veg a day

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compared to just three for those who don’t. “And people who are gardening are burning off 250 to 500 calories an hour as well as helping enhance the biodiversity of your neighbourhood, so all these factors are interlinked in terms of working towards a healthier human being and a healthier society.”

Witnessing these medial trends and evolution in action, combined with his personal connections led to Richard recommending gardening to his patients and ultimately the creation of his charity Gardening4Health. From Richard’s desire to know more about therapy gardens and mapping their whereabouts, Gardening 4 Health resulted in a short lived, but successful in-action programme in Tonbridge with its own allotment and team helping those who had been prescribed gardening as a means to better all-round health.

A lack of funding meant this practical element was unable to continue, but the charity is still offering help through its web-based map and directory. “It’s a support network for those working in therapy gardens with best practice tips and resources and tells people where their nearest one is and how they can volunteer.

For GPs’ it also has social prescribing links,” says Richard.

The charity has links with Trellis, Thrive and the National Academy of Social Prescribers, and organises an annual symposium in partnership with, for example Serge Hill in Hertfordshire, bringing together people working in therapeutic horticulture. It offers a toolkit for those wishing to set up a new therapy garden, combining the do’s and don’ts with the pros and cons and different models.

“It saves you feeling like you are the first person to have ever done it,” says Richard.

Above: The NGS awards Community Garden Grants, for example to The Gateway Community Garden in Reigate, Surrey. Gateway welcomes people with mental wellbeing struggles and physical health problems who often find it easier to engage when they are in a comfortable and relaxing environment and have a positive task such as gardening to focus on.

January 2026 5

Interview

big, actually the core of their offer is pretty much the same across the board. If you're visiting an NGS garden and you walk away with the inspiration to recreate something you have seen there, where are you going to go? You're going to stop off at the nearest garden centre.

“There is ridiculous scope for commercial partnerships, even if it’s just encouraging garden centre customers to sign up for the NGS newsletters and social media alerts which through the garden opening season are a source of up-to-date information,” says Richard. He also says it would be terrifically helpful if garden centres could flag up in their own newsletters, the opening of gardens local to them.

Increasing footfall Above: With an NGS grant, The Fathom Trust in the Brecon Beacons, created an apothecary garden to expand its social and therapeutic gardening activities

Below: Visitors to an open garden in Little Missenden Garden, Buckinghamshire.

He adds that any garden centre can use the website to find their nearest therapy garden, which will welcome help, support and involvement with open arms.

Forging stronger links Along with previously being a trustee for Greenfingers, volunteering at the National Trust’s Sissinghurst Gardens, designing hospice and mobility-friendly gardens and helping to generate clear health and wellbeing messages for the Project Giving Back gardens at the RHS Chelsea Flower Show, Richard has taken on his new role with enthusiasm.

The post of Chief Executive of the NGS, following the retirement of George Plumptre, after 15 years, was not at first an obvious opportunity for Richard. But after considering it is about visiting gardens, supporting garden owners, promoting gardening and health, and raising millions for healthcare beneficiaries, beneficiaries, the link

became clearer. “Many of charities that benefit are familiar to us GPs because they help make up the shortfall in what the NHS isn't providing,” says Richard.

Leaving his GP practice was hard wrench, and Richard is now grappling with a steep learning curve of new challenges such as financing and budgets. But something he sees as low hanging fruit, is the link the NGS should have with garden centres, and vice versa.

“We should look at the core markets for both. The NGS has 3500 gardens that are open, all of whose owners and gardeners will be core customers for their local garden centre. But more than that, the 600,000 people who visit are also interested in gardening. There's a ridiculous synergy which we should be working together to foster and capitalise upon because whilst the garden centre industry is a heterogeneous one with mixed different companies, some very small, some very

Garden visiting is still a hugely popular pastime, but in 2025, the NGS noticed a tiny reduction in the footfall which needs to be addressed. “What I have to do is increase both footfall and the number of gardens that open. In particular, what we're interested in are the smaller gardens that open as groups in villages and towns,” says Richard. “People are rightly so proud and want to share their small, beautiful gardens which they love and care for, but may not be the pinnacle of horticultural expertise. I want to make the openings more accessible which will expand the demographic of our visitors.”

“The new job for me is massive, I feel like the cat that got the cream. Not just being Chief Executive of this charity, but because of the pies that it enables me to stick my fingers into; be that talking GPs about green social prescribing, City University food security unit, or Yeo Valley about permaculture and regenerative gardening.

Although we recognise the industry has a huge role to play, its much broader than just garden visiting or garden centres.

We’re so lucky that as a nation, 87% of us have outdoor green space. Our gardens are a fundamental part of the solution to so many of the problems we face.”

Garden centres who want to find out how they can forge stronger links with their local NGS gardens can email: anna@ngs.org.uk For information about stocking the Yellow Book or county booklets email: hello@ngs.org.uk

6 January 2026

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Sensational offerings for every season!

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GTN’s Greatest Christmas Awards 2025

Heighley Gate BGC

Garden centres ARE the Greatest at Christmas

As this issue goes to press, GTN’s team of judges are nearing the end of their deliberations to find winners of the judged categories in GTN’s Greatest Christmas Awards, and we are now able to announce all of the finalists and bring you more photos of the wonderful teams we met.

G

TN’s team of Greatest Christmas Awards judges visited over 130 garden centres during November and December 2025 seeking out examples of wonderful teamwork and Christmas Greatness across 16 categories. With standards so high across the board, all of the teams listed as finalists can take a pat on the back.

Well done!

The winners of each of the categories will be announced on Monday 2nd February at 1:00pm in the Glee@Spring Fair area of Spring Fair at the NEC. We look forward to seeing you there...

