GTN May 2022 - Garden Trade News UK

MAY 2022

gardentradenews.co.uk

Advice & information for garden centre professionals

GTN’S SUSTAINABILITY DIRECTORY 2022 Free with this issue

GTN Interviews:

Steve Morgan, g Zest Nick Rubins, Cherry Lane

A SUMMER OF TRADE SHOWS in Europe and the UK

GLEE BUYERS POWER LIST

Nominate the Best Buyers of 2022 for the Glee Award

MAKE YOUR OWN VINOK Aid for Ukraine ideas

Comfort. Design. Quality

9am5pm

30th May 30th June

APPOINTMENTS

NOW Available The diary is now open to secure your appointment to visit the Hartman 2023 Collection Trade Show that promises to innovate and elevate outdoor living.

Located in a newly built Showroom at Hartman HQ, the show will be a breath of fresh air, with the introduction of on trend interior colours and new ranges that will be the next big thing for outdoor living.

So join us for some mouth-watering lunch on our purpose built courtyard, whilst absorbing the visionary delights of the Hartman 2023 collection.

Visit: www.hartmanuk.com/2023tradeshow

Hartman UK Hortonwood 7, Telford, TF1 7GP

Comment

A right royal boost

A

s we near the Jubilee Bank Holiday, garden centres saw boost in sales of Jubilee related products and with the Queens visit to the RHS Chelsea Flower Show, gardening gained a boost of more positive media attention.

At Chelsea, regal red and purple flowers stood out amongst the bright whites and lush green foliage of the gardens which will no doubt result in an increase of demand for these colours in planterias across the country.

In the GTN Bestsellers Garden Products chart just before Chelsea the No 1 product by volume was Union Jack garden windmills with Royal Hydrangeas and bedding packs also being sold in high volumes. Royal napkins, bunting, tea towels, breakfast tea and shortbread were also among the garden centre Jubilee bestsellers giving sales a welcome boost.

In this issue...

4

Coming of age for Cherry Lane

8

Garden centre ambulance for Ukraine

10 Make your own vinok, aid ideas from Ukraine 12 Glee Buyers Power List Nomination Form 14 Get ready for a summer of trade shows 20 GTN meets the suppliers – Zest 25 Greenfingers Ty Hafan garden opens 26 LOFA Column – Excited for SOLEX 2022 28 HTA Column – Veg led revolution 30 GIMA Column – The great juggling act of 2022

www.gardentradenews.co.uk

GTN Bestsellers Jubilee Products Top 10, Week ending 15th May 2022 1. Fountasia Medium Union Jack Windmill 2. Hydrangea macrophylla Royalty Collection 3. Garden Cocktail Jumbo 6 Pack Royal Jubilee 4. Talking Tables Royal Spectacle Paper Chains 5. Fountasia Mini Union Jack Windmill 6. Talking Tables Royal Spectacle Bunting 3m 7. Talking Tables Royal Spectacle Napkins 8. New English Teas Platinum Jubilee Breakfast Tea Tin 9. Eddingtons Union Jack Tea Towel 10. Walkers Shortbread Queen’s Jubilee Tin Overall sales volumes in the GTN Bestsellers database jumped back above last year’s levels for the week ending Sunday 15th May, only bettered in the GTN Epos data records by 2018 when we had such a late start to the season that created a massive Mid-May peak of activity.

After some welcome rain during the month, we could be in for a bumper June as everything in the garden, including weeds, puts on a growing spurt.

In the background the GTN team are very busy getting ready for Glee, which will be previewed in our next issue. Judging by the entries we’ve already seen for the New Product Showcase at Glee 2022, the first in June, it could well be a vintage year for innovation in our market. We look forward to seeing you there.

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

Advertisers in this Issue 2 Hartman 7, 9 STV International 11 Glee 14 spoga+gafa 15 Leon Boots 16 Four Oaks 17 Altico 18 Handy Distribution 19 Clever Pots 23 Red Gorilla 24 AMES 27 Durstons 27 The Real Soil Company 29 Deco-Pak 31 Fordingbridge 32 SOLEX 22

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

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

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

Potting Shed Press Ltd

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

Director Trevor Pfeiffer

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

The information supplied in this publication is published in good faith and every effort has been made to ensure its accuracy. Potting Shed Press Ltd cannot accept responsibility for any error or misrepresentation. All liability for loss, disappointment, negligence or other damage caused by reliance on information contained in this publication or in the vent of any bankruptcy or liquidation or cassation of the trade of any company, individual or firm mentioned, is hereby excluded.

May 2022 3

Interview

Nick Rubins (centre) with some of the team from head office Cherry Lane - Pulham Market Garden Centre, Norfolk.

Coming of age for Cherry Lane

Celebrating 21 years of trading, Cherry Lane Garden Centres, where value is the name of the game, is on target to become the fifth largest garden centre group in the UK. Nick Rubins, Chief Executive, shares his thoughts on retailing, value for money and the company’s future.

T

he Rubins family has retail running through its veins and is currently in acquisition mode. As GTN goes to press we learn that Riverside Nursery & Garden Centre in Hockley, Essex will be the 17th garden centre, bringing the total to 20 if you include those within QD Stores. Another reason for celebration this year as the first Cherry Lane Garden Centre, part of the QD Commercial Group Holdings, opened 21 years ago in 2001.

“We’re acquisitive as a family,” says Nick Rubins. “We’re looking to expand and we

4 May 2022

look at all the opportunities that come across myself and my father’s desk. It’s quite an interesting time, but we never say never. We don’t have an ultimate vision…. why limit yourself?”

Since the 1930’s the family has been in business. Nick’s grandmother supplied clothing and his father, known as D.R. opened the first QD Store in Anglia Square, Norwich in 1985. Known for offering value, QD Stores can be found on high streets from the east of England and the home

www.gardentradenews.co.uk

Interview of its own nurseries which now supply around 40% of its stock – a figure growing year on year. “We are passionate about growing because what we want is a local garden centre feel. We don’t want a John Lewis in a posh building, that’s not our target market. We want gardeners and local people, and part and parcel of that is the plant offer. Giving variety and a depth of range with value guaranteed is the key ingredient.”

