Features


Tuffgrass and Quick Lawn top Johnsons Lawn Seed
Johnsons Lawn Seed, the UK’s oldest lawn seed brand, is reporting healthy sales of two of its most iconic consumer brands, despite the nationwide lockdown that gripped the garden trade during peak season. Sales of the company’s leading Tuffgrass and Quick Lawn brands have witnessed a year-to-date increase of 35% and 30% respectively, with performance driven by innovation which saw both lines refreshed for 2020 to incorporate the latest seed technology. Johnsons Lawn Seed’s Guy Jenkins said: “Performance of the Tuffgrass and Quick Lawn brands has been outstanding, despite the unprecedented…

Chris Mellor ex scruffs marketing head
At a time of huge uncertainly for many businesses, one entrepreneur , Ex Scruffs Marketing Head, is launching a new enterprise aimed squarely at supporting small businesses.   True Blue Marketing™ is the brainchild of Chris Mellor-Dolman and aims to help businesses as they emerge in the new landscape post Covid-19.   Marketer Chris has a track record spanning 20 years with award-winning construction trade brands including Scruffs, Van Vault and Defender.  He was made redundant prior to the pandemic and has spent the past few months planning the launch of his marketing service.    According to…

garden trends
The best and worst garden trends of all time have been revealed by leading tool firm Draper Tools - with bird feeders and vegetable patches among the good, and gnomes and fake grass among the bad. The study of 2,000 UK adults with gardens also found that over a third of people say improving their garden is a priority right now, with almost 2 in 5 people planning to spend more on their garden this year than ever before. Best & worst trends Water features, summer houses and decking are viewed favourably among green-fingered Brits – as are herb gardens, living walls and outdoors kitchens.…

Frosts Garden Centres
National Resource Consortium (NRC) completed a waste management service project for Frosts Garden Centres. The bespoke project has increased recycling by over 300% and generated a reduction in costs of circa 20% - enabling the four centre group to achieve Zero Waste to Landfill Status. Frosts Garden Centres is an award winning, family owned group of garden centres, which over the past 74 years has grown to be a highly respected brand with a loyal customer base, with sites at Woburn Sands, Brampton, Willington and Millets Farm in the South of England. The four garden centres create a large…

fire wood sales increase
Kindwood – the UK’s first true sustainable firewood company – is reporting that since the beginning of lockdown, firewood sales have increased by more than 320% as UK consumers look to make the most of their time in their homes and gardens during this period of uncertainty – a significant opportunity for retailers who want to optimise this increasingly popular product category.   Kindwood’s founder, Taylor Gathercole, has attributed this increase in sales to the public’s need to create a sense of calm and comfort within their homes, especially during a time of significant turmoil. Taylor said…

credit insurance guarantee for garden centres
Earlier last week, the UK government confirmed that it will step in to prop up the trade credit insurance market, bringing welcome relief to GIMA members and other suppliers within the garden retail sector. Trade credit insurance is a contract bought by suppliers to make sure they get paid even if their customers default and cannot pay the bills.  British garden retail suppliers will now be able to access vital insurance more easily following this latest Government intervention during the ongoing Coronavirus pandemic. The latest announcement confirmed that by the end of May, the government…

special giveaway - Nassau dining sets
It’s hard to think of a way that will truly demonstrate our gratitude for all the keyworkers that are holding this country together during the Covid-19 lockdown. LifestyleGarden® - one of the UK’s leading outdoor furniture suppliers – knew they couldn’t sit back and do nothing which is why the company recently launched a special #FeetUpWithLifestyleGardengiveaway as a way of showing their thanks for these incredible human beings.   Running across the company’s social media platforms, the LifestyleGarden® team asked its followers to nominate the keyworkers in their life for the chance to win…