Coolings Lifestyle

Coolings Rushmore Hill

8 January 2026

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GTN’s Greatest Christmas Awards 2025

GTN’s Greatest Christmas Awards 2025 Finalists by category – Judges visit awards – A-Z order Botany Bay Brigg BGC

California Lodge

Conkers

BD Van Hage

Cooks

Baytree

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The Greatest Small Garden Centre Christmas Teams Sponsored by Woodmansterne • Cooks • Munros • Parkers • Pengelly • Poundbury • Snowdonia • The Garden Society The Greatest Mid-Sized Garden Centre Christmas Teams – Sponsored by Kaemingk • Bosworths • Brimsmore • Coolings Lifestyle • Fakenham • Glendoick • Haddenham • Jacksons Boutique • Kirktown • Morris of Usk • Moss & Moor • Newquay • Parkers • Pughs Wenvoe • Silverbirch • Southwood • Sunshine • Trioscape The Greatest Large Garden Centre Christmas Teams – Sponsored by Smart Garden Products – Three Kings • Birkacre • Castle Gardens • Fron Goch • Henry Street • Old Railway Line • Perrywood Sudbury • Poplar Nurseries • Pughs Radyr • Raemoir • St Peters • Stewarts Christchurch

January 2026 9

GTN’s Greatest Christmas Awards 2025

Dobbies Chesterfield

Deans York

• Summerhill • Wentworth • Woodbank The Greatest Giant Garden Centre Christmas Teams Sponsored by Kaemingk • Bents • Garsons Esher • Gates Oakham • Perrywood Tiptree • Simpsons • Webbs The Greatest Group Small Garden Centre Christmas Team • Allbrighton BGC • Burford House BGC • Caulders Cupar • Caulders Linlithgow • Charlecote BGC • Daleside Klondyke • Harrogate BGC • Squires Reigate The Greatest Group Large Garden Centre Christmas Team - Sponsored by Festive • Barton Grange BD • Gloucester BGC • Langlands BGC • Blackdown BD • Brigg BGC • Byrkley Park Klondyke • Derby BD • Garden King • Haskins West End • Morton Hall Klondyke • Longacres • Squires Twickenham • Van Hage BD The Greatest Winter & Christmas Houseplant Team – Sponsored by Melcourt • Gloucester BGC • Hayes BGC • Langlands BGC • Brimsmore • Byrkley Park Klondyke • Daleside Klondyke • Deans of York • Derby BD • Duchy of Cornwall • Fron Goch • Garden King

10 January 2026

Fairways Ashbourne

Fron Goch

Gordale

Fakenham

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GTN’s Greatest Christmas Awards 2025

Hayes BGC

• Gates Oakham • Morton Hall Klondyke • Knights Betchworth • Notcutts Solihull • Poplar Nurseries • Snowdonia • Sunshine • Webbs The Greatest Outdoor Plant and Christmas Tree Team Sponsored by Doff / Pelsis • Barton Grange BD • Bosworths • Botany Bay • Byrkley Park Klondyke • Castle Gardens • Caulders Linlithgow • Coolings Rushmore hill • Deans of York • Fron Goch • Garden King • Millbrook Staplehurst • Munros • Notcutts Solihull • Old Railway Line • Old Well • Pengelly • Perrywood Tiptree • Polmont • Pughs Wenvoe • Ruxley • St Peters • Sunshine

Fron Goch

Holt

The Greatest Gardening as a Christmas Gift Sales Team • Castle Gardens • Fakenham • Gates Oakham • Old Railway Line • Planters Tamworth • Wentworth

Klondyke Byrkley Park

Harrogate BGC

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Jacksons Boutique

The Greatest Christmas Gifts Team – Sponsored by Museums and Galleries • Birkacre • Duchy of Cornwall • Fron Goch • Gates Oakham • Glendoick • Gordale • Haddenham • Holt • Old Railway Line • Raemoir

January 2026 11

GTN’s Greatest Christmas Awards 2025

Longacres

• Notcutts Rivendell • Squires Twickenham • Trentham BD • Wentworth The Greatest Christmas BBQ & Outdoor Leisure Team – The SOLEX Sizzle Sponsored by SOLEX • Blofield Garden Centre @ Norwich Camping & Leisure • Cambridge Home & Garden • Fakenham • Fron Goch • Gordale • Knights Betchworth • Polhill • Trioscape The Greatest Christmas Food & Drink Pop up - Sponsored by Food @ Glee 2026 • Bents • Birkacre • Codsall & Wergs • Gates Oakham • Gates Stapleton • Henry Street • Ruxley

Langlands BGC

Klondyke Polmont

Norwich Camping and Leisure

The Greatest Festive Retail Food Team – Sponsored by Pleydell Smithyman • Barton Grange BD • Bents • Derby BD • Gates Oakham • Longacres • Morris of Usk • Notcutts Solihull • Poplar Nurseries • Pughs Radyr • Raemoir • Ruxley • Stewarts • Wentworth The Greatest Christmas Wild Bird Care & Pet Team • Barton Grange BD • Castle Gardens • Fairways Ashborne • Fakenham • Haddenham • Howden Klondyke • Munros

12 January 2026

Millbrook Staplehurst

Moss & Moor

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GTN’s Greatest Christmas Awards 2025

• Notcutts Solihull • Old Railway Line • Ruxley • St Peters • Webbs

Old Railway Line

Notcutts Solihull

Notcutts Rivendell

The Greatest Garden Centre Grotto Team • Barton Grange BD • Baytree • Hayes BGC • Burford House BGC • Chessington • Coolings Lifestyle • Dobbies Chesterfield • Garden King • Gordale • Gouldings • Keydell • Planters Tamworth • Rosebank • Ruxley • Wentworth The Greatest Garden Centre Christmas Promotion • Allbrighton BGC • Langlands BGC • Botany Bay • Bow Aquatics • Glendoick • Gordale • Henry Street • Morton Hall Klondyke • Monkton Elm • Pughs Radyr • The Garden Society • Trioscape

Perrywood Sudbury

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January 2026 13

GTN’s Greatest Christmas Awards 2025

9,512 customer votes – who are top in each region SCOTLAND & NI

The counting of customer votes for GTN’s Greatest Christmas Awards has been completed and a massive 9,512 votes have been verified across on-line, in-store and in-post votes.

As a result, we can now reveal the Top 50 most voted for Christmas Garden Centre teams in regional splits. They are, in A-Z order...

• Glendoick Garden Centre • Gouldings Valley View • Hillmount Bangor • Hillmount Belfast • Hillmount Carrickfergus • Kirktown Garden Centre • Mains of Drum • Munro’s Nurseries

EAST

SOUTH WEST

• Blofield Garden Centre @ Norwich Camping & Leisure • Fakenham Garden Centre • Perrywood Buckhatch • Perrywood Sudbury • Perrywood Tiptree • Summerhill Garden Centre

• Bow Garden and Aquatic Centre • Chacewater Garden Centre • Monkton Elm • Newquay Garden Centre • Old Well Garden Centre • Trevena Cross Nurseries

MIDLANDS

• Brockworth BGC • Fron Goch • Gloucester BGC • Old Railway Line • Snowdonia Nurseries • Trioscape Garden Centre

• Albrighton BGC • Botany Bay Garden Centre • Byrkley Park Klondyke • Garden King • Newton Regis BGC • Planters Tamworth • Rowena Leicester • Rugby BGC • Trowell Garden Centre • Wolseley Bridge BGC

HOME COUNTIES & SOUTH • Chessington Garden Centre • Conkers Garden Centre • Dobbies Ashford • Haddenham Garden Centre • Henry Street Garden Centre • Keydell Nurseries • Longacres Bagshot • Ransoms Jersey • Wolvercroft Garden Centre

NORTH • Arcadia BGC • Bents • Birkacre • Harrogate BGC • Langlands BGC • Owl Lane Farm Nurseries • Woodbank Garden Centre

14 January 2026

WALES & WEST

Planters Garden King

The winners of the Regional Customer Vote awards, and the overall winners will be announced at GTN’s Greatest Christmas Awards presentation in the Glee @ Spring Fair section of Spring Fair on Monday 2nd February 2026 at 1:00pm, Hall 6 at the NEC Birmingham.

