Stewarts Garden Centre customers thanked for £20,711 fundraising appeal total
Terry Head, Retail and Marketing Director of the Stewarts Garden Centres, presented a cheque on behalf of the thousands of customers who donated towards last year’s appeal on behalf of the Dorset and Wiltshire Children’s hospices Julia’s House. The £20,711.40p total was raised for Stewarts’ charity of the year not only from donations in collection tins and the wishing well, but also during activities including Easter egg hunts, Halloween events and proceeds from the sale of kids’ reindeer badges over the Christmas festivities over the last 12 months. Laura Kelly, Community Fundraising Manager at Julia’s House said: “We are thrilled…
Plant expert to visit Perrywood Garden Centre for talks and orchid clinics
A plant expert is due to visit a garden centre in Tiptree this week. On Friday and Saturday, orchid expert Dr Manos Kanellos will be visiting Perrywood Garden Centre in Tiptree to give customers the opportunity to learn more about orchids. Dr Kanellos will be sharing his expertise during two talks on both days at 11am and 2pm, providing advice to everyone from houseplant novices to Phalaenopsis connoisseurs. The talks will aim to answer customers’ questions about these plants, including how to repot your orchids, how to trigger your plant to re-bloom and general tips about caring for them. he…
Two added to Highfield Garden World planteria team
Highfield Garden World in Gloucestershire has expanded its planteria team with two experienced new recruits, bringing the team total to 14. The family-owned independent employs 132 staff across the overall business. Turnover is currently £7.5m p.a., of which around 22% relates to planteria sales. Ian Byrne joined in June as Deputy Planteria Manager, while Scott Ellis took up his role soon afterwards. Ian has more than 35 years’ horticultural experience, and Scott has 11. Jon Mason, a director of the business and Planteria Manager at Highfield for the last 22 years, commented; “We’re always looking for ways to improve what…
Discount retailer boosts garden centre stock with Peterborough acquisition
QD Group, based in Norwich, has bought The Barn Garden and Aquatic Centre in Peterborough. The purchase makes it the joint eighth biggest garden centre group by stores in the UK, with 11 Cherry Lane stores. The store, now known as The Barn by Cherry Lane Garden Centres, has transferred all staff over to the QD Group. There are also improvements planned at the premises including the creation of new departments and expansion of its seasonal and gardening ranges. Chief executive of QD Group Nick Rubins said: “The acquisition of The Barn is another great landmark in the ongoing growth…
Residents express their shock and sadness at news Reigate Garden Centre is to close
Hundreds of people have taken to social media to express their sadness and disappointment that Reigate Garden Centre is set to close later this year. The Tiley family has run the centre, on Sandcross Road, for 35 years but chief executive Gary Tiley announced that the site had been sold to property developers on February 8. Land around the garden centre, including fields that are bordered by Whitehall Lane on the west side and Slipshatch Road on the south side, are currently within the green belt. However Reigate and Banstead Borough Council’s development management plan proposes to remove the land from the green…
Grange Fencing introduces new consumer-facing brochure
Grange Fencing, a UK supplier of fencing and garden structures, has invested in a new consumer-facing brochure, ahead of the 2018 spring buying season. Featuring eye-catching lifestyle photography and a high gloss finish, the contemporary looking brochure has been designed to appeal to style conscious consumers looking to improve their garden space. Including insights into the latest garden trends, as well as tips and advice on making the most of Grange products, the user-friendly brochure provides retailers with an appealing tool to help maximise sales from the end consumer. Grange marketing manager, Mark Morris explains, “This year marks the 150th…
Wyevale Garden Centres celebrates £1.7m fundraising success for Marie Curie
Wyevale Garden Centres is celebrating reaching a phenomenal £1.7 million in fundraising for Marie Curie, the UK’s leading charity for people living with terminal illness and their families. Through the help of its customers and centres across the UK, Wyevale Garden Centres has raised enough to pay for the equivalent of more than 9,000 overnight shifts of care from a Marie Curie Nurse, or 85,000 hours of individual nursing care. The incredible sum has been raised as part of an ongoing partnership, launched in 2014. The partnership aimed to raise £750,000 for Marie Curie by the end of 2017, but has surpassed that by £1 million. Over…
New owner for Peterborough’s The Barn garden centre
A well known garden centre in Peterborough is under new ownership. The Barn Garden & Aquatic Centre, in Gunthorpe Road, has just been acquired by the Norwich-based QD Group. The cost of the purchase has not been disclosed but the new owners have vowed to carry out an array of improvements. These include improvements to the sales areas, expansion of gardening and seasonal ranges and the creation of new departments including clothing and Scallywags Pets. The Coffee Barn is also being revamped to accommodate a 120 seater restaurant. The store has been renamed The Barn by Cherry Lane Garden Centres…
Reigate Garden Centre will close by October so hundreds of new homes can be built
Reigate Garden Centre will close in October because its surrounding land could be redeveloped to build hundreds of new homes. Chief executive of the garden centre Gary Tiley, whose family has owned the two-acre site for 35 years, confirmed the decision to sell the site and has informed staff. Mr Tiley, 52, who has managed the site since the early-1980s, cited the council’s proposal to remove surrounding land from the green belt as part of its draft development management plan, and declining trade, as the reasons behind the family’s decision. While admitting it was “a sad day” having to tell…
Deans garden centres’ fundraising helps keep air ambulance flying high
Dean’s garden centres, based in York and Scarborough, have raised £26,000 to support the work of Yorkshire Air Ambulance. Staff at the family-run business chose the air ambulance as its charity of the year for 2017, and undertook a range of events and fundraisers. Events throughout the year included festive days, bake sales, tombolas, second-hand book stalls as well as Yellow Yorkshire – the service’s own themed fundraising day. The company’s charity co-ordinator, Laura Dean, said: “Dean’s is proud of its roots in the community and we think it is important to support local charities. “Every year since 2002, staff have…
