Features

Excitement is building for a spectacular return for the 50th anniversary Four Oaks Trade Show in 2022, set for 6 & 7 September at our Cheshire nursery site.  Exhibiting offers the opportunity to meet with buyers, from across the horticultural trade sector, who come to look for new plants, products, technology, services and to connect with suppliers, colleagues, friends old and new. After a two-year gap and with new features including a comprehensive conference program, there is much to attract visitors who are expressing great anticipation at returning to Four Oaks once more.  Hundreds…

The much-loved Garden Re-Leaf Day Sponsored Walk and Cycle Challenge is making its return this March 18th. Having last taken place in 2020 just before the pandemic took hold, the return of the ever-popular challenge will be music to the ears of those Garden Re-Leaf supporters that have made the event an essential part of their annual FUNdraising plans.  This year’s Garden Re-Leaf Day Sponsored Walk and Cycle Challenge will start and end at Dobbies World’s End store, near Aylesbury, with teams and individuals invited to join in the fun. The route will take participants on a stunning tour of…

Echoing the incredible growth that is shaping the garden retail sector, Glee 2022 – taking part in late June (28th – 30th, NEC Birmingham) - is enjoying pre-pandemic levels of activity, helping the exhibition to fill 80% of its exhibition space with just five months to go until the doors open on this year’s edition of the leading garden retail event. With four halls of the NEC fit to bursting (that’s one more hall than in 2021!), Glee 2022 – the very first to take place in late June, helping the show to better align with the renewed buying cycle – will be a hotbed of leading brands and…

Ahead of its first Day Conference of 2022, GIMA has revealed more details about what attendees can expect to learn during the one-day event focused on Extended Producer Responsibility Regulations (EPR). Taking place on February 17th at Wyboston Lakes in Bedfordshire, the packed agenda will look at the EPR regulation changes that are set to come into effect in 2023. These changes will see any businesses that turn over more than £1million, or handle more than 25 tonnes of packaging annually, become responsible for the full cost of managing all packaging they place into the market. …

Showcasing the Landscaping industry more than ever before, The LANDSCAPE Show 2022 looks to bring more exhibitors, more visitors and more features than ever before to Hall 3 at the National Exhibition Centre in Birmingham on the 28th and 29th September.  This year LANDSCAPE introduces brand new features, including a Student Showcase by London College of Garden Design, and an additional program of ‘How to’ Seminars alongside their already outstanding program of 40 CPD accredited sessions for anyone in the industry to learn, grow, be inspired and expand their skills. Back again is the highly…

ExaClair launches 3 additions within its refreshed Décopatch mini kits range. ExaClair Limited, the UK distributor for Décopatch has launched 3 new kits to complement its popular mini kits range, containing everything required for a new Décopatch project all in one convenient box.  These new mini kits featuring a teddy bear, dragon and turtle are perfect for kids and adults alike and make a great introduction to the world of Décopatch! Each kit contains one ready to decorate papier mâché shape, two sheets of Décopatch paper, one glue pot and a brush. There are a dozen different mini kits to…

ExaClair launches new collection of Clairefontaine fine art sets in partnership with MOLOTOW™. ExaClair Limited, the UK distributor for Clairefontaine, is delighted to announce their new collaboration with the renowned German graffiti art brand MOLOTOW™, by releasing a selection of six unique fine art competence sets.  The sets contain specially chosen essentials from both of the brands to highlight watercolour or acrylic techniques.  Each set combines a variety of products, such as Molotow™ ONE4ALL marker pens or AQUA COLOR brushes with carefully selected Clairefontaine Fine Art papers that…