Please make a date in your diary to come and join us at Spring Fair on Monday 2nd February at lunchtime. It will be a true gathering of all who create the Greatest Christmas retailing experiences in the UK. Planters Tamworth

Pughs Wenvoe

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GTN’s Greatest Christmas Awards 2025

Rowena

Perrywood Tiptree

Pughs Radyr

Rutland

Ruxley

Raglan

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Snowdonia

January 2026 15

GTN’s Greatest Christmas Awards 2025

Celebrate Christmas Greatness at Spring Fair GTN’s Greatest Christmas Awards 2025 will be announced and presented at 1:00pm on Monday 2nd February in the Glee @ Spring Fair area of Spring Fair at the NEC. You are all cordially invited to join us along with our generous sponsors to rub shoulders with the purveyors of Christmas Greatness.

St Peters

The Greatest Christmas Sponsors GTN’s Greatest Christmas Awards 2025 are only possible thanks to the sponsorship from Festive, Glee, Kaemingk, Melcourt, Museums & Galleries, Pelsis Doff, Pleydell Smithyman, Smart Garden Products, Solex and Woodmansterne.

Trioscape

Webbs Woodbank

Winnersh BGC

16 January 2026

Wentworth

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Adapt or Die

Flower power…. it’s back

Adapt or Die is a new series by leading industry experts including John Stanley, Sid Raisch and Dries Jansen. Published exclusively in the UK by GTN, it addresses future opportunities, changes and challenges facing independent garden centres around the globe in the next few years.

Eye catching display at the Groovy Plant Ranch in Ohio, USA.

18 January 2026

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Adapt or Die

B

efore we stare into our crystal ball to see what the future holds, we need to take a look back.

The first garden centre in the world, it is believed, was developed by Edward Stewart, a nurseryperson in Dorset, England in 1955. This was followed by Siebenthaler’s Garden Centre in Dayton, Ohio, and Lasscock’s Garden Centre in Adelaide, South Australia.

By the time Scott McKenzie was singing ‘be sure to wear a flower in your hair’ in 1967, garden centres were a part of the marketplace in most developed countries. Horticultural colleges were full of students, and the industry was booming.

Garden centres were the places of innovation as nursery owners developed new ways to display and grow plants, and new product categories related to gardening were introduced. Their customers, whom we now call baby boomers, purchased plants based on flower and colour.

What happened next Independent garden centres had a wonderful decade of innovation that carried on until around the mid-80s and from that period on, three things happened.

One was that hardware retailers eyed up the garden category and decided they could construct product-led garden centres alongside their hardware stores. These departments have proved to be very successful and continue to take market share under the format of ‘box stores’.

Secondly, most independent garden centres have failed to evolve. They often look the same as they did a decade ago - in many countries, the only visual difference is the addition of branding for plants. Now, the consolidation into small chains and emerging private equity-controlled groups will change the cost structures but not the consumer experience.

Thirdly, baby boomers have been replaced by gen Y and gen Z, who are looking for sustainability and plants that attract pollinators, birds, and butterflies, and often produce food.

As a result, many independent garden centres have disappeared from the retail scene.

look completely different to a decade ago, as does McDonald’s and other leading retailers.

Many retailers have become experiential, such as RH gallery stores in the USA and Canada. This luxury home furnishings store was formerly known as Restoration Hardware. These stores are large, gallery-like showrooms that often feature a restaurant, wine bars, and interior design studio.

Another experiential store that comes to mind is Seed to Table. This grocery store is part of the Oakes Farms family of companies, owned by Alfie Oakes. Oakes Farms, which has 3,500 acres of farmland in Immokalee, Florida, grows a variety of fruits and vegetables distributed to their retail stores. This is a unique grocery store as you’ve never seen before, featuring several restaurants, bars, and live entertainment seven nights a week.

Every other category of retail has changed, becoming more experiential. And nearly all other retail segments are now completely omnichannel.

Companies like Walmart and Amazon are leading the way into becoming media companies.

Changing the model means your customers will not get bored with your store. It enables you to keep up with trends in the marketplace, evolve as customer preferences evolve and is often driven by data insights into the industry and your business.

The question for garden centres It is not why we should change or what we should change, it is that as an industry we need to change, as soon as possible, or independent garden centres will die.

This series of articles will look at the future evolution of the independent garden centre. It will look at why we need to change now, and more importantly, what we need to change and why. We also plan to develop the series into a workshop.

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John has been a consultant to the industry since its origins 50 years ago. He is an author of numerous books on garden retailing and operates in 35 countries. John is based in Western Australia, where, along with his wife, Linda, they operate an award-winning sweet chestnut agritourism farm. john@johnstanmley.com.au

Sid Raisch: Sid has worked with garden centres across the USA for many years and is based in California. Sid and John have joined many times to present workshops across the USA. Sid has the capability of challenging your thinking and will bring that insight to the articles. sid@advantagedevelopment.ai

Dries Jansen:

Changing the model In the same period, retailers in other sectors changed their models to reflect the changes to the market.

As a general rule in retailing, you should make minor changes to your retail model every two to three years and a major overhaul every five to seven years.

This is why Marks & Spencer food stores in the UK

John Stanley:

In the Netherlands, Interflower Lokeren Garden Centre makes entering its pet department a sensory experience.

Dries, along with his business partner Fred, are the owners of Garden Center Advice, an international advisory company to garden centres based in the Netherlands. They have advised on garden centres from Iceland to Dubai. info@gardencenteradvice.com

January 2026 19

Spring Fair 2026

Spring Fair 1-4 February 2026 NEC Birmingham www.springfair.com

Festive exclusives at Spring Fair Not just for gifts and homewares, Spring Fair has a refreshing selection of ranges, some of which are exclusive to the show, to add a touch of difference to Christmas.

