Contents Proceed with caution


As we cautiously navigate the government’s post-Covid roadmap and do our best to avoid the inevitable bumps along the way, there does seem to be a general feeling of optimism and positivity in the air. There are certainly more people out and about, with customers keen to get back to normal and enjoy the great physical shopping experience that garden centres are able to offer. Being able to reopen indoor catering areas has also provided a much- needed boost to trade.


The spring weather may have started well, with warmer CONTACTS


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10 Association Comment: GCA 11 Association Comment: HTA 12 Grow Your Own 13 Industry Insight 14 Lawn turf, seeds & artificial grass 15 Lawn turf, seeds & artificial grass 16 Watering & Irrigation 17 Watering & Irrigation 18 Decorative Garden Products


GCU May 2021 12 8


temperatures and sunshine in March, but April was disappointing as temperatures dropped considerably and it has since become a lot wetter during May. So while people haven’t been able to sit out and enjoy their gardens as much as they were able this time last year, the mix of sunshine and showers has provided some perfect growing weather with everything looking lush and green. A positive takeaway is that all this spring growth needs to be managed, so there is plenty of maintenance required, which in turn leads to sales of garden tools and accessories. One key area of the garden that has definitely been helped by the mixed weather conditions is the grass, which is looking much healthier this year. So with lawn maintenance at the forefront of many gardeners’ minds, in this issue we have a special feature on turf, seeds and artificial grass, where we provide some tips on rejuvenating the lawn by overseeding and also examine the latest in eco-friendly artificial grass for those customers that prefer a lower maintenance solution to the perfect lawn.


As I write this, we are forecast to have a spell of drier and warmer weather in June, so hopefully we’ll all soon be able to enjoy the great outdoors a bit more, as well as the increased sales it should bring.


Neil Mead, Editor nmead@datateam.co.uk


@ GCUpdateUK


@ GCUMagazine


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