Features

Haskins Garden Centre is encouraging gardeners to make the most of their homegrown spinach with a revitalizing and nutritious spinach smoothie. Alasdair Urquhart, Haskins’ in-house plant expert, commented: “Spinach is brilliant at surviving the winter and bouncing back in April. It’s one of those plants that you can keep picking a handful of leaves and within a week or so there will be new ones to re-harvest.” “Even if you haven’t had time to grow your own spinach, you can still follow our step-by-step recipe for a spinach smoothie.” Ingredients (serves one) 2 handfuls of spinach leaves…

The Summer Outdoor Leisure Exhibition or for those in the know SOLEX, will be opening its doors to the most influential buyers from within the garden industry on 9thJuly 2019.  It will be packed full of the freshest designs from 60 LOFA members, with the full A-Z and everything in between that the outdoor and leisure industry has to offer.  The SOLEX exhibition is all under one roof, and in one hall, so you won’t have to walk for miles and miles to find the most inspirational and innovative products for the 2020 season. In fact it is a great place to do business, this relaxed and friendly…

Henry Bell & Co, the family-owned and leading quality animal feed producer announces the release of its own brand: Henry Bell Wild Bird Care. Henry Bell has over 20 years’ experience in the bird food industry and has been pivotal in the growth of many private label wild bird food brands. The company has now combined its strong expertise and knowledge to launch its own high-quality range of products specially designed to provide health and wellbeing for wild birds. The Henry Bell Wild Bird Care range is comprised of over 100 products catering for every type of garden bird. Created to…

The UK's premier showcase of housewares, tabletop and small domestic appliance brands returns in June 2019 as two shows, Exclusively Housewares and Exclusively Electrical, take place in London. These shows guarantee an explosion of new products, the very latest on trend creations and Christmas gifting collections showcased by the 150 plus exhibitors. Visitors have the unique opportunity to gain an understanding of the very latest styles and trends interpreted for the housewares market by trend experts Scarlet Opus. They will share their predictions for future high street and internet trends…

Barlow Tyrie - New Products 2019 We are very proud of our ranges, designed for both contemporary and traditional palates. Our design team have created new additions that sit perfectly with our current ranges. We are excited to introduce our new products and reinvigorated designs. Layout collection – is a modular deep seating system which brings elegant indoor lounging to outdoor spaces. The collection is comprised of two upholstered seat sizes and seven tables which together create intimate or grand seating environments. Create and configure an individual system that perfectly fits your own…

Defra Minister Lord Gardiner has today formally launched the National Garden Scheme for 2019, with more than 3,500 private gardens opening their gates to visitors every week to the end of October. Now in its 92nd year, the National Garden Scheme opens thousands of beautiful privately-owned gardens for charity, ranging from impressive country houses to inner-city green spaces, community allotments, hospices and school gardens. While a selection of the gardens have been designed professionally, the majority showcase the amazing skills and talents of ordinary people in their own back garden.…

Gardening book author Esther Coombs explains why her book Plant, Sow, Make & Grow would be a great addition to a garden centre's seeds section… As parents everywhere get to the garden centre and find themselves playing seed pick-n-mix with their children, they all look exciting and totally growable on the rack, but then parents get home and think: “Now what do we do?” It’s not an experience that tempts customers back the following year. With Plant, Sow, Make & Grow placed strategically displayed near the seeds section, you can deliver to the customer not only the seeds or plug…

Ahead of the Royal Horticultural Society Chelsea Flower Show, the quintessentially British annual celebration of horticulture and floral design which will delight West London from 21st – 25th May 2019, Hills Balfour rounds up spectacular gardens around the world. From Japanese plum gardens and native Hawaiian botanical parks, to the Chilean flora which has inspired a 2019 RHS Chelsea show garden, here are just some destinations not to be missed in bloom… Glorious gardens in…   Chile  Nashville   Japan with Prince Hotels & Resorts   Brecon Beacons   Québec in Canada…