A

mong the gifts, clothing and toys at Spring Fair from 1-4 February at NEC Birmingham, visitors can find an ever-increasing range for Christmas.

The Christmas, Festive & Floral sector has been strategically repositioned into Hall 6 to create a stronger alignment with Home, Living & Décor, The Summer House Edit, and the returning Glee at Spring Fair sector.

Glee at Spring Fair brings edited selections of garden and outdoor brands back to the show for the first time in six years. Helping to create a more cohesive buying journey, the change allows visitors to explore Christmas décor, floristry, home accessories and garden gifting within one connected destination.

In a bid to meet the challenge of finding the unusual to add a point of difference to Christmas displays, Spring Fair is also highlighting exhibitors which can only be seen at this show.

20 January 2026

Canadian spirit Basic Spirit. Stand: 5G63 All the way from Nova Scotia comes a handcrafted pewter range of hanging decorations. For Christmas 2026, the Santa Canoe ornament captures the spirit of adventure and generosity. Double-sided, it hangs from an elegant red satin ribbon and can be admired from every angle. Also adding a touch of difference, is its graceful hummingbird ornaments. Charities helping to preserve wild spaces benefit from 10% of the profits.

EXCLUSIVE

to Spring Fair

Festive greetings Woodmansterne. Stand: 3M10-N11 For 2026, Woodmansterne is bringing a range of advent calendars from those for much-loved dogs and cats through to beautifully illustrated traditional designs.

Designed to be hung, its 3D advent calendars can also add depth to a room by sitting independently on tables or sideboards.

Its card ranges are boosted with fresh designs, and its charity card pack allows customers to support good causes while sending festive wishes. For those wanting a touch of decadence, the luxury boxed Christmas cards feature beautifully finished designs presented in elegant box formats.

Packaging will also be on show with the Graffiti Christmas gift packaging range adding a fresh, contemporary feel to festive gifting, featuring roll wrap, gift bags, tissue paper and gift tags.

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Spring Fair 2026 EXCLUSIVE

Hand painted designs to Spring Fair

By Jo Crafts. Stand: 4C44 Colour and vibrancy are at the heart of designs By Jo Crafts, bringing artwork into the home. All designs are hand painted by Jo and then printed onto the ceramics with an unusual, embossed texture and gold embellishment. Hanging ornaments for Christmas measure 7cm diameter and feature a different design on each side, finished with a gold string.

Elegance and style March Muses. Stand: 8A33 Featuring black angels and black Santa baubles, which are Individually handmade with close attention to skin tone, hair design, body shape and size, comes a range from March Muses. Decorations EXCLUSIVE to Spring Fair of colour embody diversity, elegance and ensure everyone feels included in the Christmas magic.

Winter wonderlands Fay’s Studio. Stand: 3P43 As an alternative to Christmas, Fay’s Studio brings a range of wildlife and nature inspired winter art cards and prints. Made from recycled and compostable paper and hand-finished with biodegradable glitter.

Fantastic felt Black Yak Ltd. Stand: 3C31 The trend for decorations made from felt continues and Black Yak’s Hatty Penguin and Highland Cow bring fresh designs to the range. Hand made from pure wool, Black Yak ranges of jumpers, socks and gloves, support families in disadvantaged countries and a percentage of all sales additionally going to producers in Nepal.

Forever floral Scottish Everlastings Ltd (SEL) Stand:D64 For the first time, Scottish Everlasting will be exhibiting at Spring Fair with a thoughtfully created autumn, winter and Christmas offer. Inspired by the changing landscape and rooted in an appreciation for seasonal living, the latest collections of artificial floral and home accessories sit comfortably within everyday interiors and festive settings.

Sustainable wrapping A Blackbird Sang Stand: 4E74 A perfect alternative to plastic tape, A Blackbird Sang now has a range of eight Kraft paper tapes. This includes two new designs for Christmas.

African artisan Ankole. Stand: 8A49 Hand-cut from Ankole cow horn, these hanging symbols of Christmas, intricately shaped and adorned with a touch of gold thread, bring an individual and eco-friendly charm to holiday decor.

Made by families in Uganda out of horn that would otherwise be burnt, each ornament is a testament to sustainability, craftsmanship, and the spirit of the season.

Words from a wise fox Joe Davies. Stand:4C10-D11 Having its launch at Spring Fair is a licensed gift collection inspired by the creative talents of Stacey McNeill. Fox Under the Moon, brings Stacey’s iconic characters and uplifting messages into giftable product ranges. Spanning multiple categories the jewellery, stationery, ceramics and jigsaws aim to be giftable and collectible.

www.gardentradenews.co.uk

January 2026 21

%$#+*"-$$ ,/.!$ )&'( Award-winning performance for the great indoors

Introducing SylvaGrow® Houseplant 5L Endorsed by the RHS and winner in the New Product Category at GLEE 2025, this premium peat-free compost has been specifically developed to give indoor plants the nutrients they need for healthy growth in the first 4–6 weeks before routine feeding.

Available January 2026

Also available Desert Plant 5L A coarse, free-draining mix ideal for cacti and succulents that prefer drier conditions.

Please call or email us to place your order today T: 01666 502711 E: mail@melcourt.co.uk

Grow with confidence

Orchid 5L A graded pine bark mix offering excellent aeration, drainage and long-term structural stability for Phalaenopsis, Dendrobium, Cattleya and more.

Trusted by professional growers and keen gardeners across the UK, our SylvaGrow® range is now widely recognised as the best peat-free compost you can buy.

To view our full product range please visit – www.melcourt.co.uk © 2026 Melcourt Industries Ltd. ® The Royal Horticultural Society. Trade marks of The Royal Horticultural Society (Registered Charity No 222879/SC038262) used under licence from RHS Enterprises Limited.

Sustainability Directory 2026

Susta a inabill ity ty y Directory 20 026 With a sp pecial focus on sales at Ch hristmas, the GTN 2026 Susstainability tyy Directory ryy is the place e to find suppliers working hard to improve their envirronmental credentials. www.gardentradenews.co.uk

January 2026 23

Sustainability is at the heart of all the decisions we make at Woodmansterne.

As a family business, we understand the importance of protecting our environment for future generations to enjoy.

We continually inspire new ways to improve our sustainability efforts by working with leading suppliers, whilst researching and investing in new skills and technologies. We’re committed to improving processes sustainably, while preserving the quality our retailers love.

