Features

Tuesday 11July – 5.30pm – 7.30pm  Are you ready for an evening filled with delicious food, refreshing drinks, and great fun?  Look no further than the Fire Food and Outdoor Living Evening at SOLEX 2023. On July 11th from 5.30pm to 7.30pm, come join us for the BBQ Hero competition in partnership with BBQ magazine and mingle with industry experts. Plus, enjoy drinks tastings from Powder Monkey Brewing Co, Tidal Rum, and Beefsteak Club wine.  Do you have what it takes to be crowned the BBQ Hero? Put your skills to the test as you compete head-to-head with other attendees. Impress our judges…

As we start to consider who might be crowned a GIMA award winner this year, the judging panel with the hard job of choosing the deserving brands has now been confirmed. Once again, GIMA has secured an impressive line-up of judges, with garden centre and multiple retailer representatives, trend experts, leading buyers, plus trade and consumer editors bringing their experience to the role. Confirmed judges are Gary Carvosso, Coolings Garden Centre; Shelley Bou Chrouch, Scarlet Opus; Mairi Devlin, B&Q; Ian Hodgson, Garden News; Trevor Pfeiffer, Garden Trade News; Michelle de Lavis-Trafford…

With just over a week to go, walkers and cyclists from across the garden retail sector are busy limbering up as they prepare to tackle the 2023 Garden Re-Leaf Sponsored Walk and Cycle Challenge (24th March 2023).   This year, walkers will be taking on one of two walks, with the new-for-2023 north walk having a handful of spaces left for those walkers based in the north of the country. Organised by long-term Greenfingers ally, Jane Lawler Associates, and supported by Will Armitage, Jenny Douthwaite and Martin Cowell, this 12-mile circular route will take in ‘Last of the Summer Wine’ country…

The technology that powers our smartphones is also driving electric vehicles, including materials handling equipment.  Terry Andrews, National Sales Manager at Grant Handling takes a look at Lithium-ion battery powered forklifts to discover why more businesses are making the switch to the Heli Lithium Lite range. When you rely on your electric forklift for loading, unloading and transporting goods over short distances, in warehouses or yards, you need maximum availability, reliability and convenience.     Over recent years, the cleaner, greener and quieter electric-powered forklift has…

Hillier has unveiled its garden design for the 2023 BBC Gardeners’ World Spring Fair. This year’s design is an interactive, walkthrough garden enclosed in high hedges and wildflower turf. Inspired by The Secret Garden, the design will encourage visitors to get up close and personal with the plants displayed. There are three main areas in the garden for visitors to experience. On the right-hand side and flowing around the garden will be a stunning colour-coordinated display of herbaceous perennials and shrubs, beginning with cool whites and purples through to fiery reds and oranges. Moving…

Whatever you are planning to do to raise vital funds for the Greenfingers Charity this Garden Re-Leaf Day (March 24th), be sure to register it online at www.greenfingerscharity.org.uk/get-involved/gardenreleaf Registering your event only takes a few minutes and doing so enables you to request a host of fundraising support tools including branded t-shirts, balloons and collection boxes to ensure that your day (or weekend!) of fundraising goes with a bang, drawing in crowds from all over. Those looking to tackle the ever-popular Garden Re-Leaf Sponsored Walk and Cycle Challenge – including…

ONE OF THE country’s leading commercial nurseries has once again signed-up to exhibit at the Four Oaks Trade Show in Cheshire this September (2023). Wyevale Nurseries, which has had a stand at the show for more than 10 years, will be showcasing its latest plants at the event on September 5 and 6. Ian Wright, Commercial Sales Director at Wyevale Nurseries, says: “We’re delighted to be exhibiting once again at the 2023 Four Oaks Trade Show. It has become a significant and vital fixture in our annual events calendar, especially post-Covid, as we find our customers prefer to meet face-to-face…

Online registration for the International Festival of Garden, Leisure and Pet, Glee 2023 – taking place at the NEC in late June (27th – 29th) - is now live. Join the show to see over 400 established and emerging brands, access unrivalled networking opportunities, discover thousands of new products as well as the latest market intelligence and trend-led insight.     This year’s registration process – accessed via www.gleebirmingham.com/visitor-registration - is slightly different as the Glee team wants to ensure that they send the right information to visitors, to help them to make the most…