British gardeners have been warned of seven crimes they could be committing in their backyards and how to avoid them. Outdoor experts GardenBuildingsDirect.co.uk have revealed common criminal offences green-fingered Brits might be unwittingly committing and offered advice on how to steer clear of any legal hot water in the garden. With the weather improving and spring on the way, the warning has been issued so gardeners can make the most of their backyards without any unnecessary stress. A spokesman from GardenBuildingsDirect.co.uk said: “With many gardeners ready to swing back into action…

When considering your project, wood and metal paint can be just as effective as a masonry paint to create an individual and premium style.  To the front of your property a fresh coat of paint for railings, gates, fencing or a front door can immediately impart your style or improve curb appeal.   Painting your front door is an easy and enjoyable task. It is a one-day project that can make the world of different to the appearance of your home with only a little preparation.    Sandtex Technical Consultant, Matthew Brown, gives a few insightful tips to get great results:   “When painting…

LOFA is pleased to announce that 100% of members offering cushions and cushioned outdoor furniture have now earned LOFAssured accreditation.  This is big news as, further to LOFA testing a number of garden cushions from non-LOFA members, bought from online and high-street stores, 8 of the 10 samples failed. The products were then withdrawn from sale, preventing potentially disastrous incidents. LOFA’s (Leisure and Outdoor Furniture Association) “LOFAssured” initiative ensures that all cushions sold by members comply with current government fire safety regulations. LOFA has been on a three-…

Garden design experts, The Garden Trellis Company, has just launched a new competitively priced range of ready-to-assemble painted sheds, offering garden DIY enthusiasts a practical and attractive, yet affordable, storage solution. Available to order online or by phone, the ready-to-assemble range is an exciting move for the company that already offers a bespoke collection of joinery solutions. It hopes the new range will help it reach a brand-new market of customers who relish a DIY garden task, yet still want a stylish product. Built in the Garden Trellis Co.'s UK workshop in Clacton-on-…

Exhibitors at second Glee at Spring Fair report high levels of orders as buyers from retail powerhouses and independents flock to NEC to do business Business was booming at the second annual Glee at Spring Fair, with upbeat exhibitors reporting strong levels of orders and new leads at a key point in the spring sales season. Buyers from retail powerhouses such as Amazon, John Lewis and Robert Dyas, as well as representatives from garden centres, summer festivals and public events, flocked to Birmingham’s National Exhibition Centre (NEC) on 3-7th February – helping exhibitors to land new…

As the second annual ‘Glee at Spring Fair’ gets ever closer, the show’s Event Director, Matthew Mein, provides an update on what the industry can expect, and why garden retailers should make the event a ‘must attend’ part of their spring 2019 plans.  Why Glee at Spring Fair – how does it differ to the September show? Glee at Spring Fair was introduced in 2018 for one simple reason - Spring Fair is the UK’s number one Home and Gift Fair, with an audience which is already engaged and ready and willing to do business. The exhibition already welcomes a strong garden centre contingent, with…

MEMBERS of the Garden Centre Association (GCA) are this month (January, 2019) being reminded to compete for the chance to win the Worrall Cup. The cup will be awarded to the garden centre with the best marketing campaign or initiative during the GCA’s annual conference at Luton Hoo from January 20-23. Iain Wylie, Chief Executive of the GCA, said: “There is still time for our member garden centres to enter the Worrall Cup competition if they believe they have the best marketing campaign or initiative. “We really enjoy going through all of the creative initiatives that our members come up…

Many consumers think that they can enjoy a Phalaenopsis for longer if they buy one with most of the buds closed. Florists are also prone to believing this persistent misconception. Research commissioned by Orchidee Nederland shows, however, that it is much better for the quality of the Phalaenopsis to buy them at a more mature stage.  "It’s not only consumers and buyers for garden centres and supermarkets who believe that closed buds mean a longer enjoyment of a Phalaenopsis in bloom," explains chain advisor Gitta ten Hoope from the Knowledge Centre Product Quality of the flower auction…