•

100% plastic-free and recyclable cards and gift packaging

•

Greeting cards designed and printed by us in the UK

•

Vegetable inks used on paper from only FSC® certified sustainable forests

•

Envelopes made from 100% post-consumer waste recycled paper

•

Distributed by us 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

A seamless end-to-end managed service for your greeting card and gift packaging displays, already enjoyed by many of the very best retailers across the country.

From planning to presentation, you can expect: •

Tailored planning and bespoke assortments created for your store

•

Access to multiple publishers. Woodmansterne ranges plus trusted partners

•

Expert merchandising with professionally designed and regularly updated displays

•

Cost & environmental benefits realised by efficient stock management and replenishment

Contact us to find out how we can help your business flourish

01923 200600 sales@woodmansterne.co.uk

Sustainable products

Setting sustainability standards At the 2025 GIMA Awards, companies and their products were championed for their commitment to sustainability.

GTN brings them all together to help you make easier buying choices.

Long lasting and strong

Get into composting

Growing media booster

Retailing at around £69.00, the Elho Green Basics Composter with a capacity of 200L, is aimed at getting more people into home composting. With its rounded shape, soft green colour and easy to open lid and hatch, it looks perfectly at home near a house, on the patio or a garden in any rural or urban setting.

Adhering to Elho’s exacting sustainability credentials, the composter is made from 100% recycled materials and is 100% recyclable at the end of its life. Elho has an arrangement with Dobbies stores to host bins for collecting customer plastic pots and trays and has B Corp status, with products made in the Netherlands using wind and solar energy. Not only does the composter have great sustainable credentials, it helps the environment further by encouraging the recycling of brown and green waste turning it into something useful for plants and the garden, and reducing the waste sent to municipal recycling depots.

Enriched with rootgrow™ mycorrhizal fungi and benefi cial beneficial Empathy Bioactive bacteria, Compost Improver by PlantWorks Ltd is easy to add to any peatfree growing media to encourage plants with stronger roots, vibrant growth, and more flowers flowers and fruit.

A perfect linked sale, it is backed by three years of trials data in peat-free growing media. Containing PAS100tested green waste, plant-derived amino acids, and beneficial microbes it is sold in recyclable, weatherresistant packaging. By supporting microbial life, the product enhances long-term soil health and structure key to regenerative and sustainable growing practices. It also reduces reliance on synthetic inputs, aligning with eco-concious gardening and can be mixed directly into bags of growing media or incorporated directly on to raised beds.

26 January 2026

Stronger, tougher and more durable than high-carbon steel, Burgon & Ball’s BoronGreen RHS-endorsed gardening tools each come with a 25-year guarantee.

Long used in the automotive and agricultural sectors, the boron steel used in BoronGreen tools delivers a range with performance above and beyond that of a like-for-like carbon steel tools. Steel made from 80% recycled materials, is partnered with wood handles from sustainably managed FSC®certified resources. Packaging is certified minimal and card used is recycled.

From bottles to cushions The waterproof fabric used for the Woodlodge Eco Cushions is made from recycled water bottles with the label of each clearly specifying the number of 500ml plastic bottles used for each one.

www.gardentradenews.co.uk

Sustainable products

Growing for nature Johnsons Lawn Seed Nature’s Lawn enhances lawn ecology and supports biodiversity by combining UK native perennial wildfl ower wildflower seeds with lawn grasses to attract and sustain pollinators like butterfl ies and butterflies bumblebees. Resulting lawns are low maintenance, drought and shade tolerant and require no feeding or herbicides.

Slow growing grasses reduce the need for mowing and once established, lawns provide a rich habitat for pollinators, attracting them for up to six months each year. Johnsons produces its own native wildflower seed without pesticides using GPS-guided sowing and hoeing to virtually eliminate herbicides.

and long-lasting value. Offering superior durability (leading to fewer replacements) for high-traffic areas, each mat has been made from recycled materials, offering a solution for consumers who want to maintain a functional home while supporting sustainability. Designs include barrier matting, rubber scrapers and colourful machine washable mats and runners to give consumers the perfect blend of sustainability, practicality, and style – all at a competitive price point,

Garden beauties Year-round interest in the garden comes from L V Bespoke with its Glass & Steel Garden Feature Stakes Collection. Made in the UK, they offer retailers another sales opportunity be organising photographic competitions of pictures taken through glass orb. Made from UK steel components and hand finished in Norfolk reduces air miles.

Liberty brings colour and style Being water wise

Shed solution

SealStop by SealStop is an automatic water shut-off device to prevent overflow and subsequent water waste when filling up buckets, containers, or troughs. The entire concept is built around only using the water you need, reducing waste, and promoting responsible water use. SealStop is manufactured entirely in the UK, supporting local businesses and reducing the carbon footprint associated with overseas production and transport.

Every aspect of the business has been carefully considered to minimise environmental impact, from the recyclable valve to the fully recyclable packaging and local production.

Premium and lightweight, the Liberty pots from Woodlodge Products have a high-end glazed ceramic effect and are perfect for indoor and outdoor use. Made from 100% recycled materials and fully recyclable after use, pots are also transported in ecoconscious PET wrap packaging. Available in 10 stylish colours and three versatile sizes, they offer customers choice, aesthetic appeal and affordability.

More than just a storage solution, the Keter Potting Shed can also be a dedicated workspace and vibrant creative hub for any hobby. Its hybrid roof design features a translucent section to bring in natural sunlight, and an opaque section to protect plants and tools from unpredictable weather. Five user-friendly windows open for ventilation while two fixed corner windows, help make for a bright and airy environment. All components are resin and 100% recyclable.

Making a bee line towards sustainability Primeur’s Mighty Mats Eco Doormat Collection is a stylish, sustainable range designed to deliver high performance

www.gardentradenews.co.uk

January 2026 27

Sustainability

Towards a sustainable Christmas Before Christmas has been packed away, the Harrogate Christmas & Gift Fair lures buyers into a vision of Christmas future. While exploring the event, GTN found some great products to boost sustainability within a department where glitter and sparkles will always dominate.

I

t could be that garden retailers are miles ahead in their thinking, but from what we hear the majority of garden centre customers haven’t fully embraced sustainability when it comes to Christmas.

Glitter, sparkle and price continue to be the strongest drivers, but that isn’t stopping suppliers from coming up with interesting and ingenious new sustainable products and options.

At January’s Harrogate Christmas & Gift Fair some suppliers, like The Handmade Christmas Company are hoping to break

28 January 2026

into the gardening retail market with bespoke products, containing a range of tailored gifts, highly attractive to the garden centres demographic.

