New Product New Plant Award winners at GLAS 2019

Gerry Daly, editor of The Irish Garden Magazine, announcing the New Plant New Product winners at GLAS 2019. Photo: Joe Keogh.

In case you missed it - the quality of the new plants and new products at GLAS 2019 was extraordinary with some exceptional shortlisters and deserved winners.

Horticulture

1 August 2019

One of the biggest highlights of the Garden Landscape and Amenity Sportsturf (GLAS) trade show is of course, the New Product New Plant showcase and Best in Show Awards.

Announced in Learning Theatre 1 at approximately 11.05am, Gerry Daly, editor of The Irish Garden Magazine, declared Delphinium “Highlander Flamenco”, by Schram Plants, as winner of the Best New Plant Award; and JF McKenna as winner of the Best New Product Award for the Modiform recyclable Polyethylene terephthalate (PET) containers.

On the day, there were also two Best in Show awards handed out to the Best in Show Horticulture stand and Best in Show Trade Supplier stand. These were awarded to Doran’s Nurseries and Lemonfield Pottery respectively.

Lemonfield Pottery, winner of Best in Show Trade Supplier at GLAS 2019. Photo: Joe Keogh.
Doran's Nurseries, winner of Best in Show Horticulture at GLAS 2019. Photo: Joe Keogh.

Best New Product – JF McKenna for the Modiform recyclable PET containers

“We are delighted and thrilled to have been awarded ‘Best New Product’ at GLAS 2019 and to be supplying 100% recycled pack and pot ranges from Modiform into the Irish market in 2019/2020. As a manufacturing company based in Armagh producing packaging for the horticultural and mushroom industries, we understand the importance of providing products to the market that are made from 100% recycled materials. The market place has become more demanding in the quest to reduce our carbon footprint and to enable the end user to easily recycle their post-consumer plastics using kerbside collection boxes.”, said Gary Loughran of Jf McKenna.

JF McKenna, winner of Best New Product at GLAS 2019. Photo: Joe Keogh.

On market reception, Loughran said: “Our markets have been very receptive to the introduction of recyclable PET products. There already has been high demand in the UK for these products from the large supermarket chains. Irish nurseries supplying these same supermarkets have been urged to start using recycled PET pots and packs. We also have requests from the smaller scale growers wanting to make the conscious move over to these 100% recyclable products.”

On GLAS for meeting and engaging the trade, Loughran said: “Yes its great to welcome existing and new customers onto the stand at GLAS as it’s a more relaxed atmosphere and we notice that the customers visiting the show have a focus on what they are looking for and have more time to chat compared to calling with them on the nursery, when they don’t have the same time to speak to you as they have their daily work and problems to deal with.”

Loughran concluded by saying: “Although some of the recyclable packs are already on the market, Modiform will be increasing their range of the packs and pots over the next few months and will be available as stock items in 2020. For further details please email gary@jfmckenna.com or stephen@jfmckenna.com.”

Transparant green PET main features:

• 100% post-consumer recycled material.
• Recyclable through standard kerbside collection systems.
• Easily separated by existing infrared detection systems
• Great plant growth, extensively tested.
• Consumers can see the plants roots.

**Best New Plant – Schram Plants for the Delphinium “Highlander Flamenco”**

Speaking on winning Best New Plant at GLAS, Tim Schram of Schram Plants said: “[We are] delighted to have a great garden plant recognised on its merits and fantastic double flower colour.” On GLAS he said: “It is a great showcase for suppliers to show off product to potential buyers in the industry. For visitors it’s a one-stop-shop to network within the industry.”

Schram Plants, winner of Best New Plant at GLAS 2019. Photo: Joe Keogh.

Schram concluded: “Highlander Flamenco was available pre-GLAS for general sales and sold extremely well. We had sold through at the time of GLAS and plants are secured for the 2020 season. Plants will be on sale once more early 2020. Reception is good, [there are a] nice few pre-orders for 2020 season.”