This value approach even works down to environmental considerations. Nick says he would happily set up electric car charging points at his stores but they don’t offer value for the customer. “I could go out tomorrow and get chargers, but then my customer will face this bill for it being offered and it wouldn’t be value for money.

But we would like too,” he adds.

Other planet-friendly initiatives are in place though and for some years the company has been recycling empty compost bags returned to the stores by customers. “We’ve got a recycling unit that separates and goes through all aspects of everything that goes in there. It’s quite a little centre in its own right these days,” explains Nick.

It also offers, where possible,

environmentally friendly alternatives to established products. “Every viable alternative that is sustainable has to be the same price as a similar product, so a customer really has a real choice,” says Nick.

The company has also moved to using 100% renewable energy and made huge changes to its plastic and carboard use.

“We have reduced the amount of plastic and cardboard recycled by 855 tonnes and grown around 600,000 products in our nurseries.”

As with most garden centres, catering is a crucial part of the business but Nick admits that at the moment and in common with many in the leisure sector, staffing is proving to be a tough challenge. Another demand on time is the new rule for companies with more than 250 staff to display the calories in each dish. “It’s a big piece of work and I think that’s a bit of a shame, to be honest, because we have one garden centre that is amazing at scones and another one that amazing at quiches. But we are having to make sure the recipes are consistent so we’re taking the best of every garden centre…. and hopefully have the best practice across them all.”

counties to Doncaster – the group has its headquarters in Nottingham and customer service centre in Norwich. The first Cherry Lane Garden Centres in Norfolk and Suffolk were, however, not on the high street.

“Business rates were becoming increasingly more expensive on the high street, and the opportunity to potentially put a QD Store in a garden centre environment was a very appealing one,” says Nick. “But what we found out very quickly was that it’s a different customer, you need a different product and it didn’t work. The idea was right but we didn’t quite deliver it properly,” says Nick.

It may look to some that the range of non-gardening goods in a Cherry Lane centre is the same as in a QD Store but there are subtle differences and they are treated as two separate brands. “We buy completely differently for the two. And if there are crossovers, that’s great,” explains Nick. What is the same though is that all products must offer value for money.

“Value guaranteed is something that some important,” says Nick. So much so that each day he challenges everyone in the business to look at the products and services being offered and ask ‘is that value guaranteed?’.

To ensure the same applies on its range of plants the company has four

www.gardentradenews.co.uk

May 2022 5

Interview Nick is third generation and joined the company after gaining a business degree, working in the property market and running a men’s clothing business. He has two sons currently studying and hopes they may join the business. “If they come in, that will be fantastic. I’ve worked with my father for around 34 years. We’ve had one argument and it lasted half an hour and then we burst out laughing. If I could have that same relationship with one of my boys, then that would be quite something.”

People are surprised that QD and Cherry Lane are family run especially staff who find their place of work has been newly acquired by the group. But Nick says it’s important to build on the local knowledge and success and not change the name – hence why for example its New Year acquisition is called Redford & Gainsborough by Cherry Lane.

“When we buy a garden centre, the owners want to know its in safe hands because they’ve put so much emotion over years into it. It must be soul destroying for someone to go and say, all right, we’re now going to call it X and see everything you’ve done in the past kicked into touch. If they’ve been successful so many years, why obliterate that and do your own thing?”

This business ethos has prroved to be successful but even so, with Cherry Lane

being the fifth largest garden centre group in the country, Nick still feels a bit of an outsider and not quite part of the garden centre establishment. “We just do our own thing. We’re very quiet in what we do and we don’t shout about that. We’re family people always striving to improve every part of our business every day.”

Early Dawn Nurseries and Suffolk Garden Centre - Carlton Colville

6 May 2022

www.gardentradenews.co.uk

ENJOY

FLY-FREE SUMMER BBQS

STOCK THE BEST SELLERS

Outdoor Insect Conttrrol Day & Night

www.stvuk.com

Aid for Ukraine

Driving plans to buy an ambulance for Ukraine

The Pot Place Garden Centre in Penrith, has embarked on an ambitious fundraising initiative to buy an ambulance and deliver it to Ukraine.

I

sat at home and watched the conflict on the telly’, said Paul Thomas, co-owner of The Pot Place Garden Centre. “I was frustrated and I felt I had to try and do something about it.”

Like many other garden centres across the country, The Pot Plant Garden Centre became a drop off point for donations to support the people of Ukraine. Through connections via Polish friends, the garden centre team made two trips to Poland dropping off essential supplies. Paul says it was evident from the second trip the situation in Poland had become more organised and what was needed next was furniture and bulky items, things which are not feasible to donate from the UK. “When we were coming home from the second trip we were wondering what we could do to for those actually in Ukraine,” says Paul. Shortly afterwards he came across an article about a man who had helped get NHS and private ambulances that had been decommissioned in the UK, out to Ukraine.

8 May 2022

“I got in contact and he was really helpful in telling me how to do it,” he explains.

Which brings us up to date with The Pot Place Garden Centre’s appeal which, in the first three weeks, raised almost half of the money it needs through Justgiving and private donations. The retailer has a target of £9,500 to buy an ambulance which another charity Medical Aid Ukraine – North East says it will fill with medical Medical Aid Ukraine supplies so the vehicle doesn’t leave the has supported UK empty and help with the paperwork the logistics and contacts for the handover. The garden of getting 10 decommissioned centre will provide the drivers and pay ambulances for the fuel and flights home. Paul and from London his co-owner Kevin Roper have been to Ukraine.

Kataryna (left) at the garden centre with colleague Dawn.

amazed at the financial generosity for this project and the other two Polish trips. “Our local community connections are very important,” says Paul. “Our customers know exactly where their money is going and they trust us. With their help we will soon be on our way!”

Strengthening links further, The Pot Plant Garden Centre has employed Kataryna from Kharviv who is living with a local family. Like many, Kataryna left her city on a train and walked across the border into Slovakia. Thanks to social media, she was able to find a home near the garden centre where she is now working across all the departments. “The customers love her,” says Paul, “she’s getting lots of hugs.”

