Feature: Plants and Seeds
Unwins launches 42 new seed varieties Unwins Seeds, a trusted name in gardening since 1903, has unveiled its new seed collections for the 2025–2026 season, featuring 42 exciting new varieties designed to engage modern gardeners and expand the appeal of growing from seed.
T
his significant launch follows Unwins’ latest brand repositioning, which is built on
consumer insight that shows that today’s gardeners want the growing journey to be simpler and more rewarding. Te refreshed branding positions Unwins as a trusted brand that stays on the journey with growers every step of the way, sharing its knowledge and making it easier than ever to succeed. Alongside its popular core range of vegetables,
flowers, herbs & salads, and peas & beans, Unwins is introducing four new lifestyle-led ‘Inspired to Grow’ categories. Each is designed to resonate with today’s gardeners and to tap into emotional and lifestyle driven interests.
New ‘Inspired to Grow’ categories Compact allotment: Seeds for small spaces, with big flavour. These space saving varieties thrive in containers and baskets, making them perfect for patios, balconies, or even windowsills, so fresh produce can be truly accessible to everyone. Highlights include: Peas ‘N’ Pod Bernard: An exciting variety of pea that’s extremely compact, so it can be grown even on a kitchen windowsill
Peppers From Heaven: A seed mix
producing plants with vibrant red, orange and yellow fruits, not only does it look beautiful when growing, it is perfect for pots and hanging baskets.
Plants that benefit wildlife As the nation now understands that even a small space can make a big impact on wildlife, more gardeners are choosing to dedicate more of their space to becoming a pollinator paradise. This collection encourages everyone to grow a garden that gives back, with a range of nectar rich, pollen heavy blooms that provide essential food and habitat for pollinators. Highlights include: Gazania Sunny Side Up: A drought-
tolerant, ‘fried egg’ flower, winner of this year’s Fleuroselect Gold Medal and Approved Novelty Award. Poppy Amazing Grey: Unique cloud-like
grey blooms that add a striking visual to gardens.
Cut flowers This collection features a variety of long- stemmed blooms that are ideal for cutting and displaying, with vibrant blooms and glorious
Blenheim Palace and Ilex Studio launch Acorn Vase collaboration
Blenheim Palace has partnered with London- based designers Ilex Studio to create a special edition of their celebrated Acorn Vase – a unique piece of growing art that allows people to nurture their own oak sapling from an acorn gathered on the 12,000-acre Estate. Crafted in glass with a minimalist design,
the Acorn Vase functions like a magnifying lens, offering a close-up view of an acorn as it sprouts and develops into a young tree. Each vase comes with a Blenheim-grown
acorn, simple instructions on how to prepare and plant it, and a booklet about the Palace’s
ancient oak trees. The Blenheim Acorn Vases will be available in two colours, priced at £35. James Hunter, Rural Estate
Manager at Blenheim Palace, comments: “Having been gifted my own Acorn Vase a couple of years ago and taking a Blenheim acorn last year to grow my own at home, I thought this collaboration would give others a unique chance to grow their own piece of The Blenheim Estate at home as our oaks don’t usually leave the grounds of the estate.
scents on offer. Highlights include: Delphinium King English Rose: The extra-
large double flowers deliver stunning colour in true English rose style Sweet Pea Songbird: The delicate soft
ivory-cream flowers do not disappoint with their beautiful scent.
Cottage garden This collection is packed with beautiful blooms that provide the effortless beauty of a low maintenance English cottage garden. Highlights include:
Antirrhinum Doubleshot Mix: These
flowers create real impact in beds and borders, and feature strong stems to withstand windy areas Lavender Blue Spear: A classic in any cottage garden, this showy variety has large and intense flower spikes.
Supporting retailers As well as these 42 new seed options, Unwins will be supporting retailers with a wide variety of point of sale. From displays that highlight propagation equipment to improve the growing journey for consumers, to easy to manoeuvre off fixture displays.
“Each vase contains one of the thousands
of acorns which we usually gather, plant and grow on every year in our nursery to become the ancient oaks of the future. We love how the vases allow you to watch the growing process in such detail and by the time the acorn is ‘used up’ you have your very own little sapling – they will make for a very special gift or souvenir of a visit to Blenheim Palace.” Ed Spurr, co-founder at Ilex Studio adds: “We are delighted to collaborate with Blenheim Palace. At Ilex Studio, our
mission is to share a love of oak trees.” • For more information on the Acorn Vases, go to
www.blenheimpalace.com/ estate/acorn-vase
www.gardencentreupdate.com
GCU Winter 2025
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