Garden Ethos was contracted to run 3 consumer shows for E.P Barrus Ltd in 2019. The long established engineering firm manages 3 brands, Wolf Garten, Wikinson Sword and Town & Country. BBC Gardeners World, RHS Hanpton Court and RHS Tatton Park were all successfully attended We firstly carried out a review of the existing stands and developed a new style of stand which has a softer more significant feel in keeping with the RHS’ desire for natural materials. These new stands were built in conjunction with Stagecraft Ltd, well known for their Garden Centre display furniture. Garden Ethos designed, booked and built the stands. We managed all stock and provided key experienced staff to man the stand during show days. Garden Ethos also managed the till, credit card transactions and stock between shows David Gale, director said “It was a turnkey project where we effectively took the whole show and its logistics from the clients hands, whilst meeting their key objectives for attendance” The great news is that Garden Ethos will be managing the consumer shows in 2020.
Garden Ethos has recently completed a 4 month project to create a complete on-line training course on the development and regulation of Biostimulants. Having been commissioned by ATI (an international Bio and Ag training company), Garden Ethos researched, wrote and commentated the on line learning. The training piece covered such topics as seaweeds, hunates, biopolymers, beneficial chemicals and microbials. Both current state of research and development was covered as well as regulatory status across the globe. Subscribers were also signposted to potentially fruitful development. Later updates also included the change in legislative status in the EU following adoption of the new legislation in 2019 which now includes biostimulants
This February, Garden Ethos, designed, built and manned the Sarpo Potatoes stand at the RHS Spring Fair in central London. We have been working with Sarpo, who breed blight resistant spuds for some years now and this was their latest exposure at consumer shows. The objective was to raise the profile of this range of varieties that suit home gardeners and allotment holders, especially now that there is no traditional method of controlling late blight available in garden centres. The rustic stand was designed in a modular way so that it could be used repeatedly at shows and potato days through the season. It proved a hit with the enthusiastic visitors and we had all six varieties available to take away, purchased by the tuber! We also put together handouts and flyers so that visitors not wanting to carry potato tubers home could order at their leisure. This was our first outing at an easygoing London show, a far cry from the administration and organisation needed at the likes of Chelsea, Hampton Court and Chatsworth with which we are old friends
For the 2017 season, Garden Ethos has been designing, building and running a stand for Gardena at various consumer shows. We have already been at The Badminton Horse Trials, Chelsea Flower Show and recently at the new Chatsworth Flower Show. The stand was all about customer engagement with plenty of gardeners trying out the new fallen fruit picker. the icing on the top of a successful cake was winning a 3 star award from the RHS for our tradestand, for which we were understandably proud. Just the Royal Welsh Show with 1/4 million visitors to go now!
Garden Ethos continued its association with Husqvarna, helping to build their GLEE 2016 stand featuring Gardena Smart Garden, an app led system of controlling the robotic lawnmower and irrigation in consumers gardens. There was plenty of early mornings and late nights ensuring that the irrigation exhibits and their associated plantings were looking perfect. The end result, an inspiring stand that saw the launch of smart garden with journalists and stakeholders alike.
We have just finished a major rewrite of the training materials for B&Q store staff. With much of their product knowledge training taking place in store in a self supported format, a combination of information and work book was needed. Garden Ethos wrote all the content and suggested the layout for the 120 page manual, a mammoth task, downloading our experience for the past 15 years with B&Q! Along with the giant folder a self learning work book was also produced which encourages self learning via products, the everything you need to know folder and B&Q videos Finally to complete the pack we wrote a pocket guide, so that store colleagues have a continual resource on the shopfloor. The end result is an integrated system that covers the hot topics of Horticulture, Garden Care and Garden Power & Tools
The Garden Ethos team pulled the proverbial rabbit out of the hat when corporate client Husqvarna asked us to help in the design and then build and run a large stand at BBC Gardeners World 2016. Some speedy footwork and construction resulted along with all the usual form filling and risk assessments that attending at consumer garden shows entail. The end result was visually eye catching with plenty of activities to bring visitors onto our 8m x 7m stand. This included a large block of ice to demonstrate just how frost proof the new range of irrigation guns from Gardena were. There were competitions to enter, tools to try, micro drip irrigation systems to bespoke design and some great show deals. All the objectives were met in terms of brand awareness, flag waving, contacts made, product sold and journalists wooed!! We just love doing shows and always come up with something a bit different so that our clients stand … stands out! Come and talk to us about consumer shows for 2017, we come up with alternative cost effective ideas that are not always mainstream.