You can follow The Pot Place’s progress on its Facebook page and support by visiting Justgiving online and searching for ‘The Pot Place’.

www.gardentradenews.co.uk

ENJOY

BITE-FREE AL FRESCO DINING

STOCK THE BEST SELLERS

Outdoor Insect Control Day & Night

www.stvuk.com

Aid for Ukraine

Make your own vinok Regina Razumovskya has ideas for UK garden centres to support Ukraine now and help rebuild its green infrastructure in the future.

W

ith her husband Vladimir (Volod), Regina Razumovskya runs a large nursery business and a garden centre near Kiev. Destroyed by artillery and with machinery confiscated, the nurseries are no longer running and most of the plants have died.Fortunately the garden centre, Botanic Market remains untouched. Business hangs by a thread with volunteers running the garden centre and working hard to keep Ukraine blooming - sales are online only with a click and collect type arrangement.

Regina, Volod and their two children are now refugees in Australia, residing with colleague, friend and ‘retail guru’ John Stanley and have been working on initiatives to help local garden centres and nurseries not only support Ukraine but also their own businesses. Regina, Volod and John are keen to share ideas that have already been successful in Australia with the garden retailers across the world.

Ukrainian crafts

A workshop to make traditional floral crowns, called vinoks, could be a good marketing opportunity.

Volod, Regina and John Stanley.

Set up Ukrainian style plant displays Using plants familiar to Ukrainian gardens or decorations that are typical of the country, make displays for the garden centre entrance or plantaria. Viburnum, willow, mallow and sunflower (Ukraine’s national flower) are examples. Allocate a fraction of their sales to a charity fund.

Regina says: “Customers love to have some of these plants at home where they could become a talking point, and feel they are in some way standing with Ukraine.”

Egg decoration workshops will certainly draw attention to your business. Although it’s an Easter tradition, Ukrainian egg or pysanky workshops will be create much interest.

It’s a traditional skill in Ukraine using wax and dyes to decorate eggs which can last forever.

Floral crowns or vinoks are symbolic in Ukraine, particularly for festivals and weddings, so why not partner with a local florist and offer a workshop where guests make their own traditional Ukrainian crown? If you have a local flower festival nearby, you could coincide so both events gain reciprocal publicity.

Support to regreen Ukraine The Union of Planting and Material Producers (the country’s nursery association), promotes Ukraine as a leading plant grower on the international stage. Today it is approaching the Ukrainian government with the idea of a donation scheme so the world’s nurseries can support Ukraine with plants or landscape design costs.

A scheme currently being discussed for when the war is over, is for nurseries and garden centres around the world to link up with cities or towns in Ukraine to support specific regreening projects. These could include helping to restore and plant up a park, school or hospital. As well as helping to rebuild Ukraine’s urban landscape the initiative could garner positive press and publicity throughout the process as a local, national and international level.

For more information visit: www.svsm.ua

10 May 2022

www.gardentradenews.co.uk

Discover the latest developments and innovations from sustainable suppliers at Glee 2022.

Register now at gleebirmingham.com/visitor-registration

@Glee_Birmingham

glee-birmingham-show

@Glee_Birmingham

@Glee.Birmingham1

Glee Buyers Power List

Who are the best buyers in the garden market?

Nominations are now open for the 2022 Glee Buyers Power List Awards, the winners will be celebrated at Glee in June.

W

hen the industry gets together at the NEC in June this year Glee will once again be celebrating the best buyers of garden, leisure, and pet products in the Glee Buyers Power List.

To acknowledge the continued pressure buyers are still experiencing and the high levels of professionalism across the wide range of products the feature in garden, leisure, and pet retailing there are twelve Glee Buyers Power List categories this year and nominations can be made in any of the categories for buyers from independent garden centres and retailers, buyers of high street and DIY retailers and buyers from on-line retailers.

Nominations are now being sought from growers, suppliers, agents, wholesalers, and retailers for the following categories of buyers and buying teams: 1. Plants buyer/buying team of the Year 2. Garden Care buyer/buying team of the Year 3. Outdoor Leisure buyer/buying team of the Year 4. Landscape buyer/buying team of the Year 5. Home & Gifts buyer/buying team of the Year 6. Pet buyer/buying team of the Year 7. Retail Food & Drinks buyer/buying team of the Year 8. Christmas buyer/buying team of the Year

12 May 2022

9. Online buyer/ buying team of the year 10. Overall Multiple Retailer Buying Team of the Year – (hardware, DIY, high street) 11. Overall Multiple Garden Retailer Buying Team of the Year – 6 stores or more 12. Overall Independent Garden Centre Buying Team of the Year – up 5 stores

The winners of the Glee Buyers Power List 2021 will be announced live at Glee 2022 on Tuesday 28th June 2022 at 5:00pm, just before the Glee party!

Nominations close on Friday 10t June 2022 after which voting will commence to decide the winners of the Glee Buyers Power List for 2022.

Nominations can be made using this form or by e-mail to: trevor@pottingshedpress.co.uk. All nominations will be handled in strictest confidence.

The Glee Buyers Power List has celebrated the excellence of buying in the Garden, Leisure and Pet markets annually since 2015. Last year’s winners included: Marcus Cousins – Aylett Nurseries, Duncan Wills – Stewarts Garden Centre, Darran Oakley – Squires, Dan Kirby – British Garden Centres, Emma Davis – British Garden Centres, Chessington Garden Centre, Claire Bryce Barton Grange, Longacres, Chris Slack – Frosts, British Garden Centres, Aylett Nurseries.

www.gardentradenews.co.uk

gardentradenews.co.uk

Nomination Form:

GLEE MEDIA PARTNERS

2022

I nominate the following buyers/buying teams for the Glee Buyers Power List 2022:

Plants buyer/buying team of the Year Buyer/Team Name……………………………………… Retailer Name……………………………………………………….............

Why nominated:………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….................

Garden Care buyer/buying team of the Year Buyer/Team Name……………………………………… Retailer Name……………………………………………………….............

Why nominated:………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….................

Outdoor Leisure buyer/buying team of the Year Buyer/Team Name……………………………………… Retailer Name……………………………………………………….............

Why nominated:………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….................

Landscape buyer/buying team of the Year Buyer/Team Name……………………………………… Retailer Name……………………………………………………….............

