HortiTrends Weekly Comment and News Digest - April 2nd

A new report states that DIY Staff 'are Best at Explaining Products'. Whether true or not its part of an ongoing struggle to be recognised as the flag carrier for being the 'Knowledge Centre for Gardening'. It will always be a matter of opinion between the various parties but the public are there to be influenced. Its important that the people on the ground are trained equally in the art of selling and imparting relevant information.

Read more: HortiTrends Weekly Comment and News Digest - April 2nd

The Sodshow Meets Triona O’Connell

The SodShow, Dublin's only garden radio show. Live every Friday @ 3pm – or after tea-time in podcast.

Read more: The Sodshow Meets Triona O’Connell

Climate Change Legislation Gives Agri-Sector a Realkistic Chamce of Achieving Food Harvest Targets

IFA President John Bryan has described the legislation on climate change recently announced by the Minister for the Environment Phil Hogan as a 'realistic set of proposals that can allow the agri-food sector to achieve the targets set down in Food Harvest 2020'.

Read more: Climate Change Legislation Gives Agri-Sector a Realkistic Chamce of Achieving Food Harvest Targets

GAA President Marks Tree Week at Bray Emmets

Pictured at a tree planting ceremony to celebrate National Tree Week are Gerard Murphy Managing Director Coillte Forest, Mary Keenan, Director of the Tree Council of Ireland, Dermot O'Brien, Chairman, Bray Emmets GAA Club, and Liam O'Neill, President of the GAA.

Read more: GAA President Marks Tree Week at Bray Emmets

Knockainey Honoured for Pride of Place Success

The Committee members presented Knockainey Community Council with a commemorative scroll honouring the south County Limerick group's achievement in beating off stiff competition from all over the country to be crowned overall winners of Population Category 3. Pride of Place, which is run by Co-operation Ireland in conjunction with local authorities north and south of the border, was first piloted in the summer of 2003.

Read more: Knockainey Honoured for Pride of Place Success

HTA Restructures

As part of its ongoing commitment to provide an efficient and cost effective service to members HTA has restructured its internal organisation. As a result of that process Andrew Maxted is to leave the HTA this month after nine years in commercial and marketing roles at the industry trade association.

Read more: HTA Restructures

The Sodshow Meets The Ecostore, Part 1

The SodShow, Dublin's only garden radio show. Live every Friday @ 3pm – or after tea-time in podcast.

Read more: The Sodshow Meets The Ecostore, Part 1

HortiTrends Weekly Comment and News Digest - February 8th

Nurseries in Ireland will be checking out the attendance of garden centres at Rentes Spring Show next week to get a measure of the confidence that is out there. They will be hoping that the sector is positive as Mike Devitt of Newlands Garden Centre recently reported to REI Retail Excellence Ireland "The Christmas trade was quite buoyant during December but the focus was on Christmas goods as opposed to general goods, for example nursery was down. The trend was towards artificial trees more so than real trees. From talking to colleagues in the UK, our Christmas retail experience seems to be on a par with theirs". While showing a very slight decline on 2011 figures overall, it was not as bad as some expected.

Read more: HortiTrends Weekly Comment and News Digest - February 8th

HortiTrends Weekly Comment and News Digest - March 25th

It can be hard to remember sometimes just how enthused you were, by all things horticulture as a fresh faced student. In Irish Final of the Young Horticulturist of the Year, 2013 Results the competitive streak remains strong between the colleges in Ireland and the UK. Its part of some of the important work of carried out by the IOH. The competition is currently under the stewardship of Dr Paul Fitters at the College of Amenity Horticulture at the Botanic Gardens. Keeping it real, they took the competition out to the workplace with the finals held at Johnstown Garden Centre. A good practical move that will invigorate the competition for the future.

Read more: HortiTrends Weekly Comment and News Digest - March 25th

HortiTrends Weekly Comment and News Digest - March 18th

Congratulations to Dee Sewell in Greensideup Shortlisted for Green Awards 2013. There are a number of companies representing the horticulture sector including Supernemos who are taking on Microsoft in the Green Awards Shortlists. It is sometimes hard for our sector to get the recognition it truly deserves as the marketeers in all sectors of the economy make a big deal of their green credentials, whether authentic or not. The innovation and environmental developments that have taken place in the last few years has resulted in a leaner meaner horticulture and definitely more environmentally friendly sector. We are the Green Economy.

Read more: HortiTrends Weekly Comment and News Digest - March 18th

HortiTrends Weekly Comment and News Digest - March 11th

There was a good turn out for the Bord Bia Amenity Horticulture Awards 2013. Despite the ongoing difficulties the mood of the sector is now one of 'lets just get on with it'. The response to the awards by the various sectors is in general positive and the awarding system is really being embraced by staff as it gives real targets to meet and improve on. Definitely the noisiest tables by far were the the three co-ops groups Glanbia, Connaught Gold and Dairygold. The DIY/Garden Centre chains have really embraced the awards judging by their numbers present on the night. There is going to be lots more competition in the future, not only between the individual centres but also between the bigger co-op stores who will be hot on the heels of the old guard 5 stars, who also did well on the night.

Read more: HortiTrends Weekly Comment and News Digest - March 11th

Forestry - Interpol Arrests 200 in Illegal Logging Raid

Nearly 200 people have been arrested and 2,000 truckloads of wood seized in one of the biggest raids ever on suspected illegal timber operations in Latin America. The raid, Interpol's first international operation against large–scale illegal logging, was carried out in 12 Latin American countries alongside national agencies from September to late November 2012. About 50,000 cubic metres of wood was seized, with an estimated value of about $8m (£5.25m), according to details released by Interpol this week.

Read more: Forestry - Interpol Arrests 200 in Illegal Logging Raid

HortiTrends Weekly Comment and News Digest - March 4th

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