Those of you who read last month's column on photography will recall that I promised a new picture of myself. Well, here it is, and you will probably agree that mine is a perfect face for ... radio. Which is just as well because this is the subject of this month's column on how to raise the profile of your garden centre using the media.

SEER Rockdust hit the headlines in the February 6th edition of Garden News, the weekly consumer publication that gives hands on gardeners help and information on gardening.

Titan, the NEW car park lighting range unique to Lyco, is a giant when it comes to saving energy, with 80 per cent electricity savings compared with halogen alternatives.

At Open Retail we already support some existing AIS full members in the toy and clothing retail sectors. It was natural to offer the same AIS product ranges to the GRO garden centre membership. Using excel spreadsheets can save hours of product data entry.

Both of Interpet's tablet and liquid test kits are accurate, stable, easy to use, informative and value for money.

Minster is delighted to announce an exclusivity agreement with the renowned artist Fabrice de Villeneuve to distribute his extensive collection of prints in the UK and Ireland.

One of the significant growth areas for garden centres is in the sale of wild bird care products, fuelled by the increasing number of home owners who derive pleasure from encouraging and observing wild birds in their gardens. One of the main needs of all wild birds is the availability of a fresh supply of water, preferably in a shallow basin, which is vital all year round for both drinking and bathing.

One of the UK's leading horticultural business consultants, Neville Stein, has identified DVDs as the product that generates the best profit return for the space they occupy within garden centres.

The Spring Tool Offers leaflet from Draper Tools is a great NEW promotion, featuring over 200 items for use in the workshop, garden, home or great outdoors.

Following big successes in Spring 2007 Dahlias and Fuchsias are both set to be ground breaking hits of the season. Fashionable summer gardens, windows boxes and pots will be immersed in these "must have" colours.

Tetra's ongoing campaign to make fishkeeping easy saw the launch of the new TetraMin and TetraFin packaging at GLEE last year. The company is now making available to retailers additional in-store promotional materials for these two best sellers focusing on the visibly different lid which makes dispensing the food easier and clearly differentiate the product on shelf. 

Alan Titchmarsh, television gardener and presenter of Gardeners' World, Ground Force and How to be a Gardener, has joined forces with heavyweight tool manufacturer, Bulldog Tools, to produce two new garden tool ranges that will be sold in garden centres across the UK.

FLAMINGO

Beautifully crafted copy of the Lesser Flamingo. Gorgeous rich colours (high shrimp diet), striking true to life beak. Sure to catch the attention, the oooohs and aaarhs! of your customers.
Colour fast and frost proof.
Cardboard boxed in moulded polyfoam.
Easy to fit (slide in) steel legs removed when packed.
Size approx. 40 inches high x 20 inches long x 9 inches wide.

Garden Centres have developed enormously over the past few decades. Whereas many started out as not much more than greenhouses with tills, the modern garden centre will probably boast a café or restaurant, and a varied retail range.

Innovative Australian, Tesselaar International (Tesselaar), is enjoying growing success in Europe through its distributor network with a broad spectrum of plants and flowers from its range.

Plan early for Christmas or you could be left out in the cold. That's the message from leading shop-fit specialists, Stagecraft.

Members of the Leisure and Outdoor Furniture Association (LOFA) who represent 80 per cent of Britain's manufacturers and importers of outdoor furniture, barbecues and leisure goods have decided that September is too late in the year to exhibit their new designs and to take orders for next spring delivery. As a result they have decided to mount their own exhibition dedicated solely to this important category which they label "the right show at the right time".

A-MIR & CO Ltd is a ONE-STOP SHOP for buyers of outdoor garden furniture and are renowned for their extensive choice, design, quality, value and service. A-Mir has become one of the leading names in garden furniture supplies across the UK and Europe. The success of the company is attributed to its ability to evolve, adapt and fulfil the ever-changing demands of consumers.

Desser & Company has a proud history stretching back some four generations of the same family, the company does not live in the past, constant growth and development has seen it become recognised as one of the country's leading providers of quality cane furniture to the retail trade.

The new luxury Island Barbecue from Electrolux is destined to become the "must-have" product for the garden this summer. Aimed at discerning homeowners seeking to add decadence to their outdoor space, the Island Barbecue is the most innovative and stylish outdoor grill available and is set to take outdoor dining to another level.

Over the last few years, since the formalisation of the partnership between the Norfolk Leisure and Acamp, the Norfolk-based business has worked hard to remain innovative and offer a strong catalogue of maintenance free furniture.

Founded 15 years ago by a management team with several years' experience at the helm of the garden furniture industry, Alexander Rose is today one of the best known brands in the UK and across Europe.

Paul Rosco is serious about Patio and Outdoor Leisure, so much so they have three-piece, six-piece and eight-piece sets, different types in super new colours, they certainly have an eye for fashion as well as the traditional colours.

Now in its third year, the collaboration between UK manufacturer and distributor Slemcka, and Britain's favourite chef, Antony Worrall Thompson, continues to go from strength to strength, with new products and marketing initiatives being rolled out for the forthcoming barbecue season. 

Now the weather has finally picked up people are getting their old furniture out of storage and the last couple of weeks has seen a huge increase in Golden Care treatment sales.

CADAC's commitment to quality and advanced design technology, means that they constantly strive to make outdoor adventure and home entertaining more enjoyable through innovative thinking, continuous research and new product development.