industry news Mobile garden trend set to
continue, says Wyevale Nurseries The trend for mobile gardens is set to continue, according to family
owned wholesale grower Wyevale Nurseries, as figures reveal home ownership among 25-34-year-olds is decreasing with more young people renting instead.
Yorkshire garden centre doubles its toy area
ahead of Christmas An award winning Yorkshire garden centre has doubled the size of its toy department after joining a specialist buying group.
Tong Garden Centre has teamed up with Birmingham buying group AIS (Associated Independent Stores) to offer an increased range of quality toys, including leading brands like Lego and Playmobil.
Commercial director Sharon McNair (pictured right) is delighted with the partnership. She commented: “Membership of AIS gives us access to brands like Lego that are difficult for garden centres to get hold of and represents future opportunities to expand the cook shop with access to prestige brands like Le Creuset.
“Families come from all over Yorkshire to experience the wonder of Tong's Christmas Grotto and now they will also be able to pick up some traditional board games and toys when they visit.”
In addition to Lego and Playmobil, the extended toy shop will stock a range of TY and Jellycat soft toys, Play Doh and Depeche brand, Top Model products.
The English Housing Survey Headline Report 2016-17 found that 46% of 25- 34-year-olds now live in private rentals, compared with 27% in 2006-07. Wyevale Nurseries managing director Andy Johnson said: “With an increasing number of house renters, the pick it up and take it with me garden is a trend set to continue.
“There is always going to be a market for that instant splash of colour on the patio. However, the mobile garden is going to be more than just instant gratification. Millennial gardeners want to bond with their plants and have that strong emotional connection with them.
“There is now an increasing range of 21st Century shrubs. Shrubs which will grow happily in patio pots and that the millennial renters can bond with in the safe knowledge that their beloved Phormium can be transported on the back of a removal van.”
He continued: “We grow a selection of plants such as the quirky Jacobinia ‘Firefly’, colourful Hydrangea Magical series (pictured) and the structured Phormium ‘Blondie’ perfect for the renting household meaning they don’t have the hassle of replanting each year. Young gardeners are seeing their patio as their new dining room – it just needs some plant décor.”
GCA Trust sponsored delegates return from ‘inspirational’ IGCA Congress in Czech Republic
Squire’s Garden Centres’ Matt Tanner and Klondyke Group’s Jayne Scott, who were sponsored by the Garden Centre Association (GCA) Trust to attend the International Garden Centre Association (IGCA) Congress, are back from their trip. The young duo were picked for the Trust’s Dick Allen Scholarship Award Scheme and joined 200 delegates at the 60th annual event, held for the first time in the Czech Republic. Matt, who is the manager of Squire’s at Chertsey and is a previous GCA Rising Stars candidate, said: “The whole trip from start to
finish was a fantastic week. The standards of merchandising of houseplants in the Czech Republic has certainly made me re-think what we are currently doing in store and made me review the houseplant area. The use of houseplants in gift departments and in the cafés was definitely something I would like to implement.
“I was made to feel welcome by all the delegates and the amount of knowledge that is shared informally on the coach trips between venues is priceless. I can’t emphasise enough the benefits of attending the congress and will certainly be recommending it to my colleagues and peers.”
Delegates from 16 countries attended the IGCA Congress this year, including 40 visitors from Great Britain, who made up the largest contingent.
Jayne Scott, who was voted the Rising Star at the 2018 GCA conference, said of the trip: “An invaluable experience – making connections with people from all around the world is not
GCU October 2018
something you get the chance to do every day! From talking to each other about how we do things to seeing fresh new ideas within the garden centres sparks inspiration immediately! “A week-long packed schedule saw us visiting garden centres, gardens, factories and much more and I am so grateful I got to have this experience. With fantastic merchandising especially within houseplant sections, I have certainly come away inspired. What a week!” The Trust is now inviting donations to fund
delegates to future congresses, including the next one in the United Kingdom in September 2019. Trust chairman Sue Allen said: “I am so pleased that for the third successive year the Dick Allen Scholarship Fund, as part of the Trust, has supported this initiative. It has proved to be such a valuable part of helping young staff members within GCA garden centres to broaden their horizons, make new like-minded friends on an international level and help them to gain confidence and to express their opinions within discussion groups.”
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