Composting
With the nations digging their fingers into their gardens, making sustainable choices that will benefit the planet has never been more important. With the strong relationship between nature and its positive effect on the human psyche, enjoying time in green space can really benefit us as people during this pandemic. The current restricted access to our wider environment has turned many towards cultivating their own garden, a fact  highlighted by the 30% increase in demand for Veolia’s peat free gardening products. This demand has been further heightened by the recognition of the impact of…

demand for greenhouses
Historic Glasshouse and Greenhouse manufacturer Hartley Botanic is experiencing a renewed demand from homeowners in their beautiful, handmade Greenhouses during lockdown, as the benefit of being more self-sufficient and ‘growing your own’ is thrown sharply into focus. The Lancashire-based business, which has been operating since 1938, has experienced a c.35 percent increase in customers citing ‘growing their own’ as the primary reason they want to invest in a Glasshouse or Greenhouse since lockdown, with customers saying they ‘never want to be caught out like this again.’ To meet the growing…

Reopening retail stores
Many retail stores may be beginning to consider how they will tackle reopening once the government enforced lockdown is eased. But knowing where to start, and ensuring compliance, is causing confusion and stress for many. Help is at hand however, with the launch of the new Cleaner Retail online store; a store designed to cut through the noise and provide retailers with everything they need to create a sanitised retail environment that will enable them to reopen and stay open, whilst also protecting staff and customers as we navigate a new ‘normal’.  The importance of signage The government…

safe shopping to help retailers re-open
With the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic expected to change the way we shop for the long-term, Ivyline – more popularly known for its range of trend-led indoor plant pots – has launched Cleaner Retail with one mission in mind: to help retailers re-open, remain compliant in regards to hygiene and social distancing, and ultimately, stay open with a cleaner and more efficient retail environment to meet the demands of the post-lockdown world.   From sanitisation and hand washing stations, social distance signage and clothing, to PPE kit and equipment and screening, Cleaner Retail is a ‘one stop…

Plants in cold store for bare root season
WYEVALE Nurseries’ new cold store facilities have allowed the company to extend its bare root hedging and forestry transplant supply season to assist customers seeking supplies.    Its recently doubled cold storage capacity means that although the final date for lifting bare root hedging and forestry transplants was March 31 the stock will be prime for despatch throughout April into mid-May.   Carol Dickinson, Head of Business Support at Wyevale Nurseries in Hereford, which celebrates its 90th Anniversary this year, said: “We now have 3,000 cubic metres of cold store space to help extend our…

keep cash flow active in garden centres
There is no doubt that the continuation of the Covid-19 lockdown is placing significant and never before seen pressures on the garden retail supply chain, however the Garden Industry Manufacturer’s Association (GIMA) is issuing a call to action to retailers to keep cash flow active and that it continues to reach suppliers.   Pre-season deliveries in January and February would traditionally see payments reach suppliers in April and May, but in a world where Coronavirus is creating an unprecedented landscape, receipt of these payments are not necessarily a given as retailers tighten their belts…

Free online diagnostic tools
Two of the UK's leading aquatic brands have officially launched online diagnostic tools for people social-distancing and self-isolating at home to get expert advice from the safety of their sofas (April 2020).   Aquarium specialist Interpet and its sister brand, Blagdon, which creates products for garden pond keepers, have formally unveiled tools designed to help people cutdown on non-essential trips away from home.   Adrian Exell, Development and Marketing Manager at Interpet, says: “Our indoor aquatics’ tool has been designed to help users diagnose common fish and aquarium problems with…

Primeur’s unbreakable recycled rubber range
Primeur’s new generation of ‘virtually indestructible’ garden ranges, which are renowned for their ability to endure punishing levels of wear and tear without suffering damage, will remain in pristine condition whether garden centres are forced to remain closed for weeks or locked down for months. Unlike traditional materials commonly sold for garden use, Primuer’s Eco Garden range of recycled rubber innovations will not crack, fade, stain or rot. This exceptional level of robustness offers unrivalled reassurance for retailers, who have added peace of mind that their investment in stock…

woman carrying out garden jobs
According to new research from leading tool firm, Draper Tools, many people across Britain are finding DIY and gardening to be therapeutic right now, with several garden jobs cited as being ‘strangely satisfying’ in the current climate. Planting seeds, bulbs or plants in the garden topped the list of the UK’s most satisfying DIY jobs. The Draper Tools study also found that mowing the lawn, jet-washing the patio and perfectly trimming a hedge were among the most enjoyable tasks too. Others love painting a fence and digging out troublesome weeds. Kev Smith, Head of Marketing at Draper Tools…