Why nominated:………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….................

Home & Gifts buyer/buying team of the Year Buyer/Team Name……………………………………… Retailer Name……………………………………………………….............

Why nominated:………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….................

Pet buyer/buying team of the Year Buyer/Team Name……………………………………… Retailer Name……………………………………………………….............

Why nominated:………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….................

Retail Food & Drinks buyer/buying team of the Year Top: Marcus Cousins of Aylett Nurseries, 2021 Plant Buyer of the Year. Bottom: Darren Oakley of Squires, 2021 Outdoor Leisure Buyer of the Year.

Below: British Garden Centres, 2021 Overall Multiple Garden Retailer Buying Team of the Year

Buyer/Team Name……………………………………… Retailer Name……………………………………………………….............

Why nominated:………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….................

Christmas buyer/buying team of the Year Buyer/Team Name……………………………………… Retailer Name……………………………………………………….............

Why nominated:………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….................

On-Line buyer/buying team of the Year Buyer/Team Name……………………………………… Retailer Name……………………………………………………….............

Why nominated:………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….................

Overall Multiple Retailer Buying Team of the Year – (hardware, DIY, high street) Buyer/Team Name……………………………………… Retailer Name……………………………………………………….............

Why nominated:………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….................

Overall Multiple Garden Retailer Buying Team of the Year – 6 stores or more Buyer/Team Name……………………………………… Retailer Name……………………………………………………….............

Why nominated:………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….................

Overall Independent Garden Centre Buying Team of the Year – up 5 stores Buyer/Team Name……………………………………… Retailer Name……………………………………………………….............

Why nominated:………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….................

Nominated by:…………………………………………………….of:………………………………………………………………..................... e-mail address:………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………........................

All nominations will be handled in strictest confidence Send your completed nomination form to Glee Buyers Power List c/o GTN, Potting Shed Press, Dairy Drove, Thorney, Peterborough PE6 0TX or e-mail your nominations to: trevor@pottingshedpress.co.uk by 10th June 2022.

www.gardentradenews.co.uk

May 2022 13

www.spogagafa.com

Showtime

THE GARDEN LIFESTYLE TRADE FAIR

COLOGNE, 19.–21.06.2022

ORDERED Get ahead of @SPOGA+GAFA E We are looking forward THE M D N E to finally bringing TR 2022 supply and demand together again.

You will find a complete range of products to impress your customers at spoga+gafa from 19.–21.06.2022 – the perfect timing for your stock planning.

able n i a t Sus rdens RE Ga SECUSION IS A DM K E T S TIC W NO

At the world’s largest garden lifestyle trade fair for outdoor furniture and decoration, grills and BBQs, plants and technology, as well as garden games, the focus this year is on the mega trend “Sustainable Gardens”.

the game this show season

June and July are busy months for shows so make sure you are registered to catch the latest trends, plants, gardening sundries and merchandising ideas.

What’s more, spoga+gafa 2022 is being enhanced by a digital offer for the first time. As such, a wealth of exciting contents can not only be called up during the trade fair, but also after it is over too. For you this means: even more appeal and reach. Seize this opportunity for new growth impulses and good business at spoga+gafa 2022.

International Business Media Services Ltd. info@koelnmesse.co.uk Tel.: +44 1425 48 68 30

14 May 2022

www.gardentradenews.co.uk

Showtime

Spoga+Gafa.

19-21 June. Cologne.

Billed to be the world’s largest trade fair devoted to garden lifestyle, Spoga+Gafa returns after a two-year break with 1,500 exhibitors already booked and visitors from 65 countries set to attend. This year’s theme of sustainable gardening for both indoors and outside runs through the event with a focus on ideas from new start-ups to established industry giants.

Indoor and outdoor furniture will be displayed in one place making it easier to see all the new ranges, and a programme of events and presentations will help you keep up to date with trends and developments.

The Boulevard of Ideas is the place to go to see all the new products. www.spogagafa.com

Award winning Leon Boots Ultralight Ankle Boots are flourishing in garden centres throughout the UK. Lightweight, warm and comfy with removable and washable sock liner, and available in a great range of colours.

Currently stocked in over 135 garden centres across the UK.

Come and see us at

Glee Stand 7G45

www.lbcboots.com email kevin@leonbootsco.com or charlie@leonbootsco.com www.gardentradenews.co.uk

May 2022 15

Showtime

Glee. 28-30 June. Birmingham NEC

The HTA National Plant Show. 21-22 June. NEAC Stoneleigh, Warwickshire.

Changing from its traditional September slot to June is proving to be a popular move with hundreds of garden and leisure brands coming together under one roof. Buyers are urged to put this new date in their diaries and make the most of networking, meeting people face to face and establishing new trading partners. Exciting innovation, merchandising solutions and new trends are order of the day and the latest launches will be gathered together in the Glee New Product Awards. New for this year is an interactive outdoor showcase, with live cookery demonstrations, highlighting the wide selection of outdoor entertaining brands at the show. Each visitor will also be able to contribute to combatting climate change with a code for a ‘free tree offer’ enabling Grow My Tree to forge ahead with its tree planting mission. www.gleebirmingham.com

Also celebrating the return to a live event is the HTA with its National Plant Show. More than 100 companies have confirmed exhibiting everything from seeds, bulbs, house plants and a wide range of garden plants. The latest on labelling and product information, growing media, display benching and machinery also features. Plants are at the heart of this show and the New Plant Awards celebrate the very best introductions from seasonal bedding to ornamental trees. Some are on view to the public for the first time giving a preview of potential best sellers for the seasons to come. Seminars planned will cover net zero working, visual merchandising and E-learning opportunities. www.nationalplantshow.co.uk

Sept 6-7th

2022

s!

Trade - Celebrating 50 year re ltu cu rti Ho e th r fo ow Sh The UK’s Premier

Find hundreds of plants, products, services & technology for your business FREE entry, parking & catalogue for all in the garden sector

Sponsored by

Tel: +44 (0) 1477 571392 | Email: info@fouroaks-tradeshow.com | www.fouroaks-tradeshow.com 16 May 2022

www.gardentradenews.co.uk

READY, SET-UP AND RARING TO GO FOR 2022!

