News Ideal Home Show showcases horticulture


run in association with the Prince’s Foundation for Building Community. HTA members were involved in the


development and creation of each of the show gardens, including John Woods Nurseries, Hillier Nurseries, Bradstone, Taylor’s Bulbs, Lovania and Hozelock. The winner of Best at Show was Chichester College’s ‘Up Wood’ garden, which incorporated a multi-dimensional design of up-turned tree stumps to create eye-catching natural sculptures.


Chichester College’s ‘Up Wood’ garden won Best at Show


Six of the UK’s top horticultural colleges were showcased at the Ideal Home Show in March. In a bid to win the accolade of Young Gardeners of the Year, Chichester, Capel Manor, Bridgwater, Shuttleworth, Writtle and Askham Bryan


There’s been a lot of media coverage about the impact of the weather on the garden industry, with the HTA Media Office fielding many enquiries. Many HTA members have taken part in TV and radio shows to explain how gardeners can adapt to the late spring and to talk about how their businesses have fared during this difficult spell. These include: Palmers Garden Centre, in Leicester,


The Garden Retail Awards, which are being run in association with the HTA, celebrate the best in garden retailing and are a chance to let the rest of the industry know about your services, ingenuity and successes. These exciting categories have been added to the awards: Best Wildlife or Pets Department – to be awarded to the garden centre whose wildlife, wild bird care or pet department is of the highest standard. The award will recognise customer service, quality and range of products, commercial success,


the best animal care and innovation. l Entrants should submit both written and photographic evidence with their application.


Colleges each designed a beautiful, sustainable show garden. A judging panel made up of Alan Titchmarsh, David Domoney and the HTA’s Carol Paris picked the six gardens out of hundreds entered into the competition, which was


appeared on BBC Midlands Today, while the topic was also covered on UTV (Northern Ireland). BBC News and BBC Radio 5 Live


featured Bents Garden and Home, in Warrington, looking at how its catering offer had helped keep sales buoyant when the temperatures had plummeted. The One Show visited Sheffield and did a media piece at Ferndale Garden


Retail Outlet of the Year: under £1m turnover – to be awarded to a small garden retail outlet that most impresses the judges. The outlet will need to demonstrate excellence during the qualifying period in using often restricted space to bring in urban, perhaps non-core gardening, customers through innovative events,


displays and community involvement. l Entrants must submit written evidence with any relevant supporting printed and/or photographic material. They will also need to detail profitability, turnover, growth, customer satisfaction, staff motivation/retention, and significant improvements in one or more aspects of the business.


6 HTAnews I May 2013 I www.the-hta.org.uk


Alan Titchmarsh, Carol Paris and David Domoney were on the judging panel


Garden centres in the media


Centre with MD Neil Grant and customers in the café. Neil was also interviewed for BBC Look North. On BBC South Today, Farplants and


Arturi Garden Centre explained how the cold conditions had affected plant stock. Meanwhile, HTA Director of business


development Tim Briercliffe talked about the state of the industry on BBC Radio Coventry and Radio Sheffield.


Enter the Garden Retail Awards


Garden retailers and their suppliers are welcome to enter the awards with achievements made between 27 June 2012 and 28 June 2013. The closing date for entries is Thursday 11 July 2013. Don’t miss out on the chance to showcase your achievements to key industry figures.


_Find out more at www.gardenretailawards.com


Domoney Ltd


Domoney Ltd


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