About this episode

This episode features insights from various garden retail professionals on the future of the industry over the next five years.

What’s the one change you’d most like to see in garden retail over the next five years? At Glee 2025, we put that question to all 20 of our guests who joined us in The Underground podcast booth – from garden centre owners and suppliers to marketeers, educators and innovators. The result is a sharp, hopeful snapshot of where the garden sector wants to head next. In this compilation episode you’ll hear from voices including: Amy and Libby Stubbs (British Garden Centres), Kate Ebbens (Woodlodge), Michael Perry (Mr Plant Geek), Boyd Douglas-Davies, Peter Burks (GCA), Nigel Thompson (Sipcam Home and Garden), Helen Thomas and Simon Taylor (Empathy), Steve Harper (Grass Gains & Responsible Sourcing Scheme), Vanessa Cranford (Spring Marketing), Aaron Rudman-Hawkins (The Evergreen Agency), Barry Knight (The Full Range), Kaz Edwards (Heart of Eden) Dan Durston and Simon Blackhurst (Durstons), Nat Boynton and Meg Warren-Davis (YPHA), Tony Kersey (GIMA), Paul Oliver (the Urban Nature Store) Rev Dave Walker (Birleymoor Garden Centre), Belle Richardson (Seal Stop) and Paul Pleydell (Pleydell Smithyman). Themes that keep coming up: Attracting younger and more diverse customers into garden…

People in this episode

Guests: Amy Stubbs, Libby Stubbs, Kate Ebbens, Michael Perry, Boyd Douglas-Davies, Peter Burks, Nigel Thompson, Helen Thomas, Simon Taylor, Steve Harper, Vanessa Cranford, Aaron Rudman-Hawkins, Barry Knight, Kaz Edwards, Dan Durston, Simon Blackhurst, Nat Boynton, Meg Warren-Davis, Tony Kersey, Paul Oliver, Rev Dave Walker, Belle Richardson, Paul Pleydell

Topics covered

• garden retail
• sustainability
• customer engagement
• education in horticulture
• digital transformation
• diversity in gardening

Keywords

• garden retail
• Glee 2025
• sustainability
• customer engagement
• horticulture
• education
• digital transformation
• diversity

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: British Garden Centres, Woodlodge, Mr Plant Geek, GCA, Sipcam Home and Garden, Empathy, Grass Gains & Responsible Sourcing Scheme, Spring Marketing, The Evergreen Agency, The Full Range

More episodes of The Underground

• Soil Health, Plant Food & Profit: The Future of Plant Nutrition with Grass Gains & Empathy - Glee 2025 · December 3, 2025 · 50 min
• Loyalty, Ads & Footfall: Modern Marketing for Garden Centres - Glee 2025 · November 25, 2025 · 1h 1m
• Tony Kersey, GIMA & Belle Richardson, Seal Stop: Live from Glee 2025 · November 18, 2025 · 42 min
• Make It Memorable with Paul Pleydell & Barry Knight - Glee 2025 Live · November 12, 2025 · 59 min
• Lee Connelly & Sipcam’s Nigel Thompson on Schools, Greener Gardening, and Innovation · November 6, 2025 · 56 min
• Glee 2025: Live Q&A with Blue Diamond’s Alan Roper · October 28, 2025 · 41 min

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