Bringonthe sunshine!

It’safunny old spring so far things aregrowing,that’sfor sure, but so far there’snot been enough prolonged sunshine to really get things going,sales wise.

As agarden centre owner told me yesterday; “people arebuying baskets of plants now, but if the sun was shining,they would be buying trollies full instead so theycould spend awhole day planting.” Thesame goes for furnitureand BBQ’s, bring on some warm sunny days and sales will starttoflow.

If youare feelingdownabout the season so far,rememberback to 2018 when the “Beast from the East” held gardening sales back until May.Itdoesn’tfeelasthough we will see a repeat of that as the long-range Met Office forecast talks of changeable weather with drier and brighter interludes possible as well during April. Temperatures areforecast to be close to average,which should mean good gardening activity weather.

Thesun did shine on Garden Re-LeafDay, Friday 24th March, with events taking placein over100 garden centresaswellasthe annual Garden Re-LeafDay sponsored walks and cycle rides. GTN’sAlan Burdon wasone of 100 walkers starting out at Tringwheretherewere 6mile and 20 mile routes plus a100 mile cycle challenge. OurFeatures Editor Anisa Gress trained in the gym for he Garden Re-Leaf Day Sponsored Sprint DistanceTriathlon in April and Karen and Ijoined the inaugural Garden Re-Leaf Day Sponsored Walk North in the hills and dales of South Yorkshire. Already over £50,000 has been raised thanks to everyone’s Fundraising activities, with morebeing added to thetotal everyday (see GTNXtra: www. gardentradenews.co.uk for regularupdates). Thank youfor your efforts.

If youdidn’thavethe chancetotakepart in aGarden Re-Leaf Day event but wouldlike to makeavaluable donation to Greenfingers please visit: www.greenfingerscharity.org.uk/ donateand usethe referenceGRL

Here’stoagreat gardening Easter for 2023!

EDITORIAL &ADVERTISING

Garden Trade News

Potting Shed PressLtd DairyDrove ThorneyPeterborough PE6 0TX Tel01733 775700 www.gardentradenews.co.uk

THE GTNTEAM

Editor Trevor Pfeiffer trevor@pottingshedpress.co.uk

Advertising Sales Alan Burdon Alan@pottingshedpress.co.uk

Features Editor Anisa Gress anisa@pottingshedpress.co.uk

Digital Editor Neil Pope neil@pottingshedpress.co.uk

Subscriptions Karen Pfeiffer karen@pottingshedpress.co.uk

Design &Production AT Graphics Ltd www.atgraphicsuk.com

Kirsty Craner –Design

Alun Jones –Production Manager

RobertTipping –Managing Director

James Tipping –Technical Director Printing CG Print Ltd

Do youqualify for acopyofGTN?

If you’dliketobeadded to theGTN distribution list, please send your details to Karen@pottingshedpress.co.uk to see if youqualify to be included. Alternatively,ifyou prefer your Garden Trade News digitally,signupfor GTN Xtra,our weekly e-mail newsetter at www.gardentradenews.co.uk And, if you want the fastest garden centre salesanalysis, takeout asubscriptiontoGTN Bestsellers our printed weekly sales data newsletter.For just £145.00per year youget Top50sales charts created from weekly garden centreepos data. Contacttrevor@pottingshedpress.co.uk for moredetails and to subscribe.

Potting Shed PressLtd

Garden Trade News is published by Potting Shed PressLtd who also publish: GTNBestsellers, GTNXtra, Glee Daily News and the Glee Catalogue, and the Solex Sun. Potting Shed Pressalso supply Garden Radio to over100 garden centres acrossthe country.

Director Trevor Pfeiffer

SMALL PRINT:All material ©Potting Shed PressLtd 2023

No partofthispublication may ereproduced in any form whatsoever, either for sale or not, without the expresspermission of the publishers. The information supplied in this publication is published in good faith and everyefforthas been made to ensure its accuracy.Potting Shed PressLtd cannot acceptresponsibility for any error or misrepresentation. All liability for loss, disappointment, negligenceorother damage caused by relianceoninformation contained in this publication or in the vent of any bankruptcy or liquidation or cassation of the trade of any company,individual or firmmentioned, is herebyexcluded.