What they expect to see in 2022: Hartley Botanic is one of the oldest and most respected Glasshouse and Greenhouse manufacturers in the UK. The Lancashire-based business, which next year will have been running for 84 years, is known for the beauty, enduring strength, quality and performance of its Greenhouses and is the manufacturer of choice for leading horticultural organisations, institutions and designers in the UK and worldwide. With its finger on the pulse when it comes to what those in the market for a Greenhouse are looking for, every year the manufacturer predicts what it expects…

bio-bean Limited, maker of Coffee Logs – planet-friendly fire logs powered by coffee – has cut its carbon footprint by 6%. The company has achieved this by removing the thin wax coating from the surface of Coffee Logs, making the product even more sustainable whilst remaining an efficient, high-quality fuel.  When bio-bean first developed Coffee Logs – around 7 years ago – it included a thin coating of paraffin wax on the outer surface of the logs. The wax served as a solid, protective layer to keep the logs from breaking during transport to stores and into consumers’ homes. It also kept…

Museums & Galleries Ltd launched in the 1980s with the aim of bringing the gems of the world’s museums to beautifully made and produced cards and stationery for the high street. It remains true to this mission today, but over the years the company has expanded both its product portfolio and the variety of art it publishes, so today has an outstanding retail offer covering a wide spectrum from heritage fine art to contemporary fashion design, old masters to contemporary artists and illustrators, anonymous archival discoveries to the most prestigious of fine art museum brands. The company…

NEW compact-size ‘Performance’ BBQs feature technology and design innovations. Char-Broil’s new BBQ range for 2022 presents the Performance 2.0 line, designed in a compact new shape to take up less garden space while still packed with high-performing features.  Key to this is an enhanced version of Char-Broil’s innovative TRU-Infrared cooking system, as well as high-quality burners and grates which enable these grills to deliver fool- proof BBQ results every time. The Char-Broil Performance launch in 2022 will be supported by a new Char-Broil brand advertising campaign, in print and online,…

THE GARDEN Centre Association’s (GCA) 56th annual conference due to take place at the end of this month has been postponed as a result of the ongoing spread of Omicron (January 2022). The organisation’s executive committee has taken the decision to defer the event based on safety concerns and made the announcement to members this morning (January 10). Tammy Woodhouse, GCA Chairman Elect, who is due to take office as Chairman this month, explains: “I’m very disappointed to announce that we’ve decided to postpone the January 2022 GCA conference.  “As an executive committee, we feel the…

Dog owners need look no further when seeking a tasty, healthy way to keep their Furr Babies hydrated - Furr Boost is a natural dog drink which pooches and their parents across the UK love!  Designed especially for our canine counterparts, it provides a junk-free complement to a dog’s daily water intake and is formulated using only human-grade, high-quality ingredients, so discerning dog owners can be sure that they’re giving their pet a treat which is both delicious and nutritious. Perfect for even the fussiest of four-legged friends, it is available in three appetising flavours; beef,…

BOOKING has now opened (November 2021) for the Garden Centre Association’s (GCA) annual conference in January (January 23-26, 2022). The conference, which will include talks, industry updates and opportunities to socialise, takes place at the Mercure Blackburn Dunkenhalgh Hotel and Spa in Lancashire from January 23 until 26. GCA Chief Executive, Iain Wylie, said: “As this is the grand return of our annual conference, our last was held in 2020 as last year’s had to be cancelled due to Covid, we wanted to let people know booking for the event is now open, so if you are hoping to attend, please…

Portfolio Home to Launch New Festive Collection for Garden Centres at Harrogate Christmas Fair. Christmas is coming with Portfolio’s new throws and cushions  Leading home textiles brand, Portfolio Home, has launched a stunning new range of traditional and quirky Christmas products specifically tailored to Garden Centres and Retailers which they are excited to showcase exclusively at Harrogate Christmas Fair (16th – 19th January 2022). The new festive collection includes soft fleece throws and tapestry velvet cushions which have been designed to help increase consumer basket value during the…

EcoGro are delighted to announce their new additions to their highly popular family of eco-friendly, sustainable and natural plant foods: EcoGro Lawn Power, and the EcoGro one litre range.  EcoGro Lawn Power is an exciting and innovative natural plant food designed to help your lawn flourish. This new product contains added nutrients and works with the soil microbes to aid root development. It also acts as a moss suppressant, helping avoid these dense mats which outcompete with grass for all vital water and nutrients. By activating microbes, it will also breakdown any dead matter and…