Reliable Committed Straightforward

We’ve had a busy few months since launching at Glee and we’re delighted to be working with customers up and down the UK, preparing their store set-ups for success in 2022.

We continue to invest heavily on systems, infrastructure and inventory, as well as 5 new bagging lines – running day and night, building stock profiles to meet seasonal demands.

The customer is at the heart of all we do, so we’re committed to being as reliable and straightforward as we are innovative. Our pledge is to offer Garden Centres great service as well as choice, but whilst we’re busy pushing boundaries, our feet remain firmly on the ground.

• 98% minimum stock commitment pledge • Easy 5 pallet minimum order • Guaranteed same-week delivery • Continuous investment in key areas • Prime, efficient geographic location with space to grow

“Over 250 new Garden Centree customers and counting!

Thank you for all for your great support so far.”

Tel: 01302 354500 Web: www.altico.co.uk

Showtime SOLEX. 12-14 July.

Birmingham NEC With all exhibition space in the three halls of the Summer Outdoor Living Exhibition now completely sold, (and a waiting list for 2023!) this jam-packed event promises to have everything you need to be on top of trends for spring/summer 2023. Leading manufacturers are delighted to be back, after a twoyear gap, to present their exciting new developments in design, environmental manufacturing and sustainability initiatives at a live event and meet people face to face. The latest in furniture, BBQs, firepits, heaters, chimeneas, spas, lighting, outdoor buildings, gazebos, parasols, and garden accessories will be on show so retailers can continue to inspire everyone to make the most of their gardens and outdoor spaces.

Look out for BBQ king Marcus Bawdon, one of the stars presenting live cooking demonstrations in Loving Outdoor Living Zone. www.solexexhibition.com

Upcoming shows for your diary

BBC Gardeners’ World Live. 16-19 June.

Birmingham NEC. Blenheim Palace Flower Show. 24-26 June.

Blenheim Palace, Oxfordshire.

RHS Hampton Court Palace Garden Festival.

4-9 July. Hampton Court Palace, Surrey.

RHS Flower Show Tatton Park. 20-24 July.

Tatton Park, Cheshire.

GREAT VALUE GARDEN TOOLS

“

Q Garden can serve two purposes, firstly to capture sales where customer wish to simply purchase a low value item on a budget or for infrequent use and secondly, to help trade customers up into products that deliver higher specification and performance more fitting for the customers desired application.

“

Mark Moseley, Sales & Marketing Director

Electric Lawnmowers

SSP from £69.99

Petrol Lawnmowers

SSP from £164.99

Electric Linetrimmers

SSP from £24.99

Electric Hedgetrimmer

SSP from £64.99

Electric Blower & Vacuum

SSP from £44.99

Contact us to become a stockist; W: www.handyonline.co.uk, T: 01793 333220 or E: sales@handydistribution.co.uk

18 May 2022

www.gardentradenews.co.uk

cleverly designed to transform outdoor space clever pots decorative pots are not only designed with unique features to aid growing and to make the most of your growing space, they're also • Recyclable and reusable, made from 20-60% recycled plastic • Weather resistant • Available in 3 colours that are UV charcoal sage orchid colour stable, so they won't fade

Hanging Pots Brighten fences or balconies and maximise the growing space in your garden with clever pots hanging pots.

Includes a small reservoir in the base to keep plants watered for longer, without overwatering.

Drainpipe Pot Holders Great for maximising growing space, clever pots drainpipe pot holders clip on to most 68mm drainpipes without any additional fixings, allowing you to grow your favourite plants right outside your door.

Pair with clever pots 20cm round pots.

Downpipe Pots Transform any space into growing space with clever pots downpipe pots.

Fits around the base of your downpipe, hiding outside drains and making use of an otherwise unused space.

Contact:

Shaun Dubberley - Head of sales contact@kinbrands.com 07776 960998 www.kinbrands.com

clever pots, part of the Kin brands group

@kinbrands

clever pots

@clever_pots

www.staxtradecentres.co.uk

GTN meets the suppliers

Behind the scenes at Zest

From the family’s origins suppling supporting poles for mines, Zest is now a leading supplier of wooden fencing, sheds, arbours and garden furniture and runs a garden centre. Steve Morgan, Managing Director, talks us through the history, its ethos, hopes for the future and why he has decided to plant up 30 acres of trees.

S

teve Morgan is a whizz at making and his mother sold wood burning stoves. wooden pallets and is certainly Money was tight and nothing could be no stranger to using an axe. He’s wasted. This gave him the work ethic he the fifth generation in his family to work has today which he hopes, along with good with timber – his great, great, grandfather quality and service, runs through the team George Morgan owned seven sawmills in at Zest which has its factory, design centre, Scotland and Ireland mainly suppling props distribution warehouse and garden centre to support pits. Steve Morgan’s father, in Flintshire.

Malcolm Morgan (Founder of P&A) was After university and travelling, Steve only 11 when his father died and sadly his returned to the family business which mother’s best efforts to keep the sawmill also had interests in a sawmill in Scotland company afloat failed. “I think that fear of and one in Wales. “At that time, we were failure is something that drives me,” says 70-80% pallets with some fencing, sheds Steve, “if my back’s against the wall – it’s a and maybe an archway or picnic bench,” huge driving force.” he says. “It was a steep learning curve,” he says. The pallet manager at the time did On moving to north Wales, his father everything on paper, making a new cutting continued to work with timber as an list for each job. “I thought – you can do export manager with a company making this on a spreadsheet. So I cut out 95% floors for squash courts and then, with of his work just with a bit of technology,” another company, Palice and Ashgrove, in explains Steve who said it also greatly Mold, North Wales, as a fencing manager. reduced the amount of wasted time Eventually in 1985, when that company and money. In 2000, Malcolm went bust, Malcolm took it on. retired. “It wasn’t a very As a young lad Steve helped secure business at the time”, in his father business recalls Steve but through suppling pallets and Below: Inside the new design.shed centre diversifi cation he has turned chopping wood to sell diversification Inset: Steve Morgan the company round. as fuel for local families

20 May 2022

www.gardentradenews.co.uk

GTN meets the suppliers

Ladder planters efficiently stacked to reduce the amount of empty space in transit.