Louis Porter is the company’s CoFounder and says it currently offers 23 cracker designs with nine content options from retro sweets to candles, tea and coffee, seed balls, cocktails and games.

“They all have different price points so the retailer can build their own ranges by choosing their designs and contents, and there is about a 50% margin,” says Louis.

Additionally, crackers can be branded and have own company products inside to make them even more bespoke. And on top of this all the crackers are handmade in London so reducing transport miles and are free of plastics.

“We’re really proud of the range and the fact they offer a new take on traditional Christmas crackers,” says Louis. “As well as making crackers for families, we make them for Christmas parties, dinners and any kind of customer incentive.” RRP’s start around £35 with the majority in the £40-45 bracket.

www.gardentradenews.co.uk

Sustainability

For three decades, Ascalon has been supplying a range of mice decorations, introducing new characters each year allowing retailers and their customers to grow their collections.

Made from recycled wool felt with FSC certified wood, the range has a good sustainable story. “We do tend to tell everyone about the sustainability so garden centres can see that it’s a more premium product and let their customers know,” says the company’s Chloe Apperley.

For hanging decorations, Chloe says the mouse on the branch has been a favourite at this year’s show, while for the freestanding option, it is the mouse on skis. The nativity themed mice are also in the top of the list. With so many characters, Ascalon says some garden centres are now able to create displays with a festive, winter story.

Mother of Pearl Handmade, based in Manchester, has taken the Christmas market by storm with its sumptuous handmade velvet chains. The founder’s Emma Howard, says they are everlasting take on paper chains, in a variety of colours, so can be used for any occasion. “It’s a completely new category,” she says. “I was making them myself directly for the customer but quickly had to look at manufacturing in Manchester as I was selling thousands.” To keep pace with the demand from the retail market, Emma has now had to outsource some manufacture overseas. However a new idea is currently being worked on, and this will be UK made. The idea is to create diy pack with precut ribbon and everything needed for customers to put the chains (and bows) together themselves.

A perfect workshop idea for garden centres to offer alongside wreath making perhaps?

www.gardentradenews.co.uk

When summer hanging baskets have been taken down, origami stars from Three Kings, with internal firefly lights can take their place. Battery operated, they are a great way to add warm light to outdoor undercover spaces – and the cardboard stars in cardboard packaging also keep levels of plastic packaging low. In the last 18 months, Smart and Three Kings have been working hard to push for cardboard packaging saving around 46 tonnes of single use plastics. New for 2026, the company is also offering a range of lit decorative houses and lamp posts made from FSC certified wood.

Kaemingk is continuing to roll out its plastic free packaging and ranges of shatterproof and therefore, longer lasting baubles. By moving to cardboard, it has saved tons of plastic from entering the industry, efforts that were recognised by a Silver Pentaward for the design of its packaging for Decoris shatterproof baubles.

Sander Teunissen, Senior Account Manager, UK, says cardboard is now used for the majority of ranges including glass baubles too. “The response from our customers has been amazing because the product also has a more

sophisticated look and feel on the shop floor.”

As well as looking at packaging for its decorations, Kaemingk has been working to increase the longevity and credentials for other ranges. It’s Greenwood Pine artificial tree in the Everlands range, now comes with a 12-year guarantee ensuring quality for many Christmases to come.

On top of that, it is made from 100% recycled PVC and recycled PE. “Demand is now picking up and prices are more appealing which makes it easier for us to make the product more commercial,” says Sander.

January 2026 29

Sustainability Directory 2026

SUSTAINABILITY DIRECTORY FOR 2026 GTN’s 2026 Sustainability Directory provides an easy way to find suppliers committed to improving their green credentials in the workplace and producing eco-sensitive products.

AutoPot Watering Systems AutoPot Watering Systems allow growers of all abilities to grow any plant, anywhere, power-free, with zero waste, and no mains water required. These economical, sustainable, environmentally-friendly innovations are RHS endorsed and produced in the U.K. from 100% recycled plastics. www.autopot.co.uk 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

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 Evergreen Garden Care prioritises environmental protection by its transition of Miracle-Gro and Levington ranges to be 100% peat-free. They have invested over £7 million, providing sustainable alternatives that preserve peatlands. www.lovethegarden.com

Khloris Watering Systems

Durstons Advanced

Khloris is the first automatic, power-free, fully-responsive plant watering system to be designed for living rooms, balconies, and conservatories. Available in three colours, it combines a tasteful, sculpted, interior-friendly aesthetic with highly effective, easy-to-use irrigation technology.

Durstons Advanced is a high-performance, future-ready peat-free compost range independently proven to deliver vigorous growth and abundant blooms. It includes Multi-Purpose Compost, Organic Peat-Free Multipurpose, Grow-in-the-Bag and other speciality mixes, all enriched with Gro Boost and Gro Fibre for superior water retention and nutrients. Ideal for modern gardeners seeking sustainable, top-performing growing media.

This RHS Endorsed irrigation solution requires no electricity or mains water and creates zero waste.

Because the system is controlled entirely by uptake, every drop of water and fertiliser goes to the plants making it a truly economical and ecologically sustainable innovation.

Duston Garden Products RRP: POA www.durstongardenproducts.co.uk

Khloris by AutoPot Watering Systems RRP: £89.95 www.autopot.co.uk mail@autopot.co.uk

The beige colour is new in the Made in Holland collection. Adding a natural colour to the assortment. A basic colour that fits into any environment but still gives your home or garden a fresh look.

The pots are made in Holland and come with a lifetime warranty.

Available in different textures, models and sizes.

From £ 47,99

Made in Holland.

Beige colour

30 January 2026

Capi Europe BV (Via Treadstone) www.capi-europe.com Tel: +44 (0)1978 664667 Email: sales@treadstoneproducts.com

NEW COLOUR

Miracle-Gro® Compost – All Purpose Our premium, nutrient-rich compost is proven to grow healthier plants - at least twice as big as those grown in ordinary compost. Miracle-Gro® compost enables strong root development with improved water and nutrient absorption, resulting in bigger plants, more flowers and fruits and greener, healthier leaves – guaranteed, giving gardeners confidence to grow all around the garden Evergreen Garden Care RRP £7.99 (40L) www.lovethegarden.com evergreen@vccproar.com

www.gardentradenews.co.uk

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.com 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 Goodlifegateway Liquid Organic Plant food, made sustainably from plants for plants, with 100% recyclable packaging and zero waste in production, storing and shipping. The BEST Organic Plant Food on the market. www.goodlifegateway.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

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 LAVA-LITE® provides retailers with sustainably focused horticulture and pest control products, combining responsible sourcing, reduced environmental impact and reliable performance to meet growing consumer demand for greener, compliant retail solutions. www.lava-lite.co.uk 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 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 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

elho

LAVA-LITE NO-GNATS

elho, the market leader in sustainable plant pots, has expanded its indoor range with three new collections. Facet is a design-led round pot, available in multiple sizes and sophisticated colourways. The gradient collection features soft, earthy tones with a ceramic-look finish. Vibes returns with its signature ribbed texture, refreshed in contemporary colours - linen white, fern green and anthracite to meet evolving consumer tastes.

