Features

RETAILERS visited two Hereford nurseries in March (2017) to attend their PlantFest and to see new product developments for the coming year. Wyevale Nurseries and Allensmore Nurseries held the joint open day on Wednesday, March 8 for any plant retailer, both existing customers and those who may not have been supplied by either nursery. Adam Dunnett, Sales and Marketing Director at Wyevale Nurseries, said: “We held the open day event again in collaboration with our neighbours Allensmore Nurseries and customers were encouraged to come and visit both sites in one day. Adam Dunnett, Sales and…

Gorgeous garden orchids add a touch of exotic beauty to your garden. These wonderful plants create a stunning display in a shady part of your garden throughout spring, and become a true star of the garden increasing in size with maturity. There are four wonderfully different but equally stunning types of Garden Orchid available – Pleione, Calantha, Bletilla and Cypripedium. These have been developed by the specialist Dutch nursery, Anthura, who were established in the 1970’s. Growing to a maximum of 50cm x 50cm (20in x 20in), the four different types of garden orchid offer a variety of…

We know how hard it is to see everything you want to at a busy exhibition and the HTA are giving all visitors their own VIP invitation to the HTA National Plant Show, sponsored by Hortipak, and Nursery Supply Show (NSS). The HTA have been working very closely with the venue to enhance the experience for visitors and for 2017 this will include rehydration stations around the halls offering ice cold water infused with zesty lemon slices and fresh mint, Fruit stops where you can grab one of your 5 a day and our Food on the go pod where you can pick up a takeaway bowl of summery soup and a…

Britain's leading manufacturer of plastic housewares, What More UK, reports an excellent and encouraging response from its presence at the annual Autumn Fair at the NEC, Birmingham. Returning to the autumn trade fair after an absence of 10 years, the Lancashire-based firm behind the renowned ‘Wham' brand was kept exceptionally busy on its spacious custom-built exhibition stand over the full four days of the event, from September 6th to 9th. "We experienced high numbers of both visitors to our stand and orders taken throughout Autumn Fair 2015," reported delighted What More director Tony…

Somerset based Durston Garden Products continues to grow as the company returns from GLEE 2015 with even more new customers under its belt. The 100% British based family owned company was established in 1860, and continues to operate from its original location in Somerset where the business now boasts one of the most modern fully automated packaging plants in the UK today.    “The success of the company” says sales & marketing director, Chris Durston “can be attributed to a number of factors, with the most notable being our  reputation within the industry for offering excellent quality…

A new twist on the traditional wheelbarrow, Baksaver Barrow, won two awards – the Best Machinery and Tools Product and the New Product Innovation Award – at the Glee garden show in Birmingham. The Innovation Award was added to the award programme for 2015. Created in response to industry feedback, this new award celebrates true innovation from the 500+ exhibitors filling Glee in 2015. The Baksaver Barrow is a new wheelbarrow designed to tip and push with ease.  It's particularly useful for anyone who struggles to use a traditional wheelbarrow.  More information can be found online at www.…

SEVEN new plants were unveiled at this year’s (2015) Four Oaks Trade Show by Wyevale Nurseries. The plants included Fuchsia ‘Thumbelina Gem’, Geranium ‘Purple Ghost’, Raspberry ‘Ruby Beauty’, Salvia ‘Clotted Cream’, Salvia ‘Joy’, Salvia ‘Love and Wishes’ and Salvia ‘Super Trouper’. Adam Dunnett, Sales and Marketing Director at Wyevale Nurseries, said: “We were very excited to be able to unveil seven new plants at this year’s Four Oaks Trade Show. “The plants show true innovation in the plant market. Raspberry ‘Ruby Beauty’ is the first ever dwarf, patio raspberry and is perfect for the…

What an exciting new chapter for Gardman and its customers … Gardman goes to Glee next month with a greatly enhanced product range following this summer’s management buy-out that has left the company in its strongest financial position for eight years. Chairman Jonathan Halford, who led the buy-out, says the new management structure, backed by private equity investor Rutland Partners, which owns Pizza Hut, Bernard Matthews and Maplin, gives the company a stability it has not had since 2007. Headline news at Glee will be the introduction of a stock availability guarantee, made possible by…

