Zest 4 Leisure, a leading trade supplier of quality timber garden products including furniture, arches, arbours and fencing, is celebrating another successful year at Glee 2018.

Leading garden centre group, Haskins Garden Centres, is delighted to announce the launch of its new Garden Gang Facebook page, designed to get children outside and involved in gardening.

The Facebook page provides parents with regular updates suitable for children, including how to encourage wildlife into the garden, an array of fun and educational worksheets, sowing seeds and a selection of gardening games.

Lisa Looker, brand director at Haskins, commented: “Family is rooted into our core here at Haskins so we feel we have a responsibility to help parents encourage their children to get involved in gardening. 

The horticultural heart of the exhibition, Glee Plants, showcases an extensive range of plants, trees and shrubs from UK and international suppliers. To date a host of brands – of all sizes – have confirmed their presence at the September show (10th – 12th September, NEC Birmingham), bringing with them the best new plant varieties for the season ahead.

Look out for key suppliers such as Laurica Plants, Javado, Florna Plants, Strawson Woodland, H.S Hommes & Sons, Key Essentials, Leybaert BVBA, and The Christmas Cabin. Together these brands – along with a host of yet to be confirmed names -will be showcasing an exciting mix of nursery stock, bedding plants, house plants, cut flowers, trees and shrubs, herbs and florist sundries.

Manchester-based pet bedding and accessory specialists Scruffs® have confirmed their participation at this year’s Zoomark® in Bologna next month.

Based in Hall 25, B96-C97 this year; Scruffs® are set to re-imagine their “British Country Manor” themed stand, with notable improvements to display space and overall aesthetics.Scruffs® will be showcasing several new product ranges and designs this year, as the brand continues to update its core collections to reflect changes in the market.

Dubby Klyne, Sales Director at Scruffs®, said: “We’ve been hard at work over the past two years, and since our last visit to Bologna there have been various enhancements to our product range. We are excited to display our new-looking pet bedding and accessory collections, with improvements and additions throughout.”

The Garden Industry Manufacturers’ Association’s AGM and Day Conference took place on 10th April at Ettington Chase Hotel, Stratford-Upon-Avon, with 60 members in attendance.  With a packed agenda, the day tackled everything from how consumers are changing the face of retailing, to the impact of technology upon purchasing decisions, the importance of inspiration, and how one retailer is forging ahead in this new retail landscape.

GIMA’s Director, Vicky Nuttall kicked off proceedings, updating the room with positive news, in that GIMA has witnessed its fifth year of member growth, with 171 brands now forming the membership roster. Vicky continued to highlight a great start to the year with events such as Glee at Spring Fair and the Garden Press Event. The association also has a number of key events upcoming such as Buyer Connect (May 29th, and July 10th) as well as the Charity Day (June 6th) and annual GIMA Awards (July 4th), to which members were invited to attend.

Following Vicky was Philip Benton, Research Manager for Euromonitor International’s Home & Tech division. In his session Philip highlighted opportunities for growth through ‘megatrends’. According to Euromonitor’s data, key drivers for future growth of the garden market will be technology, the shifting economic power, population change, and environmental shifts, which Philip broke down into three megatrends. The first was ‘Ethical Living’ best summarised by more eco-conscious consumers, who will be focused on sustainability, veganism and the anti-plastic movement. 

Barlow Tyrie is approaching 100 years since starting as a specialist manufacturer of Teakwood outdoor furniture. We are known and respected in developed markets worldwide having progressed from humble beginnings in East London to be the oldest remaining manufacturer of this very traditional English product.

It’s far from a dog’s life for man’s best friend at Balmer Lawn, as it launches an exclusive ‘Barking Lawn’ menu for its four-legged guests.

The award-winning dog-friendly Hampshire hotel has always welcomed the furry fraternity through its doors but has now decided to offer them a place to sit at the table rather than underneath it to enjoy a bowl (or two) of what they really fancy – and what’s good for them. 

The Barking Lawn menu, which launches on Monday, 1^st April, begins with a flavoursome pawsecco aperitif, sure to leave your hound bright eyed and bushy tailed for the menu ahead. Next up, your faithful friend can enjoy a fresh pulled pawk salad, featuring crisp leaves from our homegrown vegetable patch. For mains, your four-legged friend will enjoy a delicious poochini mushroom risotto; a nutty blend of porcini mushrooms gently sautéed in truffle-infused oil and rosemary. 

THE GARDEN Centre Association (GCA) Trust recently (April, 2019) selected Emma Lamb from Barton Grange Garden Centre and Sam Clark from Cowell’s Garden Centre to attend this year’s International Garden Centre Association (IGCA) Congress.

The two candidates will receive a sponsored place at the IGCA Congress in September as part of the Dick Allen Scholarship Award Scheme.

Sue Allen, Trust Chairman, said: “This is the fourth year we have sponsored GCA member centre staff to attend the IGCA and we’re delighted to announce Emma and Sam as the two lucky candidates.

“The pair will experience this unique event in the company of like-minded potential managers and spend their time visiting top garden centres, other retailers and historic gardens. They will even have time to visit the Bombay Sapphire Gin distillery, the London Eye and take a cruise on the Thames. Throughout the week they will be discussing issues that affect our industry, forming firm friendships and making important contacts.

“The Trust were thrilled with the calibre of applicants this year and it was a very tricky decision to make, but we’d like to congratulate Emma and Sam and we hope they thoroughly enjoy their trip later this year.”

EMILY WRIGHT from Martley on the Worcestershire-Herefordshire boarder has recently (April, 2019) joined one of the UK’s leading commercial nurseries as its HR Manager.

In her role at Wyevale Nurseries, which is based in Hereford, Emily will manage and develop successful HR strategies that help the company to achieve its goals.

Thirty-five-year-old Emily, who previously worked as an Engagement Manager for the Royal Bank of Scotland (RBS) group, said: “I am thrilled to have joined the team at Wyevale Nurseries. 

“Before making the decision to move from London to Martley, I worked in the financial industry. I have experience working as a Senior Level Executive Assistant for RBS. This role involved supporting senior management and line managers across a broad scope of HR employee relation issues. More latterly, my role at the RBS Group included delivering on reward and recognition projects, as well as wellbeing incentives.

As part of its ongoing commitment to its stockist customers, Wrexham-based Treadstone Products has put together a comprehensive range of merchandiser options to support all of the products in its three main product ranges, which include The Good Life selection of gardening essentials, the newly launched range of ClipGlove gardening gloves and Peter Rabbit themed gardening products for children.