LAVA-LITE NO GNATS is a sustainable natural mineral soil topper that prevents fungus gnats and promotes healthy plant growth. Available in 1 litre and 3 litre pouches, it is reusable, mess free, and shelf ready. Perfect for houseplants and greenhouses, it offers retailers high margin potential, encourages repeat purchases, and appeals to eco conscious customers seeking effective plant care solutions.

elho RRP: Facet from £6.29, Gradient £12.49, Vibes from £6.49 Website: www.elho.com/en Email address: david.nicholson@elho.nl

RRP 1Litre £9.99 RRP 3 Litre £15.49 www.lava-lite.co.uk enquiries@lava-lite.co.uk

AceLawn

Peat-Free Multi-Purpose Compost (50L)

Ace Lawn from Johnsons Lawn Seed is a lowmaintenance lawn mix designed to work with nature. Combining perennial ryegrass, red fescue and Microclover®, it requires no fertiliser, needs less mowing and stays green naturally. Droughttolerant and hard-wearing, Ace Lawn also supports biodiversity by providing valuable forage for pollinators when allowed to flower.

RocketGro’s Peat-Free Multi-Purpose Composst is a bio-active, nutrient-rich blend designed fo or versatile garden use, and provides at least 12 weeks of feed thanks to the inclusion of Orga anic Fertiliser Superfood. Suitable for pots, beds, borders, containers, and planting out fruit tre ees, it enhances plant health and yields. This compost is peat-free, chemical-free, and animal productners. free, offering a sustainable choice for garden

Johnsons Lawn Seed RRP: £10.99 (to cover 20sqm) www.johnsonslawnseed.com

32 January 2026

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

www.gardentradenews.co.uk

GARDEN CENTRES

ARE YOU READY?

New National TV and Digital Campaign in 2026 Featuring All Purpose Plant Food & Compost +8 week campaign, across all major channels Campaign launches in March

GROW WITH CONFIDENCE

Miracle-Gro® is a trademark of OMS Investments, Inc. and is used under license from OMS Investments, Inc. Miracle-Gro® Plant Food Liquid - All Purpose endorsed as a Which? Best Buy. Miracle-Gro® Plant Food Granules - All Purpose endorsed as a Which? Best Buy.

Sustainability Directory 2026 Sipcam Trusted by gardeners, loved by plants, and backed by science, ecofective® doesn’t do poisons or pointless plastic. Every product is packed with care, powered by nature, and proven to make your garden bloom. www.sipcamuk.co.uk Treadstone The award winning ClipGlove range now features up to 40% recycled content per pair. For an even stronger eco message, why not try our Bottle Glove range, with liners made from 95% recycled plastic bottles. www.treadstoneproducts.com 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 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

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 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 10,000acre replanting scheme in Eastern Europe. All products are made from slow-grown softwood from PEFC certified forests. www.zestoutdoorliving.co.uk/our-story/sustainabilityenvironment/

RocketGro Composts The RocketGro story is the biggest eco story at scale to come out of the UK compost producing industry since modern production of compost began.

• Peat-Free & Coir-Free • Soil Association Approved Organic • 100% Sustainable • 100% British • Endorsed by River Cottage • Powered by Digestate fibre and an added Organic Fertiliser Superfood 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 34 January 2026

www.gardentradenews.co.uk

Leading the way

ecofective® Nourish & Bloom Nourish & Bloom is fast, simple, and effective with pure plant power in every drop.

This fast-acting liquid formula is perfect for busy gardeners who want visible results without fuss. Healthy plants start with healthy soil, but even the best soil needs support. SoilActivator is the magic blend in Nourish & Bloom Granular Plant Food containing seven strains of beneficial bacteria that create richer soil, stronger plants, and more blooms.

Nourish & Bloom All Purpose Granular Plant Food – 1.2 Ltr (RRP £8.99) Nourish & Bloom All Purpose Liquid Plant Foor Concentrate – 350g (RRP £6.99) & 800g (RRP £9.99) www.ecofective.uk.com enquiries@sipcamhg.co.uk

ClipGlove - Now with Recycled Content!

The Gardens Group are once again leading the way in providing customers with Sustainable Christmas decoration and gift offers. Watch out for the Greatest Christmas Awards photo tours of Castle Gardens, Brimsmore and Poundbury which will be published on GTN Xtra over the coming weeks. Sign up for the GTN Xtra newsletter at www.gardentradenews.co.uk

Always Stylish, Always Practical, Always Dependable. The award winning ClipGlove range now features up to 40% recycled content per pair, and with 4 Gardeners’ World Best Buys in our range you can be confident our gloves are the very best for your customers. For an even stronger eco message, why not try our Bottle Glove range, with liners made from 95% recycled plastic bottles.

ClipGlove - Always a pair, never apart!

Treadstone Products www.treadstoneproducts.com sales@treadstoneproducts.com

LAVA-LITE®

Provides retailers with sustainably focused horticulture and pest control products, combining responsible sourcing, reduced environmental impact and reliable performance to meet growing consumer demand for greener, compliant retail solutions.

www.lava-lite.co.uk www.gardentradenews.co.uk

January 2026 35

Garden Re-Leaf 2026

Feel-good fundraiser

Get ready to join other retailers across the UK for Garden Re-Leaf Day, a time for fun and fundraising for Greenfingers.

G

arden Re-Leaf Day is now an integral date in the garden retail calendar – when the season truly begins and the industry comes together for a shared purpose. To date, the event has raised more than £1 million for the Greenfingers Charity, and in just a few months - Friday 20th March 2026 - supporters from across the UK will again unite for days of activity, colour and community, and raise vital funds.

Through sponsored walks, cake sales, quizzes and raffles, Garden Re-Leaf Day brings together suppliers, garden centres, teams and individuals, all passionate about making a difference.

Best foot forward Back by popular demand, the muchloved sponsored walks invite hundreds of fundraisers to take on the challenge across two inspiring routes. The long-established South Walk, starts and finishes at Tring Garden Centre in Hertfordshire, while the North Walk has its beginning and ending at The Pickled Pheasant in the Holme Valley.