Garden Ethos has been working with newly formed Sarpo Potatoes Ltd for over two years now. We are providing the general management, finance, sales and marketing to get this wholly owned subsidiary of the Sarvari Research Trust up and running. Sarpo Potatoes are a family of 6 late blight resistant varieties with characteristics that are ideal for gardener, allotment holder, organic and low input grower. At the heart of their business model is a website that provides information for growers, interested parties and journalists so it is very timely to have the website live in terms of the coming seed potato season in 2106. The website is also acting as the main portal for the Sarvari Research Trust whose aims include continuing research into blight resistant potatoes, campaigning for sustainable potato production and the provision of free plant material to developing nations. The shop will be up and running in the next 4 weeks which will allow Sarpo enthusiasts to order direct from the breeder.
As the building of the Sarpo brand and its commercialization continues all six varieties were present and in demand at the RHS Potato Festival The whole of the hall was given over to the humble spud with well over 150 varieties available via several stands the most significant of which was the Pennard Plants stand which was huge and outstanding. It’s head honcho Chris Smith was much in demand for talks on growing and tasting. The demonstration area overflowed into the hall and the questions just kept coming. Chris was unflappable and we all learnt something new!! The Pennard stand had its potatoes colour coded depending on whether the spud in question was an early, first early etc. But hats off to Chris, who put the Sarpo family into its own purple livery to distinguish its particular characteristics (does that make them royal!!). We were at the show to talk to customers about the varieties, hand out our new leaflets and learn what Londoners wanted from their home grown potatoes. The demand was for earlier varieties with a waxy texture and were able to help with Sarpo Una and Sarpo Kifli. It will certainly help in terms of future breeding though the demand for an early blight resistant variety is questionable. Sarpo Branding and bags were in evidence and there was excellent recognition within the potato aficionados at the show.
Spring is sprung the grass is rise, I wonder where the birdies is? As the 2015 season comes into a view, we are brushing off our best voices, enthusiasm and know how of the gardening industry and putting together a series of demo teams for our clients. Yes .. you are certain to get lower costings going to the traditional merchandising companies that can provide demonstrators at the relative drop of the hat. But, will they know anything about that new product in question and how au fait will they be with gardening? The chances are .. very little and none (in that order!). We specialise and guarantee that our demonstrators are keen gardeners with a good working knowledge of UK garden centres and DIY mults – just where your supporting active demonstrations are likely to be located. Come to us for a great quote that includes all the preparation, proposals of how the demo will look and feel. We will produce an instructional video so that you can see what they will look like and will ensure that the team will all be actively selling in the same way. Included will be all logistics such as clothing, props and training. We will even call the target stores to ensure they are ready for the event and provide reports after each weekends activity. No, it will not be the lowest cost per event .. but is will certainly be the BEST and most effective in getting your messages across and selling more in your customers stores. Click on our demonstrating link to read a little more or drop a quick line to hello@gardenethos.co.uk
This project is part financed by Gwynedd Council and the Welsh Government through the Local Investment Fund and the European Union - European Regional Development Fund.
Mae'r prosiect hwn wedi ei rhan ariannu gan Gyngor Gwynedd a Llywodraeth Cymru drwy'r Gronfa Ddatblygu Lleol a chan yr Undeb Ewropeaidd - E.R.D.F