GLAS Special: The Kildare Growers on Ireland’s thriving horticulture industry

The Kildare Growers team

Matthew Lohan, production manager at Woodstock Trees & Shrubs, shares his insights on the opportunities and challenges shaping Ireland’s horticulture sector in 2025

Horticulture

17 July 2025

As we open the doors to GLAS 2025, Ireland’s premier trade event for the amenity and hardy nursery stock sector, the energy across our industry is unmistakable.

Hosted once again in the National Basketball Arena, Tallaght, and proudly supported by The Kildare Growers, Mediateam, and Bord Bia, this year’s show reflects a sector that is thriving—not only economically but creatively and sustainably.

A warm, settled spring followed by consistent summer conditions drove strong plant sales nationwide.

Across garden centres, wholesale outlets and landscape contractors, the appetite for quality Irish-grown nursery stock has been strong—and is only set to grow.

Growing with purpose

GLAS has always been more than just a trade show. It’s a window into the direction of the industry. For 2025, the show features an expanded Grower’s Paddock, showcasing best-in-class hardy nursery stock from across Ireland, while the Machinery Park returns with practical innovations for growers and landscapers alike.

Bord Bia’s Thinking House and Learning Theatre will again anchor the event, offering attendees essential insights into consumer trends, sustainability benchmarks, and emerging market opportunities.

Ireland’s amenity horticulture sector continues to lead on environmental progress. From peat-reduced production to improved water and energy use efficiency, our growers are answering the climate challenge head-on.

Many are now integral to green infrastructure solutions—supplying the trees, hedging and perennials that support biodiversity, combat heat stress, and enhance our public realm.

Innovation in bloom

This momentum has been supported by strategic investment in skills and training. The QQI-validated Horticultural Apprenticeship Programme, co-ordinated by Teagasc, continues to attract new entrants to the profession—young people who bring with them fresh perspectives and a strong grasp of sustainability science.

Combined with the wisdom of seasoned growers, Ireland’s horticultural knowledge base is more robust and future-focused than ever.

GLAS 2025 is, above all, a celebration of what our industry is achieving. It brings together nurseries, landscapers, garden centres, and amenity contractors with the shared goal of building a greener, more resilient Ireland. It offers ideas, connections, and commercial opportunities at a time when the market is looking for innovation and reliability.

On behalf of The Kildare Growers—Doran Nurseries, L&K Dunne Nurseries, Rentes Plants, Schram Plants, and Woodstock Trees & Shrubs—we thank you for being part of GLAS 2025. We look forward to growing together in the year ahead.