HortiTrends Weekly Comment & News Digest September 21th

We had a busy week this week with both the GLEE and Horticulture 2012 events on back to back. GLEE was presented as the relaunch of a more focused and newer Garden Retail show. There were news releases coming daily about a bustling busy show. It wasn't. It was more of the same, just new packaging. If you are in Garden Retail its always going to be worth a visit at least every 2 to three years. The Irish presence there was small and the organisers so not seem to have any real interest in the Irish market. In total there were about 5 Irish exhibitors including Bord na Mona, Neutrog and Shanette Sheds. One Irish person busily enjoying and working the show was Ann Mc Kenna of the GCAI who is now the 'Dry Goods' buyer for the buying group (now one larger with new member Windyridge). She takes over from Seamus McKenna who is close to retirement. We wish him well but are sure that suppliers will be calling on him in the future to try and get a better handle on the mindset of that group of people 'Garden Centre Retail Buyers' who decide whether you survive or thrive.

It was straight from GLEE to the Horticulture 2012 event which you could not have missed with all the publicity on HortiTrends in the lead up to it. We enjoyed it immensely. There were good crowds and also great networking going on between exhibitors. The most prominent stand was Norman Emerson & Sons who are holding their own in these difficult times. One section of the business doing very well is their 'Sports Sands' division which is supplying top grade sands to showgrounds and football pitches at home and abroad. The Greenmount Campus is an impressive venue and centre for learning. It was proper then, that the focus of this event for the Centenary Celebrations was Demonstrations, Seminars and Tours. We met the two 'Teagasc Pat's' i.e Leonard and Suttle who were busy getting around all the exhibitors and seminars . Alas the two Pats are now one, with the recent retirement of Pat Suttle from the Teagasc family. Not for long though as Pat is now offering a new consultancy service to those who wish to avail of his many years of expertise in the Sports Surfaces & Landscape areas.

The other event of the week that we would have attended but missed was The Development of the Cut Foliage Sector through Innovation & Marketing We got the press release on the day of the event by chance when we went looking for unrelated news. I am sure that all in this sector of horticulture were informed and present except possibly those who are looking for new opportunities or potential diversification projects and make up the 10,000 visits each month to HortiTrends. Please keep us all informed by submitting your news, events and comments to jblair@hortitrends.com

For the budding and experienced designers please be aware that the Closing Date for Bloom 2013 Garden Design Application is beckoning. For the progressive florists don't miss the Irish Florist Guild Winter Wedding Workshop. For the design and build interested be at the Architecture Expo / RIAI Annual Conference. For the retailer's out there don't miss REI Garden Centre Seminar with John Stanley

For the rest of us, w'll see you at the 2012 National Ploughing Championships as it is probably one of the few events that brings some aspect of the 12 sectors of Horticulture we cover together in one place and like HortiTrends is - Horticulture Connected.

Next week look out for an interesting article from Mile Neary of Bord Bia about developments in the garden centre sector in Europe along with the much anticipated 'Ireland Amenity Trends' report.

Today's articles:

• The 'MushroomPro' Mobile Processing Unit at Horticulture 2012
• Colour your Life Newsletter
• Origin Green Sustainability Charter
• A Strategic Research Agenda for the Forest-Based Sector
• Irish Economy: Exports by Irish Forestry Sector Valued at €286m in 2011
• Organisation Warns of Fall in Planting of New Forests in Ireland
• FRA: Irish Forest Deal Shows Overseas Timberland Invetment Market is "Healthy"

Top 10 Most Read Articles Last Week:

• O'Dowd Roses 'Looking Good Promotion' for Autumn Gardening Campaign
• This Weeks Premium Jobs in Horticulture Ireland
• Report on Garden Centre Congress 2012 in Germany by Rachel Doyle
• Seminar, Tours and Demonstration Programme for Horticulture 2012
• Glee 2012 Show Features
• A Future without Fungicides? - ‘Horticulture 2012’ will Address the Issues that Matter
• How Are Your Sports Fields and Playing Pitches Performing? Horticulture 2012
• Irish Florist Guild Competition and Tradeshow
• How Can Waste Improve Your Crops? Horticulture 2012
• Report Issued On Dublin Waste To Energy Project

This Weeks News Articles:

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