Old photographs of the family’s sawmills.

www.gardentradenews.co.uk

Today Zest is part of the P&A Group of Companies which includes making pallets – up to 20,000 a week of different sizes for a variety of customers. Zest supplies furniture, grow your own raised beds through to fence panels, sheds and arbours, its products are sold in hundreds of retailers throughout the UK. Surprisingly the wood chosen by Zest to make furniture and garden products is grown in Poland. “It’s quality timber.

It’s slow grown and it planes better and dries better. It has less defects in it and you utilize that alongside the skills and workmanship of the experience manufacturing companies. We use timber

from the UK to make the pallets,” says Steve. The relationship with the suppliers in Poland and other Eastern European countries is extremely important to Zest and their experience from generations of planting and caring for trees is valued.

“We’re exceptionally loyal to our suppliers and they’re exceptionally loyal to us,” he says explaining that this spring a team of 18 from Zest together with partners from Poland, took part in the Manchester Marathon and two members of staff have recently returned from Poland after taking part in a huge tree planting initiative.

Zest has sponsored a large area of land in Poland which includes a nature walk and is now also has 30 acres of land in Wales which it is planning to fill with young trees.

Some people may question the company’s decision to ship product over from Poland but Steve explains everything is designed to reduce the amount of waste and importantly is packaged efficiently so each lorry has the minimum amount empty space. Zest’s design team are continually being challenged to get more

May 2022 21

GTN meets the suppliers product in the wagons, use less timber and make products easier for customers to put together and this spring, as a result of a £400,000 investment into product development, it opened a new design centre by revamping a 1950’s building. “If you can improve it, tweak it a little bit, you’ve got to do it because if you don’t somebody else will. So we’re very focused on making sure we’re always improving,” says Steve.

Having The Woodworks Garden Centre nearby to the factory gives Zest useful first-hand access to customers and their thoughts on new products. The Garden Centre started out in the early 2000’s as a factory outlet, developed into a rural garden centre selling a few plants and gifts and now is a destination centre in its own right. With garden centre manager Iwan Gwyn at the helm, who’s supermarket retailing background as been invaluable, the centre is going from strength to strength.

Like every company and business, sustainability is high on the agenda.

Repurposing an old building to make the new design.shed centre, reducing waste and planting new trees are key but Zest is also about its people. “It’s important to be successful because people enjoy success

Pallets are still a mainstay of the business.

Inside the warehouse

You are guided by how successful the company is by your balance sheets. But that’s not the most important thing to me. It's more about the people and making a difference .

22 May 2022

and they want to work for a successful company and see that they’re actually making a difference. You are guided by how successful the company is by your balance sheets. But that’s not the most important thing to me. It’s more about the people and making a difference.”

The company is growing and although new structures have been put in place to accommodate expansion, an overall relaxed feeling has been maintained and staff are always encouraged to share their ideas regardless of their position in the company. “We can’t continue to do things the way we used to just because of the scale of things,” explains Simon Davison Head of Commercial Development. “So we’ve had to put structure in place to enable a business to grow. But we managed to do that and maintain the ethos of the business. Anyone can speak to Steve. My team can speak to the directors anytime and they don’t have to come through me.”

It’s early days, but Steve is hoping his

son and daughter will follow in his footsteps and join the family business but he appreciates they have more rugby playing and travelling to do before they decided. “I’d love them both to come into the business because they have the right attitude.

They are very humble and have a great work ethic,” he says.

For the time being Zest continues to strengthen its place in the market with its underlying appreciation of wood as a precious commodity, commitment to service and value and ethos of looking after staff and the environment.

www.gardentradenews.co.uk

Garden maintenance products, since 1995.

Recycled where possible

We’re exhibiting at Stand 20J54

SINCE 1995

Don’t miss our Retro relaunch at Glee!

The Gorilla Tub® is a staple product in every home, garden, stable, garage and building site across the world! Their uses are endless, abilities limitless and their quality makes them the most durable tub on the market.

Proudly manufactured in the UK and Europe to the highest industrial, human and ethical standards. | HEAVY DUTY | HIGH-QUALITY | ECO-FRIENDLY | RECYCLABLE | STRONG | WEATHER RESISTANT | For more information contact us on:

+44 (0) 01455 848 184

www.redgorilla.red

sales@redgorilla.red

AMES UK ARE TTHRILLED TO BE EXHIBITING AT GLEE EX E We’ve been busy behind the scenes to create an exciting next chapter for our brands, backed by improved services, systems and sales support tools.

We can't wait to welcome you and walk you through the whole AMES UK product experience.

You can find us at...

HALL 8-20 6C40-F41

Greenfingers Charity

New sensor y garden opens at Welsh hospice Greenfingers has opened it’s 62nd garden for children, families, staff and volunteers at Ty Hafan Children’s Hospice near Cardiff.

A

woodland den, willow arch and colourful, scented planting are at the heart of a new multi-sensory garden at a children’s hospice in Wales, officially opened in April by Terry Walton, BBC Radio 2’s resident gardener.

Victoria Wade Landscapes designed the garden, with its view across the Bristol Channel, to encourage biodiversity and wildlife and help children connect with the natural world. “This is definitely my favourite garden we have ever created. It’s been so exciting to see the garden come into bloom this spring and seeing the thousands of bulbs the volunteers have planted flowering for the first time has been really special,” she says.

The garden was brought to life by NP Landscapes, project managed by Joe Wade and funded by The National Heritage Lottery, The Postcode Lottery and the growing network of valued friends and supporters of Greenfingers. Thousands of plants and bulbs were planted by Greenfingers supporters including including Woodlodge – led by Ian Flounders; Pugh’s Garden Centre team; giant veg grower, Kevin Fortey; Neil Sewell, Greenfingers Trustee and the team of hospice

www.gardentradenews.co.uk

environment in which we care for those children and families who use our services,” says Deb Ho, Tŷ Hafan’s Director of Care.

“The garden has far exceeded expectations and is already an important place for so many,” she adds.

Terry Walton, who was on hand to officially open the garden, says it will give enormous pleasure as well as peace and great solace during difficult times. “This new sensory garden is a gorgeous new addition to Tŷ Hafan’s beautiful hospice grounds, which I know are cared for by a team of dedicated and talented volunteer gardeners.”

