Welsh garden centre adds eco-friendly cafe to its offering
An innovative new cafe is giving its customers a truly eco-friendly experience. The Orange Tree at Pugh’s Garden Village in Wenvoe, on the outskirts of Cardiff is like every other ordinary eatery – offering freshly baked cakes, home-made meals and rich, ground coffee. But unlike others who have only just started to ditch straws, they also give their customers to chance to radically improve their carbon footprint, after implementing a range of environmentally-friendly initatives. As well as all of their packaging and coffee cups being plastic-free, they also use 100% compostable packaging and are striving to become as energy efficient…
The Klondyke Group sees success with annual plant show
With a hall brimming with quality plants and awash with colour, the Klondyke Group’s annual Plant Show took place on 22rd February 2018. Held at the Hallmark Hotel close to Wilmslow Garden Centre over 20 suppliers exhibited at the show. The show, which was attended by the Group’s 22 Plant and Garden Centre Managers and Horticultural Buying Team, gave the perfect opportunity to plan and select stock for the 2018 season by bringing them together with many of the best from the UK plant supply chain. Jon Wilks of Jon Wilks Associates, led a very interactive and highly motivational session on…
Perrywood Garden Centre suffers loss because of ‘The Beast From The East’
Perrywood Garden Centre, an award-winning garden centre, will lose out on more than £50,000 takings because of the snow blasts last week. The garden centre in Tiptree, shut on the second day of bad weather when many roads across the region became impassable. From Monday to Wednesday the store were £37,000 down, compared to the same three days the week before. Taking into account last Thursday and Friday, manager of the family-run business Simon Bourne, says this will increase to in excess of £50,000. He said: “We would normally take £15,000 per day in that week. On Wednesday we didn’t take…
Wyevale Garden Centres releases its first garden trends report
Wyevale Garden Centres has launched its 2018 Garden Trends Report, offering an in-depth look at the key influences and insights shaping the UK’s garden retail market – now worth over £5bn annually. The report has gathered the expertise of Wyevale Garden Centres’ senior horticultural team and over 15,000 garden-lovers from across the UK, combined with data to map out what’s gaining ground and losing face in the garden, and the new breeds of British gardeners taking the industry in exciting directions for 2018. The past year has been an exhilarating one for the growth of gardening, as new waves of…
Big rewards with the return of Pimp Up Your Roundup!
‘Pimp Up Your Roundup’ is back. Once again Roundup is challenging independent retailers to demonstrate their creative flair when it comes to their displays this season. With the UK’s number one weedkiller brand back on TV in March and a targeted social media and PR campaign to support its market leading range, Roundup is once again incentivising its retailers to take advantage of increased customer footfall in store. “With our fully integrated marketing campaign, including extensive TV advertising starting before Easter, we will be helping to drive more consumers in to store during the key weedkilling season,” commented Gary Philpotts,…
Anticipation builds for British Plant Fair
With just over a week to go until the much anticipated British Plant Fair, exhibitors and visitors alike are getting ready for the event. The best place to see the best of British growers all under one roof, the fair takes place next week, on Thursday 1st March at Stoneleigh Park, near Coventry. Garden Centre buyers will be able to view a vast array of plants which are available to order on the day, all from British Growers. There will be a large selection of the best nurseries from across the UK, exhibiting all in one place, on one day….
Glee welcomes new team member to boost UK coverage
Daniel will be responsible for raising awareness of Glee’s exciting new dedicated pet sector – Pets @ Glee. Driving pets directly into the heart of the exhibition, Daniel’s remit will include securing leading UK and international pet brands for this thriving showcase; ultimately helping to arm garden retailers with everything that they need to maximise profits of pet products and grooming services in store. Additionally, Daniel’s role will see him work to grow Glee’s Plants, and Landscaping and Garden Decoration sectors, and will be looking to bring both new and existing UK based brands to these popular areas of the event. Finally, he will be overseeing…
GCA launches new Rising Star programme for catering staff
Following the on-going success of the GCA Rising Stars initiative a new programme aimed at garden centre catering staff was launched at its conference in January this year (2018). Sponsored by Creed Foodservice, it has been created to highlight and develop the talented individuals in garden centre restaurants and cafés and to recognise the important role catering plays in the industry. Iain Wylie, Chief Executive of the GCA, said: “Our existing Rising Stars programme, sponsored by Westland Horticulture, has gone from strength-to-strength and remains a significant benefit to GCA members wishing to develop their staff. It is also an important…
Charity garden shop in Brighton thanks mystery donor
A homeless charity in Sussex would like to thank a mystery benefactor for a generous donation to their charity garden shop. Emmaus Brighton & Hove recently received a large donation of brand new gardening gifts from a mystery donor. The items will be displayed and sold in their garden shop ‘The Greenhouse’. The charity believes it to be excess Christmas stock from a local business which perhaps wasn’t sold throughout the January sale period. Emmaus Brighton & Hove is the local arm of an international charity helping people move on from homelessness by providing work and a home in a…
Haskins donates bird boxes to school for National Nest Box Week
Haskins Garden Centre in Roundstone has partnered with Angmering School to promote awareness of National Nest Box Week. The garden centre has donated a total of 12 bird boxes to the school to be mounted around the school site during National Nest Box Week and spark students’ interest in providing a home for breeding birds and a safe place for them to build a nest. Students and teachers were invited to visit the garden centre last week and pick up their bird boxes. Carole Burden, head of science at Angmering School, commented: “We’re so grateful to Haskins for inviting us…