Kelkay, the market-leading manufacturer and distributor of aggregates, is showcasing its Country Cottages collection of self contained water features within its extensive line-up of new product launches at Glee 2015. Three choices make up the stunning Country Cottages range - Bramble, Old Mill and Tudor. Each one oozes exquisite detail and exceptional quality. Designed by Kelkay, the water features measure 490mm high x 440mm wide x 400mm deep and include LED lights, giving them a daylong glow. Kelkay will be delivering the Country Cottages to retailers from October. Visitors to the stands…

Yankee Candle, the world’s best loved candle™, has launched a new limited edition collection of food and drink inspired fragrances for autumn to sweeten the senses and warm the heart when it’s cold outside.  The new Sweet Treats range features rich, indulgent, creamy scents and vibrant, colourful, fruity fragrances which are perfect for those with a sweet tooth or a thirst for something a little bit different. Sweet Treats have been inspired by the change of season and promise of autumn, when the nights start to darken, weather begins to change and family activities become more home focused…

Specialist knowledge in the use of Valoya LED lighting to improve the performance of plant growth has led to successful trials in LED therapy on two of racehorse owner Phil Kirby’s most promising runners, thanks to the involvement of Exhibition Seeds and HydroGarden. Trials began in March when Valoya LED B-series Full Spectrum lights were introduced to two of the horseboxes at Phil’s Sharpehill Stables in Middleham, North Yorkshire, following a suggestion by Keith Foster, owner of horticultural and seed specialists, Exhibition Seeds, and Stephen Fry, commercial sales manager for Coventry-…

IBC, the UK’s fastest growing Buying Group for Independent Builders Merchants has announced the launch of their new Garden Division – working with Garden and Lifestyle centres to assist and add value to their procurement process. Commercial Director Paul Read said “It’s an obvious step for us in truth, a number of our existing Supply Partners cut across both General Merchant Supply and Garden Centres and our model lends itself perfectly for the many Independent Garden & Lifestyle centres across the UK.” Paul continued “IBC Garden will follow the key ethos of our merchant model,…

With over seven months until the doors open to Harrogate Christmas & Gift 2016, the show is proving its reputation as the pivotal trade event of the year with two halls of the Harrogate International Centre already sold out and five further Halls fast following suit. For anyone in the Christmas business, this show has always been an important date for the diary. However, in the last four years the show has grown beyond expectations and attracts not only companies from the UK, but numerous international exhibitors too. Significantly, whilst the festive season remains the focus of the…

Garden retailers, landscapers and builders merchants looking to build their business will be flocking to i2i Events’ UK-leading garden retail event, Glee (14th – 16th September, NEC Birmingham), where the latest innovations from hundreds of garden industry suppliers will be on show in one convenient location. With just two months to go until the doors open on the 2015 show we catch up with i2i’s Matthew Mein, event manager at Glee, to find out more about what is in store. The future looks bright at Glee Matthew said: “In many ways 2014 could be considered the perfect storm. The sun shone,…

Celebrating its 10th anniversary, this year’s Outdoor Trade Show (OTS 2015) on Tuesday 15th September 2015, at Stoneleigh Park in Warwickshire. Not only do retailers have the unique opportunity of viewing clothing, footwear and accessory products inside the two exhibition halls, but over 500 tents from the industry’s leading brands will be pitched on the grass outdoors at the same time to attract a wider variety of retail visitors. Over 90 exhibitors have already booked stands to take advantage of retailers looking to diversify, including cooking equipment brands Cadac and Cobb, and leading…

Peter Beales Roses and Whartons Nurseries are teaming up with Dragonfli to offer the ultimate planting aid for roses. Whartons Nurseries will market the new Peter Beales recommended Roots Boost exclusively to garden centres alongside their famous roses. Roots Boost combines 18 species of Endo and Ecto Mycorrhiza fungi, which ensures Roots Boost aids many different plant types and is combined with bio stimulants and microbes to improve plant health and help suppress soil borne diseases. The benefits to roses and other plants with using Roots Boost include: Early root establishment and…