Sue Allen, Greenfingers Chairman says: “It is our great pleasure to hand over the garden to all of those at Ty Hafan Children’s Hospice.

“On behalf of all of us at Greenfingers and Tŷ Hafan, we thank you and all our wonderful supporters from the bottom of our hearts.”

Greenfingers is currently working on gardens in hospices in Essex and East Anglia and in the early stages of designing outside spaces for three in Kent, Lancashire and Cumbria.

garden volunteers. Gifts in kind were also generously donated by Evergreen Garden Care, Taylors Bulbs, Jubb Bulbs, Smart Garden, and Kent and Stowe.

Tŷ Hafan is one of just two children’s hospices in Wales providing care and support for children with life-limiting conditions and their families. The children and young people who access Tŷ Hafan’s services suffer from a broad range of conditions, many with profound and complex medical needs. Some of the conditions are so rare they haven’t been named. “Our new sensory garden is a wonderful addition to the coastal

May 2022 25

VIEWPOINT

Excited for SOLEX live at the NEC in July

Gina Hinde, Marketing Manager, LOFA

I

f lockdown has taught us anything it and BBQ whisperer Marcus Bawdon, who is that as a race, we are very sociable will be delivering a masterclass as well as animals, to have that taken away from filming with and interviewing our Loving us caused us to become isolated and a Outdoor Living Zone exhibitors.

LOFA respect the environment and little distant. Although for some lockdown wanted to do something to reflect was a joy, getting to spend extra time at this at SOLEX 22. We are going to home with family and for the first time in our lives our work life balance was amazing, be doing our best to make SOLEX a carbon neutral event by collecting but not being able to socialise is something travel data from everyone that attends and that we have never encountered before and then submitting this data to Planet Mark not on such a large scale. Zoom and Teams who will help us with this analysis. We have meetings still have their place but there is no substitute for human interaction on a invited Planet Mark along to SOLEX to chat to everyone about what they do and how one-to-one basis and that is why SOLEX is so they can help us all to reduce our carbon important to us this year. footprints.

This unique and focussed event organised The RSPB is the UK’s largest nature by the industry for the industry is the perfect conservation charity, inspiring everyone to place to come together and connect, but give nature a home and secure a healthy more importantly, it’s the chance to meet environment for wildlife. Trees help to everyone in one place. I know that over the combat global warming by absorbing last two years many buyers have had to carbon dioxide, removing and storing travel the length and breadth of the country carbon while releasing oxygen back into visiting many different showrooms, so the air. The entire woodland ecosystem whether you are a multiple or independent garden centre, a high street or department store, an online retailer or DIY store or contract buyer this relaxed and friendly exhibition brings all these inspirational outdoor leisure companies together under one roof.

For the first time at SOLEX we have an outside area showcasing the very best https://eventdata.uk/Forms/Form.

BBQ & fire brands. The aspx?FormRef=SOL72Visitor Loving Outdoor Living Solex 22 is at the Zone presenting these NEC Birmingham, fire products in their 12th – 14th July 2022. natural environment will www.solexexhibition.com allow our LOFA members to cook up some tasty treats for everyone to sample. We will also be joined by the BBQ magazine

26 May 2022

plays a huge role in locking up carbon, including the living wood, roots, leaves, deadwood, surrounding soils and its associated vegetation.

The bottom line is, we need more trees, and we need to protect the ones we already have.

That is why LOFA will be donating £5 for every visitor that attends SOLEX 22.

So, if you haven’t already registered get a wiggle on because there is lots to see and do and you could also be in with a chance of winning one of 5 fantastic summer living prizes donated by our exhibitors when you register.

www.gardentradenews.co.uk

MO

SA

G TOWARD VIN

www.durstongardenproducts.co.uk

Catering for the natural, greener gardeners 100% natural topsoil Completely peat-free Eco-friendly & sustainable Increased nutritional content 100% recyclable packaging HIGH ORGANIC T CONTEN

PEAT FREE therealsoilcompany.co.uk

Viewpoint

Veg led revolution

Boyd J Douglas-Davies, HTA President

I

s there a revolution in the world of Grow Your Own on the horizon? We are all used to the peaks and troughs of seed sales over the years. The switch from flowers to edibles and back again, followed by a settling with both selling well has been the pattern over the last 20 years. Lockdown increased the sale of seeds, herbs and edible plants hugely and early data for this season shows demand is still running high. So where is the revolution?

Growing in baskets, pots, beds and bags has been long established.

The occasional pot on the kitchen windowsill is a common sight but it is extremely rare to see a complete indoor hydroponic production garden. Can independent garden centres lead the way in introducing this? The required technology is widely used in commercial production; the ability of LED lighting to mimic natural daylight has even allowed crops to be grown inside closed shipping containers. Vertical farming is hugely successful for many edibles and ultimately very sensible as land becomes more and more of a luxury. Consider the costs to heat a traditional greenhouse and crop per m2 compared to a vertical production unit and the financial argument really starts to win as well.

What do we need for this brave new world to become a reality?

Manufacturers have introduced small hydroponic, and soil-based, growing units with grow lights installed

but, in my opinion, they have all been too small and not offered any opportunity to make a return on the buyer’s investment. A growing area the size of an A4 sheet of paper is never going to feed the Borrowers let alone a family of 4! The last two years has shown us that NewGen shoppers are willing to spend more than their predecessors, so it is time for manufacturers to start thinking bigger and better. A multi-tiered unit taking the footprint of a decent coffee table could create several metres of cropping space. Make it soil-less and the peat/no peat debate has disappeared as well.

If we can introduce serious cropping units, and why shouldn’t we be able to, then we will have to rethink the availability of the young plants as customers will want to grow all year round and not everyone will want to start from seed. The location of plants in garden centres may also change. Could this be the next big indoor trend after foliage?

Will departments have signage highlighting three sections in future….

Foliage, Flowering and Feeders? GLEE is imminent, I’m sure you will be there but will the next big thing in our industry also be there??!

Recently I attended the Association of Professional Landscapers annual awards and it struck me that, as a retailer, I just wasn’t aware of the size of projects being undertaken in domestic gardens up and down the country over the last couple of years. The largest category covered projects over £500,000 and the winner, ‘Surrey Hills Garden’ by Transform Landscapes Design and Construction, was stunning. All entrants were brilliant, whatever the budget.

As a retailer have you connected up with the APL members in your area? There must be an opportunity for them to introduce their clients to the local garden centres as they are investing significant sums in their outdoor rooms. As sure as night follows day they will continue to ‘decorate’ the space long after the professionals have moved on. Will your centre be their new best friend??

Find out more

The Horticultural Trades Association is the UK industry’s leading membership organisation. It welcomes all sectors of horticulture – to join please contact services@hta.org.uk.

Alan Down has been appointed as vicepresident of the HTA. Alan, who is hugely experienced in commercial horticulture, has worked in the industry for over 50 years and will support the current HTA president Boyd Douglas-Davies.

A well-respected figure in the horticulture industry, Alan is a regular guest gardening expert for Radio BBC Bristol as well as a freelance writer. Alan

studied at Cannington and Pershore College of Horticulture. He began working in the glasshouse industry in late teens, progressing to orchard fruit growing including a period as practical fruit instructor at Pershore College.

After working in the Hardy Ornamental Nursery Stock sector in North Germany, Alan went on to develop and manage Hillier Nurseries fledgling container

grown and seed propagation nurseries for nine years. Over the next 35 years, Alan built up Cleeve Nursery and Garden Centre, near Bristol, to become a recognised brand across the UK. His wife Felicity co-presented the long-standing ‘Garden Calendar’ with Alan, which was filmed filmed from their own garden for regional southern television.

Viewpoint

The great juggling act of 2022 Vicky Nuttall, Director of GIMA

T

here is no question that the events of the last two years have left their mark on all of us and changed everything, from the way we interact with our homes to significantly impacting a change in consumer spending habits. The good news for the garden retail industry is the fact that the nation turned to gardening as a way of updating their living and work-from-home spaces, improving mental wellbeing and alleviating the boredom that came from endless lockdowns and lack of foreign holidays. But as we look ahead to 2022 and beyond, will this wave of popularity for gardening continue?

Thankfully, the latest data says ‘yes’!

According to the latest Euromonitor report, available to GIMA members, the 14% year on year growth that shaped 2021 is set to continue its upwards trajectory, though growth is expected to slow slightly.

As the country ground to a halt, shoppers were reaching for greener and potentially more timeconsuming activities to fill their days, with houseplants, compost and seeds seeing the biggest uplift in year-on-year sales. Houseplants saw the largest uplift with 25% growth YOY, demonstrating a visible and lasting change to our relationship with houseplants. This success is attributed to the working from home movement, which saw everyone from millennials to Gen Z adding greenery to update home offices.

The buoyant home buying market in 2021, which according to Euromonitor had the highest home moving metrics since the “great recession”, also helped to drive industry growth. Home movers’ expenditure on gardening and DIY products was, on average, 240% more than the average homeowner. This is all thanks to the home movers need to make improvements within their new spaces, and particularly in the last few years, create an environment that offered safety away from a world so full of unknowns.

Despite the world now being opened to us again, Euromonitor data illustrates that the role of the home and the resulting focus for spending within the parameters of the home, will remain. A key point that was also supported by Scarlet Opus in a separate presentation to GIMA members, who predict that consumers will continue to see their homes as places of sanctuary where they want to feel cocooned in comfort away from the

realities of everyday life. Music to the ears of suppliers of garden, homewares and DIY essentials, no doubt. There are considerable challenges impacting all of this, however, that will make 2022 a juggling act for many.

We should all be mindful that price increases are here to stay, with some far exceeding expectation. It is therefore important for suppliers and their retail customers to keep an open dialogue about any potential price increases working hand in hand, so that there are no nasty surprises. That said, we are hearing from many of our members that pricing for next year will be difficult at Glee this June as suppliers are unable to commit to 2023 prices under current circumstances. This turn of events could make it hard to forecast sales orders for the year ahead, resulting in an inevitable last-minute influx once prices stabilise, potentially leading to supply and delivery issues as the industry rushes to fulfil orders ahead of peak season.

On the upside, I am confident that demand will be strong as the nation’s love of gardening will not simply switch off overnight and rocketing food prices will fuel a strong grow-your-own market.

So, whilst prices continue to fluctuate, and to avoid similar supply/demand issues as that experienced in 2021, it is vital to create a back-up plan. Whether it’s starting to increase stock levels on the ground early to safeguard 2023 availability or undertaking the necessary due diligence to source secondand third-line suppliers, there are steps that can be taken to ensure that no matter the pressures, we can continue to thrive as an industry.

And thrive we shall! Whether its traditional bestsellers, new innovations, setting the benchmark for sustainability or converting more consumers into diehard gardeners, the opportunity for further growth is there ready for the taking.

GIMA members can access the full Euromonitor Home & Garden Report via the GIMA office by emailing info@gima.org.uk.

Alternatively, a copy of the full webinar is also available to members.

the nation’s love of gardening will not simply switch off overnight and rocketing food prices will fuel a strong grow-your-own market

30 M 30 Maay 220 022 22

About GIMA

The Garden Industry Manufacturer’s Association (GIMA) is a membership organisation of around 170 members representing the majority share of suppliers and manufacturers operating within the UK gardening industry.

Its goal is to promote the commercial, trading and industrial interests of UK and EU based companies supplying the UK garden industry.

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

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

www.gardentradenews.co.uk

u o y See at

Supplying commercial growers, nurseries & garden centres for over 55 years

We are incredibly proud of our canopy installations within the Garden Centre industry.

If you are looking to refurbish your existing site, expand your customer offering or weatherproof your business, we would be delighted to work with you.

If you are looking to increase proftability from your external space, look no further than Fordingbridge.

www.fordingbridge.co.uk info@fordingbridge.co.uk 01243 55 44 55

THE SUMMER OUTDOOR LIVING EXHIBITION Be inspired by new products & ideas 12-14 JULY 2022 Halls 17/18/19 NEC, Birmingham www.solexexhibition.com solex@lofa.com | 02392 258844