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Easter heatwave saw furniture and
Helping Children Grow exhibit wins a bronze medal at Chelsea
The ‘Helping Children Grow’ exhibit, supported by National Garden Gift Vouchers, at the RHS Chelsea Flower Show 2019 was awarded a Bronze medal. The exhibit, which features in the Discovery Zone of the Great Pavilion, promotes National Children’s Gardening Week which takes place between 25 May – 2 June 2019. Working with National Children’s Gardening Week Ambassador Chris Collins, the exhibit features fun and inspiring projects such as edible planters, a pizza wheel, runner bean tipis and a wildlife hotel. There is also information and images provided by schools and garden centre businesses about the benefits of getting children involved in gardening.
The exhibit featured:
· Edible ‘GROW’ wording grown by Chilton Primary School in Oxfordshire · Teapots filled with scented pelargoniums planted by children from schools including Galleywood Primary School in Essex, Charlton Manor Primary School in Greenwich and Pershore School in Worcestershire. These schools have been part of an initiative spearheaded by The Sun’s Gardening Correspondent Peter Seabrook. National Children’s Gardening Week Ambassador and designer of the exhibit Chris Collins commented: “It feels like we have come a long way with children’s gardening in the last 10 years. Campaigns like National Children’s Gardening Week have brought the subject of healthy eating, growing plants and mindfulness to almost every primary school in the land. This year at Chelsea we aim to celebrate this incredible rise in the numbers of young gardeners and inspire even more young people with simple ideas and fun projects to encourage them, their parents and grandparents to have a go.” With many other gardens at RHS Chelsea Flower Show, including the RHS Back to
Nature Garden designed by HRH The Duchess of Cambridge with Andree Davies and Adam White, choosing to focus on getting children outside and involved in gardening, it shows the importance of the issue both inside and outside of the industry. The HTA extends its thanks to exhibit supporters including Aylett Nurseries, Frank P
Matthew’s, Gardener’s Kitchen, Lindum Turf, Melcourt Industries, Suttons, Thompson & Morgan, Volmary, Woodlodge and Worfield Plants; as well as a special mention to HTA staff Caroline and Natalie who have grown the runner beans and tomatoes!
John Lewis figures hit by cooler weather but Waitrose reports uplift in plant sales
The high street retailer posted a total sales decline of -4.1% to £2.68million across the business for the week ended May 25, with home and outdoor living struggling in its department stores, whilst Waitrose saw sales of outdoor plants soar 21%. Waitrose & Partners finance director Ross Avery
said of the double-digit sales surge in outdoor plants: “On the back of the Chelsea Flower Show, customers were keen to be in the garden.” The grocery chain – part of the John Lewis Partnership – sells outdoor plants at most of its branches and has its own dedicated garden website,
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www.gardencentreupdate.com
waitrosegarden.com, which offers indoor and outdoor plants, garden tools and equipment, growing media, plants and outdoor living ranges. Last week Waitrose & Partners announced it has acquired a 110,000sq ft property in Enfield, North London that will open as a dedicated fulfilment centre for online customer orders in spring next year. The Enfield centre is the next stage of online
investment that has seen the retailer inject more than £80million into
Waitrose.com over the last five years. This has been across the entire service, from digital platform and new apps, to delivery performance and doorstep service.
GCU June 2019
barbecue sales soar Garden centres across the country enjoyed positive sales in furniture and barbecue departments thanks to one of the hottest Easter breaks on record in April.
Sales of furniture and barbecues were up 28.36% compared to the same month in 2018, according to the Garden Centre Association’s (GCA) Barometer of Trade (BoT) report. GCA chief executive, Iain Wylie, said: “As well as furniture
and barbecues, we also saw strong sales in outdoor plants as these were 11.74% up compared to the same month last year. Hard landscaping sales were also up 17.71% and food hall and farm shop sales were positive at 13.21% up. “We have been very lucky after already enjoying a positive March and to also enjoy good weather in April too. It just gives everyone a real boost.” Houseplant sales were also up 18% and sales in garden
sundries were up 8.62%. Overall sales for the month were up 10.69% with a year to date change of 17.49%. Gary Carvosso, managing director at Coolings Garden Centre, said: “Easter sales exceeded all expectations with four days of clear blue skies. People were certainly in the mood for gardening in earnest and have been in fact since the warm spell in February. “Our new plot to plate garden, which is growing fresh salads for Arthur’s restaurant, has inspired many and Easter saw Grow your Own vegetables jump by over 50% on Easter 2018 and house plants being back in vogue saw a 70% leap.”
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