The Partnership has been in place for the past few years and exists to keep readers in the know about LANDSCAPE – The Industry Trade Show. Garden Trade Specialist proudly supports the event and is well connected to inform their audience on all of the many opportunities the exhibition provides to source new products all while making new connections and learning from others working in the field. Working closely together helps to establish what retailers and buyers need from a trade show and ensures proper representation of the garden industry at LANDSCAPE. After 12 years of providing an…

This unique event brings together all the leading manufacturers of outdoor living products and provides a showcase for all the exciting new developments in design, environmental manufacturing, sustainability, and products for both the retail and contract markets. SOLEX, an essential event, organised by the industry for the industry, to see what’s new and what’s on trend for the new Summer season. The Solex Exhibition has been a haven for trade buyers since its inception. With its beautiful displays and inspiring ideas, this Summer Outdoor Living Exhibition attracts quality buyers and…

Holy Mackerel have announced a new collaboration to bring you beautiful greetings cards by well-loved artist Ailsa Black. Ailsa’s first range with the team at Holy Mackerel is “Fields and Fathoms” – this range of blank art cards is a feast of colour, and the 42 designs will make a splash of colour in any display with their vibrant mix of coastal and countryside scenery and wildlife. Ailsa’s landscapes are full of the birds and animals that inspire her on her daily walks, and you’ll find Highland Coos, badgers, seals and all walks of country life! Ailsa has a well-established following and…

Eurostick is one of Europe's largest Souvenir and Gift suppliers. Established in 1995, we design and manufacture an extensive range of souvenir and gift products. Expanding rapidly in the past few years, Eurostick has introduced high quality accessory collections including Aran Traditions and Heritage Traditions which are distributed worldwide. With a highly experienced team we offer total retail solutions for the souvenir and gift trade, from development to delivery, we can help. We ensure 100% commitment to customer service with our prompt order processing and quick delivery. We pride…

The Primeur team is still riding high after a glittering night of celebrations at the recent 41st GIMA Awards, where the team celebrated winning yet another award for its already bulging trophy cabinet.  This year, Primeur was crowned winner of the GIMA Decorative Pots & Planters category for its new-for-2022 55.5cm Flamenco planter, part of the Tierra Verde self-watering planter collection. Like all planters in the Tierra Verde collection, the Flamenco is made from recycled rubber tyres, helping to divert this material from landfill where it could take upwards of 80 years to decompose…

This year’s GIMA Awards are fast approaching (20th October, Celtic Manor) and, as always, the event is only possible due to the incredible support of the industry it represents, including a host of sponsors made up of manufacturers, suppliers and media representatives. From champagne for the winners to the table and pre-dinner drinks, raffle prizes and category sponsors, this year’s roster is testament to the generosity of those that support the awards every year. Hot on the heels of its first ever June edition of the exhibition, Glee – the leading trade exhibition for the garden retail…

Hobo + co. is an independent home fragrance and wellness company based in Lincolnshire. Our soy based, vegan friendly and cruelty free range of products include candles, tealights, wax melts, reed diffusers, room mists and mineral rich bath salts.  Inspired by a free-spirited love for travelling the world with fragrances evoking memories of special places. For those who wander and drift.  Hobo + co. is an independent home fragrance and wellness company based in rural Lincolnshire. Our soy based, vegan friendly and cruelty free range of products include candles, tealights, wax melts, reed…

LOFA is proud to announce its partnership with Perennial, a charity working to support and promote the health of those who work in horticulture. As part of this partnership, LOFA has pledged to donate £20,000 to help Perennial in their efforts.  LOFA is supporting Perennial to promote positive health and wellbeing through sponsoring an Interactive Health Kiosk that provides a unique opportunity for individuals to take a quick, private and confidential snapshot of their physical and mental health. The kiosk carries out a Health MOT which includes Wellbeing Age™, Weight, BMI, Body Fat Content…