Both routes take in spectacular countryside and, in the north, the beautiful landscape surrounding the Peak District National Park.

Store or individual support Garden centres play a starring role, with Blue Diamond and British Garden Centres pledging their support through a range of activities to keep customers engaged over the Garden Re-Leaf weekend. From

www.gardentradenews.co.uk

Garden Re-Leaf Day 2026: the industry’s feel-good fundraiser returns on Friday 20th March

plant sales and quizzes to curry nights and creative fundraising events, it looks like many more garden centres will join in this year as plans continue to take shape.

But Garden Re-Leaf Day isn’t just for those hosting in-store events. Whether you’re celebrating on your own, with colleagues or as part of a wider team, there are endless ways to get involved. Pull on your boldest floral shirt for a fabulous day of flowers in the office, host a bake sale, organise a car wash, dance party or face-painting session, or organise your own challenge. Whatever you choose, the message is simple: have fun, get involved and fundraise your way.

The money raised during Garden ReLeaf Day has helped create more than 70 therapeutic gardens in children’s hospices across the UK. In 2025 alone, five new gardens opened their gates, a fitting way to mark the charity’s 25th anniversary and a powerful reminder of what the industry can achieve together.

To join in and pledge support for Garden Re-Leaf Day 2026 visit:

www.greenfingerscharity.org.uk

January 2026 37

Planteria

Gold medal standards Kicking off a new year with award winning plants and exciting collections.

Dahlia mania continues

Helianthus annuus Always Sunny Gold offers something for everyone. For growers, plants are compact during production and in retail, but when in the garden they reward consumers with robust and bold displays with a big splash of colour right until the end of the summer. Flowers are pollen-free and rich in nectar which is a plus for insects but also for consumers as the flowers lend themselves to being used in cut arrangements.

E

ach year Fleuroselect, which coordinates promotion, trialling of new ornamentals and advancement of the industry on an international basis, unveils Gold Medal winners deemed to represent breakthroughs in breeding. This year’s newbies were grown last year and evaluated for innovation, beauty and garden performance in 10 European countries to ensure they are suited to a range of climates and growing conditions. This means UK garden centres choosing to stock plants with a Fleuroselect Gold Medal have a high level of confidence they will be healthy and produce vibrant displays in most gardens.

This year’s five Gold Medal winners are: • Helianthus annuus Always Sunny Gold (PanAmerican Seed) • Heuchera sanguinea Heucherette Pink (PanAmerican Seed) • Sutera cordata Bacopa Galactic Mist (PanAmerican Seed) • Verbena bonariensis ‘Flair’ (Benary) • Zinnia Profusion Double White Improved. (Sakata)

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Long grown for their foliage attributes, heuchera have become a garden staple. Heuchera sanguinea Heucherette Pink doubles market appeal with first class foliage coupled with exceptionally strong, and bold flowers on sturdy stems. Blooms appear early in the season and plants perform in containers or mixed borders.

It looks as though dahlias will continue to be big sellers this year following the unveiling of curated collections from two online plant suppliers Crocus and Sarah Raven. Both have tapped into the artistic talents of leading names in other creative sectors and take the guess work out of choosing varieties. Each collection combines colour and growing habits which work well in the garden and as cut flowers.

Crocus is promoting Friends of Crocus described as its ‘most extensive and thoughtfully curated range’. Garden designer Lucy Wilcox has devised three collections, while designer Leah Lane and floral artist Bex Partridge bring two mixes each. Crocus Head Gardener Ashely Edwards has chosen two collections specifically for urban and smaller gardens.

Sarah Raven has devised The Dahlia Collective of five collections. Lucinda Chambers, former Fashion Designer of Vogue; Johnnie Boden, of the clothing brand Boden, and Patrick Grant bring their eye for colour from the world of fashion, while Tricia Guild brings talents from luxury lifestyle and home. From the world of landscaping comes a collection

by Butter Wakefield.

Ashley’s balcony collection with single blooms on short stems suited to smaller spaces.

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Viewpoint

Take time to picture your future Will Armitage, HTA President

Will met with members of the HTA Business Improvements Scheme this month at Gloagburn Farm Shop on Perth.

T

he start of a New Year is a time to look forward and an opportunity to review the past 12 months. There are many memorable highlights, and of course, some things we could have done differently.

Without dwelling too much, it’s a time to think about how to tackle the year ahead.

So, what do I have in mind and what will shape my approach to 2026? The last year flew by, and the brilliantly favourable weather at the start of the year gave the industry the head start it needed. Alas, we cannot control the weather, and drought followed, hitting almost every corner of the UK and severely limiting the gardening our customers were able to do.

With the spring season brought to an abrupt and early close, we were left with a noticeable gap before autumn planting and a more confident Christmas for retail, providing a much-sought-after end-ofyear boost. Could we have done anything differently? It is a question we should always ask ourselves.

It was a mixed year for all and for many, there were some good parts. Most retailers I meet feel stronger than a year ago; however, we must always remember that our growers, as our vital plant suppliers, also had a prolonged dry summer and the

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accompanying sales gap. For the year ahead, I cannot stress enough how important it is to work with those suppliers. A conversation now about what you are planning for this year can make a real difference, especially as forward ordering or reserving stock happens less and less.

Visualise to make it happen A few years ago, I was lucky enough to listen to the wise words of the professional speaker, Marcus Child. Marcus told me that his family, or ‘the laboratory’ as he calls it, would spend New Year’s Eve cutting out pictures from

A conversation now about what you are planning for this year can make a real difference… magazines and newspapers to represent what each of them expected to see in the coming year. These pictures would then be pasted on a board, framed and put up in the home for the family to see every day. What this would do is highlight the importance of visualising or creating a picture of what could happen.

Perhaps we do not ask of others or ourselves what the vision is?

It can be incredible how, once you manifest an idea and communicate it well, it will happen. With this in mind, I was wondering if you will spend time with your teams over the next few quieter weeks, painting the picture of what you want your business or department to achieve over the next year? In a world where we are often going from meeting to meeting, challenge to challenge, taking the time to stop, reflect, and prepare as teams, as families, and as businesses working together will surely put us in a better position to tackle the year ahead together, whatever the weather.

From gardener to garden centre to grower, let’s set out our vision for 2026.

Whilst the detail will differ, I hope the common thread is that it is a prosperous, healthy and, of course, happy year ahead.

Find out more

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

To learn more, please visit www.hta.org.uk or to enquire about membership please email: membership@hta.org.uk

January 2026 39

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