Winter colour The strength of a garden can be measured by what it looks like in the winter. It’s fairly straightforward getting spring, summer or autumn colour but the winter interest is the backbone. This structure can be created with a number of evergreen shrubs, some of which will also flower in the winter too.…
Winter houseplant watering tips Help keep your houseplants looking healthy and happy for as long as possible with these simple tips. Remember living indoors isn’t natural for plants so you need to provide an environment to suit its needs. Centrally heated homes mean dry air and this can cause problems. Stand large plants in a…
Helpful hint with hedging Bareroot hedging plants make a more economical way of creating a traditional form of hedge or screen. Before you decide the varieties, you would like to include, think about what you are looking to achieve and whether you would like to attract wildlife to your outdoor space in the process. No…
Customer service guru to speak at conference CREATOR and author of Celebrity Service and Celebrity Service Superstars and Forbes named ‘Game Changer’ Geoff Ramm will be presenting at our conference in Reading this month (January 26 until 29, 2025). Not to be missed Geoff, who is a world-renowned speaker on customer service, will be taking…
Member garden centres enjoy a ‘much better finish to the year’ Our November Barometer of Trade (BoT) results published today (December 18, 2024) show ‘a much better finish to the year,’ according to our CEO Peter Burks. It was found from the figures submitted by member garden centres for the month, when compared to November…
Collective imagination champion to speak at conference Author of ‘From What Is to What If’ and collective imagination champion Rob Hopkins is speaking at our annual conference in Reading this January (January 26 until 29, 2025). Rob, who is the co-founder of Transition Network and Transition Town Totnes and author of several books including ‘The Transition Handbook’…
Inter-Generational Diversity Expert key speaker at our conference Inter-Generational Diversity Expert Henry Rose Lee will be speaking at our conference at De Vere Wokefield Estate Reading this January (January 26 until 29, 2025). Henry will be presenting to members on Monday, January 27 on the topic of ‘Generational Diversity & Inclusion – Working with Future…
Leading economist revealed as a key speaker at our 2025 conference Leading economist Roger Martin-Fagg will be speaking at our 58th annual conference at De Vere Wokefield Estate Reading this January (January 26 until 29, 2025). Roger, who specialises in making economics accessible for everyone, will be presenting to members on Tuesday, January 28 to…
Our 2024 Christmas display competition winners Garsons Garden Centre Esher (Destination Garden Centre category), Castle Gardens (Garden Centre) and Pughs Wenvoe (Local Garden Centre) have been announced as the national winners of our Gisela Graham-sponsored annual Christmas competition (December 2024). The garden centres were judged to have the best festive displays in the country by…
Top tasks for December Looking for some gardening jobs to do this month, check out our guide: Wash pots and seed trays with warm soapy water in time for spring sowing. Water your greenhouse sparingly in the morning and ventilate when possible to keep the atmosphere dry. Cover empty veg beds with fleece or clear…