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functional benefits, transforming their garden into a stylish yet practical place. Arches are also benefiting from this trend and are performing incredibly well, which is reflected in the size and variety of arches we feature in our Zest range.”
Mr Davison added that consumer interest in pre-painted and stained garden timber products continues to grow, and Zest has made “significant progress” in identifying new partners within its supply chain who are able to produce high quality stained/painted products, which it hopes to begin introducing this year.
Also for this year, and looking ahead into 2026, Zest is continuing to develop its outdoor entertaining range. It is also in the process of introducing some boxed, kiln dried and stained products this season as customers’ tastes and preferences are evolving. Hutton has introduced two new sheds to its product range – an 8x8 apex shed with double doors and a 12x6 pent-style shed with three options for door placement, left, centre or right. Sales have already been good, said Mr Twigg.
He added that some of the products that Hutton had mothballed when it decided to focus on its core range a few years ago have been brought back, due to demand. In particular, garden storage solutions and bin stores – now available as a triple as well as a double – have performed really well. The latter is probably a reflection of the increasing focus on the management of household recycling over recent years.
Over at Forest Garden there is a new range of wooden garden furniture in the portfolio for 2025, along with five new overlap log stores.
“In addition, we’ve launched three sizes of elegant lean-to greenhouses under our new ‘Wallscape’ range,” said Mr Grainger. “A stylish and practical choice, these greenhouses are perfect for smaller and urban gardens.” Looking ahead, there is plenty of optimism regarding the 2025 season.
“I think the early signs are quite good,” said Mr Twigg. “Our pre-season activity, where we take orders at discounted levels for delivery in the first two or three months of the new year were at their highest level for four years, and, on a like-for-like basis, as good as they have ever been. We went into 2025 with a very healthy order book, so providing we get some decent weather the signs are that our garden products will perform well this year.” He added that Easter being late this year means the potentially better weather should have a positive impact on consumers investing time and money in their gardens. It’s a similar story at Zest.
“Based on the orders we have already received and after two difficult seasons for the sector, we are expecting a very strong season,” said Mr Davison.
“The timing of Easter is less important to us than the weather conditions prior to Easter, and if we have a milder and drier March the pent-up demand could produce one of the stronger Easter periods we have seen since the Covid period.
“Consumers are wanting to spend more of their time outside, driven by a renewed appreciation for outdoor living that emerged during lockdowns,” continued Mr Davison. “Consumer have invested in their gardens as an extension of their living space, creating areas for relaxation, socialising, and even home-grown food.
“With well-being, sustainability, and alfresco dining trends continuing to grow, homeowners see their gardens not just as places to be outside but as a space for leisure, family time, and connecting with nature. Some fine weather would encourage this lifestyle trend, boosting demand for high- quality timber garden products that enhance outdoor living.”
And, for Forest Garden, investment in new machinery and technology means it’s ready to meet all demands. “We’ve introduced four state-of-the-art robots – unmatched in our industry –that are set to revolutionise our manufacturing process,” said Mr Grainger. “Our shiplap machine is now fully embedded and operating daily, with ongoing improvements to enhance efficiency. The Airtex shed sub-machine has been modified to increase output, and early results are promising. Additionally, our new closeboard Airtex fence panel machine is in place and undergoing further optimisation. “These exciting advancements will play an increasingly vital role as our production volumes continue to grow,” said Mr Grainger. ■
Above left: Hutton’s 12x6 pent shed with double doors Above right: Zest’s Compact Botanical Greenhouse
www.ttjonline.com | March/April 2025 | TTJ
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