Blogs

Cocktails are always a crowd pleaser. Whether you and your friends are hitting the town or plan to create an at-home cocktail party of your own, these drinks are perfect for bringing a variety of flavours to your evening.

When you fancy a cocktail, it’s tempting to have a professional prepare it. They have all of the skills, knowledge, and, most importantly, ingredients at the ready to craft a delicious and visually stunning drink.

Putting those effortless finishing touches on a cocktail can seem daunting, but it is much easier to prepare when you have the right garnish at…

Ideas for greenhouse gardening in March, April & May from Hartley Botanic

Spring is the time of year when the Greenhouse becomes a plant production line and shows its value for side stepping the effects of the weather – particularly in cooler areas. It is a time when you are facing erratic weather; warm sunshine with the chance of frost, so it is important to know which crops need starting early. It also provides the opportunity for a Greenhouse spring clean before the serious seed sowing begins. Heritage Glasshouse manufacturer Hartley Botanic has provided some useful ideas…

It’s winter. Rainstorms are a frequent feature, temperatures are glacial, and the weather – all in all – can be pretty bleak. Spending time in your backyard in current outdoor conditions is not the most appealing idea ever. Why get drenched and cold when you can stay dry and warm inside?

However, the truth is that a lot of gardeners will miss putting their green thumbs to the test. Deprived of their hobby … what’s an alternative way to cultivate their interest and passion for gardening. 

Here Flogas offer a list of brilliant, British garden shows. All you need to do is turn…

BARTON GRANGE Garden Centre and Castle Gardens have recently (December 2021) been announced as the national winners of the 2021 Garden Association’s (GCA) annual Christmas competition.

The garden centres were judged to have the best festive displays in the country by the organisation and will receive their awards at its annual conference in January 2022.

Iain Wylie, GCA Chief Executive, says: “We’d like to say a huge congratulations to Barton Grange Garden Centre in Preston, Lancashire who won in the…

ONE OF THE UK’s leading commercial nurseries has put together a selection of plants for garden centres to follow the predicted trends for the retail sector next year (November 2021).

Wyevale Nurseries predict boldly coloured, British-grown and low maintenance plants that look set to be on-trend for 2022, so its plant collections for retailers include options ticking all the boxes.

Carol Dickinson, Head of Business Support at Wyevale Nurseries based in Hereford, explains: “Our 2022 promotional catalogue for garden centres showcases some of our boldest and brightest plants on…

British Garden Centres has officially launched Christmas in all their centres across the UK and following their success, they are already seeing clear Christmas trends and success. This festive season has already seen a 30% increase in sales of Christmas Lights across British Garden Centres. 

People are lighting up all areas of their homes, whether it's for Christmas trees, garlands, around the fireplace or outdoors, this area of our Christmas departments is proving very popular this year. British Garden Centres are also proud sponsors of this year’s Illumination Street. For more…

When looking at giving your home a temporary makeover for the spooky season, it’s important to consider the effect that single-use items can have on the environment when they are thrown away and end up in landfill.

For example, 19 major UK retail outlets revealed that 83% of the material offered in clothing or costumes promoted for Halloween is plastic.

My Tool Shed are here to provide you with all the tips needed to make sure your home is full of ghosts and ghouls throughout October, but ensuring you can sleep well knowing you’re looking after the environment too. 

KEY JOBS TO DO IN DECEMBER, JANUARY & FEBRUARY  & WHAT TO GROW: One of the most wonderful benefits of owning a Glasshouse or Greenhouse is the ability to extend the growing season – even in winter. A Glasshouse also provides an invaluable tool for the propagation of seeds and cuttings and the over-wintering of tender plants.

Heritage Glasshouse manufacturer Hartley Botanic has provided some useful tips and know-how for Greenhouse gardeners this winter, to help them make the most of their Greenhouses even in the coldest months. Insight has been taken from Hartley Botanic’s…

Kate Savill and Tamara Bridge brought their beautiful, carefully planned and atmospheric garden designs to the forefront of public attention when they won Channel 5’s The Great Gardening Challenge earlier this year. Here, Kate writes for Garden Trade Specialist about the importance of creating a focal point in a garden and explains how to achieve the look successfully…

A perfectly placed focal point in a garden can really make a space. It’s like sitting a beautiful vase of lilies on a table in a freshly decorated dining room or an expertly chosen piece of art hung on a wall in…

Award-winning Zest 4 Leisure, which manufactures and sources FSC® Certified timber garden furniture, fencing, trellis, gazebos, arches and a wide range of planters, is celebrating its best Glee yet. The company showcased new products for 2020 at the recent garden and outdoor living trade show which were designed by the in-house design team in response to customer feedback, and based upon current and future market trends.

Commenting on their time at Glee 2019, Zest 4 Leisure Managing Director, Steve Morgan, said: “We had a fantastic response to our new products and received some…

Evika are Getting People Started on Their Greenhouse Gardening Journey.

Evika offers a new way for people to begin or continue their greenhouse gardening growing journey by welcoming others into their online community and providing them with an environment online to explore and share ways to produce their own food, use less energy, live healthier and save money, no matter where they live

We recently announced the release of the Evika G1 greenhouse range, a new collection of stunning, modern greenhouses that provides strength, safety and style.

The Evika experience…

With the festive period representing the busiest and most profitable retail period for garden centres, it is more important than ever to stand out from the competition. 

In the run-up to Christmas, customers want to immerse themselves in the festive spirit and they expect garden centres to deliver a magical experience.

Turning your garden centre into a ‘Christmas destination’ is no easy task though. There are lots to consider, how many baubles to buy, have you got enough fairy lights, which colours work together -…

Adrian Marlowe, managing director of employment law specialists Lawspeed, discusses new tax rules IR35 and what they mean if you use contactors…

For many years the options available to businesses for hiring in staff have included the use of contractors, and the number of people willing to work as contractors has grown exponentially over the last decade. Engaging talent therefore has been a relatively straightforward exercise given the few obstacles that have existed when hiring in contractors; all that is needed is to identify the person with the right skillset and availability,…

With customers demanding eco-friendly products and plastic reduction hitting headlines week after week, will 2019 signal the death of the artificial Christmas tree?

Christmas tree growers have long been promoting the ecological benefits of buying real Christmas trees. They hope that this festive season will see customers ditching the plastic in their droves – shunning the boxed-up, chemically formed structures in favour of naturally scented and lovingly grown firs and spruces.

As the nation’s focus is shifted onto plastic reduction by the media and the government pledges a…

Hossein Arshadi is a divisional director at Hillier Nurseries. Here, he discusses why existing biosecurity initiatives will not work in practice and what is still needed from the government, the media and the public to prevent a very costly breakdown in biosecurity.

Q: In recent years there have been several plant health and biosecurity threats to UK trees and plants - for example, Ash dieback, Xylella and Oak Processionary Moth. How concerned is the industry?

There are many wide-ranging businesses within the industry. Growers (or…

Universal Aquatak 135 High Pressure Washer (£179)

Editor Victoria Galligan tried out the Bosch pressure washer on her neglected driveway…

Jet washing is certainly a must for garden traders and for their customers alike. Whether it’s cleaning paving, vehicles or equipment, the job needs to be done well – and quickly. This model caters for a variety or different jobs with its clever adjustable nozzle, so I got cracking on my dull-looking driveway and dusty car.

The 3-in-1 nozzle on the Universal Aquatak performs 10% better than its predecessors, according to Bosch,…