This comes as several water companies – Anglian, Thames, Southern, South East Water, Veolia Central and Veolia South [...]]]> The Horticultural Trades Association (HTA) and Waterwise are delighted to announce that agreement has been reached with Thames, Anglian and South East water companies to allow gardeners to use drip irrigation during periods of water restrictions.

This comes as several water companies – Anglian, Thames, Southern, South East Water, Veolia Central and Veolia South East, Sutton and East Surrey today announce restrictions on the use of water in the south and east of England, which will come into effect on 5 April.

Tim Briercliffe, Director of Business Development for the HTA, comments, “We are delighted that Thames, Anglian and South East Water have taken on board the garden industry’s concerns by allowing drip irrigation to be exempt from the restrictions. This is subject to confirmation following the consultation period on the water companies’ plans. This is a great win for gardeners and the industry and is a massive step forward from the position in 2006 where blanket hosepipe bans had a huge and costly impact on both. This is a significant result and follows several years of lobbying and relationship building with water companies.”

He adds, “Used correctly, drip irrigation is water efficient and there is clear evidence from other countries that its use contributes positively to the overall water-saving effort.This will allow the nation to keep on gardening this spring and summer and we are pleased that the water companies recognise this. There are, however, a few water companies who have not yet agreed to allow drip irrigation and we will be making our case to them over the next week (during the consultation period) encouraging them to follow suit for these reasons and for consistency of message to the nation’s 20 million gardeners. We will also be asking for concessions for newly landscaped gardens and turf to help protect our landscape members.”

The HTA has been lobbying for the introduction of a phased approach to water restrictions rather than blanket hosepipe bans. This work will continue into the future, building on existing commitment from a number of water companies, although it is recognised that 2012 is an extreme year where it has been necessary to bring in water restrictions early in the season.

Immerse yourself in orchids throughout the Glasshouse; ranging from the cooler-growing species of [...]]]> Orchids in the Glasshouse, RHS Garden Wisley (17 March – 15 April), is a celebration of all things bright and beautiful. It combines exotic colour, tropical heat and innovative planting displays to create a perfect oasis for orchid lovers and enthusiasts.

Immerse yourself in orchids throughout the Glasshouse; ranging from the cooler-growing species of Oncidium and Cymbidium, forming a naturalistic island display in the temperate zone, evoking the forest landscapes of the Himalaya.

Moving into the tropical section there will be dazzling, colourful displays of the hot-, humid-loving Phalaenopsis and Vandas, which are boldly arranged in a creative spectacle culminating at the tropical pond.

Feature plants for this year’s display, known as “King of Orchids”, are Cymbidium. These striking plants, which have been cultivated since Victorian times, are ideal plants for the home grower and can be seen displayed to their full potential throughout the moist temperate zone of the Glasshouse at Wisley.

A lesser-seen orchid, Phaius tankervilleae, will be in full bloom, with its tall elegant spikes of contrasting colours up to 2 metres in height.

You will also be able to see Arpophyllum giganteum waving its foxtail inflorescences and the drier-growing Dendrobium x delicatum and D. kingianum hybrids providing cushions of colour.

For more information visit www.rhs.org.uk/wisley

According to Thames Water, 45% of their customers believe that a drought in 2012 is unlikely but it is clear from today’s meeting that those people are in for [...]]]> The Horticultural Trades Association (HTA) represented the garden industry at the Drought Summit yesterday, which was called by Defra Secretary of State, Caroline Spelman MP.

According to Thames Water, 45% of their customers believe that a drought in 2012 is unlikely but it is clear from today’s meeting that those people are in for a shock! Whilst the Government has been warning about water shortages for some time, the situation is getting worse. According to the Environment Agency, well over half of England is at ‘high risk’ of drought in 2012 and the Met Office has advised that ‘the chances of a wet or very wet March over the UK are low and lower than average’ and the three month outlook is no better.

Tim Briercliffe, HTA’s Director of Business Development, was present at the Summit and commented, “The south and east of the country are genuinely facing drought conditions in 2012 and the industry should brace itself for the introduction of water restrictions (hosepipe bans) probably from before Easter in some water company areas.”

Whilst severe shortages exist in parts of the south and east it is important to note that there is no water shortage problem in much of the north, Wales and Scotland. This is a regional issue, but if you are in an affected region then the impact is serious.

In 2006 garden retailers in ‘hosepipe ban’ areas saw an average 20% drop in sales as the public were scared off gardening by the bans. Tim Briercliffe continued “The summit was a great opportunity to highlight the impact of water restrictions on the industry and on the 20 million gardeners out there. We are developing a pilot programme with one water company to test the HTA/Waterwise proposals for phasing in water restrictions but that won’t help the industry this year. In the meantime, we are calling on water companies to work closely with the garden industry on how it communicates garden water saving messages to the public. We would also like to see the use of drip irrigation permitted during hosepipe bans as the evidence clearly shows that the use of such systems drastically cuts water use and embeds the importance of water efficiency with gardeners.”

“At the Summit, the Government agreed to focus on a National Drought Management Team and HTA will be ensuring that the voice of the garden industry and gardening public is clearly heard. The team will seek to bring about the consistency of communication between water companies that the HTA has been calling for since 2006 and is very welcome. In addition, Thames Water is taking the lead on co-ordinating the response of affected water companies and we are in close dialogue with them.”

It will be important for the industry to promote water-saving solutions for gardeners this year and HTA will be providing advice for members on messages that can be communicated.

HTA also raised the specific issues for ornamentals growers in having reduced access to water for abstraction. The widely promoted solution for this is the installation of water storage but for many ornamentals growers, with limited land, this simply isn’t an option. This is crucial for container and protected ornamentals as without water, the business goes. Nursery producers need to be protected.

Summing up, Tim Briercliffe said “I welcome the Secretary of State’s intervention in this serious issue which follows our discussion with her on this matter at the All Party Parliamentary Gardening and Horticulture Group (APPGHG) meeting with her in January. She is very aware of the impact of water shortages on the garden industry and we will follow up her commitment to work with us.”

Designed by gardeners for gardeners and made in the UK, Hozelock introduces a new range of pain free spraying solutions. The new Standard, Plus and Pro pressure sprayers have been [...]]]> Gardeners struggling to spray can now put the pressure on eliminating unwanted weeds, pests and insects with Hozelock’s new range of multi-purpose pressure sprayers.

Designed by gardeners for gardeners and made in the UK, Hozelock introduces a new range of pain free spraying solutions. The new Standard, Plus and Pro pressure sprayers have been developed to provide a much more cost effective solution for your gardening needs. Ready to use, disposable sprayers can create environmentally un-friendly packaging waste and can be much more difficult to spray accurately.

You won’t have this problem with a new efficient Hozelock sprayer. Now there’s no need for bending or reaching, helping gardeners say goodbye to painful gardening aches and pains.
Hozelock’s new Standard, Plus & Pro pressure sprayers boast:

• Hozelock’s ‘last drop’ spraying system which completely empties the bottle while spraying, leaving no waste
• Advanced features including adjustable nozzles, lockable on / off flow for continuous spraying, wide foot grips for stability when spraying, and a pressure release valve to stop over pressurising
• Enlarged 90mm-wide bottle mouth to make filling and cleaning much easier
• On board Hose storage system located in the base for convenience
• A transparent dosing cup and last-use indicator to remind gardeners what chemical solution was last used in the bottle to prevent cross contamination
• A versatile 3-in-1 carrying harness for maximum comfort, which can be used as a shoulder strap, satchel or rucksack for ease of spraying

Gardeners now have the added convenience of using a pressure sprayer compared with a ready-to-use spray gun. This helps with the even control of pests and weeds quickly and carefully. Hozelock recommends gardeners use Roundup™ from Scotts, a concentrated weed killer that kills weeds right down to the root. For example the new Hozelock pressure sprayer filled with one 150ml bottle of concentrate covers the same area as using 54 handheld sprayers.

Available in Standard, Plus and Pro models that come in sizes from 5 litre to 16 litre sprayers; they have been developed for both amateur and experienced gardeners alike. All are easy to use and perfect for the care of greenhouse plants and general garden use.

Hozelock’s new Standard, Plus & Pro pressure sprayers are available from leading gardening and DIY stores across the UK from March 2012, and are priced from £19.99 – £24.99 for standard models, £26.99 – £38.99 for Plus models and £39.99 – £49.99 for the Pro range.

For more information on Hozelock’s full range of pressure sprayers and leading gardening solutions, customers can contact the Hozelock helpline on 0121 3131122 or go to www.hozelock.com

Ben Peggs and Marcus Mepstead of the British international fencing squad immersed themselves in the world of [...]]]>

Two top British fencers clashed swords amongst the phormiums and the cordylines at Hillier Nurseries this week in a sneak preview of „Duel and the Crown?, the Hillier Chelsea Exhibit 2012, sponsored by Beazley British Fencing.

Ben Peggs and Marcus Mepstead of the British international fencing squad immersed themselves in the world of gardening at the UK?s largest tree and plant nursery in Hampshire. Wearing the iconic Union Jack fencing masks, they fenced through the glasshouses, tended the plants and caught up on the best in gardening magazines.

At the RHS Chelsea Flower Show in May, the Hillier Exhibit will be marking the Queen?s Diamond Jubilee and London 2012 with a spectacular garden exhibit inspired by the Olympic sport of fencing. It will feature live fencing displays by members of the Beazley British Fencing team, and celebrate the return of fencing to Ranelagh Gardens for the first time in over 70 years.

Competitive fencing was often staged in garden settings, and Ranelagh Gardens, the annual site of the RHS Chelsea Flower Show, were used as an outdoor venue for Epee Club tournaments until the outbreak of the Second World War. In 1932 Ranelagh presented the Epee Club with the “Ranelagh Cup”, which has been fought for annually ever since in the grounds of the Hurlingham Club.

The Hillier exhibit is also a tribute to Her Majesty the Queen, the Patron of British Fencing, as the nation prepares to celebrate the Queen?s Diamond Jubilee just a week after the RHS Chelsea Flower Show.

A proudly British company and holder of 66 consecutive Chelsea Gold medals to date, Hillier Nurseries have supplied nearly 4000 British-grown trees to the Olympic Park for London 2012 and is rooting for Team GB.

For their part, the Beazley British Fencing team will be hoping that the success of Hillier Nurseries at Chelsea will rub off, inspiring them to medal glory at London 2012

The data from the HTA’s Garden Retail Monitor reveals that sales were up 5% in October, [...]]]> The latest ‘new look’ HTA Market Update reports that garden centre and nursery sales in the last quarter of 2011 were up on the previous year and that interest in grow your own looks to continue in 2012.

The data from the HTA’s Garden Retail Monitor reveals that sales were up 5% in October, 6% up in November and 12% up in December. The December increase is exaggerated slightly by the heavy snows of December 2010 which depressed sales. Even so December 2011 sales are up 7% on 2009. This represents a strong end to the year for garden retailers who continue to capitalise on their reputations for ‘doing Christmas well’ and for the full year sales were up 6%.

Interest in grow your own remained constant in 2011 compared with 2010 both regard to the number of people engaged and sales figures from garden retailers. Tomatoes continue to be the most grown GYO crop although other crops, including herbs, runner beans, onions and peppers are showing increases suggesting that existing GYO customers are expanding the range of what they grow.

HTA Director of Marketing and Communications Andrew Maxted comments, “The garden industry ended the year in a good position and despite the gloomy economic outlook for the months ahead garden retailers remain cautiously optimistic in the light of events such as the Jubilee and the Olympics. Interest in grow your own continues and it looks like the category is maturing with people trying their hand at growing different crops after enjoying the fruits of their labours in previous seasons.”

He adds, “Research from Future Foundation shows that consumers are feeling the need to connect with rural life and are looking for authentic and local products.  They are also looking for value and in a retail environment where three quarters think that they pay too much for food and organic vegetables ‘growing your own’ remains for many an attractive proposition.”

This latest edition of HTA Market Update is in a new format based on the feedback from members. It makes more market information available in an easy to use format. HTA members can download copies, free of charge from

www.the-hta